Part 26

If they would but often look into it (as their _Koran_ teacheth them in several places) to read in it, and mend their lives according to it, they might easily be brought to the right way again; but he himself doth not stand by his words, but falleth off again from them afterwards, and speaketh quite otherways of the holy Scripture, and that so differing, that he quite contradicts himself. For as he did commend it before, so now he discommendeth it again, when he saith, that it hath been (because it is too difficult to be kept) long since quite out of doors, chiefly in those parts where is written, that we must do good to our enemies; leave all for his sake; love God with all our heart, _&c._ and our neighbour as our own self. And that therefore he, _Mahomet_, was peculiarly and purposely chosen by God Almighty, to bring down with him the _Koran_, and communicate it to the world (that was then drown’d in lusts, sin and vices) to reform and bring it to rights again. Besides this, he knew very well how to disguise his tricks, and how to behave himself in his life and conversation, devoutly and discreetly towards the people, and how to blind them under this pretence, that they did believe him, and receive him the sooner to be a great Prophet and Messenger from God. When he found that he had got a good party, and a great many adherents that impowered him, he studied daily more and more to order his laws so, that they might be acceptable and pleasing to all the world. And thus he got in a great many places such a fame, that, to our grief in these times, he hath seduced and possessed a great part of the world with his erroneous and poisonous doctrine, the _Turks_ closely adhering to this doctrine, therefore their hearts are so blinded with darkness, that they cannot have any true knowledge, either of God the Father, or the Son, or the Holy Ghost, and so they miss of the right way that would bring them to the knowledge, and acknowledgment of their sins, and consequently to the remission thereof, and so make them children of God, and heirs of life everlasting. But on the contrary, they remain impenitent, and persist in their sinful life with such a confidence and security, that they know not when they commit sins; as to take a man’s property and goods away by force; to destroy his house and lands; to undermine his life and livelihood; and also, to contaminate themselves with uncleanness, whoredom, sodomy; not to keep an oath that hath been taken, to revenge themselves, from whence results, envy, hatred, anger, contention, murder, _&c._ as we hear, what injustice and violence the Grand Signior committeth daily upon our brethren and sisters, that border upon his dominions; which we need not to wonder at, because, if they fall out amongst themselves, they try all unjust means to revenge themselves. Wherefore they accuse their adversaries often falsly (because they dare not offer any violence) before their Judges, and so bring them to damage, trouble and pains. But when they have committed one of these, or the like facts, and have a mind to free themselves of it, or to be absolved, they go after their own invented devotion, to good works, alms, prayers, fasting, redeeming of captives, _&c._ to make satisfaction to God for their committed sins, as their _Koran_ teacheth them. And so they lead a life of good outward conversation, and are very diligent in their devotion, chiefly in going to their prayers at the five customary hours of the day, when they leave their work and go to church. And seeing that in these countries they have neither clocks nor watches to tell them the time of the day and prayers, instead of them they have their priests (called _Meitzen_ by them) on the steeples, which are ordered to cry out the hours with a loud voice, that you may hear them as far almost as the ringing of a bell, even throughout the whole town. The first hour of prayers is an hour and half before day-light: The second is about noon: The third (which the _Arabians_ call _Latzera_) is about three o’Clock in the afternoon: The fourth is at sun-set; and the fifth when after the sun is down, the twilight, or whitishness of the skies is gone, and the stars appear clearly. Sometimes two of these priests sing together, which is common in great towns, and they sing almost as with us they sing a ballad, so that while the one is singing, the other may fetch his breath; and so they sing by turns, until the song is at an end. When I came first into these countries, and hear’d them sing about that time in the morning, I believed the _Turks_ did it that they might brisk themselves up to go to work, until I heard them do the same at other hours in the day time, and understood they were their priests. So they sing about five o’clock at night very well, and sometimes something longer, because of the sick that live near, which desire it of them, to make them cheerful, and to have a good heart, which we need not to wonder at, for their clergy (which are not wiser, or more learned than the laymen) know not how to comfort them, or to make them joyful, much less how to give good and wholesome instruction out of the word of God (although they believe it to be true) how to obtain forgiveness of sin, and God’s mercy, love, or commiseration, but think it to be sufficient, if they admonish them that lie a dying to think of God, and to pray to him that he may have mercy upon them; and afterwards to wash their body to cleanse them quite from all sins, according to the law of their _Mahomet_, which they highly esteem, and that the rather, because they serve not only the living, but also the dead; wherefore the _Turks_ wash themselves daily, chiefly at the hours of their prayer, when they are a going to church, and that very carefully and diligently, _viz._ Their hands, privy members, head, neck, feet, nay the whole body, according as they are contaminated or become unclean. So in consideration of their sins, they have three sorts of washing; whereof one is that of the whole body, which those must make use of that are not married, and contaminate themselves with concubines; wherefore the baths are kept continually in an equal heat, and are open to any body both by day and night, that those that have occasion to wash their whole body, may not be hindered in their devotion, but soon go to church again. The second is performed on the organs of the five senses, and the head, to cleanse them from all spots and blemishes, which are contracted by ill thought and frivolous and unseemly discourses; wherefore there are several cisterns here and there, but chiefly in their churches and chapels, where they wash themselves first, that being clean, they may be worthy to come to church to prayers, for if they should omit it, they believe that their prayers would not be acceptable to God, and so he would not hear them. So they begin first with washing of their hands, then they lift up the water with the hollow of their hands, and so let it run down to their elbow; then they wash their mouth, nose, eyes, ears, head, neck, and at last their feet, and speak some peculiar words with it. When they have no water, which often happeneth in large desarts in _Arabia_, they are allowed by their laws instead thereof, to rub these members over with sand. But that they may not be