may as justly tax me of neglect I will therefore but name them and reconcile some mens mistakes in misnaming these antique Kings of Persia Cyrus is the first we can deduce a true succession from For albeit they had Kings formerly of which Chederlaomer was one as wee read in Gen. and it may be the same whom the Persian Histories call Cheyomaraz father of Siamech to whom succeeded Owchange Iamshet Zoak Fraydhun Manucher Nawder Afraciab Achemenes some think Bazab Kaycohad Salemon Chozrao Lorazpes yet the succession from him is most incertaine and doubtlesse of no grandeur in that the Assyrian Monarchie begun by Nymrod sonne of Chush sonne of Cham sonne of Noah ecclipsed it and under whose command it lay for above 1300 yeares if Berosus be not counterfetted and from Belochus who deposed Sardanapal the last Assyrian Emperour of Nymrods race and Arbaces the first founder of the Median Monarchie a confederate with Belochus to Cyrus who advanced the Persians to a Monarkique greatnesse by subduing Astiages his Grand-sire transferd the Empire to the Persian as formerly the Medes had the Assyrian 260 yeares This change hapned in the yeare from Adam 3400 after the building of Rome 287 after the first Olympiad 50 and before the incarnation of our Saviour 567 c. Persia made a Monarchy by Cyrus Of Cyrus many memorable matters might be offered but I dare not enter the Labyrinth lest I wander so farre that I may chance to lose my selfe and your patience this only be remembred that this is that Cyrus of whom the Prophet Esay fore-told some hundred yeares ere he was born of him also Nabuchadnezzar prophesied beginning thus Ast ubi Medorum jus regni Mulus habebit c. That a Mule should over-runne Lydia fulfild in Craesus and subvert the Caldean Monarchie the word Mulus had relation to his mixture of bloud his mother beinga Mede his Syre a Persian Hee married Cassandana and by her had Cambyses that reigned after him Cyrus after he had ruled thirty yeares and in that time had added to his Empire Arabia Mesopotamia Syria Capadocia Phrygia Armenia c. hoped also to subject Scythia but neere the river Oxus was slaine by Tomyris the Queene of those parts of Zagathaya but upon ransome his body was delivered and convayed to Pasagard where Alexander found his Tomb but not that wealth he thought it had contained Cambyses ruled the Persian Monarchie but nine yeares of whose reigne is little to be said save that he subdued Aegipt after which he grew so luxurious and tyrannous that all men hated him his death was imputed to divine Justice for at Memphis hee committed sacriledge in the Temple of Apys or Anubys and broke the neck of that apish god set there by the idolatrous Aegyptians but at Damascus fell accidentally upon his owne weapon and dyed by it At his death seven Noble men or Magi of Persia severally contended for the Diadem for smerdis the upstart King was discovered by wanting his eares to be an impostor of which Darius sirnamed Histaspes who by the cunning of his Groome made his horse neigh next morne before the rest mounted the Throne and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or delivery of the Kingdome from the Magi from that time to Alexanders comming was annually celebrated Darius governed happily 35 yeares the last only was infortunate by that overthrow he received at Marathon by Miltiades the noble Athenian This is he who so much favoured the Jewes and Ierusalem his death was caused by losse of that battell at Marathon and that by it hee wanted Anthina's faire daughter This Darius Histasp I imagine to be the same Gustasp who first by imposture as else-where I have remembred made his people fire worshippers To Darius succeeded his son Xerxes by the Persians call'd Ardxer an infortunate Prince for howbeit he was in his time the greatest Emperour in the world and had a worls of men and wealth to obey his humours yet what by too much confidence in them and contempt of other Princes he reaped the greatest dishonour that ever befell any Prince of Persia for albeit he entred Greece with an army of 1800000 men yet could he not prevent an overthrow given him at the straits of Thermophilae by Leonidas the Spartan Generall who had not foure thousand men and by Themistocles the Admirall neere to Salamys was equally opposed and his whole Army confounded Afrer 20 yeeres rule he died and left Arta-xerxes his son his inheritor This Artaxerxes i.e. a victorious conquerour is in Persian story call'd Ard-xer-Bohaman and by Arabian writers Tama-xerxicas this is he that married Atossa or Hester the Jew in which book he is named Ahasuerus at the end of forty foure yeeres happy government he died and Art-axerxes sirnamed Muenon in his place was crowned King some insert Darius Nothus before him Artaxerxes sonne of Artaxerxes and Parisatys daughter of Cyrus ruled Persia forty and two yeeres and at the age of eighty was buried at Persepolis Artaxerxes Ochus his sonne succeeded him who also when he had governed cruelly twenty and six yeeres was hastned but by an untimely death after his Father Arses or Arsamus his sonne investing himselfe with the Persian roabs of rule and majesty Of Arses little can bee said save that he died by the hands of the Eunuch Bagoas his Fathers murderer after his Coronation foure yeere and in his place by meanes of Bagoas Darius Codomanus by Persians call'd Darab-kowcheck i.e. little Darius was saluted King him Alexander the victorious Greek orethrew in three great battells at Arbela Amanus and Granicus the last concluded his life and six yeeres reigne Anno Mundi 3640 Persia subjected by the Greeks of the Olympiad 112 of Rome 420 and before the Nativity 333 yeeres or thereabouts Alexander worthily sirnamed Great two yeeres after died at Babylon foretold by a Calan or Indian Gymnosophist in the three and thirty of his age of his rule twelve yeeres his heart was transfer'd to Alexandria his corps interd at Babylon Alexanders Legacy bequeathing the succession not to his owne issue or kin but to the Worthiest made Pyrrha's bones revive againe discord and pride and envie emulating every of his great Captaines who by this common Motto Virtus mihi Numen Ensis quern gero challenged the Empire and ceased not to lay claime till death and warres fury cut them off Seleuchus Callynicus sonne to Antiochus Theos by survivership after long stormes seeming to steare in that unruly Ocean during whose life and fifty yeers after the Greeks awed Persia Recovered by Arbaces a Parthyan till such time as Arbaces an heroyck Parthian broke that yaok of slavery asunder and for three and twenty yeeres did what was possible to revive the more than halfe dead Persians To Arbaces succeeded Methridates who ruled twenty yeeres after whom Pampasius twelve Pharnaces eight Methridatus Medus Thirteene to whom followed Phraortes call'd by the Perses Pharug-zed Artabanus call'd Ard-Bahaman Methridates
before hee had nominated Vlacuk-cawn for Emperour who proved of another spirit his best delight being to dance in Armour to Bellonaes Trumpe and to defend his owne in despight of all his adversaries by his owne vertue without secundary props or other allyances he first quiets his domestick broyles composing peace at home then magnifies his excellencies in forraine parts in circling and adding to the lustre of his dyadem Babylon a great part of Arabia and in Syria Aleppo and Damascus all which during his life he kept in subjection and loyalty and ruled with much magnificence to the yeer 1270. when by the extremity of his disease finding death at hand hee calls his 3 sonnes afore him exhorts them to unity divides his lands among them dyes and at Meragah 15 farsangs from Tauris was solemnly buried Habkay-cawn the eldest had the provinces of Hyerac Mozendram and Korazan comprehending Medya Parthya Hyrcania Bactria and Sogdiana To Hya-Shawmet Aro Adarbayon part of Armenia and Iberia comprizing Salmas Coy Nazivan Maraga and Merent Cities of quality To Tawdon-cawn the Seigniories of Dyarbec and Rabaion or Mesopotamia part of Syria and what was made fruitfull by Euphrates and Tygris And to his sons by another venture Nicador-oglan and Targahe-cawn he gave money portions Habkay-cawn that yeere dyed at Hamadan in Persia and made protector to his sonne Nycador-Oglan A.M. 5245. A.D. 1275. A. Heg 655. who so long and with such delight represented the young King that by a divellish art and ambition he sent him to an untimely grave and establishes himselfe by name of Hameth-cawn but all his raigne is so pursued by divine vengeance that in the yeere 1275 he dyes mad and is buried at Cashan in his place came the right heire from banishment Argon-cawn who by the people is joyfully welcommed and at his Coronation assumes the name Tangador-habkay zedda sonne to Habkay-cawn This man swayed the Scepter 5 yeeres with much tyranny not only massacring Nycadors sons and alliances but amongst the Innocent bath'd his sword in blood so that hee became hatefull to his owne and stimulated the Parthian to revenge by whom in a battell hee is overcome and by Argon-chan upbraided with his cruelty yea to compensate the like measure is cruelly tormented his belly ript open and his guts given to the doggs To Tangador the inveterate Enemie of all Christians succeeds his brother Giviatoc-chan who in the fourth yeare of his reigne perisht by Balduc-chan his Uncle who also after five yeares rule died issue-lesse Badu sonne of Targahe youngest sonne to Vlacuk-chan by assent of all that Nation succeeding in the throne of greatnesse whose affections he answered with so much respect clemency and care that never any before him was more belov'd and honored howbeit when he openly profest himselfe to be a Christian the peoples regard drew back and many treasons fomented by Satan were hatched against him so that at last he was slaine or rather martyr'd by Gazun-chan Cozen to Tangador who had small cause to bragge of his treachery or time to surfet of his glory for by the permissive hand of God in Cazbyn when he lest suspected treason hee is wounded to death by his owne houshold-servants Anno 1305 and of the Hegira 685 and lay long time unburied His brother Aliaptu Abuzayd or Mahumet ben Argon by many attempts and shewes of valour purchased the restlesse Diadem to whom followed Hoharo-mirza or Abusaid Bahador-chan anno 1337 who consumed his life in venerous exercises so that for want of issue the Kingdome became a Theater of many troubles no lesse than 30 at one time contending for the Soveraignty whereby the distressed people were compelled to look for help from home And none more safe to trust to than the Lord of Samerchand Tamberlayne much famoused for his justice and victories against the Sarmatique Tartar Praecopense and Chynaeses Him they invocate by many presents of their love and a letter fill'd with hideous complaints describing their miseries the confusion of their Kingdome and insufferable pride of the thirty competitors The Scythic Emperour promises his best ayde and with fifty thousand horse forthwith enters Persia without doing any hurt save against the Tyrants all whom he persecuted with such fury that in three moneths by the industry of the Inhabitants they are all taken and made to quaffe their farewell in the bitter cup of tormenting Death for which the people urged Tamberlayne to accept the Diadem and to establish it by all meanes possible in his posterity But after seven and twenty yeeres most honourable and succesfull government in that time captivating the great Turk Bajazet whom hee brought away in an iron Cage subduing all Asia yea in eight yeares conquering more Kingdomes and Provinces than the Romans did in eight hundred this Monarch of the Asiatique world is subjected by imperious Death intombed anno 1405 of the Heg 785. at Anzar in Cathayo leaving his sonnes and grand children to inherit his victories Ioon-gwyr Hameth-cheque Myramsha and Mirza-sharock by some call'd Soutochio and Letrochio of which Ioon gwir died three yeares before his father in Palestine leaving two sonnes Mamet Sultan and Pyr-Mahomet which Pir Mahomet was by his Grandsire placed in Gaznehen and Industan where he ruled till Pir Ally slew him villanously Hameth Chec was slaine in Laurestan some say in his fathers last combat with Bajazet Myramsha the third sonne was slaine in battell anno 1480 by Chara-Issuff the Turkoman in Aderbayon but left issue Sultan Mahumed from whom the great Mogul is descended and Mirza-Sharoc the youngest of Tamerlans sonnes surviving the other held most parts of the Empire till dying in the yeare 1447 he left Aberdayon or part of Media to Mirza Ioonsha sonne of Kara-Issuf the Turk new entred Persia Whiles Miramsha's issue preserve the splendour and magnificence of the Tartarian Emperour Myramsha by some call'd Allan-Chan left issue as is said Mahumet call'd Aben Mirza Sultan Mahomet who died anno 1453 leaving to his sonne Barchan at his Coronation new named Mirza Sultan Abuzaed many rich and spatious Provinces as Badashon Gaznehen Cabul Sistan Kerman Chorazan and Khoemuz all which were not sufficient by bribe not force to secure him against the incensed Persian who having endured much affliction for triall of conquest at last Ioonsha with Acen Ally his sonne grand sonne to Kara Issuff were beaten downe and Vsan Cassan call'd also Acembeg Lord of the White Sheepe governed Vnder this Vsan Cassan an Arminian the people fall upon Sultan Abusaid and in a pitcht field vanquish him and eighty thousand men himselfe slaine three hundred Elephants taken and all his Countries ransacked yet by reason of many discords amongst the Persians they revived and set Abusaids sonne upon the Throne by name of Aben Mirza hameth cheque whose foure and twenty yeares were spent in sweet ease and plenty At 's death his Empire descends anno 1493 upon his brothers sonne Babur Mirza named upon the addition of his
