or marshes they set forth Planks penning the doors of those cages they beat three or four times upon a Drum which they have expresly for that purpose whereupon all these fowl being six or seven thousand at the least go out of the boat with a mighty noise so fall to feeding all along the waters side Now when the Owner perceives that these fowl have â—ed sufficiently and that it is time to return them he beats the drum the second time at the sound whereof they gather all together and re-enter with the same noise as they went out wherein it is strange to observe that they return all in again not so much as one missing That done the Master of the boat parts from that place and afterwards when he thinks it is time for them to lay he repairs towards land and where he finds the grounds dry and good grass he opens the doors and beats the drum again at which all the fowl of the boat come forth to lay and then at such time as the Master judges that these fowl have laid he beats his drum afresh and suddenly in haste they all throng in to the boat not so much as one remaining hehind Thereupon two or three men get ashore with baskets in their hands whereinto they gather up the egs till they have gotten eleven or twelve baskets full and so they proceed on their voyage to make sale of their war which being almost spent to store themselves anew they go for to buy more unto them that breed them whose trade it is to sell them young for they are not suffered to keep them when they are great as the others do by reason as I have said before no man may deal in any commodity for which he hath not permission from the Governors of the Towns They that get their living by breeding of Ducks have neer to their Houses certain Ponds where many times they keep ten or eleven thousand of these duckings some bigger some lesser Now for to hatch the Eggs they have in very long galleries twenty and thirty furnaces full of dung wherein they bury two hundred three hundred and five hundred Eggs together then stopping the mouth of each furnace that the dung may become the hotter they leave the Eggs there till they think the young ones are disclosed whereupon putting into every several furnace a Capon half pulled and the skin stript from off his brest they leave him shut up therein for the space of two dayes at the end whereof being all come out of the shell they carry them into certain places under ground made for that purpose setting them bran soaked in liquor and so being left there loose some ten or eleven dayes they go afterwards of themselves into the ponds where they feed and bring them up for to sell them unto those former Merchants who trade with them into divers parts it being unlawfull for one to trench upon anothers traffick as I have before related so that in the Markets and publique places where provisions for the mouth are sold if any that sell Goose Eggs do chance to be taken seazed with Hens Eggs and it is suspected that they sell of them they are presently punished with thirty lashes on the bare Buttocks without hearing any justification they can make for themselves being as I have said found seazed of them so that if they will have Hens Eggs for their own use to avoid incurring the penalty of the Law they must be broken at one end whereby it may appear that they keep them not to sell but to eat As for them that sell Fish alive if any of their Fish chance to die they cut them in pieces and salting them sell them at the price of salt-fish which is lesse then that of fresh-fish wherein they proceed so exactly that no man dares passe the limits which are prescribed and ordained by the Conchalis of the State upon pain of most severe punishment for in all this Country the King is so much respected and Justice so feared as no kinde of person how great soever dares murmur or look awry at an Officer no not at the very Huppes which are as the Bayliffs or Beadles amongst us CHAP. XXXI The order which is observed in the moving Towns that are made upon the Rivers and that which further befell us WEe saw likewise all along this great River a number of Hogs both wilde and domestick that were kept by certain men on horseback and many herds of â—ame red Deer which were driven from place to place like Sheep to feed all lamed of their right legs to hinder them from running away and they are lamed so when they are but Calves to avoid the danger that otherwise they might incur of their lives We saw also divers Parks wherein a world of Dogs were kept to be sold to the Butchers for in these Countries they eat all manner of Flesh whereof they know the price and of what creaturâ—s they are by the choppings they make of them moreover we met with many small Barques whereof some were full of Pigs others of Tortoises Frogs Otters Adders Eeeles Snails and Lizards for as I have said they buy there of all that is judged good to eat now to the end that such provisions may passe at an easier rate all that sell them are permitted to make traffick of them in several fashions true it is that in some things they have greater Franchises then in others to the end that by means thereof no Merchandise may want sale And because the Subject I now treat of dispences me to speak of all I will relate that which we further observed there and whereat we were much abashed judging thereby how far men suffer themselves to be carried by their Interests and extream avarice you must know then that in this Country there are a many of such as make a trade of buying and selling mens Excrements which is not so mean a Commerce amongst them but that there are many of them grow rich by it and are held in good account now these Excrements serve to manure grounds that are newly grubb'd which is found to be far better for that purpose then the ordinary dung They which make a trade of buying it go up and down the streets with certain Clappers like our Spittle men whereby they give to understand what they desire without publishing of it otherwise to people in regard the thing is filthy of it self whereunto I will adde thus mâ—ch that this commodity is so much esteemed amonst them and so great a trade driven of it that into one sea port sometimes there comes in one tyde two or three hundred Sayls laden with it Oftentimes also there is such striving for it as the Governours of the place are fain to enterpose their authority for the distribution of this goodly commodity and all for to manure their grounds which soyled with it bears three crops in one year We saw many boats likewise laden
Streamers waving upon the Battlements The first Salutation between the besiegers and the besieged was with arrows darts stones and pots of wild-fire which continued about half an hour then the Tartars presently filled the ditch with bavins and earth and so reared up their ladders against the wall that now by reason of the filling up of the ditch was not very high The first that mounted up was Iorge Mendez accompanied with two of ours who as men resolved had set up their rest either to die there or to render their valour remarkable by some memorable act as in effect it pleased our Lord that their resolution had a good success for they not only entred fiâ—st but also planted the first colours upon the wall whereat the Mitaquer and all that were with him were so amazed as they said one to another Doubtless if these people did besiege Pequin as we do the Chineses which defend that City would sooner lose their honour then we shall make them to do it with all the forces we have in the mean time all the Tartars that were at the foot of the ladders followed the three Portugals and carried themselvâ—s so valiantly what with the example of a Captain that had shewed them the way as out of their own natural disposition almost as resolute as those of Iapan that in a very shâ—rt space above 5000 of them were got upon the walls from whence with great violence they made the Chineses to retire whereupon so furious and bloody a fight ensued between either party that in less then half an hour the business was fully decided and the Castle taken with the death of two thousand Chineses and Mogores that were in it there being not above sixscore of the Tartars slain That done the gates being opened the Mitaquer with great acclamations of joy entred and causing the Chineses colours to be taken down and his own to be advanced in their places he with a new ceremony of rejoycing at the sound of many instruments of war after the the manner of the Tartars gave rewards to the wounded and made divers of the most valiant of his followers Knights by putting bracelets of gold about their right arms and then about noon he with the chief Commanders of his Army for the greater triumph dined in the Castle where he also bestowed bracelets of gold upon Iorge Mendez and the other Portugals whom he made to sit down at table with him After the cloth was taken away he went out of the Castle with all his company and then causing all the walls of it to be dismantelled â—e razed the place quite to the ground setting on fire all that remained with a number of ceremonies which was performed with great cries and acclamations to the sound of diveâ—s instruments of war Moreover he commanded the ruines of this Castle to be sprinkled with the blood of his enemies and the heads of all of them that lay dead there to be cut off as for his own souldiers that were slain he caused them to be triumphantly buried and such as were hurt to be carefully looked unto this done he retired with a huge train and in great pomp to his tent having Iorge Mendez close by him on horsback As for the other eight of us together with many brave Noblemen and Captains we followed him on foot Being arrived at his tent which was richly hung he sent Iorge Mendez a thousand Taeis for a reward and to us but an hundred a piece whereat some of us that thought themselves to be better qualified were very much discontented for that he was more respected then they by whose means as well as his the enterprise had been so happily atchieved though by the good success thereof we had all obtained honour and liberty CHAP. XXXIX The Mitaquer departs from the Castle of Nixiamcoo and goes to the King of Tartary his Camp before Pequin with that which we saw till we arrived there and the Mitaquers presenting us unto the King THe next day the Mitaquer having nothing more to do where he was resolved to take his way towards the City of Pequin before which the King lay as I have delivered before To this effect having put his Army into battel aray he departed from thâ—nce at eight of the clock in the morning and marching leasurely to the sound of his warlike instruments he made his first station about noon upon the bank of a river whose scituation was very pleasant being all about invironed with a world of fruit trees and a many goodly houses but wholly deserted and bereaved of all things which the Barbarians might any way have made booty of Having past the greatest heat of the day there he arose and marched on until about an hour in the night that he took up his lodging at a prety good Town called Lantimay which likewise we found deserted for all this whole Country was quite dispeopled for fear of the Barbarians who spared no kind of person but wheresoever they came put all to fire and sword as the next day they did by this place and many other along this river which they burnt down to the ground and that which yet was more lamentable they set on fire and clean consumed to ashes a great large plain being above six leagues about and full of corn ready to be reaped This cruelty executed the Army began again to move composed as it was of some threescore and five thousand horse for as touching the rest they were all slain as well at the taking of Quinçay as in that of the Castle of Nixiamcoo and went on to a mountain named Pommitay where they remained that night The next morning dislodging from thence they marched on somewhat faster then before that they might arrive by day at the City of Pequin which was distant about seven leagues from that mountain At three of the clock in the afternoon we came to the river of Palamxitan where a Tartar Captain accompanied with an hundred horse came to receive us having waited there two days for that purpose The first thing that he did was the delivering of a letter from the King to our General who received it with a great deal of ceremony From this river to the Kings quarter which might be some two leagues the Army marched without order as being unable to do otherwise partly as well in regard of the great concourse of people wherewith the ways were full incoming to see the Generals arrival as for the great train which the Lords brought along with them that over-spread all the fields In this order or rather disorder we arrived at the Castle of Lautir which was the first Fort of nine that the Camp had for the retreat of the Spies there we found a young Prince whom the Tartar had sent thither to accompany the General who alighting from his horse took his Scymitar from his side and on his knees offered it unto him after he had kissed the ground five times
aâ—ter being not able either to go forward or turn aside by reason of the bogs round about us all covered over with rushes In the mean time one of our companions dyed whose name was Bastian Anriques a rich man and that had lost eight thousand crownâ— in the Lanchara in so much that of all the company we were before there remained none but Christovano Borralho and my self that with tears sat lamenting over the poor dead mans body which we had covered with a little earth as well as we could for we were then so weak that we could hardly stir or almost speak so as we had set up our rest to make an end of those few hours we hoped to live in that place The next day being the seventh of our disaster about Sun-set we espyed a great Barque coming rowing up the River whereupon as soon as it was near us we prostrated our selves on the ground beseeching those that were aboard her to take us in They wondering at us presently made a stand seeming much amazed to see us so on our knees and our hands lift up to Heaven as though we were at our prayers nevertheless without speaking at all to us they made as if they would go on which constrained us afresh to cry aloud to them with tears that they would not suffer us for want of succor to dye miserably there Upon thosâ— our cries and lamentations an ancient woman came forth from under the hatches whose grave countenance represented her to be such as afterwards we found her to be she seeing us in so pitiful a plight moved with our misfortune and our wounds that we shewed her she took up a stick and therewith struck three or four of the Mariners because they would not take us in whereupon approaching to the bank five or six of them leapt on shore and by her commandment took us upon their shoulders and carryed us into the Barque This honorable woman much grieved to behold us so hurt and our shirts and linnen drawers all bloody and mired caused them straightway to be washed and having given each of us a linnen cloth to cover us withall she would needs have us to sit down by her where commanding meat to be brought us she her self presenting it to us with her own hand Eat eat said she poor strangers and be not afflicted to see yâ—ur selves reduced unto the estate you are in for I whom now you look upon and that am but a woman not having as yet attained to the age of fifty years have seen my self a slave and despoyled of above an hundred thousand duckets worth of goods Nor is that all for to this misfortune was the death of three of my sons adjoyned and that of my husband whom I held far more dearer then these eyes of mine these eyes alass wherewith I beheld both the father and the sons torn in pieces by the King of Siams Elephants together with two brothers and a son-in-law I had Ever since I have had a languishing life and to all these miseries have many others far greater succeeded for so implacable hath fortune been unto me that I have seen three daughters of mine ready to be marryed as also my father mother and two and thirty of my kinsmen nephews and cousins thrown into burning furnaces where their cries and lamentations could not chuse but reach unto Heaven for God to succor them in the violence of that insupportable torment but alass the enormity of my sins no doubt so stopped the ears of the clemency of the Lord of Lords that he would not heaâ— our request which seemed very just to me nevertheless I deceived my self since nothing is just but what it pleaseth his divine Majesty to ordain Hereunto we answered that the sins which we also had committed against him were the cause of our calamities Seeing it is so replyed she mingling her tears with ours it is always good in your adversities to acknowledg that the touches of the hand of God are evermore righteous for both in that as also in a confession of the mouth in a sorrow for having offended and in a firm resolution to do so no more consisteth all the remedy of your sufferings and mine Having entertained us thus with the discourse of her misfortune she enquired of us the occasion of ours and by what means we came to be in that miserable estate whereupon we recounted unto her all that had past and that we neither knew who it was that had so ill intreated us nor wherefore he did it Her people hearing us said that the great Junk whereof we spake belonged to a Mahometan a Guzarat by Nation named Coia Acem who the same morning went out of the River laden with Brazil and was bound for the Isle of Ainan Hereat the good woman smote her brest and seeming to be much moved Let me not live said she if it be not so for I have heard that Mahometan of whom you speak vaunt publiquely before all that would give ear unto him that he had sâ—ain a great number of the race of those of Malaca and that he hated them in such sort as he had promised to his Mahomet to kill more of them in time Being amazed hereat we desired her to declare unto us who that man was and why he was so much our enemy whereunto she answered that she knew no other reason but for that a great Captain of our Nation named Hector de Sylvâ—ira had killed his father and two of his brothers in a ship which he took from them in the straight of Mâ—cqua that was going from Iudas to Dabul Thus much did this good Matron tell us and many other things afterwards concerning the great hatred this Mahometan bore us as also what lyes he devised to render us infamous This honorable woman departing from the place where she found us went some two leagues up the River till she came to a little Village where she lay that night The next morning parting from thence she made directly to the Town of Lugor which was above five leagues further Arriving there about noon she landed and went to her house whither she carryed us with her and kept us there three and twenty days during which time we were very well looked unto and plentifully accommodated with all that was necessary for us This woman was a widow and of an honorable family as afterwards we learnt and that had been marryed to the Captain General which they call Xabandar of Prevedim whom the Pata of Lasapara King of Quaijuan had put to death in the Isle of Iaoa the year 1538. At the time she met with us as I have related she came from a Junk of hers that lay at the Road laden with Salt and because it was great and could not pass up by reason of the shelves she caused it to be unladen by little and little with thaâ— Barque By that time the three and twenty days I spake of were expired it
propound things unto him that cannot be whereupon turning himself towards us Go get you gone said he unto us and to morrow morning fail not to be ready for to come again when I shall send for you These words exceedingly contented us as there was great cause they should and accordingly the next day he sent us nine horses very well furnished upon which we mounted and so went to his Tent He in the mean time had put himself into a Piambre that is somewhat like to a Litter drawn with two horses richly harnessed round about him for his Guard marched threescore Halberdiers six pages apparelled in his Livery mounted on white Curtals and we nine on horsback a little more behind In this manner he went on towards the place where the King was whom he â—ound lodged in the great and sumptuous Edifice of the Goddess Nacapirau by the Chineses called the Queen of Heaven whereof I have spoken at large in the thirty â—ourth Chapter Being arrived at the first trenches of the Kings Tent he alighted out of his Litter and all the rest likewise off â—rom their horses for to speak to the Nautaran of whom with a kiâ—d of ceremony after the fashion of the Gentiles he craved leave to enter which was presently granted him Thereupon the Mitaquâ—r being returned into his Litter passed through the gates in the same manner as beâ—ore only we and the rest of his followers waited upon him on foot When he came to a low and very long Gallery where there was a great number of Gentlemen he alighted again out of his Litter and told us that we were to attend him there for that he would go and know whether it were a fit time to speak with the King or no. We stayed there then about an hour during the which some of the Gentlemen that were in the Gallery observing us to be strangers and such kind of people as they had never seen the like they called us and very courteously bid us to sit down by them where having spent some time in beholding certain tumblâ—â—s shewing â—eats of activity we perceived the Mitaquer coming forth with four very beautiful boys attired in long coats after the Turkish fashion garded all over with green and white and wearing about the small of their legs little hoops of gold in the foâ—m of irons and shackleâ— The Gentlemen that were pâ—esent as soon as they saw them rose up on their feet and drawing out their Courâ—elasses which they wore by their sides they laid them on the ground with a new kind of ceremony saying three times Let the Lord of our heads live an hundred thousand years In the mean while as â—e lay with our heads bending to the ground one of those boys said aloud unto us You men of the other end of the world rejoyce now for that the hour is come wherein your desire is to be accomplished and that you are to have the liberty which the Mitaquer promised you at the Castle of Nixiamcoo wherefore arise from off the earth and lift up your hands to Heaven rendring thanks unto the Lord who during the night of our peaceable rest enammels the Firmament with Stars seeing that of himself alone without the merit of any flesh he hath made you to encounter in your exile with a man that delivers your persons To this Speech prostrated as we were on the ground we returned him this answer by our truch-man May Heavens grant us so much happiness as that his foot may trample on our heads whereunto he replied Your wish is not small and may it please God to accord you this gift of riches These four boys and the Mitaquer whom we followed past through a Gallery erected upon five and twenty pâ—llars of brâ—ss and entred into a great room where there were a number of Gentlemen and amongst them many strangers Mogores Persians Bordies Calamiâ—hams and Bramaas After we were out of this room we came unto another where there were many armed men ranged into five Files all along the room with Courtelasses on their shoulders that were garnished with gold Tâ—ese stayed the Mitaquer a little and with great complements asked him some questions and took his oath upon the Maces the boys carried which he performed on his knees kissing the ground three several times whereupon he was admitted to pass on into a great place like a quadrangle there we saw four ranks of Statues of brass in the form of wild men with clubs and crowâ—s of the same mettal guilt These Idols or Gyants were each of them six and twenty spans high and six broad as well on the breâ—t as on the shoulders their countenances were hideous and deformed and their hair curled like to Negroes The desire we had to know what these figures signified made us to demand it of the Tartars who answered us that they were the three hundred and threescore gods which framed the days of the year being placed there expresly to the end that in their effigies they might be continually adored â—or having created the fruits which the earth produceth and withall that the King of Tartary had caused them to be transported thither from a great Temple called Angicamoy which he had taken in the City of Xipaton out of the Chappel of the Tombs of the Kings of China for to triumph over them when as he should happily return into his Country that the whole world might know how in despight of the King of China he had captivated his gods Within this place whereof I speak and amidst a plantation of Orange-trees that was invironed within a fence of Ivy Roses Rosemary and many other sort of flowers which we have not in Europe was a Tent piâ—ched upon twelve Ballisters of the wood of Champhire each of them wreathed about with silver in the fashion of knotted card-work bigger then ones arm In this Tent was a low Throne in the form of an Altar garnished with branched work of fine gold and over it was a cloth of State set thick with silver Stars where also the Sun and Moon were to be seen as also certain clouds some of them white and others of the colour of which appear in the time of rain all enammelled so to the life and with such art that they beguiled all those that bâ—held them for they seemed to rain indeed so as it was impossible to see a thing more compleat either for the proportions or colours In the midst of this Throne upon a bed lay a great Statue of silver called Abicau Nilancor which signifies the God of the health of Kings that had been also taken in the Temple of Angicamoy Now round about the same Statue were four and thirty Idols of the height of a child of five or six years old ranged in two Files and set on theâ—r knees with their hands lifted up towards this Idol as if they would adore him At the entry into this Tent there were four young Gentlemen richly clad
