Part 30

Here in Fez there be a great number of Poets, that make Songs on divers subjects, especially of Love, and Lovers, whom they openly name in their rimes, without [Poets among Barbarians in great request.] rebuke or shame: All which Poets once every yeare, agane Mahomets birth-day, make rimes to his praise; meanewhile in the after noone of that festivall day, the whole Poets assembling in the market place, there is a Dasked chayre prepared for them, whereon they mount one after another to recite their verses in audience of all the people; and who by them is judged to be best, is esteemed all that yeare above the rest, having this Epithite the Prince of Poets, and is by the Vicegerent and Towne rewarded; But in the time of the Maennon Kings, the Prince on that day in his owne Pallace did conveine the whole Cittizens, in whose presence he made a solemne feast to all the best Poets; causing every one of them to recite the praise of Mahomet before his face, standing on a high scaffold: And to him that was thought to excell the rest, the King gave him 100. Sultans of gold, an horse, a woman slave, & the long Robe that was about him for the time: And to each one of the rest he caused give fifty Sultans, so that every one should have some recompense for their paines: Indeed a worthy observance; and would to God it were now the custome of our Europian Princes to doe the like, and especially of this Ile, then would bravest wits, and quickest braines, studdy and strive to show the exquisit ingeniosity of their best styles, and pregnant invention, which now is ecclipsed, and smotherd downe, because now a dayes, there is neither regard nor reward for such excellent Pen-men. Fez was aunciently named Sylda, whose Kingdome hath Atlas to the South, the River of Burdraga to the East, and Tremizen: Morocco to the West: And the confynes of Guargula, and a part of the Sea to the North: Having spent in Fez 17. dayes, in all which time, we daily conversed with some Christian Abasines, [Heragens or Ethiopian Negroes.] Heragenes, or Æthiopian Nigroes, some whereof were Merchands, and some religious; and Monsieur Chattelines businesse not effected, seeking Diamonds and precious stones to buy; was seriously advised by them, to goe for Arracon, a great Towne on the Frontiers of the Northerne Æthiopia: where he would finde abundance of such at an easie rate, giving him a perfit direction for his passage hither being 30. daies journey: he concluded with their counsell his resolution, and perswading me to the same intention, I yeeld, being over-mastred with the greedy desire of more sights.

Meanewhile for our conduct, we hire a Dragoman Moore that spoke Italiens to be our Interpreter, and with him a Tent, and two Moorish drudges to guide, guard, & serve us by the way of fifty eight Sultans for gold, eighteene pounds foure shillings English: having sixe of their Kinsmen fast bound to a Sanzak or Justice, for our lives, liberties, and moneyes.

Hereupon having provided our selves, with all necessary things, and a Mule to carry our Victuals, Water and Baggage, we discharged our conscionable Hostage, at twenty Aspers a day the man, being thirty foure shillings to each of us; and were brought on our way, by the aforesayd Christian Heragenes some foure Leagues. Where having left them with dutifull thankes, wee set forward in our journey, and for seaven dayes together wee were not violently molested by any thing, save intollerable heate, finding tented people and scattered Villages all the way.

The eight day, the way being fastidious and Rockey, [Chatteline the French Lapidator taken sicke.] and Chatteline on foot, he succumb'd, and could not subsist, not beeing used to pedestriall travayle; and for our better speed and his reliefe, wee mounted him aloft on the top of our baggage. At last arriving at Ahetzo (where we reposed) being the furthest and South-most Towne of the Kingdome of Fez, composed of a thousand fire-houses, well fortified with Walles, and a Garrison of Moores in it, subject to the Emperour of Morocco: the French-man long or day, fell sicke of a burning Feaver: Whereuppon wee stayed five dayes expecting his health, which growing worse and worse, and hee mindfull to returne, which I would not: I left him in safe custody, and one of our Drudges to attend him till Fez. And bearing the charges of the other two, according to the former condition: I set forward for my purpose, which ere long turned to sad Repentance.