these parts his father and grand-father being Dukes afore him and which is no lesse admirable is priviledg'd from degradation by oath from Abbas upon this occasion Aliculican his father was victorious in many pitcht battells against Turk and Tartar adding no small lustre to Mahomet Codobandaes Diadem most memorably when by command of Amurath the sawcy Basha of Rhyvan with fifteene hundred musquets breath'd defiance against Morad the Chielfall governor in Armenia for daring to side with Ismael in that famous overthrow they gave the insolent Turks Anno 1514 in the Calderan plains Morad thus suddenly assaulted sends a timerous excuse which rather inrages the Bassa implacable till Morad had glutted his greedie appetite with burnisht gold two thousand pound commanding him thence to Nassivan old Artaxata by that time hungry againe Alicolichan Shaw Mahomets Lieftenant in Georgia rates Morad vows to make the Turk to eat cold Iron meat the Basha car'd not for but by Ally-culicans fierce charge with a gallant troop of six thousand horse made him returne his bribe and flie as if the Devill had beene in his guts without more prating over Anti Taurus calld Mezis Taur scarce thinking himselfe safe in any place whiles the valiant Georgian extracted a treble summe from Morad for his levity returning a triumphant victor to the Court recompenced with the Sheraz Dukedome and his sonne after him who has prov'd no lesse fortunate in Sha Abbas his field-services having quieted Georgia subdued Larr part of Arabia Diarbec Ormus All which it seemes is now forgotten the young Sha-Soffy first cutting off his sonnes head the young Beglerbeg and when the great Duke was singing to himselfe Tutum me copia fecit Anno 1632 had such another trick serv'd him his greatnesse pressing him to destruction But though he be dead his banquet and respect to us must not bee forgotten Ingrato homine terra pejus nil creat sayes Ausonius At our being here he had absented himselfe of purpose and albeit Sir Robert Sherley took the paines to ride to him and tell him his error hee answered It was no dishonour for any man his Master excepted to stay his leasure but if our Lord Ambassador had had his guard and other furniture wee had gone away without his Licence After six dayes attendance his Greatnesse was pleasd to visit Sheraz followed by two thousand horse most unmanerly took his ease two dayes after without any respect or note taking of the Ambassador At length he sent a gentleman to bid him come and visit him returning with this answer hee was weary having come a great journey and that his businesse was to see his Master hee knew not him The Duke storms to be so slighted but durst not affront him knowing the King had commanded his whole Kingdome to honour and bid him heartily welcome so after some pause sent word he meant next day to visit him but faild in his promise his sonne the Beglerbeg eighteene yeere old being sent to excuse him Next day our Ambassador sent word by Shoc-Ally-beg to the Dukes sonne his visit should be retaliated Emangoly-cawn is angry no more respect was had of him wondring what kind of people wee were since his owne in a sort adored him But see how subtilly they intrapt him for he was no sooner alighted at the Dukes Pallace but by Shoc-Ally-beg is welcomed and by him ushered our Lord knew not whither into a long gallery rich in beauties plate carpets and other furniture where like a Statua the Duke himselfe at the very end sat crosse-legd not moving one jot till the Ambassador was at him when as if he had beene afrighted hee skipt up and bad him welcome vouchsafeing also upon knowledge that we were gentlemen to imbrace us and provide us a banquet So after two houres merriment departed invited to returne next day to a more solemne welcome Next day being come wee were ushered by a Sultan thorw two great courts into a rich and stately banqueting house a large open roome supported with twenty richly guilded pillars the roofe imbost with flaming gold the ground spread with rich carpets of silke and gold a state at one end of crimson satten thick imbroydered with pearles and gold under which hee was to in-throne himselfe one side most excellently depicted his Ormus Trophyes no cost no Art left out to do it to the life their incamping upon the shoare their assaults scaladoes and entrance the massacre of the Ormousians some beheaded some cheyn'd some their heads serving for girdles as also the English ships and sea skirmishes without whose help it never had beene gained and the like so well painted Velutsi revera pugnent feriant vitentque Moventes Arma Vâ—ri As seem'd indeed Men armd to fight ward strike till each man bleed And when the greene and crimson scaenes of silke were drawne from this Apollo wee lookt into a great square court which at this occasion was round beset with the prime men of the City and into another court where I think I told five hundred Plebeyans invited to illustrate the Dukes magnificence Before the proud Duke meant to display his radiance my Lord Ambassador was seated on the left side of the state you may note if you please that all Asia over the left hand as the sword hand is most honorable upon the other side sat the discontented Prince of Tartary at my Lords left hand was seated the Beglerbeg and next him the captive King of Ormus Next to the Tartar Prince sat Threbis-cawn a disconsolate Prince of Georgia a brave warrior a constant Christian opposite to the state Sir Robert seated himselfe and with us were placed the two Princes of Ormus and some Sultans The rest of the great banquetting roome was fild with men of especiall note Sultans rich Merchants and Cooselbashaes young Ganimeds arrayed in cloth of gold went up and downe with flagons of pure gold to powre out wine to such as noded for it upon the carpets were spread fine coloured pintado Table cloaths forty ells long broad thin pancakes six one upon another served for trenchers neere which were scattered wodden spoons whose handles were almost a yard long the spoone it selfe so thick so wide as requir'd a right spatious mouth for entertainment The feast begins it was compounded of a hundred sorts of pelo and candid dried meats as also of Dates Peares and Peaches curiously conserved such I took best notice of I meane as pleasd me best were Iaacks Myrabolans Duroyens Pistachoes Almonds Apricocks Quinces Cherries and the rest I leave to the confectioner to inquire after It seemes we are so infatuated with our banquet and wine that the Duke is not taken notice of pray pardon he is not yet come that when our bellies are full our eyes may have the better leisure to surveigh his greatnesse The feast being ended the vulgar multitude strove to rend the sky with Yough Ally-Whoddaw-Bashat i.e. Ally and God bee thanked the Eccho was as
Moheia rather from fish a calumny had three sonnes Ally Hushan Achmet Ally sirnm'd Abenhassen had no issue his father and he were both buried in Sheraz An. Dom. 940 heg 320. Hussan by death of his elder brother was Lord of Parc Hery Hierac and Corasan Acmet had Kerman and Macron To Hussan succeeded a stranger Zedday-Mohee by name brought in by Mustapha the Babylonian Calyph to whom succeeded Eyna-duddaule that had no issue So Rocnadaul Hussans sonne got possession of his fathers seigniories and dyed Anno Domini 980. heg 360. dividing first his crowne lands amongst his three sonnes Sherfa-daule Shamsdaules and Bahao-daules The eldest had Shyraztan Larestan and Kerman the second Hierac and Diarbec the youngest had Gerioom and Taburstan Sherfadaule dyed issules Anno Dom. 990. heg 370. the second brother inherited but the envie of traitors gave him small joy for hee was buried not long after his Coronation whereby the seigniory came to Bahao-daules the youngest sonne of King Rocknadaule Bahaodaule governed twelve yeeres very succesfully and at 's death commanded his eldest son Sultandaule to succeed him this Prince was train'd up in field exercises from his cradle and by his valour much inlarged his Empire yet could not defend himselfe from Hocem Masharafdaule his restlesse brother till by agreement the Kingdome was divided to Sultandaule Farsistan and Aywaz to Hocen Hyerakeyn At that time Gelalâ—daul their brother was invested with the Caliph-ship of Bagdat Anno Domini 1021. heg 401. and Sultan-daul at last dyes and is Anno Domini 1025. buried in Shyraz with great solemnity Abdul-cawn his sonne ruled after him but perceives the Crowne to totter yea to fall off by the unnaturall practises of Syarfuddaul call'd also Abul-favar his traiterous Uncle forced thereby to fly to Gelaladaul his other Uncle the late made Kaliph who is glad of this occasion having long lookt with a squint eye of ambition upon his Nephews Diadem but dissembing it with a brave Army he descends from Bagdat and with ease dethrones Abul-favar but mounts himselfe into the throne to Abdul-cawns amazement who to save his life flies into Arabia whiles Mahomet Gaznehy from Hindostant falls upon Ayrac and Shervan but is repeld most shamefully into Sablestan Parc at that instant being miserably trod under-foot by the Turquemen and Deylamans ere long Abul-favor gets so highly into the Calyphs favour that hee is confirmed in his former title but in the way death cut off his claime leaving Abdul-cawn the banisht Prince his right who upon this faire advantage returnes and is joyfully welcomed but surfetting of too much joy hee lived not long after it for commending his body to the earth he gave the royalty to Aben-melec-Rahim his sonne who dyed Anno Domini 1054. heg 434. without issue and in whom after a race of fifteene Kings took end the Moheyan pedegree To him succeeded Abumansor who pretended himselfe true sonne of Gelaladaul the Caliph he took to wife Danta daughter of Toshalbeg and dyed after five yeeres greatnesse in Kermoen and lyes buried at Hurkawn not farre from Iasquis he had five sonnes by that Lady Abumansorphulad-sotun Chozroe-pheruz Abu-becr Abuzeddai and Aboally-kay-kozrao Abumansor inlarged Shyraz and did his best to make it strong and beautifull but whiles he busied his fancie at home he looks not abroad such time his ambitious brother Cosroe-pheruz gripes him and takes unjust possession of his Territories but revenge pursues him for being invited to Bagdat to see his sick grandsire Toshalbeg for his cruelty to his brother he is put into a loathsome prison where famine and stench made an end of him But this could not terrifie Abuzedday the fourth brother from intruding into Abumansors right albeit his injured brother had escaped and gathered a resolute Army who so stoutly stood his friends that Zedday is slaine and his associates banished It seemes Abumansor was borne to an iron destiny unable at his second returne to safegard himselfe from Fazele his Liefetenant that unawares detrudes him into a deadly prison adorning his rascall browes with his Masters Diadem Aboally will none of that he takes a happy advantage and pulls it from Fazel's brows and crownes him with one better becomming Traitors of flaming iron Aboally after hee had soveraniz'd seven yeeres is arrested by grim death Anno Domini 1100. heg 480. and for want of issue the Scepter falls to Mahummed Abutalip Togrulbeg sonne of Michael sonne of Salgucius sonne of Didacus a Turqueman In the Salgucian family it continued till Mahummed Abul-casen dyed Anno Domini 1220. heg 600. without any issue A race of Tattarrs followed led by Cingis-cawn Lord of Ketoa-kotan Maurenahar and Gaznehen Almostansor-bila-Mansor then sitting Caliph of Mecca and Bagdat To Cingis-cawn who dyed Anno Domini 1228. heg 608. followed Tuki-cawn and Chagatay-cawn from Chagatay-cawn descended Tamberlan whose issue now rule Hindustant After the Tartars the Turks a fresh planted here led by Chara-Mohummed An. Dom. 1415. Heg 795. a Karakula guspan or black sheepe as they call themselves banisht Anno Dom. 1470. Heg 850. by Acen-beg call'd also Vsan-cassan an Armenian Christian whose grandson Alvan was the last white sheepe or Acorlu-guspan shorne mortally by Izmael-Sophy his ambitious kinsman An. 1504. Heg 884. This Izmael was great Grandfather to Abbas now Persian King of the Ben-Ally or Sophian Genealogie Let us now what pace you please to Perse-polis not much out of the road but were it a thousand times further it merits our paines to view it being indeed the only bravo Antique-Monument not in Persia alone but through all the Orient PERSEPOLIS first call'd Elamis from Elam sonne of Sem sonne of Noah was built enlarg'd rather by Sosarmus a Median Dynast third from Arbaces that put a period by death of Sardanapalus to the Assyrian Monarchy begun by Belus Nymrod and Iupiter and in a glorious succession of one and forty Emperours commanding the world till Arbaces subjected Babylon By Cambyses sonne to Cyrus the magnificent it was most beautified and from him to Darius Codomanus continued Empresse of Asia two hundred thirty yeares in a line of thirteen Monarchs till Alexander by conquest of all Asia made prostrate also this glorious Citie betrayed by Teredates and demolisht by vehement perswasion of Thais an Athenian harlot who in revenge of Xerxe's expedition into Greece never gave over exasperating the giddy Macedonian till shee saw it flaming an act so unworthy Alexander as hee sought to quench it with his teares A Citie so excellent that Quintus Curtius and Diodorus Siculus intitle it the richest and most lovely Citie under the Sunne A high and stately Tower it had circled with a triple Wall sixteene cubits high the first adorn'd with battlements the second was two and thirty the third of threescore cubits high of delicate polisht Marble entred by many gates of burnisht brasse To the East rose amiably a hill of foure Akers in which in stately Mausoleums were intombed the Monarchs of the world Many rare
attribute so properly Is not Soffee-Sultan-mirza a Prince his sonne on whom can he more justly conferre his love in whom should vertue rather dwell where can there be a better center poore Prince the path he treads to adde lustre to his Fathers Diadem to do his Country good to be accounted commendable betrayes his steps and intices him to an affrighting precipice the more he labours to delight his Father it serves as fuell to an unjust jealousie the more hee dignifies his countries honour the more applause the people crowne him with and Abbas feares his popularity yea so farre cherishes dishonourable thoughts so much degenerates from paternall piety that without all pitty or regard of justice which makes Kings more beautifull and glorious than when circled with a Tyrants sparkling Diadem hee ruminates his speedy destruction During these his cabinet machinations the harmelesse Prince brandishes his steele in proud Arabia but after many conquests himselfe becomes captivated An Arabian Princesse of good report great beauty in such bodies usually are impaled the fairest soules and other excellent indowments fettered him but by his bravery and worth quickly redeem'd himselfe and vanquisht her Such magick has love such magnetick power is in vertue By this Lady he had in few yeeres two children Soffy and Fatyma no lesse loved by their Syre than beloved doated on by the Grandsyre Abbas a strange affection to distinguish so unnaturally to separate where nature had so strongly joyned to hate the graft and have the fruit endeared to him But that his hate might flow more currantly and lesse suspected hee lookes one way and shoots another seekes to inrage by abusing him hee lov'd most dearly Magar an Arab the Princes Tutor a sober faithfull and valiant servant Abbas calls for him and in leiu of applause or rewarding him for his sonnes noble education he lends him a sterne frowne accuses him of pride and charges him that hee had bewitcht the Prince with base ambition Magar sees not the venome prepared for him and therefore in an humble but confident excuse seekes to quiet him but the better hee apologuiz'd in his owne behalfe and the clearer hee made the Mirzaes loyalty appeare the more hee exasperates the King the higher his rage inflamed so that first hee amazes him with a volley of rigorous defamations and in that maze gives the signe a dreadfull signe for forthwith the Capigies break out and strangle him An unparaleld barbarisme an act so unbeseeming that famous King as amongst the common sort to this day it is not credited but Fames brazen shrill-mouth'd Trump sounds it abroad and ere long the Prince then in action against the Tartar has notice of his Syres injustice hee leaves the Camp and after many signalls of sorrow beseeches the King hee may know the reason of it who flashes him this thundring reason for thy rebellion he calls heaven to witnesse his integrity and obedience but Abbas provokes him further to intrap and have some colour to satisfie