divided his Army into four Squadrons and passing along by a little hill when he came to the end thereof he discovered a great Plain sowed with Rice where the Enemy stood ranged in two Battalions As soon as the two Armies descryed one another and that at the sound of their Trumpets Drums and Bells the Soldiers had set up a terrible cry they encountred very valiantly together and after the discharge of their shot on both sides they came to fight hand to hand with such courage that I trembled with fear to behold their fury The Battel continued in this manner above an hour and yet could it not possibly be discerned which party had the better At last the Tyrant foreseeing that if he persisted in the fight he should lose the day because he perceived his men to grow faint and weary he retreated to a rising ground that lay South of the Bataes and about a Faulcons shot distant from them There his intention was to fortifie himself in certain Trenches which before he had caused to be cast up against a Rock in form of a garden or tilth of Rice But a brother to the King of Andraguire interrupted his design for stepping before him with two thousand men he cut off his way and stopt him from passing further in so much that the medly grew to be the same it was before and the fight was renewed between them with such fury as cruelly wounding one another they testified sufficiently how they came but little short of other Nations in courage By this means the Tyrant before he could recover his Trenches lost fifteen hundred of his men of which number were the hundred and threescore Turks that a little before were come to him from the Straight of Mecqua with two hundred Sarrazins Malabars and some Abissins which were the best men he had Now because it was about mid-day and therefore very hot the King of Batas retired towards the Mountain where he spent the rest of the day in causing those that were wounded to be looked unto and the dead to be buried Hereupon not being well resolved what to do in regard he was altogether ignorant of the Enemies design he took care to have good watch kept all that night in every part The next morning no sooner began the Sun to appear but he perceived the Valley wherein the Achems had been the day before to be quite abandoned and not one of them to be seen there which made him think the Enemy was defeated In this opinion the better to pursue the first point of his Victory he dismissed all the hurt men as being unfit for service and followed the Tyrant to the City where arriving two hours before Sun-set to shew that he had strength and courage enough to combat his Enemies he resolved to give them proof of it by some remarkable action before he would encamp himself To which effect he fired two of the Suburbs of the Town as also four Ships and two Gallions which were drawn on Land and were those that had brought the Turks from the Straight of Mecqua And indeed the fire took with such violence on those six Vessels as they were quite consumed in a very little time the Enemy not daring to issue forth for to quench it After this the King of Batas seeing himself favored by Fortune to lose no opportunity began to assault a Fort called Penacao which with twelve Pieces of Ordnance defended the entry of the River to the Scalado of this he went in person his whole Army looking on and having caused some seventy or eighty ladders to be planted he behaved himself so well that with the loss only of seven and thirty men he entred the place and put all to the sword that he found in it to the number of seven hundred persons without sparing so much as one of them Thus did he on the day of his arrival perform three memorable things whereby his Soldiers were so heartned as they would fain have assaulted the City the very same night if he would have permitted them but in regard it was very dark and his men weary he gave thanks to God and contented himself with that which he had done The King of Batas held the City besieged by the space of three and twenty days during the which two sallies were made wherein nothing past of any reckoning for there were but ten men slain on either part Now as victories and good success in War do ordinarily encourage the victorious so oftentimes it happens that the weak become strong and cowards so hardy as laying aside all fear they dare undertake most difficile and dangerous things whence also it as often falls out that the one prospers and the other is ruined which appeared but too evidently in that which I observed of these two Princes For the King of Batas seeing that the Tyrant had shut himself up in his City thereby as it were confessing that he was vanquished grew to such an height of confidence that both he and his people beleeving it was impossible for them to be resisted and trusting in this vain opinion that blinded them were twice in hazard to be lost by the rash and inconsiderate actions which they entred into In the third sally made by the inhabitants the King of Batas people encountred them very lustily in two places which those of Achem perceiving they made as though they were the weaker and so retreated to the same Fort that was taken from them by the Bataes the first day of their arrival being closely followed by one of the Kings Captains who taking hold of the opportunity entred pell-mell with the Achems being perswaded that the Victory was sure his own But when they were all together in the Trenches the Achems turned about and making head afresh defended themselves very couragiously At length in the heat of their medley the one side endeavoring to go on and the other to withstand them those of Achem gave fire to a Myne they had made which wrought so effectually as it blew up the Captain of the Bataes and above three hundred of his Soldiers with so great a noise and so thick a smoak as the place seemed to be the very portraiture of Hell In the mean time the Enemies giving a great shout the Tyrant sallied forth in person accompanied with five thousand resolute men and charged the Bataes very furiously Now for that neither of them could see one another by reason of the smoak proceeding from the Myne there was a most confused and cruel conflict between them but to speak the truth I am not able to deliver the manner of it sufficeth it that in a quarter of an hours space the time this fight endured four thousand were slain in the place on both sides whereof the King of Batas lost the better part which made him retire with the remainder of his Army to a Rock called Minacaleu where causing his hurt men to be drest he found them
and Royal House of rich Achem the very day of this thy Embassadors arrival whom I have presently sent away without further seeing or hearing of him as he may tell thee upon his return to thy presence The King of Iantana's Embassador being dismissed with this Answer the very same day that he arrived which amongst them they hold for a mighty affront carried back the Present which the Tyrant would not accept of in the greater contempt both of him that sent and he that brought it and arrived at Compar where the King of Iantana was at that instant who upon the understanding of all that had past grew by report so sad and vext that his servants have vowed they have divers times seen him weep for very grief that the Tyrant should make so little reckoning of him Howbeit he held a Councel there upon the second time where it was concluded that at any hand he should make War upon him as on his mortal Enemy and that the first thing he should undertake should be the recovery of the Kingdom of Aaru and the Fort of Panetican before it was further fortified The King accordingly set forth a Fleet of two hundred Sails whereof the most part were Lanchares Calaluses and fifteen tall Juncks furnished with Munition necessary for the enterprize And of this Navy he made General the great Laque Xemena his Admiral of whose valor the History of the Indiaes hath spoken in divers places To him he gave two thousand Soldiers as also four thousand Mariners and gally slaves all choyce and trained men This General departed immediately with his Fleet and arrived at the River of Panetican close by the Enemies Fort which he assaulted five several times both with scaling ladders and divers artificial fires but perceiving he could not prevail that way he began to batter it with four hundred great Pieces of Ordnance which shot continually for the space of seven whole days together at the end whereof the most part of the Fort was ruined and overthrown to the ground whereupon he presently caused his men to give an assault to it who performed it so valiantly that they entered it and slew fourteen hundred Achems the most of which came thither but the day before the Fleet arrived under the conduct of a Turkish Captain Nephew to the Bassa of Caire named Mora do Arraiz who was also slâ—iâ—â— there with four hundred Turks he had brought along with him whereof Laque Xemena would not spare so much as one After this he used such diligence in repairing that which was fallen wherein most of the Soldiers labored that in twelve days the Fort was rebuilt and made as strong as before with the augmentation of two Bulwarks The news of this Fleet which the King of Iantana prepared in the Ports of Bintan and Compar came to the Tyrants ears who fearing to lose that which he had gotten put instantly to Sea another Fleet of fourteen hundred and twenty Sails Foists Lanchares Galiots and fifteen Galleys of five and twenty banks of oaâ—s a piece wherein he caused fifteen thousand men to be imbarqued namely twelve thousand Soldiers and the rest Mariners and such as were for the service of the Sea Of this Army he made the same Heredin Mahomet General who had before as I have already declared conquered the Kingdom of Aaru in regard he knew him to be a man of a great spirit and fortunate in War who departing with this Army arrived at a place called Aapessumhee within four leagues of the River of Panetican where he learnt of certain fishermen whom he took and put to torture all that had past concerning the Fort and the Kingdom and how Laque Xemena had made himself Master both of the Land and Sea in expectation of him At this news it is said that Heredin Mahomet was much perplexed because intruth he did not bâ—lieve the Enemy could do so much in so little time By reason whereof he assembled his Councel where it was concluded that since both the Fort and Kingdom were regained and all the men he had left there cut in pieces as likewise for that the Enemy was very strong both at Sea and Land and the season very unfit for their design therefore they were to return back Neverthâ—less Heredin Mahomet was of a contrary opinion saying that he would rather dye like a man of courage then live in dishonor and that seeing the King had made choyce of him for that purpose by the help of God he would not lose one jot of the reputation he had gotten wherefore he vowed and swore by the bones of Mahomet and all the Lamps that perpetually burn in his Chappel to put all those to death as Traytors that should go about to oppose this intent of his and that they should be boiled alive in a Cauldron of Pitch in such manner as he meant to deal with Laque Xemena himself and with this boiling resolution he parted from the place where he rode at anchor with great cries and noise of Drums and Bells as they are accustomed to do upon like occasions In this sort by force of oars and sails they got into the entry of the River and coming in sight of Laque Xemena's Navy who was ready waiting for him and well reinforced with a great number of Soldiers that were newly come to him from Pâ—ra Bintan Siaca and many other places thereabout he made towards him and after the discharging of their Oâ—dnance afar off they joyned together with as much violence as might be The fight was such that during the space of an hour and an half there could no advantage be discerned on either part until such time as Heredin Mahomet General of the Achems was slain with a great shot that hit him just in the brest and battered him to pieces The death of this Chieftain discouraged his people in such manner as laboring to return unto a Point named Baroquirin with a purpose there to unite and fortifie themselves until night and then by the favor thereof to fly away they could not execute their design in regard of the great currant of the water whâ—ch separated and dispersed them sundry ways by which means the Tyrants Army â—ell into the power of Laque Xemena who defeated it so that but fourteen Sails of them escaped and the other hundred threescore and six were taken and in them were thirteen thousand and five hundred men killed besides the fourteen hundred that were slain in the Trench These fourteen Sails that so escaped returned to Achem where they gave the Tyrant to understand how all had past at which it is reported he took such grief as he shut up himself for twenty days without seeing any body at the end whereof he struck off the heads of all the Captains of the fourteen Sails and commanded all the Soldiers beards that were in them to be shaved off enjoyning them expresly upon pain of being sawed asunder alive to go ever
he remains that begot me who indeed is my true father with whom I had rather dye where I see him lamenting then live with such wicked people as you are Then some of them that were present reprehending and telling him that it was not well spoken Would you know replyed he why I said so it was because I saw you after you had filled your bellies praise God with lifted up hands and yet for all that like hypocrites never care for making restitution of that you have stollen but he assured that after death you shall feel the rigorous chastisement of the Lord Almighty for so unjustly taking mens goods from themâ— Antonio de Faria admiring the childs speech asked him whether he would become a Christian Whereunto earnestly beholding him he answered I understand not what you say nor that you propound declare it first unto me and then you shall know my mind further Then Antonio de Faria began to instruct him therein after the best manner he could but the boy would not answer him a word only lifting up his hands and eyes to Heaven he said weeping Blessed be thy Power O Lord that permits such people to live on the Earth that speak so well of thee and yet so ill observe thy Law as these blinded Miscreants do who think that robbing and preaching are things that can be acceptable to thee Having said so he got him into a corner and there remained weeping for three days together without eating any thing that was presented unto him Hereupon falling to consult whether were the best course for us to hold from this place either Northward or Southward much dispute arose thereabout at length it was concluded that we should go to Liampoo a Port distant from thence Northwards two hundred and threescore leagues for we hoped that along this Coast we might happen to incounter and seize on some other greater and more commodious Vessel then that we had which was too little for so long a Voyage in regard of the dangerous storms that are ordinarily caused by the new Moons on the Coast of China where dayly many Ships are cast away With this design we put to Sea about Sun-set and so went on this night with a South-west wind and before day we discovered a little Island named Quintoo where we surprized a fisher-boat full of fresh fish of which we took as much as we had need of as also eight of twelve men that were in her for the service of our Lantea by reason our own were so feeble as they were not able to hold out any longer These eight fishermen being demanded what Ports there were on this Coast to Chincheo where we thought we might meet with some Ship of Malaca answered that about eighteen leagues from thence there was a good River and a good Rode called Xingrau much frequented with Junks where we might be easily and throughly accommodated with all that we stood in need of that at the entring into it there was a little Village named Xamoy inhabited with poor fishermen and three leagues beyond that the Town where there was great store of Silks Musk Pourcelains and many other sorts of Commodities which were transported into divers parts Upon this advice we steered our course towards that River where we arrived the next day immediately after dinner and cast anchor just against it about a league in the Sea for fear lest our ill fortune should run us into the same mischief we were in before The night following we took a Paroo of fishermen of whom we demanded what Junks there were in this River and how they were man'd with divers other questions proper for our design Whereunto they answered that at the Town up the River there was not above two hundred Junks by reason the greatest part were already gone to Ainan Sumbâ—r Lailoâ— and other Ports of Cauchenchina moreover that we might ride in safety at Xamoy and that there we might buy any thing we wanted Whereupon we entred into the River and anchored close to the Village where we continued the space of half an hour being much about midnight But Antonio de Faria seeing that the Lantea wherein we sailed could not carry us to Liampoo where we purposed to lie all the Winter he concluded by the advice of his company to furnish himself with a better Vessel and although we were not then in case to enterprise any thing yet necessity constrained us to undertake more then our Forces would permit Now there being at that instant a little Junk riding at anchor fast by us alone and no other near her having but few men in her and those asleep Antonio de Faria thought he had a good opportunity to effect his purpose wherefore leaving his anchor in the Sea he got up close to this Junk and with seven and twenty Soldiers and eight Boys boarded her on a sudden unespyed where finding seven or eight Chinese Mariners fast asleep he caused them to be taken and bound hand and foot threatening if they cryed out never so little to kill them all which put them in such a fear as they durst not so much as quetch Then cutting her cables he got him straight out of the River and sailing away with all the speed he could The next day we arrived at an Island named Pullo Quirim distant from Xamoy not above nine leagues there meeting with a little favorable gale within three days we went and anchored at another Island called Luxitay where in regard the ayr was wholesom and the water good we thought fit to stay some fifteen days for the recovery of our sick men In this place we visited the Junk but found no other commodity in her then Rice the greatest part whereof we cast into the Sea to make her the lighter and securer for our Voyage Then we unladed all her furniture into the Lantea and set her on ground for to caulk her so that in doing thereof and making our provision of water we spent as I said before fifteen days in this Island by which time our sick men fully recovered their health whereupon we departed for Liampoo being given to understand that many Portugals were come thither from Malaca Sunda Siam and Patana as they used ordinarily to do about that time for to winter there We had sailed two days together along the Coast of Lamaâ— with a favorable wind when it pleased God to make us incounter with a Junk of Patana that came from Lequio which was commanded by a Chinese Pyrat named Quiay Panian a great friend of the Portugal Nâ—tâ—on and much addicted to our fashions and manner of life with him there were thirty Portugals choyce and proper men whom he kept in pay and advantaged more then the rest with gifts and presents so that they were all very rich This Pyrat had no sooner discovered us but he resolved to attaque us thinking nothing less then that we were Portugals so that endeavoring to invest us like an old
wide nosthrils and were of stature very tall but yet not so high as we thought they had been for Antonio de Faria having caused them to be measured he found that the tallest of them exceeded not ten spans and an half except one old man that reached to eleven The womens stature was not fully ten spans Their very countenances shewed them to be very rude and blockish and lesse rational then all the other people which we had seen in our Conquests Now Antonio de Faria being glad that we had not altogether lost our labour bestowed on them threescore Pourcelains a piece of green Taffety and a pannier full of Pepper wherewith they seemed to be so contented that prostrating themselves on the ground and lifting up their hands to heaven they fell to saying certain words which we took for a thanksgiving after their manner because they fell down three several times on the earth and gave us the three Cows and the Stag as also a great many of Herbs Having been talking about two houres with them by signs and no lesse wondring at us then we at them they returned into the wood from whence they came and we pursued our course up the River by the space of five dayes during the which we saw more of them along by the water side after we had past all this distance of land which might be some forty leagues or thereabouts we navigated sixteen dayes more with the force of Oaâ—s and Sails without seeing any person in that desert place onely for two nights together we discerned certain fires a good way off at land In the end it pleased God that we arrived at the Gulf of Nanquin as Similau had told us with a hope in five or six dayes to see our desires accomplished Being come into the gulf of Nanquin Similau councelled Antonio de Faria that at any hand he should not suffer any Portugal to be seen because if such a thing should happen he feared some uproar would follow amongst the Chineses in regard no strangers had ever been seen in those quarters adding withall that it would be safer for them to keep still in the middle of the gulf then by the shore by reason of the great number of Lorches and Lanteaas that incessantly sailed up and down this advice was approved of every one so that having continued our course some six dayes East and East Northeast we discovered a great Town called Sileupamor whither we directly went and entred the Haven about two houres within night where we found an infinite company of Vessels riding at anchor to the number according to our thinking of three thousand at the least which gave us such an alarum as not daring scarce to wag vve got out again vvith all the secrecy that might be crossing over the vvhole breadth of the River then which vvas some six or seven leagues vve prosecuted our course all the rest of that day and coacted along by a great plain with a resolution to accommodate our selves vvith Victuals vvheresoever vve could first meet vvith any for vve were in such scarcitie as for thirteen dayes together no man had more then three mouthfuls of boyled Rice allowance Being in this extremity we arrived close to certain old buildings there went ashore one morning before day and fell upon a house that stood a little vvay off from the rest where vve found a great quantity of Ryce some Beans diveâ—s pots ful of Honey poudred Geese Onions Garlick and Sugar Canes vvherevvith vve throughly furnished our selves Certain Chineses told us afterwards that this vvas the storehouse of an Hospital which vvas some two leagues off where such were entertained as past that way in Pilgrimage to the Sepulchers of the Kings of China Being re-imbarqued and well provided of Victual we continued on our voyage seven daies more which made up two months and an half since we put out of Liâ—mpoo Then Antonio de Faria began to mistrust the truth of what Similau had said so that he repented the undertaking of this voyage as he confessed publiquely before us all neverthelesse in regard there was no other remedy for it but to recommend himself to God and wisely to prepare for all that might happen he couragiously performed it Hereupon it fell out that Antonio de Faria having one morning demanded of Similau in what part he thought they were he answered him so far from the purpose and like a man that had lost his judgement or that knew not which way he had gone as put Antonio de Faria into such choller that he was going to stâ—b him with a Ponyard that he wore which without doubt he had done had he not been diverted from iâ— by some that counselled him to forbear lest it should be the cause of his utter ruine whereupon moderating his anger he yeelded to the advice of his friends neverthelesse he was not for all that so contained but that taking him by the Beard he swore that if within three dayes at the farthest he did not let him see either the truth or the falshood of what he had told him he would Ponyard him infallibly wherewith Similau was so exceedingly terrified that the night following as we were abiding by the shore he slid down from the Vessel into the River and that so closely as he was never discovered by the Sentinels or any other untill the end of the first Watch when as Antonio de Faria was thereof advertised This news put him so far besides himself as he lost all patience the rather for that â—e feared some revolt upon it from his Souldiers who he saw were too much disposed thereunto But he presently went ashore with a great many of his company and spent the most part of the night in seeking of Similau without meeting him or any other living soul that was able to tell any news of him but the worst of it yet was that upon his return into his Junk of forty six Chinese Mariners that he had aboard him he found six and thirty fled away to prevent the danger they were afraid of whereat Antonio de Faria and all his company were so amazed that lifting up their hands and eyes to heaven they stood a long time mute their tears supplying the defect of their speech thereby testifying the secret sorrow of their hearts for considering well what had hapned unto them and the great peril they were in the least that they could do in this confusion was to lose their courage and judgment much more their speech Howbeit falling at length to consult what we should do for the future after much diversitie of opinion it was in the â—nd concluded that we should pursue our design and labour to take some body that might inform us how far it was from thence to the Island of Calâ—â—plâ—y and this to be done as secretly as possible might be for fear the Country should rise likewise that if upon the report should be made us we found it would
