Part 12

Upon the West corner of the Citty, there is a strong Fortresse, fortified with seaven great Towers, and well furnished with Munition, called by Turkes, Jadileke: In this Prison, are Bassawes, and Subbassawes imprisoned, and also great men of Christians, if any offence be committed. Their place of Exchange is called Bezastan, wherein all sorts of commodities are to be sold; as Sattins, Silkes, Velvets, Cloth of Silver and Gold, and the most exquisitely wrought Hand-kerchiefes, that can be found in the world; with infinite other commodities, the relation of which would be tedious.

I have seene men and women as usually sold here in Markets, as Horses and other beasts are with us: The most part of which are Hungarians, Transilvanians, Carindians, Istrians, and Dalmatian Captives, and of other places besides, which they can overcome. Whom, if no compassionable Christian will buy, or relieve; then must they either turne Turke, or be addicted to perpetuall slavery. Here I remember of a charitable deede, done for a sinfull end, and thus it was; A Ship of Marseilles, called the great Dolphin, lying here forty dayes at the Galata, [A French palliard.] the Maister Gunner, named Monsieur Nerack, and I falling in familiar acquaintance, upon a time he told me secretly that he would gladly for Conscience and Merits sake, redeeme some poore Christian slave from Turkish Captivity. To the which, I applauded his advice, and told him the next Friday following I would assist him to so worthy an action: Friday comes, and he and I went for Constantinople, where the Market of the slaves being ready, we spent two houres in viewing, and reviewing five hundreth Males and Females. At last I pointed him to have bought an old man or woman, but his minde was contrary set, shewing me that he would buy some virgin, or young widdow, to save their bodies undefloured with Infidels. The price of a virgin was too deare for him, being a hundred Duckets, and widdows were farre under, and at an easier rate: When we did visite and search them that we were mindfull to buy, they were strip'd starke naked before our eyes, where the sweetest face, the youngest age, and whitest skin was in greatest value and request: The Jewes sold them, for they had bought them from the Turkes: At last we fell upon a Dalmatian widdow, whose pittifull lookes, and sprinkling teares, stroke my soule almost to the death for compassion: whereupon I grew earnest for her reliefe, and he yeelding to my advice, she is bought and delivered unto him, the man being 60. yeares of age, and her price 36. Duckets. We leave the market and came over againe to Galata, where he and I tooke a Chamber for her, and leaving them there, the next morning I returned earely, suspecting greatly the dissembling devotion of the Gunner to be nought but luxurious lust, and so it proved: I knocked at the Chamber doore, that he had newly locked, and taken the key with him to the ship, for he had tarried with her all that night; and she answering me with teares, told me all the manner of his usage, wishing her selfe to be againe in her former captivity: whereupon I went a shipboord to him, & in my griefe I swore, that if he abused her any more after that manner, and not returned to her distresse, her Christian liberty; I would first make it knowne to his Maister the Captaine of the ship, and then to the French Ambassadour: for he was mindfull also, his lust being satisfied to have sold her over againe to some other: At which threatning the old Pallyard became so fearefull, that he entred in a reasonable condition with me, and the ship departing thence sixe dayes thereafter, he freely resigned to me her life, her liberty and freedome: which being done, and he gone, under my hand before divers Greekes, I [The Dalmatian Widdow relieved.] subscribed her libertie, and hyr'd her in the same Taverne for a yeare, taking nothing from her, for as little had she to give me, except many blessings and thankefull prayers: This French Gunner was a Papist, and heare you may behold the dregs of his devotion, and what seven nights leachery cost him, you may cast up the reckoning of 36. Duckets.

