Earthquake shall be kneaded together like a lump of Dough That a second blast of the same Horn shall after forty days restore all again That Cain shall be the Captain or Ring leader of the damned who shall have the Faces of Dogs and Swine That they shall pass over the Bridge of Justice laden with their sins in Satchels That the greater Sinners shall fall into Hell the lesser into Purgatory only with a thousand the like fopperies needless to relate which may be found in the Alcoran a thing so full of Tautologies incoherences and gross absurdities of so impure and carnal mixture that whoever is taken with it must abandon his natural reason if Force Ambition or want of Christian Education do not induce him to imbrace it For if we seriously consider the causes of the deplorable increase and long continuance of this Religion we shall find them to be cheifly these 1. The greatness of the Victories obtain'd by the Saracens who easily compell'd the conquered Nations to receive their Law 2. The great zeal and diligence of the Arabians themselves who being a numerous people and much given to Merchandize have possessed themselves of all the Seacoasts of Africk from the Streights of Babel Mandel almost to the Cape of Good Hope of all the Islands in those Seas and many Factories and good Towns on the Coasts of India in all which they have setled their Religion also as a thing inseparable from their Nation 3. A peremptory restraint of all disputations in any point of Religion whatsoever 4. The Suppressing Philosophy and the Study of Humane Sciences the light whereof might easily detect the grosness of their Superstitions 5. The sensual liberty allowed of having variety of Wives and as many Concubines as they are able to keep 6. The promise of the like sensual pleasures in the other World with which a mind not illuminated with the Spirit of God is generally more affected than with the Speculative hope of a future happiness 7. The forbidding Printing and Printed Books whereby people might perceive the truth and purity of the Christian Faith with the Falshood and impurity of the Law of Mahomet Yet had not these last been sufficient to induce the belief of such absurdities if the first had not opened and prepared the way For force of Arms was really the most prevailing Argument by which Mahomet himself confirmed and his Successors since have propogated and dispersed his Doctrine Who being strengthned by that Rascal Rabble which resorted to him he assaults Medina pretending a quarrel to the Jews who had there a Synagogue repulsed at first with loss of men and a wound in his face by which some of his fore-teeth were beaten out and was there likely to have ended his New Religion if not recovered by his Souldiers for further mischief At the next onset he prevail'd the Battel being sought neer a place called Bedez scituate betwixt Mecca and Medina frequently mentioned in the Alcoran After which fight he took the City converting the Synagogue to a Temple for his own impieties The News hereof so startled the Nobility of Mecca that they armed all their powers against him and succeeded so well in the beginning of the War that they drove him forcibly from their Territories which yet not long after he again subdued and made his cheif Residence at Mecca From that his flight the Saracens compute their years as we from Christs Nativity which they call the Hegira and begins about the year of our Lord 617. so termed from an Arabick word that signifies The Persecution raised about Religion It happened about this time that the Saracens revolting from Heraclius the Eastern Emperor joined themselves to Mahomet being exasperated by Julian the Apostate whom they served in his Wars against the Persians for telling them upon demanding their pay That he had greater store of Steel than Gold But they then wanted a Head to resort to Now serving Heraclius in the same War they were used by his Officers in the same ill manner for asking their pay the Treasurer of the Army made them this Churlish answer There is scarce Money enough to pay the Roman and Graecian Souldiers and why must those Dogs be so importunate for their Wages Provoked herewith and hearing the fame of Mahomet they joined him who strengthned herewith and the coming in of the rest of their Countreymen he soon brought all Arabia under his Subjection and having defeated the Emperors forces sent against him he conquered some parts of Syria and Egypt and returning to Mecca there died frantick and distempered in the 70 year of his Age and twenty third of his Impostures of which he spent thirteen at Medina and the rest at Mecca His dead Body being kept four days in expectation of a Resurrection which he promised to perform at the end of three grown full of stench and putrefaction was carried to Medina and there interred His Successors out of wicked and Worldly Policy keeping up the reputation of that Religion after his decease which they scorned and derided in his life calling themselves Caliphs and Vicar Generals to him their Prophet But to return to Persia the Government of that Empire is purely Despotick or Tyranical for the King has the sole Power of life and death over all his Subjects independent from his Council and without any Trials or Law Proceedings He can put to what death he pleases the