did surprise the City intreating all the inhabitants in friendly manner without doing or suffering any outrage to be done vpon them but for this their infidelity in voluntary yeelding themselues to follow the religion of the Turkes when as they were not induced thereunto by any necessity Emirhamze eldest Sonne to Mahomet Codibanda King of Persia comming with his army into Seruan did with great cruelty punish the miserable and infortunate commons of this City making their houses euen with the ground destroying both the old and new wals thereof and bringing the whole land to nought that somtimes was so desired a â—eceit of the Turks Sixe dayes iourney from this City lyeth Derbent This city hath sundry names giuen vnto it by writers Somtimes it is called Derbent because it is in figure narrow and long and sometimes Demir-Capi because there were the yron-gates that were sometimes the entrance into Scythia and sometimes Alessandria because it was first erected by Alexander the Great when hee warred against the Medes and Persians at which time also he made a wall of a wonderfull height and thicknesse which extended it selfe from this City to a City in Armenia called Testis belonging to the Georgians And though it be now razed and decayed yet the foundation remaineth and it was made to this purpose that the inhabitants of that Countrey newly conquered by Alexander should not lightly flie nor their enemies easily inuade them This City is seated vpon an high hill and builded all of free stone much after our buildings being very high and thicke neuerthelesse it neuer grew great nor famous and euen in these dayes there is no reckoning made of it and the reason is because of the situation seruing for passage only out of Tartaria into Persia and out of Persia into Tartaria receiuing those that trauell too and fro not as Merchants and men of Commerce but as passengers and trauellers and to speake in a word it is seated in a very necessary place as the case standeth by reason that it is in the ports of the Caspian Sea but not profitable vnto it selfe much like as it is in the passages of the Alpes where though the Frenchmen Switzers Dutchmen and Italians continually doe passe by them yet was there neuer found a meane City much lesse any City of state and importance About foure daies iourney from Sumachia is Sechi which also at the same time as Sumachia offred themselues to Mustapha as vassals and subiects to the Turks who all were gladly intertained of him and some of the chiefe of them apparelled in silke and gold and honored with great magnificence and in the end had all protection promised vnto them Here also standeth the Citie Ere 's most fruitfully watered with the riuer Araxis and Cyrus and hath yeelded in times past great store of those fine white silkes commmonly tearmed by the marchants Mamodaean silkes whereof at this day there is not to be found no not a very small quantitie by reason of the monstrous ruines and ouerthrowes that hath happened in these countries partly by the Armies of the great Turke and partly by the Armie of the Persians which still hath succeeded one another in their cruell incursions and bloodie inuâ—sions For after the people of Sechi and Ere 's had yeelded themselues voluntarily without any resistance vnto Mustaffa great Amurats Generall Emirhamze the Persian Prince came vpon them with his armie as vpon rebels to inflict deserued punishment In effecting of which his purpose he spared neither sexe nor age nor any condition but though the persons were vnequall yet was the punishment equall to all carrying away with him the two hundred peeces of artilerie that were left in the sort by Mustapha and presently sent them to Casbin to his father There is also in this Kingdome another Citie that bordereth vpon the Georgians called Arasse being the most chiefe and opulent Citie in the trade of Merchandise partly by the aboundant grouth of silke there nourished partly by other good necessary commodities there growing and there brought as rough and smooth galles Cotten wooll Allome besides all kinds of spices and drugs and Diamonds and Rubies and other stones brought out of the East-Indies But the principall commoditie is raw silke of all sorts so that from hence hath beene and is carried yearly fiue hundred and sometimes a thousand mules laden of silke to Aleppo in Syria From this towne we spent sixe daies trauell to Tauris passing ouer the riuer Araxis leauing Media Atropatia and entring into Media the great The description of MEDIA the Great THis countrey hath for it bounds westward Armenia the great and Assiria Southward Persia Eastward Hircania and Parthia and Northwards the Caspian Sea The land is high and spacious most part mountainous full of hils woods rockes and ruines specially towards the North parts but Southwards it aboundeth with silkes fruits wilde beasts and falcons It receiued the name from Medus Iasons sonne who being an earnest follower of his fathers vertues in honour of his mother Medea after the death of his father Iason builded the Citie Medea and established the kingdome of the Medes calling it after his owne name which in continuance of time grew to that estate that all the East was in subiection to the Empire thereof I omit to write any thing of Astyages who raigned in this countrey or of his dreame how he saw springing out of his daughters belly a vine whose branches should ouershadow all Asia meaning Cyrus that was borne of her or how Cyrus was brought vp of an heard-man and miraculously preserued from death and lastly how Cyrus was banished into Persia and after being come to mans estate ouercame Astyages his Grandfather remouing the Empire from the Medes to the Persians being all matters of antiquitie and not so pertinent to our iournall The chiefe Citie of this country is Tauris which in times past was called Ecbatana as Ortelius and Minado do witnesse howsoeuer P. Ionius very vniustly would haue it Terua and Nigro the Italian Tigranoama It was first founded by Deiocis the first king of Media who no sooner gaue out his edict for the building thereof but forthwâ—th the inhabitants with one consent did make it the chiefe Citie aboue the rest and so euer since it hath remained one of the chiefest seats both of the Median and Persian kings Memorable also is this Citie for the resiance once of the Prophet Daniel who neere vnto the same builded a most magnificent and sumptuous Castell which many yeares remained a maruailous monument the beauty wherof was so liuely and perfect that continuance of time did little deface it being very fresh and flourishing in the time of Iosephus In this Castell were all the kings of Media Persia and Parthia for many yeares together intombed But now time hath worne it out it faring with buildings as with mens bodies they waxe old and are infeebled
of purpose by Mango the great Cham of Tartary a Christian also with a puissant army and a world of people to releeue the distressed Christians in Syria and so Haalon with Hayton king of Armenia scouring through the Countries of Persia Asiria and Mesopotamia in the end entred into Syria and in a few dayes tooke Aleppo sacking and razing it downe to the ground But it continued not so long for afterwards being repaired by the Christians it was againe taken by the Sultans of Aegypt who possessed it many yeares but in the yeare 1516. when Campson Ganrus raigned in Aegypt it was peaceably deliuered vp by Cayerbeius the Traitor into the hands of Selymus the first who fauourably tooke the Citizens into his protection and the more to winne their hearts graunted vnto them greater priuiledges then they had in former time inioyed And so euer since hath continued vnder the Turkish Gouernment hauing vnder the regiment thereof fiue and twenty thousand Timarriots that is to say Pensioners which are all horsemen so called of Timaro that is a stipend which they haue of the Grand Signeor viz. the possession of certaine Villages and Townes which they hold during their life and for which they stand bound For euery threescore Duckates of yearlie reuennew to maintaine one horseman either with bow and arrowes or else with Target and Lance and that as well in time of peace as in time of warre Hauing rested in Aleppo two Moneths and better Mr. Iohn Mildenab and my selfe tooke our leaue of the Consull and Merchants with a full intent and purpose to trauell vnto the great City Lahor in the great Mogors Countrey in the East Indies lodging all that night on a thinne Turkish Carpet in