Part 19

Here by accident, in returning backe to the Caravan, I met with an English Factor, named Maister Brockesse, who then remayned at Sydon, eighteene miles from this place, and had been downe at Acre, about some negotiations: Who indeede eftsoones, and kindly tooke mee into a Moorish House by the Sea side, and one of his acquaintance: where instantly we swallowed downe such joviall and deep carrouses of Leaticke wine, that both hee and I, were almost fastned in the last plunge of understanding: Yet neverthelesse, he conveyed me backe to my company, and put me safe into the hands of the Caravan, with whom afterwards I diverse times met with here at London; to whose kindnesse I celebrate the memory of these lines.

But now the Sunne discovering the earth, and the night banished to the inferiour world, we were all encouraged, for the light of day lends comfort: The Captaine (sending backe that false Judas, for so was he sworne to do) sent a post to Tyrus for a new guide, who came forthwith, and brought us in our way to Mount Carmell, for by it we [The Towne of Sarepta.] behoved to go; and in our way we met with the desolate Towne of Sarepta nigh thereunto adjoyning, where Elias was sustained in a great famine by a Widdow, whose sonne he raised from death.

Great are the mercies of God, for as he hath made man an excellent creature, so hath he also indued him with two great powers in his mind: The one a wise power of understanding, by which he penetrateth into the knowledge of things: the other a strong power of dexterous resolving; whereby he executeth things well understood, for we having judged the worst, resolved the best: and by his Almighty providence were freed from that apparent danger, although the former dayes whoredome, and unnaturall vices, deserved a just punishment.

This I intimate to all Travellers in generall, that if they would that God should further them in their attempts, blesse their voyages, and graunt them a safe returne to their native Countries (without the which, what contentment have they for all their paines) that they would constantly refraine from whoredome, drunkennesse, and too much familiarity with Strangers: For a Traveller that is not temperate, and circumspect in all his actions, although he were headed like that Herculean Serpent Hydra, yet it is impossible he can returne in safety from danger of Turkes, Arabs, Moores, wild beasts, & the deadly operative extremities of heat, hunger, thirst, and cold.

Approaching to Mount Carmell, and leaving it upon our right hand betweene us and the marine coast, I beheld a farre off upon the top of the hill, the place where Elias ascended to heaven, when he left his Cloake behind him to Elizeus his disciple. This mountaine is foure miles of length, lying South and North, the North end bordering with the Sea, neare to Acre, called anciently Ptolomæis, and the South end joyning with the borders of Samaria, through the which confine we past.

[Samaria.] Leaving Samaria on our left hand, we entred into a faire Plaine, adorned with fruitfull trees, and all other ornaments that pleasant fields affoord, but no Village wee saw. Marching thus about the declining of the Sunne from the Meridian, we came in sight of two hundred pavillions, all pitched in rankes; yeelding the prospect of a little Citie, by a brooke side of water: which being perceived, the Captaine began to censure what they might be; and immediately there came riding towards us, sixe naked fellowes, well mounted on Arabian Geldings, who demanded what wee were? and whither we were bound with such a multitude; and if there were any Franks of Christendome in our company. To whom the Janisaries replied, we were purposed to Jerusalem, and that there was but one Franke with them: Upon the which they presently sought me, demanding Caffar, Caffar; that was tribute for my head, & caused me perforce notwithstanding of the resisting Caravan, and Janizaries, to pay them presently for my life seven Chickens of gold, seven times nine shillings starling: And this is, because sayd they our King is resident in these Tents, and therefore we have tripled his tribute: And yet were they discontented, because there were no moe franks in our company, for from the Armenians, they could not, nor would not seeke any tribute, because they were tributary slaves and subjects to the great Turke: neither also of any other Christiane borne in his dominions, when they shall happen to fall into their hands.

