Part 28

Thy digged ditches, turn'd a gulfe of blood, Thy wals defeat, were rear'd with fatall bones: Thine houses equall with the streetes they stood; Thy limits come, a Sepulcher of groanes: Whence Cannons ror'd, from fiery cracking smoake Twixt two extreames thy desolation broake.

Thou God of War, whose thundring sounds do feare This circled space, plac'd here below the rounds, Thou in oblivion hast Sepulchrized here, Earths dearest life, for now what else redounds But sighes and sobs, when treason, sword, and fire, Have throwne al down, when al thought to aspire.

Forth from thy marches, and frontiers about In sanguine hew, thou dy'd the fragrant fields; The camped trenches of thy foes without Were turn'd to blood, for valour never yeelds So bred ambition, honour, courage, hate, Long three yeares siege, to overthrow thy state.

At last from threatning terrour of despaire, Thine hembd defendants, with divided walles Were forcd to rander, then came mourning care Of mutuall foes, for friends untimely falles: Thus lost, and got, by wrong, and lawlesse right My judgement thinkes thee scarcely worth the sight: But there's the question, when my Muse hath done, Whether the victor, or the vanquisht wonne.

To flee hence in a word, I measured all the Netherlands with my feete in two moneths space; the description whereof is so amply set downe by moderne Authors, that it requireth no more: onely this, for policies, industries, strong Townes, and fortifications, it is the mirrour of vertue, and the garden of Mars; yea, and the light of all Europe, that he who hath exactly trade it, may say [Weisle taken by Spineola.] he hath seene the mappe of the whole Universe: And now ascending to Cleve, I came just to Grave Maurice Campe at Rhiese, as Spineola had taken Weisle; betweene which Armies for five weekes I had free intercourse, being kindly respected by both the Generalls: for Spineola set me at his owne table, and I lay in his second Tent nine nights; the Duke of Newenberg, and Don Pietro di Toledo being there both for the time: So with the Prince of Orange, with whom I discoursed divers times, was the Marques of Brandeburg, certaine Nobles, and forraine Ambassadours. All which time, O how it grieved me to see the tyranny of the Spaniards dayly executed upon the distressed Protestants of Weisle, over whom they domineered like Divells: for these afflicted Cittizens, being heavily oppressed, by their unsupportable usage, were beleagured with their friends, when they were held captive by their enemies; and obeying necessity, stayed their bodies within the walles, though their mindes were without, and intirely with the assailants.

Bidding adew to these Armies, and accompanied with a young Gentleman David Bruce, the L. of Clekmanan his Sonne, whom I conducted to Italy: scarcely had we out-stripd Rhyneberg (where Collonell Edmond was slaine) a Dutch mile, till we were both robbed of our cloaks and pocket-moneys, with five souldiers French and Vallones; and that within a Village, women and children beholding us, but no man to relieve us, they being with Carts serving Spineolaes Campe.

[The fabulous miracles of Culloine.] Whence the next day approaching Culloine, and bills of change answered, wee visited the falsly supposed Tombes of the three Kings that came to Bethleem, who as the Romanists say, lye interred there. O filthy and base absurdnesse for their holy Mother Church to confirme hellish and erronious leyes; for these Kings came from the East, and from Chaldea, and not from the North: Or if they wil have them to die there and so buried, surely this is even such another damnable errour, surpassing tradition, as their wandring Jew, the Shoomaker of Jerusalem is, of whom in Rome, they have wrot ten thousand fables and fopperies: from this we visited the 11000. Virgins heads, Martyres, indeed we saw the Church-walles all indented about with bare sculles, but whose heads they were, the Lord knoweth; from thence a Gentleman brought us to a Chappell, within a Vineyard, called the Chappell of miracles; the originall whereof was thus. Upon a festivall day, being Vintage time, there came a Peasant to the Towne, and passing by the Vines (as there is a number within the wals) did eate his belly full of the grapes; and thereafter hearing a Masse, was confessed, and received the Sacrament: And returning the same way he came, and just where he had eaten the Grapes, [A forged and false miracle.] hee fell a vomiting, and casting up with what hee had eaten the Holy Sacrament, it straight turned in the likenesse of a new borne Babe, being bright and glorious. Well, the amazed fellow, run backe and told his Confessour, what was done, and his offence who had eaten grapes before the Reception of the Eucharist. The Confessour told the Bishop, where he, and other Prelates comming to the place, and beholding as it were an Angell, grew astonished.

