Part 26
This Country was governed by Kings first, and longest of all other Nations: From Osiris (not reckoning his Regall Ancestors) in whose time Abraham went downe to Ægypt, he and his Successours, were all called Pharaoes; of whom Amasis, is onely worthy mention, who instituted such politicke Lawes to the auncient Egyptians, that he deserveth to be Catalogized, as founder or this Kingdome.
This Race continued till Cambises the second Persian Monarch, made Ægypt a member of his Empire: and so remayned till Darius Nothus the sixt Persian King: from whom they Revolted, choosing Kings of themselves. But in the eighteene yeare of Nectanebos the seventh King thereafter, Ægypt was recovered by Ochus, the eight Emperour of Persia.
In end Darius being vanquished, and Alexander King hereof, after his Death it fell to the share of Ptolomeus, the sonne of Lagi, from whom the Kings of Ægypt were for a long time called Ptolomeis: of whom Queene Cleopatra was the last, after whose selfe murther, it was annexed for many yeares to the Romane Empire, and next to the Constantinopolitan: from whose insupportable burden they revolted, and became tributaries for a small time to Haumar the third Caliph of Babylon.
Afterward being oppressed by Almericus King of Jerusalem; Noradin a Turkish King of Damascus sent Saracon a valiant Warriour to aide them, who made him [The alterations of Egypt.] selfe absolute King of the whole Countrey; whose ofspring succeeded (of whom Saladine was one, the glorious conquerour of the East) till Melechsala, who was slaine by his owne souldiers the Mamaluks; who were the guard of the Suldans, as the Jannizaries are to the great Turke, who lately, Anno 1622. have almost made the like mutation in the Turkish Empire, as the Mamaluks did in the Ægyptian.
They made of themselves Sultans, whereby the Mamaluke race continued from the yeare 1250. till the yeare 1517. wherein Tonembius, together with his predecessour Campson Gaurus, was overcome by Selimus the first; by whom Ægypt was made a Province of the Turkish Empire, and so continueth as yet.
The length of this Kingdome, is foure hundred and fifty English miles, and two hundred broad: the principal seat whereof is the great Caire, being distant from Jerusalem sixteene dayes journey, or Caravans journalls, amounting to 240. of our miles. Some hold that the space of earth, that lyeth betweene the two branches of Damieta, and Roseta was called the lower Ægypt; now called Delta under the figure of a Greeke letter triangular.
The head of this great Delta, where Nylus divideth it selfe was called Heptapolis, or Hoptanomia; and Delta it selfe was called by the Romanes Augustamia: Ægypt besides the aforesayd names, it had divers Epithites of divers Authors; for Appollodorus tearmed it the Religion of Melampodes, because of the fertility of it: And Plutarch gave it the name Chimia, because of the holy ceremonies of the Ægyptians in worshipping their Gods: The Etymology whereof Ortelius condignely remarked, deriving it from Cham, the sonne of Noah, so that some hold the opinion, that the Ægyptians had their originall from Misraim (for so was Ægypt called) the sonne of Chus, that proceeded from Cham Noahs sonne: The circuit of Delta or the lower Ægypt is thought to be 3000. of their stades, which maketh a hundred Spanish leagues.
[The revenews of Egypt.] In the time of the Ptolomeis the revenewes of this Kingdome were 12000. talents; so also in the time of the Mamaluks; but now through tyranical government, and discontinuance of trafficke through the red sea, the Turke receiveth no more than three millions yearely; one of the which is free to him selfe, the other two are distributed to support the charge of his Vicegerent Bassaw, and presidiary souldiers, being 12000. Jannizaries, besides their thousands of Timariots, which keepe Ægypt from the incursions and tyranny of Arabs: In Cayro I stayed twelve dayes, and having bid farewell to Monsieur Beauclair the Consul who courteously intertained me, the other foure French Pilgrimes and I imbarked at Boulacque in a boate: And as we went downe the River, the chiefe Townes of note we saw were these, Salmona, Pharsone, Fova, & Abdan. I remember our boate was double hooked with forked pikes of iron round about the sides, for feare of the Crocodiles, who usually leape up on boates, and will carry the passenger away headlong in the streame: And yet these beasts themselves are devoured by a water-Rat, of whom they taking great pleasure, and play, and gaping widely, the Rat running into his mouth, the other out of joy swalloweth it down, where the Rat for disdaine commeth forth at the broad side of his belly leaving the Crocodile dead. In these parts there is a stone called Aquiline, which hath the vertue to deliver a woman from her paine in child-birth. In all this way the greatest pleasure I had, was to behold the rare beauty of certaine Birds, called by the Turkes, Ellock; whose feathers being beautified with the diversity of rarest colours, yeeld a farre off to the beholder a delectable shew: having also this propriety, the nearer a man approacheth them, the more they loose the beauty of their feathers by reason of the feare they conceive when they see a man. Upon the third day we landed at Rosetta, and came over land with a company of Turkes to Alexandria, being 50. miles distant.
