ALL things are the more,The Indu­ction. most things the better for Addition. In honour and wealth no fault is found with encrease; full meales & full pleasures too; brim-full have no guard upon them. The fuller the better: If the husbandry bestowed up­on this Book hath improv'd the soile, since you view'd it last, the Lyme was yours and charge of bringing; the spreading only belongs to mee as your day-labourer.

To improve on your incouragement, is for your credit, my delight; both our benefits. The gale you late so favourably lent me spred my affection, and againe lancht me into another Ocean. And, ‘Turpe mihi abire domo, vacuum (que) redire est.’

I know my new Relations must endure the touch; yea, and the handling too. So should all Books: But in this Age it fares with Books as with French toyes, faire to the eyes, well coverd with your empty Gallants, who take the people with the out-side bravery; Give me good Lynings.

My minde is like my habit, plaine; and my expressions (I hope so) too. If my new thoughts have added to your bottom, I know you will unwinde gent­ly for feare of ravelling, and tie a knot where the thread breaks. But if I have made no Topographic mistakes, I feare no other deviations.

The first (the fruits of youth and haste) came abortive into your hands; and fail'd not of respective welcome. Yet in so cold, so nipping a Zone, more cloathing may be accepted of, and which I have woven with some toyle, but [Page 2] very willingly, hoping it may discover more maturity. I formerly obeyed my friends, who thought the first too short; this then may prove the happier, since I have laboured to give them a ready acknowledgement. Let my errors therefore reflect on them, and impale me in your favour, for peradventure I may give boldnesse to your Factors, to fetch exotique rarities in a new divisi­on of the world, and in assuring their Barques to bring you home, what may prove worthy your sight and mony. But this lucky gale will suffer no longer complement.

The relation of our Sea-voyage, is first enjoyned me.

1626.VPon Good-Friday, we took ship at Dover, having six great & well-man'd ships along with us. In few houres coasting close by the Ile of Wight (call'd so from Gwydh a Brittish word signifying, seene at distance; Vectis in Pliny, Vecta in Eutropius;) where, a sudden and violent gust assaulted us; which, after an houres rage, spent it selfe, and blew us the third day (double solem­niz'd by being the feasts of Mother and Sonne) upon the Lizards point or lands end of England, the utmost promontory of Cornwall; and from whence, to the extreamest cape of Afrique, wee compute our longitude, and not from the Azores the first Meridian.

The wind blew faire, so as the seven and twentieth day wee entred the Spa­nish Ocean, the coast of Biscay neighbouring us. Ere long, we descried seven tall ships, whom reputing enemies, we bore up to speake with, but they pro­ved friends, Hollanders out of the Levant, who drunk our healths as they past, by a roring Culverin; and we vomited out a like eccho of thunder, plow­ing up the liquid Seas in merrinesse, till the nine and twentieth day made us the sport of Danger, dancing upon the raging billowes, Aeolus from his iron whistle blustering melancholly tunes, a good while heaven and sea seeming undivided. To which Tune Horace, Od. 3. lib. 1.

Violence has no permanence; in thirty houres, the quarell 'twixt wind and sea was ended, and joy in a serene sky reanimated us, so as wee ended March in chase of a Turkish Pirat, whom with top-gallant top-sailes we pur­sued 6 houres, but (to our griefe) he out-sailed us. The first of April we cut our passage into the vast Atlantick Ocean, by Arabs call'd Magribana, as saith Marmolius, Atlantic Ocean. (nam'd from Atlas Maurus, (brother to the star-gazer Prometheus) from whom two famous Mounts, one in Mauritania, th'other in Lybia, are de­nominate.) Long we had not been in these seas, but another Barbarian Sally man of Warre came up to us, sculking all night in hope to board the first hee saw divided; at day break we found the villaine, who, loath to parlee in fire and shot, fled amaine and left us; who swum so well, that the third of April at Titans first blush we got sight of Porto Santo, a holy Port, (call'd Cerne in [Page 3] Ptolomy) commanded by the superstitious Spaniard, and of Madaera (or Ile of Wood) from the Canaries 300 miles; the first, discovered by Perestrellus, anno 1419. 5398 undiscovered; given him upon condition he would people it, which he found difficult, the Conies in such numbers resisting and undermining him. The other the same yeere by Gonzalvo Zarco from incouragement of Henry, sonne to King Iohn the first, of Portugall. The holy Port has five and twenty miles compasse, notable in Wheat, Ry, Rice, Oxen, Sheep, Bores, Conies. Sanguis Draconûm, Fruits, Flowers, and Grapes, at 8 leagues distance thus re­specting us.

The sixt of Aprill we had 27 degrees and a halfe, at that instant descrying the Iles Canariae, of old, fortunate in name though not in quality, undiscover'd till the yeare 1328 accidentally by one Machan (or Marcham) an English man, from whose relation Lewes de Cerdezo two yeare after sail'd thither, and by con­sent of his King, Pedro of Arragon, had liberty of conquest and benefit; but long enjoyed neither, Iohn 2. the Castilian King, Anno 1405 extruding him: From whom also, Ventacurtius a French man snatches them, but by Iohn de Betancour a well-descended Gentleman, kinsman to Bracamonté the French Admirall, is dispossest, Anno 1417 shipping 10000 voluntiers, by whose valour and constancie he subdued five of the Iles, La Palma, La Gomera, Lanzarota, Ferro, and Fortéventura, an atchievement honourable, yet such vexation pos­sest the ambitious Gaule that Canarie masterd him, as made him entertaine death with an uselesse complement; his Nephew Menaldus left heire to what he had got, and (has added) his misfortunes; Myndus a haughty Bishop incen­sing the Castilian King, by whose greatnesse Menaldus is forced thence, glad of some composition pay'd him by Don Barba the Bishops kinsman. But see va­riety! Barba repents the purchase, and for small profit assignes his Title to Don Fernando Perazzo, whose brain taking like infection, growes weary of his toile, and for other imployment parts with his claime to the Prince of Castile, from whom 'twas torne by Don Henrico Infant of Spaine, to this day constant to Spanish servitude.

These Iles (perhaps the same Ptolomy and Mela call Deorum currus) are from the Morocco or Lybian continent 20 leagues, from Spaine 200. six com­monly numbred (Cadamastus, ten; three by speculation) by old Authors, Ptolo­my, Pliny, Strabo, and others, Canaria, Capraria, Nivaria, Iunonia, Ombrian (or Pluvialia,) Aprosita (or fracta lancea) and, as Martian adds, Casperia (or Fortu­nata.) At this day thus; Canaria, La-palma, Teneriffa, Lancaerota, Hierro, La Gomera, and Fortéventura. A word of what they were and are. They knew no God, but Nature, were ignorant of the use of fire, shaved with flint stones, [Page 4] gave their children to be nurst by Goats, cultured the earth with hornes of Oxen, abhominated the slaughter of beasts.

Like beasts us'd women in common. No meum tuum. Lust and carelesnesse so vailing them, that little difference was 'twixt them and their cattell.

Some glimmering they had of superstition: having alwayes two Kings, one alive, one dead. The dead they wash and erect him in a Cave, a staffe in one hand, a payle of milk and wine set by him, to support and help him in his Travell.

At this day are Spanish Christians. The Inquisition affrighting honest men to come among 'em. Grand Canarie is the residence of the Inquisitor, whither all the other Iles repaire for Justice and other businesse. Canarie has 120 miles circumference, full of many good things, Goats, Beeves, Asses, Hoggs, Barly, Rye, Rice, variety of Flowers, Grapes, and other excellent fruits. The Ile as I tooke it, thus seemes at 8 leagues distance.

Teneriffa, in multitude of Inhabitants compares with great Canary. Exceeds it in Grapes, yeelding yearely eight and twenty thousand Butts of Sack, out­braves all the earth for supereminence. Her high peak Teyda towring so loftily into the ayre, as seemes not only to penetrate the middle Region, but in a sort to peepe into heaven it selfe, from whence Laerius metaphorically calls it At­las and Olympus. 'Tis accounted 15 miles high, and seene (in faire weather) six-score (some say 300) English miles distant, and serves as an excellent Pharoe, exceeding those at Cayro on the otherside of Nylus. The shape I thus present, badly formed.

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Teneriffa is 20 leagues from Grand Canaria. Hyerro or Ferrum gave it selfe very high, and beares from grand Canary South and by West; which Ile (as be the rest) such time as Phoebus is to us vernall, growes insufferable scortching. Famous in one tree (it has but one) which (like the miraculous rock in the De­sart) affoords sweet water to all th'Inhabitants, by a heavenly moisture distil­ling constantly to the peoples benefit. Heare Sylvester.

Of these Iles, Lancaerota was taken by that English Leonidas the Earle of Cumberland, anno 1596. and Teneriffa 4 yeares after by the Dutch; the first pil­laged, the other burnt; since when, both are better fortified.

The ninth of Aprill wee crost the Tropick of Cancer, Tropic. Cancri. of like distance from the Aequator, the utmost limit of the temperate Zone is from the Pole, called Cancer from Apollo's Crablike retrogradation, moving back in Iune from that signe in the Zodiac: The 12 day, wee had the wind high and large, so that in two dayes saile we made the Sunne our Zenith or verticall point, his declina­tion at that instant 14. degrees North; where note; that only then, when we are Nadyr to the Sunne, wee have no shadow; as also, whereas to all in the temperate Zone, in the Sunnes Meridian their shadowes cast North, having past the Zenith, the shade or umbra becomes contrary.

[Page 6]An Observation forcing wonder in the Sunne-burnt Arabs upon their de­scent into Thessaly, As Lucan notes.

And because we have nilnisi pontus et Aer to observe upon, let us theorize a little upon the Mathematiques. The Inhabitants within this Zone (the torrid) we are now in, are call'd Amphiscij, in respect they cast their shadowes both wayes according as the Sunne is in declination, and Ascij or shadowlesse, when Sol-is Zenith, from which point when it fleets either North or South the shadow ever darts contrarily, as falls out when ever the gnomon or coela­ted body is interposed. The periscij have their shadow circulating, their meridionall shadowes having no existence from the vertice, but oblique and extended to the plaine of the terrestriall Horizon, glomerating the gnomon or body opacous; these sort of people freezing within the polar circles (of like distance from the pole, the Tropicks are from the Aequinoctiall) the pole being their vertex, and Aequator (90 degrees) their direct Horizon. The Hete­roscij are such as live in the temperate Zone, whose shadowes at noone day turne but one way. And this the Mathematicks teach us, that the Heteroscij comprehend 41 parellells, the Amphiscij seven, the Periscij (those in the fro­zen Zone) halfe the yeare. With these, goe others as they stand compara­tively, the Periaeci, Antoeci, Antichthones. The first being such as dwell in two opposite points of a like circle, one from the other a semicircle or 180 de­grees, so they be numbred after lesser parellells. The Antoeci are also opposite, but vary neither in Meridian nor aequidistance from the Horizon, respecting either Hemisphere.

The Antipodes are such as be feet to feet, a precise straight line passing tho­row the Center from one side to another: differing frō the Periaeci by degrees of a smaller circle, whence we observe, that such as be to us Periaeci, be Antoeci to our Antichthones, each inverted to other in a perfect contrary. Nor doubt wee that there be, Antipodes, (the vaile of stupid ignorance being rent away) the sphericity of the world, and that every place in the earth (tho op­posite) is habitable, now so well knowne as nothing seemes more familiar. Not­withstanding, it was not so of old, when Boniface Bishop of Mentz (a Clerke well learned in that blockish age) was excommunicated by Pope Zachary, Anno 745. for maintaining such a paradox, yea was sentenc'd to be burnt for a heretick except hee had re canted: the holy Father bringing in Saint Augustin against it in his 16. book de civit. Dei, Qui Antipodas esse fabulantur, &c. nul­lo modo credendum est: and Lactantius another great Scholler deriding it in his third booke of Institutions. Very strange, such famous men to bee so ill read in Chorography: especially, since such a tenet was proved before them by many: by Euclyde, by Cicero in his 4. lib. de Academ. question. by Tyberia­nus who records an old letter beginning, Superi inferis, Salutem, by Strabo, and of all others most ingeniously by Lucretius, lib. 1.

[Page 7]To returne: in changing so many parellels, the weather increast from warme to raging hot, the Sunne flaming all day, insomuch that Calentures begun to vexe us. A sailer either by accident or infection falling from the shrowds into the mercilesse waves aggravating our extremity, increased by a violent gust and storme of wind and raine which in 6 degrees suddenly affrigh­ted us, the squiffe (fastned to the upper deck) in lesse than two houres being fild with nasty raine, ending in thunder and flash, mingling terribly,Tornathos. a great while the Tornado troubling us, a weather so incertaine and variable as is ad­mirable; now blowing fresh and faire, and forthwith storming outragiously, in one houres space the wind veering about every point of the compasse:

The infectious raines most damnifying the poore saylers, who must be up­on the decks to hand in their sailes, abiding the brunt, and (which is worse) commonly get forthwith into their beds (or hamackoes) resting their tyred bodies in wet nasty clothes, thereby breeding many furious and mortall dis­eases, as burning Feavers, Calentures, Fluxes, Aches, Scurvy, and the like; which doubtlesse, did they moderate their bibbing strong waters, and shift their filthy apparell, might be prevented: Other unlucky accidents happen in these seas to vexe them, as when (in most becalmings) they swim in the bearing Ocean, the greedy Tuberon or Shark arm'd with a double row of venemous teeth pursues them, directed by a little Rhombus, Musculus or pilot-fish that scuds to and fro to bring intelligence,

the Shark for his kindnesse, suffring it to suck when it pleaseth. Many have beene devoured by this ravenous Dogge-fish, more have suffered in their members, whose shape (mistaken in the posture by the Ingraver) is thus resembled.

[Page 8]By this, under 13. degrees we are parrellel with Sierra Leon a Cape land upon the Lybian shoare, by old Geographers improperly cal'd Deorum currus, Frons Africae, Tagazza and Zanguebai in Thevet and Marmolius: strengthned by a Castle built by the Spaniard, famoused for refreshing our English Neptune, Drake, at his returne from circumnavigating the body of the whole Earth: and that thence to Bab-mandel, (the entrance into the red Sea) Africk is no where broader.

The Inhabitants here along the Guinea coast, Bynnin, Cape Palmas, Lopez Gonzalvo, &c. know no God, nor are willing to bee instructed by Nature. Scire nihil, jucundissimum. Howbeit, the divell (who will not want his cere­mony) has infused demonomy and prodigious idolatry into their hearts, enough to rellish the divells pallat and agrandize their owne tortures, when hee gets power to fry their soules, as the raging Sunne has scorcht their bodies.

A Ship of ours coasting along and landing for discovery, was so admired at by the Salvages, as if they never had seene men nor Ship afore. Two of our men adventured the shoare, (some hostages kept in the boat till they return'd) and are welcom'd by thousands of those naked black skind Aethiopians, who were so farre from injury, that they loaded them with Flowers, Fruits, Toddy and what they judged acceptable: after immeasurable admirations returning them safe aboard all contented.

Cape Verd. April the 18. wee had 15. degrees, and ere morne were in height of Cape Verd in 14. degr. so named by Florian Hesperion cornu & Surrentium in Pliny, Lybiae promontorium in Strabo, of old cald Arsinarium, at this day by the Ne­groes Mandangan, Hacdar by the Alfarabes. Discovered by Dio Fernandezo, or Antonio di Nolle a Genoan, Hesperidae. Anno 1445. at the charge of King Alphonsus 5. Famoused especially in the Hesperian Garden, enricht with Golden Apples, robd by Alcides in despight of that hundred-headed Dragon, engendred by Typhon on Echydna. 'Twas a Greeke fable: who surpast for lyes. The morall this. The garden was a spacious, greene and pleasant Field; the apples of gold, good sheep worth gold (such sheep and fleece as Iason had) the errour partly arising from the word [...], admitting a double construction, sheep and apple. The Dragon, no other than a meare or fluxe of the Sea, in forme or nature of a Dragon or Serpent invironing it, swelling in 100 armes or sluces: which Hercules (to enrich Spaine) passed over and exported. The three faire daughters of Hesperus, were three honest Ilands in the West, ad­joyning this garden; their names Aeglae, Arethusa, and Hesperthusa; now new named, Mayo, Sal, and Bonavista: three other neighbouring them, the Atlan­tiades, which we have no leisure now to treat of, the magnifique Fabrick of Anthaeus calling us away to look upon, but alas we find nothing extant save memory; a pallace doubtlesse brave and capacious, the Lord of it being no meane nor little man: he grew 70. cubits high (a dozen ordinary mens pro­portion) a proper man, and an excellent log for Hercules to smite at: yet (the Greekes perswade us) his sword could not conquer, nor was he overcome when by prodigious force Ioves sonne threw him thrice upon the ground, the Earth his mother still reanimating him; till being perceiv'd, he strangled or choakt him in the helplesse Aire.

Extreame heat April 21. Aeolus was a sleep, one breath of Ayre not comforting us, the [Page 9] Sunne over-topping us and darting out such fiery beames that the Ayre in­flamed, the Seas seemed to burne, our Ship sulphureous, no decks, no awnings nor invention possible able to refresh us, so that for 7 dayes (70. are better endured in a zone more temperate) wee sweat and broyle, unable to sleep, rest, eat or drink without much faintnesse; in this space our Ship making no way (no current is felt in the vast Ocean) till the fift day the billowes began to rowle and the Ayre troubled, travelling with an abortive cloud, which suddenly fell downe in forme of an inverted Piramid, wonderfull and dan­gerous. A cloud (as I apprehend) exhaled by the Sun (a powerfull Magnet) not agitated by the wind, and missing the retentive property in the lowest re­gion, distills not in sweet drops, but diffudes or falls hideously the whole cloud together, so impetuously into the Ocean,Spouts of raine. that many great ships (as if a thousand milstones or cataracts had fallen) have beene dasht and sunke past all recovery; and what's little lesse formidable, the stinking raine is no sooner in the Sea, but (as a fearefull farwell) a whirlewind circles with such vio­lence as helps the cloud to lash the murmuring Seas so furiously that oftimes the waves or surges rebound top gallant height, as if it meant to retaliate the Ayre in another region: God be praised, we mist the rage of raine, the gust somewhat affrighted us; but it contraried Seneca's Philosophy. Finis alterius mali, gradus est futuri: a pleasant Breese first, increasing into a happy gale, cooled the Ayre and posted us out of those exuberances of nature: so that on May day we crost under the Aequinoctiall,Aequator. a circle imagined to divide the world into two equalls, from either Pole ninety degrees, and where we lost sight of the Sydus salutare, the Pole-starre, of a third magnitude, fixt in the tip of the little Beares tayle: the Sunne at this time was in the 19. degree of Taurus; in Artick declination 17. degrees, 31. minutes.

May 6. We had some thunder and lightning or corpo sanctos, such as seeme good Omens to the superstitious Portugalls; and at night, past by Santo croix, the holy crosse, every houre expecting the Monzoon, Monzoons. an anniversary wind that blowes one way six moneths, and the other halfe yeer the contrary way constantly; which if Sea-men neglect they lose their happy passage in­to India.

But how preposterous the yeere and wind proved elsewhere I know not, doubtlesse it is the Emblem of inconstancy, experience taught it us; so long time proving our Antagonist that our passage to the Cape of good Hope became sixe weekes longer than we looked for, forc't to runne into much more longitude than we desired.

May 8. We had 8. degr. 10. minutes Antartick latitude, the Monomotapan on the one side, the Brasilian coast on the other siding us to the west. The Afrique shore runs on in divers names, Congo in 6. degr. Angola in 9. Manicongo, Loanga, Monomotapa, Benomotapa, and Caffaria, full of wretched black skin'd wret­ches; rich in earth, but miserable in demonomy: the discovery is given to many men (the first not agreed upon), to Petrus Cavillanius, to Iacobus Ca­nus, Bartolmeo de Dyos, Vasco de Gama, and such as Iohn 2 King of Portu­gall imployed about it, Anno 1497. or thereabouts. Let one character serve them all: they look like chimney sweepers; are of no profession, except ra­pine, and villany makes one. Demonis omnia plena. Mokisses or deformed Idolls are indeered amongst them, the red Dragon usurping worship in a Dra­gons [Page 10] shape, a Goate, an Owle, a Batt, a Snake, a Cat, a Dogge, or what the witches (acheronta movebunt) urge them to, and to adore in an infernall po­sture; gaping, whooping, groveling, soyling their hellish carkasses with juyce of herbs, ryce, roots, fruits, or what the old impostor infatuates them with; the female sex each new Moone defying pale fac't Cynthia by turning up their bummes, imagining her the cause of their distempers. A Dogge is of

such value here, that 20. salvage men have been made the price of one: their coyne, are beads of glasse, shells, stones or trash: they marry not: they bury thus; the dead are washt, painted, apparrel'd, and laid to sleep in a neat and spacious dormitory, his Armolets, Bracelets, and voluntary shackles accom­pany him, they circle the grave with mimmick gestures and ejaculations, concluding by the sacrifice of a lusty Goate, and so go satisfied. In Longa and [Page 11] the Anzigui (whence Nilus drawes his origin, even from Zayre a lake neere the mountaines of the Moone) the people (if Gonsalvo Soza say true) are divels incarnate; not satisfied with natures treasures, as gold, precious stones, strength, and the like; the destruction of men and women neighbouring them, better contenting them, whose dead carkasses they devoure with a vultures appetite; whom if they misse, they serve their friends (so they mis-call them) such scurvy sauce, butchering them, thinking they excuse all in a comple­ment, that they knew no rarer way to expresse true love than in making (not two soules) two bodies one in an inseparable union: yea, some (worne by age, or worme-eaten by the pox) proffer themselves to the shambles, and accordingly are joynted and set to sell upon the stalls. Iuvenal had notice of them.

Nothing commendable in them but their Archery, in which they excell; shooting a dozen shafts ere the first touch ground; their Amazonian neigh­bours forcing their care and diligence. The only ornament they have, is slashing and cutting their skinne and faces; the Sunne and Moone are man and wife, the Starres their children, in their religion; the divell is their Oracle.

May 24. We had 19 degrees and a halfe, from whence to the thirtieth degr. the wind was large and prosperous, nothing in that great distance observable, save that on the 26 day, our Admirall the Mary (in which one Hall comman­ded) early discryed a saile, which he made after with his barge, long boat, and 80. men; at two leagues distance they perceived her a Carrack of 1500 Tun, who durst not adventure her hulk against our shot, and therefore made all sailes draw and that night escaped; tho to grapple her, our fleet divided all night, but saw her not till the 27. day, and but saw her, her velocity so much excelled ours; till the 7. of Iune she againe deluded us, after two houres chase as a phantasma vanishing towards God.

Vpon May day we crost the line, and last of May the Tropick of Capricorne, Tropicus. Capricorni. the utmost limit of Apollo's progresse towards the Antartick; and 53 dayes we swet within the burning Zone ere we past under both the Tropiques. The first of Iune, our observation was in 24 degrees 42 minutes South latitude,Iunij. 1. the Sunne then in 23. degrees, 8^l. North, in the 20. degree of Gemini. In which height, we had many sudden and violent gusts and stormes, contrary to our desires, unable thereby to direct our course, being driven to Lee-ward 100 leagues upon the coast of Brazeel, to 25. degr. latitude and 27. of lon­gitude from the Lizard. Howbeit, post multos sequitur una serena dies, for on the 13. day, in the first watch, our long lookt for Favonius blew sweetly upon us.

At which time, some Boobyes, weary of flight, made our Ship their pearch, an animall so simple as suffers any to take her without feare, as if a stupid [Page 12] sense made her carelesse of danger, which to sympathize I have as simply for your sport depicted.

Tis not long, since I told you how favourably Aeolus entertained us, but his other adjunct is inconstancy; for, veering into another quarter, he began to puffe and bluster, yea so furiously, that Neptune sweld with rage in such impatience, that the Tritons (Marriners) grew agast, not without reason, the Cape land thought (not neere enough, and yet) too neere us: for foure dayes and nights not daring to beare any saile, but lay ahull, driving whither the storme compelled us, all that while the sea surges so sublime and impetu­ous, that wee were tost up into the Ayre, and forth with throwne downe as into an Abisse, sometimes dancing upon the liquid ridge of a dreadfull wave, and anon inveloped with many others all seeming to swallow us, heaven and sea roaring and commixing in an undivided manner; yet the Lord be praised (having Sea roome and good tite Ships) his providence saved us; in 16 dayes more, meeting together joyfully at the Cape of good hope: and I con­fesse ingeniously, not till then did I feele that Ironic Satyre of Iuvenal biting us.

Iune 24. Wee rais'd the Pole Antartick six and thirty degrees, our longi­tude from the Meridian of the Lyzard five and twenty degrees, wanting three to the Cape; variation three degrees; our course E. S. E. the Sunnes declina­tion, two and twenty degrees, twenty sixe minutes, and as many seconds North, in the 17. degree of Gemini. The same time mid-summer in England, and mid-winter with us in those South clymats. The 7. of Iuly, betimes wee descried land and tho threescore miles distant (from its height) seemed very nigh us, proving the place wee aimed at, that famous promontory (now no longer Tormentozo, but) of good Hope. Howbeit, we could not flie upon the wings of desire, the wind withstanding our hast, wherby we let fall our Anchor (14 leagues short of the Bay of Soldania) and went a shore upon a little Ile (3 miles round) corruptly cal'd Cony Ile, from the Welsh Cain-yne or white [Page 13] Ile, where we kil'd many Conies (or Cats rather) great and rammish, bad and waterish, commended for dainty meat by hungry Sailers, Ie junus raro stoma­chus vulgaria temnit: It also superabounds with Seales (piscis marinus) as big as Lyons, and though doggedly visaged, can out barke them, yea bellow like Bulls, and from such as not till then see any, may challenge wonder. They turne to oyle, and give their skins for buffe coates, soft and serviceable. Here are also birds cal'd Pen-gwins (white-head in Welch) like Pigmies walk­ing upright, their sinns or wings hanging very orderly downe like sleeves, a creature, fish and flesh, participating sea and shore, feeding in the one, breed­ing in the other; easie to be caught on land (but that their undermining the sandy ground for habitacles makes the passage bad,) at sea, diving like a Duck, swift as a Dolphin; fat, but oylie; some dare eat them, curiosity may invite a taste, but to make a meale on, unsapory and offensive: to which May-game of nature I may inculcate that, made on her acquaintance.

For whose further satisfaction the Idaea I present you, not drawne by Phydias.

Pen-gwin Ile is 6 or 7 leagues from the continent, which when wee got afterne we grew becalm'd, land-lockt in a sort, and were sported all the way (till we dropt anchor) by Whales, the Seas Leviathan, who after their man­ner thundred our welcome into Aethiopia, fuzzing or spouting part of the briny Ocean in wantonnesse out of their oylie pipes bored by nature a top their prodigious shoulders, like so many floating Ilands concomitating us.

The 1. of Iuly wee anchor'd with safety in the Soldania Bay, 12 leagues short of the utmost Cape: a Road worthily cald good Hope, by King Iohn 2. of Portugall rejecting that of Tempestuous first imposed by Gama; in that if any attaine hither, their Indian voyage is halfe done, and the other part lesse solitary, so many excellent Ilands entertaining them.

The Soldania Bay is of a semi-lunary forme; large and safe; high, 5 or 6 miles from the sea; towards the shoare, low and fruitfull. Where we pitch our Tents, is a small streame of Chrystallin water, exceeding sweet, trickling from [Page 14] a mighty mountaine 4 miles from the Sea; and in a perpendicular eleven thousand eight hundred and sixty foot; from its resemblance, commonly cald the Table; the ascent uneasie, but most pleasant at the top, discerning thence 100 miles into the Ocean, and looking S. S. W. we see the Cape or extreame point of Africk 12 leagues off, whose character in the inhabitants seemes long since to be drawne in this same distich.

And from this Table, or from Herberts mount (a Piramid adjoyning, like the Sugar loafe, another hill so named) we see Cape Falso S. and by E. ten leagues; either of these great Promontories are divided by a Bay, but inconvenient to ride in: the distance of each Cape is 10 miles from North to South; either side environed with mountaines so lofty as seeme to penetrate the middle region with their aspiring foreheads, where they find sufficient moysture to coole their ambition: another river cal'd Iaquelina, streames upon the N. side of the roade, halfe a league from our Tents (under King Iames his mount we usually pitch them) broader than our rio dulce: but by a low course and too long sporting with the briny Ocean it tasts brackish and insalubrious; it is foordable without boate or Elephant, and gives variety of Shell-fish, as Tortoises, Limpits, Mussels, Cockels, Crabs, Rock-fish, and Mullets, Cra­fish, Thornback, Gudgeon, Eeeles, &c. The Earth abounds with roots, herbs and grasse aromatique, redolent and beneficiall: such as I took notice of, I may dare to name; Agrimony, Mynt, Calamint, Betony, Plantain, Ribwort, Spinage, Sorell, Scabious, Holy Thistle, and (of which beware) Coliquintida: all the yeer long, nature roabing the fruitfull earth with her choisest Tapistry, Flora seeming to dresse her selfe with artlesse Garlands; Alcinoe and Tempe serving as Emblems to this Elysium. Quamvis enim montosa appareat, & col­libus multis distincta, interim tamen multis vallibus, silvis, pratisque decorata est, gramina & flores suavissimè olentes, magna copia producit. Cervosque & faeras & leones multo numero nutrit, quae omnia visu & aspectu longe jucun­dissime existunt: preterea, limpidissimis fontibus scatet quamplurimis, qui non sine gratissimo susurro, de montibus altis prorumpentes, fluminibus sese passim insinuant, & cum eis postmodum in mare exonerantur.

The Mountaines, without doubt, abound with Marquisate and all rich Mi­neralls, which for want of search are yet undilucidated: the chiefe refresh­ment we get here is water, bunch-backt Buffolos and Sheep, not of Iasons race; these in leiw of wooll, have haire parti-coloured, long leg'd, leane bo­died, not caus'd by want of pasture, rather from too high feeding, or from restlesse moving with their tripping Masters. But, the land exuberates in many other Animalls. Lyons, (which usually steale Beefe out of the water when Ships are here, fire or a lighted match only scaring thē) Dromidaries, Antilopes, Apes, Baboons, (venerious ones) Zebrae, Wolves, Foxes, Iackalls, Doggs, Cats, and others; and in birds, as Estriches, Vultures, Cranes, and Passe flemingoes, whose feathers (equallizing the birds of Paradise) are rich crimson and pure white so amiably commixed, that above others it inticed my pains to present it you, which shall terminate our curiosity touching the earth, & commence an Anatomy lecture of the most savage (of all savage) inhabitants.

[Page 15]

The Cape of good Hope elevates the Antartick-Pole foure and thirty de­grees 3 minutes; has longitude from the Meridian of the Lyzard 28 degrees, and Westerly variation, one degree, and about forty minutes: distant from England about 6600 miles English; (or 2200 leagues, which at Sea we usually reckon by) from Saint Helena S.E. 600 leagues; from Iava major 1850 leagues; from Surat 1800. This land is the furthest part of the old knowne world, god Terminus here especially triumphing. Afrique in holy writ is called (from Cham) Chamesia: Lybia by the Greeks: Besecath by the Indians: by Leo, Iphrychia: by Thevet, Alkebulan: by Pliny, Atlantia & Aetheria. Aphrica and Aethiopia in their Etimon are not discrepant: the first from [...] and [...], without cold: the other from [...] and [...] to scorch the face: but some would have the one from Afer sonne of Abram and Getura: the other from Aethiops sonne of (Cham or) Vulcan. That it is part of Aethiopia, wee must prove against inconsiderat Laudinus who will not be perswaded, any part so nam'd, exceeds the Tropicks. Aethiopia is (therefore) either superiour, from 6 degrees North to the Ne plus ultra, comprising Mauritania, Lybia, Guiney, Cape Verd, &c. or inferiour, from thence stretching South to this promontory by Zanzibar, Monomotapa, Manicongo, Angola, Caffaria, &c. by Homer also, di­vided into two extra et intra, allowing it the better halfe of Africk, termina­ted (saith he) on East, West, and South by the Ocean; Aethiopes, Aetherij & Macrobij qui Africum ad Australe mare habitant. Herod. lib. 3. admitting which, it must needs transcend the Tropicks: the most Authentique of Poets is of this opinion. Od. 13.

Let us then examine the discoverer.

Ptolomy nor Pliny knew it not; that report of Herodotus gayning little cre­dit, who labours to perswade us in his fourth book, how Pharao Necho (after [Page 16] his losse of 1200000 men imploy'd to make the red and mid-land Sea as one) incouraged the Phoenicians (then, proud of their Art in Navigation) to sur­round Afrique, which to please him but more for glory, they undertook, and in three yeares effected. But sure, so excellent an adventure (if it had beene so) could not have escaped the busie pens of the Aegyptians and Greeks, who for want of true matter, invented a thousand Fables. The first threfore we can ho­nour (as sayes Osorius) is, Vasco de Gama or Bartolo de Dios, Lusitanians, anno 1497. from Adam 5467. by importunity of that excellent Prince, Iohn 2. coast­ing hither and so into the Orient.

The Country is rich and fruitfull in her womb, but owned by an accursed Progeny of Cham, who differ in nothing from bruit beasts save forme; a peo­ple by some call'd (metonimically) Caffarrs or Atheists; Anarchy confounds order, no Prince of power or policie awing them: each Canton commanded by a Captaine, not chosen by voice but as force urges it. Captain Fitz-Her­bert some yeares since ceremoniously devoted the Title to our King, in a me­moriall new naming two little rising Mounts 'twixt the Sea and Sugar loafe, King Iames and Prince Charles their Mounts, (our now dread Soveraigne;) Give we an exact Idaea of the Inhabitants.

The People described.Their colour is ugly black, are strongly limbd, desperate, crafty, and inju­rious. Their heads are long; their haire, woolly and crispt, no apparell in any place shewing more variety. Some shave one side and leave the other long and curled. Another cuts all away, a little tuft atop, excepted; a third (think­ing his invention best) shaves here and there, the bald scull appearing in many places; and othersome, (not unlike Occasion) shave away all save a lock be­fore, of no use, save ornament. Such as have tufts, or haire, plait brasse but­tons, spurre-rowells, pieces of pewter, or what else the mirthfull Sayler ex­change for Beefe, Mutton, Woodsorrell, Oestrich egge-shells, little Tor­toises, &c. their eares are long, made longer by ponderous Bables they hang there, some using links of brasse, of iron, others have glasse-beads, chains, blew stones, bullets, or Oyster-shells. And such as cannot reach to such jewells (rather than be without) have singles of Deare, beaks of birds, Doggs or Cats stones, Egg-shells, or the like: their noses are flat, crusht so in their infancie; great lips, description cannot make them greater; quick crafty eyes; and about their necks (in imitation of the Dutch Commandores chaines) have guts and raw-puddings, serving both for food and complement, eating and speaking both together. Yet of late they have got hoopes of iron, and long links of brasse, grasse wreathes, or greasie thongs of stinking leather. Their armes are loaden with voluntary shackles of iron, Jvory, rusty brasse, or musty copper. The rest of their bodies are naked, save that a thong or girdle of raw leather circles them, a square peece (like the back of a Glove) is fastned to it, serving to cover their pudenda. But I cannot commend their modesty, the women (upon receipt of any thing) returning her gratitude by discovering her shame, a curtesie taught them by some ill-bred Boore, our men I hope have more civility. The grand Seigniors among them have better cloathing; a nasty un­tand hide or skin of a Lyon, Leopard, Calfe, Baboon, or Sheep (the haire in­verted) is as a roabe put about their shoulders reaching to their waste, thighes and legges never covered, their feet fastned to a broad peece of leather, tied by a little strap, resembling the Roman crepidula, not alwayes worne; their [Page 17] hands for the most part hold them, not that they feare to weare them out, but that their feet may have their liberty to steale, which with their toes they can doe most daintily, all the while looking you in the face as if they knew not how to deceive any. Most of the men are Semi-Eunuchs, one stone ever be­ing tane away by the Nurse, either to dististinguish them from ordinary men, or that Mistresse Venus allure them not from Pallas. The women also excise themselves, not from a Notion of religion but as an ornament: Both sex, hi­deously cut, and gash, and pink in sundry works, their browes, nose, cheeks, armes, brest, back, belly, thighes and legges in Acherontick order: in a word, are so deformed, that if they had studied to become antick, they might be praised for invention.

Antrae lares, dumeta thoros, caenacula rupes; They have no houses, Caves and holes they delight to dwell in, or Lyons dennes, unfurnished, but per­fum'd I warrant you, a whole Tribe commonly keeping together, equally vil­lanous, coupling without distinction, the name of wife or brother unknowne among these incestuous Troglodites: feeding, sleeping, speaking all together without order or law; in the night sleeping round a fire, a Centinell regarding the Lyons their adversaries, 'twixt whom is such hate and stratagems, Vivitur ex rapto that one eat other, the Lyon suddenly tearing some of them, and they other times trayning the Lyons over cover'd pits, which catches them, and so retaliating; slaying and eating them to day, who perhaps were Sepulchres to their friends or parents the day before. Other times they dawb and rub their skinne with grease and coale, and so indent it, drying them in the Sunne, by that trick becomming Monsters to all civill eyes that look them upon.

By what I have said, you may imagine their pallats are not very delicate. Solinus calls the tawny Africans, Agriophagi (or Panther and Lyon-eaters) we now call them Icthio and Anthropophagi, a degree more barbarous than the Lyons, of whom 'tis said, Mortuorum cadavera non gustant; quod vivit, corri­piunt et ex comedunt. But these Savages eat men alive or dead, as in both kinds many poore men have lamentably made experience of. Which whē they faile of, dead Whales, Seales, Pengwins, grease or raw Puddings diet them. Safety is scarce among themselves, for when the frost of old age benums their vigour, unapting them to provide their owne food, they either eat them, or leave them destitute of defence upon some Mountain, pittied by none, where famine kills them, or the ravening Lions.