Leaving Ahetzo behind us, and entring the Countrey of the Agaroes, we found the best inhabitants halfe cled, the Vulgars naked, the Countrey voyd of Villages, Rivers, or Cultivage: but the soyle rich in Bestiall, abounding in Sheep, Goates, Camels, Dromidores, and passing good horses: Having an Emeere of their owne, being subject to none, but to his owne passions, and them to the disposition of his scelerate nature; yet hee, and they had a bastard show of Mahometanicall Religion: Their Bestiall are watered with sources, and the pastorable fields, with the nightly Serene, and themselves with the Watrish concavity of the earth. In our sixe dayes toyle, traversing this Countrey, we had many troubles and snarlings from these Savages, who sometimes over-laboured us with Bastinadoes, and were still inquirous what I was, and whether I went; yea, and enough for the Dragoman to save my life and liberty.

Having past the perverstnesse of this calamity, upon the seaventh day, wee rancountred with another soyle, [The Tribe of the Hagans or Jamnites.] and worser tribe of the Hagans or Jamnites, most part whereof were white Moores, a people more uglye then the Nigroes, yet some of the better sort had their members covered, but of condition farre more wicked then the former.

They are ruled by a Seriff, whose Guard is composed of women, and young Balars, pages; seeming rather to live without Religion, then acknowledging any kinde of Deity. Here my Dragoman, doubting of his passage, and the difficilnesse of the Countrey, which arose from his ignorantnesse thereof, was inforced to hyre a Hagan guide, to bring us to the province of Abadud, bordering with Æthiopia. But by your leave, our guide having led us for five dayes together South-eastward, and almost contrary to our purpose: in the sixt night of our Repose, he stole away, eyther for feare or falshood, mistaking our journey, or deceiving us for despight, the halfe of his Wages being payed him before. Well, the Villaine gone, and my Dragoman the next day continuing our faces, in the same Arte, wee were long or night involved in a dis-inhabited Country, being Desartuous and dangerous for Wilde beasts, and full of Mountaynes. Pitching our Tent neare to a Rocke, we burnt all that night shrubs of Tara, to affright the Beasts of all kinds, and so did we every night of that wofull wandring, which flaming light their nature cannot abide. Day come, and our comfort yet fresh, we sought further in, thinking to finde people and Tents to relieve us with Victuales, and informe us of the Countrey, but we found none, neither seven daies thereafter. The matter growing hard, and our victuals and water done, we were forced to relye upon Tobacco, and to drinke our owne wayning pisse, for the time aforesayd.

The Soyle we daily traced, was covered with hard and soft Sands, and them full of Serpents, being interlarded with Rockey heights, faced with Caves and Dens: the very habitacle of Wilde beasts, whose hollow cryes, as we heard in the night, so we too often sighted their bodies in the [The Wilde Beasts of the Libian Desarts.] day, especially Jackals, Beares, and Boares, and sometimes Cymbers, Tygers, and Leopards, agaynst whom in the day time if they approached us, we eyther shot off a Harquebuse, or else flashed some powder in the Ayre; the smell whereof, no ravenous beast can abide.

This vast Wildernesse is a part of the Berdoans Countrey, one of the foure tribes of the olde Lybians, the Sabuncks, the Carmines, and the Southerne Garolines, being the other three. And now to helpe the expression of my grievous distresse and miseries, my Muse must lament the rest.

Ah! sightlesse desarts! fil'd with barren Sands! And parched plaines; where huge and hilly lands Have stone-fac'd scurrile bounds: O monstrous feare! What destiny, drove my cross'd Fortune here? By day I'me scoarch'd with heate, by night the grounds Are cled with beasts; whose rage sends horrid sounds Of dreadfull death: whence we to shunne their ire, Are forc'd to fright them, with bright Tara fire: For if it were not, that they scarr'd at Light, No man could walke, or rest, safe in the night. Then next and nigh, the crawling Serpents lurke Still under foote, some stung-swolne smart to worke; Which moove the Sands like Seas, in seeking shade, Where 'mongst their linking roles, I'me forc'd to wade: Whose neckes like legs are round, their bodies strong, With blacke-spred backes, their length full two yards long: Yet whilst I cut, and crush their warbling wombe, I point their death, their skin, I make their tombe. But worst I'me hungerbit, and starving slaine With pinching want, a sore-sunke gnawing paine: O helplesse torture! second'd with great drouth And fiery thirst, that scabbe my lips and mouth: Where for fine lyquor, as my heart would wish, Stress'd wandring I, am forc'd to drinke my pisse: So turnes my food to smoake, the smoake to ashes Which twice a night, we three do spend in flashes: Last casts my face the skin, my skin the colour, And spewing forth fled joyes, I drinke in dolour. Thus with the Torrid Zone, am I opprest, And lock'd twixt Tropickes two, which me invest. Where for reliefe, I pierc'd the Heavens with cryes, And cut the Clouds, to grieve the azure skies With sighs and grones; yet carefull to regard My curious drifts, had got their just reward.