[The Towne of Alexandria.] Alexandria is the second Port in all Turky: It was of old a most renowned City, and was built by Alexander the great, but now is greatly decayed, as may appeare by the huge ruines therein: It hath two havens, the one whereof is strongly fortified with two Castles, which defend both it selfe and also Porto vecchio: The fields about the Towne are sandy, which ingender an infectious ayre, especially in the moneth of August, and is the reason why strangers fall into bloody fluxes and other heavy sicknesses. In my staying here, I was advised by a Ragusan Consul, to keepe my stomacke hot, to abstaine from eating of fruit, and to live soberly, with a temperate diet: The rule of which government, I strove diligently to observe, so did I also in all my travells prosecute the like course of a small diet, and was often too small against my will, by the meanes whereof (praised be God) I fell never sicke till my returne to France.
This Citty is mightily impoverished since the Trading of Spices that were brought through the red Sea, to Ægypt, and so over Land to Alexandria & its Sea-port: Whence the Venetian dispersed them over all Christendome; but are now brought home by the backe-side of Affricke, by the Portugals, English, and Flemings, which maketh both Venice, and Alexandria fare the worse, for want of their former Trafficke, and commerce in these Southerne parts: whence Venice grew the mother nurse to all Europe for these Commodities, but now altogether spoyled thereof, and decayed by our Westerne Adventures, in a longer course for these Indian soyles.
This Citty was a place of great Merchandize, and in the Nycen Councell was ordayned to be one of [The foure Patriarchall Seas.] the foure Patriarchall seas; the other three are Antiochia, Jerusalem, and Constantinople. Heere in Alexandria was that famous Library which Ptolomeus Philadelphus filled with 700000. volumes: It was he that also caused the 72. Interpreters, to translate the Bible: Over against Alexandria, is the little Ile Pharos, in the which for the commodity of Saylers the aforesaid King builded a watch-towre of white Marble; being of so marvellous a height, that it was accounted one of the seven wonders of the world: the other six, being the Pyramides, the Tombe Mausolaea, which Helicarnassus Queene of Caria caused build in honour of her Husband: the Temple of Ephesus, the Wals of Babylon, the Colossus of Rhodes, and the Statue of Jupiter Olympicus at Elis in Greece, which was made by Phidias, an excellent worke-master in Gold and Ivory, being in height 60. Cubites.
Expecting fifteene dayes heere in Alexandria for passage, great was the heate the French men and I indured, in so much that in the day time, we did nought but in a low roome, besprinckle the water upon our selves, and all the night lye on the top or platforme of the house, to have the ayre; where at last bidding good-night to our Greekish Host, we imbarked in a Slavonian shippe, belonging to Ragusa; and so set our faces North for Christendome; in which ship I was kindly used, and Christian-like intertayned both for victuals and passage. The Windes somewhat at the beginning favouring us, wee weighed Anckers, and set forward to Sea: leaving the Coast of Cyrene Westward from us, which lyeth betweene Ægypt by the Sea side, and Numidia, or Kingdome of Tunnis.
[The fabulous Countrey of Syrene.] The chiefe Cities therein are Cyrene, Arsinoa, and Barca whence the whole Cyrenean Country taketh the modern name Barca Marmorica, anciently Penta Politana. The Soyle is barren of Waters and Fruites, the people rude and theftuous: yet it hath bred the most ingenious spirits of Calimachus the Poet; Aristippus the Phylosopher; Eratosthenes the Mathematician, and Symon of Cyrene, whom the Jewes compelled to carry our Saviours Crosse.