In Constantinople there have happened many fearefull fires, which often hath consumed to ashes the most part of the rarest Monuments there, and the beauty of infinite Pallaces; as Zonoras the Constantinopolitan Historiographer in his Histories mentioneth. And now lately in the yeare 1607. October 14. there were burned above 3000. houses, of which I saw a number of ruines (as yet) [Pestilence and Earth quakes.] unrepaired. It is subject also to divers Earth quakes, which have often subverted the Towers, Houses, Churches, and Walles of the City to the ground. Especially in the yeare 1509. in the raigne of Bajazeth, the ninth Emperour of the Turkes, in which time, more then 13000. persons were all smothered and dead, and laid up in heapes unburied. And commonly every third yeare, the pestilence is exceeding great in that City, and after such an odious manner; that those who are infected (before they die) have the halfe of their one side rot, and fall away: so that you may easily discerne the whole intrailes of their bowels. It is not licentiated here, nor else where in all Turkey, that any Christian should enter in their Moskies, or Churches, without the conduct of a Janisary; the tryall whereof I had when I viewed that glorious and great Church of Sancta Sophia, once the beauty and ornament of all Europe; and is now the chiefe place, to which the Great Turke or Emperour goeth every Friday, their Sabboth day to doe his devotion, being accompanied with 3000. Janisaries, besides Bashawes, Chowses and Hagars. Truely I may say of Constantinople, as I said once of the world, in the Lamentado of my second Pilgrimage;

A painted Whoore, the maske of deadly sin, Sweet faire without, and stinking foule within.

For indeed outwardly it hath the fairest show, and inwardly in the streets being narrow, and most part covered, the filthiest & deformed buildings in the world; the reason of its beauty, is, because being situate on moderate prospective heights, the universall tectures, a farre off, yeeld a delectable show, the covertures being erected like the backe of a Coach after the Italian fashion with gutterd tyle. But being entred within, there is nothing but a stinking deformity, and a loathsome contrived place; without either internall domesticke furniture, or externall decorements of fabricks palatiatly extended. Notwithstanding that for its situation, the delicious wines, & fruits, the temperate climat, the fertile circumjacent fields, and for the Sea Hellespont, and pleasant Asia on the other side: it may truely be called the Paradice of the earth.

Perah is over against Constantinople, called of old, Cornubizantii; but by the Turkes, Galata, being both a quarter of a mile distant, and the Thraick Bosphore dividing the two. It is the place at which Christian Ships touch, and where [The Christian Ambassadours at Perah.] the Ambassadours of Christendome lie. The number of the Christian Ambassadours that then lay there, and now doe, were these, first the Romane Emperours, then the French, thirdly the English, fourthly the Venetian, and lastly the Holland Ambassadours, with whom often for discourses I was familiar, although with Noble Sir Thomas Glover I was still domestick for 12. weekes, whose Secretary for that time was my Countrey man, Maister James Rollocke, who now, as I take it, is resident in Striveling; he was the last Scotsman I saw till my returne to Malta after my departure from Constantinople.

From thence I went to the blacke Sea: but commonly Mare Euxinum, where I saw [Pompeyes Pillar.] Pompeyes Pillar of Marble, standing neere the shoare, upon a rocky Iland: and not far from thence, is a Lanthorne higher then any Steeple, whereon there is a panne full of liquor, that burneth every night to give warning unto ships how neare they come the shore; It is not much unlike these Lanthornes of Ligorne and Genua. The water of this Sea is never a whit blacker then other Seas: but it is called blacke, in respect of the dangerous events in darke and tempestuous nights, which happen there; and because of the Rockes and Sands which lye a great way from the maine shore: upon which many vessels many times are cast away. The blacke Sea is not farre from Galata, for I both went and returned in one day, being forty miles out, and in: For I went by boate, and not by land, through the pleasant Euripus, that runneth betweene the Euxine Sea and Hellespont: And by the way, I cannot but regrate, the great losse Sir Thomas Glover received by the Duke of Moldavia, who chargeably entertained him two yeares in his house, and furnished him with great moneys, and other necessaries fit for his eminency: This Duke or Prince of Bugdonia was depraved of his Principalities by Achmet, and fled hither to the Christian Ambassadours for reliefe: To whom when all the rest had refus'd acceptance, onely Noble Sir Thomas received him, maintained him, and seriously wrought with the Grand Signior and his Counsell, to have had him restored againe to his Lands, but could not prevaile.

