Edward Webbe, chief master gunner, his trauailes. 1590

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Digitized by tine Internet Archive

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http://www.arcliive.org/details/edwardwebbechiefOOwebbricli

EDWARD WEBBE

Chief Mafter Gunner,

His Trauailes.

1590.

CAREFULLY EDITED BY

EDWARD ARBER,

Affociate, King's College, London, F.R.G.S., ^x^'i—?,'^^:^^^

.-"^•''^ iv' ■3»?i .fsjTffl ^.r ^

LONDON : ^^^^' C^ullfolTuV^; ,..^
ALEX. MURRAY & SON, 30, QUEEN SQUARE, W.C.
I May, 1868.

Ent. Stat Hall,-\ SIXPENCE. {_All Rights referved.

CONTENTS.

Chronicle of the Life, Adventures, &c. of E. Webbe

Introduction,

Bibliography,

4-

Italy

■ara, Bologna

EDWARD WEBBE' S TRAVELS

1. Epiftle to the Reader

2 . Dedication to Queen Elizabeth .

3. Acroftic on the Queen's name .
Places &c. referred to

Ri/ffia, QT^c. Mofcow

Kaffa, in the Crimea

Narva, in the Baltic

Leghorn

Trybufas

J Venice, Padua, Ferr
( Florence .

Rome .

Naples

Palermo
Egypt, (^c. Alexandria .

Cairo

The Nile .

Crocodiles .

The Red Sea

The Pyramids

Tunis .
Turkey, 6^c. Conftantinople

Perfia
Syria . . Damafcus .

Jerusalem .
Ea^ Indies. Goa .

Armous
The land of P^-eJler John [Tartarica]
France . Dreux

Notes ....

17,

30,

23,
21,

20,

23, 24,

3

7

10

13
14
16

18
18
19
19
23

30

31, 32
31,32

32

19

26, 33

22, 23

33
26

32, 33
35

25, 29
20, 21

23, 33

26, 34
22
23

25»35
34, 35

36

G. 2^6

CHRONICLE vJ'^r\3

fome of the principal events
in the

Life, Adventures, and Times

of
EDWARD WEBBE,

Master Gunner, sometime Chief Master Gunner of France.

* Probable or approximate dates.

Webbe, apparently an unlettered man, goes confusedly backward and for
ward in his narration, so as to render any chronology of his life little better-
than guesswork. Some points can be fixed with certainty : from which it is
clear, that when he gives years he speaks in round numbers ; 13 meaning over
12 years : and the like.

1553. Sulp 2. fHarp succectis to tfie crotnn.

*i^^4. Edward Webbe, born at St. Katherines, near the Tower

of London. Is the son of Richard Webbe, Master Gunner
of England, /. 17.

1558. 'NoD. 17. ©Ujafietf) begins to reign.

1566-6S. ** My father .... did prefer me to the seruice of

set. 12-14. Captaine Jenkenson, at such time as he was sent Ambas-
sador into Russia .... and vpon him I was daylie

attendant There [at Moscow] I staide 3 yeeres

attendant on my master," //. 17, 18.

This statement fixes Webbe's birth in if!54. For prior
to the burning of Moscow, Captain Anthony Jenkenson
made but three voyages to Russia.

The first, 1557-60, included a visit to Bokhara; see
Hakluyt, i. 310-338, Ed. 1599.

The second, 1561-64, included a visit to Persia: see
Hakluyt, i. 338-352.

The third, 1566-68, is thus given in Hakluyt, i. 372.

*' A very briefe remembrance of a voyage made by M.
Anthony I enkinsoH, from Londoji to Moscoiiia, sent from
theQueenes Maiestie to the Emperour, in theyeere 1566.

" The fourth day of May in the yeere aforesaid, I im-
barked my selfe at Graiiesend, in the good ship called
the Harry of London, and hauing had a prosperous voy-
age arriued at the bay of S. Nicholas [in the White Sea]
in Russia the 10 day of July following, and immediately
I sent in post to the Emperor to aduertise of my comming
and traueiling then thorowe the countrey, I with my
company came to the Mosco where the Emperour kept
his court, the 23. of August, and foorthwith gauethe Sec-
retarie to vnderstand my arriuall, who aduertised the
Emperours Maiestie, and the first day of September,
being a solemne feast among the Russes, I came before
the Emperours Maiestie, sitting in his seate of honour,
and hauing kissed his hand, and done the Queenes
Maiesties commendations, and deliuered her Graces letters
and present, he had me to dinner, which I accepted, and
had much honour done vnto me both then and all the
X\vaQ oi my dihodQm Russia."

/OGS^

CHRONICLE.

Captain Jenkinson appears to have remained in or
about Moscow, until his return, which accounts for Webbe
only alluding to the Russians, while with him.

1570. eet. 16. Webbe again goes out to Russia — this time to Narva,

in the Gulf of Finland — in the English Russia fleet of 13
ships, under Captain William Burrough.
July 10. The fleet capture 5 ships of Danish rovers at Turtee
island. For the official account of this fight, see Note i.
Webbe adds additional information as to the fate of the
prisoners.

He appears to have remained through the winter at
Moscow, for before the English fleet arrived next year,

(\i*\i. May 24. Moscow was burnt by the Crim-Tartars. For two ac-
set. 17. counts of which see Note 2.

Webbe escapes the fire and the crush only to become
a slave. Giles Fletcher, writing twenty years later on,
tells us, —

" The chiefe bootie the Tartars seeke for in all their
warres, is to get store of captiues, specially yong boys
and girls, whom they sell to the Tnrkes, or other their
neighbors. To this purpose, they take with them great
baskets made like bakers panniers to carrie them tenderly,
and if any of them happen to tyer, or to be sicke on the
way, they dash him against the ground, or some tree
and so leave him dead." Of the Rvsse Commonwealth,
fol. 69.

Webbe, with seven other Englishmen, is taken to
Kaffa in the Crimea.

After some time (Webbe states five years), they are
ransomed for 300 crowns = ;^ii2 : 10 : o of then English
money, each.

It was probably on this return home, through Russia,
that Webbe lost his all in the wreck oixh&Hart, 12 miles
from Narva-
1^66, May, I. Selim II. becojnes Sultan of Turkey.

1571. Oct. 7. 'The Sea-fight at Lepanto.' Dohn John of Austria, at

the head of 203 galleys, and 6 great Venetian galeasses,
fights the Turkish fleet of 240 galleys and 60 smaller
vessels : and gains an immense victory, sinking 94 ships
and capturing 130 more. 30,000 Turks are slain, and
15,000 Christian galley-slaves released from slavery.
? Webbe sails in the Henry of London for Leghorn,

/• 19-

\ At Palermo, sees the Earl of Oxford give his challenge,

p. 32.

1572. Oct. Don John retakes the toTsm of Tunis from the Turks.
The Spaniards had held the citadel already. Webbe
states he was there in the Royal, p. 35.

From Leghorn the Henry is sent to Alexandria ; with
a crew of 60 men, among whom, and apparently for the
first time, Webbe is Master gunner, /. 19.
' Returning from Alexandria, the Henry is, after a fight

of 48 hours, captured by the Turks, J>. 19. Webbe is
made a galley-slave.

1574. Dec. 21. Amurath III. [Murad Khan) becomes Sultan.
1576. May II. Thamasp /., Shah of Persia, dies.

A disputed succession leads to fierce contests and
national disorder in Persia. Amurath determines to
conquer it.

CHRONICLE. 5

1578. First campaign against Persia, from Erzeroum ; under

Mustapha Pasha (the conqueror of Cyprus). It is inde-
cisive.

i^^g. Mustapha Pasha has a second indecisive campaign.

He is recalled, and arrives in Constantinople 9 May 1580.

'^ Sinan Pasha appointed in his stead.

/*i58o. Webbe, 'constrained for want of victuals,' discovers

his skill in gunnery. Has to serve in the Persian war.

1582. June I — July 22. Amurath circumcises his eldest son Mahomet.

Feasting for 52 days and nights. See J. von Hammer.
aet. 28. Webbe makes a wonderful piece of fireworks, pp. 28, 29.
Nov. 14. ' The tall shippe called the Susaft of Lotidon [24 guns] :
the Master whereof was i?zc^^rd?/'arj(?/w' leaves Black-
wall, and

1583. Jan. 14. Embarks, at the Isle of Wight, Master William Har-

borne and suite ; being the first English Ambassador to
the Great Turk.
Mar. 29. Mr. Harborne lands at Constantinople, and remains
there 5 years.

The remainder of Webbe's travels while in slavery can
only be put down as they are given to us.

Ali Pasha — a renegade Christian — with 60 gallies
attempts his native town in Calabria.

From the Army in Persia, Webbe is taken by Damascus
to Cairo.

At the Red sea, sees the Grand Maria.

Thence to Goa in the East Indies.

Thence by Bethlehem, Jerusalem, &c., again t
Damascus

Thence to the land of Prester John [? Turkistan] ' withir
18 degrees [ = 1080 miles] of the sun.'