The lesse to be admired at, for where God is not knowne, what villany is unwarrantable. Aristotle a Heathen (I remember) could make it a maxime. 1 lib. de coelo. Omnes homines Notionem Deorûm habent, &c. And another. Vni­versum genus humanum ubi (que) Terrarum colit Deum verum vel falsum. Which is beleev'd by most men, and I dare not oppose it. Notwithstanding, though I made all signes, and tried each way possible to discover some spark of devotion, of the knowledge of God, heaven, hell, or imortality; I could not finde any thing that way, no place of worship, no day of rest, no order in Nature, no shame, no truth, no ceremony in births, or burials, meere brutishnesse and stu­pidnesse wholly shadowing them.

[Page 18]The women give suck, the Vberous dugg stretched over her naked shoul­der: the shape of which Soldanias with a landskip of the Table and other Mounts, loe here presented.

Their language is apishly sounded (with whom tis thought they mixe unna­turally) the idiom very hard to be counterfeited, some words I gather'd from one of the gravest of them, which (being voyced like the Irish) if I give it hardly to be pronounced, you may excuse mee, in that Pliny confesses in the Proem of his 5 lib. Nat. histor. That their names and Townes were ineffable, or not to be distinguished. These be Anonimi and so more barbarous. Their Arithmatick exceeds not ten. Istwee 1. Istum 2. Istgwunny 3. Hacky 4. Croe 5. Istgunny 6. Chowhawgh 7. Kishow 8. Cusho 9. and Gheshy 10. A knife droaf, a quill guasaco, a hatt twubba, a nose tweam, a sword dushingro, a book bueem, a [Page 19] ship chikunny, water chtammey, brasse hadderchereef, a skin gwummey, a brace­let whohoop, eggshells sun, seales harkash, a woman traqueosh, bread bara, give me quoy, the yard gwammey, stones wchraef, womb wchieep, paps semigwe, ge­niter Istcoom, &c.

To draw to an end, (lest Mindus gates be opened) many beasts we got here for refreshment, such and the good sallads and baths quickly recuring above 300 of our men (till their landing) nigh dead of the scurvie. Anno 1600 Sir Iames Lancaster had 1000 Sheep and 50 Oxen for Trifles. Wee had no want, and might have had more but for a trick the Hollanders put upon our Nation; riding here with our Colours out, and killing some of the people when they had got their ends, that at our arrivall wee might be the baselier used; they traine their cattell to such obedience, as with a Call or Whistle (impossible to be counterfeited) a great Heard will follow them like dogges, and being sold, with a like Call will as readily runne after them, to the purchasers costly mirth and admiration; a deceit so long so unjustly acted, that now (to prevent them) our men upon delivery of each beast, either kill it quickly, or fasten their hornes with cords to stakes plac'd here of purpose: and to say truly, by the friendship and good dealing our men use to them (Nomen amicitiae barbara cor­da movet) our esteeme among them is more gratious than of Portugall, Dane, or Flemmin.

Their Art in Warre is guided by disorder, their weapon no other than a Javelin headed with iron, and directed by some feathers, which they take off and on at pleasure; some quarrels happend (by some mens indiscretion) twixt us and them, and I know a dozen Musquets will chase 1000, at every discharge falling downe as thunder-struck. Yet let me advise our Men to avoid need­lesse bravadoes, and not contemne them from their indefensive nakednesse, or by a supercilious conceit of their owne weapons and field practises. Exem­pla docent. Almeyda the bravest Captaine the Portugals ever had, after many glorious achievements in Asia and Africk, thought invincible, and returning home anno 1510 out of India: Hee, eleven Captaines and many other gallant men, upon a small affront putting some of the Savages to death (who grew desperate in revenge) were set upon by these naked Barbarians, and slaine every one of them. Qui (saith Osorius) cumper medias flammas, per pilas innu­merabiles, per tela, per gladios, sine ulla formidinis significatione ruentes, maxi­mum terrorem hostibus intulissent et insignes victorias contra innumerabiles ini­micos adepti fuissent, tunc à paucis hominibus inermibus at (que) nudis interfecti et spoliati fuerunt. And as simple as they seeme, they are witty enough in craft, revenge, and villany. I will end all in a succinct character Salvian libro de vero judicio has made of all the Africans. Omnes quippe gentes habent sicut peculia­ria mala, ita etiam quaedam bona; in Afris pene omnibus insunt omnia mala: inhumani, impuri, ebriosi, falsissimi, fraudulentissimi, cupidissimi, perfidissimi, & obscaenis libidinum omnium impuritati & blasphaemiis addictissimi, &c.

The 19. of Iuly we weighed anchor frō the Cape of Good Hope, Our parting frō the Cape. bending our course towards Madagascar; the wind was favourable till such time as Cape Falso was doubled, for then being off to Sea we perceiv'd a storme intended us, happy in sight of a small black bird, long wingd (in-justly by Seamen call'd the divells bird) an Antimilago never seene but against stormy weather; doubtlesse it is a warning from God rather, as bee the Pantado birds (like Iayes in colours) who about these remote seas are ever flying and give Sea­men [Page 20] an infallible incouragement (when neither sounding nor observation from Sunne, Moone nor Planets for many dayes are had) they are upon this coast, these birds and Sargasses or Trumbaes (eradicated by stormes) being never seene in such quantity in any other part of the universe, upon these for 50. leagues into the sea seldome failing our intelligence. The three and twentieth of Iuly the wind got up, inraging the restlesse Ocean; one surging wave (I well remember) striking us so pat upon our broad side, as forced our Ship in despight of her helme (then close by the Lee) to turne about above 5 points in the compasse, the noyse not inferiour to a Cannon; insomuch, our Captaine cryed out we had struck upon a rock, but his error quickly appea­red (after so great a thunder) the wave flashing upon our decks so much salt water as soundly washt us all; the storme continuing till the eight and twen­tieth day, when veering into a milder quarter (our course E. N. E.) it grew calme and moderate.

And now that the Seas are peaceable, the Ayre calme, the Skie serene; let us look about for some Ile or other, that; (if possible) which Venetus (per­haps from an Optick glasse upon a Tarrase beyond Tartary) descried in this sea and about this place; where we find none resembling; but hee not only assures an Ile, but saw a bird there (his multiplying glasse deceived him) so big as a Ship, and so strong as in her tallons can easily gripe and trusse up an Elephant: I will not paraphrase, take his phantasma in his owne expansion, Nam falsa est veris affinia multa locutus. In quadam Insula versus Meridiem prope Madagascar, certo Anni tempore apparet mirabilis species Avis, quae Ruc appellatur. Aquilae quidem habens effigiem, sed immensae magnitudinis: pleras­que alarum pennas habet, in longitudine continentes duodecim passus, spissitudi­nem vero ejus proportionem tenere longitudinis, & totum Avis corpus pennis proportione respondet. Est etiam tantae fortitudinis, ut sola sine aliquo admini­culo Elephantem capeat & in sublime sustollit, atque iterum ad terram cadere sinat quo carnibus ejus vesci posset. A bird worthy of Gesners knowledge, and which we will ranck with those Gryffins that guard the Ophyrian Mounts of gold against the Arimaspi (who from wincking when they shoot are said to be Monoculi) not seldome from their Scythie holes attempting the con­quest of Mammon inclos'd in the Rhyphean hills, as Tostatus ex Rabano, Aes­chilus, Dionysius and Herodotus would perswade us: rejecting which, let us rest a while upon Madagascar the Empresse of all the Ilands in the Vniverse.

MADAGASCAR, so called by the Natives; by Ptolomy, Menuthyas; by M. Paulus Venetus, Magaster; by Thevetus, Albagra; by Marcator, Do Cerne; (both unwisely:) by Tristan d' Acuna the Portuguise (who discovered it Anno Dom. 1508.) Saint Lawrence; that day he first veiwed it: howbeit I find great difference in Spanish writers about the first that landed here. Some saying that Emanuel Telezo de Menezes anchor'd here two yeere before d' Acuna: and Osorius in his 4. lib. de vitae Emanuelis reg. port. fo. 140. saies, that Fernando Suario and Roderigo Frierio, two Marriners in two Ships returning from India to Lisbon, Anno 1506. accidentally fell upon this Ile, and suffered from the trechery of the savage inhabitants, and that in honor of Lawrence sonne of Almeida the Admirall and Commander of all the Forts in India, from his name named it; but in his 5. book fol. 162. that D' Acuna named it. Let us now a shoare; our observation may prove more consequentious.

[Page 21] Madagascar (that name sounds best) is questionlesse the greatest Iland in the world: accounting its extent from Cape Roma in the South, to point Saint Sebastian, from 16 to six and twenty degrees; the North end, parralel­ling Cuama in Quiloa (a famous part of the Africk continent:) and to the South, the great River of Magnice in 26 degrees in length; a thousand Eng­lish miles (some report 1200.) in breadth, in some part 230. Osorius numbers 400. and a hundred where 'tis narrowest, full of Townes, People, Mineralls, Beasts, Wood, Water, and what's requirable.

Such Marittim townes and ports as be knowne to us are these: Roma, Au­gustine, Antabosta, St. Iacobo, Matatana, Angoda, Ferendo, Fermoso, Anton-gill and Iungomar; the 2. last almost opposite: Augustine (under the South Tro­pick) (and Anton-gill (upon the East side) affoord best anchoring: the first, we usually ride in passing to Surat, the other home bound is best; as Sir Iames Lancaster Anno 1600. made proofe of, in 8. fadom water, in the bot­tome of the Bay (a small Ile behind them to sea) ozie ground, the place good for victualling, ayre quick and healthfull. Howbeit, the Dutch, at this place 2. moneths formerly (through distempers) lost 200. men, of agues and fluxes: the variation at Augustine Bay is 16. degrees.

The whole Ile is Tetrarchicall, 4. severall Kings swaying their Ebony Scepters in each Toparchy; jealous each of one anothers greatnesse. The [Page 22] Sea townes are infected with Mahometisme; the Mediterran, are eclips'd in black Idolatry: Nature has given them lawes, murder being punisht by death, adultery with publique shame, and theft with banishment. Fishing delights them more than tillage: Thetis is better accounted of then Ceres: yet I ra­ther think, their ignorance in agriculture so disposes it. The people are gene­rally strong, couragious, and proper; the male sort, from their infancy pra­ctising the rude postures of Mars, cover their naked bodies with long and massie Targets, their right hand brandishing a long neat pike or lance of Ebo­ny, barb'd with iron, kept as bright as silver, and which they know how to use and jaculate as excellently as any people in the Universe: they are black, at no time shading their bodies from the parching Sunne, rather delight to rub and annoint all over with grease and tallow, proud to see their flesh shine, the stinck never offending them: their haire is black, and long, and curled; the length is an especiall ornament; a few leaves plaited about their waists, elsewhere naked; their eares are bor'd and wide enough; pincking and cutting the flesh, is here also in fashion: whiles the better sex seeke prey abroad, the women (therein, like themselves) keep constant home and spin: bigamy is tolerated; they affect copulation very early, the youth scarce know­ing 12. the maiden 10. yeeres in the world the name Virginity. They are de­lighted with sports and novelties; hunting, hawking, fishing, (of which, the Ile affoords variety) and dancing, in Maeanders winding, beating and clapping their breasts and hands, their feete spurning the yeelding fands, forcing the spectators further of; during which, the women with savage harmony, mo­dulate with hands and eyes, observing an exact measure, equall if not exceed the men in their more laborious treadings.

They know not letters, Arts are burdensome to idle savages, they com­pleat that jeere of Sophocles, Nihil scire, nil jucundius: howbeit, necessity has taught them some parts of the rudiments of Arithmetick; the number 10. limits their invention, Isso, 1. Tone, 2. Tello, 3. Effad, 4. Fruto, 5. Woubla, 6. Sidda, 7. Fonlo, 8. Malo, 9. Nel, 10. The earth is rich in myneralls and mer­quisate, Gold, Silver, (and as Edoard Lopezo) Iron and Copper: but, by hearing the cruelty and avarice of the Portugall, prohibit the use and dig­ging it, contenting themselves rather with usefull hearbs and graine (of which they have great store) than by the Magique of gold and pearle to allure the hearts of greedy men; a vice, the Portugall is more branded with than any other Nation.

But, if you will buy any thing the Ile affoords (I think the Ile it selfe) you must furnish you with Agats, Helitropians, Iasper, and (which they value more than all the Dyamonds and pearles in India) with long red Cornelian beades, of which they are so proud, that the owner be it King or subject is oft dethroned, spoyled for it, one string able to put them all in a cumbusti­on: bracelets, copper chaines, bells and babies are valuable also here, and for which, (or one bead of cornelion) you shall have in exchange, Sheep (big tail'd like those in Syria and Persia) Beeves and Buffoles, big-bond, fat, and [Page 23] Camel-backt: Camells, Antilopes, red Deere, Leopards, Pards, Goats, Milk, Hens, Egges, Wheat, Barley, Rice and Cuscus, with what fruit yon like; Orenges, Lemons, Lymes, Pomcitrons, Plantans, Sugercanes, Ginger, Toddy, Cocoes, &c. Nor are the Lyzards, Camelion and Salamanders to bee lost in oblivion. The Camelion (the hyeroglyphic of a dissembler) take thus from Alciat.

The Salamander, is in shape not much unlike; extreame cold by nature, from whence (like Ice) she can long time indure the fire, yea (if little) extin­guish flames:

commonly obscuring themselves in moyst and umbragious places, seene against stormes, their teeth and tongues are mortally venemous, the other parts eaten without hurt.

We have said enough: let my vale-dictum now be this; the Land mournes to see it selfe so trod upon by a people, strangers to God and vertue: concea­ling such usefull treasures, and making unusefull so many ports, obscured farre beyond her meriting; seated so advantagiously for traffique with all the world, both the Indies possible to be awed by her; and vicinating those gol­den countries of Mozambiq', Quiloa, Soffala, Mombassa, Magadoxa and other parts of Aegisimba; proffering also many petty Ilands under her, as those of Cumrho, Primero, Mascarenas, Castle Ile, Moritius, Dygarrois, and Englands Forrest, environing and in a sort defending her upon occasions.

Nine leagues from Madagascar (in a North-East course) we had welnigh (for want of heed) runne upon the sholes of Iudaea; sands memorably dan­gerous, since Annius a French man with all his Navy here perished; our vari­ation at this time being 13 degrees, 18 minutes in longitude from the Cape, Whence wee steered N. E. and by E. aiming at Mohelia. By the way, one of our men tooke a Shark (a man eating fish, and who seldome misse the hook, out of too much greedinesse) 9 foot she was in length and a halfe by the rule, I speak it in this respect, wee found in her paunch five and fifty young ones, every fish a Geometricall foot in length, (100 of our Ship saw it) all which, go out and in at pleasure: that night, wee sailed merrily by the Mascarenas, a Charybdis in 21 degrees, var. 13 and 17 minutes, where suspe­cting no danger, the wind favouring us, wee were at tenne at night throwne (by an insensible current) upon the shoalds of Mozambique, and sounding (where wee thought wee had a 1000 fadome) the plummet or lead found bare eight fadome: the wind was high, sea rough, and Cinthya clouded; it stood our Captaine upon to give speedy notice (that night we bore the light in our maine top) by eccho of 2. roring Culverings warning our Fleet, [Page 24] guided by our Lanterne to tack about, loring our top-sailes, and hovering till day light might help us by discovery: at our second sounding wee had 14 fathoms, 12.15. and 14. after that; then 22 24.33.35. and 40. fadoms by which wee saw, the Lord in mercy had (as by a thred) directed our course from out these flats of death, and where (if his providence, which let us ever magnifie, had not prevented it) in halfe an houres sayle further we had beene cast away most miserably:

Iohn de Novo, Primero and other dangerous Iles on every side invironing us: we had here 17 degr. 37 min. lat. 20 degr. 20 min. long. cape var. 13 degr. 52. min. the current sets S. W. At day break we were close by the Peninsule Mozambique (part of Quiloa) inhabited by Negroes; abundant in Gold, Silver, and Ambergreece; at small distance, that part wee saw appeared thus unto us:

which we scarce lost sight of, when an Armado of Dolphins assaulted us; and such we saulted as we could intice to taste our hooks or fissgiggs: a fish (it me­rits your patience) from its swiftnesse metonymically surnam'd the Prince and Arrow of the Sea: celebrated by many learned pens, by many Epethites; Phi­lanthropoi, foraffecting men; Mono-gamoi, for their turtle constancy; genera­ted of sperme, nourisht like man, imbrace, joyne, and go great 10 months. In faciem versi dulces celebrant hymenaeos Dolphines, similes hominis complexique haerent: a carefull husband oves his gravid associate, detesting incest, abhorring bigamy, tenderly affecting their parents, who when 300 yeers old, they feed and defend against other hungry fishes; and when dead (to avoid the Sharks and like marine Tyants) carry it ashoare and there (if Aristotle, Aelyan, and Pliny erre not) inhume him and bedew his sepulcher: they were glad of our com­pany many hundred miles concomitating and frisking about us.

Six leagues North-East from the last land, we discried another Ile, full of Palmeto trees; the current here set us 20 leagues forward in 24 houres, the latitude of this Ile 16 degrees and a halfe, longitude 21 degrees and 28 min. thus shaped.

[Page 25]

The 7 of September we discried land, it prov'd Meortey one of the Iles of Chumro, seated at the North end of Madagascar. It rises very high to the East as we sailed by it, mounts in a piramid and views far into the Ocean. Its lati­tude is 12 degr. 56 min. South, and longitude 23 degr. 59 min. in this shape pro­fering it selfe unto my Table book.

These Iles, (call'd the Iles of Cumro) be 5: either because Chumro (or Cumr-yne the Welshmens Ile) is greater, than the rest, or that it was first disco­vered: named Cumro, Meottis, Ioanna, Mohelia & Gazidia: by others thus; St. Iohn di Castro, Spirito Sancto, Sancto Christofero, Anguzezia, and Mayotto: each of them excellent for refreshing passengers, abounding with delicate fruit and such cattell as are had at easie prices: none of them are above a hun­dred miles about yet very populous and full of natures blessings. Chumro is the highest and best land, but branded with the most subtle and bloody Sava­ges: Ioanna has courteous people, and such as readily help strangers in ne­cessity: It lately obeyed a Queen rectrix much commended for sagacity, but now submits to a King, who tho tyrannicall yet better so (as Tacitus pro­tests) than be anarchicall; to these Iles we sent our boates ashoare (intending to ride at Mohelia) and returned with Oxen and Buffolls, Goats, and variety of Fruits, all which were very heartily wellcomed. And tho our Randezvous be now in sight, suffer me (whiles in memory) to tell you of a fish or 2 which in these seas were obvious. The Sea Tortoise is not much differing from those at land, her house or shell is only flatter;Sea Tortoyse by overturning them they are easily taken, disabled then to sinck or help themselves: some we tooke, for pastime more than food, they taste waterish and inforce fluxes; they su­perabound in eggs, in those we took every one having neere 2000, pale and [Page 26] round, but never made hard though extremely boyled: some eat them and the flesh (or fish as you please to call it), but by the Leviticall law it was for­bidden; and tho our religion consists not in ceremonies (ending in the proto­tipe, our Saviour) yet except famine or novelty so invite mee, with such cates my pallat craves not to be refreshed. The Mannatee is good meat, and from their using the shoare have a fleshie taste, resembling in shew and eating, Veale;Mannaty a strange fish. the intralls differing little from a Cow, and from whom in respect of its phisnomy, some new name her: her face is like a Buffolos, her eyes small and round, hard gums in stead of teeth: the stone generated in the head is most valuable, soveraigne against choler adust, the stone chollick and dissen­tery, so it be beat small, infus'd in wine and drunk fasting: the body of this fish is commonly 3 yards long and one broad, slow in swimming, wanting fins, in their place ayded with 2 paps which are not only suckles but stilts to creep a shoare upon such time shes grazes; where shes sleep long, sucking the coole Ayre, unable (contrary to other watery inhabitants) to be halfe an houre under water: are famoused (like Lizards) for their love to man, whose face they delight to look upon, and in weaknesse have refreshed them; tho most unhappy to our Captaine Andrew Evans, who by striking one at the Moritius with his harping-iron, and leaping into the sea to make short work with his steletto, was so crusht, that he dyed shortly after, as I speak in our description of St. Helena, were we intombed him.

The Carvel.The Carvell is a meere sea fome, every where floating upon the surface of the Ocean, of a globous forme, like so many lines throwing abroad her strings, which she can spread at pleasure, angling for small fishes which she captivates at leisure: a sea spider she may be cal'd, for when she sees her webb too weak, she can blow an infectious breath, foming death, or such a sting as if she had borrowed it from the Scorpion.

We are now ready to cast Anchor, hopefull of fresh refreshment. September the eleventh, we rode in five and twenty fadoms, the ensuing morne wafting neerer shoare, dropping it againe in seventeene fathoms, at the West side of Mohelia, a bow shot from a small scatter'd village of straw, unworthy a name, yet called Meriangwy, governed by a Sha-bander, Alicusary by name, a blacke big-bon'd knave, savage in shew, but slie and crafty in curtesie and bartring.

Mohelia elevates the Pole Antartick twelve degrees, fifteene minutes; has longitude from the Meridian of the Cape of good Hope, foure and twenty degrees, and variation of the Compasse 16 degrees, 20 minutes; is about three­score miles in circuit: from Cumroh South East 14 leagues, and from Ioannae East and by South about 10: the Marittim places rising gently, the inland [Page 27] woody and mountanous; a little village here and there scattered; the houses are of reeds and straw, fitted to the heat of such a torrid climate. Moella some pronounce it, Molala others, and worst of all one Best (thinking the derivation would carry it) Mal-Ilha or bad Ile, an incongruity, that from his ill judgement, so sweet and usefull a place should be defamed.

From Madagascar it is removed about 50 leagues, from Quiloa in the Africk continent sixty; the Inhabitants are a mixture of Gentiles and Ma­homitans: the Portugall has preacht Christ, but have few Proselites; some fragments of their language take thus in their owne idiom. A King, Sultan; Bracelets, Arembo; a Hen, Coquo; an Oxe, Gumbey; Coco-nuts, Sejavoye; Plan­tains, Figo; a Goat, Buze; an Orenge, Tudah; Lemon, Demon; Water, Ma­ge; Paper, Cartassa; a Needle, Sinzano, &c. a mish-mash of Arabick and Portuguise.

The people are cole black, have great heads, big lips, are flat nos'd, sharp chind, huge limbd, affecting Adams garb, a few Plantaine leaves girding their wasts, vailing their modest parts; cut and pinckt in severall works, upon their duretto skins, face, armes, and thighs, striving to exceed each other for varie­ty: The Meccan zealists have here a few poore built Mosques, straw and wood without, matted and neat within, admitting no entrance with shooes [Page 28] on; the other sort of men are doubtlesse magicall: I thus imagine it; ano­ther Gentleman and I, one evening got us under a Tree to avoid the storme, at that time thundring and raining excessively. A Negro stood by all the while trembling, now and then lifting up his hands and eyes, muttering his black Art to some hobgoblin, and (when we least suspected it) skips out, and in a limphatic rapture drew a long knife which he brandisht about his head 7 or 8 times, and after so many spells put it up againe; hee then kisses the humid earth 3 times and rises merrily: upon a sudden, the skie cleared and no more noise affrighted us.

Two Kings of late commanded them, Phancomall and Synal-beg; the one a Native, th'other an Arabian; both made great by their wives, the only daugh­ters of the late King Sultan Sheriph Booboocharee, and Queene Nannan-galla, both of them alive in lesse than 20 yeares passed. The two Kings (envious of one anothers greatnesse) live at defiance, and oft times the poore Savages pay deerely for eithers ambition; the two sisters (whom Nature has united) burne in jealousie, and exasperate their Lords, so as (tis thought) one of them will downe the streame ere long, if the proverb say right; that

Tobacco is of great account here; not strong (as our men love) but weake and leafie; suckt out of long canes call'd hubble-bubbles; sneezing-powder is not more frequent with the Irish, than chawing Arec, (by Arab and Indians call'd Tauffet and Suparee) is with these Savages: the Arecca (resembling the Nutmeg, the Tree the Toddy) is not us'd alone, they add to it Betele, which like the Jvie leafe involves the Arec and combured oyster-shells, a chalky sub­stance, good in operative property, as colouring their white teeth to a pure crimson; it also sweetens the breath, kills wormes, giddies the braine, dries rheumes, helps Venus, and begets an appetite. If I erre, blame the Interpre­ter I had there; I professe no Physick. The Ile inricht us with many good things; Buffolls, Goats, Turtles, Hens, huge Batts, Camelions, Rice, Pease, Cuscus, Hony, Oysters, Breams, Cavalloes, and store of other fish; also with Toddy, Cocos, Plantains, Orenges, Lemons, Lymes, Pomcitrons; Ananas, Cowcumbers, Tamarind, and Sugar canes; Mother of pearle and good pearle too if it were div'd for; an Ile so verdant all the yeare (each day a gentle breese and showre bedewing the earth, and lenifying the flaming Sunne) atti­red in Flora's Summer livery, yea roabed with Natures best Arras; so pleasant, so refresht with silver purling streames, so shaded, as may parallell the proud Paradise of Alcinoe.

Of fruits we will select but three, such as may merit our acceptance.

The Plan­tain fruit.The Plantaine (for taste and odour second to none in Mohelia) is a fruit so good and vailed with so broad a leafe that Goropius (if he be worht be­leeving) perswades us, Adam offended in eating it, and with these leaves made his transgression manifest; and that also, which was brought Moses out of the Holy Land: by the Arabians it is called Musa-mawm, Pican by the In­dians: they hang in great clusters, their shape is long and round, not unlike a Soffage; the rind peels off, the fruit is gold-yellow, relisht like a Windsor Peare; good for urine, but bad for fluxes, cold crude stomacks, and dis­senteries.

[Page 29]The Coco (an excellent fruit) is cover'd with a thick rynd; both together,Coco. equall in bignesse to a Cabbage: the shell is like the skull of man, or rather a Deaths head; eyes, nose and mouth, being easily discerned; intus vita! with­in, we find better than the out-side promised; a quart of Ambrosie, coloured like new white Wine, but farre more aromatick tasted; the meat or kernell cleaves to the shell, and is not easily parted; above an inch thick, better relisht than our Philberts, and enough to satiate the appetite of two reasonable men. It has other excellencies, The Tree (which is straight and lofty, not branch­ing save at the very top, where it spreads in beautifying plumes, the Nuts like pendants or pearles adorning them) is good for timber, or Canooes, Masts, Anchors: the leaves for Tents or thatching; the rynd for Sailes, Mattresses, Cables and Linnen; the shell for furniture; the meat for victualling: rare blessings! I will give thee them contracted in that excellent Poem of my Cosen Herbert, late Cambridge Orator.

The Toddy Tree is not unlike the Date or Palmeto,Toddy. the Wine is got by pearcing and putting a Iar or Pitcher under, that the liquor may distill into it, at the very top it has a pith or marrow, which being boyl'd is like a Colli-flower, but the taking that part is as if another Tree should be eradicated, the soule therein consisting; these (as the Dates) thrive not nor fructifie, except the flowring male and female be united. The Toddy is like Whay in colour, in taste and quality like Rhenish wine, at first draught uncouthly relisht, but every draught tasts better and better, and will easily inebriate; a little makes men merry; too much makes them mad; extreame is mortall: in the mor­ning tis laxative; in the eve costive; at midnight dangerous. Of this or the Coco, Herodotus and Pliny write thus: Ex quibus, panem, mel, vinum, acetum & vestitum conficiunt. To end, these are bought without much charges; thirty Orenges or Lemons for a sheet of paper: for two sheets tenne Coco Nuts: an Ox for a ryall of eight: a Goat for six pence. They have no Ships, nor Boats, save such as are hewed out of one stump or tree, capable to receive three Fishermen in faire weather; and if they sink, their swimming helps them: but though of no use with us, yet for rarity sake I give thee the shape better to be imagined.

The 15 of September we had farewell to Mohelia, by benefit of a faire gale that fild all our sailes, plowing up the yeelding Ocean. The long billowes [Page 30] made us dance apace, but without dread; the whistler with his iron Pipe en­couraging the Marriners; who made so good use of this advantage, that in foure dayes wee found our selves but foure degrees from the Aequinoctiall; that night the 19 of September,White-Sea. the Sea was for 10 leagues as white as snow, not froathy or by agitation of wind, but in calmest weather (as many say) is here still the same, from whence caused is not now to be disputed. Next day we made the Sunne our Zenith: in this Latitude opposing that rich part of Afrique we call Soffala and Mombassa (in three degrees 50 min. South:) Maga­doxa (in 3 degrees:) Zanzibar, Pata, and Brava, terminating one another, till with Bernagasso (the Port to the great Neguz or Priest Iohn) the red Sea limits Africk from Asia.

Antartic Starres.The three and twentieth day wee once more sail'd under the Aequator and againe bad farewell to those late usefull Antartique constellations: the Crosiers (foure starres like a crosse, of a second magnitude 17 degrees 30 min. from the Pole) Noahs Dove, Polophilax and others: the two Beares now ri­sing in our Horizon againe, and at eight degrees North, the wind grew wea­rie of too much constancie, veering into E.N.E, so that the Monzoon affronted us, and we could lie no neerer than South-East; at which time many of your company died, imputing the cause of their Calentures, Fluxes, Aches, Scur­vie, Feavers, and the like, to the sulphurous heat there, stinking water, rotten meat, and worm-eaten Biskets (in the Torrid Zone, no mans care can better it, but in the temperate they all recover and become sweet and nourishing again) But rather I beleeve, their over-eating themselves at Mohelia, where they far­cinated their crude stomacks with unsalted flesh, and gulped downe too much Toddy, caused it; here our Admirall threw over-board five and thirty dead men: the Hopewell, eleven; the Starre, five: every ship lost some, too many if God had pleased. But of most note were Harvey Keynell, an expert Masters Mate in the Starre, Captaine Goodall, all good, if skill in Navigation, huma­nity, courage, and piety may have it: at whose putting into the Sea (a spati­ous grave) a volley of one and twenty great Gunns awaked the watery Citi­zens to safeguard such a Treasure, heaven it selfe at that instant weeping so abundantly, that I never saw a sadder raine and of lesse continuance. The Ma­ster of our ship was removed into the Vice Admirall, and Captaine Malim out of the Hopewell into ours, who also died shortly after, a Sea-man as wise and valiant as any other: most memorable in that never to be forgot pollicie hee us'd in the Levant Seas after a brave fight to save his men and ship from fury of Algier Pirats: for whom we may fitly apply that of the Prince of Poets.

The wind added to our affliction: the boisterous waves breaking against our broad side, patient in all those checks, close hal'd, cutting her way slowly, and almost forc't upon Socotora, an Ile as we goe into the Red-sea; where we will stay you a while, the Sea is so dangerous. Socotora or Succaba (Diosco­rida, Socotora. of old I judge, call'd also Topazo from pretious Topaz stones had here, as Pliny in his sixth book has it: by Turks call'd Katukomar, by Persians Caebar, by the Spaniard Acebar and Aceur;) is in 13 degrees latitude North: a little Ile it is, yet for pleasant sight and choise of good things no way despicable; one [Page 31] part rising into wholsome hills, other parts falling into fruitfull dales; all pla­ces garnisht with spreading trees, sweet grasse, fragrant flowers, and rich corne, Olives, Aloes, Sempervivum, Sanguis draconum, Coquos, Dates, Pistachoes, Orenges, Pomgranats, Pome-citrons, Melons, Suger canes, Limons; and of fish, fowle, and flesh no where penurious: the civit Catts also are here obtained. These and the people were of late made slaves by Emir-ben-said King (or Vice-Roy rather, the Turk commanding him) of Fartack, in which Aden is builded; but expulst by d' Cugua anno 1507. who made the Snakee (the Prince) fly to Caeshem, and hisse at harmlesse distance: the Portugall free­ing the miserable Christians, by whose help he rais'd a Castle, planted a Colo­ny, but by Albuquerque was cashier'd five yeares after, the Merchandise pro­ving not equivolent to their charges.

The Inhabitants are true black, the Sunne twice every yeare darting his fiery rayes perpendicular amongst them; by profession they are Christians; converted the third yeare after our Saviours passion, by the Aethiopian Eu­nuch some say; some say by St. Thomas the Apostle of the Orient: their Chur­ches are built in forme of the Crosse, like ours: kept sweet and neat, without seats and images: they have a Patriarch, whom they reverence; and other of the Clergy to whom they duly pay Tythes; their Feasts and Fasts like ours; the seniority are much regarded, humility commanded and commended; se­cond Marriages are not allowed, except they had no children, use the crosse in Baptisme, the other Sacrament in both kinds, and being dead, lament not, but involve them in cleane linnen, and so bury them that they looke towards Jerusalem.

Aden (now, so neere us) seemes to invite a small relation; It has 12 degrees 35 min. North, var. West. 19 degrees: Madaena of old, Adana in Calistus, Adedi and Achanis in Eupolemus: opposed to Azana, in the Arabian shoare, but snatcht anno 1458. from the Arabs by the Turks, a ragged obscure sort of Lo­custs till then, then swarming and mounting towards Trepizond.

The road or Bay is none of the safest, in the change flowing eight foot wa­ter; a S.E. and N.W. Moone makes a full sea there; from Bab-mandel 18 leagues; from Moha (old Beronice or Moco rather, a Towne in Arabia Petrea after Ptol.) two and thirty. Aden is seated low, sulphuriously shaded by a high barren Mountaine; whose brazen front scorching the miserable Towne, yeelds a perfect character of Turkish basenesse. It is a Peninsule, and a good way (to get breath) thrusts it selfe into the blushing Sea; big in circuit, but has not many houses, nor those curious; their outsides discovering a discontented slavery, the inside shewes poverty and wretchednesse. A Castle it has set neer the sea, not to be entred but by a long narrow dissected path or trench; the Castle is very strong and lofty, strengthned by so many rampiers and bulwarks, stored with so many roring Cannons, as if Mars dwelt there, or that it kept a Mammon of treasure, having in truth nothing but iron bullets, armour, and miserable raggamuffians to defend it: the red Sea (on whose bancks 'tis sea­ted) borrowes not the name from colour, rather from sand, which on the shoare and from the bottome has (when Apollo visits the Antipodes) a ruddy reflection: shall I tell you the severall names it has; some say 'tis called red, from Erethreus sonne of Perseus and Andromida, a Prince (in the worlds ado­lescency) much regarded, from whose name (as the Aegean and Icarian) the [Page 32] Sea was named; and by the Septuagint from [...] so translated: other some, from Edom (Idumea a part of the Desart Arabia, confining it) the Sea of Edom; the Hebrewes call it Zuph or Saph, or Mare Algosum, from Sea weeds or Sar­gassoes here abounding: Some Mare Elanixicum from Aelana a neighbouring Port and Towne: and others the Gulph of Mecca and Arabia; fictitious The­vet calls it Zocoroph, Bohar Colzun the Arabs, Zahara some, and others Brachia: a Sea most memorable for the miraculous passage Almighty God gave Moses and the Israelites neere the Sues, of old Arsinoe: and for Solomons fleet at Ezion Geber (or Moha) thence setting out for the gold of Ophyr. To returne, when the Portugalls had got Socotora, and a hundred other places in India and Ara­by, Albuquerque their Golias by much adoe anno 1520 took Aden, boasting that he was then sole Emperour of India, Qua victa (saith Osorius) putabat Indiae Imperium fore sempiternum: Humanum est errare, or else Albuquerk might be blemished; for, in few yeares they not only lost this, but many other Forts of greater consequence in India.

October 18 we had the wind pretty faire. Our observation that day being 17 degrees, our longitude 19 from Mohelia; the wind less'ned, and weather grew flaming hot; no Stove or Sudatory exceeding it: it made us very faint, yet having past through as bad, it seemed lesse torment to us. But Mahomet the Persian Merchant (whose father Hodgee Suare died in London the yeare before) could hold out no longer, a Feaver drawing him through the path of death;Mahomet converted. a happy man, if (throwing away the raggs of Mawmetry) hee roab'd his soule with true faith in Christ; they say he call'd upon him, twice happy man, if unfaignedly: At his putting into the Sea, the Captain honour'd his fu­neral with the sky rending clamour of foure Culverin shot, leaving his carcasse to the mercy of the Sea and Fish, a sure treasurie till the resurrection.

The six and twentieth of October we found we were got North from the Aequinoctiall 19 degrees 40 minutes and longitude from Mohelia 20 degrees, our stearage at that time South East, the Sea pacifique, the wind moderate, but heat offensive: where also we had such shoales of flying fishies as dark­ned the glorious Sunne by their interposing multitude; a fish most excellent

[Page 33] in its eyes, which flame like a rolling Dyamond; the body is equall to a well fed Herring, big enough for those complementall wings (or fins) Nature has provided it to avoid the swift chase of Sea Tyrants, Sharks, Albicores, Dol­phins, Bonetaes and such as feed upon small fishes; but alas! a Scilla in Cha­ribdin: no sooner taking the advantage of her wings (imitating a bird 200 pa­ces, a dozen yards high from the face of the Ocean, so long as she keeps moi­sture) when an Armado of starv'd birds and hawks as readily prey upon them; by this, becomming the most miserable of all creatures, blest with 2 shifts but neither availeable, in the water not so full of bravery as upon the wing, yet that becomes the only gin and cause of her destruction.

