is King of the whole world hauing in the word Echad many superstitious subtilties that the letter Daleth in regard of his place in the Alphabet signifieth foure and the word Echad contayneth in numerall letters two hundred fortie and fiue whereunto adding three hael elohechem emes God our Lord is true they make vp the number of two hundred fortie and eight and so many members there are in mans bodie for euerie member a prayer secures them all And this verse thrice recited secureth against the ill spirit They esteeme it a holy prayer by which miracles may bee wrought and therefore vse it morning and euening They haue another prayer called Schone esre that is eighteene because it contayneth so many thankesgiuing which they say twice a day and the chiefe chanter of the Synagogue singeth it twice by himselfe They thinke by this prayer to obtaine remission of their sinnes They must pray it standing so that one foot must not stand more on the ground then the other like the Angels And their foote was a right foote When they come to those words in it Holy holy holy Lord God of hosts they leape vp three times aloft And hee say their Chachamim which speaketh a word during this prayer shall haue burning coales giuen him to eate after his death These eighteene thanksgiuings are for the eighteene bones in the chine or back-bone which must in saying hereof be bended After this followeth a prayer against the Iewes reuolted to Christianitie and against all Christians saying These which are blotted out that is reuolters shall haue no more hope and all vnbeleeuers shall perish in the twinkling of an eye and all thine enemies which hate thee O GOD shall be destroyed and the proud and presumptuous Kingdome shall quickly be rooted out broken layd euen with the ground and at last shall vtterly perish and thou shalt make them presently in our dayes obedient to vs Blessed art thou God which breakest and subduest them which are rebellious They call the Turkish Empire the Kingdome of Ismael the Roman Edomiticall proud c. They are themselues indeed exceeding proud impatient and desirous of reuenge The Talmud sayth That the lying spirit in the mouth of Achabs Prophets which perswaded him to goe and fall at Ramoth Gilead was none other but the spirit of Naboth whom hee had before flaine And Victor Carbensis a Christian Iew testifieth That there are not vnder heauen a more quarrelsome people themselues acknowledging the Christians farre meeker then themselues when they haue this Prouerb that the modestie of the Christians the wisedome and industrie of the Heathens and faith of the Iewes are the three pillers which sustaine the world But to returne to their deuotions After those other before mentioned followeth a prayer for the good sort for Proselytes reedifying of the Temple for sending the Messias and restauration of their Kingdome In the end they pray GOD to keepe them in peace and when they come to these words Hee that makes peace aboue shall make peace ouer all Israel Amen they goe backe three paces bow themselues downewards bend their head on the right hand then on the left if some Christian bee there with an Image they must not bow but lift vp their heart This they doe for honours sake not to turne their hinder parts on the Arke and thus they goe like Crabbes out of the Synagogue vsing certaine prayers not running but with a slow pace lest they should seeme glad that their Mattins were done Other their niceties in praying as laying the right hand on the left ouer the heart not spetting nor breaking winde vp or downe not interrupted by a King to cease prayer to shake his bodie this way and that way not to touch his naked bodie and to say Amen with all his heart for they that say Amen are worthie to say it in the world to come And therefore Dauid endeth a Psalme with Amen Amen signifying that one is to bee said heere and the other in the other world also in a plaine eminent place purged from all filth freed from the sight of women his face to the East standing his feet close together fixing his eyes on the ground eleuating the heart to heauen c. I hold it enough thus to mention Their praying to the East must be vnderstood from our Westerne parts because Ierusalem standeth that way for otherwise Rambam sheweth that Abraham prayed in Mount Moriah toward the West and the Sanctum Sanctorum was in the West which place also Abraham set forth and determined And because the Gentiles worshipped the Sunne toward the rising therefore Abraham worshipped Westward and appointed the Sanctuarie so to stand The Talmud saith Praying to the South bringeth wisdome toward the North riches I might heere also adde their Letanie and Commemoration of their Saints almost after the Popish fashion As thus for a taste Wee haue sinned before thee haue mercie on vs O Lord doe it for thy names sake and spare Israel thy people Lord doe it for Abraham thy perfect one and spare Israel thy people Lord doe it for him which was bound in thy porches to wit in Mount Moriah where the Temple was afterward builded and spare Israel thy people Lord doe it for him which was heard in the ladder Iacob from thy high place and spare Israel thy people Lord doe it for the merit of Ioseph thy holy one c. Lord doe it for him which was drawne out of the waters Moses and spare c. Lord doe it for Aaron the Priest with Vrim and Thummim Lord grant it for him that was zealous for thy name Phineas Lord doe it for the sweet Singer Dauid Lord doe it for him which built thine house They name not any but expresse him after this sort And then proceed in like manner with the titles attributes and workes of GOD. Doe it for thy Name Doe it for thy Goodnesse for thy Couenant thy Law thy Glorie c. in seuerall versicles And then to their Saints in a new passage Doe it for Abraham Isaac and Iacob Doe it for Moses and Aaron for Dauid and Salomon as if their combined forces should effect more then single Doe it for Ierusalem the holy Citie for Sion for the destruction of thy house for the poore Israelites for the bare Israelites for the miserable Israelites for the Widdowes and Orphans for the sucking and wained and if not for our sake yet for thine owne sake Then in another forme Thou which hearest the poore heare vs thou which hearest the oppressed heare vs Thou which heardest Abraham c. With renuing a commemoration of their Saints larger then before and after some repeating the diuine titles in another tune they oppose their Saint and wicked ones together as Remember not the lye of Achan but remember Iosua forgiuing him and remember Heli and Samuel and so on in a tedious length CHAP. XVI Of their Ceremonies at home after
Commander those horses are sadled the contrary way and richly furnished hauing certaine things hanged at their noses which cause them to neigh as it were lamenting the losse of their Master They carry also the truncheons of their Lances with their Standards and Ensignes trailing along the ground There are planted also about their Sepulchres violets and other pleasant flowers The common sort haue their Tombes of Marble engrauen with letters When they are come to the place with those sheets they let the corps into the graue couering him on euery side with boords only on the face they lay a little earth and there leaue him and returne home where they finde store of cheere there make a prayer for his soule Georgiouitz saith that they make ouer the graue the forme of an Altar lest the beasts should goe ouer it and defile it They also often repaire thither with teares and set on the Monument flesh bread wheat egs milke c. which is done for the dead mans soule in almes to the poore or to the birds or ants which they also account an act of mercy no lesse meritorious then the other The Priests haue fiue aspers a piece giuen them for their paines And if the partie be poore they gather money to pay the Priests and to discharge the funeralls They weare blacks eight dayes in token of mourning and those that are of great account three dayes at which time the friends of the dead assemble and vsing some words of mutuall consolation from thenceforth resume their wonted habite Howbeit their kindred specially of the female sexe often repaire to the graues to lament there Bellonius in his Obseruat obserueth that they sew not the sheet at the head nor at the feet The reason is their dreame of certaine Angels sent in commission presently after the buriall to examine the deceased partie into whom they say GOD hath then put a new spirit These Angels Menauino cals Nechir Remonchir who come with dreadful countenances and burning fire-brands and examine him of his life which if they finde wicked they scourge him with fierie whips if good they become goodly Angels and comfort him Bellonius a little otherwise telleth that those Angels which hee calleth Guanequir and Mongir come the one with an yron hammer the other with a hooke which set the corps vpon his knees and put a new soule into it and then aske if he haue beleeued Mahomet and obserued his precepts if hee haue done good workes kept their Lent paied his Tithes giuen Almes Of which if hee can giue good account they depart from him and two other Angels come in their places white as snow and one of them puts his armes in stead of a pillow vnder his head the other sits at his feet and defends him vntill the day of Iudgement But if hee satisfie not the demands of those blacke Angels hee with the yron mallet strikes him at one blow there with nine fadome vnder the ground and neither of them ceaseth the one with his hammer the other with his hooke to torment the deceased partie vntill the day of Iudgement For this cause the Turkes write vpon the dead carkasses the name Croco and make their Sepulchres hollow that they may haue roome to kneele and some lay boords ouer that no earth fall in The feare hereof makes them in their morning praier to say Lord God from the questioning of the two Angels the torment of the graue and euill iourney deliuer me Amin. Yea hence are the praiers which the Turkes men and women say at the graues of the dead for deliuerie from these Angels Concerning the day of Iudgement they hold that there is an Angel standing in Heauen named Israphil holding alway a Trumpet in his hand prepared against Gods command to sound the consummation of the World For at the sound thereof all Men and Angels shall die for so they finde it written in their Curaam which Booke is of high authoritie with them The Turkish Doctors would dissent from that opinion of the Angels mortalitie if this Booke would giue them leaue for to contradict the authoritie thereof is punished with fire or else their tongues are pulled out of their heads They hold that after this dismall sound shall bee a great Earthquake which shall tumble the Mountaines and Rockes from their places and grinde them to meale After this God will returne to make anew the light and the Angels as before and will cause to fall a pleasant raine called Rehemet sui that is the raine of mercie and so shall the earth remaine fortie dayes although those dayes shall bee of a larger size then these Many also hold that from thenceforth there shall bee no darknesse of the night as now but that it shall be most cleere neither shall there need any more sleepe for the sustentation of our bodies After fortie dayes God will command Israphil to sound his Trumpet the second time at which found all the dead shall bee raised againe by the will of God the dead euen from Abel to the end of the world throughout all the earth hearing the sound thereof and rising in manner as they were buried Amongst them shall be seene diuers faces and countenances some shining as the Sunne many like the Moone many as the Starres Others shall bee obscure and darke and others with hogges faces with swolne tongues Then shall euerie one crie Nessi Nessi that is Woe is me wretch who haue suffered my selfe to be ouercome with my filthy lusts The Angels shall with their fingers point at the faces which shine which are they that haue wrought good workes and shall shew them to one another The wicked shall haue enuy thereat They say that those with faces like hogs are such as haue beene Vsurers and those with the swolne tongues Liers and Blasphemers There shall be other trodden vnder foot to wit the proud persons of this world God say they will then demand account of the Kings Princes Emperors and Tyrants which vse oppression and violence Then shal God diuide this raised company into seuentie parts all which shall be examined presenting their sins before their eyes and all that they haue in this world done well or ill whereto hee shall need no testimony euerie member bearing witnesse against it selfe of the deeds yea and very thoughts There shall be also Michael the Angel holding in his hand the ballance of diuine Iustice and shal weigh soules and distinguish the good from the bad There shal be Moses with his Standard vnder which shall all the obseruers of his law bee assembled Neere to him shall be Iesus Christ the Sonne of the Virgin Mary with another great Standard and all his Christians the obseruers of his Faith On the other side shall be Mahomet with his Standard and faithfull Mahumetans they which haue done good shall be all gathered vnder the said Standards where they shall haue a pleasant shaddow the rest
PVRCHAS his PILGRIMAGE OR RELATIONS OF THE WORLD AND THE RELIGIONS Obserued in all Ages and places Discouered from the CREATION vnto this PRESENT CONTAYNING A THEOLOGICALL AND GEOGRAphicall Historie of ASIA AFRICA and AMERICA with the Ilands adiacent Declaring the ancient Religions before the FLOVD the Heathenish Iewish and Saracenicall in all Ages since in those parts professed with their seuerall opinions Idols Oracles Temples Priests Fasts Feasts Sacrifices and Rites Religious Their beginnings Proceedings Alterations Sects Orders and SVCCESSIONS VVith briefe Descriptions of the Countries Nations States Discoueries Priuate and publike Customes and the most remarkable Rarities of NATVRE or Humane industrie in the same The fourth Edition much enlarged with Additions and illustrated with Mappes through the whole Worke And three whole Treatises annexed One of Russia and other Northeasterne Regions by Sr. IEROME HORSEY The second of the Gulfe of Bengala by Master WILLIAM METHOLD The third of the Saracenicall Empire Translated out of Arabike by T. ERPENIVS By SAMVEL PVRCHAS Parson of St. Martins by Ludgate LONDON Vnus Deus Vna Veritas LONDON Printed by William Stansby for Henrie Fetherstone and are to be sold at his Shop in Pauls Church-yard at the Signe of the Rose 1626. TO HIS MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTIE Charles BY THE GRACE OF GOD KING OF Great Brittaine France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. YOur Maiesties goodnesse hath inuited this boldnes in accepting my late Voluminous Twinnes of Pilgrimes then also vouchsafing to aske of this my Pilgrimage whether it were there annexed and wherefore it was not a sufficient prouocation to This Edition and Dedication that I mention not Your Pietie which cannot denie hereditarie respect where your Royall Father of euer blessed memorie the King of learned and Learnings kings manifested so much fauour as to make it Ordinarie of his Bed chamber where vpon occasion of those later Volumes then presented he questioned the difference and professed freely that he had read this worke seuen times giuing thereof a present testimonie in his learned discourse and censure No lesse did hee promise touching the Pilgrimes which he made his Nightly taske till God called him by fatall sicknesse to a better Pilgrimage and of a more enduring Kingdome euen the last day in which that Sunne yeelded his present rayes to this Citie sending an Honourable messenger with a fauourable message of his gentle approbation and incouragement Such a testimonie is a King of Testimonies and no lesse reward to the Author then commendation of the Worke to his worthy Heire and to all English Readers Once it hath produced this my present aduenture on your Maiestie being