woods-caine where the Carauan was assembled to the end that we might bee with the foremost for delay in such trauell doth produce great and ineuitable danger From Aleppo we spent three daies iourney vnto the bankes of Euphrates passing by many villages not worth the naming and fertile plaines abounding with all sort of prouision necessary for mans life One of those Villages is a Village of note vnto this day called by the Countrey people Tedith where the Iewes keepe a monument in remembrance of the great Synagogue holden there in the yeare from the Creation 3498. For after the twelue Tribes were by Salmanazar King of the Assirians led captiue into a Country neuer inhabited by any before a yeare and halfe iourney so as men in this age trouble their wits to know where they remaine in the East or West Indies in Tartaria or Moscouia and new inhabitants in their place I say it so fell out that after the captiuity of Babylon an hundred and twenty men of the chiefest of the Iewes held a Synode at the aforesaid Village of which Esdras was the Scribe at which Synode as the Rabbins affirme were present Nehemias Mardocheus Zorababel Ioshua the high Priest Daniel Ananias Azarias Misael Haggeus Zacharias and Malachiah and placed the bookes of the old Testament in the same order as now they are and changed the hebrew characters the figure T excepted into the Assirian characters which is the square forme vsed at this day and changed the Hebrew tongue into the Armenian tongue but that was altered afterward and the right Hebrew tongue restored Neare vnto this Towne is the Valley of Salt memorable for that great ouerthrow which Dauid gaue the Aramits when he slew of them in one battell eighteene thousand men Here also Campson Gaurus the great Sultan of Aegypt fought that deadly and mortall battell with Selymus the first the great Turke where hee lost his life being troden without regard to death both by his owne Souldiers and pursuing enemies after he had with great Maiesty gouerned the Kingdome of Aegypt Iudea and Syria many yeares and together with the losse of his life and ouerthrow of his army he lost the great and populous Kingdome of Aegypt which he and his predecessours had gotten and kept by martiall prowesse aboue the space of three hundred yeares Being arriued on the bankes of Euphrates we found it as broade as the Thames at Lambith but in some places it is narrower in some broader running with a very swift streame and current almost as fast as the Riuer of Trent At this place doth this Riuer beginne to take his name being here all gathered into one channell whereas before it commeth downe from the lake Chieldor-Giol in Armenia in manifold armes and branches and therefore is called by the Countrey people by a name which signifieth a thousand heads Here it is that Merchants vse to passe downe by Barke vnto Babylon thereby to auoide and shunne the great charge and wearisomnesse of trauell through the desart of Arabia Which passage they make sometimes in fifteene dayes sometimes in twenty dayes and sometimes in thirty dayes answerable to the rising and falling of the Riuer and the best time to passe thither is either in Aprill or October when the Riuer doth swell with abundance of râ—ine The Boates are flat bottomed because the Riuer is shallow in many places so that when they trauell in the Moneths of Iuly August and September they finde the Riuer at so low an ebbe that they are faine to carry with them a spare Boate or two to lighten their owne if they should chance to fall on the shoales Euery night after Sunne-set they fasten these Boats to a stake the Merchants lying aboord and the Marriners vpon the shore as neare as they can vnto the same In this passage downe the Riuer you shall meete with diuers troupes of Arabians who will barter their prouision of dyet for they care not for money as Hennes Kids Lambe Butter and sowre milke for Glasses Combes Corall Amber Kniues Bread and Pomegranates Pilles wherewith they vse to tanne their Goates skinnes in which they Churne withall All of them as well Women Children and Men are very good swimmers who oftentimes will swimme to the Barke side with vessels full of milke vpon their heads These people are very theeuish and therefore in your passage downe good watch must be kept But to returne where we left wee were constrained by the deepnesse of the riuer to ferry ouer our whole Carauan which consisted of a thousand persons besides Camels Horses Mules and Asses by reason of which multitude we spent a whole day in transporting ouer the said Carauan The gaines of which transportation yeelded the ferriman a Shaughoe which is fiue pence English vpon a beast It was the manner of the Aegyptian Sultanes not to account themselues worthy of the name of Sultanes or great Generall before they had incamped their army vpon this side of the Riuer and in this place and there with solemne pompe had in the sight of the army forced their horses into the Riuer to drinke giuing to vnderstand by that ceremony the greatnesse of their Empire and that they were ready by force of armes to proue
regard whereof Mahomet did recommend them as his kind friends to his successours who euer since haue permitted the poore Armenians to liue amongst them But the true reason is for that they are very laborious in transporting merchandise from one City to another by which meanes through the customes which are paid in euery City the coffers of the Grand Signior are wonderfully inriched Vnto which doth well agree that scoffing taunt which Abbas now King of Persia did throw vpon an Armenian who being desirous to forsake his Christian faith and to embrace the wicked and filthy superstition of the Persians vppon hope of reward and preferment the King did not only rebuke his tepedity and coldnesse in his religion but sent him away with this skornefull reproofe That an Armenian now was good for nought saue as a Camel to transport merchandise from one city to another implying that howsâ—euer in antique times they had beene warlike and couragious yet now they were become Buffelloes and Pultrones altogether vnfit for martiall affaires This people haue two Patriarkes to whom they giue the name of Vniuersall the one keepeth his seate in the City of Sis in Caramania not farre from Tharsus the other in the Monastery of Ecmeazin neere vnto the City Eruan in this Countrey Vnder these two Patriarkes are eighteene Monasteries full fraight with Friers of their religion and foure and twenty Bâ—shopricks The maintenance allowed in times past vnto each of these two Patriarks was a Maidin on an house each Patriarke hauing vnder him twenty thousand housholds but now that large beneuolence the great Turke hath ceased into his owne hands as if the tythe of the Church were fitter for his vnsatiable desire then for those poore miserable and despised Church-men and therefore now they are constrained to liue on the almes of the people going continually in visitation from one City to another carrying their wiues and whole family with them The people of this nation haue retained amongst them the Christian faith as it is thought from the time of â—he Apostles but at this day it is spotted with many absurdities They hold with the Church of Rome in the vse of the Crosse affirming it to be meritorious if they make the same with two fingers as the Papists vse but idle and vaine if with one finger as the Iacobites They adorne their Churches in euery place with the signe of the Crosse but for other Images they haue none being professed enemies against the vse of them In keeping ancient reliques they are very superstitious and much deuoted to the â—lessed Virgin Mary to whom they direct their prayers They imitate the Dioscorians in eating whit-meats on Saturday which to doe on Wednesday and Friday were a deadly sin neuerthelesse they will not refraine from the eating of flesh on euery Friday betweene the feast of the Passeouer and the Ascention They abstaine fiue Sabboths in the yeare from eating flesh in remembrance of that time in which the Gentiles did sacrifice their children vnto Idols They celebrate the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary on the sixt of Aprill the Natiuity of our blessed Sauiour on the sixt of Ianuary the Purification the fourth of February and the Transfiguration the fourteenth of August The ministration of their Liturgie or seruice is performed in their natiue language that all may vnderstand but in their seruice of the Masse for the dead they are most idolatrous