Returns to Constantinople in time of famine, * an Eng-
lish penny loaf of bread being worth a cro\\n of gold.'

Is imprisoned in iron chains, grievously pinched with
extreme penury at Constantinople, with 2000 other Chris-
tian slaves.

Webbe, on behalf of 500 Christians slaves, works through
a 14 feet wall. Their attempt to escape is discovered, and
they are punished, p. 28.
\^T^85. Oct. 29. The Grand- Vizier, Osman Pasha dies.

B8. ?et. 34. * Soone after the death of the great Basha' Mr. Har-
borne ransoms about 20 English men, ' whereof Webbe
* was one of the last.'

Journeying towards England, he came by land to
Venice. Then singularly enough, goes southward through
Italy.

At Padua, he is tried for a heretic.

At Ferrara, he is well entertained.

At Bologna, an Englishman, a Catholic Bishop, Doctor
Poole, shows him great friendship.

At Florence, he meets another Englishman, Mr. John
Stanley.

At Rome, he is 19 days in trouble with the Pope and
Cardinal Allen, but they let him pass, giving him 35
crowns. The English College however make a fool of
him and imprison him three days, from which he is
delivered by another Englishman.
♦Aug. He is reviled with lying rumours as to the success of

the Spanish Armada.
Aug. 3. Mr. Harborne and suite leave Constantinople ; return-

CHRONICLE.

ing home via the Danube, Poland, and the Hanse towns.
Hakhiyt, i. 400.

At Naples, Webbe is denounced by a Genoese as an
English spy. Is 16 days in a dark dungeon : ' thrice had
1589. I ye strappado.' Is further imprisoned 7 months.

*Feb. He petitions the Viceroy. The King appoints him

one of his gunners, with 35 crowns a month.

Naturally he seizes the first opportunity of escape.
Finally does get away in the Grace of London, Nicholas
Nottingham, Master.
^ May r. aet. 35. Webbe arrives in England, after 13 years absence.

May to Nov. Visits his friends.
0 / Nov. Goes over into France. Henry IV. appoints him Chief

c [ Master Gunner in the field.

2 i<9o. Mar. 14. Battle of Ivry. Henry IV. beats the League,/. 34.
^ Jealous French gunners poison Webbe. He is saved

^ I by 'Unicorn's horn ;' and returns to England.

Takes lodgings in Blackwall, where he writes his narra-
tive, finally on
May 19. He dedicates his book.

THE TRAVELS

OF

EDWARD WEBBE.

INTRODUCTION.

|HE dread of the Great Turk pervading
Chriflendom, in the days of Queen EHza-
beth, is a thing hard of apprehenfion to
the prefent generation of EngUfhmen.
Beyond the comparatively petty intefline
quarrels of Chriflian princes, there feemed furely
furging onwards the great wave of Mahomedan inva-
fion. In numbers incalculable, in numbers apparently
inexhauftible, the Turks had poured into Europe.
Hardly a century had expired fmce they had blotted
out the Eaflern Roman Empire, — the venerable
polity of eleven centuries, the bridge between an-
cient and modern hiflory. Within that century,
they had conquered Greece, Egypt, Rhodes, and
Cyprus ; had penetrated into Italy ; and had carried
devaflation through Hungary, to the very walls of
Vienna. Even now the fouthern nations of Europe
were grappling with them, as in a death flruggle.
Crufhing defeats, fuch as ' The great fea-fight of
Lepanto,' and they were rare enough, feemed hardly
to diminifli the numbers or check the power of the
Turks, or to procure for the Chriflians even a mo-
ment's breathing time. Need we wonder, then, if

8 Introdu5lion,

ofttimes men's hearts failed them, for fear, for dread,
and for defpair ?

With the power of the Great Turk confider the might
of the king of Spain. In addition to Spain, the Low-
Countries, Naples, and Sicily, Philip II. poffeffed
colonies in the New World, in the aggregate as vafl
as Chriflendom itfelf. He was the moil potent
Chriftian king, drawing fabulous riches from the New
World for the maintenance of large armies and fleets
in the Old, which he employed as much in extinguifh-
ing the liberties of his fubjeds as in attempting to
crufh thofe who chofe to win for themfelves and their
pofLerity, at the utmofl hazard of their all, the precious
effentials of exiflence : freedom of thought, of adlion,
and of worfhip.

Contrafled with thefe two Empires, then at their
zenith, the pofition of England, as an European ftate,
was comparatively infignificant. To the Turks, the
Englifh were but a hardy variety of Chriflians, to whom
— following their cuflom with regard to all the foreign
nations with which they came in contadl — they gave
the defignation, as an appropriate nickname, of ' The
Clothiers.' To the Spaniards, they were execrable
heretics, doomed to be conquered by them in this
world, and to endlefs torment in the next.

Nothing but utterly recklefs daring, nothing but
almoft fuperhuman endurance and courage, nothing
but a national charadler deeply imbued with the
fimplefl reliance upon the Saviour of mankind,
could fave — did fave our ifland home from the ulti-
mate grafp of one or other of thefe mighty defpotifms.

By the good providence of God, the fcale has been
turned. Vi6loria benignly rules an Eaftern Empire

Introdu^lion. 9

more populous than that of Amurath ; fofters colonies
larger and richer — richer not only in gold ' that perifh-
eth,' but in all the conflituents of human happinefs, all
the elements of human progrefs — than ever poffeffed
Philip II. ; and is enthroned in the hearts of a people
more united and infinitely more powerful than were
ever the fubjedis of her great predeceffor, Elizabeth.

Though the following jottings from the memory —
enfeebled by fuffering — of * a simple man void of
learning,' are of but little hiflorical value ; they give us
a paffmg glimpfe of the vafl whirlwind of confli6ling
forces then raging over Southern Europe ; of fome of
the dangers that befet Englifh commerce beyond the
narrow feas ; and of that Englifh pluck and endur-
ance which won unto itfelf the power and renown
which have come down to us from our forefathers.

Webbe is every inch an Englifhman. In nothing
more fo than in the cheerful, modefl, yet dauntlefs
defire with which — after having through eighteen
years of flavery experienced what could be infli6led
upon him by the feverity of the Tartars, by the
harfher cruelty of the Turks, and by the flill fiercer
ferocity of the Chriflians — he concludes his narrative : —
' I fhall be glad and do daylie defire that I may be
imployed in fome fuch fervice as may be profitable to
my Prince and Cuntrey.' The epic of modern
hiflory is to be found in the Elizabethan^ age.

BIBLIOGRAPHY.

EDWARD WEBBE HIS TRAUAILES-

(a) tissues in tfje ^atrator*s life time.

/. As a feparate publication.

1. [1590].

2. [1590].

London.
I vol. 4to.

London.
I vol. 4to.

1590.

London.
I vol. 4to.

Editio princeps : fee title on oppofite
page. It has no wood cuts. [Of this
firft edition the only other Copy as yet
known is that purchafed at Naffau's
fale by Mr. Jadis, at whofe fale again
it was purchafed for £i\ 14s. Gren-
ville Catalogue^ Britijh Mu/eum.'\

Printed by A. J. for William Barley,
dwelling in Gratious ftreete neere
leaden hall.

A reprint of No. 1 ; with the addi-
tion of fix woodcuts, one of which,
repeated alfo as a frontifpiece, repre-
fents Webbe as a young man walking.
Second edition. Newly enlarged and
correcfled by the Author. London.
Printed for William Wright. 1590.
With hx. woodcuts, five of which are
thofe of No. 2 : the portrait of Webbe,
alfo repeated as a frontifpiece, being
altered to an older man firing a cannon.

The only important addition is the
following in the ' Epiftle to the Reader.'

' And whereas in the firll edition of
this booke a great fault in number did
negligently efcape in Folio 3 [fee page
21.] in thefe wordes 30 thoufand for
300 thoufand : and 50 thoufand for
500 thoufand. that fault is truely
amended in this Edition.' These alte-
rations have been made in the prefent
edition.

(b) Issue subsequent to tfje i^attator*s tieatfy.

/. As a feparate publication.

4. I May 1868.

I^ondon. i vol. Svo.

EngliJJt Reprints : fee title at page I .

THE

Rare and moft wonderful

thinges which Edward Webbe

an Englifhman borne hath feene and paffed

in his troublefome trauailes, in the Citties of leru-

falem, Dammafko, Bethelem and Gallely : and

in the Landes of lewrie, Egipt, Gtecia,

Ruffia, and in the Land of Prefter lohn.

Wherein is fet foorth his extreame flauerie fuft-

ained many yeres togither, in the GalHes and wars

of the great Turk againft the Landes of Perfia,

Tartaria, Spaine, and Portugall, with the

manner of his releafement, and comming

into Englande in May lall.

LONDON,
Printed by Ralph Blower, for Thomas Pauier, &

are to be folde at his fhop in Com -hill, at the figne of the Cat and
Parrats, ouer againft Popeshead alley, nere the Royal Exchange.