otherwise ambitious that as my selfe so all mine may there acknowledge subiection and reference I might adde also that some Additions here inserted had more fitly beene ranked in those Pilgrime files which in more speciall proprietie attended your Royall standerd And although these times seeme more to sauour of Armes then to fauour Arts inter arma silent Musae yet Our Muse is not of the softer socke but more Masculine an armed Pallas not bred in Poeticall mysterie but borne a reall Historie containing actions factions fractions of Religions and States through the whole World of Place and Time not nicer effeminate fictions of idle-busie fancifull braines Howeuer may it please your Maiestie to accept his wel-intended indeuours who hath borrowed of thousands to furnish this one Worke of and to the World and to admit the Pilgrimes heartie acclamation of ioy ioy to Your happie Inauguration with prayers that the vertuous goodnesse of King IAMES may be succeeded and exceeded in the greatnesse and vertues of Great Britaines Great Charles AMEN Your vnworthy Subiect Samuel Purchas TO THE MOST REVEREND FATHER IN GOD GEORGE BY THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE LORD Archbishop of CANTERBVRIE Primate of all ENGLAND and Metropolitane one of his Maiesties most Honourable Priuie Councell ABoue thirteene yeeres are passed since first your Graces auspicious name graced the Frontispice of this Pilgrimage which promising the World and her Religions in foure Parts hath onely and that foure times performed One. And as a late Queene ambitious of Souereigntie to all her Sonnes found the Mathematicians which had foretold it true but her hopes false that falling out by fatall succession in one Kingdom which shee had exspected and indeuoured in diuers so hath this our First-borne with successiue improuements beene so often the sole heire and successor to himselfe Now the Fourth time doth this Pilgrimage glory in your Graces benediction and although my trauelling braine hath not beene deliuered of those promised Pilgrimages yet bath it by a strange superfaetation procreated lately presented to kisse your Graces hand foure twins of Pilgrimes which did not indeede formally pay the former debt yet presumed to yeeld that which should bee as vsefull to the World in the knowledge of her remoter parts These issues exhausting their Parents procreatiue powers his hastned age expects exacts Rest for the rest and now for This hauing been often quarelled for forcing men by frequent Additions in later Editions to renew their purchase of Purchas his renewed Pilgrimage though he durst not bestow a Childs portion on it yet would he not send it forth without a Fathers blessing The Three Treatises annexed had found fitter place with my Pilgrimes had they then comne to my hands but their rarities merit a place yea a welcome in what place soeuer For the Author if his reiterated paines if his here borrowing of aboue thirteene hundred Authors of one or other kind in I know not how many hundreths of their Epistles Treatises and Relations if his weekly redoubled cares of the Pulpit daily and howerly of a weak body and not strong family if the Argument it selfe being of Religions though irreligious to a most Reuerend and religious Prelate if the worlds approbation pressing it to so often view and censure if None of these if All of them may not excuse so often resumed presumption on your Grace yet is he forced by necessarie dutie and the sum of all duties Thankefulnes Yea this I am sure will be full excuse if not commendation of that which I haue foure times obtruded the testimonie of our late deceassed Soueraine of happie memorie the King of literature also King IAMES who shewing me it by him in his Bed-chamber said that he had read it seuen times Whereto if I should adde his iudicious questions of diuers particulars therein his ready and milde satisfaction his ample commendation copious discourse piercing wit admirable memory gentle affabilitie I might seeme to some emulous carpers to magnifie my self in relating that truth which rather indeede doth illustrate to all posteritie his worth then my worthinesse God and Gods greatest Vicegerents delighting rather to shew Grace then to admit Plea of Merit It pleased his Maiestie to enquire further of the different scope of my Pilgrimage my then presented Pilgrims which here also for the Readers sake I think
Esay Ieremie and others to whom God manifested his will by dreames visions and reuelations whose ordinarie habite seemes to be a rugged hayrie garment by the example of Elijah and the false Prophets and of Iohn Baptist afterward And thus much of those persons which according to the Law were sacred to God it followeth that wee should obserue their superstitious deuoting of themselues according to their owne deuices and traditions vnto a supposed seruice of God in a more strict manner then ordinarie or some-what in opinion and practice differing both from the Law and the rest of the Iewish people Of this kinde were many Sects whereof we are next to speake CHAP. VIII Of the diuers Sects Opinions and alterations of Religion amongst the Hebrewes §. I. Of their ancient Diuisions and Idolatries IN this matter of Alterations and altercations amongst them about Questions and practice of Religion we are in the first place to obserue their often Apostasies from the truth of the Law to the Idolatrous superstitions of the neighbouring Nations as the Reliques of the Aegyptian Idolatrie in the golden Calfe Exod. 32. their often murmurings in the desart the presumption of Nadab and Abihu and after of Aaron and Miriam the conspiracie of Korah Dathan and Abiram Baalams stumbling-blocke to couple them in Idolatrous seruice to Baal-Peor the Idoll of the Moabites And after their possession of the Land when Ioshua and the Elders were dead they serued the gods of the people that were round about them as Baal and Ashtaroth Of the Idols and their Rites is before spoken And although Gideon cut downe the groue and destroyed the Altar of Baal yet he made an Ephod of the carerings of the prey and put it in Ophrah his Citie all Israel went a whoring there after it and after his death made Paal-berith their God They serued also the Gods of Aram Zidon Moab Ammon and the Philistims Michah an Ephramite made an house of Gods an Ephod and Teraphim and consecrated one of his sonnes to be his Priest and after set a Leuite Ionathan in his roome the occasion of Apostasie to a great part of the Tribe of Dan all the while the house of God was in Shiloh besides the corruption of state and religion by the Beniamites and by Hophni and Phinehas the sons of Eli. Elias Leuita describeth the forme of sacring or hallowing their Teraphim in this sort They killed a man which was a first borne wreathing his head from his bodie and embalming the same with salt and spices and then wrote vpon a plate of gold the name of an vncleane spirit and putting the same vnder the head set it vpon a wall and burned Candles before it and worshipped the same R. Abraham saith they were Images of men made to receiue power from aboue as the Idolaters conceiued of them But after the reformation of Religion by Samuel Dauid and Salomon who yet became after an Idolater befell their greatest Apostasie to wit of the ten Tribes from God their King and Religion by the our-wise policie of Ieroboam which corrupted and subuerted both it and himselfe He lest those reuolted Israelites should by frequenting Gods appointed worship at Ierusalem re-acknowledge their former and truer Lord consecrated two Egyptian Calues at Bethel and Dan and made an House of High Places and Priests of the lowest of the people Iudah also made them in the same times High Places Images and Groues on euery high hill and vnder euerie greene Tree Yet had the kingdome of Iudah their entercourses of corruption and reformation according as they had good or bad Kings but in Israel the Common-wealth and Church receiued by that sinne of Ieroboam an vncureable wound and irrecouerable losse vntill that in Gods iust punishment they were carried away by the Assyrian Kings into Assyria and into Hala Habor and the Cities of the Medes as 2. King 17. appeareth where is recorded a summarie collection of these and other their Idolatries Of these exiled Israelites if wee beleeue the reports and coniectures of diuers Authors are descended those Tartarians which since ouer-tanne with their Conquests a greater part of Asia and Europe then euer any other Nation before or since Of which their Originall and Exploits wee shall in fitter place further discourse But it is farre more probable that in and after the Babylonish Captiuitie the Israelites adioyned themselues in Religion to the other Iewes at least the greatest part of them And though not many returned with Ezra yet those parts remayned full of Iewes hauing their Vniuersities and some kinde of gouernment till the Saracenicall deluge and in some tolerable condition after as Beniamin relates which continued till the time of the Tartars which had they beene of this Nation they would haue preferred them whereas euer since their times the estate of the Iewes hath beene more contemptible then before I denie not that many of them might mixe themselues with the Nations with whom they liued and grow into one people with them and that there might be in diuers places some remnants of this Israelitish dispersion as Beniamin reckons some and Trigaut in China coniectures of others But this Tale of the Tartars and that other of the inclosed Iewes seeme but idle dreames without any good ground of truth or credit The other Kingdome of Iudah although it receiued sometime some breathing and refreshing vnder her more Vertuous and Religious Kings yet for the most part groning vnder Tyrannie and Idolatrie was at last a prey to the Babylonians From which seruitude being freed by the Persian Monarches vnder varieties of aduerse and prosperous fortunes it was afterwards rent and torne by the Macedonians being made a common Stage for the Armes and Armies of the successours of Ptolemey in Aegypt and Selencus in Asia remayning meede vnto the Conquerour and receiuing no small impressions and wounds in Soule as well as Bodie in Religion as in Politie But being after deliuered from Macedonean thraldome by the Familie of the Macchabees the Gouernement Ecclesiasticall and Temporall became theirs but the mindes of this Iewish people was in those times diuided in diuersitie of Sects and Opinions of which the Euangelicall and other Histories make mention One diuision was of the whole Nation not so much for opinion as for the differing habitation which brought also some circumstances of other differences The Iewes therefore were generally thus distinguished The Hebrewes which dwelt in Palestina and the scattered strangers as Peter calls them to wit the Graecians these two sorts are mentioned by Luke Acts 6.1 and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the remainders of the deportation of Babylon the Metropolis whereof was Babylon while it remayned and after Bagded The Metropolis or head of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was Alexandria where also in Beniamin Tudelensis his time there was a Synagogue of
Caesar remoued him placing in his roome Diteutus the sonne of Adiatorix whom with his wife and children hee had led in triumph purposing to slay his elder sonne together with him But when the younger perswaded the Souldiers that he was the elder and both contended which should die Diteutus was of his parents counselled to yeeld to the younger and to remaine aliue to bee a stay to their family Which pietie Caesar hearing of grieuing for the death of the other hee thus rewarded At the Feasts aforesaid is great recourse of men and women hither Many Pilgrims resort to discharge their vowes Great store of women is there which for the most part are deuoted this Citie being as little Corinth For many went to Corinth in respect of the multitude of Harlots prostituted or consecrated to Venus Zela another Citie hath in it the Temple of Anias much reuerenced of the Armenians wherein the Rites are solemnized with greatest Sanctimony and Oathes taken of greatest consequence The sacred Seruants and Priestly Honours are as the former The Kings did sometime esteeme Zela not as a Citie but as a Temple of the Persian Gods and the Priest had supreme power ouer all things who with a great multitude of those sacred Seruants inhabited the same The Romans encreased their Reuenues In Cappadocia the Persian Religion was much vsed but of the Persian Rites see more in our Tractat of Persia The lewdnesse of the Cappadocians grew into a Prouerbe if any were enormiously wicked he was therefore called a Cappadocian GALATIA or GALLOGRAECIA so called of the Galli which vnder the conduct of Brennus saith Suidas assembled an Army of three hundred thousand and seeking aduentures in forraine parts diuided themselues some inuading Greece others Thrace and Asia where they setled themselues betweene Bithynia and Cappadocia On the South it is confined with Pamphilia and on the North is washed with the Euxine Sea the space of two hundred and fiftie miles Sinope the mother and nursing Citie of Mithridates is heere seated one of the last Cities of Asia that subiected it selfe to Turkish bondage in the dayes of Mahomet the second Of the Galatae were three Tribes Trogini Tolistobogi and Tectosages all which Goropius deriueth from the Cimmerij At Tavium which was inhabited with the Trogini was a brazen Statue of Iupiter and his Temple was a priuiledged Sanctuarie The Tolistobogi had for their chiefe Mart Pisinus wherein was a great Temple of the Mother of the Gods whom they called Andigista had in great veneration whose Priests had sometime beene mightie This Temple was magnificently builded of the Attalian Kings with the Porches also of white stone And the Romans by depriuing the same of the Goddesses Statue which they sent for to Rome as they did that of Aesculapius out of Epidaurus added much reputation of Religion thereunto The Hill Dindyma ouer-looketh the Citie of which shee was named Dindymena as of Cybelus which Orletius supposeth to bee the same Cybele Of the Galatians Deiotarus was King but more fame hath befallen them by Paules Epistle to them Plutarch tells of a Historie of a Galatian woman named Camma worthy our recitall Shee was faire and noble the daughter of Dianaes Priest and richly married to Sinatus the Tetrarch But Sinorix a man richer and mightier then hee became his vniust corriuall and because he durst not attempt violence to her her husband liuing he slew him Camma solaced her selfe as she could cloystering her selfe in Dianaes Temple and admitting none of her mightie suiters But when Sinorix had also moued that suit she seemed not vnwilling and when he came to desire her marriage she went forth to meet him and with gentle entertainment brought him into the Temple vnto the Altar where shee dranke to him a cup of poysoned liquor and hauing taken off almost halfe she reached him the rest which after shee saw he had drunke she called vpon her husbands name aloud saying Hitherto haue I liued sorrowfull without thee wayting this day now welcome me vnto thee for I haue reuenged thy slaughter on the most wicked amongst men and haue beene companion and partner with thee in life with him in death And thus dyed they both The like manly woman-hood if a Christian might commend that which none but a Christian can discommend Valerius Maximus sheweth of Chiomara her country-woman wife of Ortyagon a great man amongst the Tectosages who in the warres of Manilius the Consul being taken prisoner was committed to the custodie of a Tribune who forc't her to his pleasure After that agreement was made for her ransome and the money brought to the place appointed whiles the Tribune was busie about the receit thereof shee caused her Gallo-graecians to cut off his head which she carryed to her husband in satisfaction of her wrong At the Funeralls of the Galatians they obserued this custome to write letters and hurle them into that latest and fatall fire supposing that their deceased friends should read them in the other world At their sacrifices they vsed not an Aruspex or Diuinor which gazed in the entrailes but a Philosopher without whom they thought no Sacrifice acceptable to their gods The Deuill certaine was the god to whom their humane Sacrifices were acceptable which in deuillish inhumanitie they offered at their bloudie Altars when they diuined of things to come which they did by his falling by the dismembring and flowing forth of his bloud Athenaeus out of Philarchus telleth of one Ariannes a rich Galatian which feasted the whole Nation a whole yeere together with Sacrifices of Bulls Swine Sheepe and other prouision made ready in great Caldrons prouided of purpose for this entertainment that he made them in spacious Boothes which he had therefore built Pausanius saith That the Pesinuntian Galatians abstained from Swines flesh The Legend of Agdistis and Atte which he there addeth is too filthy to relate Betweene the mouth of Pontus the Thracian Bosphorus and part of Propontis on the West and Galatia on the East part of the Euxine Sea on the North and Asia properly so called on the South is situate the Prouince called by the double name of PONTVS and BITHYNIA There were sometimes two Prouinces diuided by the Riuer Sangarius now they are called Bursia by Giraua by Castaldus Becsangial The most famous Cities therein are or rather haue beene NICE famous sometimes for Neptunes Temple but more for the first Generall Councell therein celebrated against Arrius in defence of the Trinitie and Christs Diuinitie Nicomedia sometimes the Seat of Emperours now ruinous Apamia and Prusa or Bursa nigh to the Mount Olympus where the first Ottomans had their seat Royall and all of that race except the Great Turkes themselues are still buried Chalcedon built seuenteene yeeres before Byzantium and therefore the builders accounted blinde which neglected that better Seat Here was a famous Councell of six hundred and thirtie Bishops against the