you may and cause us not to be all miserably slain with your further stay Howbeit little regarding or afraid of their words he went ashore only with six souldiers having no other arms but swords and targots and going up the stairs of the Key whither it were that he was vext for having lost so fair an occasion or carried thereunto by his courage he entered into the gallery that invironed the Island and ran up and down in it like a mad man without meeting any body That done and being returned abord his vessel much grieved and ashamed he consulted with his company about what they should do who were of opinion that the best course we could take was to depart and therefore they required him to put it accordingly in execution Seeing them all so resolved and fearing some tumults among the souldiers he was fain to answer that he was also of their mind but first he thought it fit to know for what cause they should fly away in that manner and therefore he desired them to stay for him a little in that place because he would trie whether he could learn by some means or other the truth of the matter whereof they had but a bare suspition for which he told them he would ask but half an hour at the most so that there would be time enough to take order for any thing before day some would have alledged reasons against this but he would not hear them wherefore having caused them all to take their oaths upon the holy Evangelists that they would stay for him he returned to land with the same souldiers that had accompanied him before and entering into the little wood he heard the sound of a bell which addressed him to another Hermitage far richer then that wherein we were the day before There he met with two men apparaled like Monks with large hoods which made him think they were Hermits of whom he presently laid hold wherewith one of them was so terrified as he was not able to speak a good while after Hereupon four of the six souldiers past into the Hermitage and took an Idol of silver from the altar having a crown of gold on its head and a wheel in its hand they also brought away three candlesticks of silver with long chains of the same belonging to them This performed Antonio de Faria carrying the two Hermits along with him went abord again and sailing away he propounded divers questions to him of the two that was least affraid threatning to use him in a strange fashion if he did not tell the truth This Hermit seeing himself so menaced answered That an holy man named Pilau Angiroo came about midnight to the house of the Kings Sepultures where knocking in haste at the gate he cryed out saying O miserable men buried in the drunkenness of carnal sleep who by a solemn vow have profest your selves to the honour of the Goddess Amida the rich reward of our labouâ—s hear hear hear O the most wretched men that ever were born There are strangers come into our Island from the further end of the World which have long beards and bodies of Iron these wicked creatures have entred into the Holy House of the seven and twenty Pillars of whose sacred Temple an holy man is keeper that hath told it me where after they had ransacked the rich treasures of the Saints they contemptedly threw their bones to the ground which they prophaned with their stinking and infectious spitting and made a mockerie of them like Devils obstinate and hardned in their wretched sins wherefore I advise you to look well to your selves for it is said that they have sworn to kill us all as soon as it is day Fly away then or call some people to your succour since being Religious men you are not permitted to meddle with any thing that may shed the blood of man Herewith they presently arose and ran to the gate where they found the Hermite laid on the ground and half dead with grief and wearinesse through the imbecillity of his age whereupon the Grepos and Meingrepos made those fires that you saw and withall sent in all haste to the Towns of Corpilem and Fonbana for to succour them speedily with the Forces of the Country so that you may be assured it will not be long before they fall upon this place with all the fury that may be Now this is all that I am able to say concerning the truth of this affair wherefore I desire you to return us both unto our Hermitage with our lives saved for if you do not so you will commit a greater sin then you did yesterday Remember also that God in regard of the continuall penance we perform hath taken us so far into his protection as he doth visit us almost every hour of the day wherefore labour to save your selves as much as you will yet shall you hardly do it For be sure that the earth the air the winds the waters the beasts the fishes the fowls the trees the plants and all things created will pursue and torment you so cruelly as none but he that lives in heaven will be able to help you Antonio de Faria being hereby certainly informed of the truth of the businesse sailed instantly away tearing his hair and beard for very rage to see that through his negligence and indiscretion he had lost the fairest occasion that ever he should be able to meet withall CHAP. XXVI Our casting away in the Gulf of Nanquin with all that befell us after this lamentable Shipwrack WE had already sailed seven dayes in the Gulf of Nanquin to the end that the force of the Current might carry us the more swiftly away as men whose safety consisted wholly in flight for we were so desolate and sad that we scarce spake one to another In the mean time we arrived at a Village called Susequerim where no news being come either of us or what we had done we furnished our selves with some Victual and getting Information very covertly of the course we were to hold we departed within two hours after and then with the greatest speed we could make we entred into a straight named Xalingau much lesse frequented then the gulf that we had past here we navigated nine dayes more in which time we ran an hundred and fourty leagues then entring again into the said Gulf of Nanquin which in that place was not above ten or eleven leagues broad we sailed for the space of thirteen dayes from one side to another with a Westerly winde exceedingly afflicted both with the great labour we were fain to indure and the cruel fear we were in besides the want we began to feel of Victuals In this case being come within sight of the mountains of Conxinacau which are in the height of forty and one degrees there arose so terrible a Southwind called by the Chineses Tufaon as it could not possibly be thought a natural thing so that our Vessels being
side amazed to think how liberally it hath pleased God to heap up on this people the goods of the earth on the other side I am exceedingly grieved to consider how ungratefull they are in acknowledging such extraordinary favours for they commit amongst themselves an infinite of most enormous sins wherewithal they incessantly offend the Divine Goodness as well in their bruitish and diabolical Idolatries as in the abominable sin of Sodomy which is not only permitted amongst them in publique but is also accounted for a great vertue according to the instructions of their Priests CHAP. XXXII Our Arrival at the City of Pequin together with our imprisonment and that which moreover happened unto us there as also the great Majesty of the Officers of their Court of Iustice. AFter we were departed from that rare and marvellous Town whereof I have spoken we continued our course up the river until at length on Tuesday the nineteenth of October in the year 1541. we arrived at the great City of Pequin whither as I have said before we had been remitted by Appeal In this manner chained three and three together we were cast into a prison called Gofaniauserca where for our welcom we had at the first dash thirty lashes a piece given us wherewith some of us became very sick Now as soon as the Chifuu who conducted us thither had presented the process of our sentence sealed with twelve seals to the Justice of the Aytao which is their Parliament the twelve Chonchalis of the criminal Chamber unto whom the cognisance of our cause appertained commanded us presently away to prison whereupon one of those twelve assisted by two Registers and six or seven officers whom they term Hupes and are much like our Catchpoles here terrified us not a little as he was leading us thither for giving us very threatning speeches Come said he unto us By the power and authority which I have from the Aytao of Batampina chief President of the two and thirty Iudges of strangers within whose brest are the secrets of the Lyon crowned on the throne of the world inclosed I enjoyn and command you to tell me what people you are as also of what country and whether you have a King who for the service of God and for the discharge of his dignity is inclined to do good to the poor and to render them justice to the end that with tears in their eyes and hands lifted up they may not addresse their complaints to that Soveraign Lord which hath made the bright Enamel of the skies and for whose holy feet all they that reign with him serve but for sandals To this demand we answered him that we were poor strangers natives of the Kingdom of Siam who being imbarqued with our Merchandise for Liampoo were cast away in a great storm at sea from whence we escaped naked with the loss of all that we had and how in that deplorable estate we were fain to get our living by begging from door to door till such time as at our arrival at the Town of Taypor the Chumbim then resident there had arrested us for prisoners without cause and so sent us to the City of Nanquin where by his report we had been condemned to the whip and to have our thumbs cut off without so much as once daigning to hear us in our justifications by reason whereof lifting up our eyes to Heaven we had been adviced to have recourse with our tears to the four and twenty Judges of austâ—er life that through their zeal to God they might take our cause in hand since by reason of our poverty we were altogether without support and abandoned of all men which with an holy zeal they incontinently effected by revoking the cause and annulling the judgment that had been given against us and that these things considered we most instantly besought him that for the service of God he would be pleased to have regard to our misery and the great injustice that was done us for that we had no means in this Country nor person that would speak one word for us The Judg remained somtimes in suspence upon that we had said to him at length he answered that we need say no more to him for it is sufficient that I know you are poor to the end this affair may go another way then hitherto it hath done neverthertheless to acquit me of my charge I give you five days time conformably to the Law of the third Book that within the said term you may retain a Proctor to undertake your cause but if you will be advised by me you shall present your request to the Tanigores of the sacred Office to the end that they carryed by an holy zeal of the honour of God may out of compassion of your miseries take upon them to defend your right Having spoken thus he gave us a Taeis in way of alms and said further to us Beware of the prisoners that are here for I assure you that they make it their trade to steal all that they can from any one whereupon entring into another chamber where there were a great number of prisoners he continued there above three hours in giving them audience at the end whereof he sent seven and twenty men that the day before had received their judgment to execution which was inflicted upon them by whipping to death a spectacle so dreadful to us and that put us in such a fright as it almost set us besides our selves The next morning as soon as it was day the Jaylors clapt irons on our feet and manacles on ouâ— hands and put us to exceeding great pain but seven days after we had endured such misery being laid on the ground one by another and bewayling our disaster for the extream fear we were in of suffering a most cruel death if that which we had done at Calempluy should by any means chance to be discovered it pleased God that we were visited by the Tanigores of the house of mercy which is of the jurisdiction of this prison who are called in their language Cofilem Gnaxy At their arrival all the prisoners bowing themselves said with a lamentable tonâ— Blessed be the day wherein God doth visit us by the ministery of his servants whereunto the Tanigories made answer with a grave and modest countenance The Almighty and divine hand of him that hath formed the beauty of the stars keep and preserve you Then approaching to us they very courteously demanded of us what people we were and whence it proceeded that our imprisonment was more sensible to us then to others To this speech we replied with tears in our eyes that we were poor strangers so abandoned of men as in all that Country there was not one that knew our names and that all we could in our poverty say to intreat them to think of us for Gods sake was contained in a letter that we had brought them from the Chamber of the Society of the house
who with each of them a Cenâ—er in his hand went two and two about then at the sound of a bell prostrated themselves on the ground and censed one another saying with a loud voice Let our cry come unto thee as a sweet perfume to the end thou mayest hear us For the Guard of of this Tent there were threeâ—core Halberdiers who at a little distance invironed it all about They were clothed with guilt leather and had Murrians on their heads curiously engraven all which were very agreeable and majestical objects Out of this place we entred into another division where there were four Chambers very rich and well furnished in the which were mâ—ny Gentlemen as well strangers as Tartars From thence passing on whithâ—r the Mitaquer and the young boys conducted us we arrived at the door of a great â—ow room in form like to a Church where stood six Ushers with their Maces who with a new complement to the Mitaquer caused us â—o â—nter but kept out all others In this room was the King of Tartaria accompanied with many Princes Lords and Captains amongst whom were the Kings of Pafua Mecuy Capinper Raina Benan Anchesacotay and others to the number of fourteen who in rich attire were all seated some three or four paces from the foot of the Tribunal A little more on the one side were two and thirty very fair women who playing upon divers instruments of musick made a wonderful sweet Consort The King was set on his Throne under a rich Cloth of State and had about him twelve young bâ—ys kneeling on their knees with little Maces of gold like Scepters which they carried on their shoulders close behind him was a young Lady extreamly beautiful and wonderfully richly attired with a Ventiloe in her hand wherewith she ever and anon fanned him This same was the sister of the Mitaquer our General and infinitely beloved of the King for whose sake therefore it was that he was in such credit and reputation throughout the whole Army The King was much about forty years of age full stature somewhat â—â—an and of a good aspect His beard was very short his Mustaches after the Turkish manner his eyes like to the Chineses and his countenance severe and majestical As for his vesture it was violet colour in fashion like to a Turkish Roak imbroydered with pearl upon his feet he had green Sandals wrought all over with gold pearl and great purls among it and on his head a sattin cap of the colour of his habit with a rich band of diamonds and rubies intermingled together Before we past any farther after we had gone ten or eleven steps in the room we made our complement by kissing of the ground three several times and performing other ceremonies which the Truch-men taught us In the mean time the King commanded the musick to cease and addressing himself to the Mitaquer Ask these men of the other end of the world said he unto him whether they have a King what is the name of their Country and how far distant it is from this Kingdom of China where now I am Thereupon one of ours speaking for all the rest answered That our Country was called Portugal that the King thereof was exceeding rich and mighty and that from thence to the City of Pequin was at the leâ—st three years voyage This answer much amazed the King because he did not think the world had been so large so that striking his thigh with a wand that he had in his hand and lifting up his eyes to Heaven as though he would render thanks unto God he said aloud so as eveâ—y one might hear him O Creator of all things are we able to comprehend the marvels of thy greaâ—ness we that at the best are but poor worms of the earth Fuxiquidane fuxiquidane let them approach let them approach Thereupon beckening to us with his hand he caused us to come even to the first degree of the Throne where the fourteen Kings sat and demanded of him again as a man astonished Pucau pucau that is to say how far how far whereunto he answered as before that we should be at least three years in returning to our Country Then he asked why we came not rather by Land then by Sea where so many labours and dangers were to be undergon Thereunto he replyed that there was too great an extent of land through which we were not â—ssured to pass for that it was commanded by Kings of several nations What come you to seek for then added the King and wherefore do you expose your selves to such dangers Then having rendred him a reason to this last demand with all the submission that might be he stayed a prety while without speaking and then shaking his head three or four times he addressed himselfe to an old man that was not far from him and said Certainly we must needs conclude that there is either much ambition or little justice in the Country of these people seeing they come so far to conquer other Lands To this Speech the old man named Raia Benan made no other answer but that it must â—eeds be so for men said he who have recourse unto their industry and invention to run over the Sea for to get that which God hath not given them are necessarily carried thereunto either by extream poverty or by an excess of blindness and vanity derived from much covetousness which is the cause why they renounce God and those that brought them into the world This reply of the old man was seconded with many jeering words by the other Courtiers who made great sport upon this occasion that very much pleased the King in the mean time the women fell to their musick again and so continued till the King withdrew into another Chamber in the company of these fair Musicians and that young Lady which fanned him not so much as one of those great Personages daring to enter besides Not long after one of those twelve boys that carried the Scepters before mentioned came to the Mitaquer and told him from his sister that the King commanded him not to depart away which he held for a singular favour by reason this message was delivered to him in the presence of those Kings and Lords that were in the room so that he stirred not but sent us word that we should go unto out tent with this assurance that he would take care the Son of the Sun should be mindful of us CHAP. XL. The King of Tartaria's raising of his Siege from before Pequin for to return into his Country and that which passed until his Arrival there WE had been now full three and forty dayes in this Camp during which time there past many fights and skirmishes between the besiegers and the besieged as also two assaults in the open day which were resisted by them within with an invincible courage like resolute men as they were In the mean time the King of Tartaria seeing how contrary