\ The Epistle to the Reader.
iVrteous Reader, I haue undertaken in this

Ij fhort difcourfe, to vtter vnto thee ye moll
part of fuch things as I faw and paffed in
the time of my troublefome trauell and
flauilh hfe fufteyned in the GalHes, and
wars of the great Turke.

And this I do protefl, that in this booke there is
nothing mentioned or expreffed, but that which is of
truth : and what mine own Eies haue perfedlly feene.
Some fooHfh perfons perhaps will cavel and fay, that
thiefe are but Lies and fables : and that it conteyneth
nothing elfe : but to thofe I aunfwere, that what-
foeuer is herein mentioned, he whofoeuer he be,
that fhall foe finde faulte, and doubt of the trueth
hereof, let him but make inquirie of the beft and
greateft trauellers and Merchants about all this land :
and they doubtles will refolue them that it is true
which is here expreffed : with a great deale more,
which now I cannot call to remembrance, for that my
memory faileth me, by meanes of my great and
greeuous troubles. From my lodging at Black- wall,
this nineteenth of May. 1590.

Your Loving cuntreman,

Edward Webbe.

TO THE MOST MIGHTY, MY GRATIOVS
AND RENOWNED SOVERAIGNE, ELIZA-
BETH by the grace of God Queene of England,
Fraunce and Ireland, defender of the faith, &c.

YOVR HIGHNESSE MOST HVMBLE SVBIECT,

Edward VVeb, hartely prayeth for the continuance
of your Maieflies health and profperous raigne to
the worldes ende.

gjOnfidering (mofl Gracious and dread Soue-
raigne) the wonderful prouidence of Al-
mightie god fhewed towardes your High-
neffe fmce the time of your mofl happie
and profperous raigne, afwell in the pre-
feruation of your Maieflies perfon from the handes of
your highneffe enemies, as alfo, in defending this fmall
Angle or Realme of England e from the force of for-
raine foes : and the continuall bleffings of peace and
plentie, with which euer fmce, he hath in bountifull
fort maintained it : I coulde not therefore but (ac-
cording to my dutie) tender humble thankes to almightie
god for the fame when to my great comfort, euen in
the midfl of my thraldome in Turkic, I did heare it
mofl truely reported by a Chrifliane Captiue, and
your Highneffe Clemencie, by him highlly commended.
The Report of whofe fame truly difcribed, afwell in
the adminiflration of iuftice, and fupporting of Chriflian
religion, as alfo in relieuing and fuccouring the poore

IBetiication. 15

diilreffed members of this lande, gaue me iuil caufe to
pray hartely for my deliuerie, and to long inwardly,
vntill I came to fee your highneffe (my dread Soue-
raigne) and this my Natiue Cuntrey : and now hauing
obteyned my long expedted wifh. I doe in all humble-
neffe proflrate my felfe, and this plain e difcourfe of my
trauels to your moft excellent Maieflie : wherein may
be feene, that if in Turkic I would haue denied my
Chrift, or in my trauel I woulde haue forfaken my
Prince to haue ferued for Spaine, thereby to haue be-
come a traytour to your Majeftie and my natiue
Cuntrey, I needed not to haue liued in want, but in
great profperitie : but for as much as almightie God
hath now let me free from thraldome, and dehuered
me from many daungers, and fent me into Englande,
my defire is that I may be imployed in fuch feruice
and affaires, as may be pleafmg to God, and found
profitable to my prince and cuntrey. And thus truft-
ing your Highneffe will accept in good worth this true
difcourfe (though rudely penned) I mofl humbly take
my leaue, mofl "hartely praying to the almightie god,
for the profperous health and continuall Raigne of
your moft excellent Majeflie

Your Highneffes humble fubiect,

Ed. Web.

^ Verfes Written vppon the Alphabet of
the Queenes MaiefLies name.

E tern all God, who guideth flill your grace,
L engthen your life, in health and happie days.
I nfpire your fubie6ls heartes in euery place :
Z ealous in Loue, and free from fecret hate,
A nd fhorten life in thofe that breede debate.
B eholde her Lorde, who is our flrength and flay
E uen he it is, by whom we holde our owne :
T ume not thy face from her in any way,
H ew downe her foes, and let them all be knowne.

R Enowned Queene, your highneffe fubiedles joy,
E uen for to fee the fall of all your foes :
G od of his mercy fhielde you from annoy
I ntending treafons, flill for to difclofe :
N one of vs all, but wil mofl duely pray,
A Imightie God preferue you night and day.

FINIS.

#x>

EDWARD WEB an englifliman, borne at
S. Katherins, neere ye Tower of London,
was the fonne of one Richard Web mafler
gunner of England : my father hauing fome
natural affedlion to me, when I was but xij
yeares olde, did prefer me to the feruice of Cap-
taine Jenkenfon, at fuch time as he was fent Ambaf-
fador into Ruflia, with whom I went by Sea, and
vpon him I was daylie attendant : in which my iour-
ney, I was conuerfant among ye people of that
Cuntrey, which were apparelled like the Turkes
and Tartarians, with furde Caps and long garments
down to their fhins : much like to Carbines or Horfe-
men readie to ye warre.

There I made my abode fome fpace in the head
Cittie of Ruffia called Musko, in which their building
is all of Firre, except the Emperors Court, w^hich is
of Kme and flone. They execute very fharpe lawes
among themfelues, and are a kinde of Tyranous
People as appeareth by their cufloms, of which, among
many other, thefe I fpecially noted : (mz.) that if any
man be indebted one to another and doth not make
paiment at his day and time appointed : the officers
may enter vppon the debtors, and forceably breake
down their houfes, and imprifon them in grieuous
fort where iudgment fhal prefently paffe again ft him,
which is with a mallet of wood he fhall haue fo many
blowes on the fhinnes or on the fore-heade, as the
ludge fhall awarde : and this punifhment fhall be in-
fli6led fundry dales upon him. The Turks do alfo
vfe to beate Debtors with a Mallet, but not in that
fort, for in Turkie they are beaten for debt vpon the
foles of their feet with a Cane, or elfe a Cudgell, if

B

1 8 WiMz i)m trauaileg.

that paiment be not made by a day. I alfo noted
that if any Nobleman do offend ye Emperor of Ruffia,
the faide Nobleman is taken and imprifonned with al
his Children and kinffolkes, and the firfl great froft that
commeth, (for the Cuntery is wonderfully cold and
fubiedl to much froft) there is a great hole made in
the Ife ouer fome great Riuer, and then the partie
principal is put in, and after him his wife, his Chil-
dren, and all other his kins-folkes ; and fo leaue none
of his pofleritie to poffeffe his Lands or goodes, but
the fame are beftowed vppon others, at the Emperors
pleafure.

There I flaide 3 yeeres attendant on my maifler, in
which time the Crime-Tartarian s [otherwife named
the new Chriflians] made warre vpon the faid Cittie of
Miisko^ which foone after was betrayed, and fpeadely
burned, the People in great aboundance maffacred,
and the Tartarian Souldiers had wonderfull greate
and rich fpoyles, in the fame : there was I at that
time with vij. other Englifhmen taken prifoners and
for flaues were conueied to Caffa, where the king of
the Tartarians abideth and keepeth a flatly Court :
being conueyed thither, we were fet to wipe the
feet of the kings horfes, and to become ordinarie
flaues in the faid Court, to fetch water, cleaue wood,
and to do fuch other drudgery. There were we
beaten three times a weeke with a horfe tayle : and
thus in this fort and miferable feruitude wee flayed
there fiue yeeres, then were we ranfomed from thence
by our friendes, where we paide euery man 300.
crownes, which is vij. s. vj d. a peece of Enghfh
money. Among that people called ye Tartarians, I
noted efpecially this one thing, that their Children
being new borne, do neuer open their eyes vntill they
be ix. dayes and ix nights olde. Thus being ran-
fomed as is aforefaid, I returned home into England,
where hauing flaied fome fmal time, I went againe
into Ruffia in the hart of mafler Kings of Ratcliffe
with thirty faile of fhips more in our Company, at

WSitiht fjfe trauail£0. 19

which time her Maiefties Ihippe called the Wil-
loughby was our Admirall, and the Harry appertayn-
ing to the company of the Marchants, was our Vice-
admirall, Maifler William Burrow then being our
Captaine and maifler : in which our voyage we met
with V. Rovers or men of war/ whom we fet vppon,
and burnt their Admirall, and brought thofe fhips
into Narr, and there the men ware maffacred in this
manner by the Ruffians : firft great flakes driuen into
the grounde, and they fpitted vppon Powles, as a
man woulde put a Pig vpon a Spitte, and fo vij. fcore
were handled in that manner in very Tyranous fort.
We vnladed our bourthen at JVarre, and tooke in our
lading for our commodities, but the fhip wherein I
was (which is called the Hart) hauing fayled but xij.
miles from thence, flroke vpon a Rocke, whereby the
fhip and goodes were loft, the refidue of the fleet had
no harme, and all the men faued their Hues by taking
themfelues into the Boat of the fame fliip.

