Part 25

He who dyed last, and lived longest, was William Dierganck, who left me all his owne gold, and what the former five had left him: delivering me the keyes of their three Clogbags before the Consul, declared by his mouth that he left me absolute heire to intromet with all, and whatsoever they had there: But eftsoones the treacherous Consul, knowing that I was a stranger to them, and by accident met together at Jerusalem, and that they were Gentlemen, and well provided with gold, forgd a reason to himselfe and for his owne benefit, that he would meddle with all they left behind them, under this excuse, that he would be answerable to their friends for it, at his returne to Venice: Well, I am left to bury them, and with great difficulty bought one grave for them all three in a Copties Chappell, where I interred them: paying to the Ægyptian Christians for that eight foote of ground, ten Sultans of gold, besides sixe Piasters for carrying their corps hither, being two miles in the City distant from the Consuls house. Whence, ere I had returned, the Venetian Factor seased upon all, and shuting his gate upon my face, sent me out my owne budget: Whereupon I addressed my selfe to the French Consul, Monsieur Beauclair, who kindly received me, and having told him all the manner, how I was greatly wronged & oppressed by the other Consul; he straight sent for a Jewish Phisitian, his familiar Oracle: Where having consulted together, the next day earely we went all three, and their followers to the Beglerbeg, or governour of the City: we soone complained, and were as soone heard: the Venetian Consul is sent for, and he commeth: where facing the Judge and [A favourable Turkish judgement.] pleading both our best, (for there are no Lawyers in Turky every man speaking for him selfe) the Bassaw with his Counsell upon sight of the keyes of their Clogbags in my hands, and my narration thereupon (and notwithstanding favouring the Factor) immediatly determined that I should have the two part of their moneyes, with all their Jerusalem relicts, and Turkish cloathes, and the Venetian to have the former third part. It is done, and irrevocable, upon which the Jewish Doctor, and I, with two Janizaries came to mine adversaries house; where I giving the Jew the keyes, the Clogbags were opened, and the money being told, it came just to 1424. Chickens of gold, besides certaine rings & tablets: The Jew delivered me my part, which came to 942. Chickens, the rest went to the inconscionable Consul, with the halfe of the rings & tablets: And packing up all the relicts, moneyes, clothes, and Clogbags, I hired a Mule, and brought them along with me to the French Factors house. Where, when come, Monsieur Beauclair, and my fellow Pilgrimes, were very glad that I had sped so well, none of us all knowing what was in the Clogbags till they were sighted; & giving hearty thanks to the Consul, and ten peeces of gold to the Jew and Janizaries, I sup'd, and reposed till the morrow, thanking God of my good fortune: Yet was I exceeding sorrowfull for the losse of these gallant Gentle-men, Religiously disposed, and so affable, that for familiarity and kindnesse, they were the mirrours of noble mindes, and vertuous spectacles of humanity; whose Deaths were to mee a Hell, and whose lives had beene my Paradice on earth. To whose memory and prayse, I am not able to Congratulate the least Commendation, their Heroicke dispositions, deserved at my hands.

But what shall I say, their time was come, which mortality might sorrow, but sorrow might not prevent Death, whose power is deafe to all humane lamentations. Neyther will I relye so much upon my owne worthinesse, as to thinke that benefite of the procrastination of my [Gods provident mercies.] Life, was by any merite of mine deserved, but that God so much the more, might show his incomprehensible goodnesse in delivering me, from the violence of such unexpected accidents, and to tye my soule to be thankfull for his mercies. For all the beginnings of man are derived from God, whose ends are eyther perfited, or disanulled by his Determination: and nothing we possesse is properly our owne, or gotten by our owne power, but given us onely through his goodnesse and munificence.

And all the spaces of earth which our feet tread over, the Light we enjoy, and the excellent faculties wee are indued withall; or what we can do, say, or thinke, is onely raised, guided, and distributed, by Gods impenetrable Counsell, Will, and Providence: Which although the pride of our wicked nature doth not yeeld the true attribution thereunto; yet the powerfull working of the counsell of God is such, that in it selfe, it proveth an eternall wisdome, and confoundeth the foolishnesse of the world.

