with Acclamations till thou revenge my stained Blood Beorn who was not used to be welcomed home in such a Dialect much amazed at his Wives Maladies with gentle Words drew from her the Particulars of her inward Grief who revealed as well as Shame Tears and Sobs would suffer the manner of the deed still urging Revenge for the Wrong Beorn touched thus to the Quick to pacifie his distressed Wife did not a little dissemble his Wrath and excusing the Fact with the Power of a Prince that might command and her own Weakness unable to resist the Strength of a man commended much her Love and Constancy and alledging his Wrongs to be equal with hers if not greater in regard of their Sex willed her to set her string to his Tune till fit opportunity would serve to strike but she distasting that sweet Consort wrested her Passion into so high a Strain that nothing could be heard but Revenge and Blood Beorn thus instigated by the continual Cries of his Wife whose Rape already of it self had given sufficient cause of Wrath first consulting with his nearest Friends was offered their Assistance against that wicked and libidious Prince and then repairing to his Court in the presence of them all made known his unsufferable Wrongs resigning into his Hands all such Services and Possessions as he did hold of him and with utter defiance departed threatning his Death This done he took shipping and sailed into Denmark where he had great Friends as having his bringing up there before and is reported to have been allianced unto the Danish Blood so coming to Godorick King of that Country made his Case known instantly desiring his Aid against the Villany of Osbright Goderick glad to have some Quarrel to invade England levied an Army with all speed and preparation made for all things necessary sendeth forth Inguar and Hubba two Brethren to command in chief over an innumerable Multitude of his Danes which two he thought at this time the fittest for the attempt not only for their good Conduct and approved Valour but also for that he knew them to be on particular Motives which usually more affect than doth a common Cause implacably inraged against the English on an occasion unfortunately happening but most lamentably pursued which came to pass in manner as followeth A Danish Noble-man of Royal Extraction named Lothbroke which is in English no other than Leather-Breech the Father to the two Brothers Inguar and Hubba being upon the shore his Hawk in flying the Game fell into the Sea which to recover he entered a little Skiff or Cock-boat nothing fore-seeing the danger that immediately did ensue for a sudden Tempest arising carried the Boat into the Deep and drove him upon the Coast of Norfolk where he came to land at the Port called Rodham but see his Fortune no sooner had he scaped one danger but he fell into another for the People there took him for a Spy and as such a one presently sent him to Edmund then King of that Province but in his Answers he sufficiently cleared that Suspicion and also declaring his Birth and Misfortune was honourably entertained in the Court of that East-Angles King whom Edmund much esteemed for his other good Parts but for his dexterity and expertness in Hawking held him in special regard insomuch that his Faulkner named Berick envying the good parts of Lothbroke as being endued with none himself he therefore conceived such deadly hatred and malice thereat as having him at advantage alone in a Wood he cowardly murthered him and hid his dead Body in a Bush But Lothbroke whose noble Parts had made him eminent was soon miss'd and diligent Inquisition being made could not be found until his Spaniel which would not forsake his dead Master's Corps came fawningly unto the King as seeming to beg Revenge of so bloody an Act which he did more than once and at length being observed and followed by the Trace the dead Body was found and Bericke demonstrated to be the Murtherer and on sufficient Evidence convicted for the same his Judgment being to be put into Lothbroke's Boat and that without either Tackle or Oar as he therein arrived and so left to the Seas Mercy to be saved by Destiny or swallowed up by just desert But behold the Event the Boat returned to the same place and upon the same Coast arrived from whence it had been driven where being known to be Lothbroke's Boat Bericke was laid hands on who to free himself from the punishment of his butcherly Fact added Treason to Murther laying it to the charge of innocent King Edmund saying that the King had put him to death in the Country of Norfolk This was thought sufficiently worthy of Revenge to which Goderick's Quarrel being added did very much inflame the Courages of Inguar and Hubba the two Sons of the murthered Prince who thereupon having their Army in readiness set forth to Sea and first arriving at Holderness burn'd up the Country and without Mercy massacred all before them sparing neither Sex Calling nor Age and surprizing York which Osbright had taken for his Refuge there slew that