of his greatness Hereupon he dismissed us for that day and the next morning he went to Pontiveu which is a place where the King useth to give audience to all such as have any suit to him There beseeching his Majesty to think of us he answered him that as soon as he dispatched away an Ambassador to the King of Cauchenchina he would send us along with him for so he had resolved to do With this answer the Mitaquer returned to his house where we were ready attending his coming and told us what the King had promised him wherewithal not a little contented we went back to our lodging There in the expectation of the good success of this promise we continued ten days with some impatience at the end whereof the Mitaquer by the Kings express command carried us with him to the Court where causing us to approach near to his Majesty with those ceremonies of greatness which are observed in coming before him being the same we used at Pequin after he had beheld us with a gentle eye he bid the Mitaquer ask of us whether we would serve him and in case we would he should not only be very well pleased with it but he would also give us better entertainment and more advantagious conditions then all the strangers that should follow him in this war To this demand the Mitaquer answered very favourably for us how he had often heard us say that we were married in our Country â—nd had a great charge of children who had no other means to maintain them but what we got with our labour which was poorly enough God knows The King heard this speech with some demonstration of pity so that looking on the Mitaquer I am glad said he to know that they have such good cause to return home as they speak of that I may with the more contentmant acquit me of that which thou hast promised them in my name At these words the Mitaquer and all we that were with him lifting up our hands â—s to a testimony of our thankfulness unto him we kissed the ground three times and said May thy feet rest themselves upon a thousand generations to the end that thou mayst be Lord of the inhabitants of the earth Hereat the King began to smile and said to a Prince that was near him These men speak as if they had been bred amongst us Then casting his eyes on Iorge Mendez who stood before all us next to the Mitaquer And thou said he unto him in what condition art thou wilt thou go or stay whereupon Mendez who had long before premeditated his answer Sir replyed he for me that have neither wife nor children to bewail my absence the thing I most desire in the world is to serve your Majesty since you are pleased therewith whereunto I have more affection then to be Chaâ—m of Pequim one thousand years together At this the King smiled again and then dismissed us so that we returned very well satisfied to our lodging where we continued three days in a readiness to depart at the end of which by the mediation of the Mitaquer and means of his sister who as I have said before was wonderfully beloved of the King his Majesty sent us for the eight that we were two thousand Taeis and gave us in charge to his Ambassadour whom he sent to the City of Vzamguee in Cauchenchina in the company of the same King of Cauchenchina's Ambassador With him we departed from thence five days after being imbarqued in the vessel wherein he went himself But before our departure Iorge Mendez gave us a thousand Duckets which was easie for him to do for that he had already six thousand of yearly rent withal he kept us company all that day and at length took his leave of us not without shedding many a tear for grief that he had so exposed himself to a voluntary exile Being departed from this City of Tuymican on the ninth day of May in the year one thousand five hundred forty and four we came to lodg that night at a University in a Pagode called Guatipanior where the two Ambassadors were very well entertained by the Tuyxivau of the house which is as the Rector thereof and the next morning when it was broad day both of them continued their course down the river each one in his own ship besides other two wherein their stuff was About two hours in the night we arrived at a little Town named Puxanguim well fortified with Towers and bulwarks after our manner as also with very broad ditches and strong bridges of hewed stone there was likewise great store of Artillery or Cannons of wood made like unto the pumps of ships behind the which they put boxes of iron that held their charge and were fastened unto them with iron bands as for the bullets which they shot they were like unto those of Falconets and half black Being much amazed to see this we demanded of the Ambassador who it was that had invented those kind of guns whereunto they answered that it was certain men called Almains and of a Country named Muscovy who by a very great lake of salt-water came down to this Town in nine vessels rowed with oars in the company of a widdow woman Lady of a place called Gaytor who they said was chased out of her Country by a King of Denmark so that flying for refuge with three sons of her the great Grand-father of this King of Tartaria made them all great Lords and gave them certain kinswoman of his in marriage from whom are extracted the chiefest families of this Empire The next morning we parted from this Town and that night lay at another more nobler named Euxcau Five days after we continued our voyage down this river and then we arrived at a great Temple called Singuafatur where we saw an inclosure of above a league in circuit in which were builded an hundred threescore and four houses very long and broad after the fashion of Arcenals all full up to the very tyles of dead mens heads whereof there was so great a number that I am afraid to speak it for that it will hardly be credited Without each of these houses were also great piles of the bones of these heads which were three fathom higher then the ridges of them so that the house seemed to be buried no other part of them appearing but the frontispiece where the gate stood not far from thence upon a little hill on the South-side of them was a kind of a platform whereunto one went up by certain winding-stairs of iron and through four several doors Upon this platform was the tallest the most deformed and dreadful Monster that possibly can be imagined standing upon his feet and leaning against a mighty tower of hewed stone he was made of cast iron and of so great and prodigious a stature that by guess he seemed to be above thirty fathom high and more then six broad notwithstanding the which
be the Kings Uncle This same being waited upon by divers great Lords was no sooner perceived by the Ambassadors but with a new kind of complement they kist the Scymiter that hung by his side whereupon he returned them the like together with an honour which is of no little estimation amongst them that was to hold his hand upon their heads so long as they were prostrated on the ground before him Then having caused the Tartar to rise and to march even check by jole with him he led him through a very long Hall to a door which was at the end thereof where after he had knocked three times one demanded of him who he was and what he would have whereunto answering very soberly Here is come said he out of an ancient custom of true amity an Ambassador from the great Xinarau of Tartaria to demand audience of Pâ—echau Guimian whom we all hold for the Lord of our heads This answer being returned the door was opened into which they presently entred the Prince marched fore-most with the Ambassador of Tartaria whom de held by the hand and a little behind them went the other belonging to the King with the Captain of the Guard then followed all the company by three and three Having gone through that room where there was none but certain of the Guard on their knees with Halberds in their hands we went into another room far more spacious and fair then the former in the which we saw threescore and four Statues of brass and nineteen of silver all tied by the neck with iron chains At so extraordinary a thing as this being much abashed we demanded of one of their Grepes or priests the reason of it who answered us That the Statues which we beheld there were the fourscore and three gods of the Tinocouhos whom the King in the late war had taken from them out of a Temple where they were placed for added he there is nothing in the world held in more esteem or for a greater honour by the King then to triumph over the gods of his enemies which he hath led away captive in despight of them whereupon enquiring further of him why they were set there he replyed that it was to have them in a readiness against the time that the King should make his entry inâ—o Vzamguee whither he purposed shortly to go for to make a shew of them so chained in his triumph as a special mark of the victory he had gained After we were at the end of this room where the Idols were we entred into another very great one where we saw a number of very fair women who were set all along some imployed in curious needle-works and others singing and playing upon certain instruments of musick very pleasing to hear Passing on we arrived at the door of the Kings Chamber where we found six women which were as it were porters there and carried silver Maces In this room was the King in the company of a few ancient men and a great number of young women to the tune of whose musick certain little girls sung very harmoniously The King was set on a Throne of eight â—teps high in the manner of an Altar over the which was a cloth of State supported by pillars all covered over with gold engraven near to him were six little children upon their knees with Scepters in their hands and a little further off stood a woman reasonably well in years which fanned him ever and anon and had a great Garland about her neck This Prince was about some five and thirty years of age and of a goodly presence He had full eyes auborn hair and beard a grave look and in all points the countenance of a generous King As soon as the Ambassadors came into the room they prostrated themselves three times on the ground and at the third time the Kings lay still flat all along whilest the Tartar passed on who being come near to the first step of the Throne where the King sate he said unto him with so loud a voice as all there present might hear him O thou the Prop of all the Forces of the Earth and the breath of the High God which hath created all things may the Majestical Being of thy greatness prosper for ever and ever so that thy Sandals may serve for hairs to the heads of Kings making thee like to the bones and flesh of the great Prince of the silver mountains by whose commandment I come to visit thee as thou mayst perceive by this his Letter sealed with his Royal arms When he had made an end of speaking thus the Cauchin beholding him with a smiling countenance May the Sun answered he put a conformity between the desires of the King thy Master and mine and that by the sweet heat of his amorous rayes to the end that the great amity which is betwixt us may endure and continue firm till the last noise the Sea shall make that so the Lord may be eternally praised in his peace At these words all the Lords that were in the room answered with one voice So grant it may be O Lord Almighty that givest a being to the night and the day Then the same women which played before beginning their musick again the King used no further speech but only in kindly entertaining the Ambassador I will said he read my brother Xinarau's Letter and return an answer thereunto according to thy desire to the end thou mayst go from me contented The Ambassador made him no reply but prostrated himself again at the foot of the Royal Throne laying his head three times on the uppâ—rmost â—tep where the Kings feet stood That done the Captain of the Guard took him by the hand and led him to his house where he lodged during the three days that he abode there at the end whereof the King departed thence for to go to Vzamguee In regard of the Kings journy to Vzamguee the Tartar Ambassador had audience but once by the way in the which he moved him about our particular according to the express commandment he had received from his Mâ—ster for that purpose and it was said that the King heard him very willingly answering that he would do what he desired and therefore willed him to put him in mind of it when the time should serve to the end we might not lose the opportunity of the season for our voyage With this good news the Ambassador acquainted us at his return and demanded of us for this good office he had done us that we would write him out some of those prayers which we made to our God whose slave he said he iâ—finitely desired to be in regard of the great excâ—llencies which he had heard us deliver of him This we not only granted him very readily but also gave him infinite thanks besides for this his great favour shewed unto us which we made more account of then all the benefits that had been propounded unto us by the
prisoner with us and two children of hers dâ—siring then to comfort her she discovered unto her all that she had learnt which she had no sooner understood but that extreamly afflicted at so sad a news she fell instantly to the ground in a swoon wherein she continued a long time speechless At length being come to her self again she fell to tearing of her cheeks so cruelly with her nails that all her face was nothing but gore bloud which for that it was a new and extraordinary thing in that Country was incontinently spread abroad throughout all the City insomuch that all the women being frighted with it the most part of them went forth with their children in their hands to the Broquens daughters house where thâ— Portugal woman was more ready to die then to answer to the questions one or another of them asked her being exceedingly moved with piâ—y to bâ—hold her so lamentably taking on drowned all in tears and blood which passion grief had drawn from her they all resolved to write a letter in favour of us to the old Queen the Kings Mother as accordingly they did and the contents of it were these Sacred pearl congealed in the greatest shell of the profoundest depth of the waters thou Star enammelled with rayes of fire thou tress of golden hair intermixed with a Garland of roses whose feet are so replenished with greatness that they rest upon the top of our heads like to rubies enchaced in gold whereof the price is inestimable We that are no other then the least and poorest of thy creatures the daughters and kinswomen of the Broquens wife together with the rest of thy captives that have set their hands to these presents do make our moan unto thee concerning a thing which we have seen with our eyes that is a poor woman a stranger who seems to have neither flesh nor face drowned as she is in a pool of blood beating her brest with such cruelty as would stir up even wild-beasts in the Forrest to compassion and strike fear into every one Moreover we have heard her cry so loud as we assure thee by the Law of all verity that if God should lend an ear unto her as we believe he will because he doth usually assist the poor that are despised of the world it is to be feared that some great chastisement of famine and fire will fall upon us wherefore the extream apprehension which we have of these things causeth us to joyn all our voyces together like little children hungry after their mothers and humbly beseech thee that casting thine eyes upon the soul of the deceased King thy Husbband for whose sake we beg this of thee thou wilt vouchsafe to make thy selfe like the Saints setting aside all respect of the flesh For the more thou shalt do for God the greater thou shalt be in his house where we verily believe thou shalt find the King thy Husband singing to the sound of the harp of those children that have never sinned the song of this charitable alms which for Gods sake and his we pray thee to obtaine of the King thy Son And this we hope shall be a means to move him both for the love of God and of thy self as also by the force of our tears and cries to take pity on these strangers and freely pardon them all the faults wherewith they are unjustly charged since as thou knowest they are not the Saints of Heaven that use to accuse us but men that are infamous and of an evil life to whom we are forbidden to lend an ear Conchenilau the fair Gentlewoman and well born but above all more honourable then all those of this City for having been bred up in thy service â—y her Aunt shall represent unto thee on the behalf of God and the King thy Husband for the love of whom we prefer this request unto thee all the other particularities of this affair as also the grievous tears and groaâ—s of these poor folks and the extream sadness and fear of all the inhabitants of this place who most earnestly beseech thee to present their humble Suit to the King thy Son cherished above all others on whom may it please the Lord of all good to bestow so much thereof as with that which only shall be resting to him all these people that inhabit the Land and Islands of the Sea may be replenished This letter signed by above an hundred of the chiefest women of the City was sent by a Gentlewoman the daughter of the Mandarin Comanilau Governour of the Island of Bancaa which is on the the South-side of that of the Lequios and good luck would have it that this young Damosel came thither but three dayes before the Sentence of death was to be put into execution upon us in the company of two of her brothers and ten or eleven Gentlâ—men her kinsmen This Gentlewoman being arrived at the City of Bintor where the King and the Queen his Mother were she went to the house of an Aunt of hers the chief Lady of honour to the Queen and that infinitely loved her to whom she rendred an account of the occasion of her coming and withall represented unto her how much it imported both her honour and credit seeing all the rest had made choice of her for this affair that her Highness should grant her the grace which all of them together made such suit unto her for The Lady having given her Neece the best welcome that possibly she could by all demonstrations of her affection she said unto her that since she perceived this business so much concerned her honour she would labour by all the means she could that she should not return discontented and frustrated of the hope of her request the rather for that the thing was just in it self and so earnestly sought for by so many great Ladies whereupon the Gentlewoman having given her very humble thanks besought her to dispatch the business with as much speed as might be in regard we had but two dayes more to live according to the tenour of our Sentence after which time all help would be in vain Since it is so answered her Aunt and that for want of requisite diligence the poor wretches are like to suffer the punishment whereunto the King hath destined them upon the Chineses report I will go and lay my self at the Queens feet as soon as she awakes which will be within an hour at the furthest to the end that this novelty not having done so these six years by reason of my indisposition may draw her to demand of me the cause of it Having said this she left her Neece behind her and went and opened a Gallery door whereof she alone had the key and so entred into the Chamber where the Queen lay A while after the Queen awaking found her lying at her feet whereupon she said unto her How now Nhay Meicamur for so was this Lady called what is it hath brought
that other succors came to joyn with them as indeed the report went that fourscore thousand all Mons by Nation and led by the King of Avaa were on their way thither With this resolution the Tyrant of Bramaa set forth towards Meleytay with an Army of three hundred thousand men namely two hundred thousand by Land alongst the Rivers side whereof the Chaumigrem his Foster-brother was Commander in chief and the other hundred thousand under his own conduct being all choyce men and imbarqued in two thousand Seroos Being come within sight of Meleytay the Avaas desiring to shew that the resolution wherewith they were come thither was of far more power with them then any fear they could have and that also their Enemies might not receive any benefit by their Fleet which lay on the River and do them an affront besides by taking of it they set all theâ—â— Vessels on fire and burnt them every one Then without any dread of that which the flesh doth naturally most fear they got all into the field and ranged themselves into four Battalions in three of which whereof each one made ten thousand men were the thirty thousand Mons and in the the other that were somewhat bigger were all the Mariners of the four hundred Vessels they had burnt These same they placed in the Vaunt-guard with an intention that they should weary the Enemies with whom they made a cruel fight which lasted about half an hour wherein all these Mariners were cut in pieces presently after them the thirty thousand Mons close compacted together in three Battalions presented themselves and with wonderful violence set upon their Enemies between whom and them followed so extraordinary and cruel a battel as not longer to insist upon it nor to recount in particular how things past which also I cannot well do it shall suffice me to say that of the thirty thousand Mons eight hundred only escaped out of it who being routed made their retreat into the Fortress of Meleytay but that which was most memorable herein was that of the King of Bramaas two hundred thousand men an hundred and fifteen thousand lay dead in field and all the rest for the most part were wounded In the mean time the Tyrant which came along on the River in the two thousand Seroos arrived at the place of Battel where beholding the strange massacre which the Mons had made of his people he became so enraged at it that dis-imbarquing his Forces he instantly layd siege unto the Fortress with a purpose as he said to take all those eight hundred that were in it alive This siege continued seven whole days together during the which those without gave five assaults to it and the besieged defended themselves always very valiantly howbeit seeing that the last hour of their life was come and that they could no longer hold that place for their King as they had hoped they might by reason of the fresh Forces which the King of Bramaa had landed like couragious men as they were they resolved to dye in the field as their companions had done and valiantly revenge their deaths with that of their Enemies whereunto they were the more willingly carryed because they perceived well that if they continued still in the place they should never make use of their valor as they desired to do for that the Tyrants Ordnance would by little and little consume them This resolution taken they under the favor of a very dark and rainy night sallyed forth and first of all fell upon the two first Courts of guard that were on the Lands side cutting all in pieces that they met withall Then following their design they passed on like desperate men and whether they did it either to shew that they regarded not death which threatened them or for the desire they had to gain honor so it was that they behaved themselves so couragiously and pressed the Tyrant so neer as they forced him to leap into the River and swim for his life in so much that all the Camp was in disorder and broken through in I know not how many places with the death of above twelve thousand men amongst whom were fifteen hundred Bramaas two thousand strangers of divers Nations and all the rest Pegu's This â—ight last not above half an hour in which time the eight hundred Mons were all slain there being not so much as one of them that would yield upon any composition whatsoever Hereupon the Tyrant of Bramaa seeing the fight ended and all things quiet went and reassembled his Forces together and so entered into the Fortress of Meleytay where he presently commanded the Xemims head to be cut off saying that he was the sole cause of that disaster and that he who had been a Traytor to his King could not be faithful unto him behold the recompence which this Tyrant made him for delivering up the City of Prom unto him howsoever it justly belonged unto him for a punishment of his perfidiousness that carryed him to betray his King and his own Country into the power of his Enemies After this they fell to dressing of the hurt men which were in very great number We pâ—st all this night with much apprehension always keeping good watch and the next morning as soon as it was day the first thing that we did was to rid away the dead bodies which were in so great number all over the Camp that the ground was quite covered with them After this we took a view of those that were killed as well on the one as the other party and we found that on the Bramaas side there were an hundred and fourscore thousand and on the Prince of Avaas forty and two thousand wherein were comprized the thirty thousand Mons. That done after the Tyrant had fortified the City of Prom as also the Fort of Meleytay and made two other Forts upon the bank of the River in such places as he judged to be most important for the safety of that Kingdom he went up the River of Queitor in a thousand rowing Serâ—os wherein were imbarqued seventy thousand men In this Voyage his intention was to go in his own person for to observe the Kingdom of Avaa and to see the City himself the better to consider the strength of it and thereby judg what Forces he should bring for to take it So he proceeded still on for the space of eight and twenty days and during that time passed by many goodly places which within the Kingdom of Chaleu and Iacuçalaon were upon the bank of the River At length he arrived at the City of Avaa the thirteenth of October the same year a thousand five hundred forty and five Being come to the Port he remained there thirteen days and that while burned between two and three thousand Vessels that he found there Moreover he set fire on many Villages thereabout which cost him not so little but that he lost in all these degasts eight thousand of