[The great City of Grand Cayre.] This incorporate World of Grand Cairo, is the most admirable and greatest City, seene upon the earth, being thrice as large of bounds as Constantinople, and likewise so populous, but not so well builded, being situate in a pleasant Plaine, and in the heart of Ægypt, kissing Nylus at some parts.

The City is divided in five Townes, first and formost, Cairo novo, the new Caire, which is the principall & chiefest place of all the other, lying in midst of the rest, having walles and Ports, the circuit whereof is 22. miles, contayning al the chiefe merchandise and market places within it.

The second is Cairo Vecchio, the old Caire, called formerly Cairo de Babylonia or Babylon Ægyptiorum: for there were two Babylons, one in Assiria called now by the Turkes Bagdat, and the other is this that joyneth with the new Caire: It was also aunciently called Memphis, and was the furthest place that Ulysses in his travels visited, so well memorized by Homer: yet a voyage of no such estimation, as that princely Poet accounted it; for his travels were not answerable, to the fifteene part of mine.

The third Towne is Medin, joyning to the backe side of the old Caire, toward the Piramides: The fourth is Boulak, running a great length downe along and neare the River side, having three market places of no small account: The fift and last, is the great Towne of Caraffar, bending Southward, in the way of the red Sea for many miles: All which are but as Suburbs to the new Caire, that of many smalles make up a Countrey, rather then a City: And yet all of them are contiguat one with another, either to the left or right hand, or to them both, with innumerable streets: [The length of great Cayre and the bounds thereof.] The length whereof in all, from the lowest end of Boulak, to the South-most part of Caraffar is by my deepe experience twenty eight English miles, and fourteene in breadth; for tryall whereof I troad it one day on foote from Sun to Sunne, being guided and guarded with a riding Janizarie, which for my bruised feete on the streets, was one of the sorest dayes journey that ever I had in my life.

The principall gates of new Caire are Babell Mamstek looking toward the Wildernesse and the Red Sea: Bebzavillah toward Nylus, and Babell Eutuch toward the fields: The streets are narrow, being all of them almost covered to save them from the parching heate with open vents for light; and their buildings commonly are two stories high, composed either of mudde or bricke, and platforme on the tops; whereon usually in the night they use to sleepe to imbrace the fresh & cooling ayre. Their Bazar or exchange, beginneth at the gate of Mamsteck, and endeth at a place called Babeso.

At the corners of chiefe streets or market places, there are divers horses standing ready sadled and bridled, that for a small matter, or according to the way, a man may hire and ride so where he will, either to negotiat, or to view this spacious spred City, and change as many horses as he listeth, having the Maisters which owe them to convoy them for lesse or longer way, which is a great ease to weary passengers.

There is a great commerce here with exceeding many nations, for by their concurring hither, it is wonderfully peopled with infinite numbers: for the Countrey aboundeth in Silkes, Cornes, Fruits, Waxe, Honey, and the soveraigne Balsamo good for all sores, besides many other commodities of Cotten-wooll, rich Stuffes of cloth of gold and silver, and the best Sattins, Damas, Taffaties, and Grograines that are made in the world are here.

The infinite populositie of which place, and the extreame heate, is the cause why the pest is evermore in the City: insomuch, that at some certaine times, ten thousand persons have dyed in one day: Nay, the City is reputed to be in good health, if there dye but one, or two thousand in a day, or three hundred thousand in a whole yeare, I meane, when the soare encroaching pestilence, which every third yeare useth to visite them, is rife here.