chief Lords of the Kingdom no man daring to dispute the reason Nor is there any Soveraign in the World more absolute than he The King deceasing and leaving Male Issue behind him the Eldest ascends the Throne while his Brothers are kept in the Haram or Castle and their Eyes put out and if the King have the least jealousy they are instantly put to death without further Examination and not only they but the Children of the Kings Brothers and Sisters likewise I remember saith my Author when I first travelled into Persia they were not so rigorous but were contented to move a red hot Iron to and fro before their Eyes But Sha Sefi the last Emperor peceiving his command negligently Executed and that the poor unhappy Princes had some sight left them he ordered their Eyes to be digged out of their Heads Sha Sefi's cruelty went yet further for he spared not his Eldest Son Sha Abbas the lawful Heir of his Throne ordering one of the Eunuchs to move an Iron before his Eyes no man knowing a reason but the Eunuch compassionating the young Prince moved an Iron yet not red hot before his Eyes and teaching him to counterfeit himself blind preserv'd his sight till his Father lay upon his Death bed when being very Penitent for having put out the Eyes of his Eldest Son to whom the Crown did of right belong the Eunuch seeing the King so sadly afflicted and ready to give up the Ghost assured him that he would restore the Prince to his sight and to comfort him at his death
boasting form and because it contains a small Inventory of that Kings wealth is here inserted This King was a stout proper man of about thirty two strong by Sea and Land his Countrey populous his Elephants many the English having there seen neer two hundred at a time His Frigates and Gallies carried good Ordnance of all kinds His building stately and spacious but not strong His Court at Achi pleasant having a fine River which he cut and brought eight Miles in twenty days while they were there He desired the General to present his Respects to the King of England and to intreat him to send him two White Women For said he if I get one of them with Child and it prove a Son I will make him K. of Piaman Passaman and of the Coast from whence you fetch your Pepper so that you shall not need to come any more to me but to your own English King for those Commodities He was cruel having pluckt out the Eyes of a Nobleman for looking on one of the Kings Women washing in a River Another wearing a Shash or Turbant beyond his degree had his head cut round so far as that was two large Some he boiled in scalding Oyl others were sawn asunder Spitted alive had their Legs cut off or were otherwise tortured The People are tawny and go naked yet paint their faces their Priests in their Sacrifices wear their Garments so close as if they were sowed to them with horns on their head turning back and a Tail hanging down behind for so they say the Devil appears to them their Hair and Faces appear deformed with Green Black and Yellow Colours Another considerable English Factory is at Bantam and other places on the Isle of Java Major this is the chief City in the whole Island scituate at the foot of a Mountain whence issue three Rivers two whereof run by the Walls and the other through the midst of the City yet none of them deep enough to admit of any Ships the Houses are very mean consisting of three chief Streets The Natives are Heathens and believe when they dye their Souls enter into some Bird Beast or Fish and therefore they eat neither Flesh nor Fish yet toward the South are many who profess the Turkish Religion and some of them called Faquirs are desperate Villains who having been at Mecca to visit Mahomets Tomb upon their return they run through the Streets and kill all they meet with their poysoned Daggers and think that in so doing they do God and Mahomet good service and shall be saved thereby If any of these Mad-men are kill'd their Followers bury them as Saints and every one contributes toward erecting them a fair Tomb which they visit and bestow Alms upon the Keeper thereof I remember saith my Author that in 1642. a Vessel of the Great Mogols returned from Mecca to Surat with a great number of these Faquirs or Derviches and one of them was no sooner landed and had said his Prayers but he instantly took his Dagger and ran among several Dutch Marriners who were unlading goods upon the Shore and before they were aware this desperate Wretch had wounded seventeen of them whereof thirteen died at length the Sentinel who stood at the entry of the Tent where the Governour and Merchants were shot him through the Body so that he fell down dead Immediately all the other Faquirs and Mahometans who were upon the place took up the Body and buried it and at the end of fifteen days they had erected him a fair Monument Every year the English and Hollanders pluckt it down but when they are gone the Faquirs rebuild it and plant Banners over it nay some perform their Devotions at it One time saith my Author my Brother and I and a Dutch Chyrurgeon were going along a narrow way having the Pales of a Garden on one hand and a River on the other behind the Pales one of these Rascaly Bantamers had hid himself and thrust his Pike between the Pales thniking to have stab'd it into one of our Breasts the Dutch