The seventeenth of November, to our comfort we descried (terra ter ex optata) the coast of India; in fifteene degrees latitude, and 32 of longitude (the ill weather having driven us to Lee-ward many leagues) that very place where Goa (Barigaza of old) is seated; the bravest, best defended Citie in the Orient; the Magazeen, refuge, seat of Justice, of the insolent and gold-thirsty Portugall. The Citie is not visible to such as Navigate in the Ocean, being built three houres journey within the land, in Tilsoare, an Ile of 30 miles cir­cuit, surrounded by a river streaming from the mighty mountaine Bellaguate. Goa, is compast with a strong and beautifull wall, proud in her aspiring Tur­rets, dreadfull in many sorts of tormenting Cannons: her strength and beauty begun from the Decan Emperours, Zabaym and Idalcan, Goa. from whom anno 1509 Albuquerque conquer'd it, but agrandiz'd from the Lusitanian; the great Buzzar (or Market) is in center of the Towne, richly built, pleasant and ca­pacious. The other streets are (after the Indian mode) narrow and nasty; the buildings in generall, are spatious and comly; dark within, tarrassed and sutable to the seasons: 'tis watered with a delicious streame, which (by bene­volence of the ayre) refreshes the fields, forcing Flora to dismantle; the gar­dens be also fill'd with variety of sweet and eye-pleasing flowers: the whole Ile abounds with grasse, corne, groves, cattell, fruits, and such sence ravishing delights a reasonable man can require: above 20 little Townes are seene in this 30 miles compasse. In Goa is nothing more observable than the fortifica­tions, the Viceroy and Archbishops Pallaces, and the Churches: Field peeces here are numbred above 300; the Pallaces are strong, of good stone, furnisht within with rich Arras and painting: the Churches of best rank are, that de­dicated to the blessed Virgin Mother of God, (in which, is kept the bones and skull of Saint Thomas the Apostle, holy Reliques brought 50 yeares agoe from Meliapore by Emanuel Frias at command of Iohn, successour to Emanuel, Kings of Portugall.) St. Pauls, St. Dominie, St. Katherine, St. Savior, and others; in which, are prest downe the bones of restlesse Albuquerque, buried in the yeare 1516; of d' Acugnia, of Don Francisco, and that late canonized Chyna St. Fran­cis Shyvier the Navarrean Jesuit, who died anno 1552. 4 December, aged 55, and rubricated by Pope Gregory 15. 12 March 1622, when many more were Sainted.

We hasted hence towards Swally, judging the worst past, the Indian shoare all our way in view us, and the sea every where 20 leagues from land an­chorable: But, sure all peace comes from above, and mans heart abounds with vanity; for upon a sudden, the element grew dreadfull, the wind to rore, the sea sublime and wrathfull, for three dayes space raging incessantly with such [Page 34] fury, that we verily beleeved a Tuffon or Herocane was begun, a Tempest of 30 dayes continuance, so terrible that houses and trees are like dust afore it, many great ships having beene blowne a shoare and shattered; once in nine yeares it uses to thunder among them, presag'd by birds, and beasts who three or foure dayes before it bluster, cry out and runne under ground for shelter, as if an overture of all the world were ensuing: But praised be God wee were deceived, we mist a Tuffon, but not a second disadventure, this storme forcing a Mallabar Junck, a Pirat in view of us; our Ordnance could not reach them, though the longest Saker we had vomited the fire of defiance at them, where­by we were forced (in way of honour) to chase her with Barges mann'd with fifty Musquetiers: But, Vela damus, quamvis remige Navis eat. We made too much haste in boarding her, being entertain'd with such store of Fire-works and Granados, a volley of cruell shafts; in a word, we were opposed with so much desperate courage that after small hurt to them, wee retreated with shame, the better halfe slaine, hurt, and scalded, our ships all the while being made an unwilling Theater of this Affront, the wind forbidding them to retaliate.

The 22 of November the wind abated, and wee found ground at forty fa­domes, many Snakes swimming about our ships, which (with the waters chan­ging colour) assured us we were neere the shoare (the last storme had puzled us) and soone after we discerned land in 19 degrees 35 minutes latitude, and 29 in longitude, which by its towring height we knew to be Dabul, and then St. Iohn de vacas, a Towne subject to the Portugall, at the South end especi­ally mounting in an ambitious piramid of Natures work, named Saint Valen­tin's peake, the land continuing high from thence to Gundavee, a hill six leagues short of Swalley road, a round hillock and bay of importance unto Mariners.

The seven and twentieth day of November, we hal'd an Indian piscadoro abord us, never was Antick better habited; he told us of many enemies, but we were fearelesse; after long toyle tiding up with streame anchors, every sixt houre weighing and dropping, in short time we got to Choul, and then against Daman, a lovely towne lorded by the Portugalls, and conspicuous to passengers; at the North end it has a Castle large, strong and daring; the materiall is good white chalky stone, flanckt with Ordnance and mounted high to play at advantage; At the South end we perceived a faire Church, with white battlements a top, the houses of like stone, strong and beautifull, 3 other Temples affoording joy and pleasure to the heart and eye. The nine and twentieth day we got neere the barre at Swalley, and there cast Anchor, because wee perceiv'd 13 saile of great ships, and knew not whether they were friends or enemies: the last day of November we adventured over the Barre, 'twixt two boas, in 4 fadome water, a hundred paces asunder, set there to manifest the passage, either side without being very dangerous: the Ships [Page 35] at Anchor proved our friends, 6 English, and 7 Dutch, the most of them 1000 Tunne: those of our Nation were good men of Warre. The Palsgrave, Ex­change, the William, the Blessing, &c. each of which (to do them right) feasted our Lord Ambassadors with hearty welcome: we rode in 5 fadome (others in 9) twixt the sholds and continent.

The same day we came to an Anchor in Swalley roade, Nogdi-Ally-beg the Persian Ambassador (Sir Robert Sherley's Antagonist) dyed; having desperate­ly poisoned himselfe; for 4 dayes, eating only Ophium: the Mary (where he dyed) gave him eleven great Ordnance, whose thundring Ecchoes solem­niz'd his carrying ashoare: his sonne Ebrahim-chan got him conveighed to Surrat (10 miles thence) where they intombed him, not a stones cast from Tom Coryats grave, knowne but by two poore stones,Tom. Cory­ats grave. there resting till the resurrection.

Doubtlesse, Nogdibeg had a guilty conscience, hee had very basely mis­behav'd himselfe in England, and feared the extreame rigour of Abbas a just (but too severe) Master, at no time to bee jested with in money matters or reputation; so as neither his past good service, alliance at Court, skill in armes, nor brave aspect, could animate his defence, assured of most horrid torture: Other mens sufferings upon lesse cause made his seeme more unpar­donable: in the yeere 1612. a Persian Ambassador at Constantinople (for assen­ting to such Articles 'twixt his Master and the Grand Seignior, as seem'd ad­vantagious to him, but odious to the Persian Monarck) was upon his returne, beheaded at Cazbyn by command of his inraged Master: the conditions were indeed dishonourable, That the Prince of Persia should arrogate no other Title but Bashaw of Tauris: that the Persian should pay tribute for Gheylan, yeerly 400 bal's of silk: that the Cadi of Tauris should bee of the Turkes Election, &c. which Abbas kickt back to Achmat with great indignation. Tamas­coolibeg also came into his mind, who dyed miserably (tho once second in Persia) upon spleene ill grounded by the King; and of Turkish barbarisme, not a few exemplaries. Ebrahim Bassa, Cycala, Synon Bassa and Nassuf, each of them in their times sitting at the Sterne, guiding as they listed the Turkish greatnesse, yet ere death cald for them, they were cald for, by precipitating ends, such as made the remembrance of their passed glory, relish the sowrer & more deformed: and Nogdibeg, (as we heard the King protest) if he had not prevented it, should first have beene hackt in peeces, and then in the open market place burnt with dogs turds, a perfume not fetcht from Arabia, a staine indeleble, branding with shame all his posterity. Returne we to the roade againe.

Swalley road is from the Aequator 20 degrees, and six and fifty min. North:Swally road. westerly variation 16. degrees and a halfe: longit. from Mohelia 28 degr. at a low ebbe it resembles an Ile, beyond the sands Goga is easily discovered. The first of December, with some Pe-unes (or black foot-boyes who can pratle some English) we rode to Surat, our Chariot drawn by 2 Buffolls who by pra­ctise are nimble in their trot and well managed; we past thorow Swalley Town, Batty (famous for good Toddy) Damkee, to Surat. Surat is the chiefe factory of the East India Marchants, the station of their President; at that time one Master Wyld was in that office, a modest, understanding Gentleman, to whose kind respect I owe acknowledgement, and in whose house (the English house) [Page 36] we had tidings of Sultan Curroon's Coronation at Agra, Anno 1627. whose history we will prosecute, after we have view'd the Towne, which may well challenge a particular description.

SVRRAT, (perhaps so cald by the Surae, whom Pliny places here,) is that old Muziris named by Ptol. if my judgement deceive me not: nor am I ig­norant, Choul and Onor are imagin'd it by Molelius and Ramusius; a Town at this day great, famous, rich, & populous: nor ayre nor soyle agree with strangers; the one inflamed by the torridnesse of the Zone, the other sandy and sulphu­reous; the Artick Pole is here elevated one and twenty degrees, three min. subject in Iune to become Nadyr to the burning Sunne, thence to September the clouds showring continually an insalubrious moysture, the wind and thunder so commixing, that no place in the world seemes more unhealthy, all the other 8 moneths either parching or freezing. Surat is accounted the third best Towne in the Gujurat Kingdome, Amadavad & Cambaya excelling her; from the first removed foure from the other two good dayes journey, all now adding lustre to the Moguls rich replendent Diadem. Whether Gusurat comply with the Greekidiom [...], or from Gezurat in Arabick an Ile, I question not; a Province it is so usefull to the Mogull, that his annuall tribute out of this one shire amounts (as Marchants say) to 150 Tunne of gold. Su­rat is at this day not very strong, neither in scite nor Ordnance; a 100. yeere agoe Antonio Siverio a Portuguise with 200 men enter'd it, sackt and burnt it; a 1000 would now find it a hard enterprise. It was after that subjected to Ecbar Anno Dom. 1566. of the Hegira 946. by valour of Chan Azem, whose care defeated the confederacy of Mirza-chan, Hussan, Mirza Mahomet, Chan Goga and other conspirators. Surat is now in a quiet government, watered with a sweet river named Tappee (or Tindy) as broad as the Thames at Windsor which arising out of the Decan Mountaines, glides thorow Brampore (220 miles distant thence) and in many Maeanders runnes by Surat, and after 20 miles playing to and fro, a league from Swalley road wanders into the Indian Ocean. 'Tis circled with a mud-wall, a Castle of stone is strongly built at the South-West side, the river washing it; planted with great Ordnance and other shot; awed by a Garrison, who make dainty to admit a stranger to see their fortifi­cations or parapets; The West opens into the Buzzar thorow a faire gate of stone, where toll-gatherers are ever ready to search and exact sound tribute for the great Mogull their Master: the Medon is of no great beauty, nor do the shops give splendor; the crafty Banuyan desiring rather to be rich indeed then so accounted. The houses are indifferently beautifull; some are of carv'd wood, others of bricks dryed in the Sunne, the English and Dutch houses at the North end excelling the other for space and furniture; the Suburbs also have 3 posterns, pointing out 3 severall wayes; one to Variaw and to Cambaya; a second to Brampore; the third to Nansary ten course thence, whence the road is to Gundavee, to Balsac, and to Daman upon the Ocean. The Towne affoords no Monuments, no Mosques worth the taking notice of: the English garden without the Towne has pretty walks, sweet flowers and a water-worke, but scarce commendable: Only adjoyning Nancery gate, I saw a Tanck or Magazen of water, a brave work and worthy the noting: It is of good free stone, circling in above 100 sides and angles; eight and twenty Ells twixt every angle, in compasse very neere a thousand paces. It diminishes [Page 37] its largnesse gradatim by 16 degrees or steps towards the bottome, of most use to receive a great quantity of raine water, to quench the flagrant thirst of the Sunne-burnt Indians: the river by this, seemes somewhat unwholsome, if good neither for drink nor navigation, what serves it for, save to mundifie the idolatrous Banuyan and superstitious Mahometans: the Bannyans are the grea­ter number here, but the Moores command them: they have a native lan­guage of their owne, but the Persian tongue is understood by most, and is most courtly. The Indian Mahometans, are a crafty, cowardly sort of peo­ple, (most of the great men being either Rashbootes or Persians) yet love to go arm'd all day with sword and buckler, bow, arrowes, and daggers, as if they stood in danger of some enemies: their habit is a quilted coat of Calico, tyed under the left arme, a small shash upon their head, large stockings and some­times sandalls: in an ordinary garbe are thus resembled.

The other sort of people are Marchants, Bramin's, Gentiles, and Persae. With whom in order I will tempt your patience; this first remembred, that when any Ships ride at Swalley (from September to March commonly) the Bannians all along the sea side pitch Booths or Tents and straw Houses in great num­bers, where they sell Callicoes, Chena-satten, Purcellan ware, Scrutores or Cabbinets of mother of Pearle, of Ebony, of Ivory, Agats, Turquoises, He­liotropes, [Page 38] Cornelians, Rice, Sugar, Plantans, Arack, &c. Also there is con­stantly many little boyes or pe-unes, who are ready for 4 pice a day (2 pence of our money) to serve you, either to interpret, to runne, go arrands or the like: they will not eat nor drink with a Christian, nor out of the same leafe we drink our Toddy: the Bannyan and other Indian Females are seldome visible, their jealous husbands mew them up in darknesse. Here are Ele­phants and Horses, but 'twixt Swalley and Surat Oxen do most labour. The most currant Coynes here and through India, are Pice, Mammoodees, Roopees and Dynaes; Mogulls coignes. the Pice are heavy round peeces of brasse, 30 of them make our shilling; the Mammoody and Roopee are good silver, round, thick, and (after the Saracenic sort who hate Images in Coyne) cover'd with Arabick letters, naming the King and Mahomet; a Mammoody is our shilling, a Roopee two shillings and three pence, the Dina is gold worth thirty shillings; but Spanish Rialls, Pistolets, and Persian Larrees, Abassees and English gold (each peece in Persia going for 26 shillings) goe here also. And againe, as I have beene told by Merchants, a hundred thousand Roopees make one Leck, a hundred Lack make on Crou, tenne Crou (or Carrors) one Areb: againe, in silver 14 Roopees make a Masse, 1150 Masse make a hundred Tolls; tenne Tolls of silver value one of gold: in brasse, thirty Tacks or Pice make one Roopee in weights; the Batman is 82 pound English, but fifty five of their pounds, the Mawnd is as much; Howbeit, as in Persia, the Mawnd Shaw and Tabriz differ, and as our Troy and Haverdepois are not the same; so in all parts of the world where wealth and traffick is, are such distinguishments: in a word, the Bannyans (as crafty the proverb goes, as the divell) by a moderate outside and excesse in superstition, make many well minded simple men lose them­selves, when by a heedlesse stupid admiration of their sincere hypocrisie they intangle themselves by crediting their sugred words in way of trade or com­plement, baits pleasingly swallowed when wee contemplate their tem­perance.

The Bannyans (or Vanyans) are tawny of complexion, faire spoken, crafty, and above measure superstitious; they let their haire grow long, their head is covered with a small wreath or shash for the most part white; their habit, a long coat or vest of white quilted Callico of the Dalmatick sort; their shooes are variable in colour and fashion; some checkerd and ingraled in ele­gant order, wrought to each mans ingenious fancy; with out latchets, sharp and turning up at the toe, thin sol'd, high heeld, surrounded with steele, fast and durable: The women are whiter than the men, yet want the san­guine mixture to adorne them, which they supply by Art, there being found the best vermilion: they weare their haire long and disheveled; part obscu­red by a fine thin Lawne, by whose transparency it seemes more lovely; their eares, noses, armes, and legs, are loaden with many voluntary rings and fetters of Brasse, Gold and Ivory; their behaviour is silently modest, but full gorg'd with libidinous fantasies and distempers. Marriage is so honored, that they contract at 7 commonly, and at 10 yeeres old are often parents: but if an infant die ere he be married, the parents of him that dyed procure some virgin or other (to whom they give some Dynaes of Gold in lieu of Ioyn­cture) to be his bed-fellow one night, to avoid the reproachfull proverb, he dyed unmarried.

[Page 39]

Poligamy is odious among them, in which respect they cease not to villi­fie Mahomitans as people of an impure soule, and stuft with turpitude; yea, in this they paralell the Antick Romans, who (as Tacitus, Marcellin, and Ter­tullian tell us) so hated Digamy (both in enjoying two wives at one time, and being twice married) as no Holocaust was ever offred, no holy fire lookt unto by such, nor such as issued from such parents. Their Funeralls are of the old stamp (recorded by Curtius) sacring the corps to ashes in a holy fire, compounded of all sorts of costly woods and Aromatick spices: the wife also (in expectation to enjoy her husband 'mongst incomparable pleasures) inve­lops her dainty body with the mercilesse flames, for which kindnesse she ob­taines a living memory. Their Priests are called Bramyni or Brachmani; such as in old times from their quality, were nam'd Gymno-sophi, as Porphirius the great Platonist in his 4. lib. de abstinen. ab esu carnium, dictates concerning them, and thus: If by descent he continued constant to his study and con­templation, he then attained great Aestimation, and the title Brachman: [Page 40] if he sought this degree by election, he was seven yeares (sayes Bardesanes of Babilon) stiled Calanus and Samanaeus, and then by that other Nomencla­tion; of all sorts of Philosophers these were held most excellent, and con­templative. Tertullian cals them gloriae animalia, Apollonius sayes, they were and were not earthly; their thoughts so transcendent, as if they were ravisht by the sweetnesse of that harmony the rolling Orbs in an exact diapazan send forth in their forced Motion. Their imaginatiō flew beyond nature, beleiving that this Fabrick of the inferiour world was created of nothing, and made sphericall, yet subject to dissolution; that it had an efficient cause, it being unable to forme it selfe, and that that cause is the commander of nature. Our byrth to be no other, then a quick conception, perfected by death, which is the true Nativity of the soule, and entrance to immortality. A Tenent however oppugned by the Stoicks, yet by these Bramyns from the Tradition of the Phenix, observation of corne, and the like, was so maintained that from hence arose that magnanimity of Calanus the Bramyn, who to injoy it burnt himselfe in sight of Alexander. But, how they have (by over­ture of their wits and country,) forgot these and broacht new opinions, more fantastick and rediculous. I shall gleane a little out of that their masse of confusion, and dedicate it to your attent patience.

Religion of the Banny­ans.The Bannyan religion at this day, is of these Tenents. That the whole frame or body of the world had a beginning, created by a God of immense power, eternall and provident: that after he had made man, to associate him created woman to simpathize in similitude of body, and disposition. These be named Pourous and Parcouty, a coople so innnocent, and contented, that they had no ill thoughts, but fed only upon herbs and fruits, not touch­ing ought had bloud or life in it. From this chast couple sprung two couple of boyes, the Embleams of the foure complexions, Brammon, Cuttery, Shuddery, and Wise. Of different constitutions. Bramon melancholy, Cuttery chollerick, Shudddery flegmatick; and Wise sanguin: Each affecting his se­verall calling. The first a Priest, the second a Warrior, the third a Mer­chant, the last a Pesant.

Brammon the Priest (from whom the Brahman have their title, and not from Abraham and Keturah, as Postellus thinketh) was commanded (sayes their Shaster or booke of lawes) to travell East to finde a wife; it being re­vealed to him, that God had formed foure women for him and his brethren, on whom to propagate; (for the reason they had no sisters to generate upon, was, because so pure and holy a race as they, should not discend from filthy Incest.) After long and tedious pilgrimage and much prayer, he espies his long lookt for Virgin, cloathed with naked innocence, her face yellow like gold, her hayre and eyes black, of a compleat stature, who without much courting he won and marryed: this Lady Savatree proved the mother of a holy generation. Cuttery was sent west to find his mate, his sword in's hand, habited after his nature, all the while fretting for want of resistance, and that his patience was so long trod upon: at length, he espies a farre off one comming towards him, aequally inflamed with impatience; without much complement, they forthwith assailed each other, with such fury, and so much bravery, that the first dayes fight the victory was not to be decided; next day, they renew their courage, giving and receiving wounds [Page 41] insensibly, till in conclusion Cuttery grapled, and seiz'd Toddicastree by the tresses of her haire, but instead of subjecting her, is (by the fresh out breaking of her beauty) captivated; yet after submission and repentance for his rage against such an earthly Angell, shee is reconcil'd, and from them the West swarmed with a generation of Radiaes and Souldiers. Shuddery the third sonne of Pourous and Parcouty, travell North in equall hope to find his Mi­stresse; farre he went and many strange adventures passed thorow and saw, wit­nesse that rock of Diamonds he alight on, many of which (as any other Mer­chant would have done) he carried along with him, enamoured of their lustre and sparkling excellencies: till at last he also met Visagundah, whom he soone woone, being of a tractable sweet nature and condition, (as be all the Bannyan daughters descended from her) and of her begot so many sonnes, that the North quickly became pregnant and inhabited. Now come we to Wyse (the simplest of Sir Pourous sonnes) a man of much plaine honesty and comport­ment. Southward goes hee, having strange intelligence that his female was thereabouts, whom (after he had passed seven Seas (the breadth and way is concealed in the Shaster) and built him a faire Mansion, whither Iejunogundah (his future wife) came to admire so rare a structure; he saw her, & not knowing how to court her, is o'recome with Loves passion; but long time is rejected and thought basely of, till (by divine providence) shee is mollified and made to yeeld, upon condition, hee should build many Pagods or Idols for Gods worship, and adore pictures under greene Trees and under Arbours, which to this day, his posterity observe ceremoniously. Thus from these two the South was filled with mechanick men, and such as practize tillage and husbandry.

When these foure young men had spent some yeares in those contrary quarters of the world, whither Fate had directed them. All foure becam equal­ly mindfull of their first home, desirous to visit their aged parents, not onely to propagate there also, and furnish that Meditallium of the earth, but also to recount their memorable fortunes and adventures. After much circumstance and toile they arrived at the place from whence they came, each of them at­tended by a troope of their owne younglins: tis in vaine to decipher the joy and mutuall embraces twixt them and their aged Parents, revived by this good hap from the benumming Frost of old age; as also the reciprocall kindnesse and love amongst the 4 Travellers, a dull sense may easily comprehend, it was without all mixture of discōtent or malady. Notwithstanding, to shew, no sum­mum bonum can be had in this life, in processe of time (the issue of these foure multiplying) the world began to lose her virgin purity and candor; discord, pride, and rapine mingling amongst them, whereby all brotherly love was layd aside, and no appearance now but of violence & voluptuousnesse: Bramon growes idle and carelesse in his devotion. Cuttery becomes insolent and aspi­ring, regarding neither the venerable advice & admonition of his Parents, nor the dignity of Bramon his elder brother. Shuddery also invents deceit, not re­garding justice nor equity, but delights in cheating his other brethren. Wyse also growes unthrift in a good conscience, banishing his innate honesty to en­tertaine ryot: For which, his cruell brother Cuttery domineeres and makes an Asse of him, imposing such taxes and burdens on that silly Countryman, that Wyse is now the object of casheered ryot, and the abject of his Lordly brother; who also picks a quarell with Shuddery, and admits not of any recon­ciliation, [Page 42] till the poore Merchant had satisfied his Avarice with halfe his store; so that such hate and feare grew amongst 'em, that all their Designes are in­volv'd in a dark Chaos of confusion. But though deceit, ryot, and tyrannie sway a while, an all-seeing Majesty sits above, who in his owne time retaliates in the extremity of justice. And so it now hapned: for upon a sudden, when they were most busied in their villany and least dreame of account, God roab's himselfe with clouds and flashes terrour, whereat the seas multiply their noise, and swell so formidably, that they threaten an universall deluge and destru­ction: In the interim the amazed people are confounded with such horrible cracks of thunder, and such thick flashes of flame and lightning, that the en­trailes of the earth seemed to gaspe and quake with terrour and feare: which done, in a moment the sea breaks ore her bounds, and sweepes away in eter­nall darknesse and silence all creatures on the earth, purging away that nasty smell of their late wickednesse and pollution.

But God who delights in Mercy, and grieves at any mans confusion, repents him of his severity, and resolves againe to furnish the earth with a new gene­ration of men repleat with more purity, mercy and perfection. To which end he descends, and upon a very high mountaine call'd Meropurbateé commands Bremaw to rise up, who (though till then not created) obeyed and worshipped his Maker. In like sort at two other calls, came up Vistney and Kuddery, who performed equall obeysance. Bremaw (to avoyd sloath) has power to create all other creatures. Vistney has order given to preserve them; and Rud­dery has strength to massacre and be Gods executioner by way of death, plague, famine, diseases, warre, or the like. And according to this appointment, these three new created Lords performe and regard their particular affaires, to each of them a set period of time being alotted to live on earth. Bremaw at the end of the second Age in a fiery chariot was elevated. Vistney stayes double his time and then departs, leaving the issue to Ruddery, (at the end of three times so long commorance) to destroy the world, and to translate the soules of good men into a garden of most ravishing delights and glory. But ere this were ac­complished, It is fit to acquaint you that how Bremaw came to furnish the earth with more Inhabitants. The Shaster or their Cabalisticall Thalmud tells us, that as Bremaw was ruminating how to act it, suddenly he fell into a trance, and upon recovery felt his body troubled beyond measure, purporting some im­mediate chance or alteration. Nor did his thoughts deceive him; for loe, forthwith his body begun to swell, yea so great anguish to afflict him, that in all points it resembled a womans travaile, and indeed it had Analogie, in that his bowels began to extend more and more and his dolour to encrease, till (af­ter much toyle) the second swellings found vent, broke, and deliver'd their burthen, two faire Twins, one of each sex whom hee needed not to give suck unto, in that by like miracle they immediatly grew up to a perfect stature, fur­nisht with language, and many symptomes of education; Bremaw the Parent named them Manaw and Ceteroupa, whom after hee had blessed, he sent East to the great mountaine Mounder purvool, where strait way Mistresse Ceteroupa brought forth three sonnes and so many daughters: The Boyes she call'd, Pri­auretta, Outanapautha, and Soomeraut. The Girles Cammah, Sounerettaw, and Sumboo: The eldest sonne and daughter went West to a huge mountaine Se­gund. The two seconds North, to Bipola: The two last of each sex to Suparr, [Page 43] where they so generated, that they quickly peopled each their quarter. Which done, God perceiving the hearts of men enclined to vice and all sorts of vile­nesse, to give them directions how to live vertuously and avoyd temptation, he left heaven a while and alighted on the high Mount Meropurbatee, whither he call'd Bremaw, to whom hee spake many things out of a dusky dark cloud or mist, now and than flashing some glimpses of his Majesty, acquainting him why he destroy'd the first world, their sinnes provoking him, and how desi­rous he was, never to doe so againe: and to that end deliver'd Bremaw a Book (the Shaster by name) fill'd with excellent stories, divided into three Tracts, dedicated to the three great Casts or Tribes: the first containing Morall pre­cepts: the second, the ceremonies of their Worship: the third, a division of them into three, with peculiar notes and instructions to each Cast or Tribe.

Their Morall law (read and taught them by Bremaw out of the Shaster) has eight commandements.

1. Thou shalt not kill nor destroy any living creature, for thou and it are both my creatures.

2. Thou shalt not sinne in any of thy five senses: thy eyes not beholding vanity: thy eares to be stopt in hearing evill: thy tongue not to utter any fil­thinesse: thy pallat hating wine, flesh, and all other vive things: thy hands ab­horring things defiled.

3. Thou shalt duly performe the set times of devotion, praying, washing, elevating, prostrating, &c.

4. Thou shalt not lie nor dissemble.

5. Thou shalt not be hard hearted, but helpfull to others.

6. Thou shalt not oppresse nor tyrannize.

7. Thou shalt observe certaine Festivalls and fasting dayes:

8. Thou shalt not steale.

These eight precepts are sub-divided into foure: each of the foure old Casts retaining them. Bramon and Shuddery,. i.e. the Braminy and Bannyan are tyed to most severe and strict observance in the decorum of their worship. Cuttery and Wyse. i.e. the Justice and Labourer agree in theirs. From whence the Priest and Merchants (appropriating the first and second to themselves) are more superstitious, than the two other Casts of Souldiers and Mechanicks, who assume a great liberty in meats and wine. Notwithstanding, all of them beleeve the Metempsychosis of Pythagoras, whose conceits we will parallel by and by with these Bannyans. In this place drawing your judgement to a re­membrance of what is already related: wherein, we may perceive the delusi­on Sathan charmes them with, whose custome it has ever been to erect to him­selfe worship and Idolatry in some things (to make 'em more authenticall) co­hering with the Story of our Bible, and in imitation of the Jewes: and that this Cabala or Shaster of the Bannyans is a depraved Story of the Bible, either obtain'd by some Jewes, such time as Solomon traded to Ophyr (neere these parts) or from the father of lyes, who peradventure did dictate it for his ser­vants. For in the Shaster, speaking of the Creation of the world out of a Chaos, and forming of Pourous and Parcoutee successively: who is so blind that sees not the making of Adam and Eve: the other of the Creation (delivered by Moses) shadowed in't: the universall deluge and destruction of mankind pointing out that of Noah? By Bremaws receiving the Law from God (in a dark cloud and [Page 44] lightning) upon the high Mount Meropurbatee, 'tis doubtlesse from Moses his being on Mount Syna in Arabya, where was given the Decalogue for the Is­raelites instruction. And in Bremaws departure from earth to heaven, is meant the translation of Elias.

The Bannyans are commanded (as in most hot Countries in all other Pagan Religious is observed) to wash often. First, dawbing their naked bodies with dirt and mud (the Embleam of sinne) then, diving three times in the water, their faces to the East, shaking a few graines of Rice as a Thanksgiving to that element for purging them: A three-fold ducking and tripartite thred is hung at three holes in a stone about the neck, the Rice fixed in their forehead each morne in an unguent of red paint, is a Symbol of Baptisme: Their turning to the East, in memory of the judgement and creation, and to adore the Sun and Moone, in that they take them to be Gods eyes, full of purity, heat and nurture. But this their attending the blushing Sunne at his arising, the eleva­tion of their hands, murmurs, plashing the water in Magick order, diving, wri­thing and acting other promiscuous foperies, heare them condemned by a neighbour of theirs Iob, Iob 31, 26.7, 8. that patient Edomite. If I beheld the Sunne when it shined, or the Moone walking in brightnesse, and my heart hath been secretly inti­ced, or my mouth hath kissed my hand: this also were an iniquity to be punished by the Iudge, for I should thereby have denied the God which is above. And by the Psalmist, Psal. 44 41. If wee have forgotten the Name of our God, and holden up our hands to any strange god, shall not God (who knowes the secrets of the heart) search it out?

But above all, their horrid Idolatry to Pagods (or Images of deformed de­vils) is most observable: Placed in Chappels most commonly built under the Bannyan Trees (or that which Linschot call'd Arbor de Rays or tree of roots, Sir Wal. Ral. improperly Ficus Indicus) a tree of such repute amongst 'em, that they hold it impiety to abuse it, either in breaking a branch or otherwise, but contrarily adorne it with Streamers of silk and ribbons of all colours. The Pagods are of sundry sorts and resemblances, in such shape as Satan visibly ap­peares unto them: ugly faced, long black haire, gogl'd eyes, wide mouth, a forked beard, hornes and stradling, mishapen and horrible, after the old filthy forme of Pan and Priapus.

Under these holy Trees they sit and actuate their Idolatrous devotion: there they pay their Tythes and Offrings, there receive the sacred unction and sprinklings of sundry colour'd powders: there they performe their ceremo­nies, which they denotate by the wooden sound of a little Bell: there they repeat their Orizons, make Processions, ring their Bells, sing and performe ma­ny mysteries; yea, so numerous grew their Idoll Temples, that (till the Mus­sulmen mixt among them) each Village had its severall Pagods, and many to this day are standing. The chiefe in Industan is at Variaw neere Surrat, at Ni­gracut where the Dewry is seel'd and paved with gold, yeerely visited by 1000 Bannyans, who in way of devotion cut out part of their tongues as a holy sa­crifice, and whereby to speake the Sibboleth better ever after: at Bannaras upon Ganges, at Ecbarpore, at Iallamexa, Elabass, Sibah, and many other places. Other parts of their Religion consists in invocating holy men famoused for many vertues. In Warres (the Cutterys or Radieas onely) call upon Bemo­hem: the rich upon Mycasser; the poore upon Syer: the labourers upon [Page 45] Gunner: the married, upon Hurmount, &c. Moreover, they effect Pilgrima­ges to rivers, especially Gonga (Ganges) more venerable then any other, in that they say Bremaw frequented it, and that it has (at Siba where it springs out of a rock) a head in forme of a Cow their beloved Idol: wherein they Wash oft, and thereby suppose themselves purified from sinne (and durt:) and in requitall enrich her womb with Gold and Jewels, hoping to thrive the better, especi­ally when they die to have their mouthes madefied with a drop of that water of the terrestriall Paradise.

In Baptisme, the Priests children and Marchants (that is to say Bramins and Bannyans) anoynt with Oyle, and clense by water. The other prophaner sort, the men of warre and manifactures have onely water, with the point of a pen opposed to their forehead, as wishing that God will write good things there, to which the company say Amen. Their Marriages (as I have said) are at seven yeares old, and if any die unmarried, they conclude him in limbo: so that oft times they marry them, when dead, afore they be buried: the Marri­age ceremonies are not many nor frivolous; the Boy riding about the Towne attended with all the little ones that can ride, roab'd with Jewels, Scarfes, &c. one day. And the Mayden Bride the next with a like trayne of dainty virgins no lesse richly attired, the Bride and her Husband knowne from the rest by their Crownes and Coronets, celebrated by many Kettle Drummes, Trum­pets, Pageants, and the like; the Bride has no money Portion, they hold it contemptible: onely some Jewels and Dinaes of gold, such as they that day are attired with. I dare not say those Dinaes are those [...] or Marriage gifts mentioned by Homer 9 Ilyad, Suydas, &c. The Wedding is thus, a fire is interpos'd, intimating the purity and heat of their affections: a silken string circles both their bodies as the Hyerogliphic or bond of Wedlock; then a linnen cloath is put betwixt them, in token that till then they were unknowne to one another in nakednesse. This done, the Bramyn blesses them, prayes that she may prove as gentle and fruitfull as a Cow, the cloath is torne away, the string untyed, and they are one anothers ever after. Also they never marry out of their owne Casts or Tribe: as Bramins the daughters of Bramyns: Cutterys, the daughters of Cutterys: Shudderys Shudderys; and Wyses not onely so, but also compere in their owne Trades: as Taylers, the daughters of Taylers: Barbers, Barbers daughters &c.

In sicknesse they call upon Marrawn (an Epithite of God) expressing mercy. If they perceive he is going the way of all flesh, then they expand his hand, and moysten it with holy water, the water of Ganges: when he is dead they wash the carcasse and carry it silently to the water side, where they utter two or three words to that element, then burne his body in sweet wood or spices, which as earth mixes with the corps, and throwing the ashes into the River, they think they have given every Element his peculiar due, and so depart home well satisfied forthwith. The Priests present his sonne the roll of his deceased fore-fathers, and bid him fulfill the ceremoniall law of deploring for ten dayes, neither using his wife, laughing, eating Opium nor Betele, put­ting on no cleane cloathes nor oyle on's head, but that day moneth for that yeare ever after make a feast, and pay a complementall visit to that River, that drunk his Fathers ashes. Oft times the wife (to expresse her love) incenerates her selfe at that time her Husbands body was incendiated. They affect no se­cond [Page 46] marriages, the Raieaes and Wyses excepted. Now the reason why they burne their dead, is either in imitation of those recorded by the Prophet Amos 6.10. or in way of pitty and piety, lest the enemy should offer it villany; or if buried, it would stink (an improper thing in a Bannyan) and so putrifie the grasse and make Kine unhealthy: besides, out of their carcasses would issue wormes, who would starve when the dead body was consumed, a sinne un­pardonable.

The Braminy or Priests (to speake in common) are of 82 Casts or Tribes, the Vertaes are of higher note and fewer: their habit is a girdle of an Anti­lops skinne tied about their middle, a thong of the same hide from the necke to the left arme, and elsewhere naked; some of them weare a threefold thred from the right shoulder to the left arme as a badge of their profession and in memory of the 3 sonnes of the second creation.

The Cutteries are more prophane; men of warre, shedders of blood, flesh-eaters, and libidinous; they are for the greater part called Rajas or Kings; have six and thirty Casts among themselves, from some of which none of them but is descended: of these, are the Tribes of Dodepuchaes, some Chaw­ah, some Solenkees, some Vaggelaes, and some Paramors; of long times owners of Indostant, till Aladin, a patan, King of Delly, wrested Guzzarat from them, and since then, most is taken away by the issue of Tamerlange: at this day they call themselves Rashpootes (or sonnes of Kings) and live law­lesse to the Moores, the chiefe of which at this day are Rana Radgee Mardout, Radga Surmul-gee, Raia Berumshaw, Mahobet-chan, Radia Barmulgee, Radgea Ramnagar, Radgea Iooh', Iessingh, Tzettersing, and Mansuigh, &c.

The Shudderyes or Bannyans are Merchants, and (contrary to their name, which significs harmlesse) are the most crafty people throughout India. Full of flegmatick feare and superstition: they are indeed very mercifull, grieving to see other people so hard-hearted to feed upon fish, flesh, Raddish, and such things as have life or any resemblance. They will not kill a Louse, Flea, or Kakaroch, or the like for 1000 pound; but contrariwise buy their liberty of such Saylers as of necessity must crush them: yea, they have Hospitalls for old, lame, sick, or starved creatures, birds, beasts, Cats, Rats, or the like, and have no worse men to oversee them than the Pushelans, the greatest and best respected sorts of Brammins of all Casts whatsoever: they are of Pythagora's do­ctrinating, not only in beleeving the Metempsychosis of the soule of each man into a beast: as for example, the soule of a drunkard and Epicure into a Swine, the lustfull and incestuous into Goats and Dogs; the dissemblers into Apes, Crocodiles, and Foxes: the lazie into Beares, the wrathfull into Tygers, the proud into Lyons, the bloud thirsty into Wolves, Ounces, Snakes; the per­jur'd into Toads, and the like: but the soules of good men, abstemious, pitti­full and courteous, into Kine, Buffalaes, Sheepe, Storks, Doves, Turtles, &c. An opinion memoriz'd by Ovid 15 Metamor.

[Page 47]The last Sect or Cast of Gentiles are the Wises, a name albeit derived from Wise the youngest sonne of Pourous and Parcootee, yet in their tongue pro­perly signifying a labouring man: these be of two sorts, the Wise and Coolee; the first agreeing with the Bannyan in abstinence, the other not forbearing to eat any manducable creature; the purer sort are subdevided into 36 Casts or Families.