But to shorten my Discourse, of barren Wildernesses, supposed to be a part of the Lybian Desarts, my Dragoman upon the fourth day of our seaven being there, falling in despaire, and wondring to see me indure such heate, such hunger, and such toyle, did threaten mee with death, to make me seeke backe for our nearest refuge: Whereupon holding our course North-east, my compasse-Dyall being our guide, we rancountred earely on the eight day, with nine hundred Savages, naked Lybian Sabunks: five hundred whereof, were women armed with Bowes and Arrowes; who with their complices, the former night had put to the sword, three hundred Berdoanes, their neighbour tribe: carrying away above sixe thousand Sheepe and Goats besides other bestiall: from whom after our sight of their Emeere or Prince, we had first liberty of life, and then reliefe of food; for he came up in the Reare, with a hundred Horse-men charged with halfe Pikes, headed at [The prince of the Sabuncks apparrell.] both ends with sharpe Steele: The person of their Prince was onely clothed from his breasts downe to his middle thigh with a Crimson vayle of Silke, hanging on his naked shoulders with coloured Ribans, and on his head a party coloured Shash set like a Garland: Both his knees were bare, so were his ancles, the calves of his legges being girded with Crimson Silke, and on his feet yellow shooes; his beard was like his face, burnt with the Sun, and his age like to my owne, of 33. yeares, his Religion is damnable, so is his life, for hee and all the foure tribes of Lybia worship onely for their God, Garlick, having Altars, Priests, and superstitious rites annexed to it: Thinking Garlicke, being strong of it selfe, and the most part of their food, to have a soveraigne vertue in a herball Deity. All his Courtiers were starke naked saving his Page, who was even covered like to the King his Master.

And now having dismissed his Army for the way, and falling in a houres parley with us at his departure, he propyned me with his Bowe, & a Quiver of Arrowes, which afterward, I presented to his Majesty, then Prince.

There is a merry secret heere concerning the women, which often I recited to King James of Blessed memory, showing him also three Certificates of this my Desartuous wandring: one of which was confirmed by English Waird at Tunneis upon the Dragomans Report; though now they with all my other Patents are lost, in the Inquisition of Malaga. This former savage Prince sent a Guide with us for foure dayes journey, the condition of his mans Wages being made by himselfe, and franckly advised us that Tunneis was our best and nearest Recourse. Which being forcibly considered, I was constrayned to renew my bargaine agayne with the Dragoman, at the rate of forty five Sultans of gold, to bring me safely hither.

This Sabunck Guide, to whom I gave five Sultans, thirty five shillings, brought us through the most Habitable vallies, and best cled passages of the Countrey with Tents: where every day once we found Water, Bread, Garlicke and Onions, and sometimes Hennes at twenty Aspers the peece, two shillings; which we would Rost, or scorch dry (if trueth may have credite) at the very face of the Sunne, and so eate them. Upon the fift day, our Guide leaving us in the after-noone, well setled among foure hundred Tents of Numidian Moores, or bastard Arabians, pitched in a pleasant Valley, betweene two sources of Water, wee stayed still there Reposing our selves, and Refreshing our bodies with Victuals, some nine dayes.

[Moorish Smiths forging horse-shooes out of cold Iron without fire, but the heat of the Sun.] Heere among these Tents, I saw Smiths Worke out of cold Iron, Horse-shooes, and Nayles, which is onely molified by the vigorous heate and Raies of the Sunne, and the hard hammering of hands upon the Anvile: So have I seene it also in Asia. I could bee more particular here, but Time, Paper, Printing, and charges will not suffer me. And now from hence, renewing our Guides from place to place, and discending from Savage Moores to Civill Moores, we arrived (though with great difficulty and danger) safely at Tunneis.