man being somewhat before the head of the Pike ran into his Breeches whereupon we both laid hold on the Staff but my Brother being next the Pales presently leap'd over and ran the Faquir through Whereupon several Chineses and other Idolaters came and gave my Brother thanks for killing him After which we waited on the King and told him what my Brother had done who was so far from being displeased that he gave him a Girdle for the King and his Governours are glad when those Rogues are slain counting them Desperados and not fit to live In 1682. The Eldest Son of the King of Bantam made an Insurrection declared himself King and by the assistance of the Dutch took the City of Bantam and the English Factory there proclaiming the old King his Father a Rebel against him About the same time an Ambassador came from the old King to his late Majesty King Charles the second of Blessed Memory by whom he was received and entertained with all manner of kindness and civility and having continued here for some time he returned again to his own Countrey At Socodona and Beniermasa in the Isle of Borneo the English setled other Factories It is accounted as big as Spain richly incompassed with other smaller Islands and hath a City of the same name founded on Piles in the Salt Water with Sumptuous buildings of Stone covered with Coco leaves The people are generally more white than the rest of the Indians of good Wits and approved Integrity divided betwixt two Kings and two Religions the King of Borneo and his Wife being Mahumetans those of Laus still remaining in their Ancient Gentelism These believe the Sun and Moon are Man and Wife and the Stars their Children ascribing to each of them Divine Honours and to the Sun especially whom they salute at his first rising with great reverence repeating certain verses Their publick business is usually treated in the Night at which time the Councellors of State meet and ascend some Tree viewing the Heavens till the Moon rise then go to the Senate house Their Apparel is very thin by reason of the extream heat of the Air being only a Shirt of Silk or Calico which they wear more for modesty than warmth One of the Isles of Celebs is called Macassar where the English likewise setled a Factory being 600 miles from East to West plentiful of all necessaries for the use of man in some parts over-grown with Wood in which certain fiery Flyes make nightly such shining light as if every Twig or Bough were a burning Candel in the midst are very high Mountains out of which flow many Navigable Rivers The Islanders have a Custom to Poyson their Arrows and the most dangerous Poyson they use is the juice of certain Trees in the Island of Borneo which they will temper so as to work a swift or slow death at pleasure They think the King has
considered how they may consist with the Policy and good Government of our Countrey and likewise whether the Fathers of the Church may not judge the divulging them prejudicial to the Affairs of the Catholick Faith and Religion which by those wonders I have seen above any mortal man before me I am instructed to advance with my utmost endeavours without respect to any temporal advantage whatsoever But to proceed with my Narrative this huffing Captain aforenamed pretended much discontent for the death of the said Delgades who was indeed some Kin to him however he was willing to be quiet if I would have given him a thousand Duckets I had now besides a Wife two Sons whom I was not willing to begger only to satisfie the avaritious humour of this Boaster and was therefore necessitated to take some other course I imbarkt in a stout Carrick bound for the East-Indies carrying the value of two thousand Duckets to Trade with leaving as much more for the support of my Wife and Children behind me whatever misfortune might happen to me In the Indies I thrived exceedingly laying out my Stock in Diamonds Emeralds and Pearls which I bought at such easy rates that my Stock safely arriving in Spain as I understood it did must needs yield ten for one But for my self having doubled Cape buona Esperanca in my way home I fell dangerously sick expecting nothing but death which had then undoubtedly happened but that we just then recovered the Blessed Isle of St. Hellens the only Paradice I believe on Earth for healthfulness of Air and fruitfulness of Soil producing all necessaries for the Life of man It is about three Leagues in compass and has no firm Land or Continent within 300 Leagues nay not so much as an Island within an hundred Leagues of it so that it may seem a Miracle of Nature that out of so vast and tempestuous an Ocean such a small Rock or piece of ground should arise and discover it self On the South is a good Harbour and near it divers small Houses built by the Portuguess to accommodate Strangers with a pretty Chappel handsomely beautified with a Tower and a fair Bell therein Near it is a Stream of excellent fresh water divers handsome walks planted on both sides with Orange Lemmod Pomegranate Almond-trees and the like which are Fruit all the year as do also divers others There are store of Garden Herbs with Wheat Pease Barley and most kinds of Pulse but it chiefly aboundeth with Cattel and Fowl as Goats Swine Sheep Partridges wild Hens Pheasants Pigeons and wild Fowl beyond credit But