By meanes of which fhip fo caft away, I loft all that I
had, and then came againe into England, and gathered
a new ftocke, and in the Henrie of London I went to
Levanra alias Legorne. This fliip called the Henrie had
bin folde before to Dodlor Hecftor, and other Italian
Marchants, which was vnknowne vnto vs, fo that at our
comming to Legorne the fhip was feized on by the fa6tors
of thofe that were the owners thereof, and by them laden
with merchantdize to Alexandria^ in which voyage my
felfe was Mafter gunner.

But heere fortune began to lowre on me againe, and
turne her wheele in fuch fort againft me, as I that was
foone after brought to Hue in greater flauerie than euer I
did before, for we hauing faflie ariued at Alexafidria, dif-
chardged our burthen : and fraughted our fhip with great
flore of that Cuntrey commodities, and returning back
to Legorne, fuddainly in the way, we met with Fiftie faile
of theTurkes GalHes : with which GalHes, we fought two
dayes and two nights, and made great flaughter amongft
their men, we being in all but three fcore men very

20 WLMt fjfs trauafleg.

weake for fuch a multytude, and hauing loft 50. of 60.
men, faintnes confLrayned vs for to yeeld vnto them, by
reafon we wanted Winde to help our felus withall, and
the Calme was fo great a helpe vnto them, as there was
no way for vs to efcape. Thus did the Turkes take the
fliip and goodes, and in the fame found x of vs Huing
whom they tooke Prifoners and prefently flripped vs
naked, and gaue vs 100 blowes a peece for prefuming
to fight againfl them.

Then were we fent to Co7iftantmople^ and then com-
mitted to the GaUies, where we continued the fpace
of vj yeeres : the manner of our vfage, there, was thus.

Firfl we were fhauen head and face, and then a fhirt
of Gotten and Breeches of the fame put vppon vs, and
our Legs and Feete left naked, and by one of the feet
is each flaue chayned with a great chain e to the Gallic,
and our handes faflned with a payre of manacles. The
foode which I and others did eat, was very blacke,
far worfe then Horfe-breade, and our drinke was
ftinking water, (vnleffe it be when we come to the places
where we tooke in frefh water] at which time we fup-
pofed our diet to be very daintie.

Thus as I faide before, I remained vj. yeeres in this
miferable flate, wonderfully beaten and mifvfed euery
day : there haue I feene fome of my fellowes when they
haue bin fo weake as they could not row by reafon ot
ficknes and faintnes, where ye Turkes woulde lay vpon
them as vpon Horfes, and beat them in fuch fort, as
oft times they dyed, and then threw them into the Sea.

Thus feeing my felfe flill to continue in this mife-
rable flate, I was conftrained for want of vidlualles, to
difcouer my felfe and to fhew them that I had good
fkill in Gunners art, which I thought would haue bin
greatly wel efteemed at the Turkes handes : but then
for the fame, I was more narrowly looked vnto, yet
fomewhat better efleemed of, then I was before. Not
long after, the 1 urke made warres againfl the Perfians,
and gathered vij. hundred thoufand men togither, and
thefe were condudled by his chief Baffaes into Perfia :

W.zhhz \)i^ trauailes. rs-j

At which time (for that I had fkil in Artillery) I was
chofen foorth of the Gallies, to go with the Armie into
the lande of Perfia, and there to do the Turke feruice
in the fielde, with whom I trauailed on foote, but in
our going thither, their dyed of our Armie, by meanes
of great ficknes, diet, and want of Vi6luals, about the
number of 300. thousand fo that when wee came into
perfia. we were foure [hundred] thoufand flrong in the
fielde, there wee refled vs one moneth, by which time,
we (hauing hartened our felves) gaue a fierce affault
againft the Perfians, where the Turks fide got the worfl,
and lofl 60 thoufand men. Then the generall ouer the
Turkes Armie, whofe name was Sannon Bafha, fent vs
fo many fouldiers more as made vs 500 thousand flrong,
there we flaide for a long time, making warres againft
the Perfians, and the greate Cittie of Damafco, where
the Turke little preuayled : for if that the Turke were
as pollitick as he is flrong of power, the Perfians were
not able to refill him.

Thus leaning the Turkes Armie in Perfia, we came
through Damafco to our Cittie called the great Caer.
which Cittie is three fcore miles in compaffe, and is
the greatefl Cittie in the world, it flandeth vpon the
riuer of Nilo, and in the faid Cittie, there is 12 thou-
fand Churches, which they tearme Mufcots.

This Cittie at all times keepeth xl. thoufand men
continually in Souldiers pay, and are ready at one
houres warning to ferue under the Turke : there we
flaide to fee the cutting or parting of the Riuer of Nilo,
which is done once euery yeere, vpon the 25 of Augufl.
This Cittie flandeth in the land of Egipt, and is vnder
the gouernment of the great Turke. And there is a
king ouer the faide Cittie, who is called the king of the
great Caer, and ye Wize Roy or Lieftenant to the
great Turke, and he is then prefent at the cutting or
parting of this river of Nilo : at which time there is a
great triumph, and euery Towne and Cuntrey round
about to the value of a thousand mile, fend guifts and
prefents to the king of the great Caer, in confideration

2 2 OTtbbe ]^fe trauate,

of the water which commeth to them from that Riuer
of Nilo by meanes of the cutting of it, which is but once
euery yeere.

It is therefore to be vnderflood, that in ye Land of
Egipt it rayneth not at all, and all the grounde through-
out the lande of Egipt is continually watred by the
water which vppon ye 25 day of Augufl is turned into
the countries round about, by means of ye wonderfull
growing and fwelling of the water vpright without any
flay at all, on the one fide thereof, it is to ye height of
a huge mountaine, which beginneth to increafe the 15.
day of Augufl, and by the 25. of the fame moneth it is
at the highefl, on which day it is cut by ye deuiding
of 2 pillars in a flraunge fort, neere to the cittie of ye
great Caer. and fo turned as off from a great mountaine
into the lande of Egipt : by meanes whereof, the Turke
holdes all the land of Egipt in fubie6lion to him felfe,
and might if he would difmiffe them cleane from
hauing any water at all.

From thence I went with the Turkes power, and
vnder his condudtion to the lande of lewry, and from
thence to the citty of lerufalem, where part of the
olde Temple is yet flanding, and many Monuments of
great antiquitie, as herein after fhall be fliewed.

In the Land of Siria^ there is a riuer that no lew
can catch any fifh in it at all, and yet in the fame riuer
there is great ftore of fifh like vnto Samon trouts :
But let a Chriflian or a Turke come thither and fifh
for them, and eyther of them fhall catch them in great
aboundance, if they do but put their hande into the
water with a little bread, and an hundred will be about
his hand.

Thus hauing feene a number of rare and mofl
wonderful things, we went to the citty of Agowa, which
is ye head and chief citty in all ye Eafl Indies, there
wee gaue Battell againft ye Chriflians yat keep ye faid
citty, which are Portugals, for that ye Town apper-
taineth to ye king of Portugal. In this place wee gaue
Battle and lofl xx thousand of ye Turksmen, and yet

WSizbit li& ixnmilzQ. 23

could not obtain it : Neuertheles ye great Turks Lief-
tenant or Generall with his power toke a place called
Armous, where they had great flore of Treafure and
Sowes of Silver.

Thus being chiefe maifler Gunner in thefe Turkifh
warres, I was fent for againe by commandement of ye
Turk to Dafmafco, where I flaied all that winter with
XX M. men. And from thence made prouifion to
make wars againfl the land of Prefler lohn, who is by
profeffion a ChrifLian. In this land of Prefler lohn,
when it doth raine, it continueth at the leafl one whole
moneth. And in ye graund Caer, there is a plague
once in euery vij yeeres, which commeth with fuch a
fiercenes, that the moll part of all the people there do
die of the faid plague : and people in great numbers
lofe their Eie fight with the vapours and great heat
which commeth from the ground.

I remember one battaile, which ye Admirall of the
great Turke named Ally Bafha made with three-fcore
Gallies, and feazed vpon a towne where the faid Ally
Bafha was borne himfelfe, named Trybufas, which is
in ye confines of Calabria and vnder ye gouernment
of the king of Spaine, at which towne he landed his
Armie an houre before day, thinking to haue taken it
by treafon : and there vpon in great fury fcaled the
wals with lathers : but the watch beuraied vs, and on
a fodaine, cried Arme, Arme, which was foone done :
for euery man tooke him to his tooles and weapons of
defence.

But it is worthy of memorie, to fee how the women
of ye towne did plie themfelues with their weapons,
making a great maffacre vpon our men, and murthered
500 of them in fuch fpeedie and furious fort as is won-
derfull : we needed not to haue feared their men at all,
had not ye women bin our great ouerthrow, at which
time I my felfe was maifler Gunner of the Admirals
Gaily, yet chainde greeuoufly, and beaten naked with
a Turkifh fword flatling, for not fhooting where they
would haue me, and where I could not fhoot. It is

24 TOebbt 1)10 trauailes.

but a few yeares fmce, that in the cittie of Conflan-
tinople, there happned a great plague, where there
dyed in fix monethes fpace, feuen hundred thousand,
perfons, at which time mafler Harbarn Ambaffadour
for the Turkie company was there, and loft fundry of
his feruants.