[The Beglerbegship of Barbary.] And to conclude this Eight Part, there are three Beglerbergships in the higher and lower Barbary: The first is at Trypolis, which was taken in by Sinan Bassa from the Knights of Malta 1551. and commaundeth under him eight thousand Tymariots, besides sixe thousand Jannizaries. The second is at Tunneis, the Beglerbeg whereof, being of great Authority, commaundeth under him twelve Sanzackes, and thirty five thousand Tymariots. The third is, that of Algier, whose Bassa hath under him fourteene Sanzacks, and the commaundment of forty thousand Tymariots. These are all the Beglerbegs, the Great Turke retayneth in Affricke, except the great Vizier-Bassa of Ægipt: although in Asia major and Minor, he commandeth in severall Provinces and Kingdomes, thirty Bassaes or Beglerbegs.

THE NINTH PART.

Tunneis beene sightlesse left, I sought the Ile Of little Malta: famous for the stile Of honour'd Knight-hood, drawne from great Saint John, Whose Order and the Manner, I'le expone: Whence Coasting Sicilie, a tripled view I tooke of Ætna: Time discussing you A miracle of Mettall; for its Kind Is nurs'd by Raine, and suffled up with wind: And thwarting Italy, the Venice Gulfe, Carindia, Carneola, the stiffe stream'd Dolf; Head-strong Danubio, Vienne, Austriaes Queene, And Kinde Moravia, set before mine eyne. To Hungary I came, and Vallechie, The Transilvanian Soile, and Moldavie. Whence sighting Polle, and many Scotsmans face, I Kiss'd Sigismonds hands, at Warsow place: Whence Swethland I, and Denmarke last bewray, Noruegia too, in my sought London way; Where bin arriv'd, safe on the brow of Thames, To Court I came, and homag'd Royall James.

And now my Wish, and my arrivall, being both desirous for a while setled in Tunneis, I dispatched my Dragoman, and the other Barbarian hireling, with a greater consideration, then my two former conditions allowed me: Yet being urged to it by Captaine Wairds decernitour, I freely performed his Direction. My Conduct gone, and I staying heere, Captayne Waird sent twice one of his servants with me to see two sundry Ovens drawne, beeing [The hatching of Chicken without their mothers.] full of young Chickens, which are not hatched by their mothers, but in the Fornace, being thus. The Oven is first spred over with warme Camels dung, and upon it the Egges, closing the Oven.

Then behind the Oven, there is a daily conveyance of heate, venting through a passage beneath the dung, just answerable to the naturall warmnesse of the Hens belly; upon which moderation, within twenty dayes they come to naturall perfection. The Oven producing at one time, three or foure hundred living Chickens, and where defection is, every sharer beareth a part of the losse; for the Hatcher or Curator, is onely Recompensed according to the living numbers be delivered. Surely this is an usuall thing, almost through all Affricke, which maketh that the Hennes with them are so innumerable every where.

And now it was my good fortune, after five Weekes attendance for Transportation, being about the 14. of February 1616. to meete here with a Holland ship called the Marmaide of Amsterdam, beeing come from Tituana, and bound for Venice and Malta, touched here by the [Captaine Dansers imployment.] way. In this time of their staying, came one Captayne Danser a Fleming, who had beene a great Pyrate and Commaunder at Seas, and the onely inveterate enemy of the Moores; beeing imployed by the French King in Ambassage, to relieve two and twenty French Barkes that were there Captivated, done by the policy of the Bashaw, to draw Danser hither; notwithstanding that hee was then Retired, and marryed in Marseilles.

Well, he is come, and Anchored in the Roade, accompanied with two French Gentlemen: Two of which came a shoare, and saluted the Bashaw in Dansers behalfe: they are made welcome, and the next day the Bashaw went franckly a boord of Danser, seconded with twelve followers: Danser tooke the presence of the Bashaw for a great favour, and mainely feasted him with good cheare, great quaffing, sounding Trumpets, and Roaring shots, and none more familiar then the dissembling Bashaw, and over-joyed Danser, that had relieved the Barkes, for they were all sent to him that morning, not wanting any thing.