except they would haue digged it vp must bee redeemed Some Cities and Prouinces compounded at certaine summes which was payd to the King as extracted out of his Mynes Some zealous and couragious Magistrates made complaint by Libels to the King but themselues therefore punished One Fumocean of the Prouince of Vquam was cruelly beaten and cast in close prison whom his Prouince so honored euen then that they published his worthie acts in bookes they made his picture to bee sold through all the Prouince that all men might priuately honour him as a Saint and erected vnto him some publike Temples with tapers and odours continually burning But the Eunuches to the extreame distaste of all the subiects continued in their tyrannicall exactions or robberies rather throughout the Kingdome into one of whose hands the Iesuites fell with their presents The Magistrates hate them and they insult ouer the Magistrates At Nanquin are also some thousands of these Eunuches in the Palace one being chiefe ouer the rest Some of them are so arrogant that they looke for apprecations of a thousand yeeres life which is the custome to the Queenes and Kings children whereas to the King they say Van van siu that is ten thousand yeeres as Daniel to Nabuchodonosor O King liue for euer besides the bending of the knee as to the chiefe Magistrates The King will for light causes sometimes cause his Eunuches to be beaten till they die vnder the blowes When Ricius was dead they coffined him after the China fashion till they could find some place for his burial which till that time was at Macao whither they sent their dead Pantogis put vp a petition to the King in behalfe of Ricius his corpes This storie will be I hope acceptable as shewing the manner of obtaining any thing at the Kings hand I IAMES PANTOGIA a stranger of a most remote Kingdome moued with the vertue and fame of your Noble Kingdome haue in three yeeres saile with much trouble passed hither aboue 6000. leagues In the twentie eight yeere of VANLIE for so as we they account their yeres by the Kings reigne in the twelfth Moone I with MATTHEVV RICIVS came into your Court where wee presented some gifts and haue since beene sustained at the Kings charge The nine and twentieth yeere of VANLIE in the first Moone we petitioned your Maiestie for a place of residence and haue many yeeres enioyed the Royall bountie In the eight and thirtieth of VANLIE the eighteenth day of the third Moone RICIVS died I a Client of the Kingdome of the great West remaine a fit subiect of pitie The returne into our Countrey is long c. And I now after so many yeeres stay suppose that we may be numbred to the people which followeth your Royall Chariot that your clemencie like that of YAO may not containe it selfe in the Kingdome of China alone c. So proceeds hee to set forth the good parts of Ricius and with a long supplication to beg a place of buriall some Field or part of a Temple and he with his fellowes should obserue their wonted prayers to the Lord of Heauen for thousands of yeeres to him and his Mother This Libell was written with peculiar forme Characters Seales many Rites herein necessarily obserued Before any be offered to the King it must be viewed of some Magistrate and they got this to be allowed by one which is Master of Requests which sent it presently to the King They must also haue many Copies thereof to shew to those Magistrates to whom it appertaines which they did one of them affirming That Ricius deserued a Temple also with his Image to bee there set vp This message he sent them by another for when they fauour a cause they shew great strangenesse The King commonly answers the third day except hee mislike for then hee suppresseth and sends it to the Magistrate that had presented it who shewes which of the sixe is the peculiar Court which iudgeth of these things This being sent to the Rituall Tribunall Their answere is sent to the King within a moneth which there is a short space and repeating the Petition verbatim and the Kings command to the peculiar Office answeres what the Law sayth in that case and concludes the Petition to bee agreeing to Iustice and earnestly pleads and sues for confirmation The King sends this answere to the Colao which subscribed his approbation which being sent againe to the King hee subscribed with his owne hand Xi that is Fiat or be it done which the third day after was deliuered them §. IX Of the Magistrates Courts and Gouernment THat which the Philosopher wished That Kings might be Philosophers and Philosophers Kings is in part fulfilled in China where all the Gouernment is in their administration which haue attained thereto not by birth fauour wealth or other Mediators but their Philosophicall proficience and degrees of which we haue spoken Of these there are two Orders one of the Court which besides their Offices in that Citie moderate euen all those of the second sort which are Prouinciall Magistrates abroad in the Cities or Prouinces Euery two moneths there is a new booke printed at Pequin of all their Names Places and Degrees First of the Officers of Court There are sixe Tribunals or chiefe Courts the first called Li pu pu signifieth Tribunall which is the Court of Magistrates who are hence nominated throughout the Kingdome which nomination is guided by the excellencie of their writings aforesaid And all beginning with inferiour Offices come by Degrees prescribed by the Lawes in order to the higher except Iniustice cast them lower or quite degrade them which makes him past hope of regayning his dignitie The second Tribunall is Hopu or the Treasurie which receiueth and payeth out the Kings reuenues The third is Lypu the Court of Rites whence are ordered matters of Sacrifices Temples Priests Schooles Examinations Festiuall dayes Gratulations to the King Titles Physicians Mathematicians Embassages with their Letters and Presents for they thinke vnworthy the Maiestie of their King himselfe to write to any The fourth Court is called Pimpu to which are subiect all Militarie Matters and Charges and Examinations The fifth is Cumpu that hath the handling of publike Aedifices as the Palaces of the King of his Kindred of the Magistrates the Nauie Bridges Walls of Cities and the like The sixt is Himpu of criminall Cases Prisons and Imprisonments All the publike affaires depend of these Courts which haue their Officers and Notaries in euery Citie and Prouince which informe them of all things One in euery of these Courts is President called Ciam who hath his two Cilam or Assistants one at his right hand the other at the left These are accounted the highest Dignities in the kingdome Next to these euery Court hath their seuerall Offices and ouer each many Officers besides Notaries Apparitors and others Besides these Courts there is another the greatest in
when they haue wallowed a long time in lustfull pleasures shoot into the aire pieces of their flesh tyed to Arrowes and diuersly mangle themselues at last cut their owne throats so sacrificing themselues to the Pagode There are also certaine people called Amouchi otherwise Chiani which perceiuing the end of their life approach lay hold on their weapons which they call Chisse and going forth kill euery man they meet with till some body by killing them make an end of their killing They are loth it seemes to come into the Deuils presence empty-handed or to goe to Hell alone Some of them worship GOD in the likenesse of a Man some in the images of Kine and Serpents some inuoke the Sunne and Moone others some Tree or Riuer Among many Feasts which they celebrate in the yeere one in Autumne is most solemne in which they take some great tree and fasten it in the ground hauing first fashioned it like a mast of a Ship with a crosse-yard whereon they hang two hookes of iron And when any one by sicknesse or other miserie hath made a vow to their Idoll or Pagode hee commeth thither and being first admonished by the Priests to offer his sacrifice they lift him with those hookes by both the shoulders and there hold him to the Idoll till he hath three times saluted the same with clapping his folded hands to his breast and hath made some sport thereto with weapons which he hath in his hand After this he is let downe and the bloud which issueth from his shoulders is sprinkled on the Tree in testimonie of his deuotion Then they draw him vp againe by the middle to giue thankes to the Idoll and then giue him leaue to heale himselfe if he can They which are in great miserie or seeke some great matter at the hand of their Idoll doe this They haue another Feast celebrated in the night continuing eight nights in which many Candles were seene burning thorow the Citie Three or foure runne from one end of street to the other and hurling Rice and other meates after them say they offer it to the Deuill which followes them not daring to looke behind lest he should slay them In other places also they haue those Idol-chariots like vnto Towers to the drawing whereof many thousands of deuout persons put their helping-hand Anno 1598. there was a great contention whether the signe of Perimal should bee erected in the Temple of Cidambacham This signe was a gilded Mast with an Ape at the foot thereof Many Embassadors were there about this quarrell some vrging some resisting this deed But the Prince called the Naicho of Gingi would haue it set vp notwithstanding the Priests greatest vnwillingnesse The Priests therefore both regular which are the Iogues and secular Bramenes ascended vp the roofe of the Church and thence threatned to hurle downe themselues which twenty of the Iogues did and the rest threatned to follow But the Naicho caused Gunnes to be discharged at them which slue two and caused the rest to retire and breake their couenant rather then their necks with their fellowes A woman also of this faction cut her owne throat for zeale of this new superstition §. II. Of the Kings and Bramenes in this Kingdome THe swelling stile of this King of Bisnagar I thought worthie to be here inserted which is this The Husband of good fortune the God of great Prouinces King of the greatest Kings and God of Kings the Lord of horsemen the Master of them which cannot speake Emperour of three Emperours Conquerour of all he sees and Keeper of all he conquers Dreadfull to the eight coasts of the world Vanquisher of the Mahumetans c. Lord of the East West North and South and of the Sea c. Vencapadinus Ragiu Deuamaganus Ragel which now ruleth and gouerneth this world These Kings of Bisnagar haue as sayth Barrius a great part of the Westerne coast subject vnto them all betweene the riuers of Aliga and Cangerecora in which space are these coast Townes Ancola Agorapan Mergeu Onor a Royall Citie Baticala Bendor Bracelor Bacanor Carara Carnate Mangalor Mangliran Cumlata and Cangerecora From this Citie standing on a Riuer of the same name Southwards vnto the Cape Comori is reckoned the Malabar coast And although Goa and Calecut much hinder those his Ports yet to salute and shake hands with both Seas argues a great State specially where the adioyning are so small There are three Naichi or Tributary Kings subiect to Him such in power but in title Naichi that is Deputies or Presidents of Madura Gingi and Tanaior The Naicho of Madura is Lord of the Fishing coast The people are called Badagae and despise the Portugals because they drinke Wine eate Beefe and suffer themselues to be touched of the Pareae and carried on their shoulders For these in their Bramene zeale would not endure to touch or talke with the baser vulgar and their Bramenes would die rather then eate that which a Bramene had not dressed And therefore Robert Sforce a Iesuite comming amongst them professed himselfe of the Bramene or Rape bloud that is of Noble race procured a Bramene to dresse his meate abstained from Flesh Fish Wine and Egges after their Countrey manner and attired himselfe in the habite of a Sanasse one of their votaries and in pretence of chastitie stirred not out of his house in a whole yeere nor would be spoken with by euery one alleaging somtimes his deuouter conference with God so to winne credite with these Ethnikes He learned by conference with a Bramene that they maintayned that Philosophicall axiome that Nothing could be made of nothing and held three Beginnings or Vniuersall Causes the first Padi that is God the second Paiu the Matter of which they say the Soules are made the third Passan the Corporall matter They maintayned also the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Pythagorean passage of Soules out of one body into another for else say they how could there be such diuersitie of Men one a King another a Seruant one a Bramene another a Parea They are also Platonikes holding the Soule not to be the forme of the Body but enclosed therein as a Bird in a Cage The Bramenes weare ashes on their heads It seemes they are zealous Baneanes Their Saneasses are Asses indeed for literature only as Hermites they vow chastitie The Gorupi or Gorusi are the Doctors of their Law The Iesuites professed the Doctorship of these in the habite of the former which is a white Garment to the ankle with another of the same colour but thinner ouer it a red cloth cast ouer the shoulders one like a Cap or Hat on his head from his necke hangs downe a corde of fiue threeds three of gold and two of white silke they eate but once a day Their Bramenes haue a proper language and mysticall as Roman for the Romish holies called Gueredan which the Iesuite learned and thereby out of
