buried But if the partie be poore then is there a collection made for money wherewith to pay the priests and to discharge the expences of the funeralles This also is not to be pretermitted that the Turkes do vse at their funerals to weare Blackes notwithstanding that they doe not continue the wearing of them aboue eight dayes And those that are of great accompt and estimate doe not vse to weare them anie longer than for three daies at which time all the kinsfolkes and friends of the dead do assemble themselues together and hauing vsed some comfortable speeches and wordes of consolation ech to other they do from thencefoorth clothe themselues in their woonted habite and apparell Howbeit the friendes of such as are departed do not forbeare for all that oftentimes to visite their sepulchres especially their mothers sisters wiues and some other women of their kinred and familiar acquaintance who do oftentimes make repaire to their toombes and frequent them of purpose to weepe and lament ouer them in token and remembrance that the like lot and fortune is one day to befall and happen vnto themselues Of the opinions of the Turkes touching the state of the soules departed out of this life and of the generall iudgement and resurrection of the dead as also of the ioyes of Paradice and the paines of hell Cap. 23. THe faith and beleefe of the Turks concerning the Godhead and by what meanes they do hope and expect the saluation of their soules hath sufficiently beene expressed in the precedent discourses It now resteth that wee deliuer their opinions touching the estate of the soule after it is departed out of this life and what they thinke of the generall Iudgement and resurrection of the dead as also what kinde of ioyes they imagine to be reserued in Heauen for such as liue well and godly and what torments be prepared in Hel for the wicked and vngodly For they doe generally beleeue and confesse that there is a time wherein the world shall haue an end and that there is a day ordained for the general iudgement of all mankinde wherein the bodies of the dead shall be raised and reuiued by the power of God and that ech man shal then appeare before the maiestie of God both with their soules and bodies to receiue the reward of their good and euill deedes done in this life with an endlesse recompence either of eternall blisse or euerlasting vnhappinesse In al which points of their religion albeit the Turkes be to be esteemed farre better than the Epicures and the Atheifts who deny the immortalitie of the soule and doe acknowledge neither God nor Deuill heauen nor hell And though they goe farre beyond the heathen Philosophers and all the Gentiles and pagan Infidelles who thought the world to be eternall and held the resurrection of the bodie to be an idle dreame and fable yet for that their opinions in this behalfe do notwithstanding differ in most points from the doctrine and traditions both of the Iewes Gentiles and Christians and are ful of most grosse absurdities and fantasticall toyes and vile impieties farre differing from the trueth and sinceritie of true religion we will therefore briefly set downe how and in what maner they do imagine of these matters First this is one opinion and vain perswasion of the Turkes that when any dead person hath laien and rested about the third part of an houre in the sepulchre God doth then send and put into it a new spirite and that therevpon also there doe repaire vnto him by the appointment of God two Angelles of the which one as they say is called Nechir and the other Remonchir who being of a most terrible aspect and fearfull countenance hauing burning fire-brands in their hands do examine the dead man of his fore-passed life in this world Which if they finde to haue bin verie wicked and sinful they do then scourge him with fiery whips But if his life were good and godly they doo then transforme him into the shape of a goodly and beautifull Angell and they giue him good and comfortable speaches telling him that hee shall rest and remaine there accompanied with all his good deedes vntill the last Day of the Generall Iudgement The manner whereof according to the Tradition of the Mahometists is as followeth It is an opinion generally embraced and constantly affirmed by the Turks That there is an angel aboue in heauen named Israphill who hauing a Trumpet in his hand is appointed to stand always in the presence of God and to be in a readines when God shall commaund him to sound his Trumpet and to make an ende and consummation of the world As soon as this Trumpet shalbe sounded all those that are then aliue vpon the Earth shall in a moment fall downe dead to the ground and the Angells also which are in Heauen shall die likewise And this theyr Opinion they doo confirme out of these words of their