the world in his destruction The Prince madded with heat and passion imagines hee saw Magar a strangling and in that extasie unsheaths his sword vowing to rescue him the King sorrowes not at his distraction but at this advantage upon some faire termes disarming him calls him into another roome and pretending he was not very well goes out commanding seven big-bon'd villanies deafe and dumbe through a trap doore to issue upon him arm'd with bloody minds and deadly bow-strings their habit and weapons bewray their cruelty they needed no other interpretors the Prince admires the cause and if oratory or other submissive signes of entreaty could have gotten remorse or delay from these hell-hounds but till he knew the ground of this unnaturall project he had affoorded it but assured they were inexorable with an incomparable rage and suddennesse he flies upon them now one then another receiving such horrid blowes that ere they could fasten on him or insnare him with their ghastly twanging bowstrings hee sent three of them to the Divell and long time defended himselfe offending those blood-hounds with admirable courage and dexterity insomuch that had hee mastered any weapon hee had doubtlesse saved himselfe but wanting it his breath failed and longer his valour could not nourish him for facile est vincere non repugnantem so that at last thay fastened their noozes on him who now was as a dead man for all which the villains had triumpht in his further tortures had not the King prevented it commanding them to pinnion him and before hee could recover his sences to draw a flaming steele afore his eyes and so to blind him forbidding him the sight of what hee loved ever after wife babes friends soldiers or Magars carcasse And by this impiety Asia lost her fairest jewell Persia her Crown of honour and Mars his darling The losse of so brave a Prince is quickly rumord All Persia mourns and in many threnodies sing his farewell his Army swells with passion but seeing no remedy by a forced silence murmur their imprecations the Prince when he perceived his undoing the eye of reason lent him such a sight falls frantick hee curses his birth his fame his loyalty his cruell parent and by many contumatious threats vowes his destruction but vana sine viribus ira he findes his revenge impossible but at that conceit roares hidiously and is not to be comforted till Suliman-mirza Curchiki-cawn and other his kinsmen and quondam favorits flockt about him and by their miserable examples dictated patience for none there but in some measure had swolne big with the Kings infusion in their times and by like jealousie were crusht downe mutilated and damnd to perpetuall imprisonment In those discontented times Abbas kept his Orb moving like another Saturn now he imagines his Crowne fixt closely to his head his seat steddy every way free from stormes and other accidentall causes that might disturb his quiet he swum hourely in an ocean of delight and relisht it but nothing so much inchanted him as young Fatyma no other Syren was melodious in song or delicate in feature save pretty Fatyma if any stood in feare he is pacified by Fatyma Court and Kingdome admired his love but joyed at it for by this Lady they found a way to expell his rage and how to pleasure him the prisoners also by this Fatyma got some livelyhood for want of which they were oft times welnigh famished none but shee daring to mediate and thus by this good infant gained they what formerly they pined for food and comfort But what joy findes the blinded Prince since hee cannot participate revenge delights him more that word as musick pleases the infernall fancie of this melancholy Mirza not caring how detestable so Abbas suffered The Divell inspires new rage and blowes the coales of more than cruell assassination for albeit he loved Fatima yet hearing how his Father doated on her that begets his hate yea hatches the innocents confusion Oh! in him
and care to uphold his dignity against Tartar and Persian his great cost and quarrelsome neighbours yet such was his good fortune policy valour and mutuall love twixt him and his subjects that though often invaded he stood secure yea lived to heare the ruine of many his late enemies his only aime tending to preserve what his predecessors had justly made him heyre unto and that his gray hayres might go in peace to an eternall dormitory Thus thought Bahaman and added his endeavors to compleat his thoughts But Abbas the ambitious Persian returning from the conquest of Mozendram forcing Shalley-mirza sonne of King Abdalla-cawn to become his pentioner looks up upon Taurus which seemed to threaten his undaunted heart and vowes to bee no longer bearded by that mountanous King taking his Motto out of Tacitus id aequius quod validius charging him also that from his lofty dwelling hee peered into his two Kingdomes Medya and Mozendram by that advantage ransacking his Townes robbing his Carravans illuring his wormes anticipating his progresse to the Caspian Sea and diverting many rivers into other sources which springing upon Taurus stream'd gallantly into Hyrcania Shervan without whose felicitating those Provinces became barren and barbarous Meleck Bahaman readily answers Abbas and finds his drift comparing him to that fable of the Wolfe who drinking at the spring-head quarrelled with the silly Lambe for troubling his draught by quenching his flagrant thirst at the stream below Whiles Abbas in an impatient delay resolves to try the chance of war appointing Methiculibeg with an army of Coosel-bashawes to perfect his designes and not to descend thence without victory It could not be so secretly intended but aged Bahaman has intelligence of his immediate purposes At first it troubled him in that his gray haires were more propense to ease than tumult Yet lest his subjects from his example might be discouraged he throwes away his dull thoughts and as a common father provides for safety in armes and victualls furnishing his large Cittadell for many yeares siege yea omitting nothing that might intitle him a carefull and expert Souldier In each defensive place he plants a Garrison and makes every part naked and comfortlesse where the Enemie might march that in nothing he might be advantagious to the Persian That done he mews himselfe his Queene two sonnes and ten thousand able men in his defended Castle not fearing any thing they could attempt against him The Persian generall with thirty thousand men mount upwards and at their first ascent find the way so tedious made more dangerous by many dismall showres of Darts and stones thundering on them that they grumbled at such stratagems and would needs tumble downe againe till Methiculibeg by many promises of reward and exposing his owne head in the front of danger drew them up and after some petty skirmishes incampt himselfe before this Castle where he was told the King and victory was included When they had long viewd this inaccessible fortresse they halfe dispaired of subduing it Such was the height of that Castle and such the perpendicular ascent two excellent defences Art and Nature had inricht it with Some Attempts he made invalidable to shoot their Arrowes at it was one with ayming at the Moone Small shott they had and many Lances but of small force to batter rocks so that after many tedious bravadoes wherein the Persian had stones for payment the Generall finding force not valuable turnes Matchiavillian He summons them above to parlee with him which granted he assaults them with many protestations of truce and friendship And that hee might the better shadow truth presents the aged King with choise Tulipants Shamsheers Pearles and other guilded baits meane enough to angle for a Kingdome intreating him to descend and taste a banquet solemnly swearing by Mortus Ally the head of Shaw Abbas by Paradise by eight transparent Orbs and other panym attestations that he should have royall quarter come and goe as pleased him no other reason inducing his invitation than a hearty good will hee bore him and hopes of agreement upon parlee The peacefull King unused to deceit and warres rotten stratagems swallowes the tempting hook and is credulous they had no perfidy His wife and sonnes disswade adding fresh examples of their hypocrisie But neither those nor the teares his men shed to beg his stay vowing their constancie to the last man could divert his destiny but downe he goes and findes the Crocodile below ready to embrace him with teares of joy but after a short banquet gives him an iron bed regarding neither vow honour nor ingagement Bahaman too late repents his dotage The Pagan Generall thinks all his owne now and therefore sends his sonne a message of intreaty upon a Speares point that if they wisht their fathers safety an end of warre truce with Abbas and new Grandeur to their fortunes they should come down all which by obstinacie would be forfeited and denied them yea prove a basis of perpetuall trouble and a common monumentall shame unto posterity Nature enriches man with reason Time with knowledge and experience Hence the two gallant youths regardlesse of the rodomantadoes of the fastidious Pagan commix discretion and pollicy throw downe this choking answer They would beleeve hee was an honest man and condiscend to any reason so the King might have his liberty to come up againe otherwise he might count them Ideots the villany and perjury to their father being so fresh amongst them from equall reason they might demand the Castle and Crowne as them by whom those things subsisted other satisfaction they would not give so vile a miscreant this excepted That the King of Persia's ill-grounded ambition would never prosper that though of long time he had politely avoyded the Epithite of a Tyrant this would rub afresh his former injustice yea anatomize him so clearely that all Asya would account him odious that all the world might tax him of dishonourable avarice who commanding over many fruitfull Provinces could not rest contented without subjugating a Nation never wronging him a King whose Ante-cessors had for more ages govern'd Larry-Iohn than Izmaels posterity had done Persia a Country so cold and barren that of more than Title he could not any way better himselfe an unholy ostentation Sua retinere privatae Domus de alienis certare regia laus est sayes Tacitus private men do well to think their owne enough great ones think all too little for their ambition Abbas must not be circumscrib'd the General remembers it So that retorting him this lawlesse title Ius mihi objectas accincto gladio without more plea invites them from their consolidated cloud to view their Fathers head off they resolutely bid him do as pleased him and to call to minde murther is inexpiable in their Alcoran Methiculibeg has torne his foxes skin with overstreching it seeing this device prove ayre knows no way now to blow them up himselfe is so finely undermined But giving his rage
a vent in heat of fury he againe assaulted them they retaliate his hate with such dexterity that many Coosel-bashes expir'd their last and so many others were bruis'd that they begun a common mutiny protesting to returne whiles possible upbrayding the Generall that he knew not how to use a victory that Bahaman was theirs Mount Taurus theirs and doubted not but they would do homage if the Shaw would so honour him that with more credit and gaine they could oppose the Turk or Indyan The Generall is plung'd into a deadly Dylemma If he could infuse patience and make them stay hee knew not how to mount the Castle if he returned without full conquest he knew his head should off Ferrat-cawn Oliverdi-cawn Kurchichy-cawn and other brave Captaines for like faults being that yeere beheaded Hee machinates at length another triall he releases Bahaman upon his knees beseeches pardon vowing he us'd this seeming discourtesie but to try his excellent temper that his leave to go back was granted him either to go or stay as pleased him that Abbas his Master had sent for him and that he should depart more joyfully could he but be so happy to see his sons whom for valour and policy he admired above all mortall creatures that if any Articles and Truce might reciprocally bee signed to oh what content it would affoord and fetter him in a thousand slavish ingagements Bahaman is over-joyed at this Syren never did musick to his dull eares sound more melodiously some Magick spell sure had infatuated him he beleeves the Persian and gives a Sardonick smile to think how blest hee was in this attonement he dictates a pathetick letter and is permitted to shew his joy at a distance to his sonnes A nefarious messenger delivers it and bewitches the well-nigh distracted Princes with such piscashes and presents of worth that accepting them and joying at the easie Articles they consult and fearing to irritate so Potent a neighbour to further mischiefe the Queene also provoking them downe contrary to the soldiers who presag'd by many submissive diswasions their ruine downe they go relying on the perfidy of the Generall who sounds for joy and carries them to their endeared Father twixt whom was shewed love and obedience in the height of both the Generall presents them a solemne banquet but death attended them For when these three were blessing their good destiny smiling in a mutuall consent of love the Generall gives the signe and at one instant three Coosel-bashes standing by with their slicing Semiters whipt off their heads all three at one moment made immortall and ere this villany was spread abroad by vertue of their seales they made the men above descend and yeeld the Castle some receiving mercy some destruction By that detested policy yoaking in slavery this late thought indomitable Nation such was the miserable end of Meleq ' Bahaman and two hopefull Princes forgetfull of warres subtleties and how Aladeule their neighbour King of Anti-Taurus for playing fast and loose with Selim first Emperour of Turqs by equall credulity gave a like issue to his life and Kingdome Opposit to this Castle is erected the Sepulcher of Bahamans beloved Queene in the high-way as wee passed t is of foure equilateralls elevated eight yards high the materiall is of stone well squar'd and plaster'd with white very apparant and comely A long mile from this Sepulcher and higher up into the Aire is the high peak of Damoan by Strabo in his 11. lib. call'd Iasonia whose top shaped like a Pyramid surmounts all the other parts of Taurus up which defatigating hill we crambled with no small difficulty and from whence wee could discover the Caspian Sea eightscore long miles distant thence 't is above compos'd of sulphur which causes it to sparkle each night like Aetna a pleasant object to the eye but is so offensive to the smell that it requires a nosegay of Garlick in the ascending hence most part of Persia and Chaldaea has their brimstone the reason why we rode up was out of curiosity to see the baths so generally resorted to so excellently famous Three are incircled with strong stone-walls and two are open The first are for those of quality the other in common and hither in August people flock apace from remote parts decrepit and diseased in mighty multitudes How are we tost by Fortune when we keep At Sea we see the wonders of the deep And tremble at the danger where we dive Under the hideous waves