[Divers nations residing in Cayre.] In this Towne a Traveller may ever happily finde all these sorts of Christianes, Italians, French, Greekes, Chelfaines, Georgians, Æthiopians, Jacobines, Syrians, Armenians, Nicolaitans, Abassines, Cypriots, Slavonians, captivat Maltezes, Sicilians, Albaneses, and high Hungarians, Ragusans, and their owne Ægyptian Copties; the number of which is thought to be beyond two hundred thousand people: besides the infinite number of Infidels, whose sorts are these, Turkes, tawny Moores, white Moores, blacke Moores, or Nigroes, Musilmans, Tartars, Persians, Indians, Sabuncks, Berdoanes, Jewes, Arabians, Barbares, and Tingitanian Sarazens. All which are Mahometans, and Idolatrous Pagans.

From the great Palatiat Mansion, where the Begler-Beg, or Vicegerent hath his residence, being builded on a moderate height; a man may have the full prospect of the better part of the Towne, the gardens and Villages bordering on Nylus, and a great part of the lower plaines of Ægypt. Their Lawes heere and Heathnish Religion, are Turkish and Mahometanicall, and the Customes and Manners of the people, are like unto their birth and breeding, beastly and Barbarous; being great Sodomites, and Diabolically given to all sorts of abhominations.

The better sort of Women here, and all the Kingdom [The Egyptian decorements.] over, weare Rings of gold or silver, through the hollow of their noses, both endes of their mouthes, and in their under lips; hanging rich pearles, and precious stones to them; wearing also about their armes faire Bracelets, and about their ancles below, broad bonds of gold or silver. To which if the baser sort can not attayne unto, then they counterfeit their Betters, with Rings, Bracelets, and bonds of Brasse, Copper, Lead, and white Iron, and thinke themselves not worthy to live, unlesse they weare these badges.

They also use here, as commonly they do through all Turkey, the Women to pisse standing, and the men to coure low on their knees, doing the like. They weare here linnen breeches and Leather bootes as the men do, and if it were not for their covered faces, and longer gownes, wee would hardly know the one from the other. [The Egyptian Christians.] As for the Religion of the Copties or Ægyptian Christians, they are Circumcised, after the Judaicall manner, but not after the eight day, but the eight yeare. And it is thought, they follow the Religion of Eutyches, holding but one nature in Christ: which was defended by Dioscorus and the Counsell of Ephesus, in regard of Eutyches. But the Copties them selves say, they have their Religion from Prester Jehan, and so it is most manifest, being no difference betweene the one and the other.

They make frequently at all meetings the signe of the Crosse to other, thwarting their two foremost fingers, lay them on their brow, and then on their breasts, and kissing them, the salutation is done.

[The Copties Religion.] They will not suffer no Images, nor Pictures to be in their Churches, and yet they have an Altar, and a kinde of Masse, sayd in their owne Language, sacrificing the Ostia, for the reall Body and Blood of Christ: Yet they deny Purgatory, the invocation of Saints, and Prayers for the Dead, &c. Neverthelesse auricular Confession is commonly used among them: so do the Greekes in all these poynts the like, and all the people Orientall.

The Inhabitants here, were the first Inventors of the Mathematicall Sciences, of Letters, and of the use of Writing: Great Magicians and Astrologians, and are yet [The nature of the Egyptian Moores.] indued with a speciall dexterity of Wit; but somewhat sloathfull, and given to Ryot and Luxury: Merry also, great Singers, and sociable Companions; and no wonder, the Land being so plentifull, and their nature libidinous, it increaseth both their insolence, and inordinate affections. Neyther doe they live long, in regard of the great heate they indure. Ægypt being placed betweene the two Tropickes, under the Torrid Zone, bringeth to passe, that seldome will any there attayne to threescore yeares of age.

In all this Land of Ægypt, which is a great Kingdome, there is no running Well or Fountayne, save onely the River Nylus: Neyther do the Inhabitants scarcely know what Raine is, because they seldome see any, and if by rare accident, a Cloud happen to dissolve upon them, it bringeth to their bodies innumerable soares and diseases. And yet for abundance of Cornes, and all kind of fruites the Earth yeeldeth, there is no Country can brag with Ægypt; whereupon it was called in the time of the Romanes, as well as Sicilia, Horreum populi Romani. And notwithstanding this Kingdome produceth no Wines, neyther is garnished with Vineyards, but that which strangers make use of are brought from Candy, Cyprus, and Greece. The defect being thus, these Mahometanicall Moores observing strictly the Law of their Alcoran, wil neyther plant wines, nor suffer any to be planted, accounting it a deadly sin to drinke Wine, but for Coffa, and Sherpet, composed Liquors, they drinke enough of.