Alcoran Culumen Alleiafan ve geb tab vegei roebic tull gela li velle I cheram that is God hath spoken it with his mouth That all mankinde is mortall and that all creatures shall haue an end either by age or by some accident Hereof the Turkes conclude that not only men but that the Angels also are mortall And although manie of their doctours and such as are best seene in their religion do oppose themselues against this opinion and do contradict it vpon good reasons and with no absurd arguments yet when those words are alleadged against them they are soone put to silence and do subscribe to this opinion For that no man must gainsay or deny any thing contained in their Alcoran But whosoeuer shall dare eyther to dispute against that booke or to doubt of any article therein written he shall be sure eyther to haue his tongue pulled out of his head or else his bodie to be burnt and consumed with fire But to our purpose They holde also that immediately vpon the sound of the trumpet by the Angell there shall be so great and terrible an earthquake that the whole frame of the world both earth and heauen shall be ruinated insomuch as the rockes and mountaines shall fall and tumble together with such force and violence that they shall be broken into powder and dissolued into dust and heapes of sand and that then God wil create a newe Light and newe Aungelles equall in glory and dignitie to the former After which hee will cause to fall a pleasant and svveete raine which they call Rehemet sui that is The raine of mercie with the which the earth then lying in dust shall be watered and so shall it remaine for fortie dayes together Howbeit they say that those dayes then shall be longer than are the dayes at this present And manie of them hold also that from thenceforth there shall not be anie darkenesse of night as is nowe vsuall but that the night shall be most cleare and
lightsome and that there shal be no need of sleep for the sustentation of their bodies And they say That after the end of those fortie dayes God wil commaund the Angell Israphyll to sound his Trumphet againe the second time and that at the sound thereof the dead shall sodainly arise bereuiued from death to life For whē Israphyll hath thus blowen his Trumpet the sound thereof say they shalbe with such an exceeding noise that it shalbe heard ouer the whole World and that thereupon all the Dead euen from Abel vnto the ende of the World shall immediately be raised and rise againe in the same manner and habit as they were buried At which time there shall appeare great varietie diuersitie of countenaunces for some shall shine clere and beautifull as the Sunne others as the Moone and manie like the Starres some againe shall haue vgly visages blacke and darksome others shall haue the heads of swine with great and swollen tungs and such lyke deformities And at that time all in generall shall crie and exclaime with a lowd voyce Nessi Nessi that is Woe is mee most miserable and wretched man who haue suffered my selfe to be ouercome with my filthie lusts and lewd desires Whereupon the Angells shall shewe and point at each man with their fingers reuealing manifesting either their good works or wicked deeds Then all those whose faces shalbe found to shine lyke the lights in heauen shal stand appear most glorious in the sight of God by reason of their vertuous and good deeds whereat the wicked shall haue enuie despight As for those who shall then be seene with deformed faces of hogges and swine they are such as haue been greedily addicted in this life to the getting of riches by vsurie and other vniust and vnlawfull meanes and they who shall haue their tungs swolne great loathsome are such as haue bin liers deceiuers blasphemers periurers such like and they that haue been puffed vp with pride arrogancie in this world shall then be troden vnder foote and trampled vppon by others They say moreouer that GOD will then question with the mightie Potentates of this world both Emperours Kings Princes Tyrants and other Signiors great Personages who haue reigned with force and violence and haue tirannized ouer their subiects and inferiours with oppression and iniustice Besides they doo imagine and affirme That GOD will then seperate and deuide all the wicked vngodly into seuentie seuerall Companies and will examine euerie man of all their deedes in perticular both good bad which shall at that time be laid open before thē so as there shal not need any testimonies to be brought against them for that there is no part or member of their bodies but will then openly voluntarily confesse the truth what euill it hath committed and each man will accuse himselfe of all his owne misdeeds yea euen of their wicked thoughts cogitations though they neuer came to be executed put in action They say also that