here with so much diversity of things that we never dreamt of as I know not where to begin for such a multitude of people of all the Nations of these Countries came flocking to this place as is not to be expressed howbeit the chiefest cause of their repair thither in such numbers is a Fair which is kept all the time of the Feast being fifteen dayes namely from the new to the full Moon In this Fair are all things to be sold which Nature hath created on the earth or in the Seâ— and that in so high a degree of abundance as there is not any one kind of thing whereof there are not whole Streets of Houses Cabbins or Tents so long that one can hardly see from one end to the other All these streets are replenished with very rich Merchants besides an infinite company of other people who are lodged all along the River which is above two Leagues broad and planted about with several sorts of Trees as Walnuts Chesnuts Cocos and Dates whereof every one takes what he pleaseth because it doth all belong to the Pagode The Temple of this Idol is a very sumptuous Edifice scituated in the midst of a Plain upon a little round hill more then half a league in circuit It is built all slope fifteen fathom high and from thence upward it hath a wall of free-stone of some three fathom with its Bulwarks and Towers after the fashion of ours Within the inclosure of this wall there is a platform made level with Battlements a stones cast in bredth which together with the wall extends round about the hill so that at first sight one would take it for a Gallery There are likewise all along an hundred and threescore Hospitals in each whereof are above an hundred houses which are low but very neat and convenient where the Pilgrimes Fucatous and Daroezes are entertained which come thither in troops like the Gipsies in our Europe with their Captains each company of them having two or three thousand persons some more some less according as the Kingdoms from whence they resort are nearer or further off now it is known of what Country they are by the devices which they carry in their Banners From the top to the bottom it is all invironed with Cypress-trees and Cedars where many fountains of most excellent water do continually flow forth and on the highest part of this hill almost a quarter of a league in circuit there are four Convents and in them very sumptuous and rich Temples namely two of men and as many of women in each of which as we were assured were very near five hundred persons In the midst of these four Monasteries there is a Garden compassed about with three inclosures of Ballisters of Lattin having very fair Arches of curious Masons-work and Steeples guilt all over with a number of little silver bels in them which â—ing continually with the moving of the air This Chappel of the Idol Tinagoogoo is of a round form all overlaid on the in-side with plates of silver wrought in flowers and garnished with a great many Branches for lights of the same mettal This Monster of whom we could not judge whether he were gold wood or copper guilt stood upright on his feet with his hands lifted up to Heaven and a rich Crown on his head round about him were many other little Idols on their knees and beholding him as it were amazed Below were two men made of brass in the fashion of Gyants seven and thirty spans high and very ugly and deformed whom they held for the Gods of the twelve months of the year Without this place also there were an hundred and forty Gyants who ranked in two Files inclosed it round about and were made of cast iron holding Halberds in their hands as if they had been the Guard of it so that all the Marvels of this Edifice put together made it appear so stately that looking upon it one could not sufficiently esteem the riches â—nd sumptuousness thereof But setting aside for this present the relation I could make of the buildings of this Pagode because that which I have said of it may me thinks suffice for the understanding of the rest I will intreat here of the Sacrifices which we saw to be made there on a festival day called by them Xipatilâ—â— signifâ—ing The refreshing of good people CHAP. LVI The great and sumptuous Procession made in this Pagode together with their Sacrifices and other particularities WHilest this Feast of these Gentiles as also the Fair which was kept all the time thereof endured for the space of fifteen days with an infinite concourse of Merchants and Pilgrims that came flocking thither from all parts as I have declared before there were many Sacrifices made there with different ceremonies not a day passing without some new thing or other For amongst many of great charge and very worthy of observation one of the chiefest was a Iubile after their manner which was published the fifth day of the Moon together with a Procession that was above three leagues in length as we could guess It was the common opinion of all that in this Procession there were forty thousand Priests of the four and twenty Sects which are in this Empire most of them were of different dignities and called Grepos Talagrepos Roolims Neepois Bicos Sacareus and Chanfarauhos Now by the ornaments they wear as also by the devices and ensigns which they carry in their hands they may be distinguished and so every of them is respected according to his dignity Howbeit these went not on foot as the other ordinary Priests for that they were as this day forbidden upon pain of great sin to â—read upon the ground so that they caused themselves to be born in Pallaquins or Arm-chairs upon the shoulders of other Priests their inferiors apparelled in green Sattin with their Stoles of Carnation Damask In the midst of the ranks of this Procâ—ssion were all the inventions of their Sacrifices to be seen as also the rich Custodes of their Idols for the which each of them had a particular Devotion They that carryed them were clothed in yellow having each of them a big wax candle in his hand and between every fifteen of those Custodes went a triumphant Charet all which Charets put together were in number an hundred twenty and six All these Charets were four and some five stories high with as many wheels on either side In each of them there were at the least two hundred persons what with the Priests and the Guards and on the top of all an Idol of Silver with a Miter of Gold on its head and all of them had rich chains of Pearl and precious stones about their necks round about every Charet went little Boys carrying Silver Maces on their shoulders and behind them were a many of Caskets full of exquisite perfumes as also divers persons with Censors in their hands who ever and anon censed
the Idol to the tune of certain Instruments of Musick saying three times with a lamentable voyce Lord asswage the pains of the dead to the end they may praise thee peaceably whereunto all the people answered with a strange noise Such may thy pleasure be and so may it come to pass every day wherein thou shewest us the Sun Each of these Charets was drawn by above three thousand persons who for that purpose made use of very long coards covered with silk and thereby gained to themselves plenary remission of their sins without restitution to be made of any thing at all Now that many might participate of this absolution by drawing the coard they set their hands to it one after and close to another continuing doing so to the very end in such sort that the whole coard was covered with hands and nothing else to be seen but that they also which were without might gain this indulgence they helped those that had their hands on the coard by puâ—ting theirs about their shoulders then they that were behind them did the like and so consequently all the rest In this manner throughout the whole lâ—ngth of the coard there were six or seven Ranks or Files and in each of them above five hundred persons This Procession was enviâ—oned with a great number of Horsemen that carryed staves with pikes at both ends who riding all about went crying to the people which were infinite in number that they should make way and not interrupt the Priests in their prayers Many times also they struck those so rudely whom they first met withall as they brat down three or four together or hurt them grievously no man daring to find fault with or so much as speak a word against it In this order this mervelous Procession passed through above an hundred streets which to that end were all adorned with boughs of Palms and Myrtle amongst the which were many Standarts and Banners of Silk planted There were also many Tables set up in divers places where all that desired it for Gods sake were admitted to eat of free cost yea and in other parts they had clothes and mony given them There likewise Enemies reconciled themselves one to another and the rich men forgave them their debts which were not able to pay In a word so many good works were done there more proper for Cristians then for Gentiles as I must needs conclude that if they had been done with Faith and Baptism for the love of our Lord Jesus Christ and without any mixture of the things of this world assuredly they would have been acceptable to him But 〈◊〉 the best was wanting to them and that both for theirs and our sins Whilest this Procession together with the Charets wherein the Idols were passed along in this manner and that with a dreadful noise of Drums and other such instruments behold where out of certain wooden Sheds made expresly for that purpose six seven eight or ten men all besmeared with odors and wrapped up in silk wearing Gold Bracelets about their wrists start forth all at once and room being instantly made them by the people after they had saluted the Idol which was on the top of the Charet they went and layd themselves down athwart on the ground so that the wheels coming to go over them crush'd them all to pieces which the assistants beholding cryed out aloud together My Soul be with thine Presently whereupon nine or ten of the Priests descending from the Charet took up these blessed or rather accursed creatures that sacrificed themselves in this sort and putting the head bowels and all the other members so crushed in pieces into great bowls made for that purpose they shewed them to the people from the highest part of the Charet where the Idol stood saying with a pitiful voyce Miserable sinners fall ye to praying that God may make you worthy to be a Saint as this here is who hath now offered himself up as a sweet smelling Sacrifice Whereunto all the people prostrated on the ground answered with a fearful noise We hope that the God of a thousand Gods will permit to be so In this manner many other of these wretches sacrificed themselves to the number as we were told by certain Merchants worthy of credit of six hundred and more After these followed other Martyrs of the Devil whom they called Xixaporaus which sacrificed themselves before the said Charets by most mercilesly slâ—shing themselves with sharp Rasors that to behold them how they did it one could not think but that they were altogether insensible for they cut off great gobbets of their flesh and holding them on high at the end of Arrows as if they would shoot them up to Heaven they said That they made a Present thereof to God for the Souls of their Fathers of their Wives of their Children or of such a one for whose sake they did this wicked work Now wheresoever this gobbet of flesh chanced to fall there ran so much people to catch it up as oftentimes many were stifled in the press for they held it as a very great relique In this sort these miserable wretches stood upon their feet all bathed in their own blood without Noses without Ears and without any resemblance at all of man until at length they fell down stark dead on the Earth then came the Grepos in all haste down from the top of the Charet and cutting off their heads shewed them to all the people who kneeling on the ground and lifting up their hands to Heaven cryed out with a loud voyce Let us O Lord live to that time wherein for thy service we may do as this same here hath done There were others also whom the Devil drew thither after another manner Those same craving an Alms said Give me an Alms for Gods sake or if thou dost it not I will kill my self So that if they were not presently contented they would instantly cut their own throats with Rasors which they held in their hands or stab themselves in to the belly and so drop down stark dead whereupon the Grepos ran suddenly to them and having cut off their heads shewed them as before to the people who reverenced them prostrated on the ground We likewise saw some named Nucaramons men of a very ill look clothed with Tygers skins and carrying in their hands certain pots of Copper full of excrements and filthy corrupted urine the stench whereof was so horrible and insupportable as it was not possible for any nostril to endure it These craving an Alms of the people said Give me an Alms and that instantly otherwise I will â—at this ordure which the Devil eats and bespatter thee with it that so thou mayst be accursed as he is They no sooner uttered these words but that all ran hastily to give them an Alms for if they stay'd never so little they straightway set the pot to their mouths and taking a great sup of that stinking stuff they
there with all to bedashed such as they pleased in the mean time all others that beheld them so drest holding them accursed fell upon them and entreated them in such a strange fashion as the poor wretches knew not which way to turn themselves for there was not a man of the company that drove them not away with blows and that railed not at them saying That they were accursed for having been the cause that this holy man had eaten of that beastly filth which the Devil feeds upon and therefore was become stinking before God so that he could neither go into Paradise nor live amongst men Behold how strange the blindness of this people is who otherwise have judgment and wit enough I will pass by much other beastliness committed by them which is so far esloigned from all reason as they serve for a great motive unto us to render thanks without ceasing unto God for the infinite mercy and goodness that he shews us in giving us the light of true Faith for the saving of our Souls Of the fifteen days that this Feast was to last nine being past all the people which were there assembled feigning that the gâ—uttonous Serpent of the House of Smoke who is their Lucifer as I have said elsewhere was come for to steal away the ashes of them that were dead in these several Sacrifices and so to keep their Souls from going into Heaven there arose among them so great and dreadful a noise as words are not able to express it for to the confused voyces that were heard from every part there was adjoyned such a ringing of Bells and Basins beating of Drums and winding of Horns as it was not possible to hear one another and all this was done to fright away the Devil Now this noise endured from one of the clock in the afternoon till the next morning and it is not to be believed what a world of lights and Torches were spent that night besides the infinite number of fires that were kindled every where the reason hereof was as they said For that Tinagoogoo the God of thousand Gods was gone in quest of the gluttonous Serpent for to kill him with a Sword which had been given him from Heaven After the night had been past thus amidst this infernal noise and tumult as soon as it was day the whole Hill whereon the Temple was built appeared full of white Banners which the people beholding they fell straight to giving thanks unto God and to that end they prostrated themselves on the ground with great demonstrations of joy and then began to send presents one to another for the good news they received from the Priests by the shew of those white Banners an assured sign that the gluttonous Serpent was killed So all the people transported with incredible gladness fell to going up the hill whereon the Temple stood by four and twenty several accesses that there were unto it for to give thanks unto the Idol and chaunt his praises for the victory he had the night past obtained over the gluttonous Serpent and cutting off his head This throng of people continued three days and three nights so that during that time it was not possible to break through the press on the way but with much pain Now we Portugals having little to do resolved to go thither also for to see those abuses wherefore we went to ask leave of the Embassador but he denyed us for the present willing us to stay till the next day and that then we should wait on him thither for in his last sickness he had vowed to visit it hereat we were very glad because we thought that by this means we should the more easily see all that we desired The morrow after which was the third day of this Assembly the greatest croud being over we went along with him to the Temple of Tinagoogoo and at length arrived though with much ado at the Hill whereon it was built There we saw six very fair long streets all full of Scales hanging on great Rods of Brass In these Scales a number of people weighed themselves as well for the accomplishment of the vows they had made in their adversities and sickness as for the remission of all the sins they had committed till that present and the weight which each of them layd in the other Scale was answerable to the quality of the fault they had done So they that found themselves culpable of gluttony and had not all that year used any abstinence weighed themselves with Hony Sugar Eggs and Butter which were things not displeasing to the Priests from whom they were to receive absolution They that were addicted to sensuality weighed themselves with Cotton wool Feathers Cloth Apparel Wine and sweet Odors because say they those things incite a man to that sin They that were uncharitable to the poor weighed themselves with Coyn of Copper Tin and Silver or with pieces of Gold The slothful with Wood Rice Coals Pork and Fruit and the envious because they reap no benefit by their maligning the prosperity of others expiated their sin by confessing it publiquely and suffering a dozen boxes on the ear to be given them in the memory and praise of the twelve Moons of the year As for the sin of pride it was satisfied with dryed fish Brooms and Cow-dung as being the baâ—est of things And touching them that had spoken ill of their Neighbors without asking them forgiveness they put for that a Cow into the Scale or else an Hog a Sheep or a Stag so that infinite was the number of those which weighed themselves in the Scales that were in those six streets from whom the Priests received so much Alms as there were great piles of all sorts of things made up all along Now for the poor that had nothing to give for the remission of their sins they offered their own hair which was presently cut off by above an hundred Priests who for that effect sat in order one by another on low stools with Sizzars in their hands There also we saw great heaps of that hair whereof other Grepos which were a thousand at least and ranked also in order made Wreathes Tresses Rings and Bracelets which one or another bought for to carry home to their houses even as our Pilgrims use to do that come from Santiago de Compostella or other such places Our Embassador being amazed at the sight of these things enquired further of the Priests concerning them who besides other particulars told him that all those alms and other offerings which were given there during the fifteen days of this Assembly amounted to a great Revenue and that even of the hair of the poor alone there was raised every year above an hundred thousand pardanis of Gold which are fourscore and ten thousand Duckets of our Mony whereby one may judg what a world of wealth was made of all the rest After that the Embassador had stay'd sometime in the streets of
the Scales he passed on through all the other quarters where were Comedies dancing wrastling and excellent consorts of all kinds of musick till at length we arrived at Tinagoogoo but with much labor and pain because the throng was so great as one could hardly break through it This Temple had but one â—sle that was very long and spacious and full of great wax lights each of them having ten or eleven wieks in it set up all about in Silver Candlesticks there was also great store of perfumes of Aloes and Benjamin As for the Image of Tinagoogoo it was placed in the midst of the Temple upon a stately Tribunal in the form of an Altar environed with a number of Silver Candlesticks and a many of Children attired in purple which did nothing but cense it at the sound of Instruments of musick whereon the Priests played reasonable well Before this Idol danced to the tune of the said Instrument 〈◊〉 in Ladies which were wonderful fair and richly clad to whom the people presented their alms and offerings which the Priests received for them and thâ—n layd them before the Tribunal of the Idol with a great deal of ceremony and complement ever and anon prostrating themselves on the ground The Status of this Monster was seven and twenty spans high having the face of a Gyant the hair of a Negro wide distorted nostrils mighty great lips and a very sowre and ill-favored countenance He had in his hand an Hatchet in the form of a Coopers Addis but with a far longer handle With this Addis as the Priests made the people believe this Monster the night before killed the gluttonous Serpent of the House of Smoke for that he would have stoln away the ashes of those that sacrificed themselves There also we saw the Serpent amidst the place before the Tribunal in the form of an Adder more horrible to behold then the wit of man can imagine and done so to the life as all that looked on it trembled for fear It was layd all along with the head cut off being eight fathom long and the neck of it as thick as a Bushel so lively represented that though we knew it to be an artificial thing yet could we not chuse but be afraid of it In the mean time all the assistants ran thronging about it some pricking it with the points of their Halberds and some with their Daggers every one with railing speeches cursing and calling it Proud presumptuous accursed infernal Mannor Pool of Damnation envious of Gods goodness hunger-starved Dragon in the midst of the night and many other names which they delivered in such extraordinary terms and so fitted to the effects of this Serpent as we could not but admire them That done they put into Basins which stood at the foot of the Idols Tribunal a world of alms of Gold Silver Jewels pieces of Silk fine Callicoes Mony and hundred other things in very great abundance After we had seen all these things we continued following the Embassador who went to see the Grots of the Hermits or Penitents which were at the utmost end of the Wood all cut out of the hard Rock and in such order as one would have thought that Nature rather then the hand of man had labored in it There were an hundred forty and two of them in some of the which remained divers men whom they held for Saints and that did very great and austere pennance They in the first Grots wore long Robes like the Bonzes of Iapan and followed the Law of an Idol that had sometimes been a man called Situmpor michay who during his life enjoyned those of his Sect to lead their lives in great austerity assuring them that the only and true way to gain Heaven was to subdue the flesh and that the more they labored to afflict themselves the more liberally God would grant them all they could demand of him They which accompanyed us thither told us that they seldom eat any thing buâ— herbs boyled a few Beans of Aricot rosted and wilde fruit which were provided for them by other Priests who as the Purveyors of a Cloister took care to furnish these Penitenâ—s with such things as were confortmable to the Law whereof they made profession After these we saw in a Grot others of a Sect of one of their Saints or rather of a Devil named Angâ—macur these lived in deep holes made in the midst of the Rock according to the Rule of their wretched order eating nothing but Flies Ants Scorpions and Spiders with the juyce of a certain Herb growing in abundance thereabout much like to sorrel These spent their time in meditating day and night with their eyes lifted up to Heaven and their hands closed one within another for a testimony that they desired nothing of this world and in that manner dyed like beasts but they are accounted greater Saints then all the rest and as such after they are dead they burn them in fires whereinto they cast great quantities of most precious perfumes the Funeral pomp being celebrated with great state and very rich offerings they have sumptuous Temples erected unto them thereby to draw the living to do as they had done for to obtain this vain glory which is all the recompence that the world gives them for their excessive pennance We likewise saw others of a Sect alâ—ogether diabolical invented by a certain Gileu Mitray These have sundry orders of pennance and are not much different in their Opinions from the Abissins of Ethiopia Now that their abstinence may be the more agreeable to their Idol some of them eat nothing but filthy thick â—pitings and snot with Grashoppers and Hens dung others clots of blood drawn from other men with bitter fruits and herbs brought to them from the wood by reason whereof they live but a short time and have so bad a look and colour as they fright those that behold them I will pass by them of the Sect of Godomem who spend their whole life in crying day and night on those mountains Godomem Godomem and desist not from it until they fall down stark dead to the ground for want of breath Neither will I speak of them which they call Taxilacons who dye more brutishly then the rest for they shut themselves up in certain Grots made of purposefor it that are very little and close stopped on all 〈◊〉 and then burning green â—histles and thorns in them they choke themselves with the smoke thereof Whereby one may see how by such rude and different ways of living these miserable creatures render themselves the Devils Martyrs who in reward thereof gives them everlasting Hell-fire and verily it is a pititiful thing to behold the great pains which these wretches take to lose themselves and the little that we do to be saved CHAP. LVII What we saw in the continuing of our voyage until we arrived at the City of Timplan AFter we had seen all these things with wonder enough
