Part 21

In all this deformed Countrey, wee saw neyther house, nor Village, for it is altogether desartuous, and inhabited onely by wilde Beasts, and naked Arabians. Before wee came neere to Sodom and Gomorrah, by seaven miles: (for so wee behooved to passe by the East end of it, before wee could arrive at that place of Jordan which wee intended) we I say incountred with such deep sandy ground, that the Mulets were not able to carry our Company through: Whereupon they all dismounted, wrestling, and wading above the middle part of their bodies, and sometimes falling in over their heads, they were in great danger of perishing, although the robustnesse of my body carried mee through on my feete, relieving also divers times some of these Friers and Pilgrimes, that were almost choaked and over-whelmed with Sand, but not for lacke of Wine. Even in the middest of this turmoyling paine, (the night being darke) the unwelcomed Arabs, environed, [A fearefull danger.] and invaded us with a storme of Arrowes, which they sent from the tops of little hard hils, whereupon they stood, for knowing the advantage of the ground: they tooke opportunity to give the more feareful assaults: yet they prevailed nothing (although they wounded some of our Souldiers) such was the resolute Courage of our valourous Defendants. True it is, that in all my travailes I was never so sore fatigated, nor more fearefully indangered, as I was that night.

A little after midnight, these Savages leaving us, and wee leaving our troublesome way, we accoasted the Lake of Sodome, and marched along the marine shoare above nine miles before we came to Jordan. This Lake is called Lacus Asphaltites, it yeeldeth a kinde of slime, named Bitumen Asphaltum; the which bituminous savour no living thing can indure. And now Mare mortuum, a sea because it is salt, and mortuum or dead, for that no living thing breedes therein: and more properly for this cause called the dead Sea, because of it selfe it is unmoveable, such is the Leprosie and stability of the water. It is also called so, because if a Bird flye over it, shee presently falleth downe therein dead: And as Salomon reporteth of it, Wisdom. 10. 7. it smoaketh continually: from whence proceedeth filthy Vapours, which deforme the fields, lying about for certaine miles, as it were blasted, scorched, and made utterly barren: this smoake I take onely to be but the exhalation of Jordan: For this River falling into it, and there ending his course, the two contrary natures cannot agree; the one being a filthy puddle, and the other a pure water, as I shall more approbably Record.

[The length of Sodoms Lake.] This Lake is foure score miles in length, and according to its intervalling Circuite, sometimes two, three, foure, or five miles in breadth: yet the body thereof, bending directly South-west; keepeth a glassie course, till it salute the austiere conspicuosity of the sabulous and stony Desarts: beeing compassed with the Rockes of Arabia Petrea on the South: On the North, with the sandy hils of the Wildernesse of Judea: on the West, with the steepy mountaines of Arabia deserta: and on the East, with the plaine of Jericho. How commeth it to passe therefore, that the fresh running flood of Jordan, falling evermore into this bounded Sea, that the Lake it selfe, never diminisheth, nor increaseth, but alwayes standeth at one fulnesse: neyther hath it any issuing forth, nor reboundeth backewards on the plaine of Jericho, which is one of the greatest wonders in the World. Wherefore, as I have sayd, it must needes eyther exhale to the Clouds, or otherwise runne downe to Hell: for if it ranne under the Rockes, and so burst in the Desarts, it would soone bee knowne; but in all the bounds of Arabia Deserta, which betwixt this Lake and the Red Sea, extend to 300. miles; there is no such matter, as Brooke, or strand, much lesse a River, neyther hath it any intercourse with the Ocean, unlesse it runne through some secret passage of the earth under the Wildernesse, unto the Red sea. And that is doubtfull, although it may appeare probable; in regard of Nilus, that runneth a hundred miles under the ground in the exterior Æthiopia: and divers other Rivers also after the same manner, obscuring themselves under Rockes, mountaynes, and planures, for many miles: which particulars, by my owne experience, I could denote.