lustful Prince with all his Forces making thereby good that Saying of the Poet. Those whose Delights are in the Cyprian Game Warming themselves in Lusts alluring Flame And wallowing in that Sin their Lives do spend Do seldom to the Grave in Peace descend Afterwards the two furious Brethren marched with their Army into Norfolk where they sent this Message unto King Edmund That Inguar the most victorious Prince dread both by Sea and Land having subdued divers Countries unto his Subjection and now arrived in those Parts where he meant to Winter charged Edmund to divide with him his Riches and to become his Vassal aend Servant The King being stricken into Astonishment at this strange and unexpected Message consulted with his Counsel what to do therein where one of his Bishops then his Secretary and a principal man used Persuasions to him to yield for preventing greater mischief who notwithstanding returned this Answer Go tell thy Lord that Edmund the Christian King for the love of this temporal Life will not subject himself to a Heathen and Pagan Duke Inguar and Hubba herewith exasperated with the furious Troops of their Danes pursued the King to Thetford and from thence to his Castle of Framingham where he pitying the terrible Slaughter of his People yielded himself to their Persecutions who because he would not deny Christ and the Christian Faith those Pagans first beat him with Bats then scourged him with Whips he still calling upon the name of Jesus for rage whereof they bound him to a Stake and with their Arrows shot him to death and cutting off his Head contemptuously threw it into a Bush Of which Head we have a Monkish Story written by the Author of their English Martyrology for which the Author doth very well deserve the Whet-stone viz. That when St. Edmund was murthered by the Danes the Christians
or Bear which they say would devour them if they did not remove Their Tent or Choom is made in this manner first they set up long Firr-poles then they have six Quarters double of Deer-skins which being set up they throw Snow round about the Edges a Yard thickness leaving the top open for to vent Smoak making a Fire in the middle spreading Deer-skins upon which they lie in which manner it is altogether as warm as the Stones in Russia they have no Towns neither any certain place of abode but with their Deer they travel from place to place where they find the best Moss on which their Deer feed Their Wives they buy for Deer and will have if he have ability four or five Wives with whom he lyeth by turn every Night several he is the richest man that hath most Deer or Daughters selling them to any that will give most for them In their Marriage having agreed of Price they use not great Ceremonies only they make a Feast to their Friends after which the Woman is brought to the Man that hath bought her she being hung with many Iron Rings and Brazen Bells all departing out of the Tent save they two till the next morning and then he departeth but if he be one of Wealth they will continue their Feast seven days It falleth out many times that after they have had their Wives half a Year or a Year they will turn them back to their Friends taking their Deers again paying for the charge of the Feast which is always to be made at her Fathers charge and losing the encrease of his Deer They have no knowledge of the true God but worship Blocks and Images of the Devil unto which they will strangle tame Deer rubbing the Blood on the Idols and eating the Meat themselves When a rich man dies because he shall not travel on foot his Friends will kill three Deer to draw him in the new World and they will strangle a Slave to tend on him The Deer they kill in this manner to serve the dead man they make a Stake sharp which they thrust into the Beasts Fundament with many Howlings and Cryings till they be dead the Master with the Slave they bury the Deer they eat as well raw as boiled or roast although they use all three If a young Child dye under fourteen of their Years which is seven of ours they do hang it by the Neck on some Tree saying it must fly to Heaven If any Controversie be which cannot be decided or the Truth known then one of the two betwixt whom the Controversie is must be sworn which is in this manner they will make an Image of a Man in Snow bringing a Wolf's Nose and delivering a Sword to him that must swear he rehearsing by name all his Friends desiring that they might all be cut in Pieces in that manner as he doth cut that Image of Snow Then he himself doth cut the Image of Snow all to pieces with the Sword then after the Wolves Nose being laid before him he desires that the Wolf may destroy all his tame Deer and that he may never more take or kill any wild Deer after that if he speak not the Truth so cutting the Wolf's Nose in pieces there is no more to be said of that Controversie When they would know any thing to come they send for their Priest or Witch to converse with the Devil sitting in one side of the Tent having before his Face a piece