in the Iland Guanahani one of the Lucai which Columbo named San Saluatore from whence hee sayled to Baracoa a Hauen on the North side of the I le Cuba where hee went on Land and asked of the Inhabitants for Cipango so doth Paulus call Iapan They vnderstanding him of Cibao where are the richest Mynes of Hispaniola signed him that it was in Haiti so was the Iland then called and some of them went with him thither What worldly ioy is not mixed with some disaster Their Admirall heere splitteth on a Rocke but the men are saued by the helpe of the other ships This fell out in the North part of Hispaniola so named by them where they had sight of Inhabitants which seeing these strangers ranne all away into the Mountaynes One woman the Spaniards got whom they vsed kindly and gaue her meate drinke and clothes and so let her goe She declaring to her people the liberalitie of this new people easily perswaded them to come in troupes to the ships thinking the Spaniards to be some Diuine Nation sent thither from Heauen They had before taken them for the Caribes which are certaine Canibals which vsed inhumane huntings for humane game to take men for to eate them Children likewise which they gelded to haue them more fat and then to deuoure them the women they are not but vsed them for procreation and if they were old for other seruices The Ilanders had no othe defence against them but the wooddy Hils and swiftest heeles to which they betooke them at the Spaniards arriuall thinking them as is said to be Canibals And such haue they since proued in effect not leauing of three Millions of people which heere they found 200. persons and that long since The Deuill had forewarned them of this by Oracle that a bearded Nation should spoyle their Images and spill the bloud of their children as wee shall see in the particular Tractate of Hispaniola Nothing more pleased the Spaniards then the Gold which the naked Inhabitants exchanged with them for Bels Glasses Points and other trifles Columbus obtained leaue of Guacanarillus the Cacike or King to build a Fort in which he left eight and thirty Spaniards and taking with him sixe Indians returned to Spaine where he was highly welcomed of the King and Queene Some controuersie fell out betweene Columbus and one of the Pinzons Master of one of the Caruels about leauing these men behind but Columbus sent a Letter to reduce him vnto peace by the Indians who held the Letter in almost religious regard thinking it had some Spirit or Deitie by which they could vnderstand one another being absent The Pope then a Spaniard Alexander the Sixt hearing of this diuided the World by his Bull betwixt the Portugals and Spaniards bearing date the fourth of May Anno 1493. drawing a Line a hundred leagues beyond the Ilands of Azores and Capt Verde this Alexander giuing more then Great Alexander could conquer the East to the one and West to the other The Bull is become an Vnicorne and his two hornes are now growne into one in the vniting of those two States Columbus graced with the the title of Admirall enriched with the tenths of the Spanish gaines in the Indies is sent a second time with his brother Bartholomeus who was made Adelantado or Deputie of Hispaniola They had allowed them for this Expedition small and great seuenteene Sayle and fifteene hundred men The first Iland hee espyed in his second Nauigation he called Desseada or Desired because he had longed to see land Arriuing in Hispaniola he found the Spaniards which he had left there that they were now not left nor any where to be found The Indians had murdered them and laid the blame on the Spanish insolencies Hee now built and peopled the Towne of Isabella which was their chiefe place of Residence and gouernment which is in the yeere a thousand foure hundred ninetie eight were remoued to the City of San Dominico They built also the Fort of S. Thomas but both in the one and the other the Spaniards died of famine through the Indians wilfulnesse who vnwilling to haue such Neighbours would not plant their Maiz and Iucca and so starued both themselues and their guests As for the Pockes the Spaniards in this Voyage got them of the Indian women and brought them into Spaine as Ouiedo of his owne knowledge reporteth of his owne Country-men and they after paid the Indians in recompence with a disease as deadly and infectious to them which consumed thousands and was neuer before knowne amongst them I meane the small Pocks The other were improperly named of the French or of Naples seeing that in those wars of Naples which the Spaniards mayntayned against the French some carryed this disease with them thither out of Spaine and communicated the same both to the French and Neapolitans hauing beene vsuall and easily curable in the Indies Another Disease also assaulted them of a little kinde of Fleas called Niguas which would eate into and breed in the flesh and haue made many lose their toes Columbus at this time discouered Cuba and Iamaica with the Neighbour-Iles Returning to Hispaniola he found his Brother and the Spaniards in dissention and separation and punishing the Au hours of sedition returned home In the yeere of our Lord 1497. hee made his third Voyage and then touched on the Continent discouered Cubagua Paria and Cumana But Roldanus Ximenius raysing a Rebellion and accusing the Columbi to the King effected that Bouadilla was sent Gouernour into Hispaniola who sent the two Brethren bound as Prisoners to Spaine vnworthy recompence of the worthy attempts of these Worthies The King freeth them and employeth Christopher in a fourth Voyage Anno 1502. in which Oxandus the Gouernour forbade Columbus the first finder to land on Hispaniola Hee then discouered Guanaxa Higuera Fondura Veragua Vraba and learned newes as some say of the South Sea He stayed at Iamaica to repaire his Fleete where some of his men were sicke and they which were sound in body were more then sicke froward and tumultuous in behauiour and many left him Vpon this occasion the Ilanders also forsooke him and brought in no victuall Herewith Columbus neyther able to abide nor depart was driuen to his shifts no lesse admirable for subtlety then resolution He told the Ilanders that if they did not bring him in prouision the Diuine Anger would consume them a signe whereof they should see in the darkened face of the Moone within two dayes At that time hee knew the Moone would bee eclipsed which the simple Islanders seeing with feare and griefe humbled themselues to him and offered themselues readie to all kinde and dutifull Offices At last returning into Spaine hee there dyed Anno 1506. His body was buried at Siuill in the Temple of the Carthusians This was the end if euer there can bee end of Columbus Pinzonus one
Host if it be the King takes Tobacco and then giues the pipe to him that he thinkes the worthiest person in the company They are dutifull to their Parents obey their commandements and nourish their persons in age They vse humanitie to the wiues children of their conquered enemies but the men of defence they kill Their chiefe hunting is in winter they carry alwaies tinder-boxes with them to strike fire when hunting is done or night takes them For they follow the game sometimes three dayes together Their Dogs are like Foxes which spend not neuer giue ouer and haue rackets tyed vnder their feet the better to run on the snow They seethe the flesh in a tub of wood by putting stones heated red hot therein The womens duty is to slay the Beast and bring it home The Ellan Deare Stag and Beare are their game They take also with their hands Beuers which are of a chest-nut colour short legged his fore-feet haue open clawes the hinder finnes like a Goose the tayle skaled almost of the forme of a Sole-fish it is the delicatest part of the Beast The head is short and round with two rankes of iawes at the sides and before foure great teeth two aboue and two beneath with which he cuts downe small trees Hee builds on the brinkes of a Lake cuts his wood therewith raiseth a Vault and because the waters sometimes rise he hath an vpper story to betake himselfe to in such case he builds it Pyramide-wise sometimes eight foot high and dawbs it with mud He keeps his taile stil in the water They take him with their hands in a frost one fraying him on the Ice whiles another seizeth on his necke When one dies they mourne for him long euery Cabin his day by course after that they burne all his goods and bury the body in a graue where when they haue placed him euery one maketh a present of the best thing he hath as skins to couer him bowes kniues or the like Quebec is a Streit of Canada where is a goodly Country furnished with Okes Cypresses wilde Vines Peares Nuts Cherries Goose-berries Diamonds in the Rockes of Slate and other profitable pleasures They saw in forty fiue degrees a Lake fifteene Leagues long and eight wide with a Salt or fall not aboue three fadome but very furious The Sauages related to them of passages to a salt Lake whereof they knew no end reaching so farre Southerly that the Sun set to the North thereof in Summer it was foure hundred leagues from the place where the French then were In the Additions to Noua Francia mention is made of a Lake about threescore leagues long with faire Ilands in it The Iroquois haue no Townes their dwellings and Forts are three or foure stories high as in New-Mexico Another lake is said to continue an hundred leagues in length and some conceiue hope of passage to the South-Sea thereby The Scuruie or Scorbuch much consumed the French in these parts a disease that vsually attendeth euill Diet and much salt meats which and want of exercise conuenient are the Harbengers of this sicknes in long sieges and Nauigations Cartiers company were in a little time wonderfully cured hereof by a Tree like to Sassafras But of the French in these parts and of their doings and sufferings see more in the fourth part of my Pilgrims the eight and ninth bookes out of Marke Le'Scarbot Sir W. Alexander c. CHAP. V. Of VIRGINIA §. I. The Preface Sir WALTER RALEIGHS Plantation and the Northerne Colony LEauing New-France let vs draw neerer the Sunne to New-Britaine whose Virgin soyle not yet polluted with Spaniards lust by our late Virgin-Mother was iustly called Virginia Whether shall I here begin with Elogies or Elegies Whether shall I warble sweet Carols in praise of thy louely Face thou fairest of Virgins which from our other Britaine World hath won thee Wooers and Suters not such as Leander whose loues the Poets haue blazed for swimming ouer the Straits betwixt Sestos and Abydus to his louely Hero but which for thy sake haue forsaken their Mother-Earth encountred the most tempestuous forces of the Aire and so often ploughed vp Neptunes Plaines furrowing the angry Ocean and that to make thee of a ruder Virgin not a wanton Minion but an honest Christian Wife Or shal I change my accent and plaine me for I know not of whom to whom to complaine of those disaduentures which these thy louely louers haue sustained in seeking thy loue What enuie I know not whether of Nature willing to reserue this Nymph for the treasurie of her owne loue testified by the many and continuall presents of a temperate Climate fruitfull Soile fresh and faire streames sweet and wholesome Aire except neere the shore as if her iealous policie had prohibited forreine Suters or of the Sauage Inhabitants vnworthy to embrace with their rustike armes so sweet a bosome and to appropriate with greatest disparagement so faire a Virgin to Sauage Loues or haply some conceiued indignity that some Parents should thither send their most vnruly Sonnes and that our Britannia should make her Virginian lap to be the voider for her lewder and more disordered Inhabitants whose ill parts haue made distastefull those kinder offices of other our Britaine Worthies which else had been long since with greatest gladnesse and the recompence of her selfe entertained or whether it be Virginian modesty and after the vse of Virgins she would say Nay at first holding that loue surest in continuance which is hardest in obtaining Whether any or all of these or what else hath hindered hindered we haue been and haue not yet obtained the full fruition of her Loue and possession of her gainfull Dowry which yet now more then euer before she seemeth to promise and doubtlesse wil quickly performe if niggardise at home doe not hinder And should men be niggardly in this aduenture where Nabal must needs verifie his name where keeping loseth aduenturing promiseth so faire a purchase Miserie of our times that miserable men should here want what they already haue refuse to haue there at no rate abundant supply to their too miserable feares of want Lift vp your eyes see that brightnesse of Virginia's beauty which the Mountaines lift vp themselues alwayes with wild smiles to behold sending downe siluer streames to salute her which powre themselues greedily into her louely lap and after many winding embracements loth to depart are at last swallowed of a more mighty Corriuall the Ocean He also sends Armies of fishes to her Coasts to winne her Loue euen of his best store and that in store and abundance the Mountaynes out-bid the Ocean in offering the secret store-houses of vndoubted Mines he againe offereth Pearles and thus while they seeke to out-face each other with their puffed bigge and swolne cheekes who shall get the Bride the one layes hold on the Continent and detaines the same maugre the Oceans fury and hee
which are not fully knowne otherwhere it is washed with a dangerous Sea which separateth Chichora Bahama and Lucaia from the same Iohn Ponce aforesaid hearing a rumour of a prodigious Well which as the Poets tell of Medea would make old men become young againe plaid the yongling to goe search it sixe monethes together and in that inquiry discouers this Continent and repayring into Spaine obtayneth this Prouince with the title of Adelantado He returned with a Nauy and band of Souldiers but at his landing was so welcomed by the Floridians that many of his men were slaine and himselfe wounded vnto death Pamphilo de Naruaes had no better successe hee entred Florida 1527. Aluaro Nunnez called Capo di Vacca or Cabeca de Vaca and some of his company after long captiuitie escaped Pamphilo carried with him sixe hundred men about the Riuer of Palmes his ships were wracked and most of the Spaniards drowned A few escaped drowning but twelue fell mad and like Dogges sought to woorrie each other Scarcely tenne returned into Spaine These comming to Mexico reported that they had restored three dead men to life I rather beleeue saith Benzo that they killed foure quicke men Don Ferdinando de Soto enriched with the spoiles of Atibaliba King of Peru in which action he was a Captain and Horseman heere found place to spend that which there hee had gotten For hauing obtained the gouernment of Florida and gathered a band of sixe hundred men for that Expedition in it he spent fiue yeares searching for Minerals till hee lost himselfe Iulian Samado and Ahumada made sute for the like grant but could not obtaine it Fryer Luys de Beluastro and other Dominicks had vndertaken by the way of preaching to haue reduced the Floridians to Christianity and the Spanish obedience and were sent at the Emperours charge but no sooner set foot on shore then hee and two of his companions were taken by the Sauages and cruelly slaine and eaten their shauen scalpes being hanged vp in their Temple for a monument This hapned in the yeere 1549. In the yeere 1524. Francis the first the French King had sent Iohn de Verrazano hither but because hee rather sought to discouer all along the Coast then to search or settle within Land I passe him ouer In the yeere 1562. That Worthy of France Chastillon Champion of Religion and of his Countrey sent Captaine Iohn Ribault to discouer and Plant in these parts which his Voyage and Plantation is written by Rene Laudonniere one employed therein Hee left Capt. Albert there with some of his company who built a Fort called Charles Fort but this Albert was slaine in a mutiny by his Souldiers and they returning home were so pursued by Famine the Pursuiuant of Diuine Iustice that after their Shooes and Leather Ierkins eaten their drinke being Sea-water or their owne Vrine they killed and ate vp one of their owne company Laudonniere was sent thither againe to inhabite Anno 1564. and the next yeere Ribault was sent to supply his place But vncouth Famine had so wasted and consumed the French before his arriuall that the very bones