hindered by their cloaths from coming to these members, they wear such ones that have wide sleeves, no gatherings about their neck, nor have any strings about their drawers. The third sort is also esteemed to be very necessary, and is made use of as often as they empty their body by stool or urine, or belching, and so they wash themselves squatting down before the cisterns, publickly without shame, both before and behind, in the sight of every body. According to what hath been said, we see that they mind only the outward cleansing of their body, and so they look also upon the outward circumcision, rather than to think how they ought, according to God’s commands, to cleanse themselves from their inward leprosy, by the bath of regeneration, and to circumcise their hearts by an inward spiritual circumcision, whereof they know nothing. When their clergymen have cried out the hours from the steeples to the _Batzars_, or Exchanges, _&c._ and the _Turks_ have washed and cleansed themselves, they go into their chapels, which are in the middle of their great Camps, or _Carvatschars_, where I could see it best, because I durst not go into their mosques. After they have left their shoes at the gate, they do not turn nor look back for one another to speak, but go strait forwards, until they come to their places where they stand still, and look upon their priest that is before them, and mind him when he beginneth the prayers, that they may say it after him, and imitate his ceremonies or means, whereof he maketh use, as the lifting up his hands, stroking over his forehead, bending his whole body forwards, falling down upon his knees, kissing the earth; and at length when the _Leila hillalla_ beginneth, turning their heads from one side to the other, whereby they give a hint, that they are in peace and good will with God and their neighbours. While they are in their holy places, you shall hear none of them sneeze, cough, hawk or spit, for they are of opinion, that if they should do so, God would not hear their prayers so effectually, because they should not be perfectly clean. They have no set form of their prayers, and pray generally for good fortune and other worldly welfare; for victory for their Emperor; that God may send great divisions amongst us Christians, that so they may have a better opportunity to fall upon us, and to beat us. They suffer no images in their temples or chapels, and are only for adoring the true and only God, Creator of heaven and earth; and so instead of them, they have pictures of fine plants or flowers, _viz._ of roses, _&c._ and writings of their Prophet _Mahomet_; and so you find on their gold and silver coins no pictures or images of their Emperors, as upon ours, but only the names of them, or of the towns where they are stamped, in _Arabian_ letters, (which are common to both nations) together with the date of the year, which they begin from the time when _Mahomet_ fled into the desarts, which for that reason they call the year of _Hegira_, where he got a great number of adherents, and was made by them a King; this was done in the year of _Christ_ 622. After they have ended their prayers, they begin to talk to one another, and so every one of them goeth home to work again; and they are allowed on their feast days (which they keep on _Friday_, as we do on _Sunday_, and the _Jews_ on _Saturday_) to open their shops again after prayers, and to go work, because they say that idleness may the easier draw them into sins. So one may easily know by their shops, according as they are opened or shut up on these three days, whether they belong to Christians, _Turks_, or _Jews_; besides, none of these forceth one to observe the others holydays, and so they live peaceably and quietly together. Before the _Turks_ holiday beginneth, they light on _Thursday_ night before, as soon as it beginneth to be dark, upon their high steeples, many lamps, whereof they hang without on the galleries round about, three rows one above the other, so that as you look upon them in the night, they look like unto a threefold garland; they let them burn so long until they go out of themselves one after the other. The same lamps they also light every night during their _Lent_, which beginneth in their month _Romadan_, so called by the _Arabians_, and doth last all that month long. Their year consisteth of twelve months, which they account by the moon-lights; so that their months do not agree with ours, (for theirs have not, one with the other, above twenty-nine or thirty days) and consequently their years want between ten or eleven days of ours, so that their _Lent_ falleth at an uncertain time, sometimes in the spring, and sometimes in the summer, _&c._ so in my time it began in _December_, and ended in _January_. During all this time they are very devout, and strive to be at the prayers and duties; for if any body should die in _Lent_ time, that had used not to frequent them, they would look upon him as a lost and damned man, and doubt whether they should bury him or no. During their _Lent_, they eat nothing before night; when the stars appear, then every one goeth home to eat, or else in the great _Batzars_ to a cook’s shop, to buy victuals, where all night long is so great a throng of poor people, that have nothing to eat at home, that they lift one another almost up; there you see one eating, another drinking, another crying out, others quarrelling, which causeth such a crowd and noise, as is enough to make one deaf and giddy. When _Lent_ is at an end, then they begin their _Easter_ feast (which they call _Ulubaira_) which they keep with great solemnity for three days, salute one another very kindly, and with one the other all health and happiness, as we do on new year’s day: They also seek all sorts of pastime, chiefly the Janizaries, which in great places erect gibbets three fathoms high, to the top whereof they tie strong ropes, almost like as the children do in our country, where they swing others for a small recompence; when any body sits in it, two stand ready with a broad string, one on each side, which they fling before him, and fling him backwards with it, and so set him a swinging. Others run before the people that are walking, and sprinkle them with sweet smelling water, to get a little spell of money out of them, chiefly the Christians, which they will not easily leave before they have satisfied them; wherefore they are necessitated to stay at home on these days. Not long after, they keep another peculiar feast, called _Chairbairam_ where they also use all sorts of gesticulations, which were too long to relate here; they do not fast on those days, but they sacrifice young steers and wethers, _&c._ cut them into small pieces, to distribute them among the people, for the honour of _Abraham_, because he did obey God, and would have sacrificed his son _Isaac_ to him: At this abundance of heathens congregate themselves in certain places before the towns, to go in pilgrimage to _Medina-Talnabi_, _Mecca_, and _Jerusalem_, for love to _Mahomet_. Amongst them many are found, that are recovered again from dangerous distempers, or delivered from great dangers, and then did make a vow, either to go on pilgrimage to one of these places, or else to kill such a number of beasts to distribute among the poor as an alms.