They returning backe to their Prince, with the malediction of my heart, and the sorrow of a Pilgrimes purse, we marching on in our way, that day wee travelled above thirty foure miles, and pitched at a Village called Adoash, being composed of threescore Moorish and Arabian houses, standing in a fruitfull and delicate Plaine; and garnished with Olive, Date, and Figge-trees, which were both pleasant and profitable: where we found also good hearbes to eate, and abundance of water to drinke, and also to fill our emptied bottles: As wee lay downe to sleepe after a hungry supper, on the hard ground, and our guard watching us; [The savage Arabian King.] that same King of the Arabians came a little before mid-night, with twenty foure well horsed Runagats, and naked Courtiers, being armed with bowes and arrowes, and halfe-pikes, pointed at both ends with hard Steele; and asked for the Caravan, who presently awoke, and went to salute him, laying his hand on his breast, bowed his head very low; which is the usuall courtesie amongst the Infidels and Christians in these parts: For they never uncover their heads to any man; and after some short parley, they sate all downe on the grasse. The Caravan presented his rude like majesty with water, bread, hearbes, figs, garlike, and such things as he had.

As they were thus merry, at this poore banquet, the awfull King tooke the Oath of our Conductor, if there were any mo Frankes there then I; and he having sworne the trueth, The King by a malignant informer, incontinently caused me to be brought before him; and staring me in the face, asked my Interpreter where were my companions? Who replied I had none: then sayd he; tell that dogge, or Elishole, he must acknowledge me with five peeces of gold more, otherwise (making a signe to his owne throate) I shall cut off his head, because (sayd he) I will not loose this nights travell for nothing: The which I being informed, and knowing that by no condition, there was resistance against such a scelerate Prince, [Exaction of tribute.] gave it him forth of mine owne hand, having consulted with my Captaine before, and that presently with a halfe smiling countenance; which he remarking, told the rest, it seemed I gave it with a good heart & a chearefull gesture, and to recompence my outward behaviour, he drunke a great draught of water to me: thinking thereby, he had done me more honour then all the Chickens of gold I gave him now, and in the morning; would doe him profit or pleasure: pleasure they could doe him none, for they were unlawfully and dishonestly got, and too delivered from the inward sorrow of my sighing soule; and no wonder, having spent two yeares great charges in Turky, before this time, but that I should have beene exceeding penurious of money, and thereupon desolate of reliefe and comfort.

Truely this was one of the greatest tributes I payed for one dayes journey, that I had in all my voyage, in Asia. [Two Arabian Kings.] There are two Kings in Arabia, the one who liveth on Euphrates, the desarts of Mesopotamia, sometimes in Arabia Felix, and in some parts of Syria: And the other was hee to whom I payd this money wandereth with his Tribes, Tents, and Bestiall, one while in Arabia Petrea, and Deserta, and sometimes in the Holy Land, as hee findeth good pastorage, and fresh Fountaynes. These two Kings are mortall enemies: and if by accident they meete, they fight most cruelly, bringing dammage, rapine, and destruction to themselves, and their followers: For it is a difficult thing in them to dominate their inordinate passions, beeing untamed Savages, and mis-regarders of civility, who continually contend to corroborate the malignity of their dispositions, with bloody and inhumane interprises. And yet all the rest of that night, after his returne from us, wee still expected some treacherous surprise, which made our souldiers stand stoutly on their guard, and wee Pilgrimes to our vigilant and naked defence: For the Turkes will not suffer Christians to carry weapons in al these Dominions, neither any where, where they command. And for all this great tribute, and nights danger of my life, heere was my present resolution:

The more I am beset, with dreadfull snares Begirded round, in shelfie gulfes of wracke; And shipbroke left, on rockes of deep despaires, Where helples care, with tortring thoughts me racke: Then stoutly stand I, hoping for the end, That time will change, and God will better send.

And now by the way I recall the aforesayd Turke, the maister of the Mule that carried my provision, and on whom in the journey I had bestowed the most part of my Tobacco: When I had no more to give him, and he suspecting the contrary, was councelled by his associats to beate me soundly, and dismount my Victuals and Water from the Mules backe, till I propined him with the rest, which intention being by me understood; I forthwith run to the Caravan and complained: whereupon my friend was bravely belaboured with a cudgell, and my better safety procured: Thus was his former shew of love quickly expelled, and an inward grudge suddenly conceived, for it was the smoake, and not my selfe he respected.