When we arrive On land we think us happy But ere long We must to work againe and climb the strong And craggy Mountains reaching up to Heaven Each down-cast look is death each way uneven Dants our thick-panting hearts lest if we misse One step we head-long fall the precipisse The top like fierce Vesuvim Sulphur spits The mid-way wholsome Baths which cute all fits Of agues aches palsie and the stone All epileptick fumes as if alone Nature had chose this place to plant in these The Art of Galen and Hypocrates Now whether this hill take denomination from Damoan five farsangs thence or the Towne from it I cannot argue but from the signification a Second plantation the Jewes have a Cabala that Noahs Ark rested here Noahs Ark. not only from the super-eminency of the hill but Vines and Zone fitting a seminary better than any part of the Armenian mountains Besides this hill where Taurus rises up higher than elsewhere is part of Paropamisa where Becanus places the Ark denying that Ararat is in Armenia though Hayton to make it be beleeved calls it Aremnoē But how improbable so ere that be this seemes more congruous that at this Towne of Damoan and mountaines about it the Idolatrous Tribes removed by Salmanasser were here seated those especially of Dan Zebulon Assur and Nepthaly the other of Ruben Gad and halfe Manasses by Tiglath Pillesar about Lar Iaarown and other parts of Chusistan For albeit Ptolomy makes Gozana in his 6. lib. 18. chap. a branch of Oxus in above 40 degrees and at Hara and Hala and Ghabor Cities of Medya neere the river Gozan sacred story saies they were placed by the Assyrian it cannot be that Gozan mixes with Oxus since no part of Medya is within three hundred miles of it Gozan then is in Medya and seeing that Araxis waters Armenia from Ararat and runnes into the West side of the Caspian sea this river here of a great bredth streaming from Taurus both into Medya and Hyrcania cut in many small rivolets by the people to draw her many wayes must needs be Gozan and the Jewes inhabiting here for many ages confirme my conjecture saying also that they were brought hither captives and here have rested during many overtures and changes of the Persian Monarchy East of Damoans high peak is a Towne call'd Nova in it a hundred families A young man sonne to Hodge-Suare the Persian Merchant that dyed in London Anno Domini 1625 and brother to Mahomet whom we
the Kings Towne his Purgatorie rather if a conspiracie of loose scalding sand the burning Sun and filthie Cottages can make one the houses there differ nothing in shape nor closenesse from Ovens the people all day bake themselves in them a people so discourteous that our miserie nothing afflicted them from that hatefull Towne we hasted and next night got into Casbyn CAZBYN or Kazvyn after the lisp of Persia is that same City known to the ancient Topo-graphers by name of Arsacia from Arsaces the valiant Persian Anno Mundi 3720. from whom the ensuing Kings were stil'd Arsacidae two hundred and fifty yeeres before the th'incarnation of our Savior Christ and is accounted the first that made Medya an Empire in despight of proud Seleuchus son to the great Monarch of Syria Antiochus sirnamed Theos By command of Nycanor it was afterwards call'd Europus and lost that name too when it bended under the next conquest It is likely this was that Rages a City in Medya as appeares in Tobit whither the Angell went from Ecbatan to receive the ten Talents of our money two thousand pounds Tobias was to have from Gabael sonne to Gabrias his kinsman I am not ignorant that some imagine Edissa in Mesopotamia to be it but that is most unlikely for then what businesse had they from Ninivy to go to Ecbatan in the way no doubt or not farre deviat to Rages a contrary way leading to Edissa twixt Tigris and Euphrates besides it is said in the Apocrypha that Rages was in Medya Edissa is not and no part of Medya is neerer than a thousand miles from the holy City but Edissa not five hundred Whence the word Cazbyn is fetcht I could not learne I suppose from Cowz-van i.e. a vale of barley as Sheir-van a plain of milke c. or from King Cazvan as they call Acembeg the Armenian or that it is the relict of Casbira an old City in Strabo placed here for if I should deduce it from Chazbi as the 70 Interpreters translate it in Gen. 38.5 it would relish of too much antiquity The signification of Exile is unknown by interpretation or occasion to the inhabitants except the broacher of that conceit had recourse to the idiom of the old Parthians The North pole is in this famous City elevated 36 deg and 15 min. long 85 degrees 30 minutes by King Tamas sonne of Ismael made the Metrolis of this Monarchy the better to affront the intruding Ottomans the Kingdome it stands in is Medya the Province Sheirvan that part call'd Deylan from Tabryz a hundred and eighty miles from Hamadan the sepulture of Queen Ester Mordecay a hundred ten from Sultany the residence of six Sultans ninety from Ardavyl the Seigniory of the Abasians eighty from Gheylan seventy from Farabaut two hundred from Samarchand five hundred from Ormus eight hundred from Babilon five hundred from Ierusalem a thousand from Spahawn two hundred and seventy from Shyraz foure hundred and ninety from Kandahar five hundred and fifty miles English or thereupon It is at this day for multitude of buildings and inhabitants the chiefe in Medya and equall for other grandeur to any other City in the Persian Empire Spawhawn excepted It is seated in a faire even plaine no hill of note in thirty miles compasse overlooking her a champaigne yeelding graine and grapes but little wood saw I growing any where It has a small streame flowing from Abonda Baronta of old which gives the thirsty drink and mellowes the gardens from whence by its refreshment and the peoples industry they have abundance of fruits and roots and in varieties I think the reason why wee saw no great rivers in any place is from their forcing it into many sluces to bring it by subterranian passages to such Townes as have none but by derivative in so much that if Indus Euphrates and Ganges were amongst them I meane where the Country is most peopled doubtlesse they would make them kisse the sea in five hundred ostiums or branches Such fruits as I remember were Grapes Orenges Lymes Lemons Pomcytrons Musk and water Mellons Plums Cherryes Peaches Apricocks Figgs Gooseberries Peares Apples Pistachoes Filberds Hasel-Nuts Wallnuts Almonds and excellent Pomgranads Dates but such as came from Laristan Casbyn is circled with a complementall wall of no force in any adversity the compasse is about 7 miles the families are twenty thousand people about two hundred thousand nourisht by the Ayre and a few roots and rice such dyet as best complies with such torrid regions The Buzzars here are large and pleasant but inferiour to some about her The Mydan is uniform and beautifull the Kings Pallace and Haram are nigh the great Market low of raw-bricks varnisht after the notion of Paynim painting in blew red and yellow tinctures commixt with Arabiq knots letters azure gold the windowes are spatious trellized and neatly carved within of usuall splendor neere his gate is a great Tanck or Magazyn of water made at the common charge at our being here The Hummums or sweating places are many resplendent in the azure pargetting and tyling wherewith they are ceruleated the vulgar buildings content the inhabitants but to a busie eye yeeld small wonder or amazement the gardens are best to view and smell to but compared with those in Spahawn and Shyraz prove but ordinary and lesse fruitfull The Mosq's or superstitious houses are not two thirds so many as Iohn of Persia computed long ago above six hundred Nor those so fastidious in Pyramidall aspirings nor curious in Architecture nor inside glory as in many lesser Towns obeying Mahomet I cannot inlarge her praises save that in Spring and Autumne I beleeve it may be a temperate and inticing climat but Sommer and Winter are extreame in contraries Apollo frying them with his oblique flaming glances and Hyems no lesse benumming them with his icycles Here we met the Pot-shaw again who got into Casbyn two dayes afore us At which time forty Cammells entred loaden with Tobacco out of Indya the owners and drivers being ignorant that any such prohibition had gone out to forbid the using it the King sometimes commanding and restrayning three or foure times every yeere to shew his Monarchic power and as the humor taketh him an ill spirit directed them for Mamet-Ally-beg the pernitious Favorite wanting his piscash it seemes exasperates Abbas and he forth-with payes the men unwelcome wages commanding an Officer to crop off their eares and to benose them offering to his angry Justice the forty Cammells burthen of Tutoon or Tobacco by making a great deep hole the pipe which being inflam'd in a black vapor gave the Citizens gratis two whole dayes and nights infernall incense Let me give you somewhat to memorise Casbyn wherein have been acted many Tragick scenes in their times very terrible Mahomet the purblind King of Persia and Syre to Shaw-Abbas of himselfe was peaceable and mercifull but could rest never the quieter for such a temper Morad
come and by that turn'd the fortune of the day eclips'd by that interposition and made to dy there in an honourable conquest the cheife Captain Arezbeg unhorst imprisoned and at Sumachy most basely hang'd to give the terrified Tattars fresh incouragement Sumachy or Shamaky as some call it has North latitude 39 degrees a frontier Town it is Medya Armenia and Hyrcania parting there it was founded by Shamuc-Zeddaule An. Dom. 990. Heg 370. and from whom peradventure it was named It has foure thousand families the houses are low little gracefull seated in a pleasant plain or valley to the Notth and West allowing a delightfull prospect Anno Domini 1566. Heg 946. her last Native King Obdolow-cawn dyed and his sonne Syrvan-Shaw was forced to inroll himselfe a Tributary to Shaw-Abbas In this Towne is a Tower of heads rais'd by the insolent Turq's such as is in Spahawn and which the old knave Mustapha made be erected But to returne Mahomet Codobanda has quick newes of the shamefull death Arez-beg had suffred He sorrowes for the losse of so brave a man is sick of revenge and intreats his couragious sonne Emyr-Hamzè-Mirza the wonder of his time to recompence that villany who most cheerefully with twelve thousand men hasts out of Casbyn and in nineteene dayes presents his men in the face of Abdulchery and his Tattars flashing such pannique feare amongst them that after two houres fight hee rowts his Armie and with much shame and losse forces them away to seek more shelter that done he enters Erez and massacres the Turkish Garrisons Caytas the Bassa hee made to imitate Arezbeg in the grizely play of Death he recovered also two hundred peeces of Artillery those very same his Grandsire Tamas had lost to the grand Signieur Solyman he stayes not there but hearing where the Tartars had re-incampt with his speedy Army he re-encounters them cut most of them in peeces whereby the birds of the ayre might more easily prey upon their carcasses Abdulchery by fortune of warre was unhorst by the gallant Prince and sent captive to Ere 's where the Begun or Queene mother lay during which Osman and his Turks enter Sumachy without resistance but the Persian Prince hasts thither and with such furie that amazed Osman takes th' advantage of the night and stole away leaving Sumachy to the Princes mercy who for her perfidy made a fire of her houses and seem'd to quench it with blood of the Inhabitants Returning back to Erez he forces his Mother and he youthfull Tartar to follow him to Casbyn where he was received with Epiciniaes and songs of joy and triumph Osman in the interim sculks in Derbent whither we will take the paines to follow him DERBENT is a strong and famous Port Town upon the Caspian sea viewing from her loftie Tarrasses the Armenian and Hyrcan Territories Ararat and the sea knowne to our predecessors by many names as Alexandria from the great Macedonian who built many Townes and gave them his name Morcosa Demyrcapi and now Derbent memorable in her best passage from Armenia major Medya c. into Mosendram Gheylan Shervan Tartary c. it is removed one hundred and twenty miles from Sumachy from Bildih 180. it elevates the North Pole one and forty degrees fifteene minutes and admits three miles compasse and better is circled with a strong high and usefull stone wall the houses Hummums and Churches are but meanly beautifull such rage the Prince Emir-Hamze shewed here Anno 1568. Heg 948. such time as he unkenneld with smoke and flame Osman Bassa and his Turkish varlets and made the Inhabitants feele the temper of his biting sword the houses the fire of his wrath an object of his justice of their levity and rebellion In Derbent the strong Castle Kastow is most observable pleasant and every way advantagious that wall also which runnes thence to Tephlys in Georgia built by Alexander the great upon like occasion Offa drew his ditch to terminate the valiant Brittans call'd also Caucasiae vel Iberiae portae is one of the wonders of Asia but at this day moath-eaten by iron tooth'd Time and warres inconsiderate furie returne againe Abdul-chery and the Queen-mother by this are so linkt in Cupyds chains that the Tattar finds himselfe double fettered but after much parlee and fight they tooke truce and grew so co-united that the Sultans in Casbyn took notice of it but neither regarding her Majestie nor his youth forgetting also that the King intended to make him his sonne in law no dishonour being the great Cams brother all these neglected they broke in at such an unluckie time as they were acting some inchastity a sight so odious to the jealous Sultans that they first made him an Eunuch and after that slew them both concluding so Anno Heg 958. the end and tryumphs of the Praecopensian Tartar After some stay in Cazbeen our Ambassador to swiften his dispatch visited the Load-starre of Persia the grand Favorite Mahomet Ally-beg who entertain'd him with a loftie look and wisht him to trust his secrets to his Cabinet wherein the mysteries of the whole state was lockt the King shewing himselfe unwilling to be further troubled The Ambassadour might in any other place than Persia have return'd him the Lye but perceiving no remedy and desiring to haste home imparted so much as hee saw necessarie Touching Sir Robert Sherley hee was to expect no other satisfaction his enemie was dead and at the Caspian sea the King had sufficiently honoured him but to speak truly the Pot-shaugh had then no affection to him when by reason of his age hee was disabled to doe him further service adding but out of an Enemies mouth that all his Ambassies and messages to the Princes of Christendome were frivolous and counterfeit But when our Ambassadour objected he was in person there to justifie his authority that he had the Kings Letter of credence to testifie sign'd and stampt by the Shaugh himselfe and that it had beene a ridiculous presumption in Sherley to have dared to contest with Abbas to his face if hee had beene an Impostor the Favorite had not wherewith to answer save that so our Ambassador pleas'd to lend him that Phirman Sir Robert Sherley had brought in his defence hee would returne it him next day with his Masters speach concerning it A vexation it must needs be to my Lord Ambassadour to treat in this uncivill sort by a malicious proxy necessitie forced it Three dayes passed ere Mahomet-Ally-beg would vouchsafe to returne the Letter or give that satisfaction he had promised at length he came and told the Ambassadour that the King had lookt upon it had denied it to be his and in a great rage had burnt it wishing Sir Robert Sherley would depart his Kingdome because old and as hee thought troublesom It was in vaine to chalenge the pragmatique Pagan in point of honour nor knew he any recourse by justice to ease himselfe We all were verily perswaded he