Michael the Archangell will be there present hauing in his hand the Ballance of the Diuine Iustice with which he will weigh the Soules and so wil discerne the iust from the vniust Moreouer they haue a conceipt that Moses shall stand thereby with a Standard vnder the which all those shalbe assembled who haue obserued and fulfilled his Law and that next to him there shalbe Iesus Christ the Sonne of the Virgin Mary with another great Standard vnder which shall be assembled all those Christians that haue kept obserued his Gospell and that he shall then bee Iudge of the deeds of al men of al things done in this world On the other side at the right hand of Christ they say that MAHOMET shalbee with another Standard hauing all his Followers about him whom he shall there shew vnto Christ. Thus all those that haue done good in this life shall appeare vnder their seuerall and proper Standards where they shall finde a most sweet and pleasant shadow to comfort refresh them But as for all those who are not vnder the shadow of some one of those Banners they shall be most extreamely scortched with the burning beames of the Sunne according to the quantitie and proportion of their misdeeds that both the one the other shal remain in this estate till their Doome final Iudgement be giuen vpon them As soone as the Soules haue heard their Iudgement pronounced by the diuine Sentence they say That thē the Angels shall appeare on all sides in a most glorious and beautifull habit distributed and deuided into seueral troops companies each of them hauing his place assigned vnto him the Cherubins on the one side and the Seraphins on the other some of them playing vpon instruments of musicke some singing of psalmes and hymnes that many of them shal attend singing and reioycing at the Gates of Paradice to welcome the blessed Soules of such as haue obserued the diuine Cōmandements And they affirme That there shalbe no difference betweene Turkes and Christians Iewes and Moores neither shal one be known from another but all such as haue liued well and haue done good deedes in the sight of god shalbe of equal beauty blessednes howbeit that amongst the wicked and reprobate there will be euident and apparant difference and that each shalbe discerned from other Moreouer they dreame that God wil appoint a large and spacious place in heauen for those souls that shal be admitted into Paradice where according to their merites and deserts euerie one shall haue a perpetuall Habitation and a goodly mansion place of a most glorious and beautiful brightnes and that they shall haue manie Sunne beames appointed for them vpon which they may at their pleasure ride vp and downe about Heauen to take a view of those delights precious things which God hath there made and created Besides all this they do dreame of other pleasures in Paradice both of venerie and also for the belly For they imagine that they shall haue there certaine apples and fruites of a most heauenlye taste and that as soone as they haue eaten one of those Apples God will immediately cause others to growe in stead thereof Likewise for the quenching of their thirst that they shall haue certaine Riuers in Paradice cleere as the Christall sweet as suger Of the which after that they shal haue tasted both their sight their vnderstanding shalbee so quickened and enlarged that they shalbe able to see from the one Pole to the other and that both the meate and drinke which they take shall consume within their Bodies onely by a fine and subtill kinde of sweate distilling from them Moreoouer they doo imagine that they shall haue there delicate and choyce wiues which they call Vri that is Women shining bright and beautifull as the Sunne For you must note that the Turkes doo hold that none of the women liuing in
with the other part of these discourses Relating vnto you their manners life customes gouernment and Discipline with some other matters of good and necessary obseruation All which being ioyned in one will represent vnto you at full the whole Policie of the Ottoman Empire and so shall you haue the Title of this Booke made perfect which till then may seeme to remaine vnperfect THE POLICIE OF THE Turkish Empire The first Booke Containing the State and summe of the Turkes Religion Of the first begining of the Turkish Religion and of the establishment thereof amongest the Sarracens by their Prophet Mahomet Cap. 1. THat the Religion of the Turkes was first forged and inuented by their false Prophet MAHOMET And that the Sarracens and Arabians his owne people and countrimen were the first to whome he published it and that they being seduced by his diuelish doctrine and illusions did first entertaine the same and make profession of it There is no man eyther of learning or iudgement in matters of historie that will in