of an old Shirt of Mayl hung with Bells and pieces of Brass in his right hand a great Tabor made with a Wolves skin beating upon the same with a Hares foot making a very doleful sound with singing and calling for the Devil to answer his Demand which being ended they strangle a Deer for a Sacrifice making merry with the Flesh The Women be very hard of Nature for at their Child-bearing the Husband must play the Mid-wife and being delivered the Child is washed with cold Water or Snow and the next day the Woman is able to conduct her Argish or Sled A Description of Groen-land and the Inhabitants thereof by an Eye-witness Anno 1612. THE North-west part of Groen-land is an exceeding high Land to the Sea-ward and almost nothing but Mountains which are wonderful high all within the Land as far as we could perceive they are all of Stone some of one colour and some of another and all glistering as though they were of rich Value but indeed they are not worth any thing There are some Rocks in those Mountains which are exceeding pure Stone finer and whiter than Alabaster The sides of these Mountains are covered with Snow for the most part especially the North-sides and the North-sides of the Valleys having a kind of Moss and in some places Grass with a little Branch running all along the Ground bearing a little black Berry There are few or no Trees growing as far as we could perceive but in one place some forty miles within the Land in a River which we called Ball 's River there I saw on the South-side of an high Mountain which we went up and found as it were a young Grove of small Wood some of it six or seven Foot high like a Coppice in England that had been some two or three Years cut and this was the most Wood that we saw growing in this Country being some of it a kind of Willow Juniper and such like We found in many places much Angelica we suppose the People eat the Roots thereof for some Causes for we have seen them have many of them in their Boats There are great Store of Foxes in the Islands and in the Main of sundry colours and there are a kind of Hares as white as Snow with their Hair or Fur very long Also there be Deer but they are most commonly up within the Main very far because the People do so much hunt them that come near the Sea I saw at one time seven of them together which were all that we did see in the Country but our men have bought divers Coats of the People made of Deers skins and have bought of their Horns also besides we have divers times seen the Foot-steps of some Beasts whose Foot was bigger than the Foot of a great Oxe Furthermore the Inhabitants have a kind of Dogs which they keep at their Houses and Tents which Dogs are almost like unto Wolves living by Fish as the Foxes do but one thing is very strange as I thought for the Pizzles of both Dogs and Foxes are Bone The People all the Summer time use nothing but fishing drying their Fish and Seals-flesh upon the Rocks for their Winter Provision Every one both Man and Woman have each of them a Boat made with long small pieces of Firr-wood covered with Seals-skins very well dressed and sewed so well with Sinews or Guts that no Water can pierce them thorough being some of them above twenty foot long and not past two
still continuing added not a little to the terrour of the People who ran with cries and lamentations about the City and Country expecting nothing but to be swallowed up or consumed by fire having no other apprehensions but of death and a general Conflagration The two torrents of fire forward destroying all things in their way and by Wednesday March 13. had on the West side branched it self into several streams and over-ran Campo Rotundo St. Pietro and Mostorbianco with La Pitielli and St. Antonino and on the East part ruin'd the lower part of Mascalucia and Le Placchi taking its way towards this City On Tuesday the 14th the Wind came Eastward on which day fell abundance of Rain which abated not the progress of the fire which on the East side had from Mascalucia made its way to St. Giovanni di Galermo the lower part whereof it destroyed and Passing on seemed to threaten this City on one side as did that on the West side the other As the fire approached the Religious every where appeared with much devotion carrying in Procession their Reliques especially those of St Agatha the famous Mattyr of Catania in which they reposed no small confidence followed by great multitudes of People some of them mortifying themselves with Whips and other signs of Penance with great complaints and cryes expressing their dreadful expectation of the events of those prodigious fiery inundations Whilst the People were thus busied in their Devotions and astonished by their Fears news was brought to the Magistrates of the City that a considerable number of Thieves and Robbers had taken the opportunity of this general distraction to make a prey of the already distressed People and that they had murthered several of them for their Goods and that it was to be feared that the City of