In the end, Sir Thomas Glovers five yeares time of Ambassodry being expired, and the Duke hearing privately that Sir Paul Pinder was to come in his place, as indeede he came too soone: this Moldavian Prince stole earely away in the morning over to Constantinople; and [The Duke of Moldavia turnd Turke.] long or midday turnd Turke, and was circumcised, contenting himselfe onely for all his great Dukedome, with a Palace, and a yearely pension of twelve thousand Chickens of Gold during his life. Which, when we heard, the Ambassadour, and we were all amazed and discontented: He was indebted to the Ambassadour above 15. thousand Chickens of Gold, yet or my leaving Galata, I went twice over with Sir Thomas, and saw him, and found him attended with a number of Turkes, who when he saw me, tooke me kindly by the hand, for we had bene two moneths familiar in the Ambassadors house before.

The English Ambassador within halfe a yeare, recovered the halfe of his moneys, the other halfe he was forced to forgoe for diverse importunate respects. Nay, I must say one thing more of this Knight, he releeved more slaves from the Galleys, payd their ransomes, and sent them home freely to their Christian stations, and kept a better house, than any Ambassadour did, that ever lay at Constantinople, or ever shall to the worlds end.

His mother was a Pollonian, who comming from Dansicke to London, was delivered of him upon the Sea: Afterward he was brought up at Constantinople from a boy, and spoke, and wrot the Slavonian Tongue perfectly: And thence returning for London, he was the first Ambassador King James, of blessed Memory, sent to Constantinople, after his comming to the Crowne of England: And this much for this worthy and ever renowned Knight, whose prayse and fame I cannot too much celebrate.

The Turkes have no Bels in their Churches, neither the use of a clocke, nor numbring of houres, but they have high round Steeples, for they contrafact, and contradict all the formes of Christians: when they goe to pray, they are called together by the voyce of crying men, who goe upon the bartizings of their Steeples, shouting and crying with a shrill voyce: La illa, Eillalla, Mahomet Rezul allah, that is: God is a great God, and Mahomet is his Prophet, or otherwise there is but one God.

In Constantinople, and all other places of Turky, I ever saw three Sabboths together, in one weeke: The Friday for the Turkes, the Saturday for Jewes, and the Sunday for Christians: but the Turkes Sabboth is worst kept of all: for they will not spare to do any labour on their Holy Day. They have meetings at their publicke Prayers, [Times of Turkish prayers.] every day five severall times: the first is, before the rising of the Sunne: The second is, a little before midday: The third is, at three of the clocke in the afternoone: The fourth is, at the Sunne-setting, Sommer and Winter: Fifthly, the last howre of Prayer, is alwayes two or three howres within night. Many of them will watch till that time, and not sleepe; and others sleeping, will awake at the voyce of the Cryer, and go to Church.

In signe of reverence, and in a superstitious devotion, before they go into their Mosquees, they wash themselves in a Lavotoio, beginning at the privy members, next their mouthes faces, feete and hands: And entring, they incline their heads downeward to the earth; and falling on their knees, do kisse the ground three times. Then the Talasumany, which is the chiefe Priest, mounteth upon a high stone, where he maketh many Orations to Mahomet: and the rest to assist him, continue a long time shaking their heads, as though they were out of all their naturall understanding, repeating oft this word Haylamo, Haylamo; and after that will sigh grievously, saying, Houpek. And sometimes will abruptly sing the Psalmes of David in the Arabick tongue, but to no sense, nor verity of the Scriptures. And at their devotion, they will not tollerate any women in their company, lest they should withdraw their minds and affections from their present zeale: But the men observe their turnes and times, and the women theirs, going alwayes when they goe, either of them alone to their devotion: The like custome, but not after the same manner have I seene observed among the Protestants in Transilvania, Hungaria, Moravia, Bohemia, and Silesia, who when they come to Church on the Sabboth day, there is a Taffaty Curtaine drawne from the Pulpit to the Church wall over against it: The men sitting on the right hand of the Preacher, the women on the left; whose eyes and faces cannot see other during divine Service, save only the Minister that over-toppeth both sides; and truly me thought it was a very modest, and necessary observation. [The Turkes are circumcised.] The Turks are generally circumcised after the manner of the Jewes, but not after 8. dayes, but after 8. yeares. The Church men are called Hadach Casseis, or Darvises, who weare on their heads greene Shashes, to make distinction betweene them and others: for they are accounted to be of Mahomets kindred.