The conclusion is, that all these 4 Casts in time grew so impious and un­thankfull, that God commanded Ruddery to command a blast of wind to sweep away this wretched generation, which accordingly he did; that tem­pest raging so violently that the mountaines and rocks were hurled to and fro like dust or tennis-balls, the seas out of their course, yea Ganges out of her holy channell, wherein all (save a few honest men and women left to reple­nish) perished; this was the second confusion. Soone after, God gave them a King, propagate from the seed of the Bramyns cald Ducerat, who begat Ram, a King so famous for piety and high attempts, that to this day his name is ex­ceedingly honoured, so that when they say Ram Rame, 'tis as if they should say, all good betide you.

But to shew the imbecillity of mans nature, his weak condition and frailty: in processe of time the world again grew abominable and treacherous: so that Ruddery commands the earth to open and swallow down quick those ungodly wretches; a few excepted, who the third time peopled the earth with humane inhabitants, and then (as Bremaw had formerly) Vistney the mediator of mer­cy ascended into heaven, leaving cruell Ruddery to over rule this age of Iron, at the end of which he also shall be rapt into paradise: these 4 ages they call Curtain, Duauper, Tetrajoo and Kolee.

Touching the last Iudgement, they hold it shall be more dreadfull than the other; the Moone to look blood red, the Sunne to shed his light like purling brimstone, an universall flashing of fire, with loudest thundring; then a flammy rednesse will orespread the heavens, and the 4 Elements (of which the world consists) shall maintaine a dreadfull fight so long, so fiercely one against another, that at last all shall be revolved into a dark confusion: the soules of such as were good men, Ruddery will transport to heaven, the wicked perish; but the bodies of both rise no more, being too incredulous of the resurrection.

Now albeit these people in a continued series of wilfulnesse and ignorance beleeve that their Shaster or Cabala was immediately from God, yet that it is wholly grounded upon tradition, and parched out of many Histories, Iewish and Gentilisme, I have already shewed what is in imitation of the holy Scrip­ture and from the rule and practise of other Nations: and we may adde, that their burning the dead, is borrowed from the 6 of Amos 10. their marriage after death from Cerinthus and Marcyon, old hereticks who used to baptize after death in case they were not pre-baptiz'd; the thred tripartite hung about their neck is a misterious denotation of the Trinity; rice and painting in their forehead is not only as a symbole of Baptisme, but in imitation of the Starre Rempham fixed in the brow of the Idoll Moloch, or of Iul. Caesar, who had one in his forehead as an embleme of immortality. And also, let us see in how many things they concurre with the rules of Pythagoras (to this day famous among them). These Bramins or Bannyans in their schooles and other places [Page 48] affect silence: for 5 yeeres are not suffered to speake in the Schooles; under­stand one another by dumb signes in most things; adore toward the Sunne; honor Angels; observe a Munday Sabbath; abstaine from second marriages, (some from the first) affect white garments, loath coughing, spitting and the like, forbeare swearing and blasphemy, shun pleasures, drink water, beleeve the transmigration of mens soules into beasts, offer inanimate sacrifices, deny the bodies resurrectiō, hate to touch a pot or cup with their mouth, but rather powre the liquor in at a good distance, reverence Elders, eat nor drink with men of other religions, use washings much, touch no uncleane thing and ma­ny other, in nothing differing with the Pithagoreans, as may be gathered out of Iosephus, Suydas, Philo, Laertius and other writers.

Having tyred out your patience with this Sect; for variety sake, turne wee to another sort of Gentiles in Surrat & Guzzurat the Persees, a people descen­ded out of Persia, banisht hither (to avoid Mahomitry & circumcision) upon the death of valiant Iezdgird the Persian King, Anno Dom. 635. or thereabouts; whose life and doctrine (as it is gathered from the Daroo or Priests of this sect by Master Lord a worthy Minister, for some yeeres resident in the Factory of Surat) I will epitomize, that we may move (after this repose) onward in our travailes.

Religion of the Persaes.Into India I say these Persees came, (such time as Omar the second Chaliph after Mabumet had subjected Persia) in 5 Iuncks from Iasquez sayling to Surrat, where after some treaty with the Raieas and Bannyans they got entertain­ment and leave to exercise their owne religion. A religion deduced from the raigne of Gustaph King of Persia Anno Mundi 3500, and before our Sa­viours Incarnation 500 yeeres, written in their Zundavastaw (or law Booke) in this manner.

Such time as Gustasp (the 14 King of Persia from Kuyomarraz, by some, thought Naah) swayed the Imperiall Scepter of that famous Monarchy: It chanced that Espintaman and Dodoo two poore people, man and wife, Chynaes by nation, lived long together in a good report, but without Fortunes bles­sings, in estate or children: howbeit, at Dodooes earnest request, a sonne was given her who in his conception promised (by some rare and fearfull dreames the mother hatched) great matters, not only to the astonishment of his sim­ple parents but amazement of the China King, who (out of jealousie and dis­position to credit any report) sought to prevent all events by killing or poy­soning him: but (to shew a superior power swayes us and never misses to ac­complish its designes tho by man never so much oppugned) nothing could do him harme; for fearing his parents ruine, and to ease the King of his feares, they all consent to give China a farewell, and seek a securer abode in a region more remote, and where they might more freely meditate.

Farre they travelled, saw many rare things, past over many great rivers on foot, for Zertoost (so was this young prophet named) turned them by a trick that he had into solid Ice, and after thawed them at his pleasure and many rare adventures found, (all which are to be left out, in that religion is the marke we shoot at) not staying long in any place till they arrived in Persia, where they rested and intended to settle: Zertoost (as all good men use to doe) spent most of his time in meditation; and on a time especially, obser­ving the disorder of mens living, sorrow overcame him, and a desire to re­forme [Page 49] them totally possessed him: but finding the place he was in not solitary enough or fit for revelations, away he goes, not resting till he came into a dark valley, surrounded and obscured by two lofty mountaines, there he inge­minates his silent murmures, with dejected eyes, erected hands, and knees bended, when loe, a glorious Angell, whose face was more coruscant than the Sunne, salutes him thus, Hayle, Zertoost, a man of God, what wouldst thou? he strait answers; The presence of God, to receive his will, to instruct my nation: his prayer is granted, his body purged; his eyes sealed; till being past the Element of fire and higher orbes, he is presented afore the supreame Majesty, arrayed with such refulgent glory, that (till he had Angells eyes put into his head) he could not gaze on such a daz'ling excellency: there, he re­ceived his lawes (no place but heaven will serve to fetch Philosophy, as La­ertius writes of Socrates) uttered by the Almighty (whose words were in­compast with flames of fire:) such lawes, such secrets, as some of them are not fit to be promulgated. Being upon his departure, he desires of God, that he might live so long as the world indured, that in that protract hee might the easier make all people on the earth imbrace his doctrine: God pitties his simplicity and in a mirrour shewes him the alteration of times, the villany of Lucifer, the misery of man, and many other rarities such as quite altred his first desires; so that, when he had worshipped, he takes his Zundavastaw or Book in 's left hand, and some celestiall Fire in 's right, and by Baha­man Vmshauspan the foresaid Angell (who cleft the Ayre with his gol­den wings) is set downe in that same valley where the spirit found him.

Zertoost (by this time a man of great experience) armes himselfe against all disasters and temptations, and bidding his Hermitage farewell, travells home­ward, to publish his law and joy his too long afflicted parents: Satan (who all this while lookt asquint at Zertoosts determinations) intends to seduce him, and after a short excuse for his rude intrusion, protests himselfe his unfained friend, assuring him the Angell had deluded him; that God hated his novell indeavors; that if he had loved him, he had not so soone so willingly parted with him, that his denying him to live till the day of doome, argued Gods neglect of him; that his travaile to reclaime the world was in vaine, mens minds so doated upon freedome and vanity; that his booke was stuft with lies, and in publishing it great shame and perill should betide him: that his fire, was a mercilesse Element, rediculous and of small use in those hot regi­ons. And in conclusion, if he would reject these and depend on him, hee would furnish him with all delights, honours and pleasures possible, give him power to do strange things, whereby hee should bee worshipped for a God, which if he refused he was a foole and unworthy his charity.

Zertoost soone saw that tempter was no better nor worse than Lucifer: he bad him avoid, and call to mind to his addition of terror, how by his ambiti­ous impiety he had lost heaven, and how meere malice made him desirous to draw all other into like damnation: he also told him how that booke he so scoft at should condemne him, that fire torture him and all such black mouth'd lyers and detracters as himselfe; whereat the Fiend was horribly affrighted and left him: the divell is no sooner gone, but on goes Zertoost and at length arrived where he found his parents who (you doubt not of) received him glad­ly; to whom he imparted his passed fortunes and intended occasions. Dodoo [Page 50] his mother (that good old woman) imagines it a sinne unpardonable, that so excellent a young prophet (as she thought her sonne) should be longer con­cealed from the world; yea grew so transported, that she thought all men wicked blockheads that could not find it out without her babling it: but see­ing them dull, to them she goes and without longer circumstance tells them the whole story of her sonnes conception, her dreams, his piety, his enthu­siasticks, revelations, visions, the excellency of his booke, his authority to command all men to believe and obey his lawes and ordinances. The people admire and blazon it, so that in short time Gustasp the Persian King had notice of it, who desiring to see the man and know the truth, sends for him, is so well sati [...]fied and instructed, that he forthwith wavered in his owne religion, judging Zertoosts better and more plausible; insomuch, as his owne Priest became dejected, and invented all wayes possible to reclaime him; and to ef­fect it, bribes Zertoosts servants to convey under his bed the bones of dead men and dead dogs carkasses, things most hatefull to the Persians, possessing the King that this stranger was a banisht man, a man of a most impure conver­sation, witnesse the stuffing of the bed he slept upon: the King is brought to view that nasty deceit, abominates him, and for his reward shuts him in a loathsome dungeon, but this misery of his endured not long; for the King, ha­ving a horse of great account deadly ill, proposes great rewards to any could recover him; many desired it, but none durst undertake it, fearing the pe­nalty, till Zertoost heard it who administers a potion and recovers him: an act so acceptable to Gustasp that he receives the poore prophet into grace again, wherby he had the way to discover the Kings priests knavery and to illustrate his owne integrity; yea, a means whereby to publish his owne doctrine, and by some miracles intermixt to have it credited.

It chanced that the King (either stimulated by his Churchmen, or judg­ing Zertoost able to do any thing) calls for him, professing his propensity to be of his religion, and which he and all his would entertaine, upon condition Zertoost would grant him 4 things: the first, that he might never die; the se­cond, that hee might ascend heaven and come downe againe without hurt as often as hee listed; the third, that hee might know what God had done, did, and intended; the fourth, that his body might bee in­vulnerable.

Zertoost is somewhat thunder-struck with these demands: But perceiving it otherwise impossible to have his Dogmataes believed, hee tells the King, that for one man to have all those properties was to make him a God, more than a man; that the King should choose any one for himselfe, and the other 3 things be given any other three men he pleasd to nominate: 'tis accepted, and Gustasp makes the second his choice, that he might ascend and descend at pleasure; to know the secrets of heaven was granted the Kings Churchman, the better thereby to governe; to live for ever, is confer'd upon Pischiton (the Kings eldest sonne) who they say lives yet upon Damoan's high moun­taine guarded by 30 immortall men, to forbid all others the entrance, lest by footing that holy ground they should also live for ever; and to be free in battell or otherwise from hurt or torment was granted to Espandiar the Kings youngest sonne; after which the Zundavastaw is opened, the new broacht doctrine read and generally accepted on.

[Page 51]It has a tripartit division; the first treates of judiciall Astrologie, cal'd Astoodeger, and is committed to the care of such as they call Iesopps or Sages: The second speaks of naturall Philosophy or Physick, and is studyed by the Hackeams or Physitians: The last is a compound of religion, named (from the Inventor) Zertoost, and kept by the Daroos or Predicants: each of these three containe seven chapters: A little only of their religion.

The Zertoost is also of three parts; pointing at 3 sorts of men; the Lay­men, Clergy, and Archbishop; to every of them it directs an increase of commandements; to the first sort 5, to the second 11, to the third 13; the com­pendium of which we will only manifest.

The Behedins or Lay-mens 5 precepts be these.

1. To cherish modesty and shame fastnesse: a vertue deterring all sorts of ugly vices and concupiscence, as pride, revenge, theft, adultery, drunken­nesse, and perfidy. The 2, to cherish feare. 3. To use premeditation in what they are to do; that if bad, reject it; if good, to act it. 4. Each dayes first object to be a memento of Gods love to urge our gratitude. 5. To pray daily to the Sunne, and nightly to the Moone, as the only 2 great lamps and wit­nesses, and most opposite to the divell who delights in darknesse.

The 11, given the Herboods, Daroos or Priests to practise, are these (the other also of the Behedin they observe). 1. To be constant in that forme of worship set downe precisely in the Zundevastaw. 2. Not to covet what belongs to any other man. 3. To abhorre lyes. 4. Not to be worldly minded. 5. To learne the Zundavastaw by rote. 6. To keep himselfe free from all manner of pollu­tion. 7. To forgive all sorts of injuries. 8. To teach the Laity how to pray and convene in adoration. 9. To license Matrimony. 10. To be frequent at Church. 11. Vpon paine of fire eternall, to beleeve in no other law, neither to adde nor to diminish it.

3. The Distoore or Pope (never but one at once) has 13, and as hee per­cedes the rest in dignity, so is his life most strict and observable; he performes not onely his owne but the two former Tables also. 1. He must never so much as touch any prophane thing or person, no not the Laymen or Dae­roos of his owne beliefe, without washing or purifying. 2. He must do every thing having relation to himselfe with his owne hands, as planting, sowing, cooking, &c. 3. That hee duly receive his Tith or the Tenth of what the Layety are possessers of. 4. That hee avoid pompe and vaine-glory, but ra­ther with his great income do acts of charity. 5. That his house so con­joyne the Church, as hee may be there oft and go and come without being much seene or taken notice of. 6. That his washings be more frequent than others, his food purer, and that he refraine his wives company during her pollution. 7. That he not only be perfect in the Zertoost (a capite ad calcem) as is the Herbood, but also be of greatest knowledge in the other parts, as Iudiciall and Naturall Philosophy. 8. That his dyet be very moderate. 9. That he feare none but God. 10. That he tell every man (how great soever) of his offences. 11. That he distinguish twixt good and counterfeit visions or fancies, and give right judgement. 12 That whensoever God reveales or communicates his goodnesse or glory to him in nightly visions, he admire his mercy and keep them secret. 13. That the Pyree or holy fires (that which Zertoost brought from heaven) be ever kindled, yea never extinguish, till fire [Page 52] destroy the world: And that he pray (to and) over it. This is the true con­tents of the Zundavast which holy Zertoost brought from heaven. Declare we now their Feasts, Fasts, Weddings and Burialls.

They are tollerated all sorts of meat; but (in obedience to the Mahomitan and Bannyan 'mongst whom they live) refraine Beefe and Hog flesh: they seldome feed together, lest they might participate one anothers impurity: each has his owne cap; and if any of his owne Cast chance to use it, hee washes it three times, and forbeares it a good while after: they observe six solemne Fe­stivalls annually; the first call'd Meduserum, kept the 15 of Fere or February; 2. Petusahan, on the 26 of Sheruar or Aprill; 3. Yatrum, on the 26 of Mahar or May; 4. Medearum, on the 16 of Deh or August, 5. Homespetamadum, on the 30 of Spindamud or October; 6. Medusan, on the 11 of Adebese or Decem­ber; all of them in memory of the Creation and monethly benefits. After each of these Feasts they eat but one small meale a day for five dayes after, and whensoe're that lay men eat any flesh, they bring part to their Eggaree or Temple to pacifie the Lord, in that for their sustenance the lives of those good creatures are annihilated. Now concerning the Fire they adore, tis in memory of that Zertoost brought from heaven, wherein they memorize the vestalls, or rather in an apish imitation of the Jewish law (the devill as neere as may be, desiring to counterfeit the Law of God) in the 6. of Levit. 13. where tis commanded that the fire (that came from heaven) should be ever burning upon the Altar and never goe out. In Persia they had many Pyree of this ve­stall fire, most of which were destroyed by Heraclius the Romane Emperour in his Warres with Kozchoes (at that time Mahomet serving in his Army.) Some to this day are remaining, having the Idolatrous Fire from 1000 yeares un­extinguished. In Indya also these banisht Persee have their Eggarees or Tem­ples, one of which is at Nuncery (not farre from Surratt) whose Fire has con­tinued without fomenting this 200 yeares: where note that this their God-fire is not composed of common combustibles, as wood, straw, coales, slates, &c. nor blowne by any bellowes, breath of man, wafting, or like prophane things; No, tis compounded of sparks flying from a hot burning temper'd steele, and kindled either by lightning from heaven, by an ignis fatuus, the beames from a burning glasse, or such like; for, but such onely is proper for that their Antis­beheraun or Idoll fire.

But if it chance the fire have need of cherishing, the Distoore and other Lay-men (at 12 foot distance) surround the holy Diety and after some ge­stures, the Priests adds fewell and returning to the other people, altogether worship it, beseeching it, that they may not onely give it due reverence, but also honour solemnly all other things that resemble it; as Sunne, Moon, Starrs, and common fire, which also they so divinely estimate, that they hold it a most ungodly part to spet in it, throw water into it, or put it to any vile or unne­cessary imployment; but reverence wood and such things as it receives life and vigour from.

The Baptisme of these Heathen Idolaters is of this nature: so soone as it is borne, the Daroo is call'd upon, who delayes not, but being instructed in the precise time of his Nativity, calculates his fortunes: the Daroo invents the name, the mother imposes it: this done, they all together haste to the Eggaree or Temple, where the Priest puts a little pure water into the barque of a holy [Page 53] tree the name is Holme, the place it growes in, Yezd, a Citie in Persia not farre from Spahawn, where at this day are many of this religion, who upon the mountaine Albors, have a Pyree wherein is a Fire-god, which has never beene extinguished (they say from Gustasps time, contempory with Abraham) a tree, Zertoost blessed and in this more memorable, that it never admits of any shadow: the water out of this holy rind is powred upon the Infant, and a prayer made that it may be clensed from all impurity: at seven yeares age it is confirmed by the Daroo, and made to say his prayers o're the fire (but with a cloath fastned about his head, which covers his mouth and nostrils lest his sinfull breath might taint the holy Fire,) drinks a little water, chaw's a Pom­granat leafe, washes in a Tanck, cloathes his naked body with a fine Shuddero or linnen reaching to his wast, tyes a zone or girdle of Cushee or Camells haire about his loynes, woven with Inkle of the Herboods making (which hee weares ever after) and after a short prayer, that he may never prove an Apo­state or prophane wretch, but continue a Fire-worshipper; eating no mans meat, nor drinking no mans drink but his owne; he is then blessed and held a Persee most warrantable.

Their Marriages in briefe are thus: distinguisht into five orders. 1. Shaulan, or a marrying of two young children agreed on by each parents, but unknown to the children; the vertue being, that if either die they goe to heaven. 2. Chockerson, a second marriage. 3. Codesherahasan, when the woman is her owne chooser. 4. Ecksan, when a dead body (not being married before) is married. 5. Ceterson, when having no sonnes, he adopts his daughters son, &c. the Coremony this: at midnight the Daroo or Priest enters the house, (they wed not in Churches) finds the two parties (to be married) upon a bed toge­ther; opposite to each other stands two Churchmen with Ryce in their hands (the Emblem of fruitfulnesse:) then first, one laying his fore-finger on the Brides forehead, he asks if she be willing to take that man to be her Husband, who saying yea: the like rite and question is by the other Priest done to the man; the Bridegroome makes a promise to infeoff her in a certaine number of Dynaes: she replyes, she and all she has is his; the Priests then scatter the Ryce upon their heads and pray, that they may multiply as Ryce; the wo­mans parents give the Dowry, and eight dayes are spent in joviality and com­plement.

Their Funeralls are these: They put the dead body into a winding sheet, all the way his kindred beat themselves but in great silence till they come within 50 or 100 paces of the buriall place: where the Herbood or Priest meets them (observing ten foot distance) attired in a yellow scarfe and a thin Turbant: the Necesselars or bearers carry the corps upon an iron Beere (wood is forbidden, in that it is sacred to the fire) to a little Shed or Furnace, where (so soone as some mistique Antiques are acted) they hoyse it up to the top of a round stone building, twelve foot high and 80 in circuit: the entrance is only at the N. E. side, where through a small grate or hole they conveigh the car­casse into a common Monument, the good men into one, the bad into another; tis flat above, wholy open, plaistered with smooth white loame, hard and smooth like that of Paris; in the midst thereof is a hole descending to the bot­tome, made to let in the putrifaction issuing from the melted bodies, which are there-upon layd naked in two rowes, exposed to the Sunnes flaming rage, [Page 54] and mercilesse appetite of ravening Vultures, who commonly are fed by these carcases, tearing the raw flesh asunder, and deforming it in an ugly sort; so that the abominable stink of those unburied bodies (in some places 300) is so loath­some and strong, that (did not a desire to see strange sights allure a Traveller) they would prove worse seene than spoken of; Nor doe the Persees delight that any stranger should goe op to view them.

THE tenth of Ianuary, Sir Robert Sherley at our Ambassadors request, entred Gumbrown to acquaint the Sultan with his arrivall, and to demand such en­tertainment and necessaries as befitted his excellen­cy and Travaile to the Persian Court, though no lesse distant than the Caspian sea. It did not relish right to the covetous Sultan; but upon sight of his Phirman or letter of Command, he dissembled his humour, protesting he was transported with joy that so happy an occa­sion was hapned, as well to expresse himselfe an obedient slave to Shaw-Abbas, as that the Towne should be honoured by so noble a stranger; sor­ry onely he was so ill fitted to shew his humanity, his Lordships so sudden landing preventing the pomp he aymed him. Sir Robert Sherley returned his complement and forthwith invited my Lord Ambassador ashoare, who as readily accepted it. At his issuing from the ship, Captaine Browne (whom I name to honour him) thundred out his farewell by a hundred great Shot, whose Ecchoes not onely made Gombroon to tremble, but seemed to rend the higher regions with their bellowings. Wrapt in smoak and flame, we landed safely, tho Neptune made us dance upon his liquid billowes and with his salt breath seasoned the Epicinia or intended Tri­umphs. At his landing the Cannons from the Castle and Cittadell vomit­ed out their fiery choller, ten tymes roring out their wrathfull clamours, to our delight and terrour of the Pagans, who of all noyses most hate artifi­ciall Thunder. The Sultan and Shawbander handed him out of his Bardge, and mounted him upon a stately Arabian Courser; the stirrops were of pure gold, the saddle (a Morocco sort) was most richly imbrodered with silver. All his followers had also such as pleased them. In this equi­page, attended by his owne gentlemen, some sea Captaines, the English Agent Master Burt and two hundred Coozell-bashawes, we moved slowly towards the Sultans Pallace, all the way passing through a ranck, or file of [Page 121] Archers and Musquetiers on either side doubled, and being alighted, usherd him into his Apollo; where upon rich carpets was plac't a neat and costly Banquet, store of Shyraz Wine, and choyce Violls from the ships; all which, with his protestations of welcome, (Hoshomody Suffowardy still dropping out of his mouth) gave us undoubted knowledge that either he was a grand hypocrite, or extreamely fearefull a complaint should be made to the great Duke of Shyraz against him of his past neglect; all which we gave a favourable interpretation unto: let us now into and about the towne, to see if ought will present it selfe a welcome object.

GVMBROVVN (or Gomroon as some pronounce it) is by most Per­sians [...] cald Bander or the Port Towne: seated upon the gulph, in the Carmanian desert (part whereof is now cald Larr) or in Kermoen as the Persians call it; albeit my fancie prompts me, that it is rather in Chu­sistan, Shushan being so small a way removed from it. Some (but I com­mend them not) write it Gamrou, others Gomrow, and other-some Cum­meroon. The Artique pole mounts here to seven and twenty degrees and nine minutes. A Towne it is of no Antiquity, rising daily out of the ruines of late glorious (now most wretched) Ormus, an houres journey thence.

I was told, that it had not twelve houses twelfve yeares ago; at this day encreased to a thousand: but how can I credit it, since one Newbery our country-man entitles it a Town at his being here, which was in the yeare 1581. Yet old it cannot be, since all agree the Portugals first founded it; after Ormous doubtlesse, and where the Castle was begun but in Anno 1513 by Albuquerq' the Portugall. Gumbroon is from Ormus nine english myles: it also viewes Arabia about sixteene leagues west, for there the Gulph is narrowest. It was forced from the Portugall in the yeare 1612 by Ally-Reec the Shyrazian, and is now compleatly governed by the Persian. It is in compasse about two myles, the earth is sandy, without gardens, springs, or grasse: from March to October so hot, as the Natives flie away to Larr and other Townes where Date trees shadow them against the ever burning Sunne, and ground or sand that scalds like hottest embers: a great Mountayne (reckned twenty miles distant, but by its height seemes not eight) anticipates the coole North-wind, which to other parts breaths sweetly and refreshes them. The houses are of Sunne-dried bricks, thick & sollid; within, are without much furniture; without simple to look upon. The windowes are large and trellised, made to open when any Favonius murmurs among them. The tops are tarrassed, made both to walk & sleep upon, so Carpets be spred to soften them. In the Summer season when few ships ride here, they sleep in troughs or beds fild with water. The Buzzar is very ordinary: tis covered atop to keep out the searching beames of the scortching Sunne; where under is sold Wine, Arack, Sher­bet, Thlummery, and many other things to the eye and belly necessary. The entrance into the Sultans house, is at the East side of the Market place. His, the Shabanders, English, and Duch (distinguisht by their Flags or En­signes, displayed by Aeolus atop their houses) are all are worth the entring in or my noting: of best note, are two Castles, at the North and South ends of the Towne, spatious and defensive; adorn'd with good Battlements and [Page 122] Platformes to play their uselesse Cannons on. Fourescore brasse Peeces are planted here, and are part of those they got from Ormus Anno 1622; two hundred more being sent up to Larr, Spahawn and Babylon) of small ter­rour, if no better Gunners exercise them. Whiles ships ride here, Gum­broon is a garrison foure hundred horse and foot attend their Gene­rall; but dare not fight against the Sonne, all summer billeting where they can find food and shelter. In winter you may find here, Merchants of sundry Nations; English, Ducth, Persians, Indians, Arabs, Armenians, Turks, Iewes, and others. The most common commodities here, are belly food; Wine, Rack, Sherbet, Rosewater, Sugar, Almonds, Dates, Pomgra­nats, Figs, Currans, Orenges, Lemmons, Pomecitrons, Mirabolans, Ap­ples, Peares, Quinces, and Flowers, in great variety. As also, Goates, Hens, egges (two yeare old,) Ryce, &c. most of which are sold by the crafty, faire spoken Bannyans, who swarme through all parts of Asia. They will readily trade or prattle with Christian, Turk, Iew, or Gentile, but have no good fellowship, for they hate to eat or drink with any save of their owne casts and religion; rice, plaintains, and some fruits they eat, drink water or sherbet (which is faire water, rosewater, sugar and juyce of Lemons put together): but for flesh, eggs, or such roots, as raddish and the like, resembling blood or wine, not one bitt would they eat, though you would give the poorest knave amongst them, a thousand pound; they are troubled with Pythagoras dreames, doubting thereby they might eat up the soules of their friends or parents; which transmigration of soules Tibullus elegantly thus detects to his Mistresse.

Some Sudatories (cald here Hummums,) some Mosques, some Syna­gogues and Sanhedrins are here; but those so obscure, that the eye can scarce direct us to them. Most remarkable is the great Banayan Tree, a league East from the Towne, and opposite to Ormus Castle: a Tree (or rather twenty Trees, the boughs rooting and springing up a whole aker together rounded within and shaded in forme of a Theater, two hundred and nine paces about as I measured and wherein, or under, may ambush very secretly three hundred horse: some call it the arched Fig tree, some Arbor de Rays, (a tree of Roots) others de Goa: namd by us the Bannyan Tree, from their adorning and adoring it with ribbons and streamers of va­ricoloured Taffata, a goodly Diety! such a one as Pliny observd long since in his Travayles amongst 'em. Haec fuere Numinûm Templa, priscoque ritu, etiam nunc simplicia rura Deo praecellentem Arborem dicant. Here under [Page 123] also, they have a temple, supported on one side by the body of the tree, un­seen to such as are without the branches; in which (for I adventured in) are three of the most deformed Pagods or Idols imaginable; invocated by the Bannyan in memoriall of Cuttery, shuddery, and Wyse, their three dei­fied predecessors; kept by an old doting Braminy, who for above three­score yeeres in this irreligious place has most wickedly sacrifizd his soule to Belzebub; for many yeeres hee had all the Pagods offerings, part being the virginity of the Brides (at ten yeeres commonly) which since he can­not actuate, he is not asham'd (as I was told) to contract with Travellers, who in an infernall disguise reap the unripe and unholy Holocausts.

The Inhabitants (I exclude strange Merchants) are Olive-coloured, white onely in their teeth: their apparell is a shash above, a Shuddero or linnen about their waists, and else-where naked. They cut their skin,

and burne round circles in their flesh, to symbolize their pride and love, sir reverence; Cupid has not fire enough, but they must help him! Pompo­nius Mela long since thus anatomiz'd them; Carmani sunt sine veste, fruge, & pecore, sedibus piscium se cute velant, vescuntur carne, &c. The female sex are wrapt in white (not from innocence;) some goe naked upwards; most valuable in their eares and noses, which are the richest parts about them, each eare being garnisht with a dozen silver Rings, and their fingers [Page 124] with such like gingadoes, some which are looking-glasses to admire them­selves (rare beauties) in; their armes and legges are laden with voluntary shackles of brasse and Ivory: in their noses they put their most pretious Jewels; brouches of gold, set with Garnats, Emralds, Turquoises, and like stones of value: and with it, other round Rings headed with ragged pearle, such as with their intollerable impudence makes me say, they are the most nasty, pocky Whores you shall find in any place, and who very fitly comply with Ovids remedy of love.

To concomitate those carrion women, take notice of those troopes of Jackalls, which here more than any other where rally themselves, not only each night committing burglary in the Town, but commonly they teare the dead out of their graves, and with a vulture appetite devoure their carcasses; all the while ululating and in offensive noises barking and ecchoing out their sacriledge. Wee made good sport to hunt them with doggs and swords, but they are too many to be banisht, too unruly to be conquered. I take them for those the Romans call'd Crocutae, the Greeks Alopecidae, or Lyciscae (Multum latrante Lycisca) and are either an unnaturall mixture of a Bitch and Fox, or doggs from Europe; by diver­sity of ayre and soile varying in specie from what they were formerly; observ'd in other things; the Indian Ounces, what be they but extract from Cats of Europe? Spanish doggs, in new Spaine, in the second litter doe they not become Wolves? good Melons being also transplanted in­to a base and barren ground, turne quickly to ordinary Cowcumbers.

Fourteene dayes are past since we entred Gombroon; the place has no such Magick to perswade us to inhabit here. Our end is travell, why stay we then? sure, wee were stayed three dayes by the Sultans superstition, who upon casting the Dice, if the chance prov'd right, would let us goe; if wrong, nigro carbone notatus. The foure and twentieth day the Die was right, and wee were mounted; our little Carravan consisted of twelve horse and 29 Camells: the English Agent and other of our owne, and some Dutch Merchants attended our Ambassadour a league out of the Towne; where, the Sultan met us, who (well pleas'd with the Piscash or Present our Ambassador had given him) payed us all a hundred Sallams and Tesselams: that is, God speed you well, God keepe you. And lifting up his eyes to heaven, his hands to his breast, and bending almost unto his stirrop, once more bad farewell & so returned. His men & he all the way back played at Giochi di Canni, darting at one another very dexterously. Wee heard the King was solacing at the Caspian Sea, whither now wee are travelling. Till then let us keepe an Ephemerides or day-journey. The first night (from Gumbroon) wee rode to Bandally, sixteene English miles (and most part along the gulph) or to compute it in the Persian tongue, five farsangs and a halfe; a farsang (Pliny calls it a parasang which containes thirty stades or foure Italian miles) is three of ours, or a Dutch league; in names only different. At Band Ally we found a neat Carravans-raw or Inne, the Turks call them Imareths, the Indians Sarrays; built by mens charity, to give all civill passengers a resting place gratis; to keepe them from the injury of theeves, beasts, weather, &c: for, through all Asia we find no other receptories, nor provision save what we carry along, [Page 125] and Kitchin utensils to dresse it in; also wee have our water usually in Tancks or Store-houses, some made long, some round, pav'd below; above, archt and plaistered; fill'd by the beneficiall raynes (springs are rarely found) which albeit the clouds seldome here distill their happy moisture, they somtimes breake, and then in churlish sort diffude to some purpose; for, falling in Cattaracts they quickly fill their gaping Jarrs and Cesterns. Next night wee got to Gacheen, five farsangs further; the third night to Cowrestan, seven; next, to Tanghy-Dolon (i. e. a narrow way) praise-worthy in her Lodge or Carravans-raw, but especially in the sweet Crystallin water wee found there. It issues from a mighty mountain three miles East thence, and in an Aquae-duct sports wantonly to this Tanck, whose over plus is received (by another Pipe laid in an artificiall way cut mar­vellously through the bottome of an adjoyning rockie hill) into a large Pond; which, richly mellowes all the Vally (resembling Tempe) and Town call'd Dolon, surrounded with studpendious hills on every side, so per­pendicular, as with few men may bee made impregnable; a solitary place it is, but exceeding pleasant; when from the hill tops wee dazell our sights in view of that sandy, stony, sterill Desert. That dayes journey was foure farsangs.

Our next daies travell was to Whormoot, eleven farsangs (thirty three miles) where we found a black pavillion; in it three old Arabians; who, out of their Alcoran ingeminated a dolefull requiem to their Brothers carcasse, over which they sat; their lookes were clouded with pathetick sadnesse; their cheekes bedewed with briny teares, intending (after the Jewish mode, Septem ad luctum) to solemnise his farewell seven daies, singing, sighing, weeping.

Nigh Whormoot are Duzgun, Laztan-De, and other Townes, where is got the best Assa-Faetida through all the Orient: the tree is like our brier in height, the leaves resemble Fig leaves, the root the Radish: the vertue had need be much, it stincks so odiously. But, though the savour bee so base, the sapor is so excellent, that no meat, no sauce, no vessell pleases the Guzurats pallat, save what relishes of it. Next night we got to Our-mangell, five: and next day to Larr; two miles short of which old City, the Cawzy, Calantar and other of the prime Citizens welcomed us with wine and other adjuncts of complement. Wee had not rode halfe a mile further, when, loe an antick Persian out of a Poetick rapture, clamored out a song of welcome: the Epilog was resounded upon kettle Drums, Timbrells, and Barbarrous Jingle-jangling instruments; a homely Venus attired like a Bacchanell, attended by many other morisdancers, begun to caper and frisk their best lavoltoes; every limb strove to exceed each other, the Bells, brasse Cimbals, kettle musick and whistles, storming such a Phrygick discord, that to consort we might squeak'out.

[Page 126]For Bacchus then seemed alive agen: glasse bottles emptied of wine clashing one against another, the roaring of 200 Mules and Asses, and con­tinuall shooting and whooping of above two thousand Plebeians all the way, so amazed us; that wee thought, never any civill strangers were bom­basted with such a Triumph; the noyse that Vulcan and all his Cyclops make, were not comparable to these Mymallonians. But his quoque finem, wee got with much adoe to our lodging, infinitly wearied; for my owne part, I was somewhat deafe three dayes after.

LARR, is a City and Province in Persia; on the North limited with Parc or Pharsistan; on the East with Carmoan or Carmania; has the Per­sian gulph to the South; and to the West, Chusistan or Susiana; a region a thousand miles in circuit: barren and flaming hot, full of sand, stones, a few Date trees, Mines, and sulphur.

The City Lar is in the navell of Larestan, and raises the North pole seven and twenty degrees and forty minutes; some have more, twenty eight degrees and thirtie minutes, in longitude from the cape Meridian ninty degrees: a very old City it is; if call'd Laodicaea by Antiochus, as Pine­tus thinkes, (in Phrygia and Coelosyria were Townes of the same name in Ptolomy) Procopolis by another Greek; Corrha after that, and now Lar (or Laar as some pronounce it) a name given her foure hundred yeeres ago by Laarge-beg, sonne of Phiroe, and grandsonne to Pilaes, after whom ruled Gorgion Melec (of whom their Cabala feigns wonders) to whom fol­lowed eighteen Kings, of whom Ebrahim-cawn was last, subjected (Anno hegirae 985. of ours 1605) by a stratagem Emangoli-cawn Duke of Shy­raz overthrew him by, to satiate the hungry ambition of Abbas his Master, and (which is rare considering the great poverty of his Country) for the Kings part loaded away with treasure seven hundred Cammells. The captiv'd King Ebrahim had his life and a noble pension promist him, hee enjoyed them but awhile, an unexpected sword of death betraying his hopes, without which the Dyadem sat not right upon the head of Shaw-Abbas the soveraigne,

Nine dayes we staid in Larr; a shame it were, if in so long time we had noted nothing. Lar is from Gumbroon seven small dayes riding; from Shyraz foureteene, from Babylon twenty: a very poore Towne it is, as being parcht with the scalding Sun, defaced by rage of warre, and thrown down by many fearfull Earth-quakes. Anno Domini 1400, it shook ter­ribly, and made five hundred houses prostrate to its Tiranny. Anno 1593. of their account 973. she boasted of five thousand houses; but see how vain: is the pride of man: that very yeere, the earth sweld with such a dreadfull tympany, that in venting it selfe, it made all Larr to quake; and in fine, would not be supprest, but by the weight of three thousand houses turned topsi-turvie, quashing to death three thousand men in their de­struction. The old Castle also on the East side of the Towne (it owes its foundation to Georgean Melec) though built atop a solid rock, groand in a like affrighting downfall: and to me it seemed strange, a City so strong­ly, so surely founded, should be so subject to such unnaturall commotions. Whither it be (as Democritus dreamt) from the gaping Sun-torne earth quaffing in too greedily too much water, and (like a glutted drunkard) [Page 127] overcharging her caverns, vomits it up in a forcible and discontented mo­tion; or whether (as Aristotle teaches) from vapors ingendred in the bowels of the earth, and loth to bee imprisoned in a wrong orb, rends its passage by a viperous horrid motion: or whether from subterranean fires, the ayre inflamed upon sulphur, or such exuberances of nature, I dare not conclude, but leave such theories to those that study Meteors. Let us therefore see what Larr now is.