According to what I have said before, that they compute their months more by the moon-light, and so account twelve of them to a year; they observe mightily the change of the moon, chiefly the new moon, to see it again. Wherefore at that time they go often in great numbers out, unto the next hill, to observe it the better, after sun-set. He that seeth it first sheweth it with great rejoycing to his companions. In their prognostications they also mind the moon’s light, and according to that, they make their account, to know then if any thing shall happen. They have also (as some of them have told me) a peculiar book, which they keep very close to themselves, wherein is briefly written, what shall happen to them every year, whether it be good or bad: This beginneth in the same year with their Prophet _Mahomet_, and continueth for 1000 years, when this is at an end they have nothing more of that nature worth any thing.

And being they go no farther, some will deduce or conclude from thence, that their reign will soon have an end, when those years are passed. Wherefore they fear the Christians very much, and confess themselves, that they expect to suffer a great blow from the Christians: And this one may see or conclude from hence, for on their holidays in the morning about nine of the clock, they shut up the gates of the towns, great champs, and other publick habitations, as I found at _Aleppo_, so that many times I could not get either out or in until they opened them again, for they fear at that time to be assassinated by the Christians.

Being then that their term of years is near expired, for when I lived in these places in the year 1575, they writ 982 of this same term, so that there was not quite 18 years more to come. Now if we compare these 1000 years with those whereof _John_ the Evangelist and Apostle, maketh mention in his _Revelations_, chap. xx. 7, saying, ‘When the thousand years are expired _Satan_ shall be loosed out of prison. And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, _Gog_ and _Magog_ to gather them together to battle’ (as also is written in this same book of _Revelations_ in chap. ix. and by the holy Prophet _Ezekiel_, in chap. xxxviii. xxxix.) ‘The number of whom is as the sand of the sea, _&c._’ We find not only that they may also be interpreted and applied to the _Turks_ and their adherents, but also that they have begun their reign almost at the same time when _Mahomet_ and the _Antichrist_ should appear, about the year 666 as we read in the 13th chapter and the last verse of St _John_ in his _Revelation_. And besides, it looketh in these miserable times (when it seems as if every thing would turn topsy turvy) that these years are passed, and that Satan is loosed, as if our dear Lord God would make an end of this malicious world. Add, that some learned Mathematicians do prognosticate that at these times, but chiefly in the year 1588. great alterations will be in all the parts of the world. When we add to this date the 42 months, or 1260 days, or three years and a half, whereof the Prophet _Daniel_, and also the holy Evangelist and Apostle _John_ in his _Revelation_ makes mention, the 18 years that are still wanting of the 1000 years of their _Mahomet_ (as is above said) will be compleated, so that these two years numbers do very well again agree together.