In end they wrapped up their little dead god, in a Cambricke vayle, and there buried it; building this Chappel above the place: where ever since there is a world of leying miracles done: Loe these are the novelties of Culloine.

Thence ascending the Rhyne, and coasting Heidleberg, I saluted the Princesse Palatine, with certayne rare Relickes of the Holy Land. And leaving Mounsieur Bruce there till my returne, I went for Noorenberg to discover the sixe Germanes death, whom I had buried in the Desarts, and Grand-Cayre of Ægypt, for the two Barons were subject to the Marquesse of Hanspauch: Where having met with some of their Brethren, Sisters, and Kinsmen, and delated to them their deathes, I was presently carryed to their Prince the Marquesse, to whom I related the whole Circumstances. Whereupon a brother of the one Baron, and a sister of the other, were instantly invested in their Lands; and I likewise, by them all great regarded and rewarded. And after ten dayes feasting, reviewing Heidleberg, mine associate and I set forward for Helvetia, or Switzerland.

This Countrey is divided in thirteene Cantons, sixe whereof are Protestants, and sixe Papists; the odde Canton being likewise halfe and halfe. The most puissant whereof is Bierne, whose Territory lying along the lake reacheth within a League of Geneve. The people, and their service to most Christian Princes, are well knowne, being Manly, Martiall and trusty faithfull.

Here in the Canton of Bierne neere to Urbs, wee went and saw a young Woman, who then had neyther eate, [A woman fasting fourteene yeares.] nor drunke, nor yet excremented for thirteene yeares, being truely qualified by her Parents, Friends, Physitians, and other Visitors. She was alwayes Bed-fast, and so extenuated, that her Anatomised body carryed nought but Sinew, skin, and bones, yet was she alwayes mindefull of God. And the yeare after this time, her body returned agayne to the naturall vigour, in appetite and all things: and married a husband, bearing two children, dyed in the fifth yeare thereafter.

The day following, we entred Geneve, where sighting the Towne, the chiefe Burgo-masters, the seven Ministers, and the foure Captaines were all familiarly acquainted with me, with whom in diverse places, I daily feasted and discoursed. The Ministers one night propining me with a Bible, newly Translated in the Italian tongue, by one of them selves borne in Milane, told me there was a Masse-Priest sixe Leagues off, a Curate, of a Village in Madame du longeviles Countrey, who had gotten in his owne Parish, three Widdowes, and their three severall Daughters with childe, and all about one time: and for this his Luxurious Cullions was brought to Dijon to be Executed: Desiring me to go see the manner, the next day (leaving Master Bruce with them) I went hither, and upon the sequell day, I saw him hanged upon a new Gallowes, as high as a stripad: The three mothers and their three Daughters were set before him, being Gravidato, whose sorrowfull hearts, and eye-gushing teares for their sinne and shame, were lamentable to behold: the incestuous Bugerono, begging still mercy and pardon for dividing their legges, and opening their wretched Wombes. Lo there is the chastity of the Romish Priests, who forsooth may not marry, and yet may mis carry themselves in all abhominations, especially in Sodomy, which is their continuall pleasure and practise. Returning to Geneve, and acquainting the Magistrates with his Confession, for they are great Intelligencers, I wrot this literal Distich:

Glance, Glorious Geneve, Gospell-Guiding Gem; Great God Governe Good Geneves Ghostly Game.