From Damafco we went into the land of prefler
lohn who is a Chriflian, and is called Chrijlien de
Seiitour : that is, the Chriflian of the Gerdell :^ againfl
this prefler lohn I went with the Turks power, and
was then their maifler Gunner in the field, ye number
of Turkifh Souldiers fent thither, was fiue hundred M.
men who went thither by land, and pitched themfelues
in battaile ray at Saran,neere to the place wher the fon of
prefler lohn keepethhis Court. There Prefler lohn with
his power, flew of ye Turks the number of 60. thousand,
onely by policie of drawe Bridges to let foorth water,
made as fecrete ilewfes for that purpofe, in which water
fo many Turks perifhed. The next day following, the
Turkes power did incompaffe Prefler lohns fonne and
tooke him prifoner, and fent him for a prefent to ye
great Turks Court then being at Conflantinople, but
foone after, prefler lohn himfelfe made an agreement
betweene the greate Turke and his fonne, that the one
fhoulde not demiaund tribute of the other, and fo his
fonne was releafed and fent home againe.

This Prefler lohn of whom I fpake before, is a
King of great power, and keepeth a very bountifull
Court, after the manner of that Cuntrey, and hath
euery day to feme him at his Table, fixty kinges,
wearing leaden Crownes on their heads, and thofe
ferue in the meat vnto Prefler lohns Table : and con-
tinually the firfl difh of meat fet vppon his Table, is a
dead mans fcull cleane picked and laide in black
Earth : putting him in minde that he is but Earth, and
that he muft die, and fhal become Earth againe.

Thefe 60 Kings are all his Wize Royes in feuerall
places, and they haue their Deputies to fvpply their
Roomes, and thofe kings Hue continually in Prefler

TOebbe Ijfe tranatte. 25

lohns Courte, and go no furder then they may be flill
attendant vppon hnn, without leaue of their Emperour
Prefler lohn.

In the Court of Prefler lohn, there is a wilde man,
and an other in the high flreet at Conflantinople,
whofe allowance is euery day a quarter of Raw Mut-
ton : and when any man dyeth for fome notorious
offence, then are they allowed euery day a quarter of
mans flefh.

Thefe wilde men are chained fafl to a pofl euery
day, the one in Prefler lohns Court, and the other in
the high flreet of Conflantinople, each of them hauing
a Mantel cafl about their fhoulders, and all ouer their
bodies they haue wonderfull long haire, they are
Chained fafl by the neck, and will fpeedily deuoure
any man that commeth in their reach.

There is alfo a Beafl in the Court of Prefler lohn,
called Arians, hauing 4 heades, they are in fliape like a
wilde Cat, and are of the height of a great maflie Dog.

In this Court likewife, there is Fowles caled Pharses
foules whofe feathers are very beautifull to be worne,
thefe fowles are as big as a Turkic, their flefh is very
fweet, and their feathers of all manner of Collours.

There is Swannes in that place, which are as lardge
againe as the Swannes of Englande are, and their
Feathers are as blew as any blew cloath.

I haue feen in a place like a Park adioyning vnto
prefler lohns Court, three fcore and feuen-teene, Vni-
cornes and Eliphants all aliue at one time, and they
were fo tame that I haue played with them as one
would play with young Lambes.

When Prefler lohn is ferued at his table, there is
no fait at all fet one in any fait fellar as in other
places, but a loafe of Bread is cut croffe, and then
two kniues are layde acroffe vpon the loafe, and fome
fait put vpon the blades of the kniues and no more.

Being thus in the land of prefler lohn, I trauelled
within Eighteene degrees of ye Sun, euery degree
being in diflance three fcore miles.
c

2 6 TOebbe ^m trauafless.

I was at the Red Sea, at the place where Moyfes
made paffage with his wande for the Children of
Ifraell, where I faw a Ship called the grau?id Maria ^
fhe drawes but xj foot water, and againft this fhip Ix
Gallies and fhips haue fought at one time, and cannot
conquer her : and this is vnder the gouernment of ye
great Turke.

I haue beene in the Courts of the three great Patri-
arkes, the firfL whereof is kept at lerufalem, the fecond
at the Gran Caer, and the third at Conflantinople :
thefe haue their Courts in very ftately fort, and at-
tended on by none but Priefls.

When I was at lerufalem, I faw the Sepulchre
wherein (it is faide) Chrifl was buried : it is as it were
in a Vault, and hath vij Dores, and vij Roes of Marble
fleppes or flayres to go downe into the fame, and then
at the bottom of ye flayres, there is a fairep Chapel,
With an Altar and a Lamp burning continually day
and night before it, and the Graue is full of white
Earth, as white as Chalke, and a Toombe of ye
fame Earth made, and laide vppon Stone, wheron
are fundry Letters written, but I could not read
them.

The great Turk hath fome profit comming by ye
keeping thereof, and hath therefore builded at his
owne charges an Hofpital within lerufalem, which his
Genezaries doe keepe : and this Hofpitall is to receiue
all Pilgrims and trauellers to lodge in whenfoeuer they
come. And all that come to fee the fepulchre doe pay
ten Crownes a-peece, whereof the Turke hath but one,
and the refl goes to the Church, and fo they may flay
there as long as they hft to lodge in that new Hofpitall,
and haue lodging, bread, vi6luals and water fo long as
they will remaine there, but no wine : fuch as come
thither for Pilgrims haue no beds at all, but lie vpon
the ground on Turkey Carpets, and before the fepulcher
of Chrifl there is maffe faid euerie day, and none may
fay the maffe there, but a man that is a pure virgin :
there was one that dyed while I was there, that daily

?!2Eebbe \)i& trauafles. 27

faid and fung maffe before the fepulcher, and he was an
hundred and thirtie yeares of age before his death, and
now another is in his Roome, but whether ye old man
that dead is, or this which is now in the place to fing
and fay the faid Maffe, were pure Virgins I know not,
but fure I dare not fweare for them, becaufe they bee
men, and flefh and bloud as other are.

After that I had thus long trauelled and fpent my
time in the warres and affaires of the great Turke, I
was returned againe to Conflantinople, where at my
ariuall, a pennie loafe of Breade (of Englifh flarling
money) was worth a crowne of gold : fuch was the
fcarfitie, Sicknes, Mifery and Dearth then vpon ye faid
Cittie, and happie was he that fo could get Breade to
eate. Neuertheleffe, becaufe I was a Chriflian, and for
that ye Turke had no caufe prefently to vfe me in my
office of gunnerfhip, I was there imprifoned, where I
found two thousand Chriflians pind vp in flon wals
lockt fafl in yron chaines, grieuoufly pinched, with
extreme penury, and fuch as wifhed death rather then
in foch mifery to Hue : amongfl thefe was I placed, and
tooke part with them accordingly : greening at my
hard hap that the warres had not ended me before I
came thether.

Thus I remained there with the reft, garded and
daily watched, that we could flir no manner of way,
there wee were fuffered to worke vpon any manner of
trade or occupation wherein we were any way expert :
and what we did or made, we fold to the Turkes, and
they gaue vs money for the fame : and thus were we
fuffered to worke vntill it were time to goe and gather
Snowe, which is there vfed yearely of Cuflome to be
gathered : for the Turke hath great fummes of mony
paide him for ye faid fnow, which is gathered and folde
to his fubiedls for a peny the pound, which pound, is
two pound and a halfe Englifh : and this fnow they
ufe only to coole their drinke in the fummer feafon.
And no man may fell any fnowe vntill the Turke hath
folde all his.

28 WiMz i)ie; trauailes.

Thus liuing in this flauifli Hfe as is aforefaid, diuers
of vs complotted and hammered into our heads how we
might procure our releafement : wherevpon I attempted
with the confent of 5 hundreth Chriflians, fellow flaues
with my felfe, to breake a wall of fourteene foote broad,
made of earth, lyme, and fand, which we greatly
moiftened with flrong Vinegar, fo that the wall being
made moifl therewith through the help of a fpike of
yron, fiue hundred of us had almoft efcaped out of
prifon : but looke what fhall be, fhal be, and what
God will haue, fhal come to paffe and no more, as ap-
peareth by vs, for we hauing made meanes for our
fpeedie flight, as we were iffuing foorth, we were be-
wrayed by ye barking of a dog, which caufed the Turkes
to arife, and they taking vs with the maner flopped
vs from flying away, and gaue vs in recompence of our
paines taking herein, feauen hundred blowes a peece
vpon the naked fl<:inne, viz. three hundred on the
belly, and foure hundred on ye back.

