Batman vppon Bartholome his booke De proprietatibus rerum, newly corrected, enlarged and amended: with such additions as are requisite, vnto euery seuerall booke: taken foorth of the most approued authors, the like heretofore not translated in English. Profitable for all estates, as well for the benefite of the mind as the bodie. 1582.

¶Of Grecia. chap. 68.

GRecia hath that name of Grecus, & King that dwelled therein; and gaue thereto his owne name, as Isido. saith, lib. 15. The Prouinces thereof he eyght, Dalmatia in the West, then is Epyrus, after Helladas, then Thessalia, after that Macedonia, and after Achaia: & twaine in the sea, creta and cyclades, and is a Countrey most wide and large, and hath many other names, and is full plentifull of riches both of the sea, and of lande, & is Lady of many Kingdomes, nourisher of chiualrie, mother of Philosophie, fin∣der and mistres of all good sciences. In olde time, men thereof, were the best warriors, and indued ••••••th giftes of wit and of wisedome: they were faire & most eloquent speakers, subiect to latre, milde to strangers, peaceable and easie to men of that land, and were wroth and high hearted to men that would do wrong to their neighbours, and would not suffer it, but withstood such wrongs, with all their might, as Varro telleth, in libr. de laudibua Grecorum.

(* 1.1Grecia, (the fountaine of prowesse and doctrine, and nourse of eloquence) a great and famous Countrey, containing these noble Regions, Epyrus, Acarna∣nia, Aetolia, Phocis, Locris, Achais, Messenia, Laconia, Argos, Megaris, At∣tica, Boetia, Doris, Phthiotia, Thessalia, Magnesia, Macedonia, and Thracia. All the which of late yeares, were vnder the yoke of Christs religion, and now alas, to the great discomfort of all perfect chri∣stian men, are vnder the most cruell sub∣iection and seruitude of the great tirant the Turke, & become barbarous, liuing in the beastlye superstitions, of the false Prophet Mahomet.)

Addition.

GEre I haue thought good for y^e better vnderstanding of y^e christian reader,* 1.2 to note what Mahomet was, which the

great Turke so highlye extolleth. Ma∣chumet was first a poore man, & a buyer and seller of Camells. Afterward he fell acquainted with an Heretike Monke, called Sergius, by whose meanes he de∣clared himselfe to be a Prophet, & tooke vpon him as well to reforme the olde Lawe, as the newe. He wonne great Realmes, and at the age of fortie yeares dyed (as some suppose) of the falling sick∣nesse, which he long time did dissemble faining, that the Angell Gabriel, was sent to him in message, whose brightnes he might not sustaine.

Mahomete or Machumet, had to his father, one Abdalla, by stocke an Aun∣cestrie, a Persian or Arabian borne, and had to his mother Emma a Iew, & was borne in Iesrab, on a munday, being the 12. daye of the moneth Rabe, about the yere of our Lord 597. or .621. his father dyed a litle before his birth.

His geneologie is reuolued with mon∣strous and blasphemous sables, vnto the time of Seth and Adam, he was borne without any doloust or paine felt by his mother: and when he was circumcised, he was merry and laughing, but whe∣ther this is to be beleeued, iudge you. At the very houre and time of his death, the Idolls fell downe by themselues, & Lu∣cifer was taken of Angells, and drow∣ned in the déepe Sea Alcazum, from whence after fortie daies, being escaped, calling together a counsaile of Diuells, he complained of the destruction of his kingdome, beside many other friuolous and lyeng wonders.

As touhing his education, that the Birdes and Windes did strine for his bringing vp, and that he was commit∣ted to one Halima: and that an Asse, inclyning hir selfe downe said of Ma∣homet, Hic est sigillum Prophetarum, also how thrée men drew out his bow∣ells, and cleansed the Diuells porcion, out of his heart, &c.

Mahomet coulde neyther read nor write, as he himselfe testifieth, In Al∣carono Azoara .17. being vtterly vnskil∣full and vnlearned in his youth. He had a great ioulte head, a face mixed with white and red, a long beard, and he was swift, and of very nimble féete. He had a quicke, subtle and craftie wit: and ler∣ned all manner of sects. Simoneta li. 4. cap. 36.

Sergius the Bestorian Heretike com∣ming to Mecha, instructed him, worshi∣ping Idolls with his error, and delyue∣red vnto him, certaine rules out of the olde and new Testament.

Mahomet maried one Eadiga, a rich widowe, whom he allured to loue him by Art Magieke, or witchery. And be∣cause he was often troubled with the falling euill, he made his wife beléeue, that so often as he fell, the brightnes of the Angell Gabriel was y^e cause, whose presence his bodely force, could not a∣bide. Of his function, of his workes, of his doctrine, of his prophecies of his cō∣flicts, of his filthy lusts, and of his death: read the booke tituled, The Poore mans Librarie, set forth by Master William Alley, Bishop of Exceter .1560.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Additiō.
• * 1.2

  Addition