Loves whirling fancies, mortals fondly feed As marish rootes dissolve, even as they breed: An humane creature, inhumanely taught, Is worser given to ill, than evill fraught: Things in themselves, be not so bad as ill, The cause exeemd, corruption hath free will: Mans fraile affection, is a cloudy mist, Whose vapours fall, and fogge, as passions list: Bad counsell's worse, than nature ill applies, Weake judgment dulls, when feare in reason flies: Thus sad ecclips'd, the darke ecclipsed Moone Did change, ere mine ecclipsed light was wonne. At last the Sun-shine, of my silver day, Came crawling on, as snailes advance the way.

The next morning, when the hopefull Aurore, had fore-showne the burning birth of glassie Thetis, and that Orient majesty arising to overcirculate the earth, then marcht we along in our way, and before mid-day pitched our haire-cloth Tents round about [Jacobs Well.] Jacobs Well, neare the decayed City of Sychar in Samaria: This Province of Samaria, is now for the most part quite destroyed and overwhelmed with mountaines of sand: we found this auncient Well so wondrous deepe, that scarcely all our ropes could sinke our bucket in the water: The taste whereof was wondrous cold & sweet, & for Jacobs sake the whole number of us, drunke more of it, then neede required: The fiery face of Phoebus declining to the West, we marched through a part of the fields of Basan, of which Og was last King, a man of such a large proportion, that his bed being made of iron, was nine Cubits long, and foure broad: and all that afternoone, wee had exceeding pleasant travailing; and at night we incamped by Lydda on the fields: Lydda is not above ten miles from the ruinous Towne of Cæsarea by the sea side, and is now called by the Turkes and Moores Alferron, being a Village only of sixteene Moorish Houses. Heere Peter healed the man sicke of the palsie.

[The Sea-port Townes of the Holy Land.] The Townes scituated by the Sea side in Phoenicia, Palestine, and Judea, are these: Sydon, which standeth in the Borders of Zebulon, and Nephtalim, or Phoenicia, beeing a goodly City, and well peopled; and is governed by the Emeere or Prince of the Drusians: who beeing the off spring of the Christians, which under the Conduct of Godfrey Duke of Bulloine, discended into these parts, do still maintayne their liberty against the Turkes: The Signior whereof being threatned by the Great Turke, fled to Cosmus Duke of Florence, Anno 1612. leaving his two Sonnes behind him, the eldest to keepe Sydon, and the younger to remaine in a strong Fortresse, on the west end of mount Libanus: The elder brother foorthwith yeelded to the great Turke, the signory of his Lands, but the younger would never do it, and so retayneth absolutely the Countrey of Libanus to this day, making himselfe thereupon, a mountainous Monarchicke Prince. Tyrus, which is miserably brought to ruine: Acre or Acon, that hath yet some indifferent trade of Merchandize, called formerly Ptolomeis: Caipha, called commonly Castello Pellegrino, which hath nothing but the remnants of an auncient Abbay: Cesarea, who reserveth but onely the memory of ruines, for there is no Hospitality in it, except it be to savage Moores: Joppa or Japhta, is a Sea-port of small Barkes, but the decaied Towne, contayneth not one dwelling House, save onely a high Tower, which defendeth the Port from Cursares: Here Jonah tooke ship to flye from God: Here Peter raised Tabitha or Dorcas, from Death to life: and where he lodging at the House of Simon the Tanner, was in a vision taught the conversion of the Gentiles. And Baruti famous for so many Christian armies that have besieged it, is now composed of eight hundred fire houses: Lying North-east of Sydon under mount Libanus, formerly called Julia Foelix, nigh unto which (as fabulous stories report) S. George delivered the Kings Daughter, by killing the Dragon. It is also thought to be within Canaan, standing in the Frontier of Phoenicia, and is the best inhabited place of all the holy Land, Sydon and Jerusalem excepted.