vsing at the solemnizing thereof to sacrifice a Lambe which they first lead round about the Church and after they haue killed it and rosted it they spread it on a faire white linnen cloath the Priest giuing to each of the Congregation a part and portion thereof For which cause they are called by some Sabbatists and Iulianists as too much addicted to the ceremonies of the Iewes and deuoted to the errours of Iulian. I haue heard some Papists boast and bragge much that both Armenians Iacobites and Greoians are vnited to the Chuâ—ch of Rome but I could neuer heare either Armenian or Grecianâ—uouch â—uouch any such matter They are vnlesse some few families so farre from yeelding obedience vnto the Sea of Rome that they assume all antiquity vnto themselues as hauing retained the Christian faith from the time of the Apostles Many Iesuites and Priests haue been sent from Rome to bring this oppressed nation vnder her gouernment but they haue little preuailed for neither will they yeeld obedience nor be brought by any perswasion to forsake their ancient and inueterate errours to become more erroneous with her Hauing well refreshed our sâ—lues amongst these villages we proceeded in our ordinary trauell but ere we had passed two miles certaine troupes of Curdies incountred our Carauan with a purpose and intent to haue robbed the same but finding themselues too weake to contend with so great company they departed vntill the next day following when againe they met with vs in a very narrow passage betweene two mountaines where they made a stay of our whole Carauan exacting a Shaughee on euery person which to purchase our peace wee willingly paied and so arriued that euening at Bithlis an ancient City but a City of much cruelty and oppression where little iustice and right is to be found to releeue distressed passengers The description of Bithlis THis City standeth in a pleasant valley by which runneth a little Riuer falling out of the mountaines Anti-Taurus it was once a Towne in the confines of the Persian Kingdome bordering vpon Mesopotamia and had a Castle kept with a garrison of Persian Souldiers before such time as Solyman the Magnificent did conquer these Countries which was in the yeare 1535. In which yeare there was a memorable battell fought betweene the two great Bassaes of Caire and Syria conducted by Vlemas the Persian Traitor and Delymenthes a right Nobleman of Persia. The two Bassaes and Vlemas were commanded by Solyman in his returne from the spoile of Tauris to follow him with eighteene thousand good Souldiers in the rereward of his army to receiue and represse the suddâ—n assaulâ—s of the Persians if neede should require But Delymenthes with fiue thousand Persian Souldiers pursued the Turkes and ouertooke them in the aforesaid valley and being furthered in this venterous designement both by the darkenesse of the night and the abundance of raine which fell at the same instant as if it had beene wished for on a sudden goâ— within the Turkes campe where the Persian Souldiers as Wolues amongst Sheepe did such speedy execution amongst the sleepy Turkes that the two great Bassaes and Vlemas had much adoe to get to horse and saue themselues by flight And such was the fury of the Persians and the greatnesse of the sudden feare increased by the darkenesse of the night that the Turkes not knowing which way to turne themselues or what to doe were slaine by thousands some sleeping some halfe waking some making themselues ready to fight and to flie few of all that great
horses mules and cammels in another place carpets garments and felts of all sorts and in another all kind of fruits as Muske-mellons Anguries Pomegranates Pistaches Adams apples Dates Grapes and Raisons dried in the Sun In this place do sit daily twelue Sheraffes that is men to buy sell Pearle Diamonds and other pretious stones and to exchange gold siluer to turne Spanish dollers to great aduantage into Persian coyne and to change the great peeces of the Persian coyne as Abbasses Larines and such like into certain brasse monies for the poore They wil also lend vpon any pawne that with as great interest as our diuellish Brokers and Scriueners take in London Finally the strength of this Citie consisteth not in walles and bulwarkes but in the souldiers that are continually maintained in and about this Citie for out of Casbin and the villages belonging vnto the same are maintained twentie thousand souldiers on horsebacke howsoeuer in this kings fathers time were leuied but twelue thousand Two places neere to this Citie are very remarkable the one is the Citie Ardouil the other Giland Ardouil is a Citie foure daies iourney from Casbin and two from Soltania A Citie of great importance where Alexander the great did keepe his Court when he inuaded Persia. It is a towne much esteemed and regarded by reason of the sepulchers of the kings of Persia which for the most part lie there intombed and so is growne a place of their superstitious deuotion as also because it was the first place which receiued the Persian sect wherein Giâ—â—â— the first Authour thereof did reside and raigne A sect or superstition very commodious to the Christian Commonwealth because it hath bred great contentions and warre among the Mahumetane nations which before were so vnited together by Mahomets deuice that they seemed to be more then friends and in league one with another The Author of this nouelty was as we said before one Giuni a man well descended among the Persians who contemning al worldly honour râ—ches pleasure as meere vanities trifles led such an austere kind of life with such coÌ„tinency contempt of the world as that the vulgar people began to haue the man in singular admiration for the opinion they had conceiuâ—d of his vpright life rare vertues The fame of thiâ— new Prophet as so he was accounted was growne so great in the Persian kingdome that the people without number resorted out of all parts of Persia vnto the Citie Ardouil to see the man And he the more to seduce the people being by nature inconstant and superstitious began to perswade them that the three first successours of Mahomet were vniust and vnlawfull vsurpers of that dignitie and that iust Aly Mahomets sonne in law onely ought to be named the lawfull successour that he alone ought to be called vpon in their prayers for helpe and that all honours should be giuen to him and taken from Abubacher Omar and Ottaman as from persons that were vndoubtedly damned Finally he taught them onely to receiue the writings of Aly as of others most authenticall to reiect Abuchacher Omar and Ottaman with their writings as most wicked accuâ—sed whoÌ„ the Turks had euer and yet do honour worship as the true successors of their Prophet Mahomet and his sincere interpreters together with the aforesaid Aly whom the Persians do only acknowledge and therefore in their prayers doe commonly say Cursed be Abubachar Omar and Ottaman and God be fauorable to Aly and well pleased with him Which their difference about the true successor of their Prophet in whom was no â—ruth hath bene and yet is one of the greatest causes of the mortall warres betweene the Turkes and the Persians and not the diuers interpretation of their law as many haue written which among the Tuâ—ks and Persians is all one This superstition was first broached as we said by Giuni afterwards maintained by Sederdin after him by Giuni the second then by Haider Erdebil afterwards by Hysmael the great Sophy it increased wonderfully that Persia seemed to enuie the glory of Cyrus and Darius After the death of Hysmael it was maintained by King Tamas his sonne who raigned with lesse felicitie being much damnified by Solyman the Turkish Emperour After Tamas succeeded Aidere the second who raigned but certaine daies and houres and then followed Hismael the brother of Aidere who troubled all the Cities of his kingdome with manifold hurly-burlies after him Mahomet surnamed Codibanda this kings father more vnfortunate then all the rest and lastly the king that now is who by his valour hath so largely dilated the confines of his kingdome that it seemeth he hath as it were founded it anew The description of HIRCANIA THe other place neere to Casbin remarkable is the countrey of Gilan in the Prouince of Hircania very famous in antique time Sundry names are giuen vnto it by the Barbarians some call it Girgia or Corca from a certaine Citie which stood in the same others Straua from a part of this kingdome others Messandra as Minadoâ— Mercator calles it