their Priests assisted the holy ceremonie his horse which was led before had a black velvet Saddle on his back his Coffin wee covered with a crimson satten quilt black they account not of lyned with purple Taffata upon the horse were lay'd his Bible Sword and Hatt Mr. Hedges Mr. Stodoart Mr. Emmery Mr. Molam Dick th'Interpreter and such others of his followers as were healthy attended the Corps Doctor Goch a reverent Gentleman buried him where hee rests peaceably till the resurrection And although his singular vertue and memorie cannot perish evehit ad Aethera virtus yet I wish with all my heart hee had a Monument some more eminent memoriall He was I assure you vivum omnis virtutis exemplar and I wish I could better expresse my love than by decking his herse with this impolisht Epicaedium Lo Noble Cotton far from home hath found A resting place in the Assyrian ground His countries Love his Duty to his King So far a willing heart from home did bring Harden thy tendernesse no danger feare The way to heaven alike is every where En procul a patriis situs est Cottonius oris Anglus in Assyria contmulatus humo prestitit haec Patriae jussisque potentibus almi Principis obsequiis officiosus amor Excute mollitiem quicunque pericula lentus Causaris Coelo par fit ubique via Wee have small joy to stay here any longer three Ambassadors wee have buried and though the Pot-shaugh seeme to pitty us for as an assurance of his kind respect he sent each of us two long coats or vests of cloth of gold yet hee may call himselfe a miserable man that hangs his welfare upon the smiles of Persia We are ready to be gone but cannot go till Mahomet-Ally-beg blow us away and we danc'd long attendance ere he would give us a Phirman for our safe travell and that Letter we desired from the Persian King to our most gracious Soveraign At length we got it wrapt up in a peece of cloth of gold fastned with a silken string and sealed with a stamp of Arabic letters after the mode of Asia Our Phirman or Pasport of safety sealed with a stamp of letters in Inck take thus interpreted THe high and mighty Starre whose Head is covered with the Sunne whose Motion is comparable to the highest Fyrmament whose Imperiall Majesty is come from Asharaph and hath dispatched the Lord Ambassador of the English King c. The Command of the great King is this That his Followers bee conducted from our Pallace of Casbyn to Saway and by the Daraguod of Saway to the City of Coom and by the Sultan of Coom to the City of Cashan c. Through all my Territories faile not my command I also command them a safe and peaceable travell From Casbyn POT-SHAVV ABBAS August An. Dom. 1628. Asfendermed-maw Hegira 1008. So after thirty dayes stay in Cazbyn about the midst of July wee departed But ere we go farre let us bid farewell to Mahomet-Ally-beg our small friend and according to his worth let others know him His birth-place is Parthia from Parah to fructifie his Almuten was calculated the aspects found happy If from a Costermonger to bee next the King may be call'd happy and in him the matchavillyan motto was approved a dram of good fortune is better than a pound of vertue In that happy minute of all minutes Abbas by accident cast his eye upon him a magick infusion it had it seemes for from the Apple-basket he is roab'd in gold and quickly made the Magnet of Persia his yeerely revenue at our being there I heard by many men estimated a hundred and forty thousand pounds sterlin and well may bee not any Mirza Cawn Sultan nor Beglerbeg that depended upon the Pot-shaughs smiles but in an awfull complement made him their Anchor by some annuall piscash bribe or other his presence was very comly and taking of a sweet countenance made amiable by many complementall smiles hee is of a big full body large eyes and nose and huge mustachoes was at this time aged forty a third part of which hee had beene Fortunes minion But no sooner was old Abbas by bold death struck from the helme of Persia and young Soffy his Grand-sonne made the royall Stear-man but his supercilious glances grew humbled yea his dazeling splendor eclipst in the setting of his Master becomes quickly darkned his late pride and avarice heaped all mens contempt upon him in so much as none now but dares to brand him with becoming Epethites yea his estate so vast that it threatned to presse him to eternal cōfusion Of all others the Shyrazian Dynast darted him frowns of death but non semper feriet quodcunque minabitur arcus a black mist of unexpected destruction fuming from young Soffees browes of the right pedegree sends poore Emangoly to an untimely grave and the Beglerbeg his gallant sonne to beare him company neither to be descended of loyall and Princely Syres to have Abbas his oath of safety to be Protector of Persia during the nonage of the Infant King to have famoused the crown by many heroick services nor to bee Emangoly-cawn could repell the deadly shaft of jealosie but in the Meridian of his course and glory in the extreame of his hopes and when so long a farewell was least thought on hee and his are hewed downe prophesied of by that Satyric Poet. Ad generum Cereris sine caede vulnere pauci discendunt Tyranni his great pride his infamous cruelty at Ormus and Arabia crying out for justice against him Whiles Mahomet-Ally-beg shakes off his raggs of discontent and a fresh ingratiates himselfe at this day moving in a spheare of content and purest mettall A word of Shaugh-Abbas also Abbas the Persian Emperour was of low stature a Gyant in policy his aspect quick his eyes small and flaming and without any palpebrae or hayre over them he had a low forehead a high and hawked nose a sharp chin and after the mode of Persia beardlesse his mustachoes were exceeding long and thick and turned downwards He was born in the yeere of Mahomet 938 King of Hery 50 yeeres Emperour of Persia c 43 dyed aged 70 in the yeere of our accompt 1628 of their Aera 1008 in Cazbeen His heart his bowells his carcasse were parted and buried in Ally-Mosched neere Cufa in Cazbyn in Ardaveel at Coom some say few know the certainty Abbas King of Persia The Easterne Monarchs at this day continue the custome of their antient predicessors who from time to time delighted more in Epethites of vertue than in any Titles of Kingdomes or Provinces They accounted it an effeminate vain-glory to stuffe their letters or when they sent their Ambassadors abroad to forraine Potentates to guild their greatnesse by accumulation of Names and in which respect the German Emperor got little in that late Letter he sent to Abbas the beginning of which was so fild with Titles and members of his Empire that
after hee had heard halfe a dozen of them read he had no patience to stay the reading of the rest but departed in anger as finding those no way materiall to his businesse Instead of them these Persian Kings and other great ones of Asia exceed with no lesse prolixity in adorning their Letters and dispatches with hyperboles of their resemblance to the Sunne their affinity to the Stars and with the sweetest and rarest of fruits flowers gems c. As also of wise famous sweet victorious mercifull just beautifull couragious c. Howbeit the Titles of the Persian Monarch may be these 1 Pharsy 2 Arac 3 Shervan 4 Sablestan 5 Candahor 6 Tocharistan 7 Erey 8 Zagathai 9 Mozendram 10 Turquestan 11 Syrâ—ian 12 Phargan 13 Thalecan 14 Maurenahar 15 Kalsistan 16 Sigistan 17 Maqueron 18 Istigiaz 19 Kyrman 20 Laristan 21 Syndè 22 Armussa 23 Larr 24 Iaziry 25 Chusistan 26 Ajaman 27 Diarbeck 28 Gorgè 29 Armeny 30 Karkash 31 Vaspracan 32 Aramnoh 33 Adozar 34 â—owrachow 35 Iarvall 36 Deriob-korasan 37 Deriob-Farsee 38 Phrat 39 Diglan 40 Arass 41 Syndè ABBAS Emperour or Pot-shaw of 1 Persia 2 Parthia 3 Media 4 Bactria 5 Ortispana 6 Chorasan 7 and Harya King over the Ouzbeg 8 Tattar 9 Hyrcania 10 Draconia 11 Evergeta 12 Parmenia 13 Hydaspia 14 Sogdiana 15 Paropamisa 16 Drangiana 17 Aracbosia 18 Mergiana 19 Carmania 20 Gedrosia as far as the stately river 21 Indus Sultan of 22 Ormus 23 Chorra 24 Arabia 25 Susiana 26 Chaldaea 27 Mesopotamia 28 Georgia 29 Armenia 30 Iberia 31 Mengrellia Mirza or Prince of the Imperious Mountains of 32 Ararat 33 Taurus 34 Caucasus and 35 Periardo Commander of all creatures from the 36 Caspian Sea to the 37 Gulph of Persia Lord of the foure rivers of Paradize 38 Euphrates 39 Tigris 40 Araxis and 41 Indus Of true discent from King Mortis-Ally Governour of all Sultans Emperour of Mussulmen Bud of honour Myrrour of vertue Rose of delight c. And although to the modest reader a great deale of Ostentation may appeare in these blustering Titles and Epithites yet will they seeme as nothing if we paralell them with the Kings of old and at this day in other places That of Cyrus may be excus'd recorded by Ezra An Mun. 3419. The Lord God of Heaven hath given me all the Kingdomes of the earth Domitian like Pharaoh proudly scoffing who is the Lord in all his proclamations begun thus I am your Lord God Domitian the God of Flyes Caligula wrote himselfe Deus opt max. Iupiter Latialis If he could have satisfied his Atheism with the title of an earthly God or of Iove Menander and Tzetza had defended him saying from Homer Rex est viva Dei imago in terris Reges omnes olim vocarûnt Ioves Sapores sonne to Misdates the Persian Monark Anno Domini 315 began his letter to godly Constantius the Emperour in this sort as is in lib. 17. Marcellini I Sapores King of Kings equall to the Starres and brother to the Sunne and Moone Cozrhoes also Ormisdaes sonne in the yeere of grace 620 the first of the Mahomitan accompt scorning those of Deus terrhenus or of homo a Deo secundus blowes himselfe up in this swelling proem to Moritius the unhappy Emperor I Chozroe great King of Kings Lord of Lords Ruler of Nations Prince of peace salvation of men among gods a man good and ever among men a God most glorious the great Conquerour arising with the Sun giving lustre to the night a Heroe in discent from which affected pride the idolatrous slaves begun to worship him and to clamour out Tu es nostra salus in te credimus and hence the Poet to illustrate his Bees sings thus of them Preterea Regem non sic Aegyptus ingens Lydia nec populi Parthorum aut Medus Hydaspes Observant c. Aegypt nor Lydia do their Kings obey Nor Medes nor Parthians halfe so much as they From their Examples other Pagans in these our times arrogate no lesse supereminency in Titles Solyman T'saccus that wrathfull Turq ' thus intituled his wormsmeat King of Kings of slaves hee should say Lord of Lords most huge Emperour of Const and Trepiz Ruler of Europe Afriq and Asia Commander of the Ocean of a few rotten boats hee meant Conquerour of Assyria Arabia c. And Amurat his Grand-son thus God of the Earth Captaine of the Universe most sacred Angell Mohumets beloved c. At length the home-bred Chyna cryes roast-meat but th' other day sending his silly Ambassador to Abbas with a witty Epistle thus directed To his slave the Sophy of Persia th'undanted Emperour of the whole world a well read man sends greeting Neither the Ambassadors bragges that his Master had six hundred great Cities two thousand wall'd Townes a thousand impregnable Castles sixty millions of slaves and a hundred and twenty thousand millions of crownes yeerely revenue could make his King admired or priviledge himselfe from durty welcome the haughty Persian spurning him back againe to assure his Master they neither beleeved him to be The beauty of the whole Earth nor as he also writes himselfe heyre apparant to the glorious Sun His next neighbour and he are at odds for Title the Tattar I meane vulgarly the great Cham a Cam indeed in his mistaken genealogy for forgetting that his great Grandsyre Cingis Cham was a black-smith he proclaims himselfe Sun to the highest God quintessence of the purest spirit thence is ingendred that frantick custome of his every day after dinner to have his Herald by sound of Trumpet eccho out to all other Kings and Potentates of the World that hee has din'd and they have leave to go to dinner a notable favour if they have not dyn'd before him what think you of the Peguan Monark of him of Mattacala and Manicongo that nourish so good a conceit of their radiant beauty and Majesty that Ambassadors and others are commanded when they have businesse to creep like worms and to hide their faces and grovell on the ground lest their eyes bee forfeited in daring to gaze on so much lustre or of that brave Monomotaphan that seldome goes abroad or shewes himselfe in compassion to his people lest they should bee struck blind in eying him a curtaine reverberats the beames that issue from his face of glory they are permitted to use their eares to admire his champs when he eat and the gulps when hee drinks but they pay soundly for it at every gulp and cough the coughs sometimes you think of purpose they shout for joy and by continued clamours not only revive Stentor but make the whole City ring againe Alas good Prester-Iohn the Neguz they call him ostentation tickles thee hast thou never read Saint Cypian ad Quir. In nullo gloriandum est nam nostrum nihil est for want of such helps thou deck'st thy Myter with fifteene provinciall Titles and that thou art the head of the Church the favorite of God