After deepe cups, the Bassaw invites him to come a shoare, the day following, and to dine with him in the Fortresse: To the which unhappy Danser graunted, and the time come, he landed with twelve Gentlemen, and nearing the Castle, was met with two Turkes to receive him: where having past the draw-bridge, & the gate shut behind him, his company was denied entrance: where forthwith Danser being brought before the Bassaw, was strictly accused of many ships, spoyles, and great riches he had taken from the Moores, and the mercilesse murther of their lives, for he never spared any: [The untimely death of Captayne Danser a Fleming born.] Whereupon he was straight beheaded, and his body throwne over the walles in a ditch; which done, off went the whole Ordonance of the Fort, to have sunke Dansers two ships; but they cutting their cables, with much adoe escaped, but for the other Gentlemen a shoare, the Bassaw sent them very courteously and safely aboord of the redeemed Barks, whence they hoised Sayles for Marseilles.

Loe there was a Turkish policy more sublime and crafty, than the best Europian alive could have performed. A little while thereafter, the afore-said Hollander being ready to goe for Sea, I bad goodnight to Generous Waird, and his froward Runagates, where being imbarked, with prosperous windes upon the third day, wee landed at Malta, and there leaving my kind Flemings and their negotiation, I courted the shoare, saluting againe my former hoste.

The fift day of my staying here, I saw a Spanish Souldier and a Maltezen boy burnt in ashes, for the publick profession of Sodomy, and long or night, there were above a hundred Bardassoes, whoorish boyes that fled away to Sicilie in a Galleyot, for feare of fire but never one Bugeron stirred, being few or none there free of it: The Knights that remaine here, as they are of divers howsoever, they of the better sort, are resolute in their atchievements.

The Maltezes aunciently did adore the Goddesse Juno, whose Temple was superbiously adorned with rich decorements, and to which for homage and devotion, came all the Inhabitants of the circumjacent Iles; bringing rich presents and gifts; and they were also honored with the Temple of Hercules, the ruines of which appeare to this day.

Now as for their order of Knighthood, the oath which is made at their receiving, in the order of St. John, or of the [The formall oath of the Knights of Malta.] Religion of the holy Hospitall of Jerusalem, is thus: I vow, and promise to God, to the most blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, and to our glorious Patrone St. John the Baptist, that by the grace and helpe of Heaven, I shall ever be obedient to the superiour, that God and this Religion have appointed; and from henceforth that I shal live chast, forsaking Marriage, and all other lusts, and to be without the proper possession of any thing that may be mine.

After this, the Chappell clarke, a Priest of the order, receiving him with divers ceremonies, taketh a blacke Cloak in his hand, and shewing him the white crosse that is fixed thereon; demandeth if he doth not beleeve that to be the signe of the Crosse, whereon Jesus Christ was crucified for our sinnes, he confesseth it, kissing the Crosse: After which, his receiver putteth the crosse of the Cloake upon the heart and left side of the new made Knight, saying: Receive this signe in the name of the trinity, the blessed Mother of God, the Virgin Mary, and of St. John the Baptist, for the augmentation of the Catholick faith, the defence of the Christian name and service of the poore: Also we put this crosse on thy left side, to the end, that thou mayst love it with all thy heart, and with thy right hand for to defend it: And in fighting against the enemies of Jesus Christ, thou shalst happen to flee, and leave this holy Signe behind thee, thou shalst of good right be depraved of this holy religious order, and of our company: This done, he knitteth the Cordon of the Cloake about him saying; Receive the yoake of our Lord that is sweet, and light, and thou shalst find rest for thy soule: This spoke, he kisseth the Cordon, and so doe all the circumstanding Knights, and there are made unto him divers Orations and precepts, contained in the Booke of their Ordinances: They have a Priest-hood too of this same order, being Masse-Priests that weare this badge of the white Crosse.

Now bidding farewell to Malta, and to mine aforesayd Countrey Gentleman William Dowglas, I landed the next morning at Sicly in Sicilia, being twenty leagues distant. And now this being the third time of my traversing this Kingdome, (triple experience, deeper knowledge) I begin to give you a perfit description thereof.

[The first denominations of Sicilia.] Sicilia was first named Trinacria (whose figure is Triquetria) for that being triangular, it butteth into the Sea with three Promontories: Capo di coro, South, Cap di passaro West: and Cap di saro East: The length of each triangle from point to point, being 200. miles.