Saturday morning before the breach of day, setting forward from Lydda, through the curling playnes of fat-fac'd Palestine, scarcely were wee well advanced in [A dreadfull conflict.] our way, till wee were beset with more then three hundred Arabs, who sent us from shrubby heights an unexpected shoure of Arrowes, to the great annoyance of all our Company: For if it had not beene, that our Souldiers shot off their Gunnes on a sudden, and stood manly also to it, with their Bowes and Arrowes for our defence, we had then miserably, in the midst of their ravenous fury perished. But the nature of the Arabs is not unlike to the Jackals: For when any of them heare the shot of a Harquebuse, they presently turne backe with such speed, as if the fiendes of the infernall Court were broken loose at their heeles.

In that momentary conflict, on our side there were killed nine Women, five men, and about thirty persons deadly wounded, which to our worthy Armenian Captayne, and to the rest of our Heathnish Conductors bred no small griefe: the mourning noyse among the multitude, beeing also wondrous pittifull. Till bright day came, we stayed still in that same place, (expecting the dangerous mutability of our austiere fortune: and at our departure thence, wee buried the slayne people in deep graves, whereby Jackals should not open up their graves, to eate their Corpes: For such is the nature of these cruel beasts, that they onely love to live on mans flesh: these ravenous beasts (as is thought) are ingendred of a Foxe and a Wolfe.

Proceeding in our journey, we entred about two of the clocke in the afternoone, in the hilly Countrey of Judea, having two of their courses to Jerusalem, which is about twenty English miles: [The Towne of Rhama.] leaving Rhama on our right hand, which contayneth some two hundred dwelling houses of one story high, and ten miles distant from Joppa, from which it lyeth in the way to Jerusalem: Here remayneth the Dragoman, a Christian, who receiveth and conveyeth the Pilgrimes to Jerusalem, which land at Joppa, each Pilgrime paying seaven Chickens of gold, is furnished with an Asse to ride on, all the way tributes, at going, and comming being discharged by their Conductor, to whom they resigne this tributary money.

Rhama is a Towne inhabited by Christians, Arabs, and Moores: not blacke Moores, as the Affricans be, but they are called Mori, which are a kinde of Egyptians, and not naturally blacke, but Sunne-burnt, with the parching heate. The whole Territory of Canaan, is inhabited with these Moores, some Turkes, civill Arabs, and a few Christians and scattered Jewes. The Arabians are for the most part Theeves and Robbers, the Moores cruell, and uncivill, hating Christians to the Death: the Turkes are the ill best of all the three, yet all sworne enemies to Christ. But when they know how to make any gayne by strangers: O what a dissimulate ostentation shall appeare in these detestable Villaines, whose outsides onely they seeme to affect: but intirely the insides of their purses: & that is their ayme, and forcible end: wherefore they both toyle with all, and Conduct strangers through many perils, as eminent to themselves, as accessary unto our inevitable destinies: Time discussing all, and mony over-mastering time; for Coyne is the thing they must have, though necessity sometimes may not spare it.

About foure of the clocke before night, wee arrived at [Beersheba.] Berah, called of olde Beersheba, being eleaven miles distant from Jerusalem. Having a little reposed there, giving our Camels, Mules, and Asses some provender, but could get nothing for our selves, from these despightfull Moores, (for what wee carried with us, was all spent) except a little Water: wee imbraced our Mountaynous way, as cheerefully as wee could, for wee were exceeding faint, and travailed that day above forty three miles; whereby wee might arrive at Jerusalem before the Gates were shut, sustaining great drouth, burning heate, pinching hunger, and not a few other the like inconveniences.

And now about halfe way betweene Berah and Jerusalem, I, and two Armenians, advancing our way a flight shot before the Company. Wee I say, unhappily rancountred with foure Moorish fellowes, driving before them sixe Asses loaden with Rootes, and shrubs of Wood to burne: who seeing us, as they thought alone, layd hands upon us, robbed us of our pocket monies: whereat [A grievous danger.] I resisting, one of them pulled foorth a broad knife, and holding me by the Beard, thought to have cut my throate, if it had not beene for one of his fellowes, who swiftly stayed him.