of most of the Souldiers pierced thorow their starued skinnes in many places of their bodies as if they would now trust the emptie hands no longer but would become their owne Purueyers and looke out for themselues And yet better it is to fall into the hands of God then of mercilesse men Famine being but a meere Executioner to Gods Iustice but these executing also a Diuellish malice Such were the Spaniards who were sent thither vnder the conduct of Don Pedro Melendes which massacred all of euery sexe and age which they found in the fort and Ribault being cast by shipwracke on the shore and receiued of Vallemandus the Spaniard with promises of all kindnesse was cruelly murthered with all his company except some few which they reserued for their owne employments The manner of it is at large handled by Laudonniere by Morgues by Challusius which were as brands by diuine hand plucked out of the Spanish combustion The Petition or Supplication put vp by the Orphanes Widowes and distressed kindred of that massacred number to Charles the Ninth mentioneth nine hundred which perished in this bloudy deluge The Spaniards hauing laid the foundations of their habitation in bloud found it too slippery to build any sure habitation thereon For their cruelties both to the French and Floridians were retorted vpon themselues in the yeere 1567. by Monsieur Dominique de Gorgues and his Associates assisted by the Natiue inhabitants and Florida was left destitute of Christian Inhabitants Thus hath Florida beene first courted by the English wooed by the Spanish almost wonne by the French and yet remaines a rich and beautifull Virgin waiting till the Neighbour Virginia bestow on her an English Bridegroome who as making the first loue may lay the iustest challenge vnto her Her riches are such that Cabeza de Vaca who was one of Naruaes wracked companie and Sotos Corriuall in this Floridian sute and had trauelled thorow a great part of the In-land affirmed to Charles the Emperour that Florida was the richest Countrey of the World and that he had therein seene Gold and Siluer and Stones of great value Besides there is great varietie of Trees Fruits Fowles Beasts Beares Leopards Ounces Wolues wilde Dogges Goats Hares Conies Deere Oxen with woolly hydes Camels backs and Horses manes Sir Iohn Hawkins his second Voyage published by Master Hakluyt mentioneth Vnicornes hornes amongst the Floridians which they weare about their necks whereof the French-men obtained many pieces and that they affirme there are many of those beasts with one horne which they put into the water before they drinke Haply this might be a tale of the French to sell such pieces deare to the English or the horne of some other beast or of the Sea-Vnicorne Our Discourse hath most right vnto their Rites For their many Cities the manner of their building the manners of their Inhabitants I would not bee so long Morgues hath let vs see them in the Pictures They wall or impale them with posts fastned in the ground the circle as of a Snaile comming within that point where it began and leauing a way but for two men to enter at either end of that double empaling or entrance stand two Watch-towres one within the other without the Citie where Watch-men alway are set for defence their houses are round their apparell nakednesse except a beasts skin or some ornament of Mosse about their secret parts They paint and raze their skins with great cunning the smart makes them sicke seuen or eight dayes after they rubbe ouer those rased workes with a certaine herbe which coloureth the same so as it cannot be done away They paint their faces and their skins cunningly this Morgues a Painter being Iudge euen to admiration They let the nailes on their toes and fingers
a farre Countrey and their King returned againe and said he would send such as should rule them And he hath now sent these Spaniards saith he Hereupon he counselled them to yeeld themselues Vassals to the Emperour which they did at his command though with many teares on his part and theirs at this farewell of their libertie Mutezuma presently gaue to Cortes in the name of tribute a great quantitie of Gold and other Iewels which amounted to sixteene hundred thousand Castlins of Gold besides Siluer §. III. The conquest of Mexico CORTES had hitherto a continuall victory in Mexico without any fight but newes was brought him of Pamphilo de Naruaes who was sent yywith eighty horse and some hundreths of Spaniards by Velasques to interrupt the proceedings of Cortes who leauing two hundred men in Mexico with 250. other came suddenly in the night and took Neruaes prisoner and returned to Mexico with Naruaes his company now his followers also where he found his men exceedingly distressed by the Citizens for a murther committed in the great Temple at a solemn Feast where in a religious dance they were slaine for the rich garments and Iewels they ware by the Spaniards Cortes came in good time for the reliefe of his men and Mutezuma caused the Mexicans to bridle their rage which presently was renued and when Mutezuma was againe by his Guardians the Spaniards caused to speake to the people a blow of a stone on his temple wounded him whereof three dayes after he died Cortes had some thousands of the Tlaxoltecas to help him but was driuen to fly from Mexico with all his Spaniards and Indians which he did closely in the night but yet an all-arme was raised and the bridges being broken much slaughter of his people was made by the Mexicans and all his treasure in manner lost They pursued after him also and had two hundred thousand in the field when it was Cortes his good hap to slay the Standard-bearer whereupon the Indians forsooke the field This battell was fought at Otumpan At Tlazcallan he and his were kindly entertained they had prepared before 50000. men to goe to Mexico for his helpe and now they promised him all offices of loyaltie and seruice With their helpe he subdued Tepeacac and built certaine Brigandines and Frigats which were carried many leagues on the backs of those Indians and there fastned and finished without which he could neuer haue wonne Mexico In Tezcuco certaine Spaniards had been taken sacrificed and eaten which Cortes now reuenged on them Eight thousand men had carried the loose pieces and Timber of this Nauie guarded with twenty thousand Tlaxcalans and a thousand Tamemez or Porters which carried victuals attending They calked them with Towe and for want of Tallow and Oyle they vsed Mans Grease of such as had been slaine in the Warres For so the Indians vsed to take out the Grease of their Sacrifices Cortes had here nine hundred Spaniards of which fourescore and sixe were horsemen three cast Pieces of iron fifteene small Peeces of Brasse and a thousand weight of Powder and 100000 Indian Souldiers on his side Hee made a fluce or trench aboue twelue foot broad and two fathome deepe halfe a league long in which forty thousand men wrought fifty dayes He lanched his Vessels and soone ouercame all the Canoas of the Lake or which were reckoned in all fiue thousand The Spaniards brake the Conduits of sweet water wherewith the Citie was wont to be serued Quabutimoc now the new King of Mexico receiuing incouragement from the diuellish Oracle caused to breake downe the Bridges and to exercise whatsoeuer wit or strength could doe in defence of his City somtimes conquering sometimes as is the doubtfull chance of warre conquered Cortes had in Tezcuco ordained a new King a Christian Indian of the royall bloud who much assisted him in this siege The Spaniards being Lords of the Lake and of the Causeys by helpe of their Galliots and Ordnance they fiered a great part of the Citie One day the Mexicans had gotten some aduantage and thereupon celebrated a Feast of Victory The Priests went vp into the Towers of Tlalelulco their chiefe Temple and made there perfumes of sweet Gummes in token of victory and sacrificed forty Spaniards which they had taken captiues opening their breasts and plucking out their hearts sprinkling their bloud in the Aire their fellowes looking on and not able to reuenge it They slew likewise many Indians and foure Spaniards of Aluarado's company whom they are in the open sight of the Armie The Mexicans danced dranke themselues drunke made bonefires strucke vp their Drummes and made all solemne expressings of ioy Dread Disdaine and all the Furies that Passion or Compassion could coniure vp had now filled the Spaniards hearts and their Indian partakers and Cortes that hitherto had hoped to reserue some part of the Citie now did the vtmost that Rage and Reuenge could effect helped no lesse within with Famine and Pestilence then with Sword and Fire without At last Mexico is razed the Earth and Water sharing betwixt them what Fire had left and all which had sometime challenged a lofty inheritance in the Ayre Their King also was taken all that mighty State subuerted And as the Mexicans before had prophecied That the Tlaxantleca's should againe build the Citie if conquered for them if conquerors for the Spaniards It was re-builded with a hundred thousand houses fairer and stronger then before The siege lasted three moneths and had therein two hundred thousand Indians nine hundred Spaniards fourescore Horses seuenteene Peeces of Ordinance thirteene Galliots and sixe thousand Canoas Fifty Spaniards were slaine and sixe Horses Of the Mexicans a hundred thousand besides those which died of hunger and Pestilence This was effected Anno 1521. on the thirteenth day of August which for that cause is kept festiuall euery yeere For the Description of the Country wherein Mexico is situate Cortes in his second Narration to the Emperour saith it is enuironed with hils He telleth of some hils also in his iourney wherein diuers of his people died with cold in the middest is a plaine of 70. leagues compasse and therein two lakes which extend the circuit of fifty leagues the one salt which ebbeth and floweth an argument for Patritius his opinion that saltnesse is a chiefe cause of that vicissitude of ebbing and flowing in the Ocean the other fresh When the Water of the salt Lake increaseth it runneth like a violent streame into the fresh Lake which when it increaseth is repaired againe by the like issue of this into the former Nunno di Gusman hath written his expedition into Mechoacan and other Countries of New-Spaine 1530. subduing and taking possession for the Emperour Hee found some of them Sodomites others Sacrificers of mens flesh and some closely practising this butcherie after they had professed themselues Christians none of them which durst looke a Horse in the face but were afraid that that Beast
when there seemed defect of these Sacrifices to goe to their Kings telling them that their Gods died for hunger and therefore should be remembred Then assembled they their people to warres to furnish their bloudy Altars There happened a strange accident in one of these Sacrifices reported by men of worthy credit That the Spaniards beholding these Sacrifices a young man whose heart was newly plucked out and himselfe tumbled downe the staires when he came to the bottome he said to the Spaniards in his Language Knights they haue slaine me The Indians themselues grew weary of these cruell Rites and therefore they easily embraced the Spaniards Christianitie Yea Cortes writ to the Emperour Charles that those of Mechoacan sent to him for his Law being weary of their owne as not seeming good vnto them Some of the Spaniards were thus sacrificed at Tescuco and their Horse-skinnes tanned in the haire and hung vp with the Horse-shooes in the great Temple and next to them the Spaniards garments for a perpetuall memory At the siege of Mexico they sacrificed at one time in sight of their Countrimen forty Spaniards The Mexicans besides their cruelties had other vnbeseeming Rites in their Religion as to eate and drinke to the name of their Idols to pisse in the honour of them carrying them vpon their shoulders to anoint and besmeare themselues filthily and other things both ridiculous and lamentable They were so deuout in their Superstitions and superstitious in their deuotions that before they would eate or drinke they would take a little quantitie and offer it to the Sun and to the Earth And if they gather Corne Fruit or Roses they would take a leafe before they would smell it and offer the same he which did not thus was accounted neither louing nor loued of God The Mexicans in the siege of their Citie being brought to all extremities spake thus as Lopez reporteth vnto Cortes Considering that thou art the childe of the Sunne why doest thou not entreat the Sunne thy Father to make an end of vs O Sun that canst goe round about the World in a day and a night make an end of vs and take vs out of this miserable life for we desire death to goe and rest with our God Quetcanath who tarrieth for vs CHAP XII Of the Religious places and persons in New-Spaine wherein is also handled their Penance Marriages Burials and other Rites performed by their Priests §. I. Of their Temples WE haue already mentioned the Temple of Vitziliputzli in Mexico which requireth our further description It was built of great stones in fashion of Snakes tyed one to another and had a great circuit called Coatepantly that is a circuit of Snakes Vpon the top of euery Chappell or Oratorie where the Idols were was a fine pillar wrought with small stones blacke as Iet the ground raised vp with white and red which below gaue a great light Vpon the top of the Pillar were Battlements wrought like Snailes supported by two Indians of stone sitting holding Candlesticks in their hands were like Croysants garnished and enriched at the ends with yellow and greene feathers and long fringes of the same Within the circuit of this Court there were many chambers of Religious men and others that were appointed for the Priests and Popes This Court is so great and spacious that eight or ten thousand persons did dance easily in a round holding hands which was an vsuall custome there howsoeuer it seemeth incredible Cortes relateth that within the compasse of the wall a Citie of fiue hundred houses might haue beene builded round about encompassed with goodly buildings Hals and Cloisters for the Religious Votaries to dwell in In that circuit he numbereth forty high Towers well built to which the ascent was by fifty steps or staires the least of them as high as the steeple of the Cathedrall Church in Siuill The stone-worke as curious as in any place full of grauen and painted imagerie All these Towers were sepulchres of great Lords and had each of them a Chappell to some speciall Idol There were there three large Hals with their Chappels annexed into which none but certaine Religious men might enter both full of Images the chiefe of which Cortes cast downe and in stead thereof placed the Image of the Euer-blessed neuer worthy to bee dignified with indignitie the glorious Virgin and Mother our Lord with such other Saints There were foure gates or entries at the East West North and South at euery of which began a faire Causey of two or three leagues long There were in the midst of the Lake wherein Mexico is built foure large causies Vpon euery entry was a God or Idol hauing the visage turned to the causie right against the Temple gate of Vitzliputzli There were thirty steps of thirty fadome long diuided from the circuit of the court by a street that went betweene them Vpon the top of these steps there was a walke of thirty foot broad all plastered with chalke in the midst of which walke was a Pallisado artificially made of very high Trees planted in order a fadome asunder These Trees were very bigge and all pierced with small holes from the foot to the top and there were rods did runne from one Tree to another to which were tied many dead mens heads Vpon euery rod were many skuls and these rankes of skuls continued from the foot to the top of the Tree This Pallisado was full of dead mens skuls from one end to the other which were the heads of such as had bin sacrificed For after the flesh was eaten the head was deliuered to the Priests who tied them in this sort vntill they fell off by morsels Vpon the top of the Temple were two stones or Chappels and in them the two Images Vitziluputzli and Tlaloc These Chappels were carued and grauen very artificially and so high that to ascend vp to them there were an hundred and twenty staires of stone Before these Chappels there was a Court of forty foot square in the midst whereof was a high stone of fiue hand breadth pointed in fashion of a Pyramide placed there for the sacrificing of men as is before shewed Gomara saith that this and other their Temples were called Teucalli which signifieth Gods house This Temple he saith was square containing euery way as much as a Crosse-bow can shoot leuell in the middest stood a mount of earth and stone fifty fadome long euery way built Pyramide-fashion saue that the top was flat and ten fadome square It had two such Pyramide Stones or Altars for Sacrifice painted with monstrous figures Euery Chappell had three lofts one aboue another sustained vpon Pillars From thence the eye with much pleasure might behold all about the Lake Besides this Tower there were forty other Towres belonging to other inferiour Temples which were of the same fashion onely their prospect was not Westward to make difference Some of those Temples were bigger then