of Eber sonne of Sem travelled but that in Susiana or Chusiana where Havilah sonne of Chus sonne of Cham son of Noah planted his Colony before he descended into Aethiopia or Afrique Or if that will not content we may distend it to make Mount Taurus a wall unto it East and North and that Euphrates Tygris Araxes or Gozan if you please and Indus watered it a sufficient extendure and in the adolescencie of the world fruitfull and delicious The Author's sicknesse I cannot choose a better place to seat your patience than here to make my selfe your object After the death of some noble Gentlemen my course came next though not to die yet to put my feet into the grave Whether I had got cold on Taurus by sucking in the refrigerating ayre denudating my heating body or that I play'd the Epicure too largely on delicate fruits or that diversity of Meridians or so long quaffing variety of waters I know not some or all of these by Gods divine appointment overcame me and forced me into such a violent diffentery that in twelve dayes I had a thousand bloudy stooles and for forty dayes longer time was ore-charg'd with such cruelty that some can witnesse I dare say never poore man was more enfeebled I wanted not the help of the Kings best Physitians they did mee little good I tooke what they prescribed dry Rice Pomgranad pills Barberries Sloes in broth and a hundred other things and gave them what so ere they craved so that it was hard to judge whether my spirits or gold decayed faster In this excreame misery I was forced to travell 300 miles hanging upon a Camel Morod that great Aesculapius seeing I would rather die than part with any more mony for whē it was gone I knew not where to borrow Merchants were strangers to mee and I had above sixteene thousand miles home to goe round Afrique hee limited my life to but five dayes existence but he that sits on high and accounts all humane knowledge meere folly in foure twenty houres after miraculously prov'd this famous Oraculizer a compleat lyer I had then attending mee an Armenian call'd Magar and a Hecate of Tartary to whom I daily gave for salary eight peace many Succuby's shee implored fore against my will but finding they had no power to bewitch me whether to accilerate Morods sentence or whether to possesse my linnen and apparell of which I had good plenty I know not but she resolv'd to poyson me For knowing wine was strictly forbidden me shee presents me in an Agony of thirst a Violl full of old strong intoxicating wine which relisht curiously and I powred downe without wit or measure but as it had beene so much ophium it quickly banisht my vitall sences and put mee for foure and twenty houres into a deadly trance and in that time had not a friend resisted I had beene buried But by Gods great mercie this desperate Potion recovered me For after I had disgorg'd abundantly I fell into a sound sleepe not having done so a moneth formerly the people admiring such a recovery so that by benefit of that little rest and binding quality of the wine I grew every day better and stronger but my desperate Doctresse whiles my other servant wept over mee like an old Hagg opened my Truncks and robd me of all my linnen and some moneys I would not pursue her for then she had died for it I will therfore say with David 71 Psal O! what troubles and adversities hast thou shewed me and yet didst thou turne and refresh mee yea and broughtest me from the deeps of the earth againe Observations concerning the Persian Empire HItherto wee have beene practicall let mee now draw your eyes to theorize in generall the severall properties and fashions of this great Empire whose Monarchs have from the Infancie of Time either swayd the Scepter of the world or adorn'd their browes with a Dyadem of braver lustre than any other Kings of Asia and first speake wee by what severall Nomenclations Persia has beene call'd than which no other Kingdome in the Universe has beene more variable In Nymrods dayes that Monster of the world 't was called Chusa Severall names of Pesia from Chus sonne of Cham sonne of Noah who removed his Colony thence into Arabia and after into Aethyopia or Africk In Chedorlaomars reigne contemporary with Abraham it was named Elam from Elam sonne of Sem sonne of Noah and brother if prophane Authors say true to Madai or Atlas Maurus sonnes of Iaphet sonne of Noah From him the people were called Elamitae and Elamae names much used amongst the Antients The next it varied to is Persia whether from Perseus Ioves sonne by Danae daughter to Acrisius or from analogie with the Chaldee tongue implying a horses hoofe a hooked nose or a division I will not argue But the Greeks not content with any of them intitled it Panchaya and Cephoēne in memory of their Countryman Cepheus after King of part of Aethiope brother of Cadmus Agenor's famous children This same Cepheus was father of Andromeda wife to Perseus parents of Perses the renowned Archer living in the world before the building of Rome twelve hundred and seventy yeares Gog and Magog some have also named her and Magusaea too but from whence arising needs no interpreter Such time as Achemaenes son to Aegeus King of Athens ruled it got an Achemaenian denomination as Lucan Herodotus Suidas Cedrenus and others have it after which race it was new named Arsaca from Arsaces the Heroick Parthian not long after the Incarnation Artea after that by the Inhabitants importing a noble Country and from whence many brave Princes assumed names as Artaxerxes Artabanus Artaphernes Artaspes c. The Tartars in their over-running a great part of Asia nam'd it Chorsoria as Solynus notes The Arabians Anno Dom. 598 such time as Mahomet grew notorious call'd it Saracaenia in memory of their descent and doctrine Azaemia some call it by the Turks in envie to Siet Gunet and his decadence from the Alcorannish Doctors Etnizaria and Agamia since when they have added those of Chuba Shaw-Izmaelia Saic-Aideria Curasaeniae and some such as proceeding from particular malice are unworthy our taking notice of or to be inserted in the roll of memory Let mee now give you the effigies of her present standing which if I faile to pourtray exactly I will willingly incur some blame so you will copy it in a better posture The derivative and severall names of Persia I have already drawne the Provinces at this day obeying that famous Diadem and how called I shall first essay her bulk next and then her fashions Thus rancked Persia Parthia Medya Hyrcania Bactria Sogdiana Evergeta Aria Drangiana Margiana Paropamisa Carmania Gedrosia Susiana Arabia Caldaea Meso-potamia Armenia Iberia and Mengrellia twenty noble Kingdomes of old at this day under the stroke of the Persian Scepter are thus new named Parse Provinces of Persia how now named Arac Shervan
conquered by Arabians Persia after so long glory sets in an Ecliptique cloud and is fettered and forced under the iron yoak of Saracenic bondage Mahomet whose life and acts I have already spoken of was borne in Arabia petrea Anno Dem. 574. in the yeare 620 was banisht Mecca and in the yeare 637. May 3 and at the age of 63 dyed and was buried in Medina Munichiates formerly now call'd Tal-nabi i.e. the Citie of Gods Prophet From him to Abbas I intend to runne over cursarily and to reject all circumstances To Mahomet succeeded Ebubokar Abdalla Eubochar some name him In the great Clymactick yeare he also dyed suspected to be poysoned he sat as King of Persia and Caliph but two yeares Omar succeeded him Hee is called Howmar and Homer and was sonne to Kattab-Faruques a wealthy Merchant Ally the Persian and sonne in law to Mahomet was by this restlesse Kalyph not a little persecuted in his quarell hee sackt Bashra an Arabian Citie wall'd by Muslyn and as an over-flowing turrent rusht as farre as Gabata monstrously tyrannizing in Syria and Aegipt after that hee ruines Palestine and Iberia and as an unluckie comet blazes in Assyria where he full gorg'd his furie At Bagdat hee intends to meditate but commands Mavi to sack Damascus and encourages other his grand Captaines to doe their best to propagate the Alcoran in all Nations Rustan beg with 15000 horse enters Cusistan but at the siege of Escair-Mecron is slaine and in the Armaie Moses sirnam'd Ashar governed This wild Arab forced the Citie and made Ahawaz Sabur Arckan Cownrestan Iaarown and Laar become Mahomitans and to enroll themselves Omars Tributaries Habu Obed-ben-Masudh also with 13000 horse subjected Irack wall'd Rastack and of a poore Towne made it a brave Citie but new-named it Kufa or Kalufa ôphrat since then the place of Coronation for the Kings of Persia 't is 40 miles from Babylon and conjoynes Mosqued-Ally the buriall place of Mortis-Ally St. King and Prophet to the Persians Habu-Obed next yeare subdued Wasit upon Dig lat a Towne agrandiz'd by Abdal Melq ' Anno Dom. 705. Heg 85. Elsheer he also attempted but in the triall lost 5000 men Obed was slaine and the Saracens rooted Omar reanimates his men and perswades them that the Elsherians overcame them by Art Magique which also hee knew how to practise They hope the best and returne to El-sheyr under the conduct of Siet-Bep Abi-Vaker who had such luck through Omars skill that Elsbeyr was forced to feele his tortures At Elcadisia a frontier Towne he slew 25000 Persians and at Galula Spa-hawn and Yezd at severall times made Yezdgirdfly who had no comfort left him when he beheld how fortunatly Omar himselfe subjected Cusistan Parc Carman and Iraack and in Maqueroon Iaaroon Aedgan Deacow Lar Shyraz and Moyoon had made all men there sweare themselves true Mussulmen Yesdgird dyes and Hormisda labours to repell the Saracens but in vaine an uncontroulable Decree hastned this long slavery and change of Persia 15000 men with himselfe hee sacrific'd as a farwell endevour to his Country Omar also six moneths after this battell was slaine trecherously by a varlet and in the Alcaba in Mecca neere to Ebubocar buried Ozman in despight of Ally succeeded him Omar sat Kalyph twelve yeares ths man ten and foure months in the Pontificacie By Hucba his field Marshall he subdued divers parts of Afrique viz. Mumydia Mauritania Lybia and as far as Carthage Mavi Sultan of Damasco also over-ran Syria Aegypt and in a 1000 Gallyfoists transfer'd such a swarme of Saracens into Cyprus that upon their entry they seemed enough to cover it there they sackt Constantia or Ceraunia a City built by Cyrus and thence fell upon the Rhodes where they perpetrated all possible villany amongst other spoyles they dimolisht that Colossus which was built by Chares of Lyndus scholler to Lysippus in 12 yeeres It was 80 cubits high the thomb as big as a large man the leggs stood on either side the river so wide and spatious that thereunder might sayle a large vessell in the one hand it held a javelin which it raised to the East on its breast was a mirror wherein those that dwelt far within the I le might descry Ships sayling at a great distance This wonder of the world and which cost 300 Talents Mavi sold to Emisisa a Jew for 200 pounds sterlin who with the brasse of it loded away 930 Camells In that I le he also defaced 100 other Colosses and of costly Monuments 73000. During this Heraclius dyed Anno Domini 640 after 30 yeeres rule and in 's place Heracl Constantinus succeeded who in the 7 month of his Empire was poysoned by Martina his step-Dome and Heraclionas her soone advanced but were forthwith both of them exiled by the people their noses and tongues cut out and Constans saluted Emperour in his place Osman by this time had finisht his Paraphrase upon the Alcoran and digested it into 7 small books subdivided into 114 chapters It hapned that by some chance or other he lost a Ring of gold which Mahomet left him and which was to discend to every succeeding Calyph no paines no magick could recover it he conceales the losse and made one of silver embowelling a Motto or Symbol to this purpose O Pertinaces O Poenitentes from which patterne all Mahomitans to this day weare their Rings of silver Osman's mind fancies new conquests and under a pretext of charity to teach those purblind Nations the lesson how to attaine Paradise India in those dayes was rich and well peopled to any would undertake the imployment he gives a thousand benediction Abdall-ben-Emyr accepts the hazards with 30000 horse hasts thitherward but by new commands from Osman who had considered how long a businesse 't would bee to subdue India he directs his course towards Tartary Aria hee easily subjugated Corasan Maurenahar Gasuehen and took the Cities of Nizabur Thalecan and Tocharistan yea all Dilemon to Balk and as farre as Iehun and Ardoc would give leave rivers beyond Oxus But Osman how victorious so ere he was abroad dyed miserably at home of poyson which he suckt voluntarily rather than be slain by the inraged multitude in the 88 yeere of his age of his Calyphship 5 yeeres 8 months Anno Domini 655. Heg 35. and in his place long-lurking Ally is saluted King and Calyph whose reign was full of misery for Mavi stormes at Osmans fall and with 100000 men enters Arabia to depose Ally but in th'incouoter lost 10000 men howbeit at the second tryall Ally lost the day his life his Empire Of the Aegyptians were slaine 15000 of Saracens 20000 and by which victory Mavi or Mnavias was re-saluted King Mortis-Ally dyed aged 63 and was buried neere to Cufe upon Euphrates at Mosqued or Massad-Ally Karb-Ally some have mis-called it Mortis-Ally left a Ring with which the Persian Kings wed their Kingdome it 's Motto is say the Molai Corde Sincero Deum veneror
albeit twice the Grand-Seignior was in person to fight with him Many of his Nobles hee has beheaded but in these things argues his just discent from Ally and is as likely as any that reigned before him to advance the Monarchy of Persia and every way to make it rich and famous To conclude Persia and this second Book give me leave to do it in this Epidicticon The Epidicticon VVHy do the wyndings of inconstant state Molest us Weaklings since the selfesame Fate Turnes Kings and Kingdomes with an equall doome Whiles Slaves too oft possesse their Masters roome So pricking Thistles choak our fairest corne And hopefull Oakes the hugging Ivies scorne Men are but Men and be they strong or wise All their Designes subject to hazard lies Millions of helps cannot support that Crown Which Sin erects Fate justly pulls it down Witnesse faire PERSIA large and rich of ground The fitter Nurse of warre In it was found Even in those golden times which Poëts vant Victorius Cyrus who yet did supplant His Father Oh that men would learne to see What life were best not what doth please the eye But out alas when they have drunk of blood That bitter potion's sweet yea even a flood Of lives food cannot their hot thirst allay Till Tomyris that blood with blood repay So hapt to Cyrus whom th' insulting Queen Upbraid with blood-shed Vengeance is too keen For in a bowle of goar dead drowned lies His crowned Temples and insatiate eyes That King aspir'd and for his itching veine 200000 Subjects there lay slaine Thus faires it still with thee proud Persia Whose various Native beauties freely may A strangers love intice Thy breath is sweet Thy Face well made a Nursery of delight Thy breasts not dry of milk thy armes are strong Thy belly fruitfull legs both clean and long Thy veines are large blood pure quick spirits hast But for thy back Oh stay there lies the wast To this faire Symmetrie of outward parts The giver great to ingage by great desarts Infused hath into thy childrens wit Wisdome and courage best to mannage it Nor wast thou Barb'rous or Indisciplin'd For had thy Eare unto its good inclind Thy Country Prophetisse fore-told thee how Hell and its wrath by Christ to disavow Since which thy Sages Kings or more than Kings If I mistake thee not their Offerings Unto my Infant God humbly present O Faith exceeding almost Faiths extent But now this Light of lights on Earth did shine See how thy Vertues retrograde decline Holy Thaddaeus whom Saint Thomas sent To cure thy King thy Flamens did present With hellish torments and with like foule hands Symon the Cananyt's good newes withstands In after times thy Cozrhoe Persia made A pond of Christian blood Nor here thou staid But in dislike of christ th' Arabian Theife Thou choose to be thy unlearned Judge and Cheife Hence hence proceed those grosse Impieties Which swallow'd greedily delight thine Eyes Blood-shed and lust the foulest out of kind Which my chast Muse is fear'd to name the rind Thou only keeps of zealous awe the heart Is foule defil'd for so thou learnd'st the Art Of lust and pride from thy curst Mahomet Whose thoughts unbounded all on Thrones was set Nor did his Successors as Prophets live But one another murdered All did