Diargument and in ancient time Hircania so much spoken of by the Poets for the huge woods and fierce Tygers that abound there Westward this kingdome bounds vpon Media Eastward on Margiana Southward on Parthia and the Coronian mountaines and Northward on the Caspian Sea The North part of this kingdome is ful of thick woods shadowiâ— gâ—ones wherein grow diuers sorts of trees but specially Câ—daâ—s Beeches and Oakes a fit harbour and shelter for Tygers Pantheâ—s and Pardies which wilde beasts make the passage in those places very dangerous but neere to the Sea side it is full of pasture and very delightfull by reason of the manifold sweete springs which issue out of the mountaine neere adioyning Many principall Cities are there in this countrey as Bestan Massandran Pangiazer Bachu and Gheilan Cities of such state and condition as deserue to haue a Gouernour of the same dignitie that the Bassa is with the Turkes Concerning Bachu it is a verie ancient hauen-towne very commodious for ships to harbour in as also profitable to vent commodities by reason that Ardouil Tauris Ere 's Sumachia and Derbent ly not many daies from thence Neere vnto this towne is a verie strange and wonderfull fountaine vnder ground out of which there springeth and issueth a maruellous quantitie of blacke Oyle which serueth all the parts of Persia to burne in their houses and they vsually carrie it all ouer the countrey vpon Kine and Asses whereof you shall oftentimes meete three or foure hundred in company Gheilan and the rest stand likewise altogether in traffick Gheilan being but foure easie daies trauell from Casbin and very neere vnto the Caspian Sea A Sea that is very commodious and profitable being in length two hundred leagues and in breadth an hundred and fiftie without any issue to other Sea to the East part of this Sea ioyneth
or Persia with the Caramanian desert as also the Kingdome of Lar which frontiers on Ormuz Prouinces so great and large that in ancient times were able with their multitudes to couer the face of the earth and to drinke the â—iâ—â—ers drie And to make himselfe more strong within the bowels of his kingdome he hath subdued the Turcoman nation that were rebellious in his fathers time as also he hath ruinated the houses of most of his ancient nobilitie as of late Amet-chan Lord of Gheilan Rustâ—n Mâ—râ—ze the King of Candahar Emir-Miran the â—ord of Iest and Ebrain-chan the gouernour of Lar who would neuer in his fathers time Mahomet-Codibanda send in their aide against the cruell enâ—mies â—f their common liberty but impeach and molest their soueraigne as much as they could leauing many times the poore King to escape with his life But now the King hath drawne all the aforementioned prouinces into his owne possâ—ssion and is able to carry all his force clâ—ere without interruption which at the least may be two hundred thousand strong and better And for his souldiers they are for the most parâ— very valorous and noble which bâ—ing compared with the Turâ—ish people who foâ— the most parâ— are very â—â—scall of vile race are by good right very highly to be esteemed For the naked Turkish horse-man is not to be compared with the Persian mâ—n at aâ—mes who comes into the field armed with a strong Cuiras a sure head peece and a good target whereas the Turkish Europeian hoâ—sâ—men altogether naked vse only a square or crooked buckler wherewith they doe scarcely couer themselues and the Asian horsemen bucklers maâ—e of soft reeds wound round and couered with some kinde of silke Againe the Persian horseman weareth his poudrons and gantlets and beareth a staffe of good Ash armed at both ends fighting with them as occasion serueth at the staffe after the manner of the Numidâ—ans and with doubling and redoubling their often thrust from on high doe easily wound or kill the vnarmed Turks with their horses whereas the Turkâ—sh horseman after the manner of the Grecians doe couch their staues in their rest and so that the first course most commonly break the same being made of light and brittle fire and so presently come to their scimaâ—ars or horseman mace being in all other things farre inferiour to the Persian man at armes And for the Turkish archers on horsebacke they are in no respâ—ct to be compared with the Persians who are well mounted and surely aâ—med vsing both greater and stronger bowes and shoote more deadly arrowes making small account of the Turkes So that all things well consiâ—ered the Persian is now able to deale in field with the great Turke hauing both numbers of souldiers good store of shot and other warlike furniture as also which is the chiefest stay of a state obedience of his subiects And verily when Persia was at the weakest had not the Turkish Emperours Selymus Solyman and Amurat beene allured either by treason rebellion or intestine discordes they would neuer haue taken that warre in hand And so much of the Persians forces And as for the miserable thraldome that the poore Christians doe endure vnder the Turkish tyranny we thanks be giuen vnto God in these Northerne parts of the world may behold with safety but not without pitie when we rightly consider how that the people among whom our Sauiour himselfe conuersed at what time his beautifull steps honoured this world with those Churches in Grecia which his Apostles so industriously planted so carefully visited so tenderly cherished instructed and confirmed by so many peculiar Epistles and for whom they sent vp so many seruent prayers are now become a cage of vncleane birds filthy spirits doe possesse them The Turke with his Curaam and Mahomet with his Alcoran are Lords of these places So that now the Grecians haue lost their liberty which their ancestors had many times before to their immortall praise worthily defended against the greatest Monarches of the world and are now so degenerate by the meanes of the Turkish oppression that in all Grecia is hardly to be found any small remembrance of the ancient glory thereof Insomuch that whereas they were wont to account all other NatioÌ„s barbarous in comparison of themselues they are now become no lesse barbarous then those rude nations whom they before skorned Infinite are the miseries which they from time to time haue endured vnder the Turkish tyrants and so great hath beene the fury of that barbarous Nation that no tongue is able to expresse or pen descâ—ibe For what tongue is able to expresse the miseries that the poore Greekes indured when the imperiall Citie of Constantinople was taken and spoiled by Mahomet the great in the yeare 1453. when the cruell tyrant could not content himselfe with the spoile and riches of that faire Citie but caused also as he sate feasting with his Bassaes and great commaunders most of the chiefe Christian Captaines both men and women of whom many were of the Emperors line and race to be in his presence put to death deming his feast much more stately and magnificent by such effusion of ChristiaÌ„ bloud There might a man haue seene the poore Christian captiues driuen vp and downe by the mercilesse soldiers as if they had beene droues of cattell or flocks of sheepe It would haue pittied any strong heart to haue seene the noble Gentlewomen and great Ladies with â—heir beautifull children who flowed in all worldly wealth and pleasure to become the poore miserable bondslaues of most base and contemptible rascals who were so far 〈◊〉 shewing them any pity as that they deligâ—ted in nothing more then to heape more more misery vpon them making no more reckoning of them then of dogs There might the Parents see the wofull misery of their beloued children the childreÌ„ of the parents the husband might see the shameful abuse of his wife the wife of her husbaÌ„d generally one friend of another yea such was their malice to the Christian faith that they coÌ„uerted the temple of Sophia built for God to be honored in into a stable for their horses making it a place for the executioÌ„ of their abhominable vnspeakable filthinesse yea the image of the crucifixe they also tooke down put a Turks cap vpoÌ„ the head therof so set it vp shot at it with their arrowes afterwards in great derision carried it about in their campe as it had beene in procession with drums playing before it rayling spitting at it calling it the God of the Christians which I note not so much done in contempt of the images as in despight of Christ the ChristiaÌ„ religion Neither haue they committed these outrages monstrous cruelties in Grecia alone but in other parts of Christendom also as Italy hath sundry times tasted of their cruell incursions bloudy inuasions Besides Seruia Bulgaria Transiluania Moldauia