vpon him He was solemnely inaugurated accordingly Hee was of comely person well fauoured affable easie and apt to ill counsell but dangerous in the end to the giuer of good capacity and ready wit about forty six yeeres of age much affected to Necromancie made shew of great Deuotion and Religion not Learned of a sudden apprehension very precipitate subtle a naturall good Oratour reuengefull not much giuen to luxury temperate in dyet Heroicall in outward shew one which gaue great entertaynment to forreigne Embassadours sent rich Presents to forreigne Kings to illustrate his owne greatnesse Hee now desired league by his Embassadours sent with Letters and Presents to the Emperour Pole Dane Swethen which the three last refused but vpon conditions to his loffe To them adhered those which loued him not and procured his ruine Hee continued the same course of gouernment but made shew of more security and liberty to the Subiect Still fearing his owne safety and continuance he desired to match his Daughter with Hartique Hans the King of Denmarks third Sonne Conditions were agreed on time appointed for the Marriage but this valorous hopefull Prince on that day whereon he should haue beene married dyed in the Musco Not long after he was put to extreame exigents by the Crimme the Pole and Swethen all inuading the neerest Confines Bodan Belskoy the old Emperours Minion vpon whom hee serued Boris his trusty turne making him away and so opening a way to that which Boris aymed at none being also better able to bring in subiection the aduerse Nobilitie and others was rewarded with such recompence as vsually followeth such trecherous Instruments Boris and the Empresse fearing his subtle wit found occasions and placed him remote with his Confederates sure as they thought But he in the time of his greatnesse hauing conuayed infinite Treasure now vseth it to reuenge and ioyning with many discontented Nobles stirres vp the King and Palatines of Poland with the power of Lithuania and with a meane Army hoping of assistance in Russia gaue out that they brought the true Dmetrius Sonne to Iuan Vasilowich Boris wants courage to fight notwithstanding sufficient preparations hee his Wife Sonne and Daughter tooke poyson whereof three presently dyed the Sonne liued to bee proclaymed but quickly dyed And now the Counterfeit Demetrius was admitted and crowned Sonne to a Priest sometimes carried Aquauitae to sell about the Country Married the Palatines Daughter and permitting the Poles to domineere ouer the Russe Nobility and to set their courses of Religion and Iustice out of ioynt hauing rooted out Boris his faction and Family c. The Russes conspire and kill Demetrius take him out of his bed dragge him on the Terras the Gunners and Souldiers thrust their Kniues in his body hacke hew and mangle his head body and legs carry it to the Market place shew it for three dayes about the City the people cursing him and the Traytors that brought him The Palatine his Daughter were conuayed away A new Election was made two propounded Knez Iuan Mishtelloskoy and Knez Vasily Petrowich Suskoy this was chosen and crowned but summoned as a Vassall by a Herald of Armes to yeeld obedience to the Crowne of Poland The Pole strikes the Iron whiles it is hote hauing gotten good footing amongst them inuades Russia repossesses the Musco takes Suscoy and diuers Nobles which are carried Captiues to Vilna chiefe Citie of Lituania Now the Poles tyrannise ouer the Russe more then before seize on their goods money and best things which they conuay into Polaud and Lituania But those hidden by Iuan Vasilowich and Boris in secret places doubtlesse remayne vndiscouered by reason the parties which had beene therein employed were still made away The Russe submits to the Pole desires Stanislaus his Sonne to liue and Reigne ouer and amongst them but that King and State would not herein trust them with their hope of Succession nor doe them so much honour but rule by their Presidents c. The Luganoie Nagoie and Chercas Tartars long setled in obedience to the Russe and best vsed by them now straitned of their wonted Salaries and vsage hate the Pole take armes in great numbers robbed spoyled killed carried away many of them with their rich booties before gotten the Russe Nobilitie tooke heart againe and bethinke them of another Emperour The Sonne of the Archbishop of Restona now Patriarch of Mosco Sonne to Mekita Romanowich before mentioned borne before he was made a Bishop Michael Fedorowich is elected and crowned by generall consent of all Estates God send him long to Reigne with better successe then his Predecessors RELATIONS OF THE KINGDOME OF GOLCHONDA AND OTHER NEIGHBOVRING NATIONS within the Gulfe of BENGALA Arreccan Pegu Tannassery c. And the ENGLISH Trade in those Parts by Master WILLIAM METHOLD THe Gulfe of Bengala famous for its dimensions extendeth it selfe from the Cape called Comorijne lying in 8. degrees of North latitude vnto Chatigan the bottome thereof which being in 22. degrees is not lesse as the Coast lyeth then a 1000. English miles and in breadth 900. limited on the other side by Cape Singapura which lyeth in 1. degree of South latitude washeth the Coast of these great and fertile Kingdomes viz. Ziloan Bisnagar Golchonda Bengala Arreccan Pegu and Tanassery and receiueth into its bosome many Nauigable Riuers which lose their note and names in the eminent Neighbourhood of the famous Ganges whose vnknowne head pleasant streames and long extent haue amongst those Heathen Inhabitants by the Tradition of their Fore-fathers gained a beliefe of clensing all such sinnes as the bodies of those that wash therein brought with them for which cause many are the Pilgrimes that resort from farre to this lasting Iubilee with some of whom I haue had conference and from their owne reports I insert this their beliefe The Island of Zeloan our Nation hath onely lookt vpon en passant the Portugals that clayme all East India by donation hold a great part of this in subiection and with such assurance that they beleeue they can make it good against all their Enemies yet are not they the onely Lords thereof for the naturall Inhabitants haue also their King commonly called the King of Candy with whom the Danes had not long since a fruitlesse treaty for commerce which falling short of their expectation they fortified vpon the Mayne not far from Negapatnam at a place called Trangabay with what successe or hopes of benefit I cannot relate The first Kingdome vpon the Mayne is that ancient one of Bisnagar rent at this time into seuerall Prouinces or Gouernments held by the Naickes of that Countrey in their owne right for since the last King who deceased about fiftene yeeres since there haue arisen seuerall Competitors for the Crowne vnto whom the Naickes haue adhered according to their factions or affections from whence hath followed a continuall Ciuill Warre in some parts of the Countrey and
possessed the Throne which Almahadi in a great battell recouered Anno 404. but lost it soone after with his life and Isen was restored Alhameri was made Alhagiber Viceroy The Countrey was spoyled and neere Corduba almost dispeopled by Barbarians Zuleman also and Almahadis Sonne in diuers parts doing much harme against whem Isen hired Earle Sarcius restoring six Castles to him which Almanzor had taken Zuleman wan Corduba and Isen fled into Africa Now was all in combustion Ali Alcazin Hyahye Cazim Mahomet Abderramen Mahomet Hyahya Iris Isen successiuely starting in and out of the Throne so that the Kingdome of Corduba failed and euery man made himselfe Master of his charge and vsurped what he could The Ommian Race fayling the Almorauides of Africa An. 484. possessed the Kingdome Ioseph Sonne of Tessephin being called to helpe one against the other and taking all into his owne dominion He made Morocco his Seat Royall Ali his Sonne succeeded and Tessephim his Sonne was deposed An. 539. The Almoades extinguished the Almorauides After many changes and chances the Realme of Granado was erected which continued aboue two hundred and fifty yeeres vnder these Kings successiuely Mahomet Alen Alhamar Mir Almus Aben Azar Aben Leuin Ismael Mahumet Ioseph Lagus Mahumet Mah. Guadix Ioseph Balua Ioseph Aben Azar Mah. the little Ioseph M. Aben Ozmen Ismael Muley Alboracen Mah. Boabdelin Muley Boabdelin expelled by Ferdinand and Isabella A. 1492. A Relation of the Kings of Barbary after the ending of the Egyptian Chalifas to the present Xeriffian Family taken out of a Spanish Booke of that argument ABtilhac was the first King Merin in Fez He had Sonnes A Bucar and Iacob Bucar the which Iacob was Lord of Ramatto and Abtilhac left his Kingdome in his life time to his Sonne Bucar Bucar had for Sonne Yahia This Bucar ouercame King Abtolcader and dyed in the battell and he said Yahia was King vnder protection of his Vncle Iacob which was Lord of Ramatto Yahia dyed a child without issue and the said Iacob Bucar his Vncle remayned King which afterward caused himselfe to be called Muley Xeh which signifieth old King This King built new Fez which is called the white Citie hee ouercame Budebuz King of Marweccos and sometimes was Lord of Tremesen Tumbe and Sojumenza and in the yeere of our Lord 1264. he entred Spaine being called by the King of Granado Hee had three Sonnes Abuçait Aben Iacob and Aben Iucef Abuçait Abuçayt after that his father had gained Tremezen was left for King there he had one Son a child whose name is not knowne and Abuhamo begotten vpon a Christian woman Abuçait reigning in Tremezen his father Iacob Aben Iucef dyed and his younger Son Aben Iacob reigned in his steed in Marweccos Sojumenza and Algarue and besieged Tremezen against his brother Abuçait and the said Aben Iacob left two Sonnes Abucale and Aliborregira which afterward was drowned by Aborabec Abucalec the eldest Sonne of Aben Iacob had a Sonne called Abuhumer who dyed and was neuer King himselfe But left two Sons Botheyd and Aborabec both which were Kings Abuçait dying at the end of foure yeeres left as I said before two Sonnes the eldest for vnderstanding we call the Old who reigned a yeere and a halfe after the death of his father and dyed without issue and Abuhamo which afterward was King in his steed The foresaid child being dead his brother Abuhamo reigned in his steed who afterward was called Abuhertab and his Vncle Aben Iacob besieged him in Tremezen seuen yeeres after whose death the siege was raysed and the said Abuhamo afterward with the ayde of D. Iayme of Aragon gained Ceuet in the yeere of our Lord 1310. After that Aben Iacob was dead his Sonne Abucalee tooke possession of the new Citie but his Vncle for hatred that he bore him caused them to receiue for King Botheyd who was Sonne vnto Abuhamer that dyed and neuer had beene King himselfe and the said Botheyd pursued Abucalee and slue him and reigned after him Botheyd after that his Vncle had saluted him for King dyed without issue After that Botheyd was dead the Christians raysed his brother Aborabe for King Then the Moores would haue had Ali Berregira King younger Sonne to Aben Iacob which was the sixt King and so after much warres betweene them at length Aborabee ouercame him and commanded him to bee drowned And after Aborabee had reigned two yeeres he dyed without issue After Aborabee dyed his great Vncle Aben Iucef Abuçayt was made King in Fez hee had two Sonnes Abohali and Abuhaçen This Aben Iucef Abuçait gained many Cities in Spaine in the yeere of our Lord 1318. and 1322. Albohali wounded his father in the warres and made himselfe to bee called King of Fez and his father being sicke besieged him and they came to agreement that his father should giue him Sojumensa and the halfe of the treasure of Fez and his father should remayne with Marweccos Algarue and Fez The said Albohali had two Sonnes Buzayn and Bahamon Albuhazen was receiued for King in the life of his father for his brother Albohali was disinherited for wounding his father This Albuhaçen had three Sonnes Abtulmalic Abtolrahmin and Abuhenan he was King of Fez Marueccos Algarue Sojumenza Tremezen and Tunes Abtulmalic was King of Algezira he past into Spaine in the yeere of our Lord 1340. and was ouercome by the Christians which they call La victoria del salido and in the warres of Xeres hee dyed Abtolramin his other brother rose with the Citie Mequines and his Father cut off his head Abuhenan rose with the Kingdome of Fez and fought against his father Albuhaçen ouercame him he made in Fez the Colledge which is called The Colledge of Abuhenan He had three Sonnes Muley Buçayt and Muley Zaet and Iacob Abuçayt sent his brother Zaet to succour Gibraltar who was taken Prisoner by the Kings of Granada and Abuçayt was killed by his owne subiects leauing one Sonne called Abtilhac Zaet vnderstanding the death of his brother got liberty and ayde of the King of Grada and recouered Fez After the death of Zaet Abtilhac Sonne of Abuçayt was King who was slaine by treason by one of his owne subiects who thought to vsurpe the Kingdome but Zaet Benimerine next heire vnto Abtilhac recouered it againe by force of armes within few moneths and put to death the Vsurper Zaet left for heires two Sonnes Muley Mahamet and Muley Nacer Muley Mahamet succeeded his father in the Kingdome and had two Sonnes to wit Muley Ahmat and Muley Naçant Muley Ahmat succeeded his father and had one Daughter called Lalalu which was forced to marry with the Xarife and dyed without issue for griefe of the death of her father and three Sonnes Muley Bucar which dyed in the warre when King Buhason recouered Fez and Muley Muhamet and Muley Alcasery which was King vpon conditions in the absence of his