[The Lake of Geneva, and the River Rhone.] The Lake of Geneve is sixteene Leagues in length, and two broad, at the South-west end whereof standeth the Towne, through whose middle runneth the River of Rhone, whose Head and body beginneth from the Lake among the very houses. The nature of which River is not unlike to Nylus, for when all other Rivers decrease (being in Summer) this increaseth. Two reasons proceeding from the excessive Snow that lye upon the Sangalian and Grisonean Alpes, which cannot melt, till about our longest day, that the force and face of the Sunne dissolve it. And so ingorging the Lake, it giveth Rhone such a body, that it is the swiftest River in Europe. The Towne on both sides the flood, is strongly fortified with rampierd walles, and counter-banding Bulwarkes; the Ditch without and about being dry, is mainly pallasaded with wooden stakes, for preventing of suddain Scallets. Many assaults have this handfull of people suffered by Land and Water from the Savoyean Duke; the recitall whereof would plunge me in prolixity; and therefore committing that Light shining Syon, and her Religious Israelites, to the tuition of the Almighty, I step over the Alpes to Torine.

[The first beginning of the Duke of Savoy.] Here is the residence of the Dukes of Savoy, whose beginning sprung first from the house of Saxon: For Berold or Berauld, being a neere Cousen to the Emperour Otton the third, and brother to the Saxon Duke; the Emperour gratified him with these Lands of Savoy, and parts of Piemont; where he and his Successors continued foure hundred yeares under the title of Earles: untill the Emperour Sigismond, at the Counsell of Constance, did Create Amee, the eight Earle of his name Duke. And so beginning with him to this present Duke now living, named Charles Emanuel, there have been only eight Dukes, and some of them of short lives. And yet of all the Christian Dukes, the most Princely Court is kept heere, for Gallants, Gentry, and Knights.

At the same time, of my being there, this present Duke had wars with his owne brother in Law Philip the third, about the Marquesade of Montferrat, and Dutchy of Mantua, the issue whereof, but retorted to the Duke a redoubling disadvantage; though now it be gone from the Gonsagaes to the French Duke of Naviers. This Country of Piemont is a marvailous fruitfull and playne Countrey, and wonderfull populous, like to the River sides of Arno round about Florence: Insomuch that a Venetian damaunding a Piemont Cavalier, what Piemont was? Replyed, it was a Towne of three hundred miles in circuite, meaning of the Habitations and populosity of the Soyle.

The rest of the surnames of the Italian Dukes are these, viz. that of Parma is Fernese, signifying Partridges; that of Modena is Astie, that of Florence de Medicis; that of Urbine, Francesco Maria, and the last Duke of Mantua, Gonsaga; the Dutchy of Ferrara, being dissolved, is converted to the Popes patrimony.

Leaving Piemont, and coasting the sassinous shoare of Genoaes revieroe, I ported Ligorne, the great Dukes Sea-haven; where I left Mr. Bruce with a Galley Captaine a voluntary Souldier; and inclining alone to Florence by the [A comfortable crosse.] way at Pestoia, I found a comfortable crosse; for I sighting the market place after supper, and carrying a French Ponyard in my pocket, the head of it was espied by a Badgello, Captaine of the Sergeants, who straight gripped me, bore me to prison, and clapd me in a Dungeon robbing me of all my moneyes and Poneyard; and posting that night to Florence on the morrow shew the Justice there a Stilleto of his owne: upon which I was condemned to row in the Gallies for a yeare, else to pay a hundred Duckats: He stayed there three dayes, in this time was I discovered to the governour of Pistoia, a noble Gentleman, and being brought before him, and acquainting him with the undeserved cruelty of the Badgello: nor that I never wore a Stilleto, but under pretext of that had robbed mee of three-score and twelve pieces of gold: Whereupon the Governour perceiving the knavery of the Villaine, and that he had not acquainted him with my apprehending, to whose place it belonged, he grew immatulent and forthwith sent post to his Highnesse, shewing him the trueth of the businesse: Whereupon the Badgello was sent backe to the Governour with whom I was domestickly reserved; and being accused before my face of his roguery, could not deny it: well, my gold and my Poneyard is restored againe, the Badgello banished the territorie of Pistoia for ever, with his Wife and Children, and I received in compensation of my abuses, from his Highnesse Chamber or Treasury there, fifty Florentine Crownes of gold, being modified by the Duke him selfe; whereat I extolled the knave, that wrought his own wracke in seeking my overthrow, and brought me such a noble reward.

Thanking God for this joyfull crosse and approaching Florence, I found one John Browne there, whose company I imbraced to Sicilia: Whence having privatly past Rome, and publickly Naples, we footed along the marine by [Cousenza in Calabria.] Salerno, and courting Cousenza, the capitall seate of Calabria where a Vicegerent remaineth, we reposed there certaine dayes.