But to leaue these two great Monarches the onely enemies to the name of Christ in field each against the other I come now to my returne from those parts The returne of the Author by the way of Persia Susiana Chaldaea Assiria and Arabia HAuing tooke my leaue of Master Robert Sherley and the rest of my country-men I left them to the mercy of the king whose bountie and goodnesse by their returne hath plentifully shewed it selfe and betooke my selfe to the protection of the Almightie to bring me in saftie againe into my owne countrey being in my returne accompanied with one Signior Belchior Dios d' Croce an Armenian Portugall or Portugall Armenian and one Christophero a Greeke who were sent with letters from the gouernour of Goa to the king of Spaine but lost afterwards their liues and letters by shipwracke in the Venetian Golfe From Hispaan we spent ten daies trauell to Siras by perswasion of some Persian merchants that were bound for Aleppo with vs trauelling through the very heart of Persia it selfe paying now and then a Shaâ—ghee a peece to certaine villages in the way no matter of importance worth the relating till we come to the Citie it selfe The description of Persia. THis country in which Siras standeth is now called the Kingdome of Farsi but in ancient time the Kingdome of Persia a kingdome of it selfe very large and pacious confining Northwards on Media Parthia Eastward on the great desart of Caramania Westward on Susiana which Strabo maketh a part of Persia and lieth betweene Babylon and Persia as shall be declared hereafter and Southward on Ormuz and the Persian golfe containing also the great kingdome of Lar whence the best Bezar stones are brought Very famous is this countrey for that it was the first place where Elam the eldest sonne of Sem dwâ—lt whereby the people of this nation were a long time called Elamits as appeareth by the prophecy of Daniel who nameth it Elam as also because it was the seate of those fiue great Persian kings mentioned in the Scriptures viz. Darius Medus Cyrus Ahâ—shuerosh Darius Longimanus alià s Artaxerxes and Artaxerxes the third which was that Darius whom Alexander the great ouercame For Darius Medus his acts and deeds were of so small esteeme and regard that they are not worth the writing But concerning Cyrus his sonne in law many excellent things are spoken of him for no king conquered so many kingdomes as he did Besides he was in grace and fauour with God for by Daniels instructions he was brought to confesse and acknowledge the God of Israel Of him did Esay prophesie an hundred yeares before his birth and his diligence was so great in ayding the Iewes afâ—er their captiuity vnto Ierusalem that he suffered them quietly to returne with wealth and treasure and commaunded all his Princes of Syria and subiects to fauour and to helpe them publishing a decree for the building vp of their temple vnto God Notwithstanding this happy and fortunate Prince was slaine by Tomyris Queene of the Massogets in Scythia who not contenting her selfe with the death of her enemy commaunded also his head to be smitten oft and throwne into a bole of mans bloud with this exprobration of his crueltie in killing her sonne Tu quidem meum vluentis in pugna victricis filium perdidisti dolo captum at ego te cruore saturaâ—n Goe now and glut thy selfe with the bloud of men which in thy life time wouldest neuer be satisfied with bloud Next vnto him raigned Ahashuerosh whom our writers call Xerxes the Chaldeans Artaxerxes the first husband to Queene Hester whose dominion did extend it selfe from India vnto Ethiopia ouer an hundred and seauen and twenty Prouinces The goodnesse of this king was fully proued at what time the Church was miserably afflicted by proud Haman and hindered by cruell Cambyses against the decree of Cyrus for he gaue full liberty and licence vnto the Iewes to build the Temple at Ierusalem Neuerthelesse towards his latter daies he was very vnfortunate in his warres being twise ouercome both at sea and land by which vnfortunate successe he that earst while was termed the Terrour of all Nations became in so generall contempt of all his subiectes that both himselfe and his sonnes were slaine by Artabanus the traitour Next vnto him succeeded Darius Longimanus This Prince was no way behind his predecessours in pietie and deuotion towards God for he would not by any meanes change their institutions concerning religious worship but with great beneficence fauoured the Iewes For in the second yeare of his raigne the Temple at Ierusalem was finished and in the seauenth yeare Esdraâ— with a number in his company returned The last King was Artaxerxes the third whom they called by the name of Darius a Prince of great industrie and noblenesse of spirit yet at last was vanquished by Alexander the great and slaine by one of his owne kinsmen ending his life together with the Persian Empyre So that now by the computation of the raigne of these kings which was one hundred fortie and seauen yeares we may easily confute that malicious tergiuersation and erroneous exposition of the Iewes of the prophecy of Daniel touching the threescore and nine weekes to the comming of the Messiah The Iewes affirme that the same prophecie doth not belong to our Sauiour Christ but that it ended the day wherein the Temple was ouerthrowne by Titus and doe interprete Christ whom Daniel prophecied should be slaine after threescore and nine weekes to be Agrippa the last of the Herodians surmising peeuishly that the Messiah liueth in the worâ—d inuisibly colouring their grosse errours therein by the false and lying Histories of some Greeks and â—atines who attribute two hundred yeares and aboue to the Empire of the Persian kings whereby some haue beene driuen to recken the beginning of those weekes after the time of Cyrus that they may end at the death of our Sauiour Christ. Which false Histories to make vp those yeares name more Persian kings then euer were as Cambyses to succeed his father Cyrus wheras he was but left by his father King in Persia in his expedition into Scythia according to the Persian custome mentioned by Herodotus which was that if the king went out of the countrey with an armie hee must appoint another king to abide in the countrey during his absence And so were Cambises and Darius Histaspis kings of Persia. And whereas some Persian kings had two or three names as Darius Xerxes and Artaxerxes they make so many kings whereas the Scriptures set downe but the fiue before named who raigned as we said but one hundred fortie and seauen yeares Whereupon it falleth out that whether you beginne to account the threescore and nine weekes from the first yeare of Cyrus who then determined the Iewes reduction and as the captiuitie grew at three times so the returne from the
perfections to which though they haue ascended gradatim yet they haue forthwith fallen into a retrograde of declination till they haue beene brought to the lowest degree which misery can allot So true is that of Seneca Nulla sors longa dolor voluptas Inuicem cedunt breuior voluptas Ima permut at breuis hora summis Nemo confidat nimium secundis Nemo desperet meliora lapsis No chance is long for griefe and eke delight By course giue place pleasure hath shorter flight An houre but shorâ— that presently doth end Doth make the lowest things aloft ascâ—nd Let none too much trust in a prosperous state Let none despaire but hope for better fâ—te For in this small discourse wee shall see how vnauoidable destruction doth alwaies attend on the succession of greatnesse and aduancement on the posterity of misery as also the sacking of many Cities the depopulating of the greatest Countries the deposing of Princes and high descended families of their liues together with their Crownes and Kingdomes and that in so short a time as neuer the like was executed in the antique world Two reasons haue moued me to set downe this Iournall The one for that I haue not yet seene any that hath made a full description of these parts as they are at this day which I hope shall be performed by my selfe who spent much time in those Countries being familiarly conuersant to helpe my knowledge herein with many Sultanes and principall Commanders in the Kingdome of Persia as also diuers Ianizaries who serued in the warres betweene the great Turke and the Persian The other is for that I doe verily perswade my