Catania it self might run some danger from the great numbers of them which were about the Country and from thence take their opportunity to get into the Town Whereupon consultation being had for prevention of further mischief from them the Commander of the Castle was ordered with a considerable number of Horse and a party of Spaniards to secure the Country and City against these Robbers who immediately sent out several parties with his Provost-Marshal with order to seize upon all suspected Persons and such as were not able to give a good account of themselves and for such as were taken in the fact robbing to execute them by Martial Law without any further tryal and accordingly caused three pair of Gallows to be set up for their speedy Execution one before the Gate Di Aci a second in the Market-place and a third before the Gate Della Decima setting strong Guards upon the Gates of the City and causing all suspected houses to be searched an account to be given in of all Lodgers and such Persons to be secured as could any ways fall under a suspition The poor People out of the Country being by this prodigious calamity stript out of all their Estates and reduced to great extremity fled most of them for refuge to this City with great lamentations moving the Charity of the Magistrates who were readily inclined to give them the best assistance they were able and the Citizens moved by their complaints and sufferings freely opened their doors filling their Houses with as many of those distressed People as they could possibly receive the Bishop and all Persons of Quality and Estate contributing largely for their support till better order could be taken for the disposing of them The City of Messina also and several other Cities informed of this extraordinary calamity sent hither large supplies of Provisions offering their best assistance to this place in case of extremity All the Elements seemed at this time to make War upon us and to conspire together for the punishment of the Inhabitants the Air was continually darkened with Clouds and Smoak agitated by great and violent Winds and oftentimes showred down great Rains insomuch as the Sun from the beginning of these Irruptions very seldom appeared to us and when it did with extraordinary paleness for a little time only and as it were abhorring so dreadful a spectacle soon hid its face again under a thick cloud The Sea ran much higher than it was wont to do and by his extraordinary roaring and in some places overflowing its banks added not a little to our consternation the Land every where infested with Thieves insomuch that till by the extraordinary care taken by the Magistrates and Officers severe Execution was done upon such as were apprehended in the fact no Person was able to stirr abroad without danger of his life whilst the fire by this prodigious overflowing of the Mountain threatened to take possession of all On Friday the fifteenth the stream of fiery matter which destroyed the lower part of St. Giovanni di Galermo divided it self into two parts one of its branches taking its way towards Mosterbianco the other threatning the City of Catania but this last was observed to move with the more slowliness than before having in twenty four hours time scarcely gained one mile On the eighteenth being Monday the Torrents being still seen to draw nearer to this City the Senate with Monsegnier Camluchi the Bishop of this place followed by all the Clergy secular and regular and an infinite number of People went in solemn Procession out of this City to Monte de St. Sofia carrying out with greatest Devotion their choicest Reliques and upon an Altar erected in view of the Mountain exposed them where they celebrated Mass and used the Exorcisms accustomed upon such extraordinary Occasions all which time the Mountain ceased not as before with excessive roaring to throw up its Smoak and Flames with extraordinary violence and abundance of great stones which were carried through the Air some of them falling within their view though at ten miles distance from the Eruption the ashes which proceeded from thence were scattered in great abundance as well on this City as on the Countrey adjacent every where in the Fields with Cinders and the heat of the said ashes destroying the grass which obliged the People to drive away their Cattel to a farther distance which otherwise would have perished for want of food These streams of ruine daily crept nearer and nearer to this City but by uneven and irregular motions according as it was more or less supply'd from its Fountain but on Wednesday the twentieth we perceived that that Branch of it which seemed most to threaten this City from St. Giovanni di Galermo was wholly extinguisht and the other which bent its course towards Mosterbianco ran but slowly and gave us some hopes that its fury also was near spent but the other Torrent which had before overflown Mosterbianco continued its motion with as much violence as ever being in breadth above a Musquet shot over but in probability could not easily overflow to the Westwards which was defended by its Rocky scituation another Branch