In this Province, which is now reckoned as a part of Ægypt, stood the Oracle of Jupiter Hammon, in the great Wildernesse confining with Lybia: Whither when Alexander travailed, he saw for foure dayes space, neither man, Beast, Bird, Tree, nor River: Where, when arrived, the flattering Priests, professed him to be the sonne of Jupiter: which afterward (being hurt with an Arrow) hee found false, saying; Omnes me vocant filium Jovis, sed hæc sagitta me probat esse mortalem. West from Cyrene all the Kingdomes of Tunnis, Tremisen, Algier, Fesse, and a part of Morocco even to Gibilterre, or fretum Herculeum, under a generall name now called Barbary; and hardly can be distinguished by the barbarous Moores.
In the time of this our Navigation for Christendome, there dyed seaventeene of our Mariners, and all our foure French Pilgrimes, two of them being gray hayred, and 60. yeares of age, which bred no small griefe, and feare to us all, thinking that they had dyed of the plague, for it was exceeding rife in Alexandria from whence wee came.
The French men had onely left unspent among them all, threescore and nine Chickens of gold, which the Master of the Ship medled with, and because they were Papists, and they and I alwayes adverse to other, I could not clayme it. [Foure French Pilgrimes dead.] Their dead Corpes were cast over Board, in a boundlesse Grave to feed the fishes, and wee then expecting too the like mutation of Life; So likewise in our passage, we were five sundry times assayled by the Cursares and Pyrats of Tunnis and Biserta; yet unprevailing, for we were well provided with good Munition, and skilfull, Martiall, and resolute Ragusans, and a Gallant ship.
Our Ships burthen being sixe hundred Tunnes, did carry twenty eight peeces of Ordonance, two of them brazen; and foure score strong and strenuous Saylers, besides nine Merchants and Passengers. The greatnesse of our ship did more terrifie the roguish Runagats, then any violent defence we made: for they durst never set on us, unlesse they had beene three together; and yet we little regarded them, in respect of our long reaching Ordonance, and expert Gunners: In these Circumstances of time, I remember, almost every day, wee would see [Flying fish.] flockes of flying Fishes, scudding upon the curling waves, so long as their finnes be wet, which grow from their backe, as feathred wings doe from Fowles: But when they grow drye, they are forced to fall downe and wet them agayne, and then flye along. Their flight will bee the length of a Cables Rope, untouching Water; and in this their scudding, it is thought the Dolphin, is in persuing them, who is their onely enemy in devouring and feeding upon them; whose bignesse and length are like to Mackrels, but greater headed and shouldered. Meanewhile in these our Courses were we seven weekes crossed with Northerly Windes, ever Tackling and boarding from the Affricke Coast, to the Carminian shoare, in all which time wee saw no Land, except the boysterous billowes of glassie Neptune: And as Ovid sayde, in the like case crossing the Ionian seas, Nil nisi pontus et aer, viz.
Nothing but Waves I view, where ships do floate And dangers lye: huge Whales do tumbling play; Above my head, Heavens star-imbroadred coate, Whose vault containes, two eyes for night and day, Far from the Maine, or any Marine Coast, Twixt Borean blasts, and billowes we are tost.
If Ovid, in that strait Ionean deepe Was tost so hard; much more am I on Seas Of larger bounds; where staffe and Compasse Keepe Their strict observance; yet in this unease Of tackling Boards, we so the way make short, That still our course, drawes neerer to the Port.
Betweene the streame, and silver spangled skye, We rolling climbe, then hurling fall beneath; Our way is Serpent like, in Meeds which lye, That bowes the Grasse, but never makes no path: But fitter like yong maides, and youths together, Run here and there, alwhere, and none Know whether.
Our way we Know, and yet unknowne to other, And whiles misknowne to us, before we dive; The hand, and compasse, that governe the Ruther Doe often erre: although the Pilots strive With Cart and plot; their reckonings sometimes fall, Too narrow, short, too high, too wide, too small.
To dascon this, remarke, when they set land, Some this, some that, doe gesse, this Hill, that Cape; For many houres, their skill in suspence stand Tearming, this fore, that headland, points the Mape: Which when mistooke, this forgd excuse goes cleare, O such! and such a land, it first did peere.