putant nominare De N. D. lib. 3. a Lucian de Astrologia b Strabo l 17. c Diod. Sic. l. 1. d Luc. de Sacra e Solin Am. Marc. f Euseb praepar. Euang. l. 2. c. 1. g Strabo l. 17. Vid. Naz. Orat. 24. ad cum Eliam Cret h Solinus Plutarch i De Ciuit. Dei l. 18. c. 5. k Vid Hieroglyph Gorop l. 4. l Suidas m Euseb Chron. n Apol. Biblieth l. 1. c. 2. o Scal. in Eus p Cael. Cal. de reb. Egyptiacis q Viu in Aug. de Ciu. Dei l. 18. c. 5. r Vbi supra ſ Gen. 30.39 t Varijsque coloribus Apis. Ouid. Met. 9. u Bulling Orig. Error x Suidas y Macrob. z Orig. cont Celsum lib. 3. a Ioach Vaget Geographist b Sup. l 3. c. 6. c G. Dous Itinerar d Strabo lib. 17. Stuckius de sacris sacrificijsque Gentilium de his fusius. Vid. Clem. Paren Meruetum e Vid Gesner de quadrup Aelian de an lib. 10 c. 30. f Iuuen. Sat. 15. see that whole Satyre Aelian de an lib. 10. cap. 21. g P. Bellon ob h Volat. Scalig. writes of a Leaden Crododile framed by art to chase away these beasts moltē after by Achmed Ben-Tolon ep ad Vaz i Diodor. Sic. l. 1 k Aelian de an l. 10. c. 23. e L. Pig mens Isiac exp f Ios. cont Ap. lib. 2. g Ioh. 3.14 h Vines in August i Ortel ex Clement Min. Foelice k In Es c. 46. cap. 12. alias l Ae. Var. l. 13. cap. 22. Strab. lib. 14. mentions a Temple and Image of Homer at Smyrna , with a coyne called Homerium m Plut. de Osir Is n See Acosta Gomara and our Picture booke Tom. 2. lib. 5. o Peut de Diuinat Idem Canic dies S. Maioli part 2. Colloq 1. p Sard. lib. 3. cap. 15. q Triflesque Eusiridis aras r Tab. Isiaca Bembi In Aegypto Canicipites Serpenticipites Afinicipites c. postea Vanae contrariae superstitionis aquam in praecipua veneratione habent ea tamen se abluuni Athanas cont Gent. idem Iustinus Mart. Apolog 2. Cyprian ad V. ſ Theod. Ser. 1. t Am. de Abraeham l. 2. c vlt u Vid. Brerew Enq. cap. 13. x Ael de Animal l. 10. c. 16. y Crol de signaturis z Drus de 3. sectis lib. 2. a Io. Boem. lib. 1 cap. 5. H. Roman de rep G. l. 3. c. 4. b Sard. l. 3. c. 18. Herod l. 2. c Du Bartas Colonies d Tert. Exhort ad Castitatem De Orig. c. 17. c. Raziel e Gramay As f Moresm Dep. rel g Magini Ptol. Pol. de inuentoribus Beroal in Apuleium h Draudius in Solinum i Aelian Var. hist l. 14. c. 34. k Alex. ab Alex. Gen dier l. 2. c. 8. l Ios. cont Ap. lib. 1. is qui super Egyptiaca sacra erat constitutus Hel. hi. Aeth l. 7. Herod l. 2. saith that they had 341. Priests and as many Kings before his time m Philost de vit Apol. lib. 6. c. 3. n Domitiano Imperatore o Pius 2. Asia p Pol. Vir. l. 3. * Herod lib. 2. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Hospin de Fest cap. 7. a Plut. de Os b Lib. 2. c Coel. Rhod. l. 7. cap. 17. d Plut. ibid. e Hosp. cap. 27. f M. F. Octau Arnob. contra gentes lib. 2. g Viues in Annot ad Aug. de Ciuit Dei lib. 8. cap. 27. Vide ante lib. 1. cap. 17. h De Osir i Peucer de Diuinat S. Ma. Di. Can. pag 2. co ' 2. k Achil. Stat. lib. 2. 3. * Antiq. 18.4 * Sueton. in Vit a Laur. Coru. b Ios. Ant. l. 1.8 c Dom. Nig. Aph. Com. 3. Clein Strom. l. 1. Bas in princip prou Girana Cos l. 2. Cic de diu l. 1. A. Theuet de mundo nouo c. 4. d G. B. in Exod. trac 6. e L. 14. 34. * Sophocles in Oedip. vid. Scholiast ib. ex Nymphod f Del'Orig de Langues c. 40. c. g Nazion Orat 3 adu Iul. Elias Cret h Flau. Vopisc Saturnius Trebellius Pollio testifieth the like in his Triginta Tyrannis . i Timberlies booke describeth this at large Sandys k Dionis Nicaei Adr. l Aelius Spartianus in Adriano Prudent cont Symmachum l. 1. Iustin Martyr Apol. 2. m Choul della Relig. Rom. Antich n Am. Mar. l. 22. o Diophantes Lacedem apud Stuckium de sacris p Coelius Rhodig Lectionum adtiq l. 16.3 q Polyb. Hist l. 15. c. 31. Exod. 1 c. r Tes Pot. 3. part pag 169. hath a whole discourse of them ſ Prou. 7.10 t Dion Cass l. 54. a Herod l. 3. Ioseph Antiq. b Iustin l. 1. c Strab. l. 17. describeth the forme of their Temples d Thucid l. 1. Aelian var. hist l. 6. c. 8. e Curt. lib. 4. Arrian l. 3. f Adrichom Theat T. San. g See Auson de clar vrb h Lydyat Emb. Temp. i Herodian l. 7. k Legidarum imperium regum series Stra. L. 17. Niceph. patr Eutrop. l. 6. 7. Ir. Patrit Panarch l. 9. Idem l. 16. l Some learned men are of opinion that these pretensed bookes of Hermes as also the Oracles of Sybill which are extant were but counterfeits of some Christians seeking to winne Heathens by such proofe worse then Heathennish Idem l. 16. m Strab. l. 17. n Brer de pond Cap. 10. Her Thal. o Arrian lib. 6. Plut. Pomp. Bud. de Asse a Diod. Sic. c. 1. b Naucrates ap Eustat in Praefat Odyss c Strab. l. 1. d Athen. l. 1. e Ioseph Ant. lib. 12. c. 2. Aristaeus f Epiph. de ponder Cedren * Sen. de Tranq cap. 9. g Gel. l. 6. c. vlt. Am. l. 22. Isid habet falso 70. pro 700. u Lips de Bibliothec c. 4. x Plut. Anton. y Sueton. in Tiber Plin. in Epist. de Sit. Ital. c. z Plin. l 35. c. 2. * Cic. Ossic l. 3. Alphons Rex Hisp a Sir Tho. Bodlie Founder of the famous Library at Oxford I might also here mention the Honorable care of D. King L.B. of London for that of Christ Church and many many other worthy Benefactors in both Vniuersities but their Memorials are there euerie Booke euerie Page euerie stone being more complete Panegyrikes of their praise then the complementall Oration of the best Orator b Studiosa quaedam luxuria c Strab. l. 17. Athen l. 1. d Philostrat. de Dionys sophista e Athen. l. 15. f Ruff l. 2. c. 23. Theod. l. 5. c. 22. g Am. Marcel l. 22. Dionys saith as much or more Inter Serapidis templa celeberrimum apud Alexand Vetustiss Memphi hoc fanum subire nec hospit nec sacerdotib licet priusquam Apin sepelierint Pausan At. h Oros l. 1. c. 8. affirmeth that of Iosephs act Egypt is still witnesse vnto his time continuing the payment of the fift part of their profits to the King i Story of Tyrannus
terrible crueltie that a few blowes may either lame or kill the partie And therefore no King is more feared then these Mandarines or Magistrates In the middest of their Cities are Palaces of the Kings for these Officers to reside in In Paquin and Nanquin the multitude of these Magistrates is incredible one of these Cities contayning more then two thousand and fiue hundred as many as somewhere are of Citizens These all twice a day heare causes and execute iustice These Magistrates are no way comparable in wealth to the Nobles in Europe Their sentence against guiltie persons is without solemne furniture of words as Let him haue twentie strokes more or lesse which by those Canine Cane-men is suddenly executed the partie lying grouelling on the ground These Canes are cleft in the midst three or foure fingers broad twentie or thirtie blowes will spoyle the flesh fiftie or threescore will aske long time to be healed an hundred are vncurable They vse also the Strappado hoysing them vp and downe by the armes with a cord They bee aboue measure patient in hearing causes and their examinations are publique Condemned persons haue a pillory-boord fastned about their necke and hanging downe before them to the knees in which his Fellony or Treason is expressed which boord neither suffereth them well to sit or lye to eate or sleepe and in fine killeth them There be in euery Metropolitane Citie foure principall houses for those chiefe Officers before mentioned the fourth for the Taissu wherein is the principall Gaole or Prison walled about high and strong with a gate of no lesse force within the same are three other gates before you come where the prisoners lye in the meane space are such as watch and ward day and night The prison within is so great that in it are streets and market-places and neuer void of seuen or eight hundred men that goe at liberty In Canton alone are said to bee 15000. prisoners and in this and euery other Metropolitane Citie thirteene prisons sixe of which are alwayes possessed or doe possesse rather those which are condemned to death In euery of them are a hundred Souldiers with their Captayne to keepe them The offendors are allowed to worke in the day-time for their liuing for little almes are giuen in China and but a little Rice allowed them by the King Such prisoners as are in for debt haue a (null) appointed for payment at which if they fayle they are whipped and a new time assigned and so they proceed till the debt bee paid or the debtor dead If any man remoue his dwelling from one place to another the Neighbours cause a Cryer to proclaime it with ringing of a Bason that his creditors if hee haue any may come to demand their debts which the Neighbours if they neglect this dutie are charged with Executions of deadly sentence are seldome and that with many ceremonies Thus it comes to passe that of whippings and imprisonment there die thousands yeerely Theeues are slightly punished the first time The second they are burned with two characters on the arme the third receiueth the same punishment on the face If he steale oftner hee is whipped more or lesse or condemned for a certayne time to the Gallies This makes pilfries common for they are neuer done to death for the euery Many extraordinary crimes haue new deuised extraordinary punishments as after in this history followeth One had so freely libelled against the Kings tyrannies that many were cruelly tormented being thereof suspected and one by torments confessed the fact and was therefore a diudged to haue 1600. pieces of his flesh cut from him his head vntouched that his eyes might see this mangling and lastly his head cut off which amongst them is a great abomination Others accused of treason at Nanquin were forced to stand in those pillory boords till they rotted some continuing fifteene dayes in torment Those which our-liue their beatings must passe vnder the Surgeons hands for cure which ordinarily proue new tormentors except money make them propitious and this the Iesuites report of their owne fauours amongst them in all difficulties money hath bin their best friend without which is no friendship in China no Faith no Loue no Hope of them But by following Perera sometime a prisoner there into his prison others I find my selfe almost imprisoned and therfore will flee hence into their Temples there take Sanctuary Here they deale as madly with their gods as there with their men Yet first let vs take view of some rare workes of diuine Prouidence in this Countrey Ludouicus Georgius in his Map of China describeth a huge Lake in the Prouince of Sancij made by inundation in the yeere of our Lord 1557 . wherein were swallowed seuen Cities besides Townes and Villages and innumerable multitudes of people one only Child in a hollow tree escaping so great a destruction Such as escaped drowning were as Boterus addeth destroyed with fire from heauen Gasper de Cruz reciteth a Letter of the Mandarines to the King 1556. containing newes of a terrible Earth-quake in the Prouinces of Sanxi and Santon wherein the day waxed darke The earth opened the yeere before in many places vnder which was heard the noise as it were of bells there followed winde and raine The winde which they call Tufan is so violent that it driueth ships on the land ouerthroweth men and houses it commeth almost euery yeere once lasteth foure and twentie houres in which space it compasseth the Compasse In Vinyanfu the Earth-quake caused a fire to breake out which consumed all the Citie and innumerable people The like happened to another Citie neere it where none escaped It caused the Riuer at Leuchimen to encrease and drowne multitudes At Hien the fall of the houses slue eight thousand In Puchio the house of the Kings kinsmen fell and slue all therein but a child Cochu with fire from aboue and waters from beneath was left desolate At Enchinoen almost an hundred thousand perished At Inchumen the Riuer ebbed and flowed ten times in a day and night This perhaps was the same with that which Georgius and Boterus mention Boterus ascribeth vnto China seuentie millions of people whereas hee alloweth to Italy scarce nine and to Spaine lesse to England three to all Germany with the Switzers and Low-Countries but fifteene and as many to all France Lamentable it is that the Deuill should haue so great a tribute in this one Kingdome Gonsales in his Discourse of China translated by Parkes reckoneth I know not how truely almost seuen millions of Souldiers in continuall pay Dalmeida numbreth seuentie millions and two hundred and fiftie thousand Inhabitants besides Souldiers and reckoning but the principall in each Family often-times not aboue three of ten as their Bookes testifie I thought it not impertinent here to adde the Catalogue of the Kings of this countrey according to their owne stories which although it be in part fabulous as what ancient prophane
storie is not yet because I haue done thus in other Nations and haue so worthy a patterne in this as the Worthy of our Age Iosephus Scaliger pardon mee to trouble thee with this Chronicle of their Kings The first was Vitey a Gyant-like man a great Astrologer and Inuenter of Sciences hee reigned an hundred yeeres They name after him an hundred and sixteene Kings whose names our Author omitteth all which reigned two thousand two hundred fiftie and seuen yeeres all these were of his linage and so was Tzintzon the maker of that huge wall of China which killed many of the Chinois of whom hee tooke euery third man to this worke For which cause they slue him when he had reigned fortie yeeres with his sonne Aguizi They ordained King in his stead Auchosau who reigned twelue yeeres his sonne Futey succeeded and reigned seuen yeeres his wife eighteene his sonne three and twentie then followed Guntey foure and fiftie Guntey the second thirteene Ochantey fiue and twentie Coantey thirteene Tzentzey sixe and twentie and foure moneths Anthoy sixe Pintatcy fiue Tzintzumey three and seuen moneths Huy Hannon sixe Cuoum two and thirtie Bemthey eighteene Vnthey thirteene Othey seuenteene Yanthey eight moneths Antey nineteene yeeres Tantey three moneths Chitey one yeere Linthey two and twentie yeeres Yanthey one and thirtie yeeres Laupy one and fortie yeeres Cuythey fiue and twntie yeeres Fontey seuenteene yeeres Fifteene other Kings reigned in all one hundred seuentie and sixe yeeres The last of which was Quioutey whom Tzobu deposed who with seuen of his linage reigned threescore and two yeeres Cotey foure and twentie yeeres Dian sixe and fiftie yeeres Tym one and thirtie yeeres Tzuyn seuen and thirtie yeeres Tauco with his linage which were one and twentie reigned two hundred ninetie and foure yeres Bausa a Nunne wife of the last of them whom she slue one and fortie yeeres Tautzon slue her and reigned with his posteritie which were seuen Kings one hundred and thirtie yeeres Dian eighteene yeeres Outon fifteene yeeres Outzim nine yeeres and three moneths Tozon foure yeeres Auchin ten yeeres Zaytzon and seuenteene of his race three hundred and twentie yeeres Tepyna the last was dispossessed by Vzon the Tartar vnder whom and eight of his Tartarian successours China endured subiection ninetie and three yeeres Gombu or Hum-vu expelled Tzintzoum the last of them He with thirteene successours haue reigned about two hundred and fortie yeeres There computation of times is more prodigious then that of the Chaldaeans after which this present yeere of our Lord 1614. is in their account from the Creation 884793. CHAP. XIX Of the Religion vsed in China §. I. Of their Gods and Idols in former times HOw much the greater things are reported of this so large a Countrey and mightie a Kingdome so much the more compassion may it prouoke in Christian hearts that amongst so many people there is scarce a Christian who amongst so ample reuenues which that King possesseth payeth either heart or name vnto the King of Heauen till that in so huge a Vintage the Iesuites of late haue gleaned a few handfulls to this profession Before wee come to the Narration of their gods I thinke it fit to deliuer what our ancienter Authors haue obserued of their Religion and then to come to the Moderne They were before the Tartarian Conquest giuen to Astrologie and obserued Natiuities and gaue directions in all matters of weight These Astrologers or Magicians told Farfur the King of China or Mangi that his Kingdome should neuer be taken from him but by one which had a hundred eyes And such in name was Chinsanbaian the Tartarian Captaine which dispossessed him of his state and conquered it to the great Can about 1269. This Farfur liued in great delicacie nor did euer feare to meet with such an Argus He brought vp yeerely two hundred thousand Infants which their Parents could not prouide for and euery yeere on certaine of his Idoll-holy-dayes feasted his principall Magistrates and all the wealthiest Citizens of Quinsay ten thousand persons at once ten or twelue dayes together There were then some few Nestorian Christians one Church at Quinsay two at Cinghianfu and a few others They had many Idoll-Monasteries They burned their dead the kinsmen of the dead accompanied the corps clothed in Canuas with Musicke and Hymnes to their Idols and when they came to the fire they cast therein many papers wherein they had painted Slaues Horses Camels c. as of the Cathayans is before reported to serue him in the next world They returne after their Funerall Rites are finished with like harmony of Instruments and Voyces in honor of their Idols which haue receiued the soule of the deceased They had many Hospitals for the poore where idle persons were compelled to worke and poore impotents relieued Odoricus affirmeth that at Kaitan or Zaiton hee found two Couents of Minorite-Fryers and many Monasteries of Idolaters in one whereof hee was in which as it was told him were three thousand Votaries and eleuen thousand Idols One of those Idols lesse then some others was as big as the Popish Christopher These Idols they feed euery day with the smoake of hot meates set before them but the meate they eate themselues At Quinsay a Chinian conuert led him into a certaine Monastery where hee called to a Religious person and said This Raban Francus that is this Religious French-man commeth from the Sunne-setting and is now going to Cambaleth to pray for the life of the great Can and therefore you must shew him some strange sight Then the said Religious person tooke two great baskets full of broken reliques and led mee into a little walled Parke and vnlocked the doore We entred into a faire greene wherein was a Mount in forme of a steeple replenished with Hearbs and Trees Then did hee ring with a Bell at the sound whereof many Creatures like Apes Cats and Monkeyes came downe the Mount and some had faces like men to the number of some thousand and two hundred putting themselues in good order before whom he set a platter and gaue them those fragments Which when they had eaten he rung the second time and they all returned to their former places I wondred at the sight and demanded what creatures they were They are quoth he the soules of Noble-men which we here feed for the loue of GOD who gouerneth the World And as a man was honourable in his life so his soule entereth after death into the body of some excellent beast but the soules of simple and rusticall people possesse the bodies of more vile and brutish creatures Neither could I disswade him from the opinion or perswade him that any soule might remaine without a body Nic. di Conti saith that when they rise in the morning they turne their faces to the East and with their hands ioyned say God in Trinitie keepe vs in his Law §. II. Of their present Gods and Idols THeir Religion