all which they threw amongst us attempting still to break up the Hatches and Boards of the Steering not desisting from their former Execrations and horrible Blasphemies and Revilings When John Rawlins perceived them so violent and understood how the Slaves had cleared the Decks of all the Turks and Moors beneath he set a Guard upon the Powder and charged their own Musquets against them killing them from divers scout holes both before and behind and so lessened their number to the joy of all our hearts whereupon they cried out and called for the Pilot and so Rawlins with some to guard him went to them and understood them by their kneeling that they cried for mercy and to have their Lives saved and they would come down which he bade them do and so they were taken one by one and bound yea killed with their own Curtle-axes which when the rest perceived they called us English Dogs and reviled us with many opprobrious terms some leaping over-board crying it was the chance of War some were manacled and so thrown over-board and some were slain and mangled with the Curtle-axes till the Ship was well cleared and our selves assured of the Victory At the first report of our Piece and hurly-burly in the Decks the Captain was writing in his Cabbin and hearing the noise thought it some strange accident and so came out with his Curtle-Axe in his hand presuming by his Authority to pacifie the mischief But when he cast his eyes upon us and saw that we were like to surprize the Ship he threw down his Curtle-Axe and begged us to save his Life intimating unto Rawlins how he had redeemed him from Villa-Rise and ever since admitted him to a place of Command in the Ship besides honest usage in the whole course of the Voyage All which Rawlins confessed and at last condescended to Mercy and brought the Captain and five more into England The Captain was called Ramtham-Rise but his Christian name was Henry Chandler and as they say a Chandlers Son in Southwark John Good-ale was also an English Turk Richard Clark in Turkish Jafar George Cook Ramdam John Brown Mamme William Winter Mustapha besides all the Slaves and Hollanders with other Renegadoes who were willing to be reconciled to their true Saviour as being formerly seduced with the hopes of Riches Honour Preferment and such like devilish Baits to catch the Souls of mortal Men and entangle Frailty in the Tarriers of horrible Abuses and imposturing Deceit When all was done and the Ship cleared of the dead Bodies John Rawlins assembled his men together and with one Consent gave the Praise unto God using the accustomed Service on Ship-board and for want of Books lifted up their Voices to God as he put into their Hearts or renewed their Memories then did they sing a Psalm and last of all embraced one another for playing the Men in such a Deliverance whereby our Fear was turned into Joy and trembling Hearts exhilerated that we had escaped such inevitable Dangers and especially the Slavery and terror of Bondage worse than Death it self The same Night we washed our Ship put every thing in as good Order as we could repairing the broken Quarter set up the Biticle and bore up the Helm for England where by God's Grace and good guiding we arrived at Plimouth the thirteenth of February and were welcomed like the recovery of the lost Sheep or as you read of a loving Mother that runneth with Embraces to entertain her Son from a long Voyage and escape of many Dangers As for the Bark that came from Tor-Bay the next day after they left us as you have heard the three Renegadoes acquainted the Master's Mate and the two English in her with Rawlins's Determination and that they themselves would be true to them and assist them in any Enterprize then if the worst came there were but seven to six but as it fell out they had a more easie Passage than Turmoyl or Manslaughter for they made the Turks believe the Wind was come fair and that they were sailing to Argier till they came within sight of England which one of them amongst the rest discovered saying plainly that that Land was not Cape Vincent Yes saith he that was at the Helm and you will be contented and go down into the Hold and trim the Salt over to Wind-ward whereby the Ship may bear full Sail you shall know and see more to morrow whereupon five of them went down very orderly the Renegadoes feigning themselves asleep who presently start up and with the help of the two English nailed down the Hatches whereat the principal amongst them much repined and began to grow into Choller and Rage had it not quickly been over-passed for one of them step'd to him and dash'd out his Brains the rest were brought to Excester and there put in Goal where they continued until Justice was executed upon them A remarkable Story of eight Men left in Greenland Anno Christi 1630. with a Relation of their strange Preservation until the Ship 's Return IN the Year of our Lord 