misfortune this poor woman was reduced so that we told her our opinion and what we thought was fit for her to do whereupon she concluded to go along with us to Timplam and so to Pegu and from thence to set sail for Coromandel there to finish her days in the Island of St Thomé Having vowed unto us to do thus we quitted her not doubting that she would lose so good an opportunity to retire her self out of the errors wherein she was and to restore her self to an estate wherein she might be saved since it had pleased God to permit her to meet with us in a Country so far distant from that which she could hope for Howbeit she performed nothing for we could never see nor hear of her afterwards which made us to believe that either some thing was befallen her that kept her from coming to us or that through the obstinacy of her sins she deserved not to make her profit of the grace which our Lord had offered to her out of his infinite goodness and mercy CHAP. LVIII The Magnificent Reception of the King of Bramaa his Ambassadour at the City of Timplam and that which passed betwixt the Calaminham and him NIne dayes after the King of Bramaa his Ambassadour had reposed himself there by way of ceremony according to the fashion of the Coâ—try for the more honour of his Ambassage one of the Governours of the City called Quampanogrem came to fetch him accompanied with fourscore Seroos and Laulees very well eqipped and full of luâ—ty able men Throughout this Fleet they played on so many barbarous and ill accorded instruments as Belâ— Cymbals Drums and Sea-corners that the din thereof coming to joyn with the noise which the Rowers made terrified all those that heard it and indeed one would have thought it at first to be some inchantment or to say better a musick of hell if there be any there Amidst this stir we drew near to the City where we arrived about noon Being come to the first Key that was named Campalarraia we saw a great many men both Horse and Foot all richly accoutred as also a number of fighting Elephants very well harnessed having their chairs and forâ—-head pieces garnished with silver and their warlike Panores fastened to their teeth which rendred them very terrible The Ambassadour was no sooner come on shore but the Campanogrem took him by the hand and falling on his knees presented him to another great man that attended for him at the Key in great pomp This same was called Patedacan one of the chiefest of the Kingdom as we were told After he had with a new complement of courtesie received the Ambassadour he offered him an Elephant furnished with a Chair and harness of gold but whatsoever the Mandarin could do to make the Ambassadour accept of it he could by no means draw him thereunto whereupon he caused another almost as well furnished to be brought and gave it to him As for us nine Portugals and fifty or threescore Bramaas they provided Horses on which we mounted In this manner we departed from that place having his Chariots before us full of men that amidst the acclamations of the people played upon divers kinds of instruments namely on silver Cymbals Bells and Drums Thus we were conducted through many long Streets whereof nine were invironed with Ballisters of Lattin and at the entrance into them there were Arches very richly wrought as also many Chapters of pillars guilt and great Bells which like unto clocks struck the hours nay the quarters of the hour of the day whereby the people were ordinarily directed After that with much ado by reason of the great press of people that was in the streets we were come to the outward Court of the Calaminham's Pallace which was as long or little less as a Faulcons shot and broad proportionable thereunto we saw in it above six thousand Horses all trapped with silver and silk and those that were mounted on them were armed with Coâ—slets of Lattin and Copper head-pieces of silver carrying Ensigns in their hands of divers Colours and Targets at their Saddle-bowâ— The Câ—mmander of thâ—se Troops was the Quietor of Justice who is as the Super-intendent over all the other Civil and Criminal Ministers which is a Jurisdiction â—epeâ—ate by it self from whence there is no appeal The Ambassadour being come near unto him who was also advanced to receive him and the two Governours they all prostraâ—eâ— themselves on the ground three times which is amongst them a new kind of Compliment whereupon the Queitor spake not a word to the Ambassadour but onely laid his hand on his head and then gave him a rich Scymitar that he wore by his side which the Ambassadour accepted of very thankfully and kissed it thrice That done the Quieor set the Ambassadour on his right hand and leaving the two Mandarins a little behind they past along through two ranks of Elephants which made a kind of Street of the length of the outward Court they being fifteen hundred in number all furnished with Castles and rich Chairs of divers inventions as also with a great many of silk Banners and gorgeous Coverings round abouâ— were a great Company of Halberdiers and many other shews of Greatness and Majesty which made us believe that this Prince was one of the mightiest of the Country When we were come to a great Gate that stood between two high Towers two hundred men which guarded it no sooner saw the Quietor but they all fell down on their knees Through this Gate we entred into another very long outward Court where the Kings second Guard was composed of a thousand men who were all in guilt Arms their Swords by their sides and on their heads Helmets wrought with gold and silver wherein stuck gallant plums of several colours After we had past through the middle of all this Guard we arrived at a great Hall where there was a Mandarim Uncle to the King called the Monvagaruu a man of above seventy years of age accompanied with a great number of Nobity as also with many Captains and Officers of the Kingdom About him were twelve little boyes richly clad with great Chains of gold three or four times double about their necks and each of them a silver Mace upon his shoulder As soon as the Ambassadour was come near him he touched him on the head with a Ventiloo that he held in his hand and beholding him May thy entrance said he into this Palace of the Lord of the world be as agreeable to his eyes as the rain is to our fields of Rice for so shall he grant thee all that thy King demands of him From thence we went up an high pair of stairs and entred into a very long room wherein there were many great Lords who seeing the Monvagaruu stood up on their feet as acknowledging him for their Superiour Out of this room we entred into another where there were four Altars very well
have a good successe in the pleasure thou seemest to take in making war upon thine enemies The Ambassador having received this Letter departed from the Court the third day of November in the year one thousand five hundred forty and six accompanied with certain Lords who by the expresse commandement of the Calaminham went along with him to Bidor where they took their leave of him after they had made him a great feast presented him with divers gifts But before I intreat of the way which we held from this place till we came to Pegu where the King of Bramaa was I think it convenient and necessary to make a relation here of certain things which we saw in this country wherein I will acquit my self as succinctly as I can as I have done in all other matters whereof 〈◊〉 have spoken heretofore for if I would discourse in particular of all that I have seen and of that which hath past as well in this Empire as in other Kingdomes where I have been during my painfull voyages I had then need to make another volume far bigger then this same and be indued with a wit much above that I have howbeit that I may not wholly conceal things so remarkable I am contented to say so much thereof as my grosse stile will permit me to deliver The Kingdome of Pegu hath in circuit an hundred and forty leagues is scituate on the South side in sixteen degrees and in the hearâ— of the Country towards the rhomb of the East it hath an hundred forty leagues being invironed all above with an high ground named Pangavirau where the Nation of the Bramaas doth inhabit whose country is fourscore leagues broad and two hundred long This Monarchy was in times past one sole Kingdome which now it is not but is divided into thirteen estates of Soveraignes who made themselves masters of it by poysoning their King in a banquet which they made him in the City of Chaleu as their histories relate of these thirteen estates there are eleven that are commanded by other Nations who by a tract of another great country are joyned to all the bounds of the Bramaas where two great Emperors abide of which the one is called the Siamon and the other the Calaminham who is the same I purpose only to treat of According to report the Empire of the Prince is above three hundred leagues bredth and as much in length and it is said that antiently it contained seven and twenty Kingdomes the inhabitants whereof spake all one language within this Empire we saw many goodly Cities exceedingly well peopled and abounding with all provisions necessary for mans life as flesh fresh water fish corn pulse rice pastâ—res vines and fruits the chief of all these Cities is Tymphan where this Emperor the Calaminham with his Court commonly resides it is seated along by a great river named Pitâ—y and invironed all about with two broad walls of earth made up with strong stone on either side having very broad ditches and at each gate a Castle with high Towers certain Merchants affirmed unto us that this City had within it some four hundred thousand fires and albeit the houses are for the most part not above two stories high yet in recompense thereof they are built very stately and with great charge especially those of the Nobility and of the Merchants not speaking of the great Lords which are separated by great inclosures where are spacious outward Courts and at the entring into them arches after the manner of China as also gardens and walks planted with trees and great ponds all very handsomely accommodated to the pleasures and delights of this life whereunto these people are very much inclined We were also certified that both within the inclosure of the City and a league about it there were six and twenty hundred Pagodes some of which wherein we had been were very sumptuous and rich indeed for the rest the most of them were but petty houses in the fashion of Hermitages These people follow four and twenty Sects all different one from another amongst the which there is so great a confusion of errors and diabolicall precepts principally in that which concerns their bloudy Sacrifices as â—abhor to speak of them but the Idol which is most in vogue amongst them and most frequented is that whereof I have already made mention called Quiâ—y Frigau that is to say The God of the Meats of the Sun for it is in this false God that the Calaminham believes and does adore him and so do all the chiefest Lords of the Kingdome wherefore the Grepos Menigrepos and Talagrepos of this false god are honored far more then all others and held in the retation of holy personages their superiours who by an eminent title are called Cabizondos never know women as they say but to content their bruitish and sensuall appetites they want not diabolicall inventions which are more worthy of tears then recital during the ordinary Fairs of this City called by them Chanduâ—â—s we saw all things there that nature hath created as iron steel lead tin copper lattin saltpeter brimstone oyl vermillion honey wax sugar lacre benjamin divers sorts of stuffes and garments of silk pepper ginger cinamon linnen cloth cotton wool alum borax corâ—alines christall camphire musk yvory cassia rhubarbe turbith scamony azure woad incense cochenill saffron myrâ—he rich porcelain gold silver rubies diamonds emerauds saphirs and generally all other kind of things that can be named and that in so great abundance as it is not possible for me to speak that which I have seen and be believed women there are ordinarily very white and fair but that which most commends them is that they are of a good nature chast charitable and much inclined to compassion The Priests of all these four and twenty Sects whereof there are a very great number in this Empire are cloathed in yellow like the Roolims of Pegu they have no money either of gold or silver but all their commerce is made with the weight of cates casis maazes and conderins The Court of the Calaminham is very rich the Nobility exceeding gallant and the revenue of the Lords and Princes very great the King is feared and respected in a marvellous manner he hath in his Court many Commanders that are strangers unto whom he giveth great pensions to serve him for the safety of his person our Ambassador was assured that in the City of Timphan where most commonly the Court is there are above threescore thousand horse and ten thousand Elephants the gentlemen of the country live very hand somely and are served in vessels of silver and sometimes of gold but as for the common people they use porcelain lattin in summer they are apparrelled in sattin damask and wrought taffetiâ—s which come from Persia in winter in gowns furred with marterns there is no going to Law amongst them noâ— does any man enter into bond there but if there be any difference
age accounted amongst them for an holy personage very knowing in the customes and lawes of those Sects of the Gentiles and above all exceeding charitable to the poor With this election the King and all the great ones of the Court remained very well satisfied The King then speedily dispatched away the Chaumigrem his foster-brother to whom he gave thereupon the title of Coutalanhaa which signifies the Kings brother to the end he might be the more honorably qualified with an hundred Lauleas wherein was the Flower of all the Bramaâ— Nobility together with the nine Electors for to go and fetch him which had been newly chosen to the dignity of Roolim And having brought him nine dayes after with a great deal of respect and honor to a place called Tagalaa some five leagues from the Isle of Mounay the King met him with all the great men of the Court besides a world of other people and above two thousand vessells with oars When he was come in this equipage where the new Roolim vvas he prostrated himself before him and kissing the ground three times O thou holy pearl said he unto him which art in the midst of the Sun breath forth upon me by an agreeable inspiration of the Lord of uncreated power that I may not dread upon earth the insupportable yoke of mine enemies At these vvords the nevv Roolim putting forth his hand to raise him from the ground spake thus unto him Labour my Son that thy works may be pleasing to God and I will pray for thee without ceasing Hereupon the King rising up the Roolim made him sit dovvn by him and stroked him three times vvith his hand on the head vvhich the King took for the greatest honor he could do him then having said something unto him vvhiâ—h vve could not hear for that vve vvere a little too far off he blovved three times on the Kings head vvhilest he vvas on his knees again before him and all the people laid flat on the earth This done he parted from that place amidst the applauses that vvere given him from all parts and the sound of bells and instruments of musick and imbarqued himself in the Kings Laulea where he was seated in a rich chair of gold set with precious stones and the King at his feet which was also taken for a great honor done him by the Roolim round about and a little distant from him were twelve little boys attired in yellow sattin with scarfes of silver Tinsell golden Maces and Scepters in their hands All along the sides of the vessell instead of Mariners stood the Lords of the Kingdom with guilt oars by them and as well in the Poop as the Prow were two Quires of young striplings apparrelled in carnation sattin and having divers sorts of instruments in their hands to the tune whereof they sung the praises of God Some of our company observed that one of their songs said thus Children of a pure heart praise this admirable and divine Lord for as â—or me being a sinner I am not worthy to do it and if that too be not permitted unto you let your eys weep before his feet that so you may render your selves agreeable unto him In the same manner they sung many other songs to the tune of their instruments and with so much ardor and zeal as if they had been Christians it would have been able to have stirred up the devotion of them that heard them After that the Rooliâ— was in this sumptuous â—ort arrived at the City of Martabano he did not go to Land as it had been resolved because it was night for it was not lawfull for him at any hand to touch the ground with his feet in regard of the great dignity of his person but stayed till the next morning at which time the King disimbarqued him first of all upon his own shoulders and so too did the Princes and great Lordsof the Kingdom carry him alternatively to the Pagodâ— of Quiay Ponuedea as being the greatest and most sumptuous of the whole City in the midst whereof was a Theater richly set forth of yellow sattin which is the livery of that soveraign dignity There out of a new ceremony being laid all along upon a â—ittle bed of gold he made as though he were dead and then at the sound of a bell which gave three toles the Bonzes prostrated themselves all with their faces on the ground for the space of half an hour during which time all the assistants for a sign of sadnesse held their hands before their eys in saying aloud Lord recall this thy servant to a new life to the end we may have one to pray for us Instantly thereupon they took him from thence and put him into a Tomb adorned with the same livery then chanting out certain I know not what very sorrowfull words with tears in their eys they left him after they had surrounded the Temple thrice in a grave made expresly for that purpose covered over with a cloth of black velvet and inviâ—oned about with dead mens heads This done they said certain prayers after their manner weeping which very much moved the King and then all the throng of people that made a strange noyse being commanded to silence they gave three toles with a great bell for a sign to all the rest of the bells in the City to answer them as they did with so horrible and dreadfull a din that the earth even trembled therewith After the ceasing of this noyse two Talagrepos men of great reputation amongst them and very well versed in their Laws went up into two Pulpits prepared expresly for them and that were hung with rich Turky Carpets where they entertained their Auditors with the subject of this ceremony and gave them the explication of every thing making an ample relation unto them of the life and death of the deceased Roolim and of the election of this same together with the excellent qualities with which he was indued for to be raised to so high a charge whereunto he was called by a particular grace of God to this they added many other things wherewith the people were exceedingly satisfied and contented then the same bell having tolled three times more the two Priests descended from their Pulpits which together with all their furniture were presently burned with another new kind of ceremony whereof I will forbear here making a relation because it seems unnecessary to me to lose time in these superfluities having said but too much already thereof After all things were peaceable and quiet and that for the space of five or six Credoes nothing had been spoken there appeared coming from the next Temple which was about a flight shot off a very rich and sumptuous Procession of little children attired all in white taffets for a mark of their innocency and purenesse they had about their necks a number of jewells chains of gold upon their legs in form of bracelets white wax lights in their hands and
upon their heads bonnets imbroydered with silk and gold and set with Pearls Rubies and Saphirs in the middle of this Procession was a rich Canopy of cloth of gold which twelve of those little children carried invironed round about with perfuming pans and censors of silver from whence breathed forth excellent odors most pleasing to the sent These little children played on divers instruments of musick and went on singing praises to God and praying him to resuscitate this defunct to a new life When they were arrived at the place where the Roolim lay they drew to the shrine and taking away the cloth wherewith it was covered there came out of it a little child which could not be above three or four years old and although he was naked yet was not his nakednesse seen because he was all covered over with gold and pretious stones and appeared in the same fashion as we are accustomed to paint Angells he had also golden wings and a very rich Crown upon his head Whenas he was come from out the shrine the Assistants being prostrated on the ground fell to saying aloud with a voice that made those to tremble which heard them Thou Angel of God sent from heaven for our salvation pray for us when thou returnest thither again The King went instantly to this child and having taken him in his arms with a great deal of respect and a strange ceremony as if he would shew that he was not worthy to touch him in regard he was an Angell sent from heaven he set him on the brink of the grave where after the child had taken away the cloth of black Velvet that covered him whilest all were on their knees with their hands and eys lift up to heaven he said aloud as if he had spoken to him Thou which hast been conceived in sin amidst the misery and filthiness of the flesh God commands thee by me who am the least of his servants that thou do resuscitate to a new life which may be agreeable unto him alwayes dreading the chastisement of his mighty hand to the end that as the last gasp of thy life thou mayest not stumble like the children of the world and that from this place where thou art extended stark dead thou do rise up presently because it hath been so decreed by the greatest of the greatest in the Temple of the earth and come after me and come after me and come after me The King thereupon took this child again in his arms and then the Roolim rising up in the grave where he was as it were amazed with this vision fell on his knees before the child whom the King held and said I accept of this new grace from the hand of thâ— Lord conformably to that which thou hast told me from him obliging my self to be even till death an example of humility and the least of all his to the end the toads of the earth may not lose themselves in the abundance of the world This said the child rid himself again out of the Kings arms and going directly to the grave he lent the Roolim his hand to help him out of it Now he was scarce come forth whenas they gave five toles with a Bell which was a sign for all the people to prostrate themselves on the ground the second time saying Blessed be thou O Lord for so great a grace whereupon all the bells in the City began to ring and all the Ordnance that were on the land to shoot of as also those of above two thousand vessells that rode at Anchor in the Port from whence proceeded so strange a noyse as was most insupportable to the ears of them that heard it CHAP. LXII In what manner the Roolim was conducted to the Isle of Mounay and put into possession of his dignity THe new Roolim was conducted from that place in a chair of gold exceeding rich and set with Pretious Stones which the principall Lords of the Kingdome carried upon their shoulders the King in the mean time marched on foot before him bearing a rich Sâ—ymitar upright in his hand In this equipage he accompanied him to his Palace which was gorgeously furnished and where he was lodged three dayes during which time the preparations necessary for his entry was made in the Isle of Mounay Now whilest he abode in the City of Martabano there were many sorts of inventions of great charge made by the Princes Lordâ— and Inhabitants In two of those feasts the King himself was present in person with a most sumptuous entertainment which I shall not describe because to say the truth I do not know how it did passe The day being arrived wherein the new Roolim who is as I have already declared their Soveraign High Priest was to make his entry into the Isle of Mounay the whole Fleet of Seroos Iangoas Lauleas and such other vessells of divers sorts which were upon the river to the number of two thousand and better were ranked in two files some a league and half in length being the space between the City the Island so that of all those vessels joyned together was formed a street the fairest that possibly could be seen for every vessell was covered with boughs full of several dainty fruits together with all kind of flowers Tangets Standards and banners of silk each one striving in emulation of another to gain their pretended Jubilee and a plenary indulgence and absolution of all the robberies they had formerly committed without being subject to the restitution of any thing whatsoever This they did also to be absolved from an infinite of other abuses of their abhominable lives which I passe by in silence as a matter unfit for devout ears but conformable to their diabolicall Sects and the damnable intentions of those which have instituted them for their whole manner of living is nothing but dissolution and excesse in the lasciviousnesse of the flesh as in like manner are all other infidells and arch-heretiques In the Roolims company there were not above thirty Lauleas who were replenished with a great number of the Nobility as for him he was in a rich Seroo seated in a Throne of silver under a cloth of State of cloth of gold and the King at his feet as not being worthy to sit in a more eminent place round about him were thirty children on their knees attired in Crimson Sattin with silver Maces on their shoulders and twelve standing on their feet cloathed with white Damask having censors in their hands from whence breathed forth most delicate perfumes In the rest of the shipping followed two hundred of the most honorable Talagrepos such as Archbishops and other Prelates may be amongst us in the number of whom were also six or seven young Princes all the Sons of Kings comprehended Now because these Vessells were so full of people as one could not row they had fifteen Lauleas or little Skiffes wherein the Supreme religious men of those nine Sects did row to