Larr, the Metropolis of this Province, is not wald about; in that, Art is needlesse, the lofty rocks on East and North so naturally defend her: besides, a brave Castle at the North quarter (mounted upon an imperious hill) not only threatens an enemy, but awes the Towne in a frownig posture: the ascent is narrow and steep: the Castle of good stone: the walls are furnisht with usefull battlements: whereon are mounted twelve brasse cannon pedroes, and two basilisks (the spoiles of Ormus:) within the Castle wall are raisd a hundred houses, stored with men, most part soldatts, who have there a gallant Armory able to furnish with Lance, Bow, and Gun, three thousand men: it is a fort without, of a stately frame: within, is no lesse commendable: the Buzzar is also a gallant fabrick; the materiall is good chalkie stone; long, strong, and beautifull: a quadrant I cannot call it, the sides are so unequall: tis cover'd atop, archt, and (in piazza sort) a kinde of Burse; wherein each shop showes ware of severall qualities: the Alley from North to South, is 170 of my paces; from East to West, a hundred and sixty; the ovall in center is about a hundred and ninty: a building (to speak of the Asiaticks) in some hundreds of miles, scarce to be parrelled. Neere this Buzzar are coyned the Larrees, a fa­mous sort of money, shap'd like a long Date stone, the Kings name stampt upon pure silver, in our money valuing ten pence.

The Mosques here bee not many; one especiall Mosque (or Deer) it has, round (either shadowing out Aeternity, or from a patterne of the Alca­ba the holy Temple in Mecca, whose shape they say Abraham had from heaven) in some part varnisht with Arabick letters, and painted knots, gar­nisht in other parts with Mosaick fancies: tis low, and without glasse win­dowes, wodden trellizes (excellently cut after their invention) supplying them: the entrance is through a brazen gate, neer which is hung a Mirrour whether to admire their tallow faces in, or internal deformities, I know not: some lamps it also has, for use and ornament: some Prophets rest their bones here, take one for all. Emeer-Ally-zedday-ameer, a long-namd-long-bon'd (if his grave bee right) long since rotten Prophet; the older Prophet, the fresher profit; zeale and charity oft times worship antiquity: but how can I credit them that he was a Mahometan; they say (if that will not please, they sweare) hee died a thousand five hundred yeeres ago, six hundred yeeres before Mahomet, and yet a Mussulman: their faith admits no questions nor answers, or if it did, wee will not trouble it: For I see variety of good fruit close by, to which I have a better appetite; here are the fairest Dates (Dactills in Latin from their finger like shape) Orenges, Lemons, & Pomcitrons you find in Persia; if those will not please, you buy here at easie rates, Goats, Hens, Rice, Rach, and Aquavitae: but for their water (wee drest our meat with it, the people drink it) they call it [Page 128] Ob-baroon which in the language of Persia signifies rain-water: but with farre more reason I may call it Aqua-Mortis; death seeming to bubble in it. A base qualified water it is; whether that their Tancks or Magazeens are ill made, or nastily kept, and by that the water is corrupted; or whe­ther the raine of it selfe is insalubrious and loathsome I cannot tell; but both it may bee makes it so bad as it is; so unsapory, so ill to the gust, as worse water for taste, and especially for property can scarce be relished: as little of it came in my belly as could be borrowed from extremity of thirst; and I suppose I had good reason to forbeare it: for, it causes Catarrhs, breeds sore eyes, ulcerates the guts, and which is more terrible than the raest, it ingenders small long worms in the legges of such as use to drink it; and, which sort of vermin is not more loathsome to look upon, than painfull to the itching disease of them that breed 'em; by no potion, no unguent, to bee remedied: they have no other way to destroy them, save by rowling them about a pin or peg, not unlike the treble of a Theorbo; the most danger being this, that if in the screwing the worme chance to break, it makes them very dolefull Musick, for it endangers the leg, apt to gangreen and (but by lancing) hardly curable. The water is the natu­rall cause of this strange malady: and seemes to mee to bring the venome from the region where tis generated; for, commonly the clouds here at Larr are undigested (as in the Tornadoes I have formerly spoken of) and unagitated by the wind; Nor do the clouds distill their raine in drops as is usuall in colder regions, but in whole and violent irruptions; dange­rous both in the fall, and no lesse hurtfull in the using.

The Inhabitants are most part naked and merit as naked a relation: they are a mixture of Jewes and Mahomitans: both of them, a swarthy de­formed generation: for generally in this City they are blear-eyd, rotten tooth'd, and mangy legd: the violent heat and poysonous waters causes it: the habit of the greater part of them is only a wreath of Callico tyed about their heads; their mid-parts are circled with a Zone of vari-colo­red plad, and have Sandalls upon their feet, elsewhere being naked: some indeed have shashes of silke and gold, tulipanted about their heads; they roab themselves in coats or Cabays of Satten, and especially inrich their fin­gers with rings of silver set with Turqueises or Cornelians, and in which they affect to have ingraven their owne name, or some selected posie out of the Alcoran: upon their thumb they commonly weare a ring of horne which makes the arrowes go off strong and easily: their crooked swords also afford them no small delight, the blades being exceeding good, the hilts no lesse valuable; for they are of gold: In this City should bee a river and that not a small one, if our Geographick Maps were true; but they erre egregiously, for here not only is no river, but also none else is to bee found in a hundred miles travell, go which way you will: for both by in­quiring of many Persians & our own experience in further travell, I could neither heare of nor see any neerer us than Tabb, famous in her sepa­rating Susiana from Carmania; and from Larr, westward about 5 small daies journey hence: or that other of Cyre, over which we rode twixt Shyraz and old Persepolis: some small brooks wee rode over; but rivers no man must dare to call them, since none of them in bredth or depth exceed 3 foot.

[Page 129]West of Larr is Iaarown, twenty farsangs (or threescorce English miles) thence: it is a Town consisting of a thousand Jewish families: some make it their rode to Shyraz, but the way is extreame stony and mountainous, bad for horsemen, worse for ill-shod Camells. These Jewes (or Jehuds as the Persians call them) are a remnant of those foure Tribes, Salmanassar son to Tyglath Pilezer the Assyrian King forc't from Samaria Anno Mundi 3220. placing them in Hala, Hara and Ghabor (by the river Gozan) Cities of the Medes: the Towne (I do but imagine so) is named from Iaarim a memo­rable Towne in Canaan: they have some Sinagogues, but no high Priests; the Mosaicall Law they have wonderfully corrupted: they are to this day a hardharted subtle people; very cowardly, rich, but odious to all other religions: most remarkable, is a precious liquor or Mummy growing here, Mumnaky-koobas they call it, a liquor which none dare take, for all is carefully lookt to for the King. It distills (in June only) from the top of those stupendious Mountaines, every yeere about five ounces: a moist redolent gumme it is, soveraign against all sorts of poyson; and (if we may beleeve them) a Catholicon for all wounds and most diseases: when other Princes send this King presents of gold, pearle, or other costly devices; he sends them back, a little of this Balsome, as a full remuneration. These Mountaines are famosed in story; After Alexander had preyed and sacri­ficed in Susa (betrayd by Abulites a time-serving Satrapa) he led his wanton Army towards Persepolis; his neerest passage was over these hills of Ia­arown (in those dayes cald Pilae Persidis and Susaidae) where to his amaze­ment, he was so beaten by Ariobarzanes a Martialist and his small company, that (contrary to the pace and honour of the worlds Monarch) he was constrain'd to retreat apace, and shamefully to avoyd that thundering storme of stones and arrowes.

The eleventh of February we left Larr, Codges-Obdruzy the Governor furnished us (to Shyraz) with Mules, very poore ones; the Asses they return'd upon: no matter. Mules are Emblems of sobriety; our Harbinger (or Mammandore in Persian) was an honest Cozelbash, and would be sure, (hopefull of some reward, and because his part lay therein) at every place where we made our Manzeel or rest, to provide us good lodging, and such meat as the country would affoord us: by vertue of his authority do­mineering over the wretched Rusticks more than pleased us; he would proffer them a little mony for what he liked; if they refused to take it, he took it then by force, and Alla Soldado payd them in big words and basti­nadoes: in miserable slavery the pesants live; a soldiers life is here the most honourable and safest. The first night we pitcht our Tents not far from Larr, but were stopt next day by an immoderate flood of raine, that made the earth so slippery, as our Cammells glib-hoofes could not foot it; the raine falls seldome here, but when it comes, they both feele and heare it: some times it raises such a Deluge as sweeps men and houses away; six yeeres ago (in this place) a Caravan of two thousand Camels perisht by the fury of it. The foureteenth day wee rode to Deachow (or Techoo) which signifies a Towne under a hill; where we see many prettie Tombs, not any without his grave-stone and an Arabick memoriall. The Alcoran commands that none be buried in Cities, for feare the noysome Carcasses [Page 130] infect the living, but in a Gemitery nigh the most publique highway; that by viewing the Sepulchers of the dead (the Romans did the like, the Ae­gyptians had them in their banquetting houses) they might contemplate their mortality. A mile from this Towne we view'd threescore black Pa­villions; black without; within full of female beauties: the Persians call them Vloches; the Arabs, Kabilai; the Turq'stans and Armenians, Taiphae; the Tartars, Hoords; the Antients, Nomades; of whom the Poet thus:

I cannot chuse but wander a little if I keepe such company.

Vertue, the Trophy of a refin'd ambition, is purchased by embracing the excellent and wholsome Notions of an humble soule, of a well-temper'd spirit, whose heavenly radiance respects no other object with delight save vertue, from which pure streame flowes Moderation, to whose excellen­cie (next to spirituall sacrifice) wee may safely devote our best endevours. So apt to every immodest Act, is mans corrupt disposition, that to enjoy sensuality he conceits vertue (though never so gorgeously arrayed) foule and deformed: till moderation force him to a strict account, and discover how much he erred, in preferring intemperance before the transcendent qualities of a vertuous life: and from whence, when we contemplate the contented life and poverty of these Vloches, needs must wee condemne our selves of lothsome ryot. For, how free from unseasonable care, pale Envie, affrighting Tumult, and nasty surfet doe these enjoy themselves; happy Conquerors! how mutually doe they accord, how joyfully satiate Nature, in what is requirable. Heare Lucan praising them.

To returne; so soone as Phoebus had runne thrice fifteene degrees in our Hemisphere, we mounted our melancholly Mules, and made our next Manzeel at Berry. Nothing was observable in the way, save a huge thick wall, of great length and height, cut by infinite toyle out of the sollid rock, to safeguard the Larians from the Shyrazians, Larr in that place termi­nating.

Berry is a small Village; it promises much at distance, but when there, deludes the expectation: yet is it famous through the Persian Territories, both from the prerogatives an ancient learned Syet endued it with, con­firmed by all succeeding Princes; and from an Arabick Schoole, distin­guisht into classes, of the civill Law, Astrologie, Physick, and such as leads to Mecca: commendable in their Pythagorean silence, learning to discourse by wincks, nods, and such dumb notions; for babling is in all Arabick Schooles wonderously hated: they also observe two rules especially, obe­dience, and moving the body too & fro in reading: adjoyning this Schoole, [Page 131] is a Deer or Mosquit, a venerable place, chiefly by being a Dormitory to their greatest Doctor Emawm-zeddey-a meer-a maddy-Ally, a Prophets sonne, and allyed to holy Ally; in this grave enjoying (say they) eight hun­dred yeeres rest; a great antiquity. His Tomb is rais'd foure foot from the pavement, is eight foot long, covered with a white fine linnen cloth; the Tomb-stones are carved and painted with knots and poesies of Arabick; neere him are fixt two Lances to memorize his quondam profession, and some Ensignes not of ordinarie invention: Vpon his Coffin lie a set of goodly Beads, to help his devout memorie, and which to this day retaine their Masters vertue of working miracles. Atop the Chappell is a globe (or steele mirrour) pendant, wherein these Linx-eyed people view the deformity of their sinnes. They also shewed us a square stone pearced and hung neere the wall, a rare stone, a relique most notorious! the Prophet used to burthen the backs of impenitent sinners with it, telling them their impiety made it seeme heavie, a waight so ponderous as made them take the right path to be quit of it. A little pot comes next to our description, holding a soveraigne unguent made eight hundred yeeres since, oft us'd, and never exhausted: and is not only good to help sore eyes, but a Panacea against all diseases; to crowne all, his booke (no Alfurcan of devotion) is layd upon his carcasse; any body is suffered to see it a far off, but to touch it is counted a presumption, the impure breath of man peradventure infe­cting it: in stormes and crosses they finde remedy with only naming it: the Church is neatly matted, a Mosque of so much holinesse, that none must enter with boots or shooes on: such as want issues (I meane not in their leggs) health, wealth, friends, or the like, upon their offring shall have satisfaction. The Oracle (the Priest) never cheats them. Sed non ego credulus illis: and with that I bid Berry farewell.

Next night wee got to Bannarow. The last Towne feasted us with Tra­ditions, this with good cheare, musick, three kettle drummes, and six dumb Musquets. The ruines of an ancient Castle (demolisht lately by the Persian) shewes its ribs, through which the coole ayre blowes, seldome failing from the top of that stupendious Mountaine: one side of the Castle wall is anatomized to the Town, the other to the stony Desart. Next night we lay in Goyeme, bragging in a thousand rotten houses. After we had re­pos'd an houre, a Hocus-pocus affronted us, and performed rare tricks of Activity. I remember some of them. He trod upon two slicing hooked Semiters with his bare feet, then layd his naked back upon them, suffering a heavie Anvill to be layd on his belly, and two men to hammer out foure horshooes on it very forceably. That trick ended, he thrust his armes and thighes thorow with many Arrowes and Lances; then, by meere strength of his block-head he lift up a yard from the ground a great stone, weighing six hundred pound, and (as if hee had done nothing) knit his haire to an old Goats head, and with a scornfull pull tore it asunder, at that crying out Allough-whoddaw i.e. God help him; the standers by with a loud yell, ap­plauded him: we gave him particular thanks, and told him he was a pret­tie fellow. But what was hee? to speake of Marius (one of the thirty Ty­rants) who with one of his fingers could overthrow a loaded Wayne: or of Polydamas, who with one hand would hold a wild Bull by his hinder [Page 132] legg, and in despight of his best force stop him, as Cael. Rhod. and Treb. Pollio have it. But in remembring these, I had almost forgot to tell you, that in Goyeom, is fairely intombed one Melec Mahomet, famous for fomenting the authority of his Master Mahomet, when the Saracens begun to canvasse it.

Next night we lost one another by a carelesse associating, and had a mi­serable lodging in that vast and barren wildernesse: affording no grasse, no trees, no water, but stones and sand in great abundance, Ostriches, Storks, and Pellicans her sole Inhabitants. I beleeve the earth has worne Flora's livery; but, by the parching rage of Warre, or continued heat of the fla­ming Sunne becomes thus miserably desart, or rather from the just wrath of Almighty God, who (as King David sings) makes a fruitfull land barren, for the ungodlinesse of them that dwell therein. Next day wee quested in search of our Carravan, and with much trouble recovered it: that night also pitching in the Desart, were welcom'd by such a sudden storm of rain, thunder, and lightning, as made our cheare more wretched, imprisoning us also in our Tents. Next day, wee had the weather comfortable, the sight of a few Date and Mastick tree, refreshing us; confuting Coriats con­ceit, that Mastick is found no where but in Syo. By the way we tooke no­tice of an od-devis'd Tomb (it inhum'd a harmlesse Shepheard) hung to and fro with threds tripartite (it may be, shadowing out the Trinity) each thred beautified with party-coloured wooll, at each end a Puppet to pro­tect it, some Cypresses were added to condecorate and to revive the old Idoll ceremony.

The next (the two and twenty of February) by the way we had some sport in dislodging a wild Bore, but neither shot nor dogs reaching him we made Cut-bobbo our manzeil; Mohack our next (in which are buried Ma­homet, Hodge, Izmael, and Ally, foure great Mussulmannish Doctors, in­tombd here 400 yeares ago, resorted to with no small reverence.) Next day to Coughton, to Vnghea next, thence to Moyechaw, next day to Pully-pot-shaw (leaving Bobbaw-hodgee on our left hand) next night pitching a farsangh short of Shiraz; where we expected a ceremonious entrance: but seeing none came out to meet us, our Ambassadour (who was ever jealous of his honour) sent his Mammandar to the Governour, (the great Duke was hauking fifty myles thence, of purpose absent,) to demand fresh horses and a befitting welcome. The Daraguad in person came to dissem­ble, first excusing his Lord the Duke, who would go neer to kill him for not acquainting him with this excellent Advantage to manifest his inte­grity unto our Nation, in comparison of whom all other in the world were odious. In a word (perceiving our haste) he humby beseecht his Lordship to practize but three dayes patience, till the great Duke might honour his entrance, and display his radiance; a favour of a double reflex, in that it would infinitely content their Governour, and accumulate an incomparable splendor and triumph to his entrance, closing his hypocrisie with an if not, he was then prest to usher his Lordship to his lodging. [Page 133] The Ambassador easily descryed him to be a Synon, sent meerly to betray his credulity: so as perceiving no remedy, the twilight helping his silent passage (Apollo had already drencht his fiery tramels in maddame Thetis lapp, Cynthia also lookt pale, as displeasd with so much knavery) we joggd leasurely on upon our Portugall Trumpetters, who (so soone as they wind­ed the smoak and ayre of this excellent Citty,) spared the Persians a labour in their brasse pans, hoboyes and such Phrygick Musique, sometimes bray­ing out, at other tymes ecchoing to one another in their Mymallonian Cornets, as if some Orgies to Liber Pater had been solemnizing: in so much as many ran out of doores, others fired their flambeauxes to know the cause and glut their wonder. After long circling we arrivd at Shock-Ally-Begs Pallace (the Dukes substitute) where our Lord was wearied with a prolix Apologie, and then made to taste a Banquet of dainties. After which they convoyd us to Ally-chan, a neat house at the East end of the City, belonging to the King, incompast with as brave Gardens and as spa­cious as most in Asia. And now the vexation is past, why do we make it an indignity, as if Nocturnall entries had not equall lustre with the day; the Artificiall light we had (for ought you know) might eclipse the splen­dor of the starry firmament. Holofernes chose the night to make a tri­umphant entrance into Damas. Proud Antiochus took the same time into Hierusalem, Augustulus into Rome, and haughty Sapores, into this very City. Let us now triffle no longer, but view the City.

SHERAZZ (so they pronounce it) the pleasantest of Asiatique Cities, is removed from the Aequator nine and twenty degrees, forty minutes, and in longitude 88 degrees. By Ben Ionas (500 yeares ago) cald Syaphaz, by Corn. de Iudaeis Sitas and Sivas, by Osorius Xiraz, by Raleigh Siras, by Stephanus Cyrecbatha, by Coelius Ciropolis, a frivolous conceit, since all old Topographers place it and the river Cyrus in Hyrcania in the latitude of thirty nine degrees and a halfe: and of longitude eighty three degrees, five and forty minutes. And of that name is one in Media as Ptol. in Sogdi­ana one neere Iaxartes as Quintus Curtius, in India one, as Aelianus, a river also so called in Armenia as Pliny notes, but none, in Persia a Ciropolis. This name Sheraz (as I conjecture) is a derivative from Sheer (milk in the Per­sian language) or Sherab a grape, no part of the orient shewing better or richer wine; from like reason, that Aleppo takes name from Halip milke, (and not from Alepius Leiftenant to Iulian as some dreame of) many other Townes in Persia denominating themselves from what they are abundant in, as Whormoote (a Towne of Dates.) Deachow (a hilly Towne) De-gar­dow (a walnut Towne,) Baze-bakow, Periscow, Cutbobbaw &c. or from Syra­ses the incolae of old, as Poliaenus has it in his 8 lib. de Semiramide. Or if greek Synonymaes would carrie it, I might borrow the name from [...] catena; or more properly [...] per aestum. But affectation is discommendable.

For albeit she be raysed from the ruines of Persepolis, that does not styg­matize her with an upstart name, two thousand yeares being past since it was burned. I may therefore reject the peoples Cronicle, alluding her first founder to be Iamshed fift King of Persia, after whom ruld Chedorlao­mer, not long from Noah. Boterus may be taxed also, quando Syras erat Sy­ras, [Page 134] tunc Cayrus erat ejus pagus, an Adage never us'd by the inhabitants. Antient no doubt she is, her name in history confirming it, Rocnaduddaule (Sonne of Sha-Hussan Sonne of Abbaz Viez Lord of Bagdet, Kermoen, La­ristan and Shyraz (so 'tis then named) being here buried Anno Dom. 980. of the Hegira 360. And questionlesse she has been much greater than at this present. Vlughbeg (a learned Geographer and Nephew to Tamber­lang) gives her in his tyme fifteene myles compasse, Contarenus fifteene, and eightie thousand houses. Barbarus eightscore yeares ago, gives her twenty; Teishera after him, six and thirty myles circuit; Skikard upon Tarich a like vast circumference: Iohn of Persia in his time numbred her Inhabitants eightie thousand, Ben-Ally thee hundred thousand: we may not gainsay their reports, because no inquiry can disprove them; let us there­fore rest contented in her present description, which I shall present you (God willing) without errour.

Shiraz is distant from Ormus, one hundred and eight farsangs or three hun­dred and foure and twenty myles English. From Larr one hundred eightie six miles, from Babylon three hundred, from Spahawn two hundred two and twenty, from the Caspian sea six hundred, from Cazbyn foure hundred and eighty six, from Periscow foure hundred and forty, from Candahor three hundred and sixtie, from Yezd two hundred and ninteeen, from Faza sixty miles English. The Antient dwellers hereabouts are named Artiatae, Tapiri, Cartii, and Orebatii. Masqued in Pare, Fure, Fares, and Farsistan.

Shyraz, at this day is the second City for magnificence in the Monar­chy of Persia; watered by Bindamyr (or Bradamyr) a sweet river that drawes her descent from the Tapirian Mountaines, and after two hundred miles circling in many wanton meanders, commixing with Choaspes (now Tab) and Vlay, with them not farre from Valdac (old Shushan) lose them­selves in the Gulph and promiscuously thence into the vast Indian Ocean.

It shewes some walls built by Vsan Cassan, but seems to scorne a limit­ed bondage. It stretches from South-east to North-west, three miles; and not much lesse the other way; the compasse nine myles or there abouts: is pleasantly seated in the North-west end of a spacious plaine, twenty miles long, and six broad; circumvolved with stupendious hills, under one of which this Towne is placed. Defended by Nature, inricht by trade, by Art made lovely; the Vineyards, Gardens, Cypresses, Sudatories, and Temples, ravish the eye and smell, in every part sweet and delightfull.

Here Art magick was first hatched. Here Nimrod (after Babells confusion) lived and was buried. Here Cyrus (the most excellent of hea­then Princes) was borne, and (all but his head) intombed. Here the great Macedonian glutted his Ambition and Bacchisme. Here the first Sybilla sung our Saviours incarnation. Hence the Magi are thought to have set forth towards Bethleem, and here a series of two hundred Kings have swayd their Scepters.

The houses here are of Sun-burnt-bricks, hard and durable: not very lofty; flat and tarrassed above, Belconies and the windowes curiously and largely trellized: within, spread with rich carpets; little other furniture [Page 135] other where is noted. Sultan Shock-Allybegs house (where the first night we were banqueted) is inferiour to few; his dining roome was high and round and spacious. The archt roofe and side walls imbost with gold, and wrought into Imagery; so shadowed, that it was hard to judge whether imbost, inscult, or painted. The windowes were of painted glasse, the floore spred with curious Carpets. None are without their gardens, forrests rather of high Chenaers and Cypresses.

Fifteen Mosques professe their bravery, round (after the holy Alkaba in Mecca) til'd without, and pargetted with azure stones resembling Tur­quoises; lined within, with pure black polisht Marble; the tops dignified by many double guilded crescents or spires which gallantly reverberate Apollo's yellow flames in a rich and delightfull splendor. Two are especially note-worthy in their Antick steeples and Mosaick curiosity. The one is square, fifty foot high in the body, leaded in some part, covered with gold and blue; the walls varnisht and wrought with knots and poesies, vast and unfurnisht (or unfinisht) within; above, spiring in two columns or pillars of wood round, cut and garnisht with great bravery, very neer as high as Paules in London. The (other) rather resembling a royall Carvans-raw) is quadrangular; the superficies of Arabique invention, imbost with gold, flagd with porphyre, painted with azure, garnished in many od mazes, and made resplendent at some solemnities by a thousand Lamps and Torches.

The other Mosques are not so excellent, nor yet so base as not to invite the busie eye, regarding novelties. What they want in Architecture, they supply in reliques, venerably accounted of for intombing the rotten car­casses of some Alcorannish Doctors, whose hypocrisie have got such repute with those superstitious Ideots, that their Priests are fat, their Tombes in­richt by superfluity of Zeale, no cost, no paines thought enough to manifest the integrity of (impious) devotion. Some sepulchers are framd of Marble, pure and shining. Others of wood, cut into Antique carving, others expresse the painters Art, and others the Sculpters skill in brasse, in plate and costly mettall. Where Art is defective, Nature (out of the treasures of darknesse) has dignified them. In one place, Shaw-meer-Ally-Hamzy a prophetique Mahomitan rests his bones, seven hundred yeares since ferried by Charon into Acheron for doating upon his deceitfull Alcaron. Threescore paces long I found the Mosque he is buried in, and in breadth just so many. In another, sleeps Sandant-Emyr-amahow contemporary with Mahomet, and equally holy; with many moe, who are like to sleep till the Trumpet raise them. Upon many of these Mosques the Storks have pyld their nests. A bird (as of the Aegyptians, so) of these people, divinely estemated.

[Page 136]The gardens here are many, and those both large and beautifull. Many of them (as I paced) are eight hundred paces long, and foure hundred broad: Hony-shaw (the Kings) challendges superiority ore all the rest, being square and every way two thousand paces. All of them be safeguarded with walls, fourteen foot high, foure foot thick, and of exceeding good work: they rather resemble groves or wildernesses than gardens; but by that name (the Persian word is Bawt) are called; abounding in lofty pyramidall Cy­presses, broad-spreading Chenawrs, tough Elme, streight Ash, knotty Pines, fragrant Masticks, Kingly Oaks, sweet Mittles, usefull Maple; and in fruit trees also, as Grapes, Pomgranads, Pomecitrons, Orenges, Lemmons, Pistachoes, Apples, Peares, Peaches, Chesnuts, Cherries, Quinces, Wal­nuts, Apricocks, Plums, Almonds, Figgs, few Dates, and Mellons of both sorts, and Flowers rare to the eye, sweet to the smell, and usefull in phy­sick: the earth is dry and green, the ayre salubrious and healthy, and such as may make good Tibullus his Fansies of Elysium.

I confine my commendations to a league, the residue being steril, moun­tainous and unable to make Alexander an Epicure, (the wine excepted, which is famoused all ore the orient). Nothing so much troubles her as want of water, yet some it has, and might have more, were the Cittisens somewhat more industrious; a gallant river (Cirus of old) for two were so named) streaming sweetly not fifteen miles thence, in the way to old Persepolis.

At the Nowrouz or spring, the Gardens are opened for all to walk in. The women for fourteene dayes have liberty to walk, and when loose (like birds infranschisd) lose themselves in a labyrinth of wanton sports. The men also, some riding, some sitting, some walking, are all in one tune, for drinking, singing, playing, till the bottles prove empty, songs spent, and strings break, or that Morpheus lay his Caduceus over them. In all my life I never saw people more jocund, and lesse quarelsome.

Somewhat of Emangoly-cawn, the great Duke and his Banquet.

This brave man is a Georgian by discent, a Muslulman by profession, a Time-server for preferment: is one of those foure Tetrarchs, that under Abbas rule the Empire: his Territories reach every way welnigh six hun­dred miles, and affoord him the Titles of Arck-Duke of Shyraz, Sultan of Larr and Iaarown, Lord of Ormus, Maqueroon, Kermoen, Chusistan, Si­gestan and Farsistan, Prince of the gulph of Persia, and Iles there; the great Beglerbeg, commander of twelve Sultans, fifty thousand horse, slave to [Page 137] Shaw-Abbas, protector of Musselmen, flower of courtesy, second in glory, Nutmeg of comfort, and Rose of delight.

Hee is of a miraculous descent for noblenesse (as honour goes in 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, [Page 138] 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.

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, [Page 139] 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 a watch-word to the ambitious Duke that hee might en­ter: his way was made by thirty gallant young gentlemen vested in crim­son satten; their Tulipants were of silk and silver wreath'd about with cheynes of gold, of Pearle, of Rubies, Turquoises, and Emeralds: all of them were girded with rich swords and imbroydered scabards; they had Hawkes upon their fists, each hood valuing a hundred pound. To these succeeded their Lord, the Arch-Duke of Sheraz: his coat was of blew sat­ten richly imbroydered with silver, upon which he wore a Vest or Roab of great length, so glorious to the eye, so thick powdered with Orientall glittering Gemms, as made the ground of it invisible, the price invalu­able: his Turbant was of pure fine silke and gold, be studded wi [...]h pearle and Carbuncles; his scabbard was set all over with Rubies, Pearles, and Emralds; his Sandalls resembled the bespangled Firmament. To this Idoll, all the people of his religion sacrifiz'd a hundred Sizaedaes, and Tes­salems, bowing and knocking their cocks-combs against the ground: Sir Robert Sherley also sizaedaed very formally, and in a cup of pure gold drunk his Graces health, and then put it in his pocket; paying him home with this complement; That after so mean a person as himselfe had breath'd in it, it was impiety to offer it him: the Duke accepts it as good coyne, and perceiving our Ambassador very sad, darted him a smile, drunk his Masters health, bad him and his heartily welcome, and so went in againe: our Lord Ambassador also scarce well pleased at the Dukes proud carri­age, dissembled it; and after reciprocall Sallams or bendings (none but a few Coselbashaws attending him to his horse) departed:

Well may this grand Duke buy his renowne at those high rates, his rents being bruited so great, so wonderfull: hee has (say Merchants) foure hundred thousand Tomans a yeere (a Toman is five marks sterling) but out of this hee payes wages yeerely to fifty thousand horsemen: his plate and jewels is valued at three hundred thousand pounds, some say three Millions, and is pretty well descried by that New-yeeres gift hee sent the King (upon Meloembeg the Fiscalls prompting) three yeeres since: viz: fifty great flagons of pure gold, seventy two of refined silver: in Larrees foure hundred sixty five thousand floryns: the whole, loading three hun­dred and fifty cozel-bash Camels, a valuable present: and for which the King (as a Symbole of his gratitude) remunerates the Duke with fifty gal­lant Arabian Coursers, six change of rich garments, a sword, and (of more value than the rest) the assurance of his health and dignity.

This Duke here and in other Seralios (or Harams, as the Persians term them) has above three hundred Concubines; Mawmetry commending it: there is no other way in these Pagan countries to distinguish one mans [Page 140] greatnesse from another, save by exceeding in their females: hee hunts elsewhere, other sports serving as a provocation to base venery: nor do they refraine more manly exercises; chasing the Lion, hunting the Tygre, dislodging the Bore, unkennelling the Iackall, and the like; at which so­lemne sports he besets whole countries with above twenty thousand men, who serve to rouze all kind of savage game, and when the whole heard are in battelled upon some spacious Mountaine, impales it with a huge Toyle of wyre and cord stak't with wood (six hundred Cammels load) and so either dart them from without the raile, or venture in, and (by drawing a crosse line) single what beast they please to fight with.

Two dayes after the great feast, the Duke with a gallant traine of thirty Sultans and Cooselbashaws came galloping to Ally-cawn, (so is the house named we lodged at;) and albeit he endeavoured to assault us with a sudden visit, yet such was the excellent fore-sight and vivacity of our Ambassador, attending all occasions of advantage; that at his alighting, he found a choice shade for his recreation, chambers neatly furnisht, from his Balcony look­ing into a most fragrant & pleasant garden, where the Paphyan cipresses, & other rare trees in their aparel, repeld the guilded rayes of wanton Phaeton: here the facetious Duke incampt and all his company; resolv'd to incoun­ter the utmost fury of his owne strong wine, and our English chymick wa­ters: three houres the fight continued hot, charging one another with equall valour; many stout bottles and flagons were emptied and buried, but by strange stratagem revived afresh, thundring so fierce a storme in the Dukes braines, that hee sell back and had undone himselfe, had not my Lord Ambassador by great chance upheld and horst him: the rest percei­ving their Generall so strangely vanquisht, sound a retreat, and study how to untwist their braines from out that magick labyrinth: Mr. Stodart of Caernarvan, a bold Britton, and Mr.Emery playd Bóotes: Next day the Duke made his excuse, and returnd his thanks in a Present of twelve brave horses, with bridles and saddles suting them; by which it seemes all of them were pleas'd and the Ambassador (who without such an entertain­ment had never pleas'd them, though infinitly contrary to his temper) was crownd with th' applause of a noble, discreet, liberall, and well fasho­ned Gentleman. After many other ceremonies of welcome (in which time, piscashes and gifts were not left out) we had leave to set on towards the Court; I call it leave, the Duke was so unwilling to part with us: wee were bravely mounted, furnisht with fresh Cammells and Asinegoes, able to endure the brunt of travell.

Six and twenty dayes wee consumed in Sheraz, forced to so long com­morance by the merry Duke; and on Lady day in Lent, departed thence for Spahawn the Persian Metropolis. But I cannot ride farre, till I cele­brate my vale-dictum in this Charistery.

But ere we go further, suffer me to trouble you with such Monarchs as have ruled Persia, I will only give you later Kings, such as had their seat royall in Sheraz, begunne 700 yeeres ago, and but lately ended: The first, is Abuzvez Deilamshaw (injuriously suppos'd a fisherman, from his use of Navigation, as was Tamberlan a shepheard from the Tartarrs vagrancy:) this (Deylamshaw sirnamed Boia (or 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 Gelal [...]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 [Page 142] 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, [Page 143] 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 and admirable buildings it had, amongst which, the glorious Temple of Diana (mother to that at Ephesus) by Iosephus report was at that time the most exquisite for Art & material in the world. The stones were of richest Marble and Porphire, the roofe of refined gold. A bayt Antiochus the ava­ritious Atheist long had nibled at, but could not swallow it, as he had done Jerusalems, whence sacrilegiously he ravisht ten tunne of gold. The Pa­lace royall here, was cut out of the marble rock, above two miles about; the roofe and casements were of Gold, Silver, Amber, & Ivory. The State within, was of gold and orientall glittering gems, in one roome an artifi­ciall Vine (presented by Pythius) the stalk pure gold, the clusters of pearls and carbuncles; his bolster was valued at five thousand Talents of gold, his footstoole worth three thousand; such, as (after the unruly Greeks had pillag'd three dayes) gave the Macedonian Victor for his part, 120000 Talents, or 72 millions of crownes, a masse of gold: yet very possible, if it be true old Histories report (Herodotus is one) how that at that time, the Monarchs of Persia (besides the Tribute of other Kingdomes) had yeerely [Page 144] out of Indya three hundred and threescore Talents of gold. Easily then might the Greek load away (as story sayes) three thousand Mules, with two and thirty millions and 750000 pounds in coyne, though in that ado­lescency of the world, one would wonder so much treasure was found. But we may beleeve it, since sacred writ tells us that in Solomons reigne, in Jerusalem gold and silver was as common as stones. Also Xenophon, that when Cyrus descended into Asia the lesse, hee brought back no lesse than 125 millions of pounds. But why stand we gaping at these prodigious sums. Pauper enim non est, cui rerum suppetit usus. These sparkling Diamonds, what are they but Mammons eyes; this Chaos of gold, but refined clay. What Magick then to make Idolaters. For my part (by Gods help) I in­tend rather to admire the Anatomy of this glorious ruine, which Don Garzia de Silva Figuroa (Ambassador Anno 1619 to Abbas from Philip the third) calls it the only Monument of the world, without Imposture; yea farre exceeding (sayes he) all other miracles in the world, wee can either heare or see at this day. Miserable in my poore description.

The ribs or ruines of Persepolis are at this day call'd Chil-Manor or Che­hel-Manor (i.e. forty Towers) in the idiom of Persia: and might more properly have said Hashtot-Manor, or eighty Towers, for so many are easily told two yards out of the ground; and if from so many pillars as are perfect and lofty, then may they say Nouzda-Manor or nineteene Towers, at this day no more standing, one excepted at the East below, above a bow shot thence. The whole Basis is cu [...] by incredible toyle, out of the solid marble rock, twice the compasse of Wyndsor Castle, ascended by fourescore and fifteene easie staires, dissected from the durable black Marble, so broad that a dozen horse may goe abreast: the perpendicular is two and twenty Geometric feet, and where the staires are not, the rock is precipitious. Neere the highest step, is the entrance into the Palace; the breadth is visi­ble, in despight of flame and weather: on one side the gate stands a monstrous great Elephant, on the other a Rhinoceros; the distance is about twenty foot, the portraicts are out of the shining Marble, ten yards high either of them, fixt and perpetuall: a few paces thence, are of like work, bulk and matter two gallant Towers, and (to finish the Porters Lodge) neere them is an other ruine, a Pegasus an invention of the Sculptor to il­lustrate his Art: and being past this portall, the Apollo opens, a faire even ground, deplorable in many ruines, a hundred white Marble pillars, whole and broken dignifying this once most excellent structure. Upon many of these white Marble pillars the Storks have builded them their nests, where the rage of winde and weather is more offensive to them than any dread they have of the people who inhabit neere them: in all unseasonable stormy or cold weather they forsake the Region and fly where the Sunne can comfort them: the Persians have many superstitious stories concern­ing 'em, and suppose them (as else-where I have noted) the Emblems of piety and gratitude. The Pillars which are at this day standing, (but seeme to groane under the tyrannie of Time) are twixt fifteene & twenty cubits high, & rise beautifully in forty squares or concave parallels; every square has three full inches; whereby the circuit may be gathered: most excel­lent is the matter, most elegant the work, and no lesse commendable, the [Page 145] order and shape how they are placed: in posture, in shew, to this day ad­mirable; but when they stood in lustre and perfection, were else-where scarce imitable. From the ordinary standing, we easily enjoyed a most de­lightfull prospect: but in the summity or advantage a brave Horizon of thirty miles unlimitted Plains every way gave it selfe to this Emperial Pal­lace, as seeming to submit it selfe in a happy lowlinesse.