grieve At Neighbours Diadems The God of Peace For those thy sinnes thy power will sure decrease And thou that oft hast felt a forrain power Once more maist feele a Scithyc race so sower That all the World shall know how greatest Kings Are thrall to change as well as weaker things FINIS LIBRI SECUNDI THE THIRD BOOKE LEt 's now abroad againe and see what Observations wee can make in the Ilands circumjacing Orientall Indya than which the world has none richer pleasanter or every way more excellent To encompasse it we must to Sea againe for without such helps there is but little travelling Apr. 13. We took ship at Swalley when being three or foure leagues off at Sea the wind came faire and made the liquid billowes swell so advantagiously that next day wee lost sight of many pretty marittim Townes at this day owned by the Portugall namely Gundavee Daman St. Iohn de Vacas Chowl Dabul c. most of them subjected by Don Albuquerq ' about the yeare after th'incarnation of our Saviour 1512 Dabul Dunga of old excepted which yeelded to the mercie of Symon Andradius Governour of Choul from whom 't was rapt by the Decanees but by that made a Basis of greater calamity For Almeyda some few yeares after by stratagem recovered and burnt it to the ground but by command of the Goan Vice-roy 't was repaired repopulated and stood victorious till Captaine Hall if I mistake not the mans name about nine yeeres agoe forced it and made th' insulting Portugall know how their bravadoes to the English were no way formidable The South point of DABUL has Artick Elevation 17 deg 35 minuts Dabul variation West 15 degrees 34 minuts It once obeyed the Monarch of Decan but at this day the Lusitanian 'T is seated at the foot of a high but pleasant mountaine whence distills a sweet rivolet beyond measure usefull in those torryd Clymats the Road gives reasonable good Anchorâ—ge The Towne it selfe is beautifull to such as view it at distance the houses are low thick and tarras't at the top serving both to lenifie the scorching flames of wanton Phaeton and to resist the quick and subtill rage of Hyem's icyles an old Castle and a few Temples or Monasteries are all she boasts of the Buzzar or Forum is but ordinarie the streets narrow are nor is her mart now notable Surat and Cambya to the North Goa and Calicuth to the South so much eclipsing her that she condoles with other her disconsolate neighbours and acknowledges a secret destinie change in Townes as well as other temporaries CHOUL in Ptolmyes dayes call'd Comane if Castaldus guesse right is subject to like varietie it is removed from the Aequi-noctiall 18 degrees 30 minuts North and was ravisht from the Emperiall Dyadem of Decan or Decanory by Almeyda that ambitious Portugall in the yeare of our redemption 1507 and in which to perpetuate his Conquest hee erected a gallant Fort or Bulwark planted it with Cannon a Castle also no lesse fortified so terrible to the Indyans as they have forborne to make them rore doubting the very clamour may undoe them The Inhabitants are a few melancholy but lustfull Portugalls and some peacefull crafty Bannyans it affoords naught else to be spoken on in this place The Expedition bearing up to speak with us both ships fell foule to speak in Neptunes language or thwart one anothers houlses by which mischance her bole-sprit gave our mizzen shrouds a churlish kisse but by a happy gale parted without farther inconvenience After five dayes sayle wee were Nadyr to the Sunne at that instant in our Verticé or Zenyth his declination then being just fifteene degrees
our Saviour of the Tribe of David and Iudah so these have one leg as big againe in the calfe as is the other Notwithstanding the peoples rage the two noble Martyrs had each his sepulcher and to this day was a receptory of many native and other holy Christians till about fiftie yeares since their skulls and bones were brought a way and as holy relicks at this day kept in the Virgins church in Ioa by command of Iohn 3 of Portugal who sent Emanuel Frias guided by Alphonsus Sousae to that purpose Many strange reports I could give yee out of Spanish reporters But I am not enjoyned to beleeve them What is very observable and with warrant I may That in the yeare of our Lord God 883 as Malmsbury Glor. Wigorn. and others justifie Syghelmus a devout Bishop of Shirborne in Dorsetshyre encoraged by Alfred a holy English King travelled to this place in pilgrimage with Alms and Offrings yea and return'd home in nine yeares with great joy rarities and experience bought by incredible patience cost and danger after which the place was very famous I read also that in the yeare of our Lord 1277 Myrangee an Atheist conquerd Narsinga and beyond this City a man full of rapine and other impietie yea so basely opinionated of this relique and Tradition that havihg one yeare abundance of ryce and other graine and roome enough to hoord it in in a contemning way and bravery no place would please him to put it save the holy Chappell where prayers were incessantly made by many religious Christians They intreat him to refraine by all submissive meanes but it spurs him on to a greater height of profanenesse yea is infinitely glad it vexes them by this supposing himselfe to be thought a God a Devill rather and to be worshipped But see Gods power and favour in it that night in an affrighting dreame or vision he sees the old Apostle approaching him in wrathfull and discontented way threatning to punish him for his ungodlinesse and with an Iron whip proffers to lash the relenting King who suddenly is a waked and as soone beseeching the Christians to pray for him helping himselfe to purge the house of God and satisfying for his sacriledge A Miracle not a little joying the sad minded Christians Polycat in 14 deg Armagun Caleture Tarnassery and Petipoly are in our way hence to Narsinga and Meslipotan but by reason they are but lately become factoryes of English Merchants and differ in customes colour and other things little from Narsinga wee will passe thence to other descriptions Of Narsinga NARSlNGA is a Noble part of India where some would have Chormandell to terminate but I like it not Narsinga is famous all over Asia confined by Mallabar Gulcunda Bengala Baracura of old and the Ocean The King so rich that he despises his Neighbours so powerfull in Men Armes and Ammunition that hee values neither Mogul Decan Samoryn nor Peguan His Kingdomes are defended by loyall slaves and many naturall advantages full of all things requisite for use and pleasure as faire Townes strong Forts pleasant fields and choisest Mineralls abounding in rivers hills dales corne cattell fruit c. so that with good cause he is reputed as absolute a Monark as any other in India The Bannyans swarm like Locusts here the Bramyns are no where more reputed of the Temples indeed in their structures boast of no great bravery but are proud within reteyning many rich and massy Idolls shaped and commanded by the Devil for his service and their devotion BISNAGAR Modura of old Arcati saies Castaldus is the second Citie in Narsinga for grandeur and braverie being circled with a wall of foure miles compasse and as well fortefied well built and no lesse wealthy Some Churches it has remarkable for shape ornament but in their gentilisme base and immodest yea unworthy the relation The Port or Haven is good to anchor in the Citie well frequented by European ships and Iunks from Malacca Pegu Cambogia Cochyu-Chyna Chyna Iapan Phyllippinae the Moluccae Borneo Iava Sumatra Zeiloon and many parts of India Arabia Persia and like places When any Traveller comes to his Court he shall have fitting entertainment and is many times invited by the King the better to shew his fine cloaths which to shew ourselves thankfull we will report to other nations being thick set with stones and gems of infinite valew and wonderfull lustre which when he is roabed with for the resemblance they have with the Son which they worship he is adored his Court is full of Majesty his guard being a thousand pensioners he affects poligamy and therefore writes himselfe husband of a thousand women many of them having him all his life in such esteeme that at his Death they make his flaming Grave their consuming Sepulcher MESVLIPATAN commonly pronounc't by contraction Mestipatan is subject to the Gulcundan King and removed from the Equinoctiall 16 degr and a halfe North seated in the skirt of the Bengalan Ocean The whole province admits a mixture of severall Idolatries in most parts the Saracius and Bannyans being the greatest number Mahomet was blasted among them by a Colony of Persians conducted hither in the 28 yeare of the Aegyra and of our account 648 by Abdall Ben Hemyr a man of no smal reckoning with Ozman the then Calyph of Babylon Mecca since when their off-spring have here inhabited The town it selfe cannot be famosed either for bulk beauty or pleasure 50 yeares agoe by a raging mortality and Famin being well nigh depopulated The streets are few and narrow the houses low and unfurnished the fields and gardens parcht by flaming Phaeton which here rages from March to Iuly from thence to November the wind and raine as incessantly disturbing them so as of twelve months they have but foure from November to March salubrious and moderate howbeit by reason of the English residence here of late trafficking for callicoes rice and the like it begins to flourish and is not to be doubted unlesse the unquiet and deceitfull humour of the people distaste the English and force their removall to adjacent places as Armagun and Polycat where they may sit downe with more ease lesse charge and choyser merchandizes Hence remove your chast eyes and eares to an unchast Towne though Casta by name a Towne infamous in cursed demonomy and wantonnesse The Mosques have Idols in them shewing art in sculpture very commendable but hatefull in the stinck of their devotion The common shapes of Pagods here resemble beastly Priapus and Pan as is described by Servius in Aegloc 2 Virgil having great eyes flat nose wide mouth foure great hornes a long beard shaped like beames or radiance of he Sun clawes for hands and crooked legd all over deformed Nil sine Numine is old Here we see Nil nisi Numen The Devill pleasing them in varietie and not caring how nor in what shape it be so he be served Some imagins a cow above all creatures
of farre greater extent and power fifty yeeres ago till the Syamite pluckt forceably from her Dyadem many brave and wealthy Seigniories howbeit she is yet commandresse of many Ilands Monym Barongo Nogomello Duradura Cocos c. Pegu by Castaldus supposed that old City Triglipton in Ptolomy has Artique elevation 16 degrees 40 minutes a Citie walld with good stone beautified with many Turrets and parrapets and to issue out and enter in shewes foure faire Gates and twelve posternes prettily built and made more safe by that deep Moat or Trench fild with Crocodiles that circumvolves her the streets are not many but large and broad they are and seldome crooking afore every doore the houses are all low growes a pleasant tree whose fruit and wholsome shade makes them double usefull It is divided into two the new Towne and the old the old is most great and best inhabited The Varellaes or Temples and Sudatories are observable each Varella farcinated with ugly but guilded Idolls that at Dogonnee is not a little memorable for structure and ornament out-braving any other in the Orient the wildernesse about it and antick superstition might chalenge a copious description which I forbeare having other things to denotate This Kingdom is full of al earthly delights blessings of Nature Gold Silver Lead Iron also Smaragds Topaz Rubies Saphyres Garnats Emralds Espinells and Cats-eyes as also Ryce Caravances long Pepper Sugar Benoyn Musk Gum-lack Cotton Callicoes and what else a reasonable man can lust after But all these if they were centuplied are not able to make them truly happy wanting the true pearle that which the godly Merchant bought though to obtaine it he sold all his fraile wealth and possessions for albeit the holy Apostle Saint Thomas brought them blessed tidings of salvation yet they quickly lost the true light delighting to this day in obscure and loathed sinnes the Kyacks fild with base Idolatry insomuch that father Bomferrus an old Franciscan after foure tedious yeeres labour to reduce them to some knowledge of the Church of Rome came home desiring rather as did S. Anthony to preach among piggs than such a swinish generation The truth is they beleeve they know not what and Quaenam est ista simplicitas neseire quod credas sayes Hierom against the Luciferians yet some what if all be true he tells us wee gather from his observation that they beleeve the world consisting of Heaven Sea and Earth had foure Creations and for impiety was foure times destroyed by Fire by Wind by Water and by Earthquakes each Age or World governed by a severall tutelarie Numen or God miserable only in this that he was transitory and not omnipotent nor immortall they reckon that the last destruction of the world death of their last God was thirty thousand yeeres ago and that in Plato's great yeere all shall once more suffer a chaos They imagine a great Lord omniscient omnipotent and immortall lives and rules in Heaven but they do not worship him in that Satan tels them he desires it not they beleeve a revivification of the body after death and co-union with the soule and Bomferrus beleeves it confesse a three-fold receptacle of soules departed Nashac Nishac and Schua Heaven Hell and Purgatory by which that holy Frier convinces us of more ignorance than these Pagans but wee beleeve it never the sooner since the Devill is their instructer yea who dictates their profession Their habit is thin and fine it differs little from that they have in Industant and Syam but in this they varie they weare no beards they dye their teeth black in that Dogs teeth are white whom they hate to imitate they also cut and pluck their flesh to become braver than other Nations I have told you the best of Pegu the worst is also memorable In lesse than a hundred yeeres ago the Peguan Monark was farre more powerfull and formidable than at this present his Dyadem then sparkled with a gallent lustre twelve wealthy Kingdomes at that time acknowledged Pegu their Soveraigne Some of those Provinces are well knowne to us as Syam Auva Kavelan Barmaw Iangomer Tangram Cablan Lawran Meliotalk c. out of which hee yeerely extracted as tribute-money two Millions of crownes and had a Million of men to serve him at all occasions but this hardly could content him for by a two losty conceit of his Monachick greatnesse he grew efflated and to contemne others as too base to fix his eyes upon Tyranny succeeded his pride and decadence or destruction of his Empire Tyranny for the Auvan King when he found no priviledge by being Uncle to the Emperour of Pegu nor that he was his loyall subject he swells with rage and breaks asunder his silver yoak of hated servitude howeit ere hee could ripen his designes the Peguan has notice and so suddenly arrests him that in amazement he acknowleges his fault and begs his mercy but the Peguan King forthwith beheads him and to terrifie others by his example makes no difference 'twixt nocent and innocent his wife his children and forty other whom he most respected concomitating the miserable Auvan King in that sad Tragedy It was terrible Justice no doubt but rather exasperated others to new rebellions the most incenst and greatest in power was the Siam King who seeing his owne incertaine standing any occasion breeding jealousie and the least jealousie bringing death from his conquerour hee suddenly breaks out and with all the forces he could make by money or promises ere the Peguan was return'd from Auva in short time enters Pegu and apparantly made knowne his high rebellion the Peguan threatens terrible things and to effect them opposes the Siamite with an Armie of nine hundred thousand fighting men but that world of men could not contrarie the decree of a more powerfull King for such was the confused haste he made precipitated by furie such the hate his crueltie had defam'd him with and such the affright his uncles Malus Genius as Caesars did Brutus every where opposed him with that in three houres fight his monstrous multitude turne raile and willingly yeeld themselves a prey to the inraged axe of war chosing rather to dy than any way to increase the Paguan's pride so as the Siamite triumphs the Peguan hastens back to raise more men to trie a second fortune The Siamite not willing to ingage himselfe too far returnes the Peguan is almost there as soone as he all the way burning and destroying all he met with the Siam King armes himselfe with the Foxes skin he refused to fight not that he feared but that he knew an easier way whereby to assure his conquest the Pegu darts many fiery defiances calls him rebell coward and what not not dreaming of his stratagems for ere hee could leave his trenches the swift and mighty river Suhan Mean some call it sweld desperately broke ore her bancks and flasht so violent into the Peguan army that for want of boates and others