especially about February and March are to be seen huge Flocks of a kind of Wild Swans whereof I shall have occasion to speak more hereafter who like our Cuckoes and Nightingales go away at a certain Season and are no more seen that year On this happy Island did they set me ashore with a Negro to attend me where praised be Heaven I recovered my health and continued there a whole year solacing my self for want of Humane Society with Birds and bruit Beasts Diego my Black-moor was forced to live in a Cave at the West-end of the Isle for had we dwelt together Victuals would not have been so plenty with us But now if one succeeded well in Hunting or Fowling the other would find means to invite and treat him and if both mist we were then fain to look out sharply but this very seldom happened since no Creature there fears a man more than they do a Goat or Cow whereby I easily tamed divers kinds of Birds and Beasts in a short time by only muzling them so that till they came either to me or Diego they could not seed At first I much delighted in a kind of Patridges and a tame Fax whereof I made good use For if I had occasion to confer with Diego I would take one of them muzled and hungry and tying a note about his Neck beat him from me whereupon he would streight away to Diego's Cave and if he were not there would beat about till they found him yet this conveyance being not without some inconvenience needless to be mentioned after a while I perswaded Diego who though a Fellow of good Parts was content to be ruled by me to remove to a Promontory or Cape on the north-west part of the Island being though a League off yet within sight of my House and Chappel and then when the weather was fair we could at all times by signals declare our minds each to other in an instant either by Night or Day wherein we took much pleasure If in the Night I would signifie any thing to him I used to set up a light in the Bell Tower which was a pretty large Room with a fair Window well glased and the Walls within being plaistered were exceeding white by reason whereof though the light were but small it made a great show and would have done much farther off if there had been need After this light had stood half an hour I covered it and then if I saw any signal of light again from my Companion at the Cape I knew he waited for my notice and so by hiding and shewing my light according to a certain Rule or Agreement betwixt us I certified him of what I pleased In the day I advertised him by Smoke Dust and sometimes by a more refined and effactual way This Art contains many Mysteries and may be very useful if well imployed Notwithstanding after a while I grew weary of it as too painful and again used my Winged Messengers Upon the Shoar especially about the Mouth of our River I found great store of a certain kind of Wild Swans aforementioned feeding usually upon prey and that both of Fish and Birds and which is more strange having one Claw like an Eagle and the other like a Swan These Birds commonly breeding here in infinite numbers I took thirty or forty of them young and bred them up by hand for recreation yet not without some thoughts of that Experiment which I after put in practice These being strong and able to continue a great flight I taught them first to come at call afar off not using any noise but only shewing them a White Cloth and here I found it true what Plutarch affirms That Creatures which eat Flesh are more decible than others 'T is wonderful to think what Tricks I taught them ere they were a quarter old amongst others I used them by degrees to fly with Burdens wherein I found them able beyond belief and brought them so forward that a White Sheet being displayed to them by Diego upon the side of a Hill they would carry from me to him Bread Flesh or whatever I pleased and upon the like call come to me again Having proceeded thus far I began to consult how I might join a number of them together so as to carry a heavier weight which if I could compass I might thereby enable a man to fly and
of War When I was in India saith my Author one was sentenced by the Mogol himself for killing his own Father to dye thus first a small Iron Chain was fastned to his Heels which was tyed to the hind Leg of a great Ele phant who drag'd him one whole remove of that King being about ten miles so that all his Flesh was torn off his Bones when we met him and appeared to us rather a Skeleton than a Body Another having killed his own Mother the Emperour was at a stand to think of a punishment adequate to so horrible a crime but after a little pause he adjudged him to be stung to death by Serpents accordingly one of those Mountebanks who keep them to shew tricks to the people brought two Serpents to do Execution upon this wretched man whom he sound all naked only a little covering before and trembling Then having angred these venemous Creatures he put one of them to his Thigh which presently twined it self about that part till it came near his Groin and there bit him till Blood followed The other was fastned to the outside of the other Thigh twisting it round and there bit him likewise Notwithstanding the Wretch kept upon his Feet near a quarter of an hour before which the Serpents were taken from him but he complained extreamly of a Fire that with much torment