Thus lying fl,ill Prifoner in the Turkes dungeons, it
pleafed God to fend thether for the releafement of me
and others, a worthy gentleman of this land, named
Maifler Harborne, Ambaffadour thether for the com-
pany of Marchants, who to the great honour of Eng-
land did behaue himfelfe wonderfull wifely, and was a
fpeciall meanes for the releafement of me and fundrie
other Englifh captiues,who were fet at libertie foone
after the death of the great Baflia : thus by the meanes
of the faid MaifLer Harborne I was fet free from Thral-
dome, and by him fent into England where I arriued
on the firfl: of May. 1589.

Whilft I was remaining prifoner in Turkey, and kept
in fuch flauifh manner as is Rehearfed the great
Turke had his fonne circumcifed, at which time there
was great tryumphes and free liberty proclaimed for a
hundred daies fpace, that any Nobleman, gen tleman,tra-
ueller, Chriflian or other, might freely (without being
molefled) come and fee the tryumphes there vfed, which
were woonderful : I my felfe was there conflrained to

W.ziht Jig trauailes. 29

make a cunning peece of fire work framed in form
like to ye Arke of Noy, beeing 24 yardes high, and
eight yardes broad, wherein was placed 40 men drawen
on 6 wheeles, yet no man feene, but feemed to goe
alone, as though it were onely drawen by two Fiery
Dragons, in which fhew or Arke there was thirteene
thoufand feuerall peeces of fire worke

At the fame time that I was Releafed, there were fet
at liberty about xx Englifh men, whereof I was one of
the lafL : fome of them are at this prefent in England.
My felfe and others were releafed by meanes of her
Maieflies fauorable Letters, fent to ye great Turke,
brought by the forefayd Maifter Harborne : fome by
the Raunfome money gathered at fundry times by the
Marchants in the Cittie of London, for ye Godly pur-
pofe : of which, fome of their names that were releafed
were thefe. Hamand Pan, lohn Beer, lohn Band,
Andrew Pullins, Edward Buggins and others.

Here may the bountiful Citizens of London fee (as
in a glaffe) the fruits of their liberalitie and charitable
deuotion giuen at feuerall times in the yeare towards
the releafement of poore captiues, fuch as are con-
flrained to abide mod vilde and grieuous tortures, efpe-
cially the torture and torment of confciens which
troubled me and all true Chriftians to ye very foule :
for the Turk by al meanes poffible would flill perfwade
me and other my fellow Chriftians while I was there
the time of 13 yeares, to forfake ChrifL to deny him,
and to beleue in their God Mahomet ; which if I would
haue done, I might haue had wonderful! preferment of
the Turke, and haue liued in as great felicitie as any
Lord in that countrey : but I vtterly denyed their re-
quefl, though by them greeuoufly beaten naked for my
labour, and reuiled in moft deteftable forte, calling me
dogge, diuell, helhound, and fuch Hke names : but I
giue God thankes he gaue me flrength to abide with
patience thefe croffes.

And though I were but a fimple man voide of
learning, yet ftil I had in remembraunce that Chrifl

30 Mebbe ]&i0 trauailes.

dyed for me, as appeareth by the holy Scriptures, and
that ChrifL therein faith : He that denyeth me before
men I will deny him before my father which is in
heauen : and againe he faith Whofoeuer beleeiieth on me
fhall be failed, and haue life etierlafling. This comfort
made me refolute, that I would rather fuffer all the
torments of death in the worlde, then to deny my
Sauiour and Redeemer Chrifl lefus.

After my free libertie granted in Turkey, I intend-
ing my iourney towardes England, came by land to
Venice, where I met at Padua thirtie Engliflimen flu-
dients, I met alfo with an Englifhman, who lined in
the flate of a Frier, he brought me before the high
Bifhop, where I was accufed for an hereticke, and he
brought me in two fals witneffes to be fworn againfl
me (hauing before known me in Turkey) neuerthe-
leffe I difproued his witneffes, and they were found
forfworne men, then was I fet at libertie, and con-
flrained to giue 15 Crownes towardes the finifhing
our Ladies fhrine at Padua : and my accufer and his
witneffes punifhed.

From thence I came to ye Duke of Ferrara, where
I was wel entertained and liberally rewarded with a
horfe and hue and twentie Crownes for the fake of
the Queenes Maiellie of England.

From thence with my Pafport, I came to Bolony in
Italy, where I met with a popifh Bifhop being an
Enghfhman which fhewed me great friendlhip, he is
called Do6lor Poole : from thence to Florence, there
I met with an Englifh gentleman named maifter
lohn Stanley. And from thence I went to Rome,
there I was nineteene daies in trouble with the Pope,
and the Englifh Cardinall Do6tor Allen, a notable
Arch-papifl, where I was often examined, but finding
nothing by me, they let me paffe, and vnderflanding
that I had bene a captiue long time in Turkey, gaue
me XXV. crownes. And before I went out of Rome, I
was againe taken by ye Englifh Colledge, and put
there into the holy houfe 3 daies, with a fooles coate

aJEebbe {)ig; trauailes. 31

on my backe, halfe blew, half yellowe, and a cockef-
combe with three bels on my head, from whence I
was holpen by meanes of an Englifhman whom I
found there, and prefented my petition and caufe to
the Pope : who againe fet me at libertie. From
thence I departed to Naples, where I met with a
Genowis, who apprehended me and brought me there
before ye vice-Roy, faying I was a man of great
knowledge and an Englifh fpie.

Then I was committed to a darke Dungeon xvj
daies, which time they fecretly made enquiry where I
had liue before, what my wordes and behauiour had
beene while I was there, but they coulde finde
nothing by me.

Thrice had I ye flrappado, hoifled vp backward
with my hands bound behinde me, which flrooke all
the ioynts in my amies out of joynt, and then con-
ftrained to drinke falte water and quicklime, and then
fine Lawne or Callico thruft downe my throate and
pluckt vp againe ready to pluck my hart out of my
belly, al to make me to confeffe that I was an Englifh
fpie. After this, there were four bard horfes prepared
to quarter me, and I was ftill threatened to die except
I would confeffe fome thing to my harme.

Thus feauen moneths I endured in this miferie,
and yet they coulde finde no caufe againft me, then I
wrote to the Vice-Roy to do me iuftice, and he did
write to ye K[ing] of Spain to know what fliould be
done with me : whereupon the king of Spaine wrote
that I fhould be employed in a Gunners roome : then
was I entertained, and had 35 crownes a moneth, and
had ye Kinges pattent fealed for the fame, and then
vnderftanding that three fhips were comming to-
wardes England I departed and fled from thence
with them to my natiue Cuntry, in ye Grace of Lon-
don by the helpe of one Nicholas Nottingham maifler
thereof Thus came I into England with great joy
and hearts delight, both to my felfe and all my
acquaintance.

32 ESEefifci {)i0 trauailes.

The report in Roome, Naples, and all ouer Italy,
in my trauell which was at fuch time as the Spaniards
came to inuade England, after I had beene releafed
of my imprifonment, as I paffed through the flreetes, the
people of that parts afked me how I durfl acknow-
ledge my felfe to be an Englifhman, and therevpon
to daunt me, did fay, that England was taken by the
Spaniards, and the Queene of England (whome God
long preferue) was taken prifoner, and was comming
towards Rome to doe pennance : and that her highnes
was brought thither, through defarts, moifl, hilly and
foule places : and where plaine ground was, holes and
hollow trenches were digged in the way of her Ma-
ieflies paffage, to ye intent that flie might haue gone
vp to the mid leg in oes or mire : with thefe fpeeches
they did check me, and I faid, yat I trufled God doubt-
les would defend my Prince better, then to deliuer
her into the hands of her enemies, wherefore they did
greatly reuile me.

Many things I haue omitted to fpeake of, which I
haue feen and noted in the time of my troublefome
trauel. One thing did greatly comfort me which I
faw long fmce in Sicilia, in the citie of Palermo, a
thing worthy of memorie, where the right- honorable
the Earle of Oxenford a famous man for Chiualrie at
what time he trauelled into forraine Countries, be-
ing then perfonally prefent, made there a challeng
againfl al manner of perfons whatfoeuer, and at all
maner of weapons, as Turniments. Barriors with horfe
md armour, to fight a combat with any whatfoeuer.
In the defence of his Prince and countrey : for which
he was verie highly commended, and yet no man durfl
be fo hardy to encounter with him, fo that all Italy
ouer, he is acknowledged the onely ChiuaUier and
Noble man of England. This title they giue vnto
him as worthily deferued.

Moreouer, in the land of Egipt neere to the Riuer
of Nilo, within fixe miles of the Gran Caer. There
are feauen Mountaines builded on the out fide, like

vnto ye point of a Diamond, which Mountaines were
builded in King Pharoes time for to keepe Corne in,
and they are Mountaines of great flrength.

It is alfo faide, that they were builded about that
time when lofeph did lade home his Brethrens Affes
with Corne, in the time of the great dearth men-
tioned in the Scripture : At which time, all their Corne
lay in thofe mountaines.