1630. May the first the Muscovy Merchants of London sent a Ship called the Salutation of London for Green-land which arrived there in Safety the eleventh of June following together with two other Ships all which were commanded by Captain William Goodler The Ship wherein the Captain was stayed at Bell-sound this of the Salutation at the Fore-land and the Captain meeting with store of Whales quickly made a great Voyage and so sent for the Salutation to take in part of his Train-Oyl By the way as they went to him meeting with cross Winds the Master set eight of his Men on shore to kill some Venison in a place where there used to be good store These Men taking with them a Brace of Dogs a Snap-hance two Lances and a Tinder-box went on shore and that day they laid fourteen good Deer upon the Ground and then being weary and the Night coming on they betook themselves to rest intending the next day to make an end of their Hunting and to return to their Ship but the next day proved foggy and there was much Ice between the Shore and the Ship and the Wind coming Southerly the Ship was fain to stand so far off into the Sea to be clear of the Ice that they lost the sight of her and the Weather growing thicker and thicker they thought fit to hunt along the Shore to Green-Harbour and there to stay aboard the Ship till their own Ship should come into the Port. In this passage they killed eight Deer more and so having laden their Shallop with Venison they kept on their course to Green-Harbour But when they came thither they found to their great astonishment that the Ship was departed Being thus frustrated of their expectation and having but three dayes to the uttermost expiration of their limited time for their departure out of that Countrey they thought it their best course to make all speed
Elionara Sister to the King of Portugal at Bruges in Flanders which was solemnized in the deep of Winter whenas by reason of unseasonable Weather he could neither hawk nor hunt and was now tired with Cards Dice c. and such other domestical Sports or to see Ladies dance with some of his Courtiers he would in the Evening walk disguised all about the Town It so fortuned as he was walking late one Night he found a Country-Fellow dead drunk snorting on a Bulk he caused his Followers to bring him to his Palace and there stripped him of his old Cloaths and attired him after the Court Fashion when he waked he and they were ready to attend upon his Excellency persuading him he was some great Duke The poor Fellow admiring how he came thither was served in state all the day long After Supper he saw them dance heard Musick and the rest of those Court-like Pleasures but late at night when he was well tipled and again fast asleep they put on his old Cloaths and so conveyed him to the place where they first found him Now the Fellow had not made them so good sport the day before as he did when he returned to himself all the Jest was to see how he looked upon it In conclusion after some little Admiration the poor man told his Friends he had seen a Vision constantly believed it would not otherwise be persuaded and so the Jest ended Memorials of Thomas Coriat the famous Odcombian Traveller MR. Thomas Coriat was born at Odcombe nigh Evil in Somerset-shire and bred at Oxford where he attained to admirable fluency in the Greek Tongue he was a Man in his Time Notus nimis omnibus very sufficiently known one who seemed to carry Folly in his Face the shape of his Head being like a Sugar-loaf inverted with the little end before but such as conceived him Fool ad duo and something else ad decem were utterly mistaken for he drave on no Design cared for Coin and Counters alike so contented with what was present that he accounted those men guilty of Superfluity who had more Suits and Shirts than Bodies seldom putting off either till they were ready to go away from him Noble Prince Henry King James his Son allowed him a Pension and kept him for his Servant Sweet-meats and Coriat made up the last Course at all Court-Entertainments indeed he was the Courtiers Anvil to try their Wits upon and sometimes this Anvil returned the Hammers as hard Knocks as it received his Bluntness repaying their Abusiveness He being addicted to travel took a Journey into several places of Europe and at his Return made a Book thereof known by the name of Coriat's Crudities printed about the year 1611. being ushered into the World by very many Copies of excellent Verses made by the Wits of those times which made one to say that the Porch was more worth than the Palace the Preface of other mens mock-commending Verses than the Book it self however they did very much advantage and improve if not enforce the Sale thereof doing themselves much more Honour than him whom they undertook to commend in their several Encomiasticks Now because the Book is very scarce and hard to come by I shall give you a Copy of one of their Encomiums there being about sixty in all by which you may give a guess at the rest To the no less