any sorte make any question of it Notwithstanding touching the manner and time how and when it began and vpon what occasion and how the Turkes being a distinct nation from the Sarracens came to embrace and professe it is not perhaps a thing so commonly knowne vnto the world but that the discouerie therof may of some be accepted And therefore it shall not be amisse briefly to lay it open In the yeare of our redemption 591. MAVRITIVS then Emperour of the Romanes raigning in Constantinople was MAHOMET borne in Arabia in a village called Itrarip His parents were of diuers nations and different in religion His father AB DALLAS was an Arabian his mother CADIGE a Iewe both by birth and profession His parentage according to most histories was so meane and base that both his birth and infancie remained obscure and of no reckoning Till that his riper yeares bewraying in him a most subtile and craftie nature and disposition did argue some likelihood that the sharpenes and dexterity of his wit woulde in time abolish the obscuritie and basenes of his birth And soone did hee make shew and proofe thereof for being trained vp of a ladd in the seruice of a most rich and wealthy marchant by his great industrie and diligence hee so insinuated and wrought himselfe into the good fauour liking both of his master and mistres that when his master dyed and had left all his wealth and riches vnto his wife she made choyse of her seruaunt MAHOMET for her husband making him Lord and master both of her person and of her substance The man being thus raysed from base and lowe degree to great wealth and possessions and hauing a working and aspiring heade did from thenceforth plot imagine how hee might raise himselfe in honour and reputation presuming that the greatnes of his wealth would be a fitte meane to worke his higher fortunes Neither was he deceyued in the expectation of his hope For consorting himselfe with one SERGIVS a fugitiue Monke a notable Heretique of the Arrian sect whome hee had made bounden vnto him by his great liberalitie ther grew so strict a league of amitie and secreat familiarity betweene them that they had many times priuate conference howe and by what meanes MAHOMET might make himself way to rise in honour and estimation After much consulting and debating of the matter the best course which they conceyued to effect their purpose was to coyne a new kinde of doctrine and religion vnder colour whereof the times being then troublesome the people full of simplicity and ignorance religion also waxing cold and neglected they thought it an easie matter to draw many followers vnto them and by that meanes to grow great in the eye and opinion of the world Herevpon these two helhounds one of them being an arch enemie to Christ and the truth of his religion and the other seeming a meere Atheist or prophane person neyther perfect Iew nor perfect Christian patched vp a particular doctrine vnto themselues out of the olde new Testament deprauing the sence of eyther of them and framing their opinions according to their owne corrupt and wicked affections They brought forth a monstrous and most diuelish religion sauouring partly of Iudaisme partly of Christianitie and partly of Arrianisme This new doctrine after they had digested and put it downe into some rude and confused forme MAHOMET began priuately and in secret to set it abroch making it knowne first vnto his wife and some others that were his followers and made them beleeue that the same was commanded and deliuered vnto him by diuine reuelation and that many times he had secret conference with the Angell GABRIEL purposely sent vnto him as he pretended from God himselfe out of heauen With these and many other cunning sleights and illusions he abused the simplicity of diuers and drew men to haue him in great admiration Insomuch that albeit hee durst not at the first openly publish his new deuised religion for feare of the magistrate Yet within a while his followers hauing caused the same vnderhand to be spread abroade more and more and the common rumours which they gaue out of many miraculous acts done by him brought the barbarous Arabians deuoid of true knowledge and religion into such a blind conceite of his holines and worthines that multitudes began to adheare vnto his new religion And the common people seduced by his impostures and iugling deuises did not onely repute and esteeme him for a Prophet but they attributed vnto him reuerence more then humane with diuine honours The magistrates of Mecha a chiefe Citie in Arabia hauing intelligence of these practises of MAHOMET and perceyuing that the contagion of this wicked doctrine did so mightely increase that it was like to indanger both the publikc safety of their estate and the purity of the Christian religion they thought to haue