[The Garden of Balsamo.] As for their Balsamo, the Garden wherein it groweth, lyeth neere to the South-side of Cayre, and inclosed with a high Wall, being sixe miles in compasse, and daily guarded by Turkes. To which when I came, being Conducted with a Janizary, they would not suffer me to enter, neyther any Christian, & far lesse the Jewes: For not long ago, they were the cause, that almost this Balme was brought to confusion; they having the custody of it for certayne yeares.

The Tree it selfe is but of three foote height, which keepeth evermore the colour greene, having a broad three poynted leafe, which being thrice in the yeare incised in the body and branches; it yeeldeth a red Water that droppeth downe in earthen Vessels, which is the naturall Balsamo.

And not far from this Garden, in a sandy Desart, is the place called Mommeis, which are innumerable Caves cut foorth of a Rocke, whereunto the Corpes of the most men in Cayro, are carried and interred. Which dead bodies remayne alwayes unputrified, neyther yeeld they a stinking smell: Whereof experiments are plentiful at this day, by the whole Bodies, Hands, or other parts, which by Merchants are now brought from thence, and doth make the Mummia which Apothecaries use: The colour being very blacke, and the flesh clung unto the bones.

Now having viewed, and review'd this Microcosmus of the greater World, the foure French Pilgrimes and I, did [The pyramides of Egypt.] hire a Janizary to conduct us to the great Pyramides, surnamed the Worlds wonders; which are distant from Cayre about foure Leagues, standing beside or neare to the bankes of Nylus: Where, when come, I beheld their proportion to bee Quadrangled, growing smaller and smaller to the toppe, and builded with huge and large stones, the most part whereof, are five foote broade, or there abouts, and nine in length, beeing of pure Marble.

All the Historians that ever wrot of these Wonders, have not so amply Recited their admirable greatnesse, as the experience of the Beholder, may testifie their excessive greatnesse and height. The first and East-most we approached unto, is highest, and by our Dragomans skilfull Report, amounted to eleven hundred and twenty sixe foote. The Basis, or bottome whereof, being twelve hundred paces in Circuite, allowing every square of the foure faces three hundred paces, and every pace two foote and a halfe. Every Pyramide, having outwardly to ascend upon (though now for the most part demolished) three hundred foure score and nine steps or degrees; each degree being three foote high, and two foote and a halfe broad. By which computation, they amount in height to the afore-sayde Relation, allowing to every foote, twelve inches. At last having ascended upon the South side of this greatest Pyramide to the top, and that with great difficulty, because of the broken degrees here and there: I was much ravished, to see such a large foure squared plat-forme, all of one intyre stone, which covered the head; each square extending to seaventeene foote of my measure.

It is yet a great marvaile to me, by what Engine, they could bring it up so safe to such a hight: But as I conceive it, they behoved certaynely still to rayse it, and take it with them, as they advanced the Worke, otherwise the Wit nor power of man, could never have done it. Truely the more I beheld this strange Worke, the more I was stricken in admiration: For before wee ascended, or came neare to this Pyramide, the toppe of it seemed as sharpe as a poynted Dyamond; but when we were mounted thereon, we found it so large, that in my opinion, it would have contayned a hundred men.

[The greatest piramide of the three.] In the bottome whereof we found a great Cell, and within that through a straight and narrow passage, a foure angled Roome; wherein there was standing the Relickes of a huge and auncient Toombe, where belike hee that was the first Founder of this Pyramide was inclosed. From the top of this Pyramide, our Jannizary did shoote an Arrow in the ayre with all his force, thinking thereby it should have fallen to the ground; but as we discended downe-wards, we found the Arrow lying uppon the steps, scarse halfe way to the ground: From this, wee came to the middle Pyramide, which a far off looked somewhat higher then the other two, but when we came to the roote thereof, wee found it not so, for the stone-worke is a great deale lower, but the advancement of the height, is onely because of a high ground whereon it standeth.