selfe that this discourse will breede much delight vnto any indifferent Reader when hee shall vnderstand how mighty the forces are of the Persian King a capitall enemy of the name of Christ as also in what termes he standeth at this day with the great Turke what Kingdomes he possesseth what Prouinces are subiect vnto him his worship his religion his kinde of gouernment their weapons their manner of fight their forme of battell the reuennues and expences of that Crowne and in a word whatsoeuer else is necessary to be knowen Finally you haue here described the seueral Nations Situations Cities Riuers Mountaines and Prouinces which I haue seene and passed by It is not my purpose to write any thing of the Ilands in the Mediterranean-Sea which we sailed by and are so much renowmed in old writers viz. Maiorica and Minorica Corsica Sicilia Malta Cephalonia Zant Candia Rhodes and Cyprus howsoeuer many excellent things might be spoken of them yet seeing they are so well knowen to most of our nation I omit to write binding my selfe to a true relation of what mine eyes haue seene in more remote parts of the world not respecting the iudgement of the vulgars but contenting my selfe with the conscience of truth beside which I protest I purpose to write nothing The beginning of the trauell ANd first I will beginne at Alexandretta Alexandretta now called Scanderone is a roade in the bottom of the Mediterranean-Sea on the coast of Cilicia where our Merchants land their goods to be sent to Aleppo within eight miles of this roade is Tharsus the chiefe Citty of Cilicia and the Countrey of St. Paul the place also where King Salomon sent for great store of gold and other prouision for the building of the Temple whither the Prophet Ionas also sledde when he should haue gone to Nineuie A little from this Towne did Alexander the Great giue the ouerthrow in person to Darius in ioyning of their first battell together Lying at an Anchor in the aforesaid roade the space of two houres our Ianizaries with a sufficient guard and horses for our selues were ready to conduct vs vp to Aleppo and safe-guard vs as well aâ— they might from the dangers and euils which many times in the way doth befall passengers In our passage vp no matter of importance happened many false rumours of Theeues were diuulged by the Countrey people to affright vs but we by the assistance of God arriued in safety at Aleppo being some sixe miles before our approch to the Citty encountred by many of our English Merchants to giue vs the welcome on the Turkish shore After mutuall courtesies ended they accompanied vs into the City vnto the Consull Pallace where hauing dismounted our selues we were well entertained by Mr. Richard Colethrust worthy Consull then to our worthy English nation At whose charge and expences I abode two moneths and better all which time I fell into consideration not so much of the City as of the Prouince in which it standeth offering hereby vnto my selfe two things worthy obseruation The description of SYRIA FIrst the greatnesse of the Kingdome of Syria which confronteth East-ward on Mesopotamia South-ward on Arabia North-ward on Cylicia and Asia the lesse and West-ward on Tyre and Sydon and the bottome of the Mediterranean-Sea The other the diuision of the said Kingdome which deuideth it selfe into fiue notable Prouinces viz. Palestina Foenitia Celestria Syria and Camogena The last of which fiue is that part which runneth vp to the Riuer Euphrates and to the confines of Armenia in which standeth the great and wealthy City of Aleppo This Kingdome of Syria hath diuers Cities of importance but my purpose is to speake but of those which my Iournall leadeth me vnto and which my eyes haue seene viz. Tripolis Hamath Antioch and Aleppo The description of Tripolis TRipolis is a Towne which standeth vnder a part of Mount Lybanus two English miles distant from a certaine Port which trendeth in the forme of an halfe Moone hauing on the one side thereof fiue block-houses or small Forts wherein is very good Artillery and â—ept by an hundred Ianizaries This City is as great as Bristow and walled about the walles being of no great force The chiefest strength is a Citadell which standeth on the South side within the walles and ouer-lookes the whole Towne and is strongly kept with two hundred Ianizaries and good Artillery Through the midst of this City passeth a Riuer wherewith they water their Gardens and Mulbery trees in such sort that there grow on them abundance of silke wormes where with the Inhabitants makes great store of very white silke which is the chiefest naturall commodity in and about this place Finally this roade of Tarapolos or Trapolos commonly called Tripolis was more frequented before Scanderone was found out with all sorts of Christian Merchants as Venetians Genouis Florentines Marsilians Sicilians Raguses and English men then any other Port of the great Turks Dominions Some say that the Scale is againe translated from Scanderone thither but how true it is I leaue to the Merchants to report One inconuenience this Towne is subiect vnto for right before it toward the Sea is a banke of mouing sand which gathereth and increaseth with the Westerne winds in such sort that according to an old prophesie amongst them this banke is like
money powred moulten gold into his mouth after he was dead Against these great Lucullus fought many battels and the Romanes were neuer able to bring them quite into subiection vntill Augustus Caesar raigned I omit for breuitie sake to write anything of Arsaces the first king of Parthia whom the Persians loued so aliue that they honoured him being dead surnaming alwaies after him the kings of Parthia Arsaces with no lesse honor and glory then the Caesars of Rome the Pharhoes and Ptolomees of Egypt or of Herodes the ninth king of Parthia who so much preuailed against the Romans or of Phraherts their tenth and last king who vnnaturally killed his aged father and put thirtie of his brethren to death and that the Parthians might haue no man left to to be nominated king after him commaunded his owne sonne to be put to death likewise or lastly how Augustus Caesar by his clemency iustice drew this bloody tyrant to submit himselfe and his kingdom vnto the Roman Monarchy ending that without warre which others could not do with warres commaunding more with a word then Antonius who sought it with blowes or Crassus that sought it with his death But leauing these matters of antiquity we return where we left The description of Cassan. AFter two daies trauell from Com we arriued at Cassan a principall Citie in Parthia very famous and rich howsoeuer Ortelius and others make no mention of it This Citie is seated in a goodly plaine and because it hath no mountaines neere it but within a daies iourney the heate is verie fastidious as great almost as it is in Ormuz the spring and haruest is sooner in this climate then in any other pâ—â—ts of the Persiâ—n dominions It wanteth neither fountaines springs nor gardens but aboundeth with all necessaries whatâ—oeuer consisting altogether in merchandize and the best trade of all the land is there being greatly frequented with all sorts of merchants especially out of India The people are very industrious and curious in all sciences but specially in weauing girdles and â—hashes in making Veluets Sattans Damasks very good Ozmuzenes and Persian carpets of a wonderfull finenesse in a word it is the very Magazeen and warehouse of all the Persian Cities for these stuffes Here may you buy all manner of drugs and spices and Turkasses with store of Pearle Dâ—amonds and Rubies as also all soâ—ts of silkes as well wrought as raw I am perswaded that in one yeare there is more silke brought into Cassan then is of broad cloath brought into the Citie of London This Citie is much to be commended for the ciuill and good gouernment which is there vsed An idle person is not permitted to liue among them the child that is but sixe yeare old is set to lâ—bour no ill â—ule disorder or riot is there suffered Fâ—r they haue a law among them resembling the Egyptian law which Diodorus mentioneth wherby euery person is compelled to giue his name to the Magistrates therewith declaring what kinde of life he liketh how he liueth and what art he exerciseth And if any doe tell vntruly is either well beaten on the feete or imploied in publike slauâ—ry The greatest annoyance that this Citie is infesâ—ed withall is the aboundance multitude of black Scorpions of an exceeding greatnesse which many