In the Riuer of Nilo, there is long Fifhes that are
of tenne or twelue foote long, which fwimmeth neere
the fhore, they are called the fifhes of King Fharao^
they are like vnto a Dolphin

Thefe Fifhes are fo fubtile, that fwimming neere
the fhore fide, they will pull men or women fodeinly
into the Riuer and deuoure them.

In the Citie of the gran Caer, the houfes are of a
very olde building, all of Lime and ftone, and in mofl
of the houfes the roofes are couered with fine gold, in
a very workemanly fort.

In Egipt there is fmall ftore of water, becaufe it
neuer raineth in that Country, fo that their water is
very dangerous to drinke. They haue no fprings at
all in that country, and yet there falleth fuch a dew
euery night, as doth refrefh and keeps their hearbes
and plantes in due fort, and makes them fpring very
fruitfully

The Citie of Damafco is very fruitfull and greatly
replenifhed with al manner of fruites whatfoeuer, as
Pomhgranades^ Orenges, Limons^ Apples^ Feares^
Phimbes^ Grapes^ and all other like fruites.

The Turkes are a people yat at fome time they
will attempt to doe wonderfull things as going vpon
Ropes, and thrufling their fwords in their naked flefh,
and flricke their fworde in their flefh like vnto a Scab-
bard : and many other things of great daunger.

In Turkic no man may flrike the graunde Cady,
that is their chiefeft ludg, if any man do ftrike him,
immediatly he lofeth his Right Arme for his offence,
without Redemption.

34 SKKebk })fe trauailtg;

At my comming ouer into Englande from Rome, I
was faine to Heal away, beeing then in yeerely fee to
the King of Spaine, to be one of his chiefefL Gunners.

And if the Ship where in I came ouer, had bin
taken, both they and I my felfe had dyed for that of-
fence.

The old Cittie of lerufalem is a very deHcat place,
and nothing there to be feene but a little of the old
walles which is yet Remayning : and all the reft is
Graffe, Moffe and weedes much like to a peece of
Rank or moift grounde. They haue no Tillage at all
in that partes.

The Citty of lerufalem where the Temple now
flandeth is almoft a mile from the olde walles of leru-
falem : it is of a maruellous olde building, and there
flandeth the old Relicks preferued and kept as Monu-
ments of great treafure.

Now to Returne where I left off, and declare vnto
you in what fort I imploide my felfe fmce my firfl
entring into englande : heere I vifited my friendes
from May till November, and then I departed into
Fraunce, where I had good entertainment at the
Hands of the Renowned King and Captaine of this
age, Henry of Burbon, King of Fraunce and Navarre,
who Receiued me into Pay, and appointed me for his
chiefe M[aister] Gunner in the fielde.

So that vppon Afh-wednfday lafl, at his mofl Re-
nowned Battle fought vppon the plaine of Saint
Andrew neere vnto Drevx : I was in feruice vnder
him, where I gaue 3 charges vppon the Enemie, and
they in fteede thereof, gaue vs fifteene fhot, and yet
God be thanked peruailed not againfl vs.

There were wee conflrained to make Bulwarkes of
the dead bodies of our Enemies and of the Carcaffes
of dead Horfes : where for my paines taking that day,
the king greatlye commended me, and honorably Re-
warded me.

But fhortly after my firfl arivall in Fraunce, I was
hated by fome lewde Gunners who envying that I

BJEebbe fjfe trauaflts. 35

fhould haue the Title to be Mafler Gunner in Fraunce,
pra6lifed againfl me, and gaue me poyfon in drinke that
night : which thing when the King vnderfloode, he gaue
order to the gouernor of Deepe, that his Phifition fhould
prefently fee vnto me, who gaue me fpeadely Unicorns
home to drinke, and there by God and the Kings great
goodneffe, I was againe reftored to my former health.
Thus haue you hearde the manner of my cruell and
mofl grieuous trauaile, my miferie, flaverie, and crueltie
which I haue fuffred therein, the manner of fome
olde Ornamentes and the cuflomes of fuch as
dwell in forraine nations far off, and in places where
our Saviour and his Apoflles were refident, and
preached vpon the Earth : my feruice done vnder ye
great Turke, of Pe7'fta^ Tartarica, Grecia, and other
places of feruice, I haue omitted therein my feruice
done at the taking of Tunnis, and what I did in the
Royle vnder Duke lohn of Auflria : and many other
thinges which I coulde heere difcouer vnto you ; onely
let this fuffife, that I fhall be glad, and do daylie
defire that I may be imployed in fome fuch feruice
as may be profitable to my Prince and Cuntrey.

iFfiKTfi^.

36 NOTES.

I. Capture of Danish Freebooters, by the English
Russia Fleet, io July 1570. —In a letter to the Emperor of
Ruflia, dated Narue, 15 July 1570, by Chriftopher Hodfdon and
Captain William Burrough, there is a full defcription of the cap-
ture of thefe Danifh pirates.

Mofl mightie Emperour, &c. Whereas Sir William Garrard
and his felowfhip the company of Englilh merchants, this lafl
Winter fent hither to the Na7'ue three Ihips laden with merchan-
dife, which was left here, and with it Chrijlopher Hodfdon one of
the fayd fellowlhip, and their chiefe doer in this place, who when
hee came firfl hither, and vntill fuch time as hee had difpatched
thofe fhips from hence, was in hope of goods to lade twelue or
thirteene failes of good (hips, againft this Ihipping, wherefore he
wrote vnto the fayd Sir William Garrard Tm.^ his companie to fend
hither this fpring the fayd number of thirteene fhips. And be-
caufe that in their comming hither wee found the Freebooters on
the fea, and fuppofing this yeere that they would be very ftrong,
he therefore gaue the faid Sir William and his Companie aduife
to furnifh the fayd number of fhips fo flrongly, as they fhould bee
able to withftand the force of the Freebooters : whereupon they
haue according to his aduife fent this year thirteene good Ihips
together well furnifhed with men and munition, and all other
neceffaries for the warres, of which 13. fliips William Burrough
one of the faid felowfhip is captaine generall, vnto whom there
was giuen in charge, that if hee met with any the Danjke Free-
booters, or whatfoeuer robbers and theeues that are enimies to your
highneffe, he Ihould doe his beft to apprehend and take them.
It fo hapned that the tenth day of this moneth, the fayd William
with his fleete, met with sixe Ihips of the Freebooters neere vnto
an Ifland called Tuttee, which is about 50. verfts from Narue,
vnto which Freebooters he with his fleet gaue chafe, and tooke
of them the Admirall, wherein were left but three men, the reft
were fled to fliore in their boats amongft the woods vpon Tutiee,
on Which fhip he fet fire and burnt her. He alto tooke foure
more of thofe fhips which are now here, and one (hip efcaped
him : out of which foure fhips fome of the men fled in their boates
and fo efcaped, others were flaine in fight, and fome of them
when they faw they could not efcape, caft themfelues willingly into
the Sea and were drowned. So that in thefe fiue fhips were left
but 83. men.

The fayd Wil. Borough when he came hither to Narue, find-
ing here Chrijlopher Hodfdon aforenamed, both the faid Chrifio-
pher and William together, in the name of fir William Garrard
and the refl of their whole companie and felowfhip, did prefent
vnto your highneffe of thofe Freebooters taken by our fhips 82.
men, which we deliuered here vnto Kiiez Voiuoda, the 13. of
this moneth. One man of thofe Freebooters we haue kept by vs,
whofe name is Haunce Snarke a captaine. And the caufe why
we haue done it is this : When we (hould haue deliuered him

NOTES. 37

with the refl of his felowes vnto the Voiuodaes officers, there were
of our EngHfhmen more then 50. which fell on their knees vnto
vs, requefiing that he might be referued in the fhip, and caried
back into England : and the caufe why they fo earneflly in-
treated for him, is, that fome of thofe our Englifhmen had bene
taken with Freebooters, and by his meanes had their Hues faued,
with great fauour befides, which they found at his hands. Where-
fore if it pleafe your highneffe to permit it, we will cary him home
with vs into England, wherein we requefl your maieflies fauour :
notwithftanding what you command of him fhalbe obferued.
Hakluyt. i. 401. Ed. 1599.

2. The Burning OF Moscow BY THE Tartars, 24MAY1571.
— Two accounts are preferved in Hakluyt of this cataftrophe.

(i) A letter of Richard Vf combe to M. Henrie Lane, touching
the burning of the Citie of Mofco by the Crimine Tartar: written
in Rofe I/land ihe 5. day of Auguft 1571.