It is of the same fashion of the first, but hath no degrees to ascend upon, neyther hath the third Pyramide any at all; being by antiquity of time, all worne and demolished, yet an admirable worke, to behold such Masses, and (as it were) erected Mountaines all of fine Marble. The reason why they were first founded, is by many ancient Authors so diversly conjectured, that I will not meddle therewith. They were first called Pharaones.

Yet the first and greatest is said to have beene builded by Cheops, who in this worke imployed 100000. men, [The charges of the greatest pyramide.] the space of twenty yeares: In which time, the charges of Garlick, Rootes, and Onions onely, came to 1600. talents of silver; the Basis whereof in circuit, was sixty Acres of ground. It is recorded by Josephus, and conjectured by many good witnesses, that the Bricks which the Children of Israel were inforced to make, were partly imployed about the insides of these Piramides, whose outsides were adorned with Marble; neither can I forget the drift of that effeminate Cheops, who in end wanting money did prostitute his daughter to all commers, by which detestable meanes he finished his building, and shee besides the money due unto her unnaturall Father, desired for her selfe of every man that had the use of her body one stone, of whom she got so many, that with them she builded the second Piramide, almost equall to the first. Besides these three huge ones, there are a number of smaller, whereof some were transported to Rome in the time of her supreame domination.

Betweene the biggest Pyramide, and Nylus, I saw a Colosse, or head of an Idoll, of a wonderfull greatnesse; being all of one Marble stone, erected on a round Rock: It is of height (not reckoning the Columne) above 815. foote, and of circuite, 68. Pliny gave it the name Sphingo, and reported much more of the bignesse, largenesse, and length of it: but howsoever he erred in his description, yet I resolve my selfe, it is of so great a quantity, that the like thereof (being one intire peece) the world affoordeth not, and may be reckoned amongst the rarest wonders: Some say, that aunciently it was an Oracle, the which so soone as the Sunne set, would give an answere to the Egyptians, of any thing by them demanded.

In our way as we returned, our Dragoman shewed us (on the banke of Nylus) where a Crocodile was killed the yeare before, by the ingenious policy of a Venetian Merchant, being licentiated by the Bassaw. The match whereof for bignesse and length, was never seene in that River, whose body was twenty two foote long, and in compasse of the shoulders, eight foote, who thus was slaine: This beast for foure yeares together kept alwaies about one place of the River, being seven miles above Cayre; where for a mile of ground, there was no tillage nor pastorage, being for feare of him layd wast: and neverthelesse he had devoured above forty sixe persons: his custome was to come forth of the River every morning, about our eight houres; where here and there he would lurke waiting for his prey till ten, for longer from water he could not stay.

[A resolute Venetian Merchant.] This Venetian leaving his ship at Alexandria, and comming to Cayre, was informed by the Consul my adversary of the great spoyle done by this beast: and herewith generously he undertooke to kill it, the Vicegerent licentiating him: Whereupon going to his ship, fetched thence his Gunner, and a peece of Ordonance to Cayre.

The next day in the afternoone, hee being well horsed, and accompanied with twenty Janizaries, the peece is carried to the Crocodiles accustomary place, of forthcomming: where straight there was an Asse slaine, and hung up on two standing and a thwarting tree, with his open belly to the flood, and some twelve scorepaces therefrom: Behinde this carkasse, about other twelve score, the piece was planted, and levelld at the Carrion, being charged with cut iron; and a traine of powder about the touch-hole, and above it a night-house to keepe the trayne dry from the nights serene: having a cock fastned thereto, and in it a burning match, to which a string was tyed: Then forty paces behinde the piece, was there a pit digged to hide the Gunner; wherein he was put, holding the strings end in his hand, and his head vayled with a wooden covert.