In all which strife, stress'd Saylers have the paine By drudging, pulling, hayling, standing to it In cold and raine, both dry and wet, they straine Themselves to toile, none else but they must doe it: We passengers behold, with belching throats Onely their taske atchievd in quivering boates.
Then since but ayre and water I perceive, One's hot and moyst, the other moyst and cold; It's earth that's cold and dry, I longing crave And fire that's dry and hot, I wishing would; Then thundring Æole, from thy seven rigged Towres, Soone waft us o're, forth from these glassy Bowres.
My wish is come, I see each bulging sayle For pride begins to swell, betweene two sheetes; She ticklish grows, as wanton of her tayle, And layes her side, close where the weather beats; Both prone and puppe, do answere so the Helme, The Steirsman sings, no griefe his joy can whelm.
By night our watch we set, by day our sight, And thirle our Sailes, if Pirats but appeare; We rest resolv'd, it's force, makes Cowards fight, Though none more dare, then they that have most feare, It's courage makes us rash, and wisdome cold, Yet wise men, stout, and stung, grow Lyon bold.
Now we looke out for Land, now we see Malt! That little famous Ile, though sterrile soile; Where we'le some Bay, or Creeke seeke to assault Whence Ancorage, and safety ships recoile: Now, now, let Anchor fall we're in the Road Savely arriv'd, by providence of God.
This done, as time avouc'hd, I kindly bad My Consorts all adew, then came a shoare, Where I such plenty of great favours had, That scarse the like, I ever found before. These white cross'd Knights, with their eight pointed crosses, Imbrac'd my sight, with it, my toiles, and tosses: So ends my Verse, and so I'le straight disclose The Ile, the Folkes, their Manners, in plaine Prose.
The greatest cause of our Arrivall here, was in regard of our fresh Water that was spent; and therefore constrayned to beare in to this Ile: Which was my sole desire, wishing rather to Land heere, to see the Order of our Knights of Christendome, then to arrive at Ragusa in the Adriaticke Gulfe, where I had beene before. Our [A joyfull arrival in Malta.] Anchors being grounded, and our Boate ready to court the shoare, I bad farwell to all the Company, and in a singular respect to my generous Captayne, who would have nothing for my victuales and transportation from Ægypt; except a few relicts of Jerusalem: The boat being launched, and we landed in the haven, I accoasted a vulgar Taverne, and there lodged.
This City is divided in two, the old and new Malta, from which the Ile taketh the name; it is a large and populous place, and strongly fortified with invincible walles, and two impregnable Castles St. Hermes, and St. Angelo; St. Michael being distant from both: Here the great Master or Prince for that yeare being a Spaniard made much of me for Jerusalems sake; so did also a number of these gallant Knights, to whom I was greatly obliged. And withall to my great contentment, I rancountred here with a countrey Gentleman of mine, being a souldier there, named William Douglas, who afterward for his long and good service at sea was solemnely Knighted, and made one of their order. Whose fidele and manly services have beene since as plausibly regarded by the Maltezes, as Monsieur Creichton his worth, in learning and excellent memory, rests admired in Italy, but especially by the noble Gonzagaes, and dependant friends of the house of Mantua; for whose losse, and accidentall death, they still heavily bemone: acknowledging that the race of that Princely stock, by Gods judgements was cut off, because of his untimely death.
[The Ile of Malta.] Malta was called Melita, mentioned Acts 28. 1. 2. where the Viper leaped on Paules hand; I saw also the Creeke wherein he was shipwracked: This Iland may properly be termed the Fort of Christendome, yet a barren place, and of no great bounds, for their Cornes, and Wines come daily by Barkes from Sycilia: but it yeeldeth good store of Pomegranates, Cittrons, Cottons, Orenges, Lemmons, Figges, Mellons, and other excellent fruits. The Knights of Malta had their beginning at Acre in Palestina; from thence to the Rhodes, & now exposed to this rocky Ile. They are pertinacious foes to Infidels, for such is the oath of their order, continually making war and incursions against them, to their power: being strengthned also with many souldiers, and their Captaines are surnamed Knights of Malta, and so through a great part of Christendome; it is a most honourable Order: They are not permitted to marry, the most part of whom being younger brothers: the reason was, because not being intangled to wife and children, they might be the more resolute to adventure their lives in the Christian service; but therein they are mightily decayed, and their valour no way answerable to that it hath been when their auncestors lived in the Rhodes and holy Land; having had these eighteene yeares past little or no good fortune at all.