Solemnities Pompes Holies and Religious Rites were their Inuention And therefore saith he Homer brings in Iupiter feasting with the Aethiopians The reward of their pietie was the Immunity of their Region from forreine Conquests Macrobius interpreteth Iupiters Banket with the Aethiopians of that Ocean which Antiquitie imagined to bee vnder all the Torrid Zone that the fiery bodies of the Starres supposed to bee nourished with moysture might there quench their thirst So would those good men drowne a great part of the African and American World in hospitality to the Starres by their imagined middle earth Ocean which experience hath now sufficiently confuted Cambyses attempted and lost his Armie and Semiramis entred but soone returned Hercules and Dionysius ouer-ran the rest of the World the Aethiopians eyther for their deuotion they would not or for their strength could not conquer The Egyptians some say were Colonies from hence yea Egypt it selfe the dregges of that soyle which Nilus carrieth out of Aethiopia The Aegyptians borrowed of the Ethiopians to esteeme their Kings as Gods and to haue such care of their Funerals the vse of Statues and their Hieroglyphicall Letters Pierius and others haue written therof at large Their best men they chose for their Priests he among them who when the God is carried about shall be possessed with some Bacchanall furie is chosen King as by diuine appointment and is of them worshipped as a God His gouernment is gouerned by Lawes They doe not put a Malefactor to death but an Officer is sent to him with the signe of death whereupon he goeth home and slayeth himselfe One would haue fled out of his Countrey but the Mother of the Malefactor killed him because he would not after his Country manner kill himselfe The Priests in Meroe exercised this authoritie as is before said ouer their Kings and would send them word that the Oracles of the Gods commanded them to die neither might they reiect the diuine dispensation and thus with arguments not with armes they perswaded them to a voluntary death But in the time of Ptolomeus Secundus King of Egypt King Ergamenes well skilled in the Greeke Sciences and Philosophie reiected that Superstition They say that the custome yet till Diodorus time remayneth that if the King bee maymed or by some accident want any member his Courtiers also will depriue themselues of the same Yea when the King dyed his friends thought it good fellowship to dye with him esteeming that death glorious and the surest testimony of friendship The Aethiopians dwelling neerer to Arabia armed their women in their warres till they attained to a certaine age the most of which ware a Ring of Brasse in their lip They which dwelt further vp into the Countrey were diuersly conceited of the Gods For some they thinke immortall as the Sunne Moone and the World some mortall as Pan Hercules Iupiter for their vertues exalted to that dignitie Strabo tels it in the singular number that they thought that God to bee immortall which is the cause of all things Their mortall God was vncertaine and wanted name but they most commonly esteemed their Kings and Benefactors for Gods Some that inhabit neerer the Line worshipped no Gods and were much offended with the Sunne and hiding themselues in the Fennes cursed him when hee did rise These things you may reade gathered out of Diodorus and Strabo in Coruinus Boemus Draudius and Thamaia with some other additions Sardus saith that the Aethiopians were Circumcised as were also besides the Iewes Egyptians and Arabians the Trogloditae Macrones Creophagi and Inhabitants of Thermodoon As we haue shewed of the Macrobij or long-liued Aethiopians so there were others called Brachobij of their shorter liues whereof were reckoned two sorts the Sidonij neere to the Red Sea and the Erembi which some take for the Trogloditae They liue not aboue forty yeeres Plutarch out of Asclepeiades reporteth the like saying that they were old men at thirty yeeres The same Author telleth that they and the Arabians could not indure Mice and that the Persian Magi did likewise esteeming them Creatures odious to God Alexander ab Alexandro writeth concerning the education of their Children that the Aethiopians seared their new borne Infants in the foreheads to preuent the distillations of Rheumes from the braine And when they are somewhat growne they make tryall of their forwardnesse by setting them on the backes of certaine Fowles on which if they sit in their flying without feare they bring them vp very carefully but if they shrinke and quake with feare they expose them as a degenerate issue vnworthy education Their Letters they wrote not side-wayes after the Greeke or Hebrew manner but after the present Chinian custome downwards They had seuen Characters euery of which had foure significations What manner of writing they now vse appeareth in Damianus à Goez or of Zaga Zabo rather an Aethiopian Bishop in his Treatise of their Religion done into Latine by Damianus but more fully in Iosephus Scaliger de Emendatione Temporum who hath lent vs a long Tractate in that language and writing with the same words expressed in Hebrew and Latine Characters and the interpretation of them also into Latine in foure seuerall Columnes He that listeth to reade some Philosophicall speculations of Nature in these Aethiopians wherein they differ and wherefore from others let him reade Coelius Rhodiginus of that Argument hee sayth that they were expert in naturall Magicke Nicephorus writes that Alexander the Great sent Assyrian Colonies into Aethiopia which many Ages after kept their owne Language and like enough their Religion The Nations of Aethiopia which are farre distant from Nilus are said to liue a miserable and beastly life not discerning in their lust Mother Daughter or any other name of kinred Of their ancient exploits wee haue no continued Historie About the time of Christ it appeareth that Candace was Queene of Ethiopia Shee was a manly Virago as Strabo testifieth who liued at the same time and followed Aelius Gallus in this Expedition Hee forced Candace to send her Ambassadours to Augustus for peace which shee obtayned Sextus Victor mentioneth this Ethiopian ambassage Plinie saith the name Candace continued to the Ethiopian Queenes many successions whence perhaps Diesserus collecteth that Ethiopia was gouerned onely by Queenes Dioclesian relinquished that part of Ethiopia which the Romanes held beyond Egypt as not able to beare the charges Iustinian sent his Ambassadours vnto Hellistans the Ethiopian King and to Esimiphaens King of the Homerites his Arabian neighbour to aide him against the Persian This Hellisthaeus had warred against the Homerites for quarrell of Religion because they were many of them Iewes and others Gentiles himselfe being a Christian and because they made many forrages into the Christian Countries He so farre preuailed as hee made that Esimiphaeus a Christian their King whose yoke they shooke off soone
after and Abram a slaue vsurped the State He had beene seruant to a Romane at Adulis a Citie of Ethiopia worthy mention especially in this matter for the ominous prosperitie of seruants For the Citie it selfe was built by fugitiue seruants which ranne from their Egyptian Masters and this Abram a seruant there obtayned to be a King neither could the Ethiopian with all his might depose him The like ambassage to Archetas King of Ethiopia was sent by Iustinus for and against the Persian both which I mention to shew the greatnesse at that time of his State nothing comparable notwithstanding to that which after befell them Among the Ethiopian Antiquities Plato testifies as Orosius cites him that many plagues and vncouth diseases infested and almost altogether destroyed Ethiopia about that time that Bacchus inuaded India If any delight himselfe in such Legendarie drosse as the counterfeit Abdias set forth by Wolfgangus Lazius hath in it touching the Magicians and Enchantments and some other ceremonies of Ethiopia I am loth to blot my paper with them not because we are not certaine of the truth for in others we may be deceiued but because wee are certaine of the errors so grosse that they may be seene and felt Maruell that Lazius an Historian would with his Notes illustrate such a hotchpotch of darknesse And yet our Countriman Harding leauing the cleare waters of Truth hath swallowed the same swill as the Iewell of our Church hath taught him The Eunuch of Candace was the first Ethiopian Christian as Luke Act. 8. and Eusebius doe shew But before we come to their Christian conuersion wee are first to declare their conuersion to Iudaisme if it bee true which the Ethiopians write in the time of Salomon The Ethiopians hauing liued before a vagrant life like the Nomades of old and the Arabians and other Libyan Nations not farre from them in Asia and Africa at this day Aruc the Ethiopian King first fixed a settled abode at Axuma and made it the Royall Citie after whom followed Agab and in the third place Ghedur or Sabanut which subdued all Ethiopia and left the Kingdome to his daughter Makeda that reigned eightie yeeres Anno 50. of her reigne shee visited Salomon After her they reckon these Kings till Christs time Melic Andedo Auda Gigasio Zangua Guasio Antet Bahara Cauada Chanze Endur Guaza Endrath Chaales Setija Aglaba Anscua Breguas Guase Beseclugna Baazena in whose time they say Christ was borne Genebrard sets downe the times of their Reigne which hee confesseth and it selfe conuinceth to be false This Queene of Saba before mentioned in our discourse of Arabia of which Countrie I thinke shee then was and these Abassens since that time thence descended and transplanted is by Iosephus called Nicaule the Queene saith he of Ethiopia and Egypt But Zaga Zabo in the Ethiopian Historie which hee wrote and caused to be done into Latine by Damianus a Goes calls her Maqueda whose Historie the Ethiopians haue written in a Booke as bigge as all Pauls Epistles The summe of his report is this Shee was a worshipper of Idolls as her Ancestors had beene when as fame filled her eares with the renowme of Salomons name and then sent a messenger to Ierusalem to learne the truth who at his returne confirming those former reports shee went her selfe to visit him Of him besides many other things shee learned the Law and the Prophets By him shee conceiued also a sonne of whom shee was deliuered in her iourney homewards and named him Meilech After twentie yeeres education in Ethiopia shee sent him to Salomon his father to be instructed of him in wisdome desiring him to consecrate her sonne King of Ethiopia before the Arke of the Couenant shee ordayned also that women should not henceforth inherit as before had bin accustomed Salomon did this and changed his name to Dauid and after long instruction sent him back to his mother attended with many noble companions among whom was Azarias the sonne of Zadok the Priest This Azarias caused Tables to be made like to those in the Arke and pretending to sacrifice for the good successe of his iourney went in and stole the Tables of the Law leauing in their roome these later counterfeits which he reuealed not to any till he came to the borders of Ethiopia Then Dauid being made acquainted with the fact danced for ioy as his Grandfather Dauid had done before the Arke wherein the Tables were inclosed his people making great ioy His Mother resigned to him the Empire and from that time to this the Kingdome hath passed in a right Line from male to male Circumcision also with the Law of Moses hath beene obserued The Officers which Salomon appointed his Sonne are still continued in the same Families and order nor may the Emperour chuse them out of any other stocke then those of the Iewes This long Legend I report not for the truth but for that Religious conceit wherewith it is accepted in Ethiopia for who knowes not that none but the High Priest and that but once a yeere entred into that holy place where the Arke was that I speake not of Nadabs and Abihu's fire with other diuine Iudgements Vzzahs touching and the Bethshemites viewing the Arke at so deere a rate could but make dreadfull so damnable an attempt Besides wee should haue looked for our blessed Sauiour out of Ethiopia where Salomons Heires still reigne if these say true and not goe to Salathiel and Zorobabel descended of another brother and therefore further off from the throne of their Father Dauid on which Christ was to fit and to which he was borne next and apparant Heire euen according to the flesh And yet doth Genebrard credit these reports and Baronius also in part as Luys de Vrreta reporteth This Luys hath written three large Bookes in Spanish collected as he sayth out of Don Iuan de Baltasar an Ethiopian of great account who had beene Embassadour from his Master Alexander the Third the great Negus into Persia and other places and came into Spaine with his licence to imprint his Ethiopian History Out of him Luys reporteth that the former Booke whence Zago Zabo the Bishop Embassadour to the King of Portugall had taken those things is Apocrypha yet so as that it is true concerning that report of Maquedas conception and the Royall Discent from thence till these times The stealing of the Tables hee denieth and affirmeth that the truth was that Salomon had bestowed on the Queene of Saba a fragment of the Tables which Moses brake in his zeale for the Israelites Idolatrie with the Golden Calfe For that conception by Salomon hee proueth it by the Ethiopian Records the title of their King and his Armes which are the same which the Tribe of Iuda gaue viz. a Lion rampant crowned in a field Or with this Inscription The Lion of the Tribe of Iuda hath ouercome Since they were Christians they