In part of this great roome (not farre from the portall) in a mirrour of polisht marble, wee noted above a dozen lynes of strange characters, very [Page 146] faire and apparent to the eye, but so mysticall, so odly framed, as no Hie­rogliphick, no other deep conceit can be more difficultly fancied, more ad­verse to the intellect. These consisting of Figures, obelisk, triangular, and pyramidall, yet in such Simmetry and order as cannot well be called barba­rous. Some resemblance, I thought some words had of the Antick Greek, shadowing out Ahashuerus Theos. And though it have small concordance with the Hebrew, Greek, or Latine letter, yet questionlesse to the In­venter it was well knowne; and peradventure may conceale some excel­lent matter, though to this day wrapt up in the dim leafes of envious ob­scuritie.

Adjoyning this, is another square roome, from angle to angle ninety paces, in circuit three hundred and threescore paces: beautified with eight dores, foure of them are six paces broad; the other foure, three a peece: all eight severally composd of seven great polisht Marbles fixt one upon another; each of those stones are foure yards logn, five quarters high, most excellently ingraven with Images of Lyons, Gryffins, Tigres, and Bulls: and in other places (for the wals are durable) Battailes, Heca­tombs, Triumphs, Olympick games, and the like, in very rare Sculpture and proportion. Above each doore is ingraven the Idea of a Majestique Monarch; his roabe is long, a Tiara or Mithra on his head, his hayre very long and curled; in one hand he holds a Globe, in the other his Scepter, a garbe and session never used by Persian Princes. The silly inhabitants (who made no accompt of it till of late) name him, Iamshet, and Aaron, & Sampson, and Salomon, a wonder they leave out Rustan their Hercules, and as easie for invention. A third chamber conjoynes the last we spoke of, this (if they lie not that told us so) was a Gynecie or Nursery; it has foure un­equall angles, two sides are sixtie; the other two, seventy of my largest paces. From that we issued into a fourth roome, two sides are twenty, the other two, thirty paces. The walls are very eminent in this chamber, of black shining Marble, in many places so bright and jetty, as we could easily view our reflex, no steel mirror comparing with it. In most parts the walls are cut into Gygantive Images, illustrated with Gold, to this day permanent. Somewhat further, over heaps of stones of valewable portraictures, we mount towards the most lofty part of this Pallace, where we saw the resemblances of a devout King, adoring his three Dietyes, the Sunne, the Fire, a Serpent, all which are cut upon the perpendicu­lar Mountaine. The other side of this high hill is a precipice, downe which is no descending. But whether this Fabrick was Ionick, Dorick, or Corinthiack, in the perfection, I cannot determine, the ruines forbid a positive judgement. But such at this day it is, that a ready Lymmer in three moneths space can hardly (to do it well) depict out all her excellencies. Pitty it is, it is not done, the barbarous people every day defacing it and cleaving it asunder for grave-stones and benches to sit upon. Five miles West from Chehel-manor is also a gallant Monument, a Giant cut into a monstruous proportion, whom the illiterate Persians say was Rustan, and from him cald Nocta-Rustan. I rather judge it the Image of great Alex­ander, who had a desire, that after ages might think him more than a man, and his men more than Monsters, as appeared in his conceit to make [Page 147] many Armors, bigg enough for three men, and scatter them in India that the people might not dare to rebell, lest those Poliphems came to lash them.

Neere Chilmanor is Mardash (corruptly by the Spaniard cald Margate­an) a Towne of two hundred houses, the people so superstitious that such houses as we came in they perfumd and ayr'd (some were happily fired) for that we were not Mussulmen. From this place to Sheraz are ten far­sangs; interposd by some craggy hills and a pleasant river (Rhogomana of old) over which is a bridge, the best till then we saw in Persia. This river is by Quintus Curtius lib. 5. and Strabo lib. 15. named Araxis (Cho-Araxes is a fitter name) streaming (sayes he) twentie furlongs from Persepolis. Another of that name, so often mentioned by Ptol. Mela, Plutarch, and Lucan, is in Armenia, and indeed divides it from Medya, at this day cald Arash) and very famous.

After two dayes stay in view of old Persepolis, the eight and twentieth day we took horse, and that night rid foure and twentie miles to a Town cald Moy own; in midway twixt which two Townes, we noted a high im­pregnable mount, at whose top, stood desperately a Castle so fortified by Nature and industrie, as may be thought impregnable. A late rebel­lious Sultan (weary of slavery) man'd it against his Prince victorious Ab­bas, who (to terrifie others by his example) came in person to chastise him. But such was the precipitious height where the Castle stood, and the narrow entrance so bravely defended, that in six moneths siege hee could see no signe of victory. Loth he is to leave it so, and what strata­gem to take, cannot imagin. A great reward he promises to any would ef­fect it. Valour is invalidable. Art Magique perpetrates it. An old wi­zard covetous of so much money promises the Divells best, and according­ly, by his infernall spells so possest with threats and phantasmaes the wretched Sultan, that upon the witches assurance of pardon he descends, the block rewards him. But Abbas acknowledges the Inchanter had me­rited his price and grudgingly gave it him. The foolish man so doates upon his gold, that he sees not danger. The King repents the losse of it, and knowes no way to recover it but by sending him to Satan without his head, the reason of his Justice was for his Sorcery. A quality at other times he commended deeply, but now abhorred it: a pretty pollicy. To re­turne.

Moyown, is delightfully seated; enricht with sweet water, excel­lent Wine, much wood, and Natures Carpets. It properly belongs to the highly reverenced Prophet Izmael, whose tombe Emoom-Izmael is here seen, by liberality of many Kings, and great men not a little honoured: to­wards its maintenance (and the Priests) the Towne gives yearly twelve thousand mawnd-shaw of Rice, and foure thousand of Barley. Next night we lodgd (slept I cannot say) in O-jone, a village of thirty Families, all of them Prophets or Prophets children. We ever found least profit, where Prophets dwelt, no wine nor grapes allowd to grow amongst them; not that wine is bad, but out of a Tradition they have, that it is the blood of those Gyants that warr'd against the Gods. Next day we rode over most craggy, steep, and terrible high hills, and at night made Tartang [Page 148] our Manzeil; a small Towne, only famous in a high Sepulcher, clothd with violet coloured velvet, under which is buried a great Uncle of the Kings. Next night to Assepose, notable only in an old mud Castle, sometimes a garrison; in and about which, are fourty thousand Georgians and Sarcasshes, by profession Christians; by quality, Captives; a people much honouring Saint George the Cappadocian Bishop their converter. They differ from Mahomitans (not in habit, but) in their gray eyes and long white hayre (Albani ab albo crine) after the mode of Antick Gallants, recorded by Pliny and Lucian, tissued with fillets of gold or sil­ver. If any of these turne Mahomitan, they are preferd beyond vulgar mer­rit. Poore soules, hearing that we were Christians, they flockt about us, yea wept to see us. Not much distant hence, is Thymar, memorable if Byzar erre not, in a brave and Antient Monument, by some Hebrew characters supposd the buryall place of Bathsheba, Mother of King Salomon: tis cald Musqued-Zulzimen, i.e. Solomons Chappell; a place if truly so, worthy the seeing. Next night we lay in Whoomgesh, next in Cuzcuzat, next day to Bazeba-chow, and next to Degardow, eight leagues from which place, (and neerer Tezdycaus) we rode over a steepe Mountaine of black shining Marble, (and where are Quarries of Serpentine and Porphyre, if the earth were lookt into) the descent was so percipicious, that but by ragged steps and those not a little dangerous, was no riding downe: howbeit downe we got, and that night rode to Gumbazellello (famous in a Carvans-raw and the best wheat bread in Persia;) next night to Yezdecawz a Towne built in the bottome of a valley, sunck downe in mid a great plaine, whereby it is scarce to be found, did not a Castle point it out, raisd by Yezdgyrd a Persian King above the Towne, and where is a very stately Carravans-raw, the best from thence to Bander on the Gulph of Persia. Next day (through De-Moxalbeg) we got to Amno-baut (by some cald Boyall) a village of thirty families, all of them a postat Georgians, inclosd, to exclude their shame, by a high, strong, round wall raisd with battlements, resembling a Castle; commanded by Daut (or David) Chawn (brother to the Duke of Sheraz) an Apostate, for which he was made an Eparch, and honourd with three silly temporary Tittles, bought with losse of an eternall Crowne of hap­pinesse: he has here a pretty Carvan-sraw and Summer houses for his owne delight, wherein are five neat roomes curiously painted in Imagery and imbost with gold; his Gardens are also sweet and prettily contrivd into grotts, mazes, vollieres, and the like, equall to that of Aladeul' at Ca­ramit for his Assassinates; but nasty and deformed if compard with Para­dize: from Amno-baut we rode next day to Commeshaw, a Towne boasting in a thousand houses and much Antiquitie. It may be either that same Towne which Pliny cald Parodana, or that Ore-batys in Ptolomy: Sir Ro­bert Sherley was once her Governour, under that wicked parricide Con­standel chawn; but it seems they bore small love to either of their memo­ries, neither vouchsafing to bid us welcome (as most Townes did we hitherto past through, although I have omitted to speak their ceremo­nies) nor a lodging, a base respect to so noble a passenger. At this place Persia is limited, and where Ayrac (or Parthya) takes her beginning: Chi­raef, Gardon-achow, Nowbengan, Kazeron, Pherushabad, Estacher, Nabandi­oem, [Page 149] are reckned Townes in Farsistan, I have but named them. But that you may the better go along with us; and especially in that the latest Maps of Persia are so erronious, both in rivers, the scituation of places, and their true names (for to say truly, none of them have five right names;) I have therefore inserted this of the Persian Empyre; in which, neither the po­sition of Places are false, nor names of Townes fictitious or borrowed:

Next day we got to Moyeor; agrandiz'd by a thousand families; but none of their houses compare with their dove-houses for neat and curious out­sides: they have some excuse for it; some of them are descended (not [Page 150] from Columba Noae but) from those holy Pigeons, who fed at Mahomets eare and advanced his reputation not a little, perswading the simple peo­ple they brought him newes from some (bad) Angels, concerning their happinesse. Next night we were usherd to Spawhawnet by a servant of Me­loyembegs the Kings Fiscall who intreated the Ambassadors to repose a day or two there, till Spahawn had fitted it selfe for a solemne intertainment: where whiles we repose we may remember, that most of those Manzeils we have past from Chehelmanor to his place, are twixt twenty and thirtie miles asunder. The whole distance is somewhat above two hundred miles, as I computed them.

The tenth of Aprill wee set out from Spahawnet a village six miles South from Spahawn: when we had gone a farsang (three miles,) we were stayed by the way to taste a banquet in a spacious garden of the Kings, whither the English Agent and such other Christian Merchants as were in Spahawn came out to attend our Lord Ambassador: a mile neerer the Citie, the Visier, the Sultan of Spahawn, Meloyembeg and Hodge-nazar the Armenian Prince with foure thousand horse and innumerable foot, came to bid us a happy entrance: the fields two miles from the towne were re­plenisht with vulgar men, women and childen; the Bannyans like caterpil­lers swarmd about us; all together, in a volley of thundering acclamations cried out Hoshomody, Suffowardy, the better sort Hoshgaldom i.e. welcome, heartily welcome: forty kettle Drums, Fifes, Tabrets Tymbrels, dancing wenches, Hocus Pocusses, and other Anticks past my numbring inobled the ceremony: the bridge was full of women on both sides, many of them in faire deportment unmasqued their faces. The first place we alighted at was the Conna-potshaugh, the Kings Pallace, placed at the West side of the Medan or great Market: there the Noble men kneeled downe, and tessalemd, three times kissing the Kings threshold, and as many times knock­ing their heads against the ground in an awfull obeysance: Sir Robert Sher­ley sizedaed also and contented them; a Coselbash ended the ceremo­ny in a panegyrick to this purpose: That the Fame and excellency of Shaw-Abbas was so great as had attracted a great Prince and other Gentlemen from the extreamest Angle of the world, to see whether fame had been partiall in his magnificence: no wonder, since his radiant beames spread themselves over all the Universe: that done, some bottles of good Wine were lavisht out, after which with a continued clamour of the Plebeyans, we were conducted to a brave house of the Kings, at the South-East end of the City, through which, a deep broad water had its course into the Sindery.

The fourth day after our being in Spahawn, the English Agent banquet­ed our Lord Ambassador, and shewed us a rich and hearty welcome: to agrandize it, at night a Tanck of water was beset with lighted Tapers, ar­tificially uniting the two contrary Elements; squibs also and other fire­works, that made all the City gaze and gape with wonder. Next day Hodge­nazar was visited at his house in Ielphea; a Christian he professes himselfe, but (I must be bold to tell him) his house is furnisht with such beastly pi­ctures, as no way relish of honest or Christian invention: amongst our other [Page 151] cates, we had a rosted pig, a meat to Jew and Persian infinitely offen­sive: the Wine flagons and Bowles here, were of purest gold. I desire to speak a little of these Armenians, that the rest of our Travailes may be woven with more ease and fewer mixtures.

These Armenians are cald also Ielphelyns from the City they dwell in here, nam'd from their Metropole neere Ararat. In habit they differ not from the Persians, but live in equall freedome: they professe Christ, and account Saint George their Patron, from whom some think Georgia takes name, and not from [...], Husbandmen; they and the Georgians are habited alike: this is their greatest difference, that the Georgians excell in warre, the Armenians in merchandize: this Image may well represent them both.

They both are honored by the memory of twenty thousand Martyrs in the last persecution, Sapores tyrannising then ore Persia: the Country derives her name from Armenus a Thessalian (Iasons kinsman)▪ [Page 152] It is divided into major & minor: the greater is confind by Tartary to the North, by Media and Assyria to the South: the West and East with the Euxin and Caspian seas: It includes Colchis, Albania, Georgia, Iberia, &c. obscured in other barbarous names, as Zuria, Goweria, Mengrellia, Turq'mania, Cara-culia. Gurgee, Haloen, and Sarlochya (from Gog and Magog,) and to which place, the ten Tribes were brought by Salma­nasser the Assyrian.

They have two Patriarchs or Protomists; one at Ierusalem; the other at Syna in Arabia; sometimes they reside at Sis neer Tharsus or at Ecmea­zin neer Rhivan, or Ervan in Shervan. Antioch their old Sea they dare not chalenge. They have the three first generall Councells in great honour, study the Latin tongue, (rare in Asia); they have twelve titular Bishops, three hundred some say; poore, but no way despicable. They have the old and new Testaments in their mother tongue; the Letany also, part of which, is every Lords day read and expounded in the Churches: they ad­minister the Lords Supper in both kinds, Bread and Wine; and deny a reall presence; they allow but our two Sacraments: Baptisme they celebrate after the Eutichyan sort, as Iacobus (father of the Iacobites) and Iohannes Philipponus Anno Dom. 550 mis-taught them: the proselit gentiles or Mo­humedans in the fore-head with a burning crosse, others they baptise with two fingers, and signe the Infant with the crosse, as glorying in that hyerogliphick the Jews and Mussulmen esteeme so ignominiously of: are also great lovers of Tradition: they pray not for the dead, imagining that till the generall day of doom they are without joy or torture. Five Sabbaths in every yeare they abstaine from flesh, fish, cheese, and butter; in memory of those five Ages, wherein their barbarous forefathers used to immolate their children unto the old red Dragon: all wednesdayes and fridayes also in the yeare except from Easter to Ascention they fast pre­cisely: and no other Christians are such strict Lent-observers: for they re­frayne their wives that time; and from flesh, fish, milk, egges, butter; those forty dayes feeding only upon oyle, bread, honey, water, dates, cowcumbers, melons, herbs, and the like. At other times they eat hogs flesh. Before the three great Festivalls, they fast twelve dayes: they mar­ry betimes at nine or twelve yeers: the Layety are permitted to wed twice the Ecclesiastiques but once: trigamy to all is hatefull. The Presbitry are much honoured. Images in their Churches they detest, but at home have pictures of Venus and Priapus. The crosse they regard, but worship not, beleeve not purgatory▪ their Temples are but meanely beautifull. Obedience and respect to the better and elder sort is much practisd. They punish theft and adultery severely. In some things they are but refind Ido­laters: as in some burialls, they lead about the Church an unspotted Lambe with much solemnity; they then sacrifice, divide and give each there a bitt to eat; as a Simbol, or superstitious bond, obliging one another in love and charity: to mee it seems they derive this custome from that of the Hebrews, who used to divide a calfe, as Moses records in 15. Gen. 9. and as Ieremie notes in the 34 Ch. 18.19. verses. On good Friday they represent the passion and buriall of our Saviour: during which, they weep and ingeminate their ejaculations. On Easter they intimate the resurre­ction [Page 153] by a representative body, using all that morning the old salute of joy; He is risen indeed: an Angelicall note they call it. That day they celebrate with great Feasts, the Mahomitans nor Iews not daring to min­gle among them; The King allowes them that priviledge. They fast upon the Nativity of our Saviour. The Iesuits labour to knit them into Rome; but in vaine: they stand much upon their Antiquity, and name two hun­dred grave and learned Bishops since their conversion, many of which were noble Martyrs or witnesses: the report of an envious Doeg that they had submitted to Rome, agnising the Pope their head, made Abbas storme and not to be pacified, till a thousand of them were made headlesse: up­on which the rest implore help and revenge from the Turk, raising a bloody scean of ensuing Troubles. Some say that Lodovic Grangier a Ie­suite lately crost the black sea into Mengrellia, where Threbis-chawn en­treated him gently and by his charity they are much purged from super­stition: which if so, I wonder that his name is of no more fame amongst them.

I feare I have made too large a parenthesis. Let us therefore to Spa­hawn againe, the Metropolis of the Persian Monarchy; yea the greatest and best built City throughout the Orient.

SPAWHAWN, (at this day the Persian Metropolis) is in Artick elevation 32 degrees 39 minutes; in longitude 86 degrees 30 minutes: dif­fering from Don Garcias accompt, whose height exceeded not 31 degrees 30 minutes. In whose description if I seeme prolix, impute it to my desire to give thee every thing usefull and observable. And in the first place, in regard some suppose her (like Agra) a start-up Towne, wee will trace her in her variations as farre as my poore reading will well afford it us.

That it was Echatan (as Niger thinks) is ridiculous to imagin: two thousand [Page 154] three hundred yeere ago it was called Dura; but whether in that Dura the haughty Assyrian erected his golden Colosse, I finde it not. Hecatom­pylos is the next name it had; recorded by Apollodorus, Polibius, Ptolomy, and Pliny, lib. 6. c. 8. so denominated from her hundred gates; whereby we may imagine her in those dayes great and stately; and though in Alexan­ders conquest Curtius name her not, it seemes she then varied into that Greekish nomenclation: and of this name we have a story, that Demetrius Nycanor (Sotors sonne) thirsting after Syria and Jerusalem, was (upon his trecherous killing Antiochus, Alexanders sonne, to make the conquest easier) affronted by Tryphon Lieftenant of Syria, and forced to flie to Ar­baces the Persian King for succour, who being acquainted with his unna­turall ambition, not only denied him the law of hospitality, but sent him prisoner to Hecatompylon, where he was fettered; till upon submission and promise of more obedience hee was releast, and by Arbaces reseated in his owne Dominions.

After that, Nymzamaena, or halfe the world: (an Hyperbole borrowed from Rome, Epitomen Vniversi:) by Ben Ionas who was here Anno Hegirae 540. of our Lord 1160) Ashbahan or Acspachan; by Mandevil our coun­triman (three hundred & forty yeers ago) Saphaon; and at this day is call'd Spawhawn (or as they Sibboleth, Sphawhawn) and by most writers diffe­rently spelled, Spaha, Spachen, Acbaban, Aspachan, Izpaan, Spahan, and Hispahan, the errors springing from diversity of Idioms. From whence the name Spawhawn derives it selfe, is not knowne unto the Natives (I askt it them) how then shall wee get intelligence? tis a thing for certainty impossible, yet will I venture a conjecture that it is either that old Town Spada, where Eunuches were first gelded, or from a compound of Aspa (a horse) and Chawna (a house, or stable, or the like) Spawhawn per Aphe­resin & Syncopen euphonically contracted; the rather conjectured, in that the Hypodrome (the body of the great Mydan) was an old famous place, for view of horses: if that content not. I must ingeniously confesse, I think this City was never named Hecatompylon: such a one I know there was famoused in many Authors: but by observing the position 37 degrees 50 minutes in Ptolomy, I take Coom or Cazbyn to bee the relict of it: the rather, in that Ptolomy, Pliny, and Strabo in their Geography, place Aspa in Parthia, in 36 deg.; a name from whence Aspahawn may credibly have been deduced: besides, the lat. is more agreeable: or peradventure from Aspadana which they place in 33 deg. Spawhawns latitude.

First, speak we what she has been for grandeur in older times, and with that we will couple our present observation. If I exceed, excuse it, prestat de Carthagine tacere, quam pauca dicere. A. D. 645. of the Heg. 25, by com­mand of Omar then Calyph of Mecca, Siet-ben-Abivakez with a few troops of victorious Sarazens attempts to pluck violently from Yezdgirds head the then tottering Diadem of Persia, & at the third pull (having twice over­throwne him) effected it, the glorious command of that Monarchy then eclipsing: which done, this Ben Abivakez sacks his two best Townes Elmedin in Chaldea (built Anno Domini 520, by Kozrao, sonne to Kobödes, and yet the Alcoran sayes it sprung out of hell) and Spahawn in Parthia. Also we may memorise her from Tangrolipix (a Turqueman, and Lord of [Page 155] the Zelzuccian Family, of whom the Ottomans) who in the yeere 1030. of the Hegira 410. (Edward the Confessor ruling England, Gruffyth ap Llewellyn Wales,) was intreated by Mahomet then Prince of Persia to ayd him against Pysastris an incroaching Babylonian, which Tangrolipix did and prospered in. After that, he helped him against the invading Indyan, and in recompence of his good services, the Turque desires leave to passe Araxis to visit his countrimen, betwixt the two seas the Hyrcan and Euxine; and by jealous Mahomet denyed and so enraged, that lurking awhile in the Carmanian Desert, the Persian gulph was at his pleasure. But (vexing to be so confin'd) marches against the King, and at Shyraz beats his twenty thousand darstardly soldiers; and after that, opposes 60000, then also victo­rious; whereby Mahomet fled, & with two much haste to get into Spahawn, fell from's horse, and broke his neck, the Turks then subjecting Parthya.

Rached-bila also, sonne of Almoster-sha was slaine by Mazud, Anno 1130. of the Heg. 510 and buried in Spahawn: which few for many, shall speak her antiquity in the name she is now triumphant in.

Speak we now of the magnificence: wee have told you how the story of ben-Abivakez a thousand yeeres ago, cals her a great City, but gives us no better description, Ben-Ionas (who sayes he saw it foure hundred seventy six yeeres ago) affoords her twelve miles compasse, rich, and populous. Man­devel, A.D. 1300 (which is above 300 yeeres since) saies that in his time she was a noble City. A. D. 1474, Ioseph Barbarus was here (Vsan Cassan reign­ing) and hee describes Spahawn to bee a great and famous City, peopled with 1500000 soules, the Towne and Suburbs ten miles in compasse. Rab­bi Benjamin and Contarenus the Venetian Ambass. 80 yeere ago, relate that then shee had 20 Italian miles in circuit, and Lemius the Portuguise sent by Albuquerq to Sha-Ismael, An. Dom. 1513. reports her glorious.

I shall now more largely, and truly acquaint you with her present stan­ding. Spawhawn, Metropolis of the Persian Monarchy, is seated in the Parthian Territory now cal'd Ayrack, & as Umbelic to that spacious bodie at this day awed by the Persian Scepter: from the Persian gulph removed a hundred seventie nine farsangs, (of English miles five hundred thirtie seven,) from the Caspian sea a hundred and twenty farsangs (three hundred and sixty miles;) from Shyraz two hundred twenty two miles, from Babylon foure hundred and fifty, from Candahor eight hundred and seventie, from Cazbyn 270. In compasse at this day nine English miles,Circuit. including seventy thousand houses, and of soules above two hundred thousand, com­pos'd (besides Natives) of English, Duch, Portuguiz', Pole, Muscovit, In­dian, Arabian, Armenian, Georgian, Turk, Jew, and others, drawne thi­ther by the magnetick power of gaine and novelty: many things here are memorable; which for order sake I will present you thus divided. The Mydan, Mosques, Hummums, Gates, Pallaces, Gardens, Monuments, and Ielphey the City adjoyning.

Let me lead you into the Mydan, into the which ere I can bring you,River. we passe over a well-built Bridge of stone, supported by five and thirty pillars, through which the Syndery (or Zindaren) from the Acrocerau­nian Mountaines streames gently; spreading in rainie seasons here welnigh so broad as the Thames at London, but nothing so navigable; in Summer [Page 156] her Channells being discovered. The Mydan or great Market, is without doubt the most spacious,Mydan. pleasant, and Aromatick Market in the Vni­verse; a thousand paces from North to South, the other way above two hundred, resembling our Exchange, or the place Royall in Paris, but six times larger: the building is of Brick, well made, and in delightfull man­ner fabricated; the whole Mydan joyntly continued: the inside is full of shops, each shop full of ware, archt above (and in a Cupolo) atop tarras­wise framed, and with plaister (like that of Paris) cemented. This My­dan being the noblest part, is so placed in the heart of this triumphant City. The Kings Pallace (or Chonna-Potshaugh) conjoynes the West side of the Mydan, possessing a large quantity backwards, but juts not to the street further than the other buildings, nor to the street side gives any magnifick front or state, her best bravery being in the trimme, pargetted and pain­ted with blew and gold, in mosaick or antick sort, interlac't with posies of Arabick, either savoring of ostentation (they deifie their Kings) or for instruction from the Alcoran; within, the roomes are archt, enlighten'd by curious trellizes, the roofe imbost above with red, white, blew, and gold, the sides with sports and painted Images; the ground spread with rich and curious carpets of silke and gold, without other furniture. Tar­rassed above, garnisht with a Pharoe over-topping many Mosques, and ex­cellent for view and breathing. The wildernesse behinde, is fild with ayery Citizens, priviledg'd from hurt or affrights, and for which they returne their thankfull notes in a more swift melodious consort, than if they were in the exactest vollyere in the Vniverse.

The North Ile in the Medan, shews eight or nine spacious archt rooms, hung with Lamps and latten Candlesticks, which being lighted, gives a curious splendor. Thither the Potshaw and others go to see pastimes of tumbling, dancing girls, and painted Catamites, that damned sinne being tolerated by the Alcoran. The furthest end North is appropriate for Mynts; the first day silver, gold the second, next day brasse. Not farre thence are victualling shops, wherein, to feed the helpfull belly, after the busie eye and painfull feet are satiated.

Afore the Kings doore, and within the Hippodrome, lye unmounted one and thirty Demicannons of brasse, and twelve iron Culverins, brought hither (by some late over-throw they gave the Portugall or Turk) from Ormus or Babylon. Opposite to this Pallace is a faire Mosque, but that at the South end (of all others) most excellent; the outside stone, not form'd to the Crosse (the hyerogliphic of our salvation) as ours bee; but round, either from the Talmud, figuring out Aeternity, or from the Alcaba in Mecca, the shape whereof was reveal'd to Abraham from heaven, pat­tern'd from that, Adam (sayes their Alcoran) reard in Paradise: within 'tis distinguisht into Iles, the wals lined 15 geometrick foot high from the sole with white well polisht Marble; without pews or seats: in center is a state­ly Tanck; and at the portall another, octanguler, fild with cristall streams which is first forced to glide round the inside the Medan through a stone channell six foot deep, and six in bredth, which after a pleasant drilling murmur, flowes into this Tanck (or watery Magazeen) whence it is suckt out by subterranean passages into many private houses and gardens. With­in [Page 157] the Medan the shops be uniforme, the trades are no where severed, but united. Some be of Mercers, of Lapidaries some, and most of them of gums, drugs, and spices; so sweet, so delicate, as not till then, could I see the Poet sung well.

Take the outside of this brave Fabrick thus presented.

[Page 185] Mosques.The other Mosques (call'd here Dear' and Zunae) are orbicular for shape; for sight, low and indifferently pleasant: the materials are Sun-burnt Bricks, varnisht, and beautified with painted posies; few are without their Tancks (or cesterns of holy water) wherein all Musselmen wash their hands, armes, eyes, (having formerly bath'd their face, eares, breast, feet,) as an operative work to purge sinne, and conferre devotion: their other Church ceremonies I will contract in the latter end of this book, under Title of their religion.

Hummums.The Hummums or Sudatories in this Citie are many and very beauti­full; quadrated some, but most be globous. The stone is white, polisht and durable: the windows are large without, crossed, and to the inner side, made narrow; the glasse is thick, anneald and darkning; the top or covering, round; and tyld with a counterfeit Turquoise, perfect blew, and very fresh and lasting: The inside of these hot houses are divided into many cells or concamerations, some for delight, others for sweating in, all for use; of pure stone all, all pav'd with jetty Marble: men use them com­monly in the mornings, women towards night; the price is small, but so generally us'd as makes the gaine abundant; tis the Catholicon against all diseases, colds, Catarrhs, flegm, aches, agues, Luesvenerea &c. the womens being there, is knowne by a linnen cloth displayed at the doore, set there (as a warning peece) by the jealous Eunuchs. The City is ovall, each house delighted by large Cypresse gardens:Walls. the wall is of no force against the confounding vomit of the flaming Cannon; it is of use against horse, and shock of Launces; some parapets and bulwarks it has, of more imitation than use; the Persian magnanimity ever choosing to dye rather than be inclos'd or seiged. It has a dozen Portresses, of which, foure are shut up. Gouldest, Chaly, Mergh, and Cherbaugh, made th'entrance of a royall garden. The eight are these, Hazena-bawt (opening towards Shy­raz and the gulph) De-cridest (to Babylon and Ardaveil.) Tockzy (to Ca­shan, Casbyn and Tabryz.) Kerroen (to Yezd and Cawrestan) Lamboen (to Ha­madan.) Sheydack Madayan (opens to Candahor and Indya.) Yowbara and Dalwaet.

Pallaces.The Pallaces are few, the Kings house in the Medan; that where wee were lodged, belonging to the King, but made ready for our Lord Am­bassador: Conna Meloyembeg, Tamas-coolibeg and Haram Beguna are all I saw, worth remembring: the first, is low, painted without, guilt within, well watred and inclosed with fragrant gardens. The last, a Seralio, fa­mous for pretious treasure and as valuable beauties, of which (being dan­gerous to inquire or view) wee will speake in silence; the Castle is very large, well wall'd and deeply moated: arm'd with some brazen peeces, but better defended by a troop of leane fac't, beardlesse, memberlesse Eunuchs, who like so many angry Sagittaries guard their Ladies. The bat­tlements are pleasant to looke on, but no doubt the Horyzontall plaine which is easily discovered from thirty rising Turrets there, yeelds most pleasure.

Gardens.The gardens challenge our attention; than which for grandeur and fragor, no Citie in Asia out-vies her. It incloses so many, that at some di­stance from the City, you would judge it a Forest; so sweet, you would [Page 159] call it Paradize: all whose excellencies we will joyne in one at the South-West end of Spawhawn, Nazer-jareeb by name, a garden famoused deser­vedly over all this Monarchy.

If you go from the Medan, you passe by Cherbaugh, through an even delicate street two miles long at the least, most part of the way wall'd on both sides, bestrew'd with Moholls or Summer houses, but more remark­able in that abundance of greene, broad, spreading, Chenore trees, yeel­ding shade, and incomparable order and beauty; the garden (or rather fruit Forrest) of Nazerjareeb is circled with a stately wall about three miles in compasse, entred by three gates strong and elegantly shaped. From North to South it gave mee a thausand paces, from East to West seven hundred, from one end to the other easily discovered, by reason a faire open Ally (like that in Fountain b'leau) runs along in parellell, distinguisht into nine Ascents, each surmounting other a large foot, each distance smooth and even. In center, is a spatious Tanck, made into twelve equal sides, each side or square is five foot, fild, and round set with pipes of lead which (after the Italick sort) spouts out the liquid element in variety of conceits and postures; that sort of pastime continuing thence to the North gate, where is rais'd a pile of pleasure, antickly garnisht without; within, divided into foure or six chambers; the lower, is set out with Tancks of rich white Marble, and fumes out a coole breese, by quaffing up so much chrystaline water as makes it bubble thither by a constreyned mo­tion, cut by incredible toyle thorow the Coronian Mountaine.

The higher roomes are garnisht with variety of landskips, and repre­sents their way of sporting, hawking, fishing, riding, shooting, wrastling, courting, and other fancies; the roofe or seeling is inricht with beaten gold, imbost with azure. But, what seemd to mee most excellent, was the view we enjoyed from her Tarrasses, which affoorded us a dainty pro­spect of most part of the City; which, (save at Rustans Tombe, upon a hill two miles thence) elsewhere cannot be obteyned. This garden is replenisht with trees of all sorts; for medicine, for shade, for fruit: all so greene, so sweet, so pleasant, as may well be term'd a compendium of sense-ravishing delights, or King Abbas his Paradise.

Monuments should come now to our description:Monuments but I found few to feed my eyes upon. Rustans Tomb must be one (two miles from Spa­hawn) behind the Garden wee last spoke of: a Tomb scarce discern'd by shape, but by the Gowers Cabala preserv'd from Oblivion. To see it, wee foot it to the very top of an Imperious Mount, where is only a hollow Cave, whether cut by Art or Nature scarce discernable. His grave is here, his Image, at a place neere Shyraz (from his gigantive shape ingraven of old in a black-marble precipitious mountaine) Noctae or Nogdi Rustan, a brave Cavalier such time as Artaxerxes (Queen Hesters husband) wore that Di­adem. A.D. 3500. but envie (the heyre of perdition) so burnt in the wrath­full heart of his unnaturall brother Shawgad, that when Rustan was hot in chase, he fell into a dreadfull pit, cover'd with boughes as if it had hatcht no danger, but in prosecuting his hate was also slaine by a Dart Rustan flung up to retaliate him. Such was the end of valiant Rustan, of whom the Gowers (the old Persians) fable more than we of Bellyanis or Ogero the Dane.

[Page 185]Neere which, and neerer the Citie is Darius (or rather Xerxes) mount: a rising hillock, and whence, Xerxes viewd the innumerable Army he had in that large Plain, weeping, upon a meditation that in so few yeeres none should be living; a Notion true, and sooner than he predicted; for what by Themistocles ashore, and Leonidas at sea, at Salamys and Thermopilae, his huge Armie melted away, and quickly became numerous.

Not farre thence, ride we to the Acroceraunian hills (I meane not those of Epire knowne to Ptolomy) hard and loftie. Through which, bold daring Abbas is forcing passage, though he effect it not under twenty yeeres, and by th'incessant toyle of 40000 (somtimes 200000) men, to invite a sweet river to Spahawn, that runnes contentedly to it selfe fifty miles thence, and is by this I beleeve effected: which when it is, may well compare with that old wonder, intended by vaine-glorious Nero 'twixt Ostia and Avernus, now call'd Licola.

Within Spahawn I found none, save that Columne or Pillar of heads of men and beasts, erected as a Trophy of the Kings oath, and as a Monument of the peoples levity. At the base tis twenty foot round and threescore high or there-abouts, for (to my shame I confesse it) I forgot to measure it. The occasion this, of erecting it.

Anno 1500. Heg. 880. such time as Tamas shaw ruled Persia, and Guinza added to the lustre of that Diadem: this Citie (surfetting with luxurie, for Vbi uber, ibi tuber, sayes Apuleius) refus'd not only to contribute reasonably to the Kings occasions (at that time troubled with Turk and Tattar) but most audatiously with stood his desired entrance; a rebellion so insufferable as made him sweare a revenge scarce to be paralleld. With fury he assaults, in rage enters, firing a great part and in all hostile severity pillaging each house; and to conclude, regarding neither the outcries of old men, weak women, nor innocent children, in two dayes be made headlesse 300000 of those late Spahawnians, and (from Tamberlan's rigid example at Damascus) erects a Trophy (this pillar) of their heads, as a memoriall of their basenes: En, quò discordia cives perduxit miseros. Another followes.

Abbas, by hastie death of Father and elder Brother (impatient of cor­rivalship)

lops off all such branches as might eclipse the splendour of his crowne, by power or Title, speeding to Spahawn to make knowne his possession by such ceremonies as befitted him. The Citizens in stead of meeting him, send him a choking message reviving the cruelty done Hemyr Hamze Mir­zey his brother, and old Mahomet, which so exasperates Abbas that by his fathers soule, the seven refulgent Orbes, by Bismilla and Mahomet he vowes their payment. They bid him doe his worst; hee besieges them; they regard it not; they expell his fury with equall force, and for a moneths space hold together and doe like men. Yet in the end victuals grow short and he diverts the river; so as many steale away, chusing rather to die by hazard than endure a famine: Abbas takes his time and enters it, killing [Page 161] for two houres, men, women, and children, commanding a pillar to be advanc't of the deads of all the Rebells, which had been done had not the Mufti (in imitation of Aurelian, who when he took Thyana (having sworne

the death of them all) made all the doggs be hang'd up) in commiseration feigned a vision from their Prophet, that (so the pillar were rais'd of heads) no matter though beasts heads did it; Abbas pardons them: and forthwith a generall massacre of all kind of beasts insued, the Innocent suffering for the Nocent, and of whose heads and those mens already slaine, this Monument of mercilesse mercy was reared, outbra­ving for height all the Mosques within Spahawn, though now growne ruinous. Such another is in Sumachy twixt Erez and Derbent.