This Ile was given in possession to these Knights of St. John, by the Emperour Charles the fifth, and King of Spaine; being newly expelled from the Rhodes by Solyman the magnificent, Anno 1522. And afterward the Turke not contented therewith, and mindfull all-utterly to extermine their power, came with a huge Armado, and assayled Malta, Anno 1565. when Valetta was great [An invincible victory.] maister, who so couragiously withstood their fury, that the Turkes were defeated, and forced to returne.
This Iland is ten leagues in length, and three broad: the earth whereof being three foote deepe, is the cause, why it is not so fertile, as the clymat might afford: It containeth besides the City, forty seven Villages and nine Cassales; the peasants or naturall Inhabitants whereof, are of the Affrican complexion, tanny, and Sun-burnt; and their language semblable to the Barbarian speech, without any great difference, both tongues being a corrupt Arabick: And not unlike therein to the Italians from the Latine, or the vulgar Greeke from the auncient; yet the moderne Greeke is nearer the auncient, then the Italian is the Latine: These rurall Maltezes are extreamely bent, in all their actions, either to good or evill wanting fortitude of minde, and civill discretion, they can not temper the violent humours of their passions, but as the headstrong-tide, so their dispositions runne, in the superfluous excesse of affections.
They follow the Romane Church, though ignorant of the way, and their woemen be lovely faire, going head-covered with blacke vayles, and much inclined to [The nature of the Maltezes.] licentiousnesse; their beauties being burrowed from helpe more then nature: for now it is a common practice amongst decayed beauties, banquerouted by time or accidents, to hide it from others eyes with Art, and from their owne with false glasses. But (alasse) the graces and beauties of the soule ought more to be cared for, and to have the first place and honour, above these counterfeit or outward showes of the body; and the beauty and lovely proportion of the body, should be preferred before the effeminate deckings, that the body doth rather carry then enjoy: since it often hapneth; that a foule and deformed carkasse hath a faire and rich wardrope. In this Towne of Malta, there are many Turkish and Moorish slaves, very rudely treat, yet not answerable to that cruelty the slavish Christianes indure upon their Gallies in Barbary or Turky: The discription of Malta, I postpone to the succeeding relations of my second Travells; and after twelve daies staying here, I imbarked in a Frigat with other passengers, and arrived at Cicly in the South-east corner of Sicilia, being three score miles distant.
From thence coasting the shoare fifty miles to Siracusa, I rancounterd by the way, in a clifty Creeke close by the sea side, a Moorish Brigantine, with twelve oares on each side, charged with Moores, who had secretly stayed there a night and a day stealing the people away labouring on the fields: At which sudden sight, and being hard by them, I stopped my pace. Whereupon, about twenty Moores broke out upon me, with shables & slings: But my life and liberty being deare to me, my long traced feete became more nimble in twelve score paces, than they could follow in eighteene; for I behoved to fly backe the same way I came: where, when freed, I hastned to the next Watch-tower, marine set, and there told the Centinell, how a [A Moorish Brigantine.] Moorish Brigantine was lying within two miles at an obscure clift: and how hardly I escaped their hands: whereupon he making a fire on the top of the Tower, and from him all the Watch-towers along, gave presently warning to the contrey; so that in a moment, them of the Villages came downe on horse and foote, and well armed, and demanding me seriously of the trueth, I brought them with all possible celerity to the very place: where forthwith the Horse-men broke upon them, wounding divers, before they were all taken, for some fled to the Rocks, and some were in the coverd fields hunting their prey: At last they were all seazed upon, and fast tyed two, and two in iron chaines, and sixe Sicilians relieved whom they had stolne and thralled: Whence they were carried to Syracusa, I went also along with them, where, by the way the people blessed me, and thanked God for mine escape, and me for discovering them: from Syracusa (being condemned to the galleyes) upon the third day they were sent to Palermo, being 36. in number.