[The doubtfulnes of Jordans ending.] But as for this River, the question may arise, whether ran it during the time of these five Citties of the plaine, now overwhelmed with Water; or where was the issue thereof. To this I answere, was not the hand of the Almighty, that rained downe from the Heavens fire and Brimstone to consume them, able also, to drowne their situations and intervalling plaines with water: Yes and doubtlesse yes, and the course of the River keeping still its former condition: And for moderne examples, how many Citties, Mansions, and Stations, have beene sommerssed with water: nay innumerable, and so remayning to this day, place, beauty, and being, all defaced: As now in Scotland neere to Falkirk, rests the last and latest memory of such woefull accidents, and superabounding disgorgings.

It breedeth nor reserveth no kinde of fishes; and if by the swelling of Jordan, any fishes be carried to it, they immediatly dye. Although Josephus witnesseth, that in his time, there was an Apple grew uppon the Bankes thereof, like to the colour or gold, and within was rotten, and would consume to powder; yet I affirme now the contrary: For there is not such a thing (whatsoever hath beene in his dayes) as eyther Trees, or Bushes, grow neere to Sodome by three miles: such is the consumation of that pestiferous Gulfe.

[Wrong informations made false.] Divers Authors have reported, that nothing will sinke into it, of any reasonable weight, as dead men, or Carkasses of Beasts: but by experience I approve the contrary: For it beareth nothing at all; yea, not the weight of a Feather, nor the pile of withered Grasse, but it will sinke therein, with the which my hands made sundry trials; and dare approove it to be of trueth, in spight of the leying world, and all doting varieties of auncient Relations.

The water it selfe, is of a blackish colour, and at sometimes in the yeare, there are terrible shapes, and showes of terrour in it, as I was informed at Jericho, by the Arabian inhabitants there, which is the neerest Towne that bordereth thereupon.

This contagious and pestilentious Lake of Sodome, resembleth much (as may be supposed) that infernall gulfe of Hell: but in my opinion, I hold it to be the Purgatory of Papists: for they say Limbus Patrum, is neere, or in the second roome to Hell, which I thinke must needs be Sodome: for although it be not Hell it selfe, yet I am perswaded, it is a second Hell, having (as some report) no bottome. Wherefore I conclude thus, that since Papists will have a Purgatory, I absolutely affirme, it must be such a Purgatory, as the purging of Sodome and Gomorra, which was with fire and Brimstone, to their destruction.

About the breach of day on Wednesday morning, we past by the ruines of an old house; where (as they say) S. John the Baptist remained, when he baptized those that came from Jerusalem, and other Regions about, which is but the flight of an arrow from Jordan.

Approaching to the banke-side, we dismounted, and [The River Jordan.] uncloathed our selves, going in naked to the River, we washed us to refresh our bodies; our Souldiers lying a little off from us, as pledges of our lives, and their owne safegards, stayed as Bulwarks for our protection, & a connivall obligation for two repugnant defences: Time presenting the awfull opportunity of both occasions. In this place, as the Guardian said, was Christ baptized of S. John, when the Holy Ghost came downe in a bodily shape, like a Dove upon him, and there was a voyce from Heaven, saying: Thou art my beloved Sonne, in Thee I am well pleased. I saw also an apparant like testimony, of a quadrangled stone, lying on the banke side; whereupon are ingraven letters, of Hebrew, Greeke, Latine, testifying the same thing: and may be also conjectured, in regard of the auncient Habitacle, of that precursor, which is not far from thence.

This river Jordan beginneth in Mount Libanus, of two fountaines, Jore, and Dan, which runne separated, till they come to the lake Maronah; & hence it maketh one body, keeping his course through the lake Genasereth, endeth in Sodome. The river Tibris at Rome, & Jordan are not much different in quantity and colour; and not unlike other in their courses: For Jordan falleth in the old Gomorah, and Tibris runneth through the new Sodome; A history of such evidence, as travell taught me by experience: For it is the Priests confluence, which breeds in the Italians insolence: If I erre, I will beg indulgence, of the Popes aureat magnificence.