The Towne is of no quantity nor quality, in regard of the obscurenesse and solitarinesse of the Countrey, the better sort of their Gentry living at Naples: Having left the lower, and entred the higher Calabria, we arrived at the Bourge of Allavria; and the next morning traversing close and covert mountaines, twelve miles along, in the midst of our passage we were beset with foure Bandits and foure Gunnes: To whom holding up my hand, and imploring for our lives, shewing them mine adventures and former travells, they unbend their fire-locks, and reading my patent of Jerusalem, uncovered their heads, and did me homage, notwithstanding they were absolute murderers: Our lives and liberty is granted, and for a greater assurance, they tooke us both in to a great thicket of wood, where their timberd Cabine stood, and there made merry with us in good Wine and the best cheare their sequestrate cottage could afford.

And now because there were forty more Bandits their companions among these mountaines, one of themselves for our safeguard, came along with us, and as neare Castellucia as he durst; making me sweare that I should not shew the Baron of that place of their privat residence, neither that I met with them at all; which I freely did, and so gave him many hearty and deserved thanks.

[The liberty of Bandits in Calabria.] These Bandits or men-slayers, will come into any free Towne in the night when they please, and recovering either a Church or Hospitall, they stay there as they list, conducing with their friends, their wives, and their affaires; being as safe in these places as though they had not committed any criminall fact, neither may the power of Justice reach to them, so long as they keepe themselves within doores.

This is an auncient liberty which Calabria hath ever retained, and so is through the most part of all the Spanish Dominions: Having arrived at Castellucia, the Baron thereof made much of me, and wondred that I had safely past the mountaines, for said he when I go for Naples, I am forced to go by sea, notwithstanding I have forty in traine.

The next day in passing Montecilione, the fairest and fruitfullest bounded Bourg in all Calabria superior; I saw a distectured house; which the people told me had beene the Schoole, where Dionisius the third and last Tyrant of Sicilia (after his flight from the Kingdome and Crowne) taught Children privatly nine yeares, ere hee was knowne to be a King, but a poore Schoolemaster.

This higher Calabria though mountainous, aboundeth in delicious Wines, fine pastorage, and exceeding good Silke: The Peasants alwayes commonly here are addicted to eate Onions, whence rose this Proverbe, I Calabrese magniano di Cepoli, the Calabrians feed upon Onions. Their women weare uncomely habits, being hooded from their browes to their backes behind, with sixe or seven sundry colours of cloth or stuffe; whose upper gownes come no further downe than their middle thighes: And their breaches and stockings being all one, and their legges halfe booted, they looke like the ghostly Armenian Gargosons.

I remember in passing this higher Countrey, I found divers Cassales or Terraes, (small Villages) of certaine [Greeke Albaneses fled to Calabria.] Greekes called Albaneses, whose predecessors had fled from Albania, when the Turke seased upon Epyre, and this their Province; and was priviledged here to stay by the Spaniard Philip the first: And though exiled from their naturall Patrimonies, (Omne solum forti patria est) yet are they exceeding kind to strangers, measuring largely their owne infranchized fortune, with the voluntary exposement of many unnecessary Viadants: Declining thence to the marine Bourge of Molino, being by land which we footed distant from Naples 400. miles; we crossed the narrow Faro, or Sycilian Euripus, to Messina being two miles broad. Where, when landed, and meeting with a young Scots Edenburgensen William Wylie, come from Palermo, and bound for Venice, I fastned John Browne with him to accompany his returne; and on the following day imbarked them both backe for Calabria.