bring them the sooner to land In this equipage and in this order the new Roolim parted from the City of Martabano two hours before day and continued his course amidst these Vessellâ— which made as I have delivered a kind of street and forasmuch as it was not yet day there were a great number of Lanterns of different fashions placed amongst the boughs As soon as he began to set forth a Canon was shot off three times at which sign there was such a noyse of Bells and great Ordnance as also of divers sorts of very strange Instruments intermingled with the cries and acclamations of the people as one would have thought that heaven and earth would have come together When he was arrived at the Kay where he was to land he was received with a solemn Procession by certain religious men that live in solitary places and are called Menigrâ—pos which are like to the Capucins in France whom these Gentiles infinitely respect by reason of their manner of living for according to the rule which they observe they use more abstinence by far then all the rest These same being some six or seven thousand in number were all bare foot and cloathed with black Mat to shew their contempt of the world upon their heads they wore the sculls and bones of dead men and great cords about their necks having all their faces dawbed over with dirt and a writing hanging upon them which contained these words Mire mire do not cast thine eye on thy basenesse but on the recompenses which God hath promised to those that vilifie themselves to serve him When as they were very neer to the Roolim who received them very affably they prostrated themselves with their faces down to the ground and after they had continued so some time the chiefest amongst them looking on the Roolim May it please him said he from whose hand thou hast newly received so great a blessing as to be the Head of all on the earth to rendâ—r thee so good and so holy a man that all thy works may be as pleasing unto him as the innocency of children which hold their peace when their mother gives them the dug Whereunto all the rest answered with a great noyse of confused voices Permit O Lord Almighty that it may be so Passing on then accompanied with this Procession which the King for the greater honor governed himself together with some of the principall personages whom he called unto him for that purpose he went directly to the place where the dead Roolim lay buried and being arrived at his Tomb he fell down flat with his face upon it then having shed a great many tears he said with a sad and dolefull voice as if he had spoken to the deceased May it please him who raigns in the beauty of the Stars to make me deserve the honor to be thy Slave to the end that in the house of the Sun where now thou recreatest thy self I may serve as a broom to thy feet for so shall I be made a Diamond of so high a price as the world and all the riches thereof together shall not be able to equall the value of it whereunto the Grepos answered God grant it Thereupon taking a pair of Beads which had belonged to the deceased and that was upon the Tomb he put it about his neck as a relique of great worth giving as an Almes six Lamps of silver two Censors and six or seven pieces of violet coloured Damask This done he retired unto his Palace accompanied still with the King the Princes and great Lords of the Kingdome as also with the Priests that were there assistant from whom he presently rid himself and then from out of the window he threw down upon the Assembly handfulls of Rice as amongst the Papists they use to cast Holy Water which all the people received upon their knees with their hands lifted up This Ceremony ended which lasted very neer three hours they gave three toles with a Bell upon which Signal the Roolim retired for altogether and so did the Vessells and they that came in them wherein all that day was wholly bestowed About evening the King took his leave of the Roolim and returned to the City making directly the next morning towards Pegu which was some eighteen leagues from thence where he arrived the day following two hours within night without making any entry or shew to testifie the extreme griefe he was in for the death of the late Roolim whom it was said he greatly affected CHAP. LXIII That which the King of Bramaa did after his arrivall at the City of Pegu together with his besieging of Savady TWo and twenty daies after the King of Bramaa arrived at the City of Pegu he perceived by the Letter which his Ambassador brought him from the Calaminham that he had concluded the League with him against the Siamon yet in regard the season was not fit for him either to commence that war or to assail the Kingdome of Avaa as he desired he resolved to send his Foster-brother unto whom as I have already declared he had given the title of lawfull Brother to the siege of Savady which was some hundred and thirty Leagues from thence to the North-East Having assembled an Army then of an hundred and fifty thousand men amongst whom were thirty thousand strangers of divers Nations and five thousand fighting Elephants besides three thousand others that carried the baggage and the victualls the Chaumigrem departed from Pegu with a Fleet of thirteen hundred rowing Vessells the fifteenth of the moneth of March Fourteen daies after he arrived in the sight of Savady and having cast Anchor neer to a great Plain called Gâ—mpalaor he remained there six daies in attending the five thousand Elephants which were to come to him by land who were no sooner arrived but he began to besiege the Town so that having begirt it round he assaulted it three times in the open day and retreated still with very great losse as well in regard of the notable resistance which they within made against him as of the extreme trouble his people were at in planting their ladders against the walls by reason of their bad scituation which was all of Slate whereupon consulting with his Commanders about what he should do they were all of opinion to have it battered with the Canon on the weakest side untill that by the overthrow of some part of the wall a breach might be made whereby they might enter with more ease and lesse danger This resolution was as soon executed as taken so that the Ingineers fell to making of two manner of bull-works on the outside upon a great Platform composed of great beams and bavins which in five daies they raised up to such an height as it surpassed the wall two fathom at the least This done they planted on each bulwark twenty great pieces of Ordnance wherewith they began to batter the Town so violently that in a little time they beat
before him with his head bowed down to the ground as the custome was to do unto this King in regard he was more absolute then others Whenas then the season permitted Francisco de Castro to return to Malaca the King sent to fetch Domingos de Seixas from the Town of Goutaleu where he was at that time Generall of the Frontire having under his charge thirty thousand foot five thousand horse and eighteen thousand duckats pension by the year With him also he caused to be brought the other sixteen Portugals and consigned them all into the hands of Francisco de Castro who gave him thanks again for the grace which he did him A little after whenas Domingos de Seixas and his companions went to take their leave of this King he caused a thousand turmes of silver to be given to them which are in value twelve thousand duckats of our money and desired them to pardon him for giving them so little Another time which was in the year a thousand five hundred forty and five Simano de Melo being Captain of the same fortresse of Malaca one Luys de Montarroyo coming from China to go to Patana it happened that the ship wherein he was being beaten with a furious tempest was cast away in the Port of Charir some five leagues from Lugor where all his goodâ— were seized upon by the Xabandar of the country after that the Sea had cast him ashore and withall he himself was made a prisoner together with all the rest which were saved to the number of four and twenty Portugal and fifty boys which made in all seventy and four persons the goods too that were saved out of this Shipwrack amounted at least to fifteen thousand duckats Now the reason which the Xabandar alledged for this same was that by the antient custom of the Kingdome all these goods belonged unto him whereof Luis de Montarrayo having advertised certain Portugals which were at that instant in the City they concluded amongst themselves to make an Odiaa or present of some rich pieces to the value of a thousand duckaâ—s and therâ—with to go unto the King upon the day which was named of the white Elephant that vvas ten daies after and on the which in regard it was a very solemn feast this Prince was accustomed to do many graces to such as vvere suitors to him for them So on the solemnity of this day vvhich they call Oâ—idaypileu that is to say the rejoycing of goodmen all the Portugals who were threescore and odd placed themselves in a certain passage of one of the three principall streets thorough which the King vvas to passe vvith a great deal of pomp and Majesty and vvhenas they savv the King come by they prostrated themselves all upon the ground as the inhabitants of Siam use to do and one of them being deputed thereunto recounted unto the King the vvhole businesse of Luis de Montarrayo and his companions just as it had past beseeching him he vvould do them so much grace as to command the releasement of those poor prisoners vvithout speaking of the goods vvhich the Xabandar had seized upon because it seemed not reasonable unto them But the King who presently understood their demand vvas so moved vvith the tears vvhich he savv some of them shed as he caused the vvhite Elephant vvhereon he vvas mounted to stay then casting his eye on the Portugals and the Present that some of them held out in their hands vvhich he knevv they intended to offer unto him My friends said he unto him I take that for received which you would present me with and do thank you for it for in so solemn a day as this is I do not use to take any thing of any body but to give and oblige every one with benefits wherefore I desire you for the love of your God whose servant I am and ever will be to bestow this Present upon such of your company as are in most need of it for you shall do far better in gaining thereby therecompence of this Almes which you shall give for his sake then you could get by all that which I should confer on you in acknowledgement of this Present it being most certain that before him I am but a poor worm of the earth As for the prisoners which you demand of me it is my pleasure to bestow them as an Alms upon you that so in all liberty they may return unto Malaca and further I command that all the goods which they say have been â—aken from them be restored to them again for things which are done for Gods sake ought to be accomplished with much more liberality then the need of the poor requires especially when they crave it with tears in their eys Hereupon the Portugals prostrated themselves all before him and the next day the King by his Lâ—tters Patents ordained That within the term of ten daies the prisoners should be brought to the City together with all that which had been taken from them which incontinently was executed very exactly for there were restored unto them all the goods which had been saved out of the ship amounting as I have already said to fifteen thousand duckats which the King freely gave them Two or three moneths after in the same year one thousand five hundred forty and five it greatly importing this King of Siam to go in person and repulse the King of Tâ—parahos who on Passilicaâ—s side had invaded his country and sacked some of the weakest places with an intent to besiege the fortresse of Xinan and Lautâ—â— whereon depended the whole safety of this state he resolved to go against him in person Wherefore he sent certain Colonells over all the Kingdome to levy men with an expresse Commission to return within twenty daies with their men of war to the City of Odiaa for it was his intention to set forth from thence about that time Withall he enjoyned his Commanders upon pain of a rigorous chastisement not to dispense with a man that could fight from this war except it were such as were any way impotent and above threescore years of age whereupon each of these Colonells was assigned the Province wherein he should make his levies It happened then that one Quiay Raudiuaa a man of quality and one that the King made oftentimes use of had for his lot the frontier of Blanâ—haa where the most part of the inhabitants being very rich as well in money as other wayes gave themselves to the delights of the flesh and spent the most part of their time in feasts in sports and other such like pleasures of this life so that when they saw that Quiay Raudiuaa would compell them to go to this war as he was enjoyned to do they took it for too heavy a yoke and too insupportable a burthen and that did not well agree with the manner of life which they were wont to lead and therefore the richest of the country assembled together and resolved to get a
all preparations necessary for this design to be made so that in seventeen days they built up six and twenty Castles of strong pieces of timber whereof each one was set upon six and twenty wheels of iron which facilitated the motion of so great a frame Every Castle was fifty foot broad threescore and five long and five and twenty high and all of them were reinforced with double beams covered over with sheets of lead Moreover each of them was full of wood and had fastned to them before great iron chains and that were very long in regard of the fire Things thus prepared one Friday about midnight being very dark and rainy the King of Bramaa caused three times one after another all the great Ordnance of the Camp to be discharged which as I remember I have already said consisted of an hundred and threescore great pieces vvhereof the most part shot iron bullets besides a many of Falconets bases and muskets to the number of fifteen hundred so that from all these guns shot off together three times one after another proceeded so horrible and dreadfull a noyse as I cannot think that any vvhere but in hell the like could be for on whatsoever the imagination can be fixt it cannot meet with any thing that may be rightly compared thereunto At this time it was not only the great pieces of Ordnance whereof I have spoken before and the small ones too which were shot off but the like was done by all the guns which were both within the City and without in the Camp of what bigness soever they vvere being at least an hundred thousand in all for whereas there were as I have already said threescore thousand Harquebuziers in the King of Bramaaes Army there vvere thirty thousand also in the City besides seven or eight thousand Falconets and Bases so that to hear all these shot off continually for the space of three hours together and intermingled with thunder lightning and the tempest of the night was to say the truth a thing which was never seen read of or imagined and such indeed as put every one almost besides himself for some fell flat on the ground some crept behind walls and others got into walls During the greatest violence of this horrible and furious tempest they set fire on the six and twenty Castles which they had before brought close to the walls so that by the force of the wind which vvas at that time very great and by the means of barrels of pitch that had been put into them they fel a flaming in such a strange manner as there was anew to be seen so dreadfull a picture of hell for it is the only name that can be given it because there is nothing upon earth that may rightly he resembled unto it that if even those which were without trembled at it I leave you to think vvith hovv much more reason vvere they to fear it vvhom necessity constrained to abide the violence of it Hereupon began a most bloudy conflict on either part they without falling to scale the walls and the besieged who took no less care for all things then they valiantly to defend themselves so that no advantage was to be found on either side but rather both of them were in a condition to be utterly destroyed for whereas the one and other reinforced themselves continually with fresh supplies and that the King of Bramaaes obstinacy vvas such as he went himself in person amongst his souldiers incouraging them with his speeches and the great promises that he made them the fight proceeded so far and increased so mightily as being unable to deliver the least part of that which passed therein â— leave it to the understanding of every one to imagine what it might be Four hours after midnight the six and tvventy Castles being quite burned to the ground with so terrible a blaze as no man durst come within a stones cast of it the King of Bramaa caused a retreat to be sounded at the request of the Captains of the strangers for there vvere so many hurt men amongst them as all the day and most part of the night following was imployed in dressing of them CHAP. LXX The King of Bramaaes raising his siege from before the City of Odiaâ— with a description of the Kingdome of Siam and the fertility thereof THe King of Bramaa seeing that neither the great Ordnance vvherewith he had battered the City nor the assaults vvhich he had given unto it nor his inventions of Castles accompanied vvith so many artifices of fire whereon he had so much relied had served him to any purpose for the execution of that which he had so mightily desired and being resolved not to desist from the enterprise vvhich he had begun he called a Councell of War vvherein all the Princes Dukes Lords and Commanders that vvere in the Army were present Having then propounded his desire and intention unto them he required them to give him their advice thereupon immediately the affair being put into deliberation and thoroughly debated on either part they concluded in â—he end that the King vvas by no means to raise this siege in regard this enterprise was the most glorious and most profiâ—able of all that ever might be offered unto him they represented moreover unto him the vvorld of treasure that he had imployed therein and that if he continued battering the City without desisting from his assaults at length the enemies would be spent because it vvas apparent as they vvere informed that they vvere no longer able to vvithstand the least attempt that should be made against them The King being exceedingly contented for that their opinions proved to be conformable to his desire testified the great satisfaction that he received thereby so that he gave them many recompences in money and vovved to them that if they could take the City he vvould confer upon them the greatest commands of the Kingdome vvith very honorable titles and revenues This resolution being taken there was no further question but of considering in vvhat manner the businesse should be carried whereupon by the counsell of Diego Suarez and of the Ingineer it was concluded that vvith bavinâ— and green turfe a kind of Platform should be erected higher then the vvalls and that there on should be mounted good store of great Ordnance wherewith the principall fortifications of the City should be battered since that in them alone consisted all the enemies defence Order then vvas presently given for all that vvas judged necessary thereunto and the threescore thousand Pioners vvhich vvere in the Camp vvere imployed about it vvho in tvvelve days brought the Fort or Platform into the estate vvhich the King desired There vvere already planted on it then forty pieces of Canon for the battering of the City the day ensuing vvhenas a Post arrived vvith Letters to the King vvhereby he vvas advertised That the Zemindoo being risen up in the Kingdome of Pegu had cut fifteen thousand