Mafler Lane I haue me commended unto you. The 27. of
luly I arriued here with the Magdalene, and the fame day and
houre did the Swalcnv and Harry arriue here alfo. At our
comming I found mafler Pro(flor here, by whom wee underfhand
very heauie newes. The Mofco is burnt euery flicke by the Cri?nnie
the 24. day of May laft, and an innumerable number of people :
and in the Englifh houfe was fmothered Tho7nas Southam, Tofdd,
Wauerley, Gree?tes wife and children, two children of Rafe, and
more to the number of 25. perfons were ftifeled in oure Beere
feller: and yet in the fame feller was Rafe, his wife, Lo/ut Broivne,
and lohn Clarke preferued, which was wonderfull. And there
went into that feller mafler doner and mafter Rowley alfo : but
becaufe the heate was fo great, they came foorth againe with much
perill, fo that a boy at their heeles was taken with the fire, yet
they efcaped blindfold into another feller, and there, as Gods
will was, they were preferued. The Emperour fled out of the
field, and many of his people were caried away by the Crimtne
Tartar: to wit, all the yong people, the old they would not
meddle with, but let them alone, and so with exceeding much
fpoile and infinite prifoners, they returned home againe. What
with the Crimine on the one fide, and with his crueltie on the
other, he hath but few people left. Commend me to miflreffe
Lane your wife, and to M. Locke ^ and to all our friends. Yours
to command, Richard Vfcombe. Hakluyt. i 402. Ed. 1599.

(2) Mafter Giles Fletcher. D.C.L. was fent by Queen Eliza-
beth, in 1588 as Ambaffador to the then Emperor of Ruffia.
While returning, he reduced his obfervations of the ftate and
manners of that country 'into fome order': and publifhed them
under the title Of the Rvffe Common Wealth. London 1591.
[Reprinted in Hakluyt. i. 474— 497. Ed. 1599.] His account
is as follows ;

The greateft and mightieft of them [the Tartars] is the Chrim
Tartar, (whom fome call the Great ChaiJi) that lieth South, and

38 NOTES.

South eafl ward from Rnjjla^ and doth mofl annoy the Countrie by
often inuafions, commonly once euery yeare, fometimes entring
very farre within the inland parts. In the year 15 71. he came as
farre as the citie of Mosko^ with an armie of 200000. men, without
any battaile, or refiftance at all, for that the Rujfe Emperour
(then Tiian Vafdowich) leading foorth his armie to encounter with
him, marched a wrong way : but as it was thought of very pur-
pofe, as not daring to aduenture the fielde, by reafon that hee
doubted his nobilitie, and chiefe Captaines, of a meaning to betray
him to the Tartar.

The citie he tooke not, but fired the Suburbs, which by reafon
of the buildinges (which is all of wood without any ftone, brick,
or lime, faue certein out roomes) kindled fo quickly, and went on
with fuch rage, as that it confumed the greateft part of the citie
almoft within the fpace of foure houres, being of 30. miles or more
of compaffe. Then might you haue feene a lamentable fpe6lacle ;
befides the huge and mighty flame of the citie all on light fire,
the people burning in their houfes and flreates, but moft of all
of fuch as laboured to paffe out of the gates fartheft from the
enemie, where meeting together in a mightie throng, and fo
prefsing euery man to preuent another, wedged themfelues fo
fafl within the gate, and flreates near vnto it, as that three ranks
walked one vpon the others head, the vppermofl treading downe
thofe that were lower : fo that there periflied at that time (as
was fayd) by the fire and the prefTe, the number of 800000.
people, or more.

The Chrim thus hauing fired the Citie, and fedde his eyes
with the fight of it all on a light flame, returned with his armie,
and fent to the Rtiffe Emperour a knife (as was fayd) to flick
himfelfe withall : obbraiding this loffe, and his defperate cafe, as
not daring either to meet his enimy in the fielde, nor to trufl his
friends or fubiecfts at home. Chap 19. 'The borderers of
Ruflla.' fol. 66.

3. Prester or Presbyter John, was the name given by the
Europeans of the middle ages to a dynafly of fuppofed eaftern
potentates. The following account is the hiflory of this legend :
— About the beginning of the eleventh century, it began to be
reported in Chriftendom that a certain king beyond Perfia and
Armenia had been met by the fpirit of a departed faint in a foreft ;
that he had been overawed into becoming a true believer ; and
that he had ordered all his fubje(fls, to the number of 200,000, to
adopt the fame faith. As time paffed by, the report feemed to
receive corroboration. Envoys pretending to come from the land
in queftion arrived at Rome. Additional rumours, by what
means nobody knew, found their way to the Wefl. The man-
ners and cuftoms of this newly Chriflianized people were faid to
retain many traces of the old patriarchal times. The chief was
both priefl and king, and was known on that account by the
name of Prefler or Presbyter John. His tribe lived a peaceful

NOTES. 39

pafloral life, following their flocks through the defert, feeding
upon flefh and milk, and being fo deftitute of corn and wine that
they were unable in the prefcribed manner to obferve the fafl-
days, or to partake of the eucharift. Nor was the exquifite primi-
tive fimplicity of his kingdom unadorned by fubftantial wealth
and majefty. Unbounded treafures were at his command ; many
neighbouring nations were his tributaries ; and he fwayed fu-
premely with a fceptre of emerald.

Such pleafing reports as thefe continued to be greedily fwallowed
by the fuperftitious in Europe, until inveftigations commenced to
be made. It then began to appear doubtful whether this happy
land were not a mere Utopia, and whether this admirable
Prefter John were not a mere creature of the popular fancy.
Carpini, a Francifcan friar who was fent by Pope Innocent IV.,
in 1246, on an embaffy to the Mongols, failed to difcover the
celebrated nation of Chriftians. Not long afterwards another
Francifcan, William de Rubruquis, who penetrated into Afia as
far as Karakorum, could find none but a few Neftorians, who
had even heard of the great priefl-king. Equally unfuccefsful
were the Portuguefe explorers who reached India by the way of
the Cape of Good Hope about the end of the fifteenth century.
After fruitleffly feeking for the Prefter in Afia, they were fain to
fuppofe, on few or no grounds, that they had found him in Africa
in the perfon of an Abyffmian prince. The refult of all these
explorations was, that invefligators have ceafed to inquire into
the truth of the flory of Prefler John, and turned tlieir attention
to an explanation of its origin. The mofb plaufible folution is
that given by Molheim in his Church Hi%ry. He fuppofes that
a certain Neflorian priefl named John gained pofleffion of a throne
in Afiatic Tartary ; that he ftill retained the name of Presbyter
after his acceffion ; and that the title of Prefter John was inherited
by his defcendants along with the throne, until his dynafly was
extirpated by the mighty Tartar emperor Gengiskan. — Encyclo-
pcedia Britafinica^ xviii., 511. Eighth Editio7i.

Among the curious defcriptions of this fabulous empire is a
fmall work printed in French at Rouen in 1 506, of which the title
is fimply Perrester Iehan. While the imprint runs thus — Cy
fineni la dme7'fltie des hoinmes^ des bejies et des oifeaux qui fo7it en
la ter7'e de prestre Iehan. Impri77iees a Rotten Pour Richard rogerie
de7noura7ii a 77iorletz.

It purports to be a letter from Prefter John himfelf to the Em-
peror of Rome and the King of France, and is dated 'from our
holy palace, in the year of our birth 506.' It is a titTue of marvel
after marvel : fo as to render it hardly credible that it was ever
ferioully believed in. A few fentences will fhow its charadler.

"Prefter John by the grace of God all powerful king of all
the Chriftians : to the Emperor of Rome and to the King of
France, our friends, greeting. We wifti you to know of our ilate
and of government, that is to fay, of our people and the different

40 NOTES.

kind of our animals. And becaufe you fay that our people do
not agree in worfhipping God as you do in your country, we wifli
you to know that we adore and believe in the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit who are three perfons in one deity and one
God alone. And we certify and fend to you by our letters fealed
with our Seal concerning the ftate and manner of our land and
of our people. And if you will come into our country, for the
good that we have heard of you, we will make you lord after us,
and will give you large lands and lordfliips.

Know then that we have the higheft crown in all the world.
Alfo gold, filver, and precious ftones, and cities, caftles, and
towns. Know alfo that we have in our country forty-two kings,
all powerful and good Chriftians. Know alfo that we fupport
with our alms all the poor in our land whether native or foreign,
for the love and honour of Jefus Chrift. Know alfo that we have
promifed in good-faith to conquer the Sepulchre of our Lord
Jefus Chrift and alfo all the Land of Promife

Alfo in our country are elephants [oliflans] ; and another kind
of animal, very great, called dromedaries ; and white horfes, and
white oxen, and alfo favage cattle with feven horns ; bears and
lions of different colours, that is to, fay, red, green, black, and
white ; and wild affes with little horns . . . And green
horfes, that go fafter than any other animal in the world. Know
alfo that we have griffons that will eafily carry an ox or an horfe
into their nefts for their little birds to eat.

Know alfo between us and the Saracens runs a river called
Sydonis, which comes from the terreftrial paradife and is quite
full of precious ftones, that is to fay, emeralds, faphirs, rubies,
chalcedonies, carbuncles, topas ; and feveral other kinds that I
do not mention : and of each we know the name and vertue.
Know alfo that in our land is an herb called parmanable ; and
whofoever carries it upon him, can enchant the Devil and ask
him where he is going, and what he is doing on the Earth, and
can make him tell ; upon which account the Devil dares not be
into our country."

——'J. AND W. RIDER, PRINTERS, LONDON.

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