Well, they leave us, and following their Beasts, our Souldiers instantly appeared unto us; whereupon wee shouting, the Moores fled to the Rocks, and our foot Souldiers following, apprehended two of the chiefest, and brought them to the Captaine: One of which had my money, which I presently received backe againe, but mine associates money, was with them that escaped: the Captaine and Janisaries, meane while carried the two Moores along with them, thinking to execute them at Jerusalem. But their friends and neighbours following fast on Horse-backe, and on foote, relieved them from the Caravan, restoring backe againe the two Armenians money. Whereat all the Moores were exceeding glad, and wee nowayes discontented: for if they had not bin redeemed, certainly their friends and followers, who were thicke flocking together, would have cut us all off, before wee could have attain'd to Jerusalem.

At last wee beheld the prospect of Jerusalem, which was not onely a contentment to my weary body, but also beeing ravished with a kinde of unwonted rejoycing, the [A joyfull harmony.] teares gushed from my eyes for too much joy. In this time the Armenians began to sing in their owne fashion, Psalmes to praise the Lord: and I also sung the 103 Psalme all the way, till we arrived neere the wals of the Citty, where wee ceased from our singing, for feare of the Turkes.

The Sunne being passed to his nightly Repose, before our arrivall, wee found the Gates locked, and the Keyes carried up to the Bashaw in the Castle; which bred a common sorrow in the Company, being all both hungry, and weary: yet the Caravan intreated earnestly the Turkes within, to give us over the Wals, some victuals for our money, shewing heavily the necessity wee had thereof, but they would not, neyther durst attempt such a thing. In this time the Guardian of the Monastery of Cordeleirs, who remayneth there to receive Travailers of Christendome, who having got newes of our late arrivall, came and demanded of the Caravan, if any Frankes of Europe were in his Society, and he sayd, onely one. Then the Guardian called mee, and asked of what Nation I was of, and when I told him, hee seemed to be exceeding glad: yet very sorrowfull for our misfortune.

[A deare nights Supper.] Hee having knowne my distresse, returned, and sent two Friers to me with Bread, Wine, and Fishes, which they let over the Wall (as they thought in a secret place) but they were espied, and on the morrow the Guardiano payed to the Subbashaw or Sanzacke a great fine, being a hundred Piasters, thirty pounds sterling: otherwise both hee and I had beene beheaded: which I confesse, was a deare bought supper to the Gray Frier; and no lesse almost to me, being both in danger of my Life for starving, and then for receiving of food, therefore suspected for a Traytor: For the Turkes alleadged, he had taken in munition from me, and the other Christians, to betray the Citty: this they doe oft, for a lesser faulte then that was, onely to get Bribes and mony from the Grey Friers, which daily stand in feare of their lives.

Anno 1612. upon Palme-Sunday in the morning, wee entred into Jerusalem, and at the Gate wee were particularly searched, to the effect wee carried in no Furniture of Armes, nor Powder with us, and the poore Armenians (notwithstanding they are slaves to Turkes,) behoved to render their weapons to the Keepers, such is the feare they have of Christians. And my name was written up in the Clarkes Booke at the Port, that my tribute for the Gate, and my seeing of the Sepulcher, might bee payed at one time together, before my finall departure thence.

The Gates of the City are of iron outwardly, and above each Gate are brazen Ordonance planted, for their defence.

[A foolish ceremony.] Having taken my leave of the Caravan, and the Company, who went to lodge with their owne Patriarke, I was met and received with the Guardian, and twelve Friers upon the streetes, each of them carrying in their hands a burning waxe Candle, and one for mee also: who received mee joyfully, and singing all the way to their Monastery Te Deum Laudamus, they mightily rejoyced, that a Christian had come from such a far Countrey as Scotia, to visite Jerusalem.