The rivers themselves are both of a muddy colour, and their quantity not far different from other, which Jordan for greatnesse retaineth, and the length of their courses are much semblable to other. The water of Jordan hath beene transported to Venice in barrels, for that purity it hath; which will reserve unspoiled, both moneths and yeares, and the longer it is kept, it is the more fresher; and to drinke it, is an excellent remedy for the fever quartan or quotidian, being neare in vertue to the Wine of Libanon.

Considering the auncient reputation of this famous river, and the rare sight of such an unfrequented place, [A Turpentine rod brought from Jordan and given to King James.] I climbed up to the top of a Turpentine tree, which grew within the limited flood, a little above where I left my company even naked, as I came from swimming, and cut downe a faire hunting rod of the heavy and sad Turpentine tree, being three yards long, wondrous straight, full of small knots, and of a yellowish colour; which afterward, with great paines, I brought to England, and did present it (as the rarest gemme of a Pilgrimes treasure) to his Majesty. But I remember in the choosing thereof an unexpected accident fell out: For I being sequestrat from the sight of the company, upon this solitary tree, with broad obscuring leaves, the Friers and Souldiers removed; keeping their course towards Jericho: but within two furlongs from Jordan, they were beset with the former Nocturnall enemies, who assailed them with a hard conflict: For I hearing the Harquebuse go off, was straight in admiration, and looking downe to the place where I left my associates, they were gone; so bending my eyes a little further in the Plaine, I saw them at a martiall combate: which sight gave me suddenly, the threatning of despaire: not knowing whether to stay intrenched, within the circundating leaves, to approve the events of my auspicuous fortunes: Or in prosecuting a reliefe, to be participant of their doubtfull deliverance. In the end pondering, I could hardly, or never escape their hands, either there, or by the way going up to Jerusalem, leapt downe from the tree, leaving my Turkish cloathes lying upon the ground, tooke onely in my hand the rod & Shasse which I wore on my head; and ranne starke naked above a quarter of a mile amongst thistles, and sharpe pointed grasse, which pittifully be pricked the soles of my feete, but the feare of death for the present, expel'd the griefe of that unlooked for paine. Approaching on the safe side of my company, one of our Souldiers broke forth on horsebacke, being determined to kill mee for my staying behinde: Yea, and three times stroke at me with his halfe-pike; but his horse being at his speed, I prevented his cruelty, first by falling downe, next by running in amongst the thickest of the Pilgrimes, recovering the Guardians face, which when the Guardian espied, and saw my naked body, hee presently pulled off his gray gowne, and threw it to me, whereby I might hide the secrets of nature: By which meanes, (in the space of an [The Pilgrimes three severall habits in halfe a houre.] houre) I was cloathed three manner of wayes: First, like a Turke: Secondly, like a wild Arabian: And thirdly, like a grey Frier, which was a barbarous, a savage, and a religious habit.

The Captaine at last entering in parley with the Arabs, by some contributing promises did mitigate their fury, for their compounded acknowledgement was to be sent them from Jerusalem: Whereupon, wee marching toward Jericho, reposed our selves under a cooling shade, and dined there on the Wine and provision carryed with us.