_God the Almighty preserve us in all adversities, that we may persevere in the acknowledged truth of his Holy Gospel, and send us penitent hearts, that we may be sensible of his merciful visitations, and also overcome the two last woes that are not quite over, with patience. ~Amen.~_

CHAP. VII.

_Of Mount ~Bethzetha~, and the two Houses of ~Pilate~ and ~Herod~._

From the temple mount towards the north, you come presently towards the house of judicature, where _Pontius Pilate_ did live, and condemn innocent Lord _Christ_, to that heinous death of the cross. But because the house hath been since surrounded with high walls, we saw in the court (where the Soldiers did clothe our Lord _Christ_ with the purple cloak, and put upon his head the crown of thorns, and afterwards did spit upon him, and mock, beat and whip him) nothing remarkable, but only without a very old and high arch, like unto an arched bridge. This is almost black with age, and so artificially erected, that one can hardly find any juncture, where the stones are put together. This was the High Place, as it is said, before the Judgment Hall, whereon the condemned men use to be exposed to the sight of the people, because the _Jews_ durst not go into the House of Judicature at their high feasts, as _Easter_ and _Whitsuntide_ (as you may read in St _John_, chap. xviii.) that they might not make themselves unclean, but eat of the Paschal Lamb: Wherefore _Pilate_ did several times go out to the people to shew them our Lord _Christ_, and sit down in the Judgment seat, in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew _Gabbatha_, as you read in St _John_, chap. xix. ver. 13. This arch is open at the top in the middle, and hath two other small arches about the wideness of an ordinary door one by the other supported by a marble column, in one of them stood _Christ_ with his crown of thorns on, and _Pontius Pilate_ in the other, when he said to the people, _Behold the man_.

Hard by at the other side of the arch, on the right hand, on an ascent, they shew the habitation of King _Herod_, which is still very fine, and gloriously built of marble. Wherefore, although it is not the same, which hath been burnt long agone by the _Jews_, and afterwards rooted out by the _Romans_, yet it is built in the same place, where the King’s palace did stand, on the height of mount _Bethzetha_, as _Josephus_ testifieth, from the north over against the temple, and the fort _Antonia_, where our dear Lord _Christ_ was mocked and abused by _Herod_ and his servants, and had a white garment put upon him, and so was sent back again to _Pilate_. In these habitations, chiefly those of _Pilate_, are still to this day, _Turkish_ magistrates, Sangiacks, Cadis, and Soubashaws dwelling, that keep courts of judicature there; and therefore nobody is admitted to come in before he hath gratified the master and servants. These magistrates are very severe, and punish their subjects for no great matter, either in their body or purse, or with a certain number of stripes, which they give with straps of rough neats leather upon the soles of their feet, fewer or more, in proportion to their committed crimes more or less; which sort of punishment is very common to all eastern countries. This sort of punishment is very ancient, and mention thereof is made in _Deuteronomy_ chap. xxv. ver. 2. ‘And it shall be, if the wicked man be worthy to be beaten, that the judge shall cause him to lie down, and to be beaten before his face, according to his fault by a certain number, forty stripes he may give him and not exceed; least if he should exceed, and beat him above these with many stripes, then thy brother should seem vile unto thee.’ So the holy Apostle St _Paul_ hath received them several times, whereof he maketh mention in II. _Corinthians_ chap. xi. ver. 23. where he saith, ‘I am in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths often. Of the _Jews_ five times received I forty stripes save one.’

When we came back from these habitations, we saw some more remarkable places, which are usually shewn unto pilgrims, some whereof are mentioned in Scripture, _viz._ the iron gate, through which the angel of the Lord did conduct St _Peter_ out of prison: The habitation of _Mary_ the mother of St _John_, where the holy Apostle _Peter_ did knock at the door: The temple of St _John_ the Evangelist, whereof the Knights of the order of St _John_ call themselves, and several others, which are for the most part fallen down, and lie in ruins. But because in these times, it is uncertain in what condition they were then, I also omit to say any more of them. After we had seen these two places with their habitations; we returned back again at night, according to the appointment of the father Guardian, to go with us into the temple of mount _Calvaria_.

CHAP. VIII.

_Of the Mount ~Calvaria~, and the Holy Grave of our Lord and Saviour ~Jesus Christ~._