surprised the ringleader and to haue executed him according to his demerites But he hauing some aduertisements of their intent and purpose did not onely very cunningly auoide their traines laide to intrap him but gathering together a great number of his followers and disciples he armed them against the power of the magistrate And after some bickeringes past betweene them he withdrew his company for a time into the desertes and by-places of Arabia where hee stoode vpon his guarde still enlarging his forces by the continual preaching and publishing of his new found doctrine By means whereof in processe of time the most part of the Arabians seemed to cleaue vnto him to imbrace the profession of his damnable religion And they were the rather induced so to doe for that the time it selfe seemed to fauour him in his proceedinges by reason of the sundry troubles and tumultes wherewith the Romane empire was as then pittifully distracted and sore distressed The which hauing at the first animated and encouraged him to proceede in his seditious
Paradise And thereupon hauing often and better aduised himselfe of the words he vnderstoode that by winges the Angell meant good works As if he had tolde him That it was impossible without good works to mount vp into heauen Wherfore from that time forward condemning and detesting his owne slouthfull and Lazie kind of life he began to reforme himselfe And he not onely applyed his studies and earnest endeuours to the good gouernment of his kingdome and estate But he gaue himselfe wholly to good charitable deedes By meanes of which his diligence pietie he subdued at the last his old humor of slouth and lazines and he was fully perswaded that God had sent his Angell in that strange shape and maner only to impart his good grace and fauour vnto him to recall him from so hainous and deadly a sin These and such like fantasies and fantasticall fables are euery wher deliuered in the Turkish Alcoran and in the other bookes of their law for want of better and sounder instructions And they haue no other meanes then by rydiculous tales and feigned visions and reuelations and by other such like Idle toyes and illusions to teach admonish men to haue those vices in detestation which they thinke to bee the hindraunces and impediments of their Saluation Of the opinion of the Turkes touching the Sinnes of wrath and Enuie Cap. 19. AMongst the other sinnes which the Mahometists accompt mortall and deadly That of wrath and anger is not helde to bee the the least for that it is an occasion oftentimes of many other most hainous and cruel wicked deedes and doth breede many foule in conueniences amongst friends and neighbours as slaunders hatred and enmitie with fighting and quarrelling yea many times murthers and manslaughters For this cause they say That any man carried away with rage and choller is not his owne man nor is master of himselfe But being gouerned by his rage and furie his anger doth violently transport him from himselfe as it were an hideous storme and tempest Moreouer they affirme that this must needs be a most hainous and grieuous sinne For that when men are assaulted with choller and do giue place to their anger they do not only forget God their creatour and all the blessings and benefites which his diuine Maiestie hath bestowed vpon them and which they ought to haue continually in remembrance But they are also vtterly forgetfull both of themselues of others whereof it ensueth that being as men blinded and hauing lost al sence reason vnderstanding they haue no care nor regarde either of their neighbours friends or brethren but with all their powers and endeuours many times they seeke their vtter ruine and destruction whereas in reason they ought to haue an especiall care of their safetie welfare and preseruation And therefore as this passion doth make men to degenerate from humane nature and doth as it were transforme them into brute and sauage beasts So doth it vtterly remoue and cast them out from the grace and fauor of God when they do with such outragious minds and wrathfull violence persecute their brethren and poore neighbors For this cause they hold it most need full and necessarie for men to cut off and eschew al occasions that may draw them vnto wrath anger For they thinke affirme That by how much the farther they do keepe themselues from this vice so much the nearer they are knit and ioyned vnto God In so much that this is held for a most certaine infallible truth in their law That whosoeuer is angrie with his neighbour for seuen howers together and doth happen to die in that time not being reconciled vnto him Hee is surely damned to infernall paines and torment Touching Enuie they say That it is the most secret and priuie sin that a man can possibly commit And that it doth dwell inwardly