helpes above seven hundred thousand perished the rest were as bad as dead feare and famine so overwhelmed them this river every yeere like Nilus overflowes and supplies their want of raine so mellowing the earth as it compares with Aegypt for plenty and with any other part of Indya for rarities the next yeere the King of Pegu seconded his fight but was compensated with no better fortune we may say with worse in that his sonne in this triall by too much valour lost his life and of 500000 not a third got safe back to Martavan And which was worse than that by these perpetuall brawles of warre his coffers were emptied his Cities impoverisht by want of trade and his Kingdome in a sort depopulated by losse of so many men these prov'd not motives of pittie to the other late subjected Territories but provocatives rather to unsetter themselves as Siam had done from unnaturall thraldome so that the King of Bramaw the viceroy of Tangu and of Rachan a Province twixt Pegu and Bengala confederate and whiles the King of Pegu was hatching more prodigies at Martavan they steale into Pegu with a resolute Army destroying such as the late famine had spared but though they found few people and lesse food yet got they riches incredible out of Pegu the Citie as much treasure as loaded 2000 Camells and as a period of that designe not only made the wretched King crownlesse but crowned their conquest with his life his wife and three sonnes sorrowfully accompaying him Arrakan and the other two disagreeing about the spoyle were beaten home by the Bramaan King hee enjy'd it but a while the Siamite entring so furiously that hee also packt home and left Syam the victorie who since then upon a marriage twixt one of the royall family of Pegu and his daugther has quit his claime and gives way to have both Citie and Kingdome brought to such trade and beauty as it had formerly But to facilitate our travells and to point you out the way the easier accept an adjoyning Map to that in fol. 300 This describing India extra Gangem From Pegu to Bengala are 90 leagues the second Towne of note is Martavan under 15 degrees and which I guesse was that Triglipton note by Ptolomy rather than Pegu as thinks Castaldus I might tell you of the vanitie of this wealthie Monarch either when he showes himselfe in his royall paradrome or in his loading himselfe with glittering gems his head eares armes hands legs and feet resembling a bespangled firmament such as may amaze a good sense yea dazle a good eye and force some men to judge him infinitely rich but I behold him otherwise and think him poore and miserable Or of his deifying his Elephants because milke white and of greater bulke than usuall I suppose him worth our description not that he is unknowne in England but for other things in him than his shape more observable Elephant The Elephant is for growth and understanding chiefest of unreasonable Animalls so as he has bin a subject of many learned writers Aristotle Plutark Pliny Strabo Annian c. They go two sometimes three yeares with young and have extreame torment in their labour their teat is twixt their fore legs which the young one easily finds and sucks with egernesse When they attaine three yeares they feed upon Dates Meale Milke Whey Fruits Suger-canes and Honey they grow till fifteen in that time mounting to foure and twenty foot yet lie downe dance and prove very active In hot weather or when lust inflames them the males grow mad and past jesting with their testicles being in their forehead Umbragious shades caves and rivers please them Swine Serpents and Mice displease them cockcrowing does not so afflict him as with his Proboscis to encounter the Rhynoceros affects him The Persians call him the Symboll of Fidelity Aegyptians the hierogliphic of justice Indians of piety Siamyts of memory Arabs of magnanimity Sumatrans the Embleam of providence Pliny in 8. lib. Nat. Hist gathers them Intellectus illi sermonis patrii imperiorumque obedientia officiorumque didicere memoria amoris gloriae voluptas imo vera religio quoque Syderûm Solisque ac Lunae veneratio c. Musk Cat. The Musk Cat here also convenes and may merit a ca'tagraph shee exceeds the Castor for bignesse her head is little eyes cleare a long muzzle her teeth sharp and offensive her hayre is particoloured harsh and bristly yellow above and whiter downewards her profound pocket is neer the genitory excerpt sometimes with a spoone or stick but when out of servitude of her owne accord parts with it and by its fragor is oft found by the carelesse passenger Having refresht enough upon the mayne hoise we saile for the most noble Iles of the Orient and vicinating the Cities lately spoken of Of Sumatra SVMATRA is that famous I le by Aristotle lib. de mundo and others of old cald Taprobane Symunda in 7. lib. Piol and now by the inhabitors Salyce or Salutra and provided Iapan be not an Ile may truly be reputed the third great I le in all the Universe six hundred some say nine hundred miles long and in breadth two hundred and forty traded to by Solomon but unknown to Alexander though Megasthenes thinks Onesecritus his servant saild thus far One Iambulus an errant Greek is said to have bin here 200 yeares afore Christs nativitie if D. Sic. say true and may be the first discoverer of a Christian Alvaro Telezzo is the first who An. 1506 to find out gold saild whether Aeolus guided since when who people of the world have knowledg of it 'T is Nadyr to the Equinoctiall and now a place where many petty Kings advance their Scepters The most glorious Dyadem incircles the ecliptick brow of that Tyrant of Acheen All of them rich in gold and fruits and stones but miserable in their Mawmetry and superstiion most of them so ingulpht in the abisse of paganisme that they dare adore Cat Rat Dog Divell or what can be moulded after the representation of an elementary Creature both Sex go most part naked both are couragious and apt in Bellonaes dances The soile is good where rivers fructisie barren where gold is veined Many Townes of valew are mediterranean of which Manancabo full of gold is not least memorable But of best note here are Ports and Villages marittimat such as bee Achecu by them cald Ashey Peder Pacem Daya Tico Priaman Tykoa east of Iambee Baruzee Cattatinga Aru Daru and though last first in gold and value Passaman The rivers flow with fish and might prove more delightfull for the Net and Angle did not those hatefull Crocodyles here more than in Nilus frustrate both This noysome creature is one of the greatest wonders we meet with Crocodile in that from so small a beginning as an Egg not much bigger than that of a Turkey they increase to 8 or 10 yards in lenght Their bodies are not longer
structure and daily served by a multitude of hellish Priests or Bonzees not admitted to attend there except they be young well shap't and as strong in venerie as was Hercules Every new Moon they solemnly betroth unto the Devill a Damosell whose Parents account the ceremonie happie and honourable if any be more faire or singular than another shee is selected by the lustfull Priests devoted and brought into the Temple and placed right against the Mamada or Idoll the roome is first made glorious with Lamps of burnisht gold and a preparation by incendiating Lignum vitae or other gums and perfumes such as be curious and costly by and by the Lamps extinguish by myracle and in a grosse darknesse the Prince of darknesse approaches and abuses her so shee imagines and the rather credited in that the Devill leaves behind him certaine scales like those of fishes an argument of no phantasma but by this hellish conjunction they swell not unlesse the Bonzee second it Sathan is no sooner gone but she is saluted by the Bonzees who ravish her with songs and pleasant musique which ended shee acquaints them with her fortune and resolves them in such questions as she by their instruction propounded to the Devill and he had satisfied her in shee issues with applause and ever after is reputed holy and honourable many other things I could present you from tradition but I avoyd as much as may be to insert incertainties from hence therefore faile wee West and land in Chyna where though the travaile be difficult yet suffer me to glean a little though it but expresse my industrie and care to offer you the truest Novelties Of China CHINA is the most Easterly part of Asia A Kingdome both great and wealthie famous also but scarce discovered Their jealousie and discourtesie to strangers they suffer any to enter none to returne chiefly causes it It is subject to many severall names scarce any two strange people accord in one Nomenclation and no wonder since amongst themselves they affect variety the Kings new naming the whole Kingdome at their Coronation as they fancie it Ptolomy long agoe call'd it Sinarum Regio other Geographers Seres the Moores in Industant call it Cathayo the Arabians T'synin the Syamites Cyn the Malayans Tabenzo the Japonites Thau and T'syn the Tattarrs Ham Alhacen Tangis Paulus Venetus Mangi the Inhabitants if Perera Riccius and Trigautius say true Tamen and themselves Tamegines But how various soe're that be this is not uncertaine that it is a very spatious Monarchie for it extends from 17 deg to 43 of North Latitude and to the South Cantam to the North Pequin two royall Cities seeme to terminate it But thus confined On the East it has the Sea of Iapan Corea is part of China no Ile but to the North conjoyned with the Continent On the West the Desarts of Industant On the North the Tattars On the South the Phillipinae Iles and the South West adjoyneth to Cochyn-China and Pegu with part of Siam All agree that it is square and that from any one side to another is 1500 English miles the circuit above 4000. the Country is generally champaign fruitfull full of sweet and navigable rivers and which are no lesse inhabited than the Villages and Cities be of which China has no fewer than 600 Cities 2000 wall'd Townes 4000 unwalled 1000 Castles and of Villages scarce to be numbred and many they had need to be since they give lodging to above threescore millions of men and boyes besides women which be not inrolled The whole Empire is divided into fifteene great Provinces governed by so many Quon-fu and Lausia who have their Tutans and Chyans or Deputies under them Each of those Provinces has a Metropolis full of people fairely built and very spatious But every way more excellent than the rest are these foure Paquin by some called Pasquin Nanquin or Nanton Cantam or Canton and Quinsay by them called Ham-ceu of which foure at this day Paquin is chiefe or Emperiall PAQVIN elevates the North Pole 41 degr 15 minutes and by late Geographers is accounted that same Citie which some call Cambalu watered by Polisanga and China then must bee Cathaya yea if Pantoja and Di Canti say true the Chyna Monarch is that same great Cam which M. P. Venetus and Mandevile afore him have famoused The Citie Pequin is questionlesse the most spatious and best peopled in Asia if not in the world since it has 30 Duch leagues ninety English miles circumference it includes many stately buildings and Mausoleas 24000 are numbered of the Mandarins Sepulchers the meanest of which is not without beauty and a no lesse number of little guilded Chappell 's beside 3800 Temples devoted to Idolatry It has as many Gates Posterns as be dayes in a yeer sixscore Buzzars or Market-places above a thousand Bridges of stone and such water as is every where potable This City is not above a hundred miles from that marvellous wall which Crisnagol their King Zaintzon the 117 King some say built 1000 yeeres ago to keep out the invading Tartarr a wall 1200 miles long six fathoms high twelve yards thick and such as was seven and twenty yeeres erecting by a continued labour of 750000 men NANQVIN the second Citie for grandeur and bravery till of late was the China Metropolis It elevates the Artick Pole 32 degr and is distant from the Sea 8 leagues or there abouts The City is 12 leagues about circled with three strong walls and ditches the Kings Pallace is glorious and vast the other buildings many for 200000 are reckned but meanly beautifull the Temples are above a thousand the streets fayre the people industrious from Paquin removed East six hundred miles English most part of the way is navigable CANTAM is at the South end of China in 17 deg a Towne both rich and spatious our Ships came almost in view of it from it to Paquin is two months travell QVINZAY or Ham-ceu borders Cochin-China of old the greatest at this day the most admirable for variety of antick rarities in the Orient These bee the most noted but many other great and populous Cities this great Empire conteineth generally of one shape and alike governed None be without their Meani or Temples fild with Deastri or Idols The Countrey is generally champaign and fruitfull the husbandmans care and paines make it to fructifie and repay its thanks in various tribute each Province there is well watered and few of those rivers but abound in fish which the Chyneses not only banquet on but on Frogs Snakes Rats Dogs Hogs and such food as many other Nations abhominate they fish with Cormorants The people are Olive coloured more black or white as they vary from the Aequinoctiall they weare their haire very long and fillited their eyes are commonly black their noses little their eyes small their beards deformedly thin and nailes often times as long as their fingers serving as a mark to distinguish the