They hold all mad men in great reverence, as Prophets or Saints, & if they intend any far journey, privat purposes, or otherwise, before they go to battell, they come to crave counsell of these Santones, to know if they shall prosper, or not, in their attempts. And whatsoever answer these Bedleem Prophets give, it is holden to be so credible, as if an Oracle had spoken it. The Turkish Priests are for the most part Moores, whom they account to be a base people in respect of themselves, calling them Totseks: Their principall Church governour is called Mufti, Whose definitive sentence in Lawe or Religion is penetrable, and absolutely valiant: Neither abaseth he himselfe to sit in the Divano, nor affordeth more reverence to the Emperour, than he to him. [The Turkish Church-men.] The other sort of Church-men are the Naipi or young Doctors, the Caddi, whereof there is two or three in every Citty to judge the offences; the Calsi or Readers, and the Mudressi which use to oversee the Cadeis in their Office: They were all formerly Idolatrous Pagans, and were fast initiated in Mahometanisme, when they got the Soveraignty of the Persian Scepter; by the great Battell, and fortunate conduct of Tangrolipix in overthrowing Mahomet a Saracenicall Sultan of Persia; who inthronized himselfe, in the Persian Chayre of Estate, Anno 1030. This prerogative Title of Mufti, was first intituled Caliph, whose residence was in Babylon, and wholly supreme over the Mahometans: But the Ægyptians after the death of Mot adi Bila, withdrew themselves from this Babylonian obedience, and choosed one of their owne, to whom the Moores of Barbary submitted themselves.

[Babylon recovered by the Persians.] But now since Bagdat, or Babylon hath beene recovered by the Persians, about foure yeares agoe, their Mahometanicall Mufti or Caliph, that then was Resident there, is now retired to Constantinople, where he sitteth in a more securer place, thinking rather to follow the Grandeur of the Turke, than the broken Estate of the Persian, whence I may truly say, he is Fortunes Page, that favoureth them most, who have most favourers.

This unwealdy body having two heads, began to decline; for Allan a Tartarian Captaine, starved Mustatzem the last divided Babylonian Caliph to death and rooted out all his posterity: And then Sarancon the first Turkish King in Ægypt, brained the last Ægyptian Caliph with his Mace, leaving none of the issue, or Kindred surviving. The Office of the Caliph is now executed in Turkey, under the name Muphti, or high Priest. All Turkes do detest the colour of blacke, and thinke those that weare it, shall never enter into Paradise: But the colour of greatest request among them is greene; wherewith if any Christian be apparrelled, he shall be sure of Bastinadoes, and other punishments: Neither may he use the name of their Prophet Mahomet in his mouth, (under the paine of a cruell censure to be inflicted upon him) whom they so much adore, and honour.

[Mahomets birth.] This Mahomet was borne, Anno Dom. 591. in Itraripia, a beggarly Village in Arabia, whose father was Abdillas, an Ismaelite; and his mother Cadiges, a Jew; both different in Religion, and also of diverse Countries: In his youth he was partly taught the Judaicall Law, and partly the superstition of the Gentiles. Many alleadge his parentage was never knowne (being so base) untill his riper yeares bewrayed the same, I also learned that his Parents dyed whiles he was a young child, and was turned over to his Unckle, who afterward sold him to one Abdeminoples, a Merchant in Palestina: And he, after a little time, having remarked his ready and prompt wit, sent him downe to Ægypt, to be a Factor in his Merchandise; where, by his dissimulate behaviour, he crept in favour with Christians, Jewes, and Gentiles. He was in proportion of a meane stature, lively faced, big-headed, eloquent in language, of a sanguinicall complexion, and a couragious stomacke, in all attempts exceeding desperate: he was also deceitfull, variant, and fradulent, as may appeare in his Satanicall Fables, expressed in his Alcoran, where oft one saying contradicteth another, both in words, and effect.

About this time there was one Sergius, an Italian borne, banished from Constantinople, because he allowed of the Arrian sect; who afterward came to Palestina, and frequenting the house of Abdeminoples, fell in acquaintance with the young man Mahomet; and this Frier perceiving the aspiring quicknes of his braine, bore a great affection

to his naturall perfections. Shortly after this, his Maister dying without heires, and his Mistresse enjoying many rich possessions; she, for these his extraordinary qualities, from the degree of a Servant, advanced him to be her owne Husband.