times doe much harme if a speciall care be not had of them At this Citie Master Iohn Mildenall and my selfe parted company he trauelling to Labor in the Eâ—st Indies and my selfe setting forwards to the great Citie of Hispaan three daies trauell distant from Cassan. The description of Hispaan THis Citie as some affirme was built by Arsaces the first King of Parthia being then called Dara But whether so or no is not much mâ—teriall Sure it is that in times past it was called Ecatompolis the Citie of a hundred gates and well it may keepe that name still since the huge walles of the same containe in circuit an easie daies iourney on horse backe and is become the greatest Citie in all the Persian dominions which is so much the more magnified and made populous by reason of the kings reâ—iance therein For there is the supreme place of iustice all matters of importance haue recourse to this place all Ambassadours of Princes and Agents of Cities make their repaire thither and such as aspire and thirst after offices and preferments runne thither amaine with emulation and disdaine at others and in a word thither are brought the reuenewes that appertaine to the crowne and there are they disposed out againe By all which meanes this Citie hath wonderfully increased and appopulated it selfe within these fiue and twentie yeares Very strong is this Citie by situation compassed about with a very great wall and watered with deepe channels of running springs conueighed into it from a part of the Coronian mountaines which are as a wal inaccessible about it On the North side is erected a strong Fort or Castle being compassed about with a wall of a thousand and seauen hundred yards and in the midst thereof is built a tower or rather a strong keepe sundrie chambers and lodgings therein but stored with little Ordonance On the West side of this Citie standeth two Seraglios the one for the King the other for his women Pallaces of great state and magnificence farre exceeding all other proud buildings of this Citie the walles glister with red marble and pargeting of diuers colous yea all the Pallace is paued with checher and tesseled worke and on the same is spread carpets wrought with silke and Gold the windowes â—f Alablaster white marble and much other spotted marble the postes and wickets of massie Iuory checkred with glistering blacke â—bony so curiously wrought in winding knots as may easier stay tâ—en satisfie the eyes of the wondring beholder Neere vnto this Pallace is a garden very spacious and large all flourishiâ—g aâ—d bâ—aâ—tiâ—ull replenished with a thousand sundry kinds of grafts â—rees and sweete smelling plants among whiâ—h the â—illy the Hyacinth the Gillyflower the Rose the Violet the flower-gentle and a thousand other odoriferous flowers doe yeâ—ld a most pleasant and delightfull sigâ—t to all beholders There are a thousand fountaines and a thousand brookes among them all as the father of them all a prettie riuer which with his mild course and delightâ—ome noise doth deuide the garden from the Kings Pallace neither is this garden so straitly lookt vnto but that both the kings souldiers and Citizens may and doe at their pleasures oftentimes on horse backe repaire thither to recreate themselues in the shadowes and walkes of those greenes And as a gard for the gate of this sumptuous Pallace the king keepeth certaine orders of souldiers wherof the most noble and the greatest in number are called Churchi which are as it were the kings Pensioners being eight thousand in number all of them deuided vnder seuerall Captaines which Captaines doe yeeld obedience to the generall Captaine called Churchi-Bassa
and oppression where little iustice is to bee found being so farre from Constantinople Whereas Batan standeth in such a Countrey as is full of peace and tranquilitie hauing a most iust and vpright Prince the onely true stay of traffike Lord of the same whose onely care and endeuour is to maintaine and vpholde the trade of Merchandize But to leaue these thinges to the Merchants wee come now to the Kingdome of Assiria The description of ASSIRIA FRom Siras hauing spent eight daies trauell and better we entered into the Prouince of Susiana now called Cuâ—estan but in old time Assiria The bounds of this Countrey Northwards is on the South part of Armenia Eastward on a part of Persia Westward on Mesopotamia and Southward on a part of the Persian Golfe which part is 〈◊〉 of fennes and marish bogges without either port or hauen The climate in that part is exceeding hote and very much infested with bituminous matter which both spoiles the growth of trees and corrupt the waters whereby it comes to passe that the people are not long liu'de And howsoeuer this countrey was that land wherein the first Monarchie was setled so that many excellent things might be spoken of it yet since it hath endured so many mutations and changes by the outrage of armies that it hath lost her ancient name I will be sparing to write thereof least I should write many things rather fabulous then true and therefore laying aside the danger of lying I will passe vnto those townes and ruines which I haue seene The description of Susa. TRauelling two daies farther from the entrance into this Kingdome wee rested at Valdac once the the great Citie Susa but now verie ruinous It was first built by Tythonus and his sonne Memnon but inlarged by Darius the sonne of Histaspis In the building whereof Memnon was so exceeding prodigall that as Cassiodorus writeth he ioyned the stones together with gold It was once one of the regal Cities of the Kings of Persia and was so rich that Aristagâ—ras did in this maner cheere vp the harts of his souldiers when they came to besiege it Hanc vos vrbem si animose ceperitis iam cum Ioue de diuitijs licet certetis If you can winne this Citie couragious souldiers you may striue with Iupiter himselfe for riches which Alexander had good experience of when he found fiftie thousand talents in wedges of gold besides siluer and great store of coyne Behold saith Q. Curtius that in an houre which many kings had heaped together for posteritie falleth now into the hands of a stranger In a word such was the beautie and delectablenesse thereof for situation that they called it Susa which then in the Persian tongue signifyeth a Lilly but now it is called Valdac of the pouertie of the place Close by this ruinous towne swimmeth the famous Riuer Choaspes which after many turnings and windings through the countrey of Susiana dischargeth it selfe in the Persian Golfe The water of this riuer is very delicate to the tast so that it is no meruaile though the Persian and ParthiaÌ„ kings in times past would by their good wils drink of no other water For which purpose they had vessels of gold and siluer to carry the same after them whensoeuer they eyther did ride in prograce or goe to the warres Xerxes as Varrâ— relateth being on a time exceeding thirstie caused proclamation to be made throughouâ— his campe that if any soldier had any water of Choaspes left he should be well rewarded And it so fell out that a small quantitie was found which though it was exceeding muddie by reason of carriage yet that mightie Prince dranke freely of it Of such account was â—his riuer in ancient time Hauing passed ouer this riuer we set forward towards Mosul a very antient towne in this countrey sixe dayes iourney from Valdas and so pitched on the bankes of the riuer Tigris Here in these plaines of Assiria and on the bankes of Tigris and in the region of Eden was Nineuie built by Nimrod but finished by Ninus It is agreed by all prophane writers and confirmed by the Scriptures that this citty exceeded all other citties in circuit and answerable magnificence For it seemes by the ruinous foundation which I throughly viewed that it was built with foure sides but not equall or square for the two longer sides had each of them as we geffe an hundreth and fifty furlongs the two shorter sides ninty furlongs which amounteth to foure hundred and eighty furlongs of ground which makes threescore miles accounting eight furlongs to an Italian mile The walles whereof were an hundreth foote vpright and had such a breadth as three Chariots might passe on the rampire in front these walles were garnished with a thousand and fiue hundrâ—th towers which gaue exceeding beauty to the rest and a strength no lesse admirable for the nature of those times Here it was that Ninus raigned who after he had maistred Bactria and subiected vnto his Empire al those regions