After Dinner wee arose, and went to the House of Zacheus: (this was hee who sate uppon a Tree to see our Saviour as he passed by,) the Wals whereof stand to this day, the tecture being onely demolished. This new Jericho is now a poore Village onely of nine dwelling houses, inhabited by a kinde of Arabs (which are in subjection under the Governour of Jerusalem,) but I saw many ruinous lumpes of the Wals, and demolishings of the old Towne, which is a little from this distant, about a short quarter of a mile. [Two sorts of rare fruit.] Here I saw two most dainty kinde of fruites, the one was a little lesser then an Apple, but more round: whose colour was like gold without, and within it was White as Snow, and sweete like Suger. I would gladly have eaten of them; but the Friers forbade me, saying; they were the onely pest of Death unto a stranger. The other Apple was like to a greene Lemmon, long, and full of knots, of a reddish colour, like to a Mellone; being both delicate and wholesome, of which wee did eate to satisfie the naturall appetite, and so did all our Souldiers eate of them excessively: their Trees growing high and greene by a Brooke side of delicate Water that runneth from the fountaine of Elizeus. From Jericho we set forward, in the way of the Wildernesse; our determination being such, as to view the mountaine whereon Christ fasted forty dayes: Where arrived, being late, we durst not go up til morning. [Elizeus Fountaine.] Wherefore we pitched that night by the fountayne of Elizeus; the Water of which, was of old, naturally bitter, but by the prayers of that divine Prophet, was restored to a sweet tast: It is good in digestion, and harmelesse for health: and it is the lightest water the earth yeelds: having on the morrow filled a Boares skin of it, to carry with me to the mountaine; I found it so light, that I had no weight nor paine in the bearing of it on my shoulders: notwithstanding, the way of it selfe was fastidious. This mountain is called Quarantanam, or Quaranto, being of height, by the computation of my painefull experience, above sixe miles, and groweth from the bottome still smaller and smaller, till that the top is covered with a little Chappell, not unlike to the proportion of a Pyramede.

There is no way to ascend upon this Hill, save one, which hath beene hewen out of the Rocke, by the industry of men, experimented in Masonry; (which was done at the cost of Queene Helen) going up by the Degrees of forty five turnes. In all our Company there were onely one Frier, foure Germanes, and I, that durst attempt to climbe the mountaine.

Thursday earely at the breach of day, we sixe made us for the mountaine, leaving our Souldiers to guard the passage below, least some stragling Arabs should have stolne after us for our Destruction. Where after diverse turnings, traversings, and narrow foot passages having come with great difficulty to the top, we entred first into a umbragious Cave, joyning to, and under the Chappell, [Where Christ fasted forty dayes.] where the Frier told us, that in this place Christ did fast forty dayes: and here it was, where he rebuked Sathan. The Chappel which covereth the top of this high and steepy Rocke is covered, and also beautified, with an old Altar: betweene the outward sides whereof, and the craggy face of this mountaine, two men may only go side to side: Here we dined and refresht our selves with water that I carried on my backe hither: From which place we saw the most part of all the Holy Land, except the North parts of Judea, Palestine, and Phenicia, and a great way in the two Arabiaes, Petrea, and Deserta, and all the length of Jordan, even from Sodome to Maronah.

At last in our Returne and fearefull discending, there would none of us goe downe formost: For although the Frier led us freely upwards, yet first downeward for his life hee durst not goe: and that because at the narrow end of every turning, there was aye betweene the upper and the lower passage, about my height, and some where twice my height, of the flat face of the Rocke, whereon there was nothing but dimples and holes to receive our feete, which in discending was perillous. [Dreadfull danger in descending the Quarantatam.] Now the greatest danger, at every turne, was in the downe going of the formost, who was to receive, them all, one by one, and foote their feet in the shallow dimples: of which if any of them had missed, his sliding downe had miscarried them both over the Rocke.

Now for the noble Germanes sake, two of whom were great Barens, Signior Strowse, and Signior Crushen, and borne Vassals to the Marquesse of Hanspauch, I resolved to imbrace the danger: Where downe I went, receiving every one of them, at every turne, first leading their feete by my hands, and then by inveloping them with mine armes: Well, having past halfe way downewards, wee came to the most scurrile and timorous Discent of the whole passage, where with much difficulty, I set safe the foure Germanes in our narrow Rode hewen out of the craggy Hill; and then was to receive the Frier: Whence hee comming downe from above, with his Belly and face to the Rocke, holding his hands grumbling above, the fellow fell on trembling; and as I was placing his feete in the holes, distempred feare brought him downe upon me with a rushling hurle: Whereuppon straight I mainly closed with my left arme his body fast to the Rocke, keeping strongly my Right shoulder to the same place: For I could not have saved my selfe, and letting him fall, but hee would have caught mee headlong with him, over the Rocke: And yet the Germanes cryed still to me, Lascia ti quel furfanto cascar alla fondo con il Diavolo, e salva caro fratello la vita vostra, viz. Let that Villaine fall to the ground with the Divell, and save, O deare brother, your owne life: But I neyther would nor durst: at last his feare, by my incouragement having left him, I suffered him to slide softly downe betweene my arme and the Rocke, to the solid path: Where by and by, hee fell downe uppon his knees, and gave mee a thousand Blessings, vowing for this, he would doe me a great good deede before I left Jerusalem.