in the minde of the sinner being alwaies hidden and concealed in the bottome of his heart For this cause they haue a most true saying That it is impossible for the Enuious man to be glad and merrie from the hart nor to take any ioy pleasure or contentment of any thing what so euer Because it is the nature of Enuie continually to gnaw and bite to torment consume the hart of that man in whome it is rooted by the sight of the welfare and prosperitie of him whome hee enuieth And therefore they compare and resemble the enuious man vnto a tree which in outwarde shew and apparaunce seemeth to be most pleasant and beautifull and is full of greene leaues faire blossomes but inwardly is worm eaten growing by little little to wax rotten drie withered And they haue these words vsuall amongst them deriued frō their Prophet MAHOMET El Becchialo Laien Cadul Genetti Veleuchiane Zaidem The mening wherof is That no Mahometists whatsoeuer shall euer see or com to the ioyes of Paradise although in all other things he be neuer so diligent and dutifull to please God vnlesse he be verie pure and throughly cleansed from this sinne of Enuie In regarde wherof to preuent the danger of their damnation they are wonderfully religious in abstaining from this vice and they be very carefull that it doe not seize and take holde vpon them Of the Pilgrimage of the Turkes to Mecha in Arabia and of their ceremonies vsed in the same Cap. 20. HItherto hath bin shewed vpon what grounds and principles the Religion of the Turkes is founded and what maner of doctrine is contained in their law By the discouerie whereof it is most cleare and manifest that the chiefe hope of their saluation doth depend consist in the outwarde practise of morall vertues and good deedes in the auoiding of sinne and such vices as they esteeme to bee mortall and in the deuout obseruation of those superstitious rites and ceremonies which are prescribed and propounded vnto them in their law The which that it may be more apparant we will now proceede to laye open vnto you some other of their opinions touching such ceremonies traditions as they do principally relie vpō for the remission of their sins transgressions for the furtheraunce of the saluation of their soules It is a cōmon traditiō taught vnto al Turks Moores other Mahometists out of their bookes That whosoeuer shall once in his life time goe on pilgrimage to Mecha in Arabia he shalbe most assured of euerlasting blisse happines And that his soule shal neuer come to feele either the paines of the fire of Purgatory or the torments of hell fire And therfore all such as haue any sufficient leasure or opportunitie to vndertake that voiage they will bee sure not to pretermit it The time of this their pilgrimage is certaine prefixed euery yere once at such time as they are to celebrate y e feast of their latter Easter called Chucci or Cazi bairam of which we haue before spoken the solemnitie whereof is alwaies performed at
and licentious libertie The Opinion of the Turkes touching the sinne of Gluttonie Cap. 17. THe sinne of Gluttonie they do repute nothing inferiour to anie of the other dead-sinnes For they hold the same to be verie odious in the sight of God because as they say this was the first sinne that man committed after his Creation and therefore they teach that the same ought to be auoided and that men ought to abstaine from it with al their studie and endeuours For seeing the first Parents of mankinde Adam and Euah were expelled out of Paradice for the sinne of gluttonie in eating of the forbidden fruite where they had abundance of other frutes to haue satisfied both their hunger and appetites they doo therefore firmely beleeue That the same punishment is prepared for all those that are giuen to surfetting gurmandize or to excessiue feeding They haue a Tale also in theyr Alcoran of a certaine Hermit who liuing a solitarie life in a place farre remoued from anie Cittie or resort of men did seeme in regard of his hard austere life to be more like a beast than a man and yet he was so addicted to continuall praier and deuotion that hee was held to be a verie holy and religious man Thys Hermit hauing vppon a time fedde vppon certayne hearbes and rootes more greedily than he was accustomed hauing filled his belly with more thē ordinary he fell into a sound heauie sleepe During the which he dreamed that he had the companie of a certain woman with whom he committed sinne and folly Afterwards awaking from his sleepe which had been longer than his wonted vse a little before Sunne set he beheld aloft in the ayre aboue him a certaine Deuill or Fiend of hell making a great noyse in the ayre and carrying a great Bundle or Roll of writings Wherevpon the Hermit hauing coniured the Spirite to aunswere vnto that he should demaund vsed these