added many others by way of complement yea and made him many offers if he would make use of him wherewith the old father of the bride finding himself so exceedingly honored as not knowing how to acknowledge it in regard the person who did him so much honor was no lesse then the King himself in greatnesse and dignity the desire which he had to satisfie this obligation in part if he could not wholly do it made him go and take his daughter by the hand accompanied with many Ladies of quality and so leading her to the street door where Diego Suarez was he prostrated himself on the ground with a great deal of respect and with many complements after his manner thanked him for the favour and honor that he had done him Thereupon the new married bride having taken from off her finger a rich ring presented it on her knees by her fathers expresse commandement to Diego Suarez but he that naturally was sensuall and lascivious instead of using civility whereunto the Laws of generosity and friendship obliged him having taken the ring which the maid presented unto him he reached out his hand and plucked her to him by force saying God forbid that so fair a maid as you should fall into any other hands but mine whereupon the poor old man seeing Diego Suarez hale his daughter so rudely lifting up both his hands to heaven with his knees on the ground and tears in his eys My Lord said he unto him I humbly beseech thee for the love and respect of the great God whom thou adorest and which was conceived without any spot of sin in the Virgins womb as I confesse and believe according to that which I have heard thereof that thou wilt not forcibly take away my daughter for if thou doest so I shall assuredly die with griefe and displeasure at it but if thou desire of me that I should give thee her dowry together with all that is in my house and that I deliver up my self unto thee for thy slave I will instantly do it provided thou wilt permit that her husband may possesse her for I have no other good in the world but â—â—e nor will I have any other as long as I live Whereupon offering to lay hold on his daughter Diego Suarez making no answer to him turned himself about to the Captain of his guard who was a Turk by Nation and said unto him kill this dog The Turk presently drew out his Scymitar to kill the poor old man but he suddainly fled away leaving his daughter with her hair all about her ears in Diego Suarez his hands In the mean time the Bridegroom came running to this tumult with his cheeks all bedeawed with tears but he was scarcely arrived there whenas these Barbarians slew him and his Father too with six or seven other of his kinsmen Whilest this past so the women made such fearfull cries in the house as terrified all those that heard them so that even the earth and the ayr seemed to tremble at it or to say better they demanded vengeance of God for the little respect which was had to his divine justice and for so great a violence as this was and truly if I do not more amply report the particularities of so black and so abhominable an action I desire to be excused in regard I passe them by for the honor of the Portugal Nation Wherefore it shall suffice me to say that this poor Maid seeing her self upon the point to be forced strangled her self with a string that she wore about her middle for a girdle which she chose rather to do then suffer this sensuall and bruitish man to carry her away with him by force but he was therewith so displeased as he was heard to say that he repented him more for that he had not enjoyed her then for using her in that sort as he did Now from the day of this abhorred act till four years after the good old man the Father of the Bride was never seen to go out of his house but at length to give a greater demonstration of his sorrow and to shew his extreme resentment of the matter he covered himself with an old tattered mat and in that sad equipage went up and downe begging an alms of his very slaves never eating any thing but lying all along naked and his face fixed on the ground Thus continued he in so sad a manner of life untill in the end he saw that the season invited him to have recourse unto justice which he demanded in this sort perceiving that in the Kingdome there was another King other Governors and other Jurisdiction alterations which time ordinarily produceth in every country and in all kind of affairs he went out of his house in the wretched fashion he had so long used having a big cord about his neck and a white beard reaching almost down to his girdle and got him into the midst of a great place where stood a Temple called Quiay Fantareâ— that is to say the God of the afflicted there he took the idoll from off the Altar and holding it in his armes he returned out of the Temple to the said great place where having cried out aloud three times to draw the people together as accordingly they came flocking in unto him he said with teares in his eys O ye people ye people who with a cleane and peaceable heart make profession of the truth of this God of the afflicted which you see here in my armes come forth like lightning in a dark and rainy night and joyn with me in crying so loud that our cryes may pierce the heavens to the end the pitifull ear of the Lord may be drawn to hear our heavy lamentations and by them he may know the reason we have to demand justice against this accursed stranger as the most wicked man that ever was born into the world for this abhominable wretch hath not been contented with spoiling us of our goods but hath also dishonored our families wherefore whosoever shall not with me accompany the God which I hold in my hands and water with my tears in detesting so horrible a crime let the gluttonous Serpent of the profound pit of smoke abridge his dayes miserably and tear his body in pieces at midnight This old mans words so mightily terrified the Assistants and made so deep an impression in their minds that in a short time fifty thousand persons assembled in that place with so much fury and desire of revenge as was wonderfull to behold Thus the number of the people still more and more increasing they ran thronging strait to the Kings Palace with so horrible a noyse as struck terror into all that heard them In this disorder being arrived at the outward Court of the Palace they cried out six or seven times with a dreadfull tone O King come out of the place wherein thou art shut up to hearken to the voice of thy God who demands justice of thee
foaming with poyson make horrible cries and be delivered into the burning jawes of the dragon of discord whom the true Lord of all the Gods hath cursed for ever whereas contrarily to those that shall be so happy as to obey this Proclamation as his holy brethren and allies shall be granted in this life a perpetuall peace accompanied with a great deale of wealth and riches and after their death their souls shall be no lesse pure and agreeable to God then those of the Saints which goe dancing amidst the beams of the Sun in the celestiall repose of the Lord Almighty This publication made the musick began to play again with a great noise as before which made such an impression in the hearts of them that heard it as in seven nights that it continâ—ed above threescore thousand persons went and rendred themselves to the Xemindoo for most of them which heard those words gave as much credit thereunto as if an Angell from heaven had spoken them In the meane time the besieged Tyrant seeing that these secret Proclamations of the enemy were so prejudiciall unto him as they could not chuse but turn to his utter ruine brake the truce at twelve dayes end and deliberated with his Councell what he should do who advised him by no means to suffer h mself to remaine any longer besieged for feare left the inhabitants should mutinie and fall from him to the enemy and that the best and surest way was to fight with the Xemindoo in the open field before he grew to any further strength This resolution being approved of by Zenim de Satan he prepared himself for the execution of it to which effect he two dayes after before it was day sallied out at five gates of the city with fourscore thousand men which then he had and charged the enemies with strange fury They then in the meane time who alwayes stood upon their guard received them with a great deale of courage whereupon insued so cruell a conflict between them that in lesse then halfe an houre for so long lasted the heat of the fight there fell on both sides above forty thousand men but at the end of that time the new King Zenim was born from his Elephant by an harquebuze shot discharged at him by a Portugall named Gonçalo Nâ—to which caused all the rest to render themselves and the city likewise upon condition that the inhabitants should have their goods and lives saved By this means the Xemindoo entred peaceably into it and the very same day which was a Saturday the three and twentieth of February a thousand five hundred fifty and one he caused himself to be crowned King of Pegu in the greatest Temple of the city As for Gonçalo Nâ—to he gave him in recompence for killing the Tyrant twenty Bisses of gold which are ten thousand Duckats and to the other Portugalls being eighty in number he gave five thousand Duckats besides the honors and prsviledges which they had in the country he also exempted them for three years from paying any custome for their merchandize which was afterwards very exactly observed CHAP. LXXIII That which the Xemindoo did after he was Crowned King of Pegu with the Chaumigrems the King of Bramaaes Foster-Brothers coming against him with a great Army and divers other memorable things THe Xemindoo seeing himself Crowned King of Pegu and peaceable Lord of all the kingdome began to have thoughts far different from those which Xemin de Satan had had being raised to the same dignity of King for the first and principal thing wherein he imployed himself with all his endeavour was to maintain his Kingdome in peace and to cause Justice to flourish as indeed he established it with so much integritie as no man how great so ever he was durst wrong a lesser then himself withall in that which concerned the government of the Kingdome he proceeded with so much vertue and equity as it filled the strangers that were there with admiration so that one could not without marvel consider the peace the quiet and union of the wills of the people during the happy and peaceable estate of this Kingdome which continued the space of a year and better at the end whereof the Chaumigrem foster-brother to the same King of Bramaa whom Xemin de Satan had slaine as I have before declared having received advertisement that by reason of the rebellions and warres which since his departure from thence had happened in the Kingdome of Pegu the principall men of the State there had lost their lives and the Xemindoo who then raigned was unprovided of all things necessary for his defence he resolved once again to adventure upon the same enterprise which had formerly been undertaken by his late King With this design he entertained into his pay a mighty Army of strangers unto whom he gave a Tincall of gold by the month which is five dackets of our mony when as he had prepared all things in a readinesse he departed from Tanguu the place of his birth On the ninth day of March a thousand five hundred fifty and two with an Army of three hundred thousand men whereof only fifty thousand were Bramaas and all the rest Mons Chaleus Calaminhams Sauâ—nis Pamâ—rus and Auaas In the mean time the Xemindoo the new King of Pegu having certain intelligence of these great forces which were coming to fall upon him made preparation to go and meet them with a design to give them battle for which effect he assembled in the same City where he was a huge Army of nine hundred thousand men which were all Pegues by nation and consequently of a weake constitution and lesse warlick then all the others whereof I have spoken and on Tueseday the fourth of April about noone having received advice that the enemies Army was incamped all along the river of Meleytay some twelve leagues from thence he used such expedition as the same day and the next night all his Souldiers were put into battle array for whereas they had prepared every thing long before and had also been trayned by their Capt. there needed no great ado to bring them into order The day ensueing all these men of warre begun about nine of the clock in the morning to march at the sound of an infinite company of warlick instruments and went and lodged that night some two leagues from thence neer to the river Potarâ—u The next day an hour before Sun-set the Bramaa Chaumigrem appeared with so great a body of men as it took up the extent of a league and an half of ground his Army being composed of seaventy thousand horse of two hundred and thirty thousand foot and six thousand fighting elephants besides as many more which carried the baggage and victuals and in regard it was almost night he thought fit to lodge himself all along by the mountain that he might be in the greater safety Thus the night past with a good guard and a strange noise that was made on
and untunably and the Grepo Capizondo set on his head a rich Crown of gold and precious stones of the fashion of a Miter wherewith the King made his entry into the City with a great deal of state and tryumph causing to march before him all the spoile of the elephants and chariots as also the statue of the Xemindoo whom he had vanquished bound with a great yron chain and forty Colours trayled on the ground As for him he was seated on a very mighty elephant harnessed with gold and invironed with forty Serjeants at armes bearing Maces there marched likewise all the great Lords and Commanders on foot with their Scymitars covered with plates of gold which they carried on their shouldiers and three thousand fighting elephants with their Castles of divers inventions besides a world of other people as well foot as horse which followed him without number CHAP. LXXIV The finding of the Xemindoo and bringing of him to the King with the manner of his execution and death and other particularities concerning the same AFter that the King of Bramaa had continued peaceably in this Citie of Pegu for the space of six and twenty daies the first thing he did was to make himself Master of the principal places of this Kingdome which not knowing the defeat of the Xemindoo held still for him To this purpose having given Commission to some Commanders for it hee wrote to the inhabitants of those places divers courteous Letters wherein he called them his dear children and gave them an abolition of all that was past He also promised them by a solemn oath to maintain them in peace for the time to come and alwayes to minister justice to them without any Imposts or other oppression but that hee would contrarily do them new favours as to the very Bramaas which served him in the Warres To these words hee added many others very well accommodated to the time and his desire for the better crediting whereof they that were already reduced under his obedience wrote their Letters also unto them wherein they made an ample relation of the Franchises and Immunities which the King had granted to them All this accompanied with the same which ran thereof in all parts wrought so great an effect as all those places rendred unto him and put themselves under his obedience so that in imitation of them all the other Cities Towns States and Provinces that were in the Kingdom did the like For my part I hold that this Kingdome whereof the King of Bramaa made at this time a new Conquest is the best the most abundant and richest in Gold in Silver and precious Stones that may be found in any part of the world Things being thus accomplished to the great advantage of the Bramaa he dispatches divers Horsemen with all speed into all parts to go in quest of the Xemindoo who as I have already declared had escaped from the past Battel and was so unhappy that he was discovered in a place named Fauleu a league from the Town of Potem which separates the Kingdom from Aracam Presently whereupon he was lead with great joy by a man of base condition to this King of Bramaa who in recompence thereof gave him thirty thousand Duckats of yeerly rent Being brought before him bound as he was with an iron coller and manacles he said unto him in way of derision Thou art welcome King of Pegu and maist well kisse the ground which thou seest for I assure thee I have set my foot on it whereby thou mayest perceive how much I am thy Friend since I do thee an honour which thou couldst never imagine To these words the Xemindoo made no answer so that the King falling to jeer this miserable man anew vvho lay before him with his face on the ground said unto him What means this Art thou amazed to see me or to see thy self in so great honour Or what is the matter that thou dost not answer to that which I demand of thee After this affront the Xemindoo whether it were that he was troubled with his misfortunes or ashamed of his dishonour answered him in this sort If the clouds of Heaven the Sun the Moon and the other creatures which cannot expresse in words that which God hath created for the service of man and for the beautifying of the Firmament which hides from us the rich treasures of his power could naturally with the horrible voice of their dreadfull Thunder explain to them which now look upon me the estate whereunto I see my self reduced before thee and the extreme affliction which my soul doth suffer they would answer for me and declare the cause I have to be mute in the condition wherein my sins have set me and whereas thou canst not be Iudg of that which I say being the party that accusest me and the minister of the execution of thy designe I hold my self for excused if I do not make thee an answer as I would do before that blessed Lord who how faulty soever I could be would have pitie on me moved with the least tear that I should shed This said he fell down with his face on the ground and twice together asked for a little water Whereupon the King of Bramaa the more to afflict him commanded that the Xemindoo should receive this water from the hand of a Daughter of his held by him as a slave whom he exceedingly loved and had at that time of his defeat promised to the Prince of Nautir Son to the King of Avaa The Princesse no sooner saw her Father lying in that manner on the ground but she cast her self at his feet and straitly embracing him after shee had kissed him thrice she said to him with her eyes all bathed in tears O my Father my Lord and my King I intreat you for the extreme affection which I have alwayes born you and for that also which you have at all times shewed to me that you will be pleased to lead me with you thus imbracing you as I do to the end that in this sad passage you may have one to comfort you with a cup of water now that for my sins the world refuses you that respect which is due unto you It is said that the Father would fain have answered to these words yet could not possibly do it so much was he oppressed with grief and anguish of minde to see this Daughter whom he so dearly loved in such a taking but fell as it were in a swoun and so continued a good vvhile vvherewith some Lords that were there present vvere so moved as the tears came into their eyes vvhich observed by the King of Bramaa and that they vvere Pegues vvho had formerly been the Xemindoo's Subjects fearing lest they should betray him in time to come he caused their heads to be presently strucken off saying vvith a disdainfull and fierce countenance Seeing you have so great pitie of the Xemindoo your King get you before and prepare a
for the King our Soveraign Lord vvas thus handled by Don Antonio if the report of it be true Finally when the season of Navigation was come he was sent so manacled as he was to the Indiaes with an infamous verball process which the Parliament of Goa annulled afterwards And Don Antonio had thereupon an expresse Commandment from the Vice-Roy Don Pedro de Mascarenhas who governed the State of the Indiaes at that time to appear personally before him as a Prisoner for to be confronted in judgment with Gaspar Iorge and render an account of his proceeding against him as indeed Don Antonio failed not in making his appearance at Goa accordingly where being about to justifie himself for that which had past he was ordered to answer within three dayes to an ignominious Libel which Gaspar Iorge had exhibited against him But forasmuch as Don Antonio was naturally an enemy of Justifications by Answers and Replyes whereby it was said the Councellors of the Parliament intended to surprize him the report went at least wise such was the saying of Detractors for as for me I neither saw nor am assured of it that in stead of imploying the three dayes which had been given him in making answer to this Libell hee vvithin four and twenty hours having met accidentally vvith Gaspar Iorge sent him to prosecute his Suit in the other World laying him so sure on the ground as he never rose again Howbeit there are those vvhich recount this Affair quite otherwise and that say how in a Feast vvhereunto he was invited hee vvas poysoned By this death of his all this difference vvas decided and this businesse vvholly ceased so that Don Antonio vvas by Sentence absolutely cleared and sent back to his Government wherein he continued not above two months and a half at the end vvhereof he died of a bloody Flux and so vvere all the storms of envie and discord vvherewith the Fortresse of Malaca had been beaten appeased When the season was come vvherein vve might continue our Voyage on the first day of April in the year One thousand five hundred fifty and five wee parted from Malaca after vvee had imbarqued our selves in a Carvel belonging to the King our Soveraign Lord which Don Antonio the Captain of the Fortresse gave us by the expresse command of the Vice-Roy Three dayes after our putting to sea we arrived at an Island called Pulho Pisan at the entering into the Streight of Sincaapura where the Pilot having never navigated that way before ran us with full sails so dangerously on certain Rocks as we thought our selves to be utterly lost without all hope of recovery In regard whereof by the advice of all the rest the Father and I were constrained to get into a Manchua for to go and demand succour of one Luis Dalmeida who two hours before had passed by us in a Vessell of his and lay at anchor two leagues off us by reason the winde was against him So the Father and I made to him with peril enough For whereas all that Country which appertained to the King of Iantana Grand-childe to him that had been King of Malaca our mortall Enemy were at that time in arms his Balons and Lanchares that were assembled in a Fleet of Warr continually gave us chase with an intention to take us but by Gods providence we escaped them At length after we had got to this ship with no little fear and trouble he that was Captain of her furnished us with a Boat and Mariners and so we returned to our Carvel as speedily as we could for to succour and draw her out of the danger wherein we had left her But it pleased the Lord that we found her the day after delivered from it though it is true that she took in water abundantly in the prow's side but in the end we stanched it at Patana where we arrived seven dayes after There I went ashore with two others to see the King unto whom I delivered a Letter from the Captain of Malaca and being received very graciously by him he read it over whereby he understood that the cause of our coming thither was to provide our selves of victuals and some other things which we had not taken in at Malaca as also that we were resolved to proceed on in our course directly to China and from thence to Iapan where Father Belquior and others with him were to preach the Christian Law to the Gentiles vvhich the King of Patana having read after he had mused a little he turned to them that were about him and said smiling to them O how much better were it for these men since they expose themselves to so many travels to go to China and inrich themselves there then to recount tales in strange Countreys Whereupon calling the Xabandar to him Be sure said he unto him that thou givest these men here all that they shall demand of thee and that for the love of the Captain of Malaca who hath greatly recommended them unto mee and above all remember That it is not my custome to command a thing twice When we had taken leave of the King exceedingly contented with the good reception he had given us we fell presently to buying of Victuals and other such things as we stood in need of So that in eight dayes we were abundantly furnished with whatsoever was necessary for us Being departed from this Haven of Patana we sailed two dayes together with a South-east winde along by the coast of Lugor and Siam traversing the Barr of Cuy to go to Pulho Cambim and from thence to the Islands of Canton with an intent there to attend the conjunction of the new Moon But it was our ill fortune to be surprized by East and South-east winde which raign in that Coast the most part of the year whereof the violence was so great that we were in fear to be cast away so that to decline the event thereof we were forced to tack about again to the Coast of Malaya and arriving at an Island called Pullo Timan we ran into great danger there as well by reason of the tempest which we had upon the sea as in regard of the great treason of the people of the Country Now after five dayes that we had continued there without having either fresh water or victuals because for the easing of our Vessell we had cast out all into the Sea it pleased God that wee encountred with three Portugal Ships which came from Sunda by whose arrivall we were very much comforted in our travels Whereupon Father Belquior and I began to treat with the Captains of those Vessâ—ls about that which they thought was requisite we should do and all were of the opinion that we should send back the Carvel wherein wee vvere to Malaca saying that there was no likelihood wee should be able to make so long a Voyage in her as that of Iapan Having approved of this counsel we presently imbarqued our selves in the Ship of one