had possessed all his Limbs and his whole Body began to swell exceedingly like Nafidius bit by a Lybyan Serpent called a Prester about half an hour after the Soul of that unnatural Monster left his groaning Carcase and went to his place It happened a few years before Sir Thomas Row was Ambassador in this Court in 1618. that a Jugler of Bengala a place famous for Witches brought an Ape before the Mogol who loved Novelties that did many strange feats the King to try his skill pluckt a Ring off his Finger and gave it one of his Boys to hide whom the Ape presently discovered several other trials he made wherein the Ape did his part to admiration Before he was taken out of his presence this strange and unexpected fancy came into the Kings Head There are many disputes said he about that true Prophet which should come into the World we are for Mahomet The Persians magnifie Mortis Ally the Hindoos or Heathens extol Bramon Ram and others the Jews are for Moses and the Christians for Christ adding several other names to the number of twelve in all who have all their several followers in that part of the World He then caused them twelve names to be written on twelve several Scrolls and put together to see if the Ape could draw out the name of the true Prophet this done the Ape put his paw amongst them and pull'd out the name of Christ The Mogol a second time caused these twelve names to be writ again in twelve other Scrolls and Characters and put together when the Ape again pluckt forth the name of Christ as before Mabomet Chan a great Favourite present said it was an Imposture of the Christians though none were then there and desired he might make a third trial which granted he put but eleven of those names together reserving the name of Christ in his hand the Ape searching as before pluckt forth his empty paw and so twice or thrice together the King demanding a reason for this was answered that happily the thing he looked for was not there the Ape was bid search for it who putting out those eleven names one after the other in a seeming indignation rent them then running to Mahobet Chan caught him by the hand where the name of Christ was concealed which he opened and held up to the King but did not tear it as the former Upon which the Mogol took the Ape and gave his Keeper a good Pension to keep him near about him calling him the Divining Ape And this was all which followed upon this admirable event except the great wonder and amazement of the people the truth whereof saith my Author I most certainly believe as being confirmed to me by several Persons of different Religions who all agreed in the story and the several circumstances thereof I cannot but here relate a remarkable example of a very gross Flatterer but a great Favourite of this King who was noted above others of that Nation to be a great neglecter of God believing it Religion enough to please the Mogol his Master though a Souldier of approved valour This man on a time sitting in dalliance with one of his Women she pluckt an hair from his Breast about his Nipple in wantonness without designing any hurt This little inconsiderable wound by an unparallel'd fate became the occasion of his death beginning presently to fester and in a short time turned to an incurable Canker When he found he must needs dye he spake these notable words worthy to be recorded Who would not have thought but that I who have been so long a Souldier should have died in the face of an Enemy either by a Sword Lance Arrow Bullet or some such Instrument of death But now though too late I am forced to confess that there is a great God above whose Majesty I have ever despised who needs no bigger Lance than an hair to kill an Atheist or a despiser of his Divinity and so desiring these his last words might be told the King his Master he died The then Mogol sent a Letter to our King James the first in the Persian Language which is here faithfully translated to shew the manner and stile of the writing of that Court. Vnto a King rightly descended from his Ancestors bred in Military Affairs clothed with honour and Justice a Commander worthy of all command strong and constant in the Religion which the great Prophet Christ did teach King James Whose love hath bred such an Impression in my thoughts as shall never be forgotten but as the smell of Amber or as a Garden of fragrant Flowers whose beauty and odor is still incereasing so be assured my love shall still grow and increase with yours The Letters you sent me in the behalf of your Merchants I have received whereby I rest satisfied of your tender love toward me desiring you not to take it ill that I have not writ to yo heretofore This present Letter I send to you to renew our loves and herewith do certifie you that I have sent forth my Firmans or Proclamations throughout all my Countreys to this effect that if any English Ships or Merchants shall arrive to any of my Ports my People shall permit and suffer them to do what they please freely in their Mâ—chandizing causes aiding and assisting them in all occasions of injuries that shall be offered them that the least cause of discourtesy be not done unto them that they may he as free or freer than my own people And as now and formerly I have received from you divers tokens of your love so I shall still