Ielphey is the last part wee propos'd concerning this great Citie: the scite resembles Pera to Constantinople, or Southwark to London, the river Syn­dery interposing. Tis call'd a Suburb as be Gower-abaut, Abbas-ebaut, Chan­zabaut, Azenabaut, and Cheigh-Saban. Though indeed they are peopled with men of one religion, admitting very little mixture. Ielphy is govern'd by a peculiar Podestate an Armenian Prince, Hodge Nazar by name, indeed a Christian Merchant: hee and his en­joy freedome of conscience, but for mony matters are at the disposition of the avaritious King. In Ielphea (nam'd from another of that name in Armenia (old Ariaramnes I beleeve, mentioned by Tortelius) the people are numbred ten thousand, in Azenabaut foure thousand families. Ielphè is by some writ Golfa and Chiulfa, but I think I have better hit our Dialect. The Jelphe­lyns are habited like the Persians, but differ in face; most of these and the Georgians having brighter haire, and more modest eyes than the Maho­mitans. They are generally Merchants, and to say truly, but Factors for the King, who exacts an account at their death, and inherits their posessions. They professe Christianity taught them erroniously by Iacobus the Syrian Monothelite. They have two Protomists, one here in Ielphey, th'other re­sides somtimes at Sib neere Tharsus, other-times at Ecmeasin not farre from Rivan or Ervan. Their religion I have already spoken of.

[Page 162] Gowerabaut is another Suburb, named from the Gowers that people it; nick-nam'd from their Idolatry, being Relicts of the ancient Persians, and such as at this day be the Persees in Indya. The Persians account not of them, partly from their tytle to the Country, partly from their industrie ashaming the Persians in their idlenesse. They adored the Sunne (call'd Mythra) a representator of a more powerfull Diety; their Flamens a sort of Platonists, acknowledging many creatures to be most excellent, but no way comparable to God the Creator, the exact center of all perfection, Pulchrum coelum, pulchra terra, sed pulchrior qui fecit ista, &c. Howbeit they have falne from that, and at this day deifie an elementall fire, which like the vestalls never extinguishes, Zertoost their Lawgiver in his Zundavastaw above two thousand yeeres agoe (they say) commanding them. Their

marriages are such as we have spoken of at Surat among the banisht Per­sees now; their burials differ. The Indyan Gowers or Persees expose the dead carcasses to the Suns rage till he have eaten them, but these put them in the hollow of a sacred Tree, standing upright, supported by the bole, till Magick observation release them, that if the Vultur pick out his right eye [Page 163] first, he is in Paradise; if the left, a Cacodaemon vexes him; they feast or fast hereby, as joy or sorrow is occasioned. These people are most of them mechanicks and husbandmen: few of them either Schollers, Soldats, or Soldagars (as they terme their Merchants:) their habit varies but little from the common mode, save that their headpeece is fashioned to the garbe of Hyrcania. The women shew their faces (a thing very observable) their apparel is tinctur'd with yellow (resembling the burnisht imbrodery of the Sunne) a flame-coloured scarfe hanging loose behind them, many of them whether out of zeale or poverty (I know not) use neither shooes nor sandalls. The farewell to these Gowers shall terminate our description of Spawhawn; this onely remembred, that the Portuguize Friers have two houses here, of the rules of Carmel and Augustin; their Chappell is guilt and furnisht with Organs, Altars, Crucifixes, Images, &c. with which, they hope to convert men to the Papacie: but Armenians love no Innovation, and the Persians in their zeale contemne Images; yet, they serve for espialls, to send Intelligences to Goa and Christendome.

We entred Spahawn the tenth of April, and on May day departed thence for the Court, then at Asharaff in Mozendram about foure hundred English miles distant North.

Our first nights journey was to Reegue (or Reig) an houres riding from Spahawne. Thence-forward we made (by reason of the intollerable heat) pale Cynthia and Arcturus our night guides, all day refreshing in the Car­ravans-raws, good resting places if gnats forbid it not. From Reigue we travell'd to Sardahan sixteene English miles, & next nght we made Whomg our Manzeil being seven and twenty miles from Sardahan. Next night to Towgebawt a house and garden of the Kings, for beauty add sweetnesse com­parable to any other in Parthya; the more observable, being seated in a barren cursed sandie soile, champaigne, and terrible to inhabit in. But

for five hundred paces it every way gives a series of all sorts of Persian fruits and flowers, Pomgranads, Peaches, Apricocks, Plums, Apples, Peares, Cherries, Chesnuts, Damask, red and white Roses, and other flowers in­numerable, fructified by a crystall rivolet, intermixt with many delicate na­turall and artificiall Grottoes, Labyrinths, Meanders, and Volliers, with Sudatories or Hummums of good stone, pav'd with choise white Marble; the Mohull or Summer Lodge bragging of a dozen chambers, delicate in view, rich in gold imbosments, and proud in th'Architect, all safeguarded from sand and stealth, by a defensive wall that hinders (save in one rising hillock in midst of the six descents) the affrighting sight of the circumvol­ving Wildernesse.

Who calls himselfe a Traveller, must not imagine pleasure his Object, 'tis paine and miserie must entertaine him oftnest. Otherwise, I could have lull'd my selfe in this last Paradise: but on wee must and try the diffe­rence.

From Tawgebagh wee got next night to Bawt six farsangs or 18 miles [Page 164] distant, nothing memorable, save an old Castle in the way, which, by Cyn­thia's palenesse, we could hardly discover. From Bawt wee got by break of day to Obigarmy, both of them houses of the Kings, who has at every twelve miles end a severall Lodge betwixt Spawhawn and the Caspian Sea like these, and wherein our Ambassadour had the honour to repose. And now we are past the danger; let me tell it you. Most part of the last night wee crost a miserable inhospitable sandie Desart, ten long miles broad, in length a hundred: where we beheld mountaines of loose sand, accumula­ted by the winds fury in such heaps as upon any great wind the tract is lost, and passengers (too oft) involv'd and stifled by that impetuous mercilesse Tyrant, yea Camels, Horses, Mules, or other beasts, though strong, swift and steady, perish without mercy: Albeit the King (to do as much as may be for prevention) has rais'd at every 3 miles end a Castle, but by the un­stable foundation, is in March & September in despight of their best props yeerely peece-meale torne asunder, without any remaines of their late standing. This our last nights travell was thirty miles. Next night wee rode one and twenty miles to Suffedaw, an old rotten weather-beaten Inn or Carravans-raw, and placed in part of an unsociable Desart. Our next nights lodging was at Syacow ten farsangs (or parassangs as Pliny calls them) thirty miles English, notable in her Carravans-raw, built from the ground of good free stone, white and polisht, and was the first building of that ma­teriall I saw in eight hundred miles riding; a word of our last nights jour­ney. The most part of the night we rode upon a causey broad enough for ten horse abreast, built by incredible labour and expence over a most dreadfull Desart, eeven and affoording a plaine Horizon of boggy loose ground, cover'd a top, a yards depth with pure salt, as white as snow; a mi­serable passage, for if either the wind force the salt abroad like dust, or that by any accident Horse or Camell mistake the way, the quaggy bogg up­holds them not, but suffers them to sinck past all recoverie; a passage more feared, from some forlorne hopes that pillage passengers; God be blest, wee escaped this, but not another, little lesse formidable; for wee had no sooner past the salt Desart, but of necessity wee must climb over and about hills, so high and glomerating, as if Olympus had beene cut out into Deda­lian labyrinths. From Syacow wee rode next night 22 miles, most part was over other salt vast Desarts wherein thousands have perished, and would yet, did not a like large deepe grounded causey secure the passage: And here we pitcht our Tents, old god Terminus in this place limitting Parthya from further branching North, from whose high tops looke wee back and memorize her that was once Mistresse of Asya, and formidable to the Roman Emperours. In the Scythick tongue shee meanes a stranger, (as Iustin in his twelfth book) given by the rude Tartar, as to us the name Welch, by the barbarous Saxon. The Parthyan Diadem was once garnisht with two and twenty Kingdomes, encircling most part of Asya. From which lustre shee fell; but after long eclipse, by vertue of the Sophyan stemme, has recover'd a great part of her former bravery. Tis now call'd Hyerac, sirnam'd Agemy, to distinguish it from that including Babylon. Her old Shires were Rhagaea, Apamea, Tapira, Choama, Araciana, Semina, and Mizia; her mountaines, Orontes, Abicoronii, Mardoranii, and Parchoatri; not [Page 165] eight hundred miles in circuit, hilly and barren, yet breeding men both wise and valiant.

Next night (Diana running cheerfully through her Zodiac) wee rode eighteene long miles to Gezz a pretty Lodge belonging to the King: the greater part of this nights journey was through the bottoms of transected Taurus, whose stupendious forehead wets it selfe in the ayery middle re­gion: the fretum or lane is abut forty yards broad, even below, and be­strew'd with pibbles; either side is wall'd with an amazing hill, higher than to reach up at twice shooting, and for eight miles so continues, agreeing with the relation Pliny and Solinus make of it: a prodigious pas­sage, whether by Art or Nature questionable: I allude it unto Nature (Gods hand-maid.) But if it bee the same which Pliny calls Caspiae portae; Bertius, Caspiarum Claustra; Strabo, and Ptolomy, Pilae Caspiae, Mediae vel Zagriae; and Zarzaeae by Dio. Siculus; I then grant Semyramys (who did what she could to eternize her name) effected it, and from her was call'd Pilae Semyramidae, as Niger has it. Howbeit, the Persians appropriate it to Mortys-Ally; who with his slicing Shamsheer for the ease of his people made it; a sword after their Cabala a hundred cubits long; and where­with at one blow he beheaded ten (or as some say, a hundred) thousand Christians: of no credit, in that Pliny (ere Mortis-Ally was horne) thus writes of it, Ruptura est Montis longitudine octo mill: pass: angustissima, &c. But though they ratifie their story of Ally with an oath, from mee they get no other beliefe concerning it than this. Hanc fabulam longi temporis mendacia finxit.

Of more certainty is this, a Persian in our company told me. That a dozen yeeres ago, a valiant thiefe with five hundred horse and three hun­dred Musquets defended this narrow roade against all passengers; none pas­sing nor re-passing without Tribute. The King of Larry-Ioon, and other mountaneers frown'd at his sawsinesse, and threatned his banishment; but such stormes made good musick to his eares: Abbas growes cholerick to bee so bearded by an ordinary fellow, and scornes to honour his over­throw by an Army: for knowing he had many Cavalleers about him, he doubted not by their courages to fetter him: he moves it and proposes a reward: but they had heard the thiefe was of incomparable fortitude and dexterity; so as by long silence Abbas findes their feare, and grows pale at it: yet ere hee could give his rage a vent, a bold Armenian under-takes it: the King embraces him, and breaths fresh courage into the hardy Chri­stian, who excellently mounted, singles out the gladded thiefe, that doub­ted not to master so faire a beast with small opposall. It was his custome to give good play; usually commanding his company to look on, if one or lesse than five entred the strait; such high confidence had he in his va­lour and dexterity; in short space they met, but parlee in Mars his language; the Armenian (in all points fitted for a sterne encounter) fol­lowed his blowes with such skill and fury, that after long fight and much bloodshed on either party, upon close hee made death a passage: a victory so irksome to his men (whose lives depended on his safety) that like robd Beares they fell upon the victor Armenian, who had doubtlesse there ex­pired, had not an Ambush of many brave Coosel-bashaes broke out and [Page 166] relieved him; by whose sudden assault the wretched theeves were quick­ly sacrifiz'd unto their Master. The Christian returnes to Court crown'd with a glorious Laurell. Abbas addes to his lustre and gives him a brave command, so insupportable to the weak soule of this too-strong Cham­pion, that to content the King and ground his standing, he renyes his pro­fession, though an Ocean of teares shed by his beloved countrymen sought to wast him from the Alcoran. But see the end of such Apostacy. Al­beit the King had cause to hug him in his bosome, so excellent and fortu­nate prov'd he against the Tartarrs; yet jealosie (rather divine vengeance) so stung old Abbas that without any triall or acquainting any man with his reason, hee commands Lolla-beg to cut his head off, such time as hee was singing a lullaby to his good fortune.

Our next nights manzeil was at Halvary (eighteene miles from Gezz) a well built Towne it is, and pleasantly seated, the earth being mellowed by a sweet rivolet, that purls from the tops of Taurus, from whose ver­tue the ground is richly appareld in greene, and requites the painfull hus­bandman with a happy acknoledgement of Olives, Walnuts, Rice, Wheat, and Wood in great abundance: bidding a sad farewell to that healthy Village, the next night we rode 20 miles to Periscow i.e. a broken Moun­tain: a Town somtimes honoured with the Kings residence; not that the beauty of his house (but ordinary) allures him, choyse hawking, Phesants and other game more delighting him here than any other part of Parthia. The Pole is here elevated six and thirty degrees: the Towne is refresht with chrystallin water, sweet and advantagious to the earth and her inha­bitants: tis built upon the brow of a high (well woodded) divided hill, whose top has beene crown'd with a vast Castle, but now by age or warre (the canckerwormes of all temporaries) is moath-eaten, her ribbs onely appeare, expressing desolation and famine. One Mahummed commands the Towne, and keepes the sword and skale, but is I feare dame Astreas corrupted servant: no marvell if in a discontented humour shee has left the earth, in Persia (especially in Periscow) Justice is so odly ballanced. At our entrance into this Towne, (to extort a bribe from the Ambassador) he hangd one Persian, cut off anothers nose, and mutilated a third man, to shew his authority more than otherwise; their fault was, for stealing a trifle of two shillings value from a footman serving the English Agent: another was ready to bee trust up, but a message was sent to my Lord Ambassador, that if hee pleas'd to beg his life it should be granted him: my Lord Ambassador very gladly ransom'd him with somewhat more than a meere complement. Complaint was also made against a Farmour for thrashing a whore against her will; Monsieur Radamanth bids geld him, and to hang his stones at her eares as two pendants, the gulph of Persia afforded none so pretious: the poore wrench humbly beseecht him to spare his usefull parts, so did his astonisht wife, so as after much medi­ation of friends and thirty pounds fyne, upon promise to grinde in his owne mill ever after, all is husht, and each part satisfied. But each man cried out, a severe Censor is this Daraguod. I read that the barbarous Gaules had such a custome, si furaverit quod valet 40 denar. aut moecha­bitur, vel castretur &c. But here many times they have such tricks [Page 167] to encompasse money. Well may they therefore clamour out.

After two dayes repose in Periscow, we jogd on; the Court then being little more than a hundred miles from us. Our first nights journey from Periscow, was to Gheer, foure and twenty long miles, and tedious: some part was over terrible hills, other part through whistling dales; in both which we were so weather-beaten with a raging storme of wind and haile bred in Tartary, and forc't over the Caspian sea (which from hence if the season had permitted wee might have seene) that it not onely tooke away our sight and hearing, but threatned our braines; for in despight of our best skill and closing one with another, it separated us; insomuch as we had hardly recovered our companies, had not the melodious noyse of the braying Mules, and jingling of the Cammells bells revoked, yea untwisted us out of these Caspian or Zagrian straits; through which, when neither Sunne, nor Moone, nor Starre befriends, whosoever hereafter travell, let them (if they would prevent precipitious falls) borrow Theseus his thred, or be content to wander in endlesse labyrinths. From Gheer wee rode next night foure and twenty miles, to a small Village whose name I have infortunatly lost: the Frogs (the Bul-bulls or Philomels of this mar­rish place) it may be were the causers of it, assembled in such troopes, and chirping such lothsome tunes, that we wisht Iupiter had been to give them another King: for

To Aliavarr, one and twenty miles from the Town of Frogs we rode next night: a very sweet and pleasant place in water, wood, and store of Phe­sants; a bird in these Hyrcanian Towns, and neere the river Phasis in Men­grellya (Cholcos of old) originally breeding: Iason and his Argonauts first made them knowne to Greece, when hence he forc't their Sheep, bearing fleeces of gold, or gold-meriting fleeces. Next night we got to Necaw, five and twenty miles from Alliavar, observable in the Kings house, and that the common Mansions and Churches here, differ not in shape from ours of the poorer sort in England. Next night wee got into Asharaff; a Citie upon the Mare Caspium. The Emperour of Persia was here, and had long expected the Ambassadour; unwilling to remove hence, till he came, that he might see the extent of his Empire, and lest wee should report in Europe that there was no grasse (nor grace) in Persia. The Sultan of the Towne and fifty Coselbashaes brought us into Asharaff, and usher'd us to our lodg­ing; I may say us, for the ceremony befitted not so great a person as an Ambassador.

ASHARAFF (or Ahasuraff, I dare not say frō Ahasuerus) is 2 long miles from the Caspian Sea. It is seated low, and many salt Marishes circum­volve her; is but meanly watered; no other but a small spring trickling [Page 168] from the Taurisian Mountains drils in two branches thorow it, the broader of which is not five yards over. The ground is reasonable fat, but inculti­vated: the greater part of her Inhabitants ploughing in campo martio. I judge two thousand Families live in this Towne, and no doubt encreases daily, the King having but of late affected this place, his Pallace but newly finished, and Farrabant the Hyrcan Metropolis but five miles West remo­ved hence, where the seat Royall has beene kept for many Ages. Abasse­baut also, two miles hence, surpasses for a curious Summer house, excells all his other houses for a delicate view, Imagery, Hummum, Water-works, and a Forrest stored with game of all sorts: it I say, attracts the King, who (where ever hee stayes long) makes great Cities of small Villages. The Buzzar here is but ordinarie; the Mosques are not to be admired, the Kings Pallace is vast, and notable only in her Gardens: the building itselfe is confusedly divided into three or foure Mohols or banquetting houses, great and gorgeously painted; which, were they united might better de­light the eye, and cause the Architect to be commended. I will speak more of it at the Ambassadors audience.

The pole Artick is here elevated eight and thirty degrees, seventeene minutes; it is due North from Spahawn, as wee observed in our star-light travell, (for the dayes are raging hot, and not to be travell'd in or jeasted with) Arcturus was ever just before us: from Ormus to this place are a thou­sand English miles: from Spahawn, three hundred and fifty, or there-abouts; as reckoned.

The Am­bassador has Audience.But before I give you a survay of Hircania, let mee present an essay of my Lord Ambassadours audience and entertainment. After foure dayes rest, the King (or Emperour, Potshaw they call him) was pleas'd, without long warning to assigne him his day of audience. It was the five and twen­tieth of May, our Sabbath, and the fag-end of their Ramazen or Lent; ad­vantageous to the Pot-shaugh, for it spared him the charge of a royall Ban­quet. My Lord Ambassadour had Sir Sobert Sherley in his company, and seven or eight other English Gentlemen, his followers: good reason it was some Sultan or other should have convoy'd and shewed him the way; (the Court being a quarter of a mile distant from our house) but it seemes they wanted breeding, or, that some other mysterie was in it: for, no other than a footman from Mahomet-Ally-beg proffer'd a complement, every way so course that the Ambassador had no patience to digest it, save by equall contempt to inculcate in the Persian mode, and send him thanklesse back againe. To the Court at length wee got, no noise, no admirers, saw wee there neither; by which we presumed, the Towne knew not of our going thither, which I wonder at, since Abbas of all sorts of honours counted to have strangers at his Court, the highest. At our alighting, an ordinarie Of­ficer bad us Hosh-galdom and usher'd us into a little Court du guard, that stood in the center of a spatious Court: in it was no other furniture save a few Persian Carpets spread about a pretty white marble Tanck or Pond fill'd with water: here we all stayed, and for two houres space junketted upon Pelo and wine, nothing so good in taste as the materiall they were served in, the flaggons, cups, dishes, plates and covers, being of pure beaten gold; thence, wee were led by many Sultans, thorow a spatious and fra­grant [Page 169] Garden which was curious to the eye, and delicate to the smell; to another Summer house, rich in gold imbosments and painting; but farre more excellent in a free and royall prospect; for from the Tarrasses wee viewed the Caspian Sea one way, and another way the tops of Taurus. The ground chambers were large, quadrangular, archt and richly guilded above and ont her sides; below, spread with most valuable Carpets of silk and gold: in center were Tancks full of crystallin water (an element of no meane account in these torrid habitations;) round about the Tancks were placed (pomparum fercula) Goblets, Flagons, Cesternes, and other Stand­ards of pure massie gold, some of which were fill'd with Perfumes, other some with Rosewater, with Wine some, and others with choisest flowers: and after wee had rested so long as wee might at full feed our hungry eyes with that food of ostentation, wee were brought thence into ano­ther square large upper Chamber, where the roofe was formed into an Artificiall Element, many golden Planets attracting the wandring eye to help their motion. The ground was cover'd with richer Carpets than the other were, the Tanck was larger, the materia more rich in Iaspar, and porphyr; the silver purling streame was forced up into another Region, yet seem'd to bubble wantonly here as in her proper center: this sea of rich stone, so deepe and so capatious seem'd an Ocean rather, where the spoiles of shipwracks were conjur'd out to please the appetite of Mydas or god Mammon: so much gold, in vessels, for use and ostentation, being set for us to looke upon, that some Merchants there, adjudg'd it worth twenty millions of pounds sterlin: another watery Magazeen there was, circled with a wall of gold and richest Iemms: no flagons, cups, nor other there, but what were very thick and cover'd with Rubies, Diamonds, Pearles, Emralds, Turquoises, Iacinths, &c. The Chamber was gallery wise, the seeling garnisht with Poetique fancies, gold, and choisest colours; all which seem'd to strive whether Art or Nature should be to a judicious eye more valuable: one Iohn a Dutchman, who had long serv'd the King celebrated his skill, to the astonishment of the Persians and his owne advantage: the ground in this roome also was over-layd with such Carpets as befitted the Monarch of Persia: round all the roome were placed tacite Mirzaes, Chawns, Sultans, and Beglerbegs, above threescore; who like so many in­animate Statues sat crosse-legg'd; and joyned their bumms to the ground, their backs to the wall, their eyes to a constant object; not daring to speak one to another, sneeze, cough, spet, or the like, it being held in the Pot­shaws presence a sinne of too great presumption; In breach of any them fearing his spleen, who (as Caesar told Metellus) could by the fulgur of his eye dart them dead, sooner then speak the word to have them killed: the Ganimed Boyes in vests of gold, rich bespangled Turbants and choise san­dalls, their curl'd haires dangling about their shoulders, rolling eyes, and vermillion cheeks, with Flagons of most glorious mettall, went up and downe, and proffered the delight of Bacchus to such would relish it. At the upper end (and surmounting the rest, so much as two or three white silken shags would elevate) sat the Pot-shaw or Emperor of Persia, Abbas; more belov'd at home, more famous abroad, more formidable to his Ene­mies, than any of his predicessours. His Grandeur was this, (circled with [Page 170] such a world of wealth) to cloath himselfe that day in a plaine red callico coat quilted with cotten: as if he should have said, we might see his digni­ty consisted in his parts and prudence, not (furtivis coloribus) to steale re­spect by borrowed colours or rich embroderies: crosse-leg'd hee sat: his Shash or Turbant was white and bungie; his waist was girded with a thong of leather, the scaberd of his sword was red, the hilt of gold, the blade for­med like a hemi-cicle, and doubtlesse well tempered: the Courtiers (Regis ad exemplum) were but ordinarily attired. My Lord Ambassador by his In­terpretor (or Callimachee as the Persians name it) quickly acquainted Shaw Abbas why hee had undertaken so great a journey; to congratulate his good successe against the common enemy of Christendome, the Turk; to agrandize the traffick of raw silke, and other Persian staple merchan­dizes; to see Sir Robert Sherley purge his honour from those scandalous imputations Nogdi-Ally-beg his late Ambassador had blemisht him with; and, that perpetuall amity might be continued 'twixt the two famous Mo­narks of Great Brittayn and Persia.

The Pot-shaugh rose up; and in the Turkish Tongue gave him a gratious answer. To the first, that the Turks were a base people compared with the generous minds and vertue of the Persians; in fifteene battells he had given them ample proofe of their magnanimity, and that no people in the world were to him so odious and offensive. He wisht unity amongst all Christian Princes, the Ottomans grounding their conquests meerely from their discord: which if otherwise, they would readily retreat to Tarta­ry. Concerning Trade, the King of Great Brittayn, should if he so pleasd have yearely ten thousand bales of silk delivered him at Ormus every Ianu­ary, and for payment would accept of so many thousand Clothes as would equall in value his raw silks; which as he knew the silk was a farre greater quantity then he could use in his owne Dominions, so were the clothes to him; but he would hazard the venting them by his Merchants, to serve the Tartars, Arabs, Georgians, and Muscovians. And by this, neither we nor he should have any need to traffique or correspond with Turkie. It would infinitely redound to his honour and content; for hereby he shoul'd disappoynt the grand Seignior of his yearly customes which he is forct to pay, when his carravans go to Aleppo or other parts of Turkie to deliver the silk, to the Venetian, Genoan, French, or other European Merchants; and an unexpressable torment and vexation to his heart and soule it must needs be, to see the whole band of Ianizaryes maintained meerly out of those his customes. What was this? but to cherish thorns to prick his eyes, or to make the swords of his inveterate Enemies sharp and fitted for his destruction. Concerning Sherley he had been long of his acquaintance and done more for him, than any of his native subjects; that if Nog-dibeg had layd aspersions unjustly on him, he should have decent satisfaction. It argued indeed Nogdibeg was guilty of some heynous cryme, in that he rather choose to kill himselfe, than stand to his purgation from so impar­tiall a Justice: in some sort he presag'd my rigor, for if he had come, by my head (an oath of no small force) I had cut him in as many peeces as there are dayes in a yeare, and burnt them in the open market with stinck­ing dogs turds. But touching a perpetuall league of true friendship, with [Page 171] the Monarch of Great Brittayne your Master, I embrace it most heartily and wish them accurst that go about to eclipse it. And you are truly wel­come (speaking to my Lord Ambassador) that have done me that ho­nour, none of my famous Predicessors ever had before me: for as you are the first Ambassador ever came hither out of your Nation, so I ac­count your Master the first of the worshippers of Iesus, and of you in a higher respect than any other Ambassadors: which said, Abbas sat downe againe. And whereas all Mahomitans sizeda, or knock their heads against the ground and kisse his foot or garment; most friendly he puld our Am­bassador downe, seated him close to his side, smiling to see he could not sitt (after the Asiatique sort) crosse-legd: and calling for a bowle of Wine, drunk his Masters health, at which the Ambassador uncoverd his head; and to complement beyond all expectation, the Pot-shaugh puld of his Turbant; by discovering his bald head symbolizing his Affection: and after an houres merriment departed. But by what meanes the current of the Kings good will became diverted afterwards I cannot divine. I could afterwards perceive that Mahomitan Princes are terrible crafty or mysteriously politicious: for from that day till we got Cazbyn, neither was our Ambassador feasted at Court, neither saw he the King, nor did any other Sultan invite, or come to visite him: we partly found the cause, Mahomet-Allybeg was by bribery made our enemy; a Persian lately ad­vanc't from a base beginning, and for his neat faculty in diving into all mens doings, acquainting the Potshaw who grumble, who are contented; by such his parasitick facetiousnesse has ingrost his favour from all others, insomuch as all things passe through this impure conveighance; for whom he loves the King honours, such as he hates the King crushes all to peeces. So that to have his good opinion, each great man out-vies others by guifts and such lincks of corrupt esteeme, insomuch that his An­nuall commings in, are bruited sevenscore thousand pounds sterling. And well may be, since Myter-beg (the overseer of the Kings Harams or Se­ralios) has a hundred thousand pound yearly, if it be true, some here assured me. Sors nostra humilior! poore Tamer-begs house at the North end of the Towne imprisond us twelve long dayes and nights, (so long the Court stayd, after we got thither;) where the Sunne darted his outragious beames so full upon us, that no part of the burning Zone could broile more than did Asharaffe at that present: but the Sunne did not more torment us all the day time, than those innumerable swarmes of Gnats, Mus-ke-toes, and such like excrements, stung and pesterd us each night; they biting us, we thrashing them like mad folks. Notwithstanding, some better use I desire to make of this time, than in spider-catching: and in the first place commemorate we the Kings justice, (Tiranny I may rather call it) for which, he is famoused above all other Mahomitan Emperors: that by view of others miseries, ours may appeare but reall flea-bitings.

A poore distressed wretch, upon some businesse bestowed a long and tedious pilgrimage from Cabull in India to this miserable place; where ere he knew how the successe would be, rested his weary limbs upon a field carpet, chosing to refresh himselfe rather upon the coole grasse than be tormented by the mercilesse vermin within the Towne: but poore [Page 172] man he fell á malo in pejus, for snorting in a climacterick houre, the same time the King set forth to hunt and many Nobles after him, his pamperd jade winded and startled at him, the King examines not the cause but sent an eternall Arrow of sleep into the poore mans heart, jeasting as (Iphi­crates did when hee slew his sleepy Centinel) I did the man no wrong, I found him sleeping, and asleep I left him: a comfortlesse complement: poore wretch! happy only in this, Aeneae magni dextra cecidit! the Courti­ers also (as the Negroes in Manicongo do, who when their Captain receives a hurt by warre or accident, sympathize by voluntary mayming themselves in the like part) to applaud his justice, made him their common marke; killing him a hundred times over, if so many lives could have beene for­feited: but how highly soever they extoll their King, I preferre those ancient pagans before him, who out of Natures poetry could sing, Nulla unquam de morte hominis cunctatio longa est. A Soldats wife (or concubin if you please to call her) having fed too high, in a lustfull bravado petiti­ond the King for help, her good man proving too weak to conquer her: a dangerous impudence! the King finds it to reflect upon himselfe, (old at that time, and Master of foure thousand Concubines) he promises her a present satisfaction: he calls his Physitians, and when Phlebotomy was held too meane a remedy, they give an Assinego an ophiat lustfull potion, which inrages the beast, who by a forced connexion, basely glutted her; but in the end banisht her life also. A needy souldier, drawes up a cata­logue of his good services and closes it in want, humbly intreating favour and some stipend from his god of warre for such and such good services. In bello non bis peccatur: for, for his saucinesse he is almost drubd (with ma­ny terrible bastinadoes on the soles of his feet) to death; and (imitating Pyso the cruell Judge in Seneca, lib. 1. c. 16.) examines who it was that writ it: the Clarke apologizes, the King quarrells at his scurvie writing; and that hee should never write worse, makes his hand to bee cut off; giving the poore wretch just cause to ingeminate: Oh! quam vellem nescirem literas.

Two needy knaves were brought into the Divan, and condemn'd for stealing: many grievous tants the Pot-shaw leveld at them, assuring them they deserved death for daring to come so neere his Court, so lousie and so ragged: they confesse they therefore stole, to wrap themselves in better cloathing. Abbas is not satisfied with any reason: hee commands two new vests bee brought and to apparell them; but winding sheets had beene more proper; for the executioner forthwith drag'd them away, and upon two sticks most cruelly stak'd them upon their fundaments. Such, and such other was his inhumane pastime during our stay at the Cas­pian sea, enough on such a subject; by the foot of Hercules the whole bo­dy is discerned: for if I should summe up his variety of tortures; his men, men-eating hags of hell; his caniball hounds, his Capigi and their death twanging bowstrings, his ripping mens guts and the like; what could be the effect but an odious remembrance: and such is the hard-hear­tednesse of Mahomitans, a wicked people for cruell inventions: the ten­der mercies of the wicked are cruelties: a good man is mercifull to his beast; but nor beast nor men, are here commiserated. And, albeit no­thing [Page 173] be more commendable in Princes than Justice, (for it is that that makes them gods) yet clemency is no lesse honourable. Tully a heathen could affirme it, in his oration to Caesar for the life of Lygarius: Thy cle­mency (O Caesar) is most excellent, yea more honourable than thy other vertues: Fortune hath made thee great, Nature advanc't thee higher in thy inclination unto mercy. Nor can they well bee separated. A Prince (exalted above others in dignity and Title) is tyed to an impartiall way, neither hating nor fearing any, but rewarding and punishing as cause re­quireth; without which, contempt or confusion followeth. But to these of Abbas I cannot give the glorious Attribute of Justice: since, if the pu­nishment exceed the fault, it then degenerates into cruelty: a vice, odi­ous to God, (the Father and fountaine of mercy:) to men, by imitating their deformities; conceiting any Act, though never so unnaturall (if moul­ded after such a pattern) good and commendable. And heathen Po­tentates swerving from the rule of divine Justice, pamper the corrupt ha­bit and disposition of their minds, out of a monstrous appetite and opini­on that they are above all law, and may every way inebriate their lust, by sportfull tyranny: such were the inhumane games in the Roman Amphy­theators: such was the barbarisme, Xerxes (as Xenophon notes) practiz'd on Masistes his brother, & other Satrapaes; such in Dejoces (father to Phraortes) who utterly exterminated the Persian generosity: such in most Mahume­dans at this day governing: I cannot chuse but adde the miserable Tra­gedy of his sonne, the memory whereof is recent through most of Asia.

Abbas, by divers Paramours had divers children; many of which hee educated with great cost, care, and experience. Of most hope, fame, and vertue; where Ismael, Sophy-mirza, Codobanda-Sultan, and Emangoly; foure brave young Princes; the two first, begot on Gordina daughter of Simon-cawn; the later two, of Martha daughter of Scander-mirza: both Georgians, both Christians: the first Lady was brought thence by Kurchi­ki-cawn; the other by Shaw-Tamas-Coolibeg; both Persians, both favo­rites: all of them so deare to Abbas, that it seemed hee then had got the Elixar of earthly happinesse: his wives were so incomparably beautifull; his favorites so exactly faithfull; his sonnes so lively the characters of his person, policy and courage: reciprocally joying the aged King, and over­joying the warlike Persians. But it is commonly observed that as the most excellent things fade, perish, and alter soonest: so this admirable candor and perfection in these youthfull Princes quickly vanished, Saturn acting it. Ismael (when by reason of his innate delight in Armes and many quick signes of magnanimity, the Asiatick world gazed and admired him) in a black infernall cloud of poyson went down to an untimely grave at nine­teene, in the Meridian of his splendor. Soffy-mirza, dogd by a like ad­verse destiny, though elevated at first for revealing a conspiracy, was in the end, at equall yeeres throwne downe and crusht to death, after the dumb Capigi had got a hatefull victory, meere jealosie in the King commanding it. Emanguly, ere his popular applause could hatch his ruine, upon confe­rence with a witch that hee saw (by the Almuten of his nativity) short life attended him, growes fearfull of his Syres inconstancy, and in a deep [Page 174] disconsolate melancholy evaporates his sad spirits, leaving the expectation of hazard and soveraignty to Codobanda Sultan, sirnamed Soffee, who (made wise by his brothers miseries) so exquisitly behaved himselfe, in duty to his King, in a pleasing distance to the people; that Abbas doates, the peo­ple celebrate, and an uncontroulable good Fortune seemes to dandle him, Affability, bounty, loyalty, courage, and experience in Armes, at home, abroad, the Persian Monarchy, Turk, Arab, Mogul, and Tartar, admiring, fearing, and commending him in severall Eulogies and acclamations: his owne, left nothing unsaid or uninvented that might honour him; his ene­mies without giving their thoughts the lye, could not but idolize him: who for all that, (not like our common spirits, efflated by every vulgar breath, upon every act, deifie themselves, and conceit all great addi­tions of honour under their merits) stood immovable, sorry he grew so popular; modestly chiding them for flattery, condemned himselfe of hypocrisy by suffring his victories to bee so guilded, since what he had or did was but a reflex of his Fathers vertue, which he doubted might suffer an eclipse by his accumulations. Oh! how execrable is this marrow fret­ting scab of jealousie and envie? it converts that reason which only makes us Men, without any regard of justice, into brutishnesse; yea to exceed in cruelty the most unreasonable, most violent creatures! Is not Abbas a King, a Father? does clemency belong to any 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 [Page 175] 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 hell­hounds, 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 [Page 176] 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 behold the savage and transcendent cruelty of cursed man: revenge had plung'd him headlong into a whirle-poole of unnaturall barbarisme; insomuch, as when the pious child came (in an unluckie houre) to bring him comfort, and by all symptoms of duty to expatiate her obedience; the wretch graspes her, & in a lymphatick fury whirles her neck about, unable to un­twist her selfe from his strong and wrathfull hands, miserable Fatima ex­piring by her hellish Father: and in her, the joy of parents, delight of Abbas, candor of Persia, and comfort of the distressed, vanishing. The amazed Princesse his wife cries out his sight deceived him, that it was Fatyma, little dreaming that he therefore martyr'd her, because Fatyma. And, as if that had not beene enough, (to prevent the King of a successor) hearing young Soffees voyce, dolorously crying out for Fatima, wingd with rage he gropes for him, but by the Princesses interposing, the boy escapt, or else had lost (what he now victoriously enjoyes) the Monarchy of Persia. When Abbas heard her Tragedy, he growes so outragiously passionate, that many feared he would become his owne executioner. But, when hee had drencht his sorrow in a sea of salt teares, hee moderates his spleen, and revives upon hopes of punishment, and vowes to retaliate him in the height of cruel­ty: but, receives so terrible a reply from the distracted Prince, who had return'd a million of dismall curses, that he is stupified with amazement: And to end the Catastrophe, after he had tyred out two dayes with much impatience, the third, hee put a period to his loathed life, by quaffing up a cup of deadly poyson: the King shewing needlesse mercy in his solemne buriall. The sad Princesse mewed her selfe up from sight of man; but since [Page 177] her sonnes comming to the Crowne, whether hee have made her sociable or no I know not: Abbas dyed just at our departure. Let us now to ano­ther subject, and in a briefe description survey the pleasures of Hyrcania, which we have partly relished, and are now enclosed in.