And now having followed the Italian saying Si meglior a star solo come mala accompaniato; It is better for a man to be alone, then in ill company; I traversed the Kingdome to Trapundie seeking transportation for Affricke, but could get none: And returning thence overthwart the Iland, I call to memory being lodged in the Bourge of Saramutza, belonging to a young Baron, and being bound the way of Castello Francko eight miles distant and appertaining to another young Noble youth, I rose and marched by the breach of day; where it was my lucke halfe way from [Two young Barons killed at combat.] either Towne, to finde both these beardlesse Barons, lying dead, and new killed in the fields, and their horses standing tyed to a bush beside them; whereat being greatly moved, I approached them, and perceiving the bodies to be richly cled with silken Stuffes facily conjectured what they might be: My host having told me the former night, that these two Barones were at great discord, about the love of a young Noble woman; and so it was, for they had fought the combat for her sake, and for their owne pride lay slaine here. For as fire is to Gun powder, so is ambition to the heart of man, which if it be but touched with selfe-love, mounteth aloft, and never bendeth downeward, till it be turned into ashes.

And here it proved for that Ladies sake, that troppo amore turnd to Presto dolore: Upon which sight, to speake the trueth, I searched both their pockets, and found their two silken purses full loaden with Spanish Pistolls, whereat my heart sprung for joy, and taking five rings off their foure hands, I hid them and the two purses in the ground, halfe a mile beyond this place: And returning againe, leapt to one of their horses, and came galloping backe to Saramutza; where calling up my host, I told him the accident; who when he saw the horse gave a shout for sorrow, and running to the Castle told the Lady the Barons Mother: where in a moment, shee, her children, and the whole Towne runne all with me to the place, some cled, some naked, some on foote, and some on horse: where, when come grievous was it to behold their woefull and sad lamentations. I thus seeing them all madde and distracted of their wits with sorrow, left them without good-night: And comming to my Treasure, made speedy way to Castello Franco, where bearing them the like newes, brought them all to the like distraction and flight of feet.

Well, in the mutability of time there is aye some fortune falleth by accident, whether lawfull or not, I will not question, it was now mine that was last theirs, and to save the thing that was not lost, I travailed that day thirty miles further to Terra nova. Whence the next morning beeing earely imbarked for Malta, and there safely Landed; [A London ship called the Matthew.] I met with a ship of London called the Mathew, bound for Constantinople lying in the Roade where indeede with the Company I made merry a shoare for three dayes, and especially with one George Clarke their Burser, who striving to plant in my braines a Maltezan Vineyard, had almost perished his owne life.

Upon the fourth day, they hoysing sayle, and I staying a shoare, it was my good lucke within eight dayes to find a French ship of Tolon come from the Levante, and bound for Tunneis by the way in going home. With whom desirously consorted, within three dayes we touched at our intended Port. And now to reckon the gold that I found in the aforesayd purses, it amounted to three hundred and odde double Pistols; and their Rings being set with Dyamonds, were valued to a hundred Chickens of Malta, eight shillings the peece, which I dispatched for lesser: But the gold was my best second, which like Homers Iliades under Alexanders pillow, was my continuall vade Mecum.

Tunneis is the Capitall seate of its owne Territory, and of all the East and lower Barbary, containing ten thousand fire-houses: And it is the place where old Carthage stood, that was builded by the Tyrians and Phenicians of the Holy Land, some three score twelve yeares before Rome, and had twenty miles in circuit: Which City in these times, was the soveraigne Queene of Affrick, and the onely envy, and predominant malice of the Romanes, being more then Romes rivall mate, in greatnesse, glory, and dominion: Neverthelesse in end, it was taken, sackt, and burnt by Scipio the Affrican Romane, some sixe hundred and two yeares after Rome was first founded, and her ruines and large Territories without, made subject to the ambition of Rome.

[The divers plantations of Carthage.] After which detriment, desolate Carthage was rebuilded by Cæsar, and a Collony of Italians transported there, flourished for a time, till it was destroyed and overrunne by the Gothes and Vandales: And lastly subdued by the Sarazens and Moores, it was by them transmitted to the Turkish power, who now is Maister of it, being no way answerable to the sixe part of the greatnes it had before. This Towne is situate in the bottome of a Creeke, where the Sea for a mile having cut the bosome of the Land, maketh a large and safe resting place for ships and galleyes. Which Haven and Towne is secured from Sea invasions, by the great and strong Fortresse of Galetto, builded on a high Promontore, that imbraceth the Sea, and commandeth the mouth of the Bay; wherein a Turkish Bassaw, and a strong Garrison of Souldiers remaine: the Fort it selfe being well provided with armes, men, Artillery and munition.