learned than wise and discreet Gentleman Mr. Thomas Coriat in some few Months Travels born and brought up to what you see viz. To be the delight of a world of noble Wits to be a shame to all Authors as the Gout and Quartane Fever have been to all Physicians This plain Song sendeth Christopher Brooke his poor Friend to attend the Descant of his famous Book thorough all Hands Tongues Arts Trades Mysteries and Occupations whatsoever THE subtile Greek Ulysses needs must travel Ten years sorsooth over much Sand and Gravel And many Cities see and Manners know Before there could be writ a Book or two Of his Adventures and he travell'd still Else there are Lyars sore against his Will But this rare English-Latin-Grecian Of Orators and Authors the Black Swan A voluntary Journey undertook Of scarce six Months and yet hath writ a Book Bigger than Homer's and tho' writ in Prose As full of Poetry spite of Homer's Nose If he liv'd now that in Darius Casket Plac'd the poor Iliads he had bought a Basket Of richer stuff t' intomb thy Volume large Which thou O noble Tom at thine own charge Art pleas'd to print but thou need'st not repent Of this thy bitter cost for thy brave Precedent Great Caesar is who penned his own Gests And as some write recited them at Feasts And at 's own Charge had printed them they say If printing had been used at that day The Press hath spent the three for one you got At your Return What 's that Poor thing God wot Manure this Land still with such Books my Friend And you shall be paid for it in the end For I methinks see how men strive to carry This jovial Journal into each Library And we e're long shall well perceive your Wit Grave learned Bodley by your placing it Therefore lanch forth great Book like Ship of Fame Th' Hopewel of Odcombe thou shalt have to name Explicit Christopherus Brook Eboracensis Amongst others that writ mock-commendatory Verses of this Book of Crudities was John Taylor the Water-Poet which though of the same nature with the other yet gave great offence to Mr. Coriat complaining of him therefore to King James The Verses were these What matters for the place I first came from I am no Dunce-comb Cox-comb Odcombe Tom Nor am I like a Wool-pack cramb'd with Greek Venus in Venice minded to go seek And at my back-return to write a Volume In memory of my Wits Gargantua Columne The choicest Wits would never so adore me Nor like so many Lacquies run before me But honest Tom I envy not thy state There 's nothing in thee worthy of my hate Yet I confess thou hast an excellent Wit But that an idle Brain doth harbour it Fool thou it at the Court I on the Thames So farewel Odcombe Tom God bless King James Afterwards Taylor wrote a Book called Laugh and be fat wherein he paraphrased upon all those Gentlemen that had written on Mr. Coriat's Book which Book by the Command of King James he procured to be burnt and afterwards adding more Complaints against Taylor to the King his Majesty was pleased to tell him that when the Lords of his Honourable Privy Council had leisure and nothing else to do then they should hear and determine the Differences betwixt Mr. Coriat the Scholar and John Taylor the Sculler Whereupon Taylor wrote these following Verses to the King Most mighty Monarch of this famous Isle Upon the Knees of my submissive mind I beg thou wilt be graciously inclin'd To read these Lines my rustick Pen compile Know Royal Sir
of his own Sect Mahomet saith he hath given us a Law which sheweth the perfection of felicity to consist in those things which concern the Body whereas the Wise and Sages of old had a greater desire to express the felicity of the Soul then of the Body as for the bodily felicity though it were granted them yet they regarded it not nor esteemed it in comparison of the felicity which the Soul requireth Mahomet had also in him a spice of the transmigration of Souls from one Body unto another by which means he devised how a Camel might pass through the Eye of a Needle the Soul of a Sinner for Purgation entring first into the Body of a Camel then of a lesser Beast and finally of a little Worm which should creep through the eye of a Needle and so become perfect The Saracens his Followers esteem Rice as a great Delicacy by reason of their Tradition that it came of Mahomet's Sweat for say they when Mahomet compassed the Throne of God in Paradise God turned and looked on him which made the modest Prophet sweat and wiping it off with his finger six drops fell out of Paradise one whereof produced the Rose the second Rice the other four his four Associates Concerning the Death of this Impostor there is several Opinions The Book of the Policy of the Turkish Empire saith That he was poysoned by one of his Disciples called Albunor to make Tryal of his boasting Prophecy That he would rise again within three days after his Death This Albunor after coming to see him found his body torn in pieces and devoured of Dogs whereupon gathering together the Bones that remained into a Coffin he caused them to be buried