HYRCANIA (whether denominated from her fruitfulnesse in Goats, or from Harcoon in the Scythic tongue importing solitarinesse, or from Hadora as Montanus call'd her, I dare not determine;) is now call'd Mo­zendram (a derivative I think from Mandagarsis in Ptolomy) and Kabonkara: by some (whose fancies I approve not of) this Province is call'd Karizath, Corca, Girgia, Caspia, Steana, Casson, and Diurgument, relatives meerly, of invention; the North is limited by the Caspian sea, the East with Sa­gathy or Bactria, the South with Mount Taurus, the West with Medya and Armenia. Hyrcania is most part (a great part wee travelled) woody and champaign; watered with many sweet and spatious (but not navigable) rivers; such be Araxis, (descending sayes Ptolomy from Sacapen or Sadu­cen) Cyrus, Obsel, Connack, Mazaeras, Bundama, Hydero, (from the Desarts of Lop) Aragus, (falsly said to descend from the Molossians) and others, which from the Taurisian Mountains stream violently, and after they have mellowed the humyd earth in many divided branches, wander into the Mare Caspium: at this day it abounds with many sorts of beasts, birds, fruits, fish, and villages: Sheep, Buffoloes, Camells, Asses, Goats, Horses, Cowes, Antilopes, red and fallow Deer; with Silkwormes also, and Phe­sants, Partrich, Quaile, Woodcock, Pellican, Heron, Pouts, Thrush, Hens, Philomels; and in fruits of most sorts; with fishes also, as Trowt, Pike, Carp, Sturgeon, Conger, Lamprey, Tuneys, Gudgeon, Thornback, Cockles, Oysters, Mussells, Crabs, Limpits, Dog-fish, and Cackrell; most of these the Caspian sea affoorded us: and (which we will sequestere from others) with Lyons, Wolves, Wild-catts, Bores, Scorpions, and Tygers, supposed to nurse the people, as sung the Poet

Gnatts, Flyes, and Snakes (to our sad remembrances) in insufficient num­bers. Townes of old were, Talebrota, Sarramanna, Adrapsa, Sorba, As­murna, Tapen, Carta, and Mauzoca; lost by protract of consuming time, or from new names as new Inhabitants have succeeded here; at this day are these, Farrabaut, Asharaff, Periscow, Omoall, Barfrushdea Chacoporo, Caban, Baezd, Darabgier, Gengee, Shamaky, Erez, Bachu, Byldith, and Derbent; flou­rishing with people, famoused by trade, and admired in her plenty.

The Hircanians are but lately civilized, no longer than since Shaw-Abbas in despight of their resistance came amongst them: but how may we cre­dit the Persians (for 'twas they that told it us) in that at this day, they ex­cell the Persians, for husbandry, trade in raw silks, and other imployments; such as has made them rich, and famous; yea happy, till the Persian Soul­diers intermingled & suckt their hony from them: The Hyrcan language is understood by every Persian. Their habit resembles the Irish troozes: upon their heads they weare Piramidall caps of cloth lined with delicate sheeps wooll: the vulgar Hyrcanian take thus represented.

[Page 178]

They are generally affable, merry, curious in rarities, and nothing jealous aftet the manner of other Mahomitans: we must not beleeve the merry re­ports the Persians told us of their virgin curtesies: of old, they thought to have forbad the valiant Greek desired entrance, by twisting one tree to another, (as did our Abbat of S^t. Albons against the Normans) but hee that had diffected Gordions knot (though mysticall,) with equall pollicie subjugated these Hyrcanians.

Upon Whitson-monday wee left Asharaff; the King at that same time journeyed into Medya to Casbyn: our Travells were different, hee went by Periscow, but sent us by Larry-Ioon, that we might have the better view of those his richest Provinces: this night we lay in Farrabaut, a Citie five miles distant from Asharaff, late spoken of.

FARRABAVT (or rather Farrag-baut, from King Farrag-zed (baut is garden, Zed is sonne,) successor to Shezyr sonne of Iezan Zeddah, and pre­decessour to Tezdgird the Hyrcanian King slaine by the Romans in the yeere of our Lord God 595. five and twenty yeeres before the hegira or [Page 179] banishment of Mahomet) is not unlikely to be that old Amarusa noted by Ptolomy: and the same Citie per paranomasiam (if opinion delude me not) which Vlughbeg and Teixera call Strabatt and Estrabaut. The scituation of Farabatt is low, in a marrish and insalubrious plaine; whereby it sucks in the salt fumes and cold fomes the Caspian sea (a little mile, North) evo­merates. Tis watered by a fresh streame, forty paces broad; which ari­sing in mount Taurus, bubbles downe, and at this Town incorporates with the briny Caspian: in place of solyd walls, it is ingirt with liquid moats or trenches, planted with willowes and other trees, which give both shade and ornament: the houses differ from the common mode of Persia; they be without Tarrasses or flat tops, and resemble ours in England rather, in shape, in windowes, and in tyling; the whole Towne brags of three thou­sand families; of most Note, are the two Buzzarrs, equally spatious, neat and beautifull; many choice and fragrant Gardens also condecorate her, which together make a combined beauty though seeming separate: but, more notable than the rest, is a sumptuous Pallace of the Emperours; at the North side of the Citie, whose balconyes view, whose Gardens extend to the Mare Caspium. It has two large Courts (comparable to Fountain bleaus) either of which expresse an elaborat Art in the skilfull gardiner; paild they are in many shapes, the ground is forced into pretty knots, the spreading Elms, Chenores, and Sicamores surrounding and commixing so pleasantly, so artificially, that from each chamber the prospect is amiable, the eye and smell contending who should surfet soonest of variety. The house is low; but each chamber, high & capacious; rich in work, cōmend­able in uniformity; we could not enter with our shooes on (a cōmon Assia­tick trick at meales & houres of devotion; the Romans also used it, as Terence in his Heautont: Accurrunt servi soleas detrahunt, &c.) some are square, some gallery-wise, but all are arched: three were especially rich and love­ly; whose sides were set with Mirrors or Looking-glasses; and whose tops or seeling, were gloriously imbost with flaming gold; the casements were of large square Muscovian glasse, cemented with gold; the ground was over-spread with crimson velvet, some stuft with Down; others with mat­teresses of azure coloured velvet; coverd with Calzoons of bodkin or cloth of beaten gold: and in Winter the Pot-shaugh sleepes either in sheets of costly Sables, or of delicate shagg or sheep wooll of Corasan: in those gallaries of Mirrors the King has sundry representations of venereous gambolls, his Concubines studying by amorous postures to illure his favor, to glut his fancie: the other chambers are richly furnisht, the walls var­nisht & painted in oyle, but by an uncivill pencil, the genius of some goatish Apelles; such Lavaltoes of the Persian Iupiter are there, such immodest po­stures of men and women, nay of Paederastyes, as makes the modest eye swell with shame, the curious smell winde nothing from those artificiall flowers, save loathsome invention. Let us goe cent the Caspyan ayre, and taste the unruly waves, compared with the quiet houses, sweet and whol­some. The first object are those prams or ships, wherein the Moscovite sailes downe Volga (70 mouth'd Volga, issuing from the Hyperborean and Rhyphaean hills) and from Astra-can (in six and forty degrees) crosse over the Caspian sea, and at this Port or Demir-cape (in 40 degrees 20 minutes) [Page 180] ride at anchor, till they have loaded away raw silks, exchang'd for Sables, usually in March, in Iuly returning; with a good winde they crosse the sea in 8 dayes, though by adverse stormes Sir Anthony Sherley was fourescore: these vessells (resembling our old Corraghs, recorded by Caesar and Lucan) are without ordinance, the Sea is free of Pyrats: they are sowed with hemp and cord (made of the husk of Cocoes,) and have little iron work; the Marriners are as meanly furnist with skill or use of Compasse. Here also we saw many Canoos, of one peece of wood hewd out of some grown Oke (Hyrcania has store, yet little used) capable to receive eight men in faire weather without much danger.

The Caspian Sea (call'd by the Persians Deriob-Mozendram, by the Arabs as all other Ponds, Bobar corsun) is brackish, and very turbulent, yet land­lock on every side; the Hyrcanian, Armenian Russ, and Tartar circum­volving her: nor has shee commerce with any other sea, except it be sub­terranean with the Euxine. They are three hundred miles asunder, yet may admit so vast an intercourse, if wee consider the like (though not so much) in other places: as in Zioberis, which springs from Taurus, and after thirty miles concealment under ground, againe discovers it selfe and com­mixing with Rhodago, in one streame, wander into the Caspian; great Alex­ander at Aristotles request made triall by two Oxen, who confirmed it: as also in Niger an Afrique river, and others in other places. Some vent or other it has questionlesse, otherwise it would overflow or putrifie; for it receives many great and navigable rivers, as Volga, Araxis, Cyrus, Connack, Obsel, Rhodago, Mazaeras, Hydero, Aragus, Phasis, Ilment, Sirto, Chesel, Oxus, Edel, Rha, (some call Volga so) Iehun, Habyn, &c. by many ostiums swelling her womb or concave channell. It has three thousand English miles com­passe:

from Farrabat to Astra-can or from N. to S. are six hundred miles: from East to West, above seven hundred; in some sort Ovall: made dan­gerous by many syrtes and rocks; made happy in abundance of watery In­habiters: [Page 181] Porpice, Conger, Sturgeon, Caveare (the roe of Sturgeon cut and salted) Goodgion, Thornback, Turbut, Cackrell, Skate, Soles, and shell-fish innumerable. Nicanor the Syrian Anno Mundi 3666, made a vaine attempt to bring the Euxin and this Sea into one, to make it soci­able and navigable; but had such issue joynd to his cost and paines, as Se­sostris, Xerxes, Alexander, Nero, Lucyus, and other Monsters of the world had in that and other their impossibilities.

Foure dayes wee spent in easie journeys upon this remote shoare; the first night wee got to Chacoporo, a big Towne; twelve long miles West from Farrabat, and upon which, the sea oftentimes beats outragiously: a river, a stones cast over refreshes her, but (if they told us the truth) is not alwayes potable; for one month every yeer it tasts brackish. Next night we got to Barfrush de, a great Towne; well peopled, inriched with silk-wormes, wood, and excellent water; and therefore they may the better forbeare wine; for the law here forbids the use of it, under a grievous penalty. This place is from Chacoporo 12 miles, many of the men here de­light in Archery, and have long beene famous'd in that manly exercise.

Hyrcania is a continued Forrest, and of all the trees I saw, none excee­ded the Mulberies, for numberlesse numbers, none more notable for use; ten, yea thirty miles spreading in them: the berries if white, refresht our bellies, the colour our eyes, the leaves our observation. In every Village and Cottage wee might behold sheds fild with industrious people, and in­riching silk-worms, seaming the seminary of that valuable Fly, so accoun­ted of through all the world, so advantageous to the Persian Emperour; who from hence (besides those many rich Carpets of silk and gold, silk, silk and silver yeerely woven for their owne uses) extracts an annuall quantity of raw silke, seven thousand six hundred Batmans (or bales I think) expor­ted through Turkie into Europe, to his great benefit. The silk-worme (as in quality, so in diversity of shape) varies from other wormes: her first generation arising from a small round black sperme (like Gunpowder or Musturd-seed) which by moderate heat increases to an inch, assuming (at first) the shape of a palmer worme, from which resemblance in six months she two times changes: her common food are leaves and boughs of trees; but of all other, the white Mulbery most delights her, strewed dayly all over thier sheds, kept sweet, and warme, and cleanly. Having satiated their usefull appetites, they forthwith become enemy to idlenesse, sur­cease their creeping, and with their excretiated vertue intwine them­selves, in some sort making their lawne both winding-sheet and Sepulcher. The silke co-operates with such colours as be laid afore them, white, yel­low, greene, and sandy. And albeit they be involved, yet are they visible to the eye, such is the transparency of their excrement. Their exterior part, is a pale gold commixt with lemon, rough and hayry. The interior more hard and form ovated, the better to inhume th'included Fly. Whose task being ended, the silken cods or balls are straightway spread afore [Page 182] Apolloes corruscant rayes, by whose radiant candor the distressed worme is broyld to death; not unlike a glorious miser faelicitating his death, so it be in contemplation of his rich idolatry. And by this expansion the silk becomes much finer and purer, than if shee were suffered from her owne notion to issue forth and break her habitacle: After this the silke cods are thrown into a large caldron, fild with water, and made meanly hot; then, with a penetrated cane the people stir thē about, at once drawing the slimy silke from as many as his instrument can lay hold upon, or convene in ad­vantage; lastly with a wheele they are turned round; it attracts the silk, and leaves (nothing worth the getting) indivellicated. But that they affoord hony, yeeld wax, build nests, and are a sort of spyder, Aristotle, and Pliny may conjecture so, but experience derides their supposition. By this time we are got to Omoall a City as well known as any other in Mozendram.

OMOALL, (of old, Zarama I imagin) is thought to bee that Na­borca or Naborea, where the Oracle of dreames was so much famoused. It is built under the North side of the imperious Mountaine Taurus; of such Grandeur, that three thousand Families inhabit in her, of severall countries and languages, Armenians, Georgeans, Hyrcans, Persians, Jewes, Curdies, and Muscovians, who make a Babel of seven tongues amongst them. The place is fruitfull, and blest in present prosperity and antick greatnesse, the ruines compleating the report of her being once Metropo­lis; the houses at this day are not builded in the meanest fashion, glorying above the rest, in an old but strong and stately Castle, second to none about her; which, besides the well composed Architecture (affoording no small pleasure to the eye) is observable in a deep trench fild with water, of good defence against the pilfering and rodomantadoes of the adjoyn­ing Taurisians: commendable also in some sweet gardens usefull and de­lectable: within the Towne and neere the Castle, is a famous Mosque, honoured by foure hundred and foure and forty Princes and Prophets of that Kingdome intombed there, whose Sepulchers raise admiration in the beholders; that especially of Meer Agowmadeen is famous, to whose shrine are daily offered serious devotion. As I entred, I found twenty reverent and well apparelled Arabians in a round, close by the Princes Dormitory, with each an Arabic Alcoran before him; out of which, with great modesty and good musick they chanted a dolefull requiem to his ghost; in which they were so serious, that notwithstanding I came sudden­ly amongst them, and in such a habit as others admired, they sung on and in a Dorick sweetnesse continued till they had finisht that their Threno­dy; which ended, they arose and bad me heartily welcome, readily poyn­ting out the rarities of their Temple. Thence, I went to the river side (over which upon a Bridge we rode the night before) hoping to shade my selfe (from outrageous Phaeton) under some Poplars there abounding; but quickly left the place againe: for 7 or eight beautious (but not bashful) Damosells (like so many Dorids) sprung suddenly out from the water, to admire my cloaths, never regarding they were naked; some my hat, my hayre others, other-some thought my spurres an antick. I wondred no lesse at their immodesty, and left them with a frowne, dictating their base carriage and my impatience. And till by inquiry I saw it came from a [Page 183] greedy novelty, I thought them Layesians: but it seem'd I erred; for when the men (such time as Phoebus mounts in his meridian) go to sleep, the women then enjoy the river and coole their heat, in both kinds too much abounding there. Their habit is only a smock of transparent lawne, wrought at hands, neck, and skirt, with an imbroydery of silk and gold; the men are cloathed like the other Hyrcanians. From Omoall we travel­led to Larry-Iohn or Ioon; (I cannot tell if that Ionaca in Ptolomy) thirty miles thence; at which place the Kingdome of Hyrcania takes end and Mount Taurus, or Taur-achow beginning. Taurus (sayes Dion. Alexan.) Totius Orbis terrarum maximus, sic dictus quod instar Tauri elato capite ince­dit, &c. But Eustathius thus, Veteres omnia grandia & robusta Tauros vocavere, &c.

Our journey lay sometimes through inhospitable straits, other times over most stupendious hills; the bredth from one side to another about fifty English miles, from Omoall to Damoan; the length fifteene hundred: towring in a hedge of hills from Armenia to the furthest part of Indya: and after two dayes painfull climbing got so high, that wee might see the middle region under us, and we involved in chill exhalations. Taurus, Mons omnium maximus, sayes Aristotle; yet the sublime height did not dis­aminate us, as did the danger of descending, the path was so uneven and craggy; yea, the rocks so unskilfully cut out for a passage; that great heed must be taken in the treading or a terrible precipice into a bottomlesse lake indangers us; in one hill for three miles together the way was carved (by some unskilfull workman) in the mid-part of a most horrible aspiring perpendicular Mountaine, the lane in some places a yard, in some but halfe a yard in breadth, so as if by accident two horsemen meet, I could not see how both could have safe passage, nor is it higher than ones head if mounted; a wretched passage! for whiles I was sometimes looking at the wonderfull height above us, and anon casting my sight downwards into that dark Abisse, a rock bending ill-favoredly into the narrow way struck me such a blow, as for a great while I was astonied, and happily delivered from a downfall; a rock, demanding an uncivell tribute from all carelesse passengers. At length wee got safe out of that formidable path of death into the broad and lofty Mountaines, from whence the lying Greekes be­held Prometheus (sonne of Iapeth by Asia his wife and brother to Atlas) cheyned to these rocks, his heart gnawed by a Vultur, for daring (though Pallas helpt him up) to steale celestiall flames from Apollo's Chariot wheeles, to inspire life into his Images. The mythology is this, from these high Mountaines Prometheus first studied and observed the firmamen­tall motion, the acronicall rising and setting of the Stars and other bodies celestiall, the causes of Meteors, eclipses, and other hidden rarities of nature.

Hence also let us view (from this highest Tarrasse of the world) North East, and fix our dim sight upon Corason. Corazon I take for that, old wri­ters [Page 184] intitled Coraxi in Pliny, Corziana in Procopius; Corasphy in Ptolomy; Cho­rasmia in Athaeneus, vicinating the Seres (part of Sogdiana the one, of Aria the other) famous in silk and delicate wooll, by Lucan memorized.

Tzetza thus in their commendations. Seres atque Tochares (the first seat of the Turks or Turqu'stans) gentes prope Iudiam, texturas pulcherrimas texentes omnium, & quae praeciosiores antiquis temporibus Iberes occidentales (now Georgia) & Coraxi (now Corazon) similiter texturas pulcherrimas lana operianur, &c. Nunc autem abuteus ut multi, dixeram illud ex Thebis, ex Sericis non ignarus ut alli, &c. Whereby it seemes though silke in the Latin is from the Seres, yet they had it from the Iberians, and they from Aegypt; so likewise now Hyrcania is most excellent. Sydonius Apollina­rius also thus:

Corazon (included twixt 36 and 40 degrees) is divided into three large Provinces. Hery, Farghan, and Tocharistan, (i.e. Aria, Paropamisa, Tocha­ria) all at this day adding lustre to the Persian Diadem. Of Hery and Farghan I have elsewhere spoken.

Tocharistan or Turquestan is a member of the Ouzbeg-Tartar in 40 degrees, adjoyning Gaznehen and S'marcand. Townes of note there, are Tuz (in 38 degrees, the birth-place of Nazarradyn the great Mathemati­cian, & Commentator upon Euclyde) Nishapore, Sarkas, Gelack, &c. exten­ding from this part of Taurus to the river Nycaphtac, of old call'd Oxus, the Terminus to the ambitious Persians; subdivided into many Topar­chies, the Camae, Camaecae, Alizonii, Basilei, Vrgi, &c. buried at this day in oblivion, or wrapt up in other Nomenclations. Maurenahar, part of Sogdiana has the river Iehun on the South, (Gihon or Gychon) and Kora­zon with Gaznehen to the South East; and to the West the Mare Caspium; it is a part of Tartary, spatious, populous, but barren, mountainous; the people affecting rape and idlenesse. Some make it a part of Turquestan (a remnant of those, Alexander shut up) and from whom are sprung those Caterpillers of the world, the Turks, the of-spring of Hagar, and though to us but lately knowne, yet to old Geographors the name Torc was fami­liar, repeated by Rabbi Benjamin-ben Ionas in his Itinerary, who notes that the captive Jewes brought hither by Salmanasser, associated with the Torqs neere Nyshabur, by Ptolomy Nisibi, by others the mountains of Ni­sebon; Hayton also commemorates them and Vlughbeghius. Townes of account are, Buchar and Seonargant, (Maracanda in Arrhyan, Samracha­tan in Chalcondiles, Paracanda in Strabo, Sarmagana in Ptolomy.) (Bokar and Samarchand) the birth places of Avicen (call'd Honain-Ali-ben-sein) borne Anno Heg. 370, a famous scholler, in ninety bookes of Physicks, Chymicks, and Philosophy helping others: and of Tamerlan borne Anno Heg. 760. Balk, Thalan, Arzan, Kaz, Sychamest, &c. inhabited by a [Page 185] Scythic people then and now removing too and fro in Tents; a warlike race, but illiterate and blockish; great Idolators, carving the Devill in many ugly postures; very ceremonious, abstaing from bread, drink, wine, but to raw flesh of horse and man, had a terrible appetite.

And if we were to give every hill and Province their old nomenclations from Armenia to Indya, it would savour of presumption and prolixity; the quest is so obscure, so ship-wrackt in the gulph of dim oblivion, Heni­ochus (in Mengrellia) Gordiaei, or Ghibel-Noae in Haiton (in Iberia,) Niphates, Moschici (from Mesech, and whence of Moscovite,) Pariaedri, Coraxici, and Baris (in Armenia:) and those rabble of incertain Incolae: the Massagets, Taburaei, Suaebi, Bomaraei, Alinorsi, Cadusii, Comari, Sagazini, Caerasini, Pratitae, Paredoni, Cythaeni, Marucaei, Harmatatrophi, Mandradani, Sari­phi, Turquemanni, Bochari, Gaznehi, and other Prouinces, all of them comprised in these foure Ararat, Caucasus, Taurus, and Imaus, at this day new-named Arar, Adozar, Taur, and Kopizath.

But more usefull to our intellect, is the long time famous'd Mountaine Albors, neere this place; infamous in the Pyreē or Temple of Idolatrous Fyre, which has never gone out for fifty Ages. Strabo in his fifteen and Procopius in his second book of the warrs and jarrs in Persia remember it: Ben-Ionas also, a vagabond Jew records it. Within the Fane (round and low) is an Altar elevated five steps from the ground: afore this Altar is a Trench or ditch, wherein the Fyre-god is placed; a fire not as is other elementall fire, fed by cumbustibles; but of that, Prometheus stole from Don-Phoebus Cart-wheeles, or which Zertoost their Law-giver stole from heaven, (a cabala of equall truth, and chuse you which likes you best) and is, no doubt in imitation of the Jewish fire which Moses comman­ded should never bee extinguisht or prophan'd, 6 Levit. 13, the Devill ever frameing his worship (to make it better accounted of) after the best patterne. In this Tophet, they commonly immolated their little children, and somtimes men of more yeers than discretion, thinking by this volunta­ry to purchase an (iron) crowne, of (hellish) martyrdome. After he had vow'd himselfe to bee a sacrifice, his friends in great troopes, and with no lesse joy flockt about him; clapping him on the shoulders with this greeting. Hayle, blessed man! When? when wilt thou burne thy impure carcasse, to have it purg'd & made glorious in Paradize? he appoints a day, and they prepare towards the ceremony: the time being come, they as­semble at his gate; & he issues crown'd with garlands; they mount him upon a Mule, (for after hee has vow'd, hee must no more honour the profane earth with his foot-steps) the Iesop annoints him with a hallowed oyle, and after many loving farewells, he incinerates in flame to ashes. Ere his chil­dren depart, or musick cease roaring, the Priest having consulted with the Devill, tells them their duty; bids them sanctifie themselves, and provide a costly banquet against such a day, when their fathers ghost means to visit them: they leap for joy, and think each houre a day till the time accom­plishes. At last old Satan comes, that subtle lyar, and in their fathers shape or phantasme, enters amongst them, and at some distance deludes their eyes, and readily satisfies their curiosities; they inquire how Paradize con­tents him; hee replies, by prospect it is a garden of such delights as are ineffable, but as yet cannot possesse it. They aske why? he tells them, because his will is unperformed; they aske who he left it with, the Priest produces it: the tenor is of one note, his goods must be divided into three, the Altar one, the Priests another, his children a third: without which spell the ghost affrights them ever after. The Gowers in many parts of Persia are of this religion; the Persees also in Indya. Upon these Mountains they fable, that Pischyton (Guztasps eldest sonne, who in Iacobs dayes govern'd Persia) lives here and thirty Immorall Chyrons, who by a grant [Page 187] of Zertoost (the fire-bringer) are to abide here till Doomsday, and if any steale in by chance, they likewise may become immortall. No doubt, but Abbas attempted it. Here also, upon Quequits high hill are some reliques of the furious Gyantesse Lamasaque, and of Arneost her husband, a Gyant of monstrous shape and proportion: I have forgotten how many score of cubits hee was high, but arm'd hee was (if you will beleeve the Persians) with two hornes as big as the tusks of an Elephant; his eyes were terrible big, his taile like to a Cows, but in fight as powerfull as was that club of Hercules: This great theife and his wife were both slaine by Saint Ham-sha Honcoir such another souldier as was Saint Romayn at Rohan. But leaving these ignes fatui, let mee draw your eyes to our ensuing journeys: After many laborious steps wee got to a Village called Ryna, twelve miles short of Damoan; where wee beheld a Castle, so built upon the best advantages of Art and Nature, that it seemes impregnable: above, it wants no ground fitted for ease and warre, sweet gardens fild with fruits and flowers, made happy in a rivolet of pure water springing there, and thence delightful­ly streaming in many oblique meanders into the bottome.

In this place, five and twenty yeere ago, lived one Meleck Bahaman, Late cōquest of Mount-Taurus. who like a second Pluto commanded many hills and dales in Gelack and Taurus; a King, albeit confined to the middle region, most commonly for­ced with great cost 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 [Page 188] 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 [Page 189] 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 Coosel­bashes 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 [Page 190] 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: tis 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; 'tis 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.

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 buried at sea) hearing of our passing by, accompanied with all his loving kindred, came to invite us to his home; he was apparelled in a long robe of cloth of gold, his head was wreath'd with a huge Shash or Tulipant of silk and gold, he bestowed a banquet and hearty welcome, with an invitation of longer time: but after mutuall thanks and ceremony, we return'd a long farewell, and thence hastned towards Damoan: where, as wee descended a steep hill, wee past by a large black Tent, stuft with above thirty antick women, & as many men; I thought they had been solemnizing their Tau­rilia and Boalia, but it prov'd a wedding; the bride was of ten yeeres, the groome of thirty; she a Venus, he a Vulcan: many bride-maids came out to admire at us, wee staid awhile no lesse wondring at them: their faces, hands, and feet were painted in divers formes of birds, beasts, castles, and flowers, resembling our predecessors in Brittaine in Caesars time; their [Page 192] leggs were chain'd with voluntarie fetters of brasse and silver, which in their Morisco Pastorall made them appeare more excellent in that sport than any description of the Arcadian Sheepheardesses; wee gave them a a small offering and so left them, that night making Damoan our Manzeil or Lodging.

Damoan, (whether the relict of Ghabor or Halah is incertaine; but by the Jewes (in these parts call'd Iehuds) their long captivity and abode here, seemes to be one of them) is a Town well known unto the Persians; some write it Damawan, but erroneously. The North Pole is elevated at this place, six and thirty degrees, twenty minutes; longitude 88. It is in­cluded by the skirt of Taurus, in the Kaboncharion Province (part of Ghe­lack) and the limit of Medya, North; a Towne pretty well watered, a branch of Gozan refreshes her: peopled most part with Jewes, who in this place are two hundred Families: The Buzzar is built aloft, and scarce worth the climbing to, except it be to buy wine and fruit, which is had here in plenty and at easie prices. Two dayes wee stay'd in Domoan to re­creat our wearied bodies; on the thirteenth of June we departed thence, and that day rode to Bomaheem, five and twenty miles from Damoan.

And now we are in Medya, a word of her; it takes name either from Me­deus sonne to Iason and Medaea, th'infortunate daughter of King Aeta; or from Madai third sonne of Iaphet sonne of Noah: on the North it has mount Taurus; has Parthia South; confin'd by Bactria to the East; West by Armenia and Assyria. Media was anciently divided into two (as Trogus, Adephius, Strabo, and others witnesse,) Atropatia, (Tropataena in Ptolomy, Atropataena in Pliny, from Atropatus one of Alexanders men) and Azarka or Sheervan i. e. milky Plain.

At this day tis sub-divided into Gheylan (Gheylae in Ptolomy, Caddufia in Pliny) Deylan, Vaaz-pracan, and Thezican, those are Atropatia; in which we might include part of Armenia. Sheirvan has Aderbayon, Harran, Sul­tavia, and Tabriztan. A rich and puissant Country it was in the worlds In­fancie; but whether by the consuming hand of warre or Gods justice, in revenge of so many holy Christians Chozroë massacred, I cannot say; this I can, that it is a barren and miserable soile, compared with the Phoenix of Iles great Brittain, who in her selfe exceeds the best compacted plea­sures of these Asiatique Provinces. It has beene fruitfull you may say, if Pope Pius the second had good information out of Strabo. lib. 11. an Hip­pobotos or horse pasture here nourishing fiftie thousand breeders; but little grasse is to be found at this day over most part of the Persian Monar­chy; as you may see, if you please to journey thither. But in stead of them, as many Camells abound here in sandie Desarts, and crop the boughes of trees or shrubs such as they meet with: a beast, albeit generally known, yet may have a small memoriall. The Dromodarie and it are of one descent, but varie according to the Countrie they breed in: in Bactria (where of old were reckoned a thousand Cities) and Persia they have but one gib or bunch, the Arabian is doubled. The males in one moneth every yeare burne with too much heat, and grow foaming frantick towards copulation, yet in that distraction cannot be brought to commit incest, nor will they goe any whither without their consort: the females are not so cholerick; [Page 193] they couple backward, goe great ten moneths, commonly have but one young one at one birth, which they suckle two yeares apart from compa­nie, not loosing their milk till a second conception: They live threescore yeares, labour much, feed little; refraine drink three dayes, but then quench their thirst immeasurably: their milk is cordiall, their flesh ranck and lean, yet in Asia preferr'd before Beefe, Veale, Pork, in that Mahomet's Alcaron or Ozmon's Parady, licentiats it.

This Kingdome was first conquered by Semeramys; some say by her simple husband Nynus, Anno mundi 1900. Ninus was sonne of Belus (dei­fied by names of Bel, Baal, and Iupiter Babylonicus;) sonne of Nymrod (call'd Mars by some, by others Saturne) sixt sonne of Cush, Chams eldest sonne, the cursed brat of Noah: or thus, Noah had Cham, father of Cush (begot some say in the Ark) father of Nymrod who begat Baladan, father to Berodac pre­decessour to Nabuchadnezar, father of Evel-Merodach, father of Bel-shazzer, who (as Daniel fore-told) was the last of that Assyrian pedegree, Darius Medus supplanting him, Anno M. 3426. by some call'd Cyaxares secundus, whose daughter and heire was married to Cyrus the Fortunate, who by slaughter of Astiages became sole Monarch of Persia. Since when, it has groaned under twenty changes, but wee will not speak them here; for by this time we are hous'd in Tyroan.

TYROAN, by her continued greatnesse and Antiquity seemes to be that Rhazunda, mentioned by Strabo and Ptolomy. It is seated in the midst of a faire large Plain; which albeit it be invironed with hills of stupendious height in most parts at good distance, yet some wayes it affoords a delicate Horizon. The ayre here is fresh and sweet in the morning and towards Sunset, but in the Sunnes perpendicular glances, wee found it hot and ra­ging: the houses are of white bricks, hardned in the Sunne; above three thousand houses are numbred in Tyroan; of which, the Dukes & Buzzar are the fairest and most observable; yet neither so excellent as to beget won­der: the Market is divided, some part thereof is open and some arched: a sweet rivolet playes wantonly in two streames through the Towne, fer­tilitating the Groves and Gardens, who for such a favour returne a thank­full Tribute to the Gardiner: adjoyning the Citie, the King has a spatious Garden, succinct with a great Towring wall of mud, as much in circuit as is the Citie: The house wherein we lodged overtopped all the other, and from whose highest Tarrasse (early one morne) I tooke a dainty prospect both of Towne and Country; every house top was spread with Carpets, whereon each night slept the Master of the house and his Seralio; some (I easily perceived) had three, some six women about them, wrapt in lin­nen; the curiosity (or rashnesse rather) might have cost me deerely, the penalty being no lesse than to shoot an Arrow into his braines that dares to doe it. The Carravans lodge here, exceeds the Mosque; the men in this Towne are proud, the women lovely, both are curious in novelties; but the jealousie of the men confines the temper of the weaker sexes; yet by that little they adventured at, we might see, Vetitis rebus gliscit volun­tas. One Zenal-chan is the Sultan of this Citie, a man of no worth in our opinion: he had been Ambassador from Shaw-Abbas to Rodulph the second, German Emperour; but his late imployment, his favour with Abbas, his [Page 194] wealth, his vexation for Nogdi-beg his Cozen; made him so proud, so dis­courteous, that albeit the Ambassadour sent to visit him, hee return'd no thanks, he took no notice of his being there. The pole Artick is elevated in Tyroan, thirty five degrees, forty minutes: fourescore in longitude. From Tyroan we rode to a Village call'd Charah, a base inhospitable place; it affoorded us no sustenance, but torment, so much as the scalding sands and frying Sunne could operate, as in too great measure we had experi­ence of: From hence to Taurys is two dayes riding. The Carravans-raw is thus shaped.

TAVRYS, the late Median Metropolis takes name from that prodigious mountaine Taurus, under which tis builded. The Turk and Perse call it Taberyz; in the worlds adolescencie 'twas known by other names; of Ach­metha as I read in Ezra; after that, of Echatana spoken of in the Apocrypha; of Amatha also as Cortestan; and Cordina, others have called her; by ana­logie some have placed her in Syria, from a Citie Egbatan, converted into Epiphania, by Antiochus. The primier founder of this noble Citie is Ar­phaxad [Page 195] as we find in Iudiths History: Anno Domini 3290. some say Dejoces, predicessor to that valiant Phraortes, who flourisht in the yeare of the world 3300, the sixt Dynast of Medya after Arbaces, who begun it from Adam 3146. It was agrandiz'd (not built, as Pliny dreamt of) by Seluchus, 300 yeares after; who at that time begun to build Seleucya 200 pharsangs thence, to eclipse the pride of mighty Babylon. Such time as shee was cal­led Ecbaton, she was farre greater than at this present. It was fifteene Ita­lian miles about (sayes Strabo.) The walls were strong and stately, seventy cubits high and fifty broad, beautified with many loftie Turrets and battle­ments: within, were numbred many great and excellent Pallaces; that which Daniel built (the Mausoleum afterwards of the Median Kings) was most magnificent, and which remained undemolisht in Iosephus his time, and some whiles after: That, built by Darius was no lesse memorable: most part whereof was of Cedar wood, the roofe studded and plaited with burnisht gold; of both which nothing now remaines save memory and ashes. I can hardly say memorie, since it is become a question whether Tauryz be old Ecbatan; and whether it be in Media or no. If to be under Baronta, (Diodorus, Polybius, and Ptolomy call it Orontes,) if to be in 36 de­grees 50 minutes, if to have the ruines of Tobyas his grave, if to be the bu­riall place of Kings, if to be the Metropolis time out of mind, if to be the Citie from Ierusalem N. E. foure hundred forsangs can make it Ecbatan; or if the authority of Ananias, Petrus de la valle, Leunclavius, Teixera, and of Ortelius will serve, let it then be Ecbatan and in Medya. Ptolomy's con­ceit of Tabryz (mistaken in the Tau, a Gamma printed erroniously for it) to be in Assyria, by Cedrenus in Armenia, by Chalcondyles in Persia, by Niger in Pers-Armenia, or by Paulus Venetus in Parthya; what were these con­jectures but from the Monarchique Arch-Titles, as Assyrian, Armenian, or Parthyan as they swayed then; and chiefly from the mistake, how Armenia is devided; part of Armenia major extending South of Araxis into Atro­patia, a part of Medya; and from whence the name Pers-Armeniae is com­pounded: for by Abulfeda, Vlughbeg, and others, the latitude of Taurys complies with Ecbatan.

At this day Tabryz is great, and well peopled: traded to from farre, al­beit it keepes a Garrison. It is compast with a mud wall, five miles about: the houses are flat a top: their materiall Sunne-dried Bricks: the Buzzar large, the Gardens lovely: that to the South-East planted by King Tamas was famous, but the Turks horses have lately grazed there. It wants wa­ter in the greatest measure, yet of that is not wholy destitute. What it lacks in that, fire and flame supplies it; the Sunne, warres rage, and civill broyles having more than sufficiently parched her. To passe by the mu­tations of the Empire, the Turks first passage six hundred yeares since, Tamberlayns rage and the like, remember we those two deadly factions the Envicaydarlai and Namidlai for three hundred yeares persecuting one ano­ther with implacable wrath, drawing into their quarrell nine other Pro­vinces, who grew so hatefull amongst themselves, that not only this Citie but Medya & Armenia were therby half depopulated: the Gibelyns nor Ro­ses outmatched them. They made an easie entrance to any invader. Selym the grand Signieur first espies it, and to become an eye-sore to Tamas sonne [Page 196] of Izmael their inveterate Adversarie, sends a Bashaw who ransackt it Anno Dom. 1514. Heg. 894. without much resistance. And Anno 1530. Soly­man seconded it with so much furie, that it flam'd many dayes, the insa­tiate Turks pillaging without mercie, and turning topsie-turvie all they met with, and into a Chaos those elaborat walks and gardens Shaw-Tah­mas so much gloried in. It reviv'd againe, and againe is made prostrate to Ebrahim Bassa's luxurie, sent by Solyman at the villanous instigation of Vle­mus a Persian Traytor, and brother in law to the King. At which time An­no 1534. Heg. 914. the greedie Turks new ransackt it. But Anno Dom. 1585. Heg. 965. it groaned under most affliction, when Ozman the wrathfull Bassa and slave to Amurat the third, subdued it, and perpetrated all sorts of hostile crueltie: till thirtie yeares after, by that incomparable Pagan Prince Emyr-hamze-myrza elder brother to Shaw Abbas it was regained, rebuilt and fortified against the future insolence of those Barbarians. Tau­rys is distant from Cazbyn seven dayes easie journey; from the Mare Caspi­um as many; from Araz six; from Derbent eight, from Spahawn seven­teene, from Shyraz thirty, from Ormus fifty, and from Babylon thirty.

Next night we made our Manzeill at Sangurrabaut, a Town consisting of an hundred Cottages. In this place we buried a civill Gentleman, Mr. Welflit our comrade, under a broad spreading Chenoar tree, and fixt a brazen scrole over him, which spoke his Name and Nation.

Next night we slept in the open fields under a bespangled Canopie the Firmament; and next in Shaw-De, i.e. 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 [Page 197] 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.