At last towards the afternoone, wee safely arrived at the foote of the Mountayne, and having saluted the Guardian, and all the Rest, who then were ready to take journey, the Frier told his Reverence how I had saved his life: Whereupon the Guardian, and the other Friers, did imbrace me kindly in their Armes, giving me many earnest and loving thankes.

And now the Souldiers and wee being advanced in our Way, as wee returned to Jerusalem, wee marched by an [S. Jeromes Abbey.] olde Ruinous Abbey, where (say they) Saint Jerome dwelt, and was fed there by wilde Lyons: Having travailed sore and hard that afternoone, wee arrived at Jerusalem an houre within night, for the Gate was kept open a purpose for us and our Guard: and entring our Monastery, wee supped, and rested our selves till midnight; having marched that halfe Day, more as 34. miles. A little before midnight, the Guardian and the Friers, were making themselves ready to goe with us to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, called Sancto Salvatore; where wee were to stay Good-friday and Satturday, and Easter-Sunday till mid-night: They tooke their Cooke with them also to dresse our Dyet, carrying Wine, Bread, Fishes, and Fruites hither in abundance. Meane while, a Jew, the Trench-man of the Turkies Sanzacke, came to the Monastery, and received from every one of us Pilgrimes, first two Chickens of Gold, for our severall heads, and entrey at Jerusalem: and then nine Chickens a peece for our in going to the Holy Grave; and a Chicken of golde a man, to himselfe the Jew, as beeing due to his place.

[Our tributs for the Holy Grave.] Thus was there twelve Chickens from each of us dispatched for the Turke: And last one, and all of us, behoved to give to the Guardian two Chickens also for the Waxe Candles and fooleries hee was to spend, in their idle and superstitious Ceremonies, these three aforesayd nights, which amounted in all to every one of us, to foureteene Chickens of gold, sixe pounds sixe shillings starling. So that in the whole from the sixe Germanes, foure French men, and nine Commercing Franks in Cyprus and Syria, Venetians, and Ragusans, and from my selfe, the summe arose for this nights labour to a hundred and twenty sixe pounds starling.

This done, and at full mid-night wee came to the Church where wee found twelve Venerable like Turkes, ready to receive us, sitting in the Porch without the Doore; who foorthwith opened at randone the two great Brazen halfes of the Doore, and received us very respectively: We being within the doore made fast, and the Turkes returned to the Castle, the first place of any note we saw, was the place of Unction, which is a foure squared stone; inclosed about with an yron Reuele, on which (say they) the dead body of our Saviour lay, and was imbalmed; after hee was taken from the Crosse, whiles Joseph of Arimathea, was preparing that new Sepulcher for him wherein never man lay: from thence we came to the holy Grave. Leaving Mount Calvary on our right hand toward the East end of the Church; for they are both contained within this glorious edifice.

[The Holy Grave.] The Holy Grave is covered with a little Chappell, standing within a round Quiere, in the west ende of the Church: It hath two low and narrow entries: As we entred the first doore, three after three, and our shoes cast off, for these two roomes are wondrous little, the Guardiano fell downe, ingenochiato, and kissed a stone, whereupon (he sayd) the Angell stood, when Mary Magdalen came to the Sepulchre, to know if Christ was risen, on the third day as he promised: And within the entry of the second doore, we saw the place where Christ our Messias was buried, and prostrating our selves in great humility, every man according to his Religion, offered up his prayers to God.

The Sepulchre it selfe, is eight foote and a halfe in length, and advanced about three foote in height from the ground, and three foote five inches broad, being covered with a faire Marble stone of white colour.