Mr. Smith in his Gods Arrows against Atheists saith That sitting up late one Evening in his Palace and having taken his fill of Wine wherein one of his Companions had poured some Poyson felt his wonted Sickness approaching and made haste forth saying He must needs depart to confer with the Angel Gabriel and go aside lest his glorious Presence should be an occasion of their Deaths forth he went and remembring that a soft place was best for his Falling Sickness down he fell upon a Dunghil groveling along with great Pain foming at the Mouth and gnashing his Teeth The Swine came about the Dunghil fell upon him wounded him sore and had eaten him up had not his Wife and others of his House heard the noise of the Hogs and rescued the false Prophet however he died fourteen days after His Death happened in the sixty third Year of his Age and in the eleventh after his Hegira or Flight dying at Medina and was buried there in the Grave of Avisee his Wife Here is a stately Temple and huge erected with elegant and magnificent Structures daily encreased and adorned by the Costs of the Othomans and Gifts of other Princes Within this Building is a Chappel not persectly square covered with a goodly Roof under which is the Urn of Stone called Hagiar Monauar sometimes belonging to Avisee aforesaid This is all covered with Gold and Silk and compassed about with Iron Grates gilded within this which shineth with Gold and Gems Mahomet's Carcass was placed and not lifted up by force of Load-stone or other Art but that stone Urn lieth on the ground The Musulman Pilgrims after their return from Mecha visit this Temple because Mahomet yet living was wont to say That he would for him which should visit his Tombe as well as if he had visited him living intercede with God for a life full of Pleasures Therefore do they throng thither with great veneration kiss and embrace the grates for none have access to the Urn of Stone and many for love of this Place leave their Country yea some madly put out their Eyes to see no Worldly thing after and there spend the rest of their days So zealous are these sottish People in this sensual senceless irreligious Religion Of the Talmud of the Jews their Dreams concerning Adam c. THIS Talmud saith that Adam's Body was made of the Earth of Babylon his Head of the Land of Israel his other members of other Parts of the World so R. Meir thought he was compact of the Earth gathered out of the whole Earth as it is written Thine eyes did see my Substance now it is elsewhere written The eyes of the Lord are over all the Earth There are twelve hours of the Day saith R. Aha in the first whereof the Earth of Adam or earthly matter was gathered in the second the Trunk of his Body fashioned in the third his Members stretched forth in the fourth his Soul infused in the fifth he stood upon his Feet in the sixth he gave Names to the Creatures in the seventh Eve was given him in Marriage in the eighth they ascended the Bed two and descended four in the ninth he received the Precept which in the tenth he brake and therefore was judged in the eleventh and in the twelfth was cast out of Paradise as it is written Man continued not one night in honour The Stature of Adam was from one End of the World to the other and for his Transgression the Creator by laying on his Hand lessened him for before saith R. Eleazar with his Hand he reached a reacher indeed the very Eirmament His Language was Syriack or Aramitish saith R. Juda and as Raschlakis addeth the Creator shewed him all Generations and the wise men in them His sin after Jehuda was Heresie R. Jsaac thinketh the nourishing his foreskin They farther tell that he was an Hermaphrodite a Man-woman having both Sexes and a double Body the Female part joyned at the Shoulders and back parts to the Male their Countenances turned from each other This they prove by Moses his words So God created Man in his Image Male and Female created he them and he called their name ADAM Yet after this is mention of Adam's solitariness and forming of Eve out of his side that is cutting the Female Part from the Male and so fitting them to Generation Thus doth Leo Hebraeus reconcile the Fable of Pluto's Androgynus with Moses's narration out of which he thinketh it borrowed For as he telleth that Jupiter in the first forming of Mankind made them such Androgini with two Bodies of two Sexes joyned in the Brest divided for their Pride the Navil still remaining as a Scar of the wound then made so with little difference is this their Interpretation of Moses As ridiculous and extravagant are their Opinions about their Womens Conceptions and Travel and of one Lilich a she Devil which should kill their children to prevent which they have divers expedients which take out of their own Writings as followeth When a Jewish Woman is great with Child and near her Time her Chamber is furnished with necessaries and then some holy and devout Man if any such may be had with Chalk maketh a Circular Line round and in the Chamber upon all the