betweene it and the Mediterranean sea and Hellespont Asia the lesse excepted finished the worke of Ninâ—uie he left the world iâ— the yeare thereof 2019. after he had reigned two and fifty yeares After him succeeded Semiramis his wife a Lady of great prowesse and vertue who in this citty buried him so honourably and in such a sumptuous tombe that it was the onely patterne which Artemesia the Queene of Caria made for her husband Mausolus and accounted for the rarenesse thereof one of the seauen wonders of the world Vpon the Pillars whereof was set this Epitaph Mihi patâ—r Belus Iupiter Auus Saturnus Babilonicus proauus Chus Saturnus Aethiops Abauus Saturnus Aegiptus Atauus Coelus Phoenix Ogyges repeating the pedegree of Ninus to be the son of Belus the sonne of Nimrod the sonne of Chus the son of Cham and the sonne of Noah Now as the Monarchie of the Assyrians began by Ninus which lasted for the space of a thousand and two hundred yeares and some adde fortie yeares more so it ended in Sardanapalus that beastly Epicure who finding his forces too weake to fight against the power of Arbaces and Belochus his two Lieutenantâ— the one in Media and the other in Babylon retired out of the field to his pallace in Niniuie and there caused an huge fire to be made into which hee cast himselfe and all his riches herein onely playing the man Such was the effeminate wantonnes of this King that he consumed whole daies in the nurcerie among his concubines sparing no time from incontinent exercises As appeares by the Epitaph which liuing he commanded to be written on his tomb Ede Bibe Lude Eate Drinke Play Which Epitaph Aristotle chancing to find stayed and read the first part thereof and smiling said A man wold thinke this writing fitter to be fixed to the graue of an oxe then written vpon the tombe of a Prince And hauing perused
the three verses concluded That Sardanapalus enioyed that being dead which liuing he neuer had but so long as he was in feeding his panch Intimating that all pleasures which are not reduced to necessity and honestie are very reprochfull Here also raigned and dyed Saneherib who at his returne from the beseeging of Ierusalem was slaine by his two sons Adramelech Sharezar as he was in the temple worshipping Nisroâ—h his god Herodotus relates that after his death an image was set vp vâ—to him with this inscription Learne by me to feare God for a memoriall of Gods iudgement against him Finally that this city was farre greater then Babilon being the Lady of the East the Queene of Nations and the riches of the world hauing more people within her wals then are now in some one kingdome but now it is destroyed as God foretold it should be by the Chaldaeans being nothing else then a sepulture of herself a litle towne of small trade where the Patriarch of the Nestorians keeps his seate at the deuotion of the Turkes Sundry times had we conference with this Patriarch and among many other speeches which past from him he wished vs that before we departed to see the Iland of Eden but twelue miles vp the riuer which he affirmed was vndoubtedly a part of Paradise The description of the Iland of Eden THis Iland lyes in the heart of the riuer Tigris and is as we could guesse in circuit ten English miles and was somtimes walled round about with a wall of strong defence as appeares by the ruinous foundation of bricke which there remaineth And howsoeuer the beautifull land of Eden is now forgotten in these partâ— with those flourishing countries of Mesopotamia Assyria Babylonia and Chaldâ—a being all swallowed vp into meere Barbarism yet this Iland stil retains the name of the I le of Eden Now whither this Iland were the very Eden of Paradise is not probable but certaine it is that that garden of Pleasure which God chose out to set Adam into was seated in the lower part of the Region of Eden afterward called Aram fluuiorum or Mesopotamia a country which Southwards stretcheth it self ouer the great riuer Euphrates toward Shinar nie Babylon and Northwards containeth that continent of Mesopotamia Assyria and Armenia which is watred with Tigris between mount Taurus and Seleucia That there was such a Paradise as the garden of Eden vpon earth is without all dispute because the Scriptures tell vs of it And the Lord God planted a Garden Eastward in Eden and there he put the man whom he had made gen 2.8 And it is said of Caine that he dwelt in the land of Noa towards the East side of Eden gen 4.16 The Prophets likewise doe often make mention of the land of Eden and the inhabitants thereof As in Esay 37.12 where after Gozan and Haran and Reseph the Prophet speaketh also of the children of Eden which were at Telasser And the Prophet Ezechiel in the. 27. chap. and 23. vers bewailing the desolation of Tyrus sheweth what Merchants resorted thither and among many other nations he reconeth the merchants of Eden Now as they make mention of the land of Eden so also of the garden it selfe How is this land wast which was like the garden of Eden Ezech. 36.35 And in the Prophet Ioel. 2.3 the land is as the garden of Eden before him By which places of scripture it is euident that the garden of Eden was a certaine place vpon the earth which God chose out aboue all other places of the world to set Adam into after he had created him And that the very Eden of Paradice was in this contrey is plaine by the relation of Moses who saith that it was eastward in Eden that is it lying eastward as this countrey doth from Indaea For so it is sayd that the Lord God planted a garden Eastward in Eden which quarter of the world is to be vnderstood eastward in respect of Iudâ—a Besides this countrey standeth in the most excellent temper of all other to wit fiue and thirty degrees from the Equinoctiall line and fiue and fifty from the North-pole in which climate the best wines the most delicate fruits the sweetest oyle and the purest graine of all sorts are this day found in great aboundance Againe the very riuers which course through this countrey doe make good that the very Eden of Paradice was here planted For Moses describeth that a riuer went out of Eden to water this garden and from thence deuided it selfe into fourâ— braunches and we find by experience that Tigris and Euphrates running through this country of Eden doe ioyne in one and afterward taking seuerall waies a part doe water both the land of Chus and Hauilah as Moses relateth the true seates of Chus and his sonnes beeing then in the valley of Shinar in which Nimrod built Babell and not in Ethyopia as some would haue it And as for the land of Hauilah that country ioyned to Persia eastward where Hismael and his Sonnes dwelt for they dwelt from Hauilah vnto Shur that is towards Aegipt as thou goest to Assiria Gen. 25.18 And therefore they that make the riuer Pison to bee Ganges doe contrary both Scripture experience and reason For how can the riuer Ganges which runneth through the great Mogors country in the East-Indies be a braunch of those riuers which watred Eden since the riuer Tigres though it rise in the same quarter of the world is distant from Ganges aboue foure thousand miles And as for them that would haue the riuer Gihon to bee Nilus doe dreame of an impossibility because the riuer Nilus is farther distant from Tigris and Euphrates then Ganges is being begotten in the mountaines of the Moone in Ethyopia almost as farrâ—e off as the cape of good hope which our East-Indian shippes doe double and falleth into the Mediterranean-Sea whereas Euphrates springeth as we haue said out of the Mountaines of Armenia and falleth into the golfe of Persia the one rising South which is Nilus and running North the other rising North which is Euphrates and coursing South threescore three degrees one from the other Finally this country aboundeth with all kind of fertility and happinesse though not in that exquisit manner as before the fall of Adam because it was accursed in special like as all the earth in generall yet thus much I find written of it Strabo maketh mention of the South-part of Armenia which is the North border of Eden or a part thereof to bee a region which aboundeth with most pleasant fruites and delightfull trees alwaies greene and florishing witnessing therby a perpetual spring not fouÌ„d elswhere but the Indies only And Q. Curtius writeth on this maner As you trauell on the left hand of Arabia famous for plenty of sweet odours there lieth a champain country placed between the two riuers Tigris and Euphrates and is so fruitful and fat a soile that