That unhappy match was no sooner done but she repented it with teares: [Mahomet possessed with the falling sicknes.] for he being subject to the falling sicknesse, would often fall flat on the ground before her, staring, gaping, and foaming at the mouth; so that his company became loathsome and detestable. The which begun contempt in his bed-fellow; being to him manifested, he strove (under the shaddow of invented lies) to mitigate the fury of her hatefull disdaine; faining, and attesting, that when he fell to the ground, it was the great God spoke with him, before whose face (sayth he) I am not able to stand; such is the soliciting of me, with words of terrour and Majesty, to reforme the wayes of the degenerate people with fire, and sword; sith Moses and Christ (notwithstanding of their miracles) have beene rejected by the world. The old Trot, believing all these flattering speeches, was not onely appeased of her former conceit, but also loving him more then a husband, reverenced him for a divine Prophet; imparting the same unto her neighbours and gossips. After they had lived two yeares together, the bewitched Matron dying, left all her possessions to Mahomet; both because she accounted him to be a Prophet, and next for that loving regard she had of his tender body, being but 30. yeares of age. He being thus left with great riches, was puft up in pride, and hauty desires, striving by all inordinary meanes, to bring his new devised plots to perfection. For the better performance whereof, he consulted with this Sergius a Nestorian Monk, and Atodala another Thalmudist, a diverted Jew; hereupon these two helhounds, and the other perverst Runagate, patched up a most monstrous, and divellish Religion to themselves, and to their miscreant beleevers; partly composed of the Judaicall law, partly of Arrianisme, partly intermixed with some points of Christianity; and partly of other fantasticall fopperies, which his owne invention suggested unto him.

The Booke of this Religion is named the Alcoran, the whole body of which, is but an exposition, and glosse on the eight commandements he affixed; whereupon dependeth [The Law of Mahomet.] the whole Mahometanicall Law: First, every one ought to beleeve that God is a great God, and onely God, and Mahomet is his Prophet. Secondly, every man must marry to encrease the Sectaries of Mahomet: Thirdly, every one must give of his wealth to the poore: Fourthly, every one must make his prayers seaven times a day: Fiftly, every one must keepe a Lent, one moneth in the yeare, this Lent is called Birham, or Ramazan: Sixtly, Be obedient to thy Parents; which Law is so neglected, that never any children were, or are more unnaturall then the Turkish be: Seaventhly, thou shalt not kill, which they inviolable keepe amongst themselves; but the poore Christians feele the smart thereof. Last and eightly, Doe unto others, as thou wouldst be done unto thy selfe, the performers of which have large Sophisticall promises ascribed them.

This new coyned doctrine, was no sooner wrapt up in his execrable Alcoran, but he began to spit forth his abhominable and blasphemous heresies: Affirming, that Christ was not the sonne of the most high, nor that Messias looked for; denying also the Trinity, with many other prophane blasphemies. The worke concluded, for the better advancement of his purpose, he married the daughter of the chiefe Prince of his owne tribe: By which new affinity, he not onely seduced his Father in law, but also the whole linage of that family; by whose acceptance, and conversion, he also confederated with other associates, and waxed dayly stronger. Contending continually to divulgate his name, aye more and more, he assembled his new Alcoranists: exhorting them to assist him in the besieging of Mecha, which Citizens had in derision rebuked his law, and absolutely disdained his Mahometanicall illusions: and promised to them, in such a well deserving attempt, both eternall felicity, and the spoiles of these his contradictors; perswasively assuring them, that God would deliver all the gaine-sayers of his Alcoran into his hands. By which allurements they being moved, rose to the number of 3000. in Armes, and menaced Mecha, but the Citizens put him to flight, and so was he thrice served; till in the end he wonne their City: wherein after his death [Mahomets Tombe.] he was intombed in an Iron Coffin: Which betweene two Adamants hangeth to this day (as I have been informed of sundry Turkes, who saw it) which confirmed in them a solid beliefe of his erronious doctrine.