words vnto him Bremelcon vecchialer Durchini Indumirsin That is O thou Enemie of our Faith what writings are those which thou carriest there with thee Whereunto Sathan answered These quoth hee be the sinnes which haue been committed this day within the compasse of this place and I haue been licensed to collect them together to record them Whereupon the Hermit his conscience somewhat touching him as beeing in doubt of himselfe demaunded the Spirit if hee had found and obserued anie fault that he had cōmitted Yea quoth the Deuill this daye hast thou sinned in Gluttonie in eating hearbes more greedily licentiously than thou wast wont which was an occasion that thou hast also exceeded in thy sleepe and hast offended in sloath and sluggishnes Therof also it hath insued that thou hast polluted thy selfe with vncleannesse and hast abused thy bodie in lust with a Woman Last of all thou hast all this while neglected and left vndone thy Prayers and Deuotion whereunto thou oughtest earnestlye to haue betaken thee Wherefore holde on and continue still in thy sinne of Gluttonie and then it will be easie enough for mee euerie day to register not onely one sinne but many committed by thee Hauing thus saide the Deuill departed from him with great noise and furie After which the Hermit bethinking himselfe of his fault became verie pensiue and penitent and praied earnestly to God to pardon and forgiue him this errour wherein hee had offended Now out of this tale or olde wiues fable the Turkes doe gather this doctrine That if the Hermite did sin so grieuously in eating of a few herbs drinkinge of a litle water more then ordinarie howe much greater care and regard ought those men to haue who feede vsually vpon other meates and drinks more delicate and delicious least they fall into this dangerous sin of gluttonie and gurmandise which will indaunger their soules bodies to euerlasting death damnatiō Of the opinion of the Turkes touching slouth or Lazinesse Cap. 18. COncerning slouth they say it is a secreate and vnknowen sin caused and engendred by a certaine diabolicall and filthy Idlenes which maketh men both forgetfull and negligent in all their affaires not onely in those that concerne both their publique and priuate estate but euen in their seruice dutie towards God making men altogether secure and carelesse of the saluation of their soules And inducing the mind of man to a most wicked prophane contempt both of God himselfe and of all his creatures To this effect they haue in their Alcorā a fable not much vnlik to y e others aboue recited of a certaine King that liued in the time of MAHOMET and was altogether drowned in this sin of slouth and securitie In so much that he did not only neglect all the matters and affaires of his estate and kingdome but he was growne to that excessiue Lazines that he was loth to take the paines or to imploy any time in obseruing the necessities of nature till at length it happened that hee was brought to see the enormitie of this sin to perceiue what holde the Deuil had gottē of him by meanes of this security wherin he had of a long time held him tied enchayned For one morning as this King lay Idle in his bed and loath to arise Beating his braines and deuising vpon many vaine toyes and light fantasies as he was alwaies accustomed He chaunced to espie an Angel in the shape likenes of a man running and coursing hither and thyther about the house top and still remouing from one side of the house to another At last seeing him somewhat neere him hee demanded him what hee ment in that maner to run vp and downe Vnto whom the Angell presently made answere That he had the charg keping of certaine Camels some of which he had lost and that he did goe to seeke them out and to see if hee could possibly discerne them in any place ther abouts The King replyed Truely I thinke that either thou art mad and out of thy wits or else thou art a theefe purposely come hither to rob and steale For how is it possible for any Camels to be going or walking vpon the top of the house And yet I do not so much maruell at the folishnes of thy speech as to see how thou couldest get vp thither so high without the helpe of any ladder The Angell speedily answered Much more difficult impossible a thing it is to flie into Paradise without wings And hauing so said he vanished sodenly out of sight The King being both astonished at the strangenesse of this sight and musing also at the manner of his speach continued a long time in a deepe profound studie what shuld be meant by that which he had seene and heard At length considering that the persons who had thus spoken vnto him did not in all things resemble a humane shape and confering both his person his speeches together hee began to imagine and coniecture that it should be some Angell come from