Purchas his pilgrimage. Or Relations of the vvorld and the religions obserued in all ages and places discouered, from the Creation vnto this present In foure partes. This first containeth a theologicall and geographicall historie of Asia, Africa, and America, with the ilands adiacent. Declaring the ancient religions before the Floud ... With briefe descriptions of the countries, nations, states, discoueries, priuate and publike customes, and the most remarkable rarities of nature, or humane industrie, in the same. By Samuel Purchas, minister at Estwood in Essex.

TO THE MOST REVE∣REND FATHER IN GOD, GEORGE BY THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE, LORD ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBVRIE, Primate and Metropolitane of all ENGLAND, and one of his Maiesties most Honourable Priuie COVNCELL.

MOst Reuerend, Dutie makes me bold, euen at my first looking and leaping out of the dungeon of Obscuritie, which hitherto had in∣closed me, to interrupt your more serious affaires, with the view of these my labours. It is not their worth, but your worthinesse that causeth this presumpti∣on. For to whom should I rather present my first-fruits, then vnto the High Priest, That hee might shake them before the Lord, to make them acceptable? Neither is any meeter to Patronise a Historie of Re∣ligion, then he, to whose Person Religion giueth, and from the same mutually receiueth, Patronage. And there∣fore I, the meanest of Leui's sonnes, doe here offer vnto your Grace, ASIA, AFRICA, and AMERICA, and that in their withered and fouler hue of passed

out-worne rites, or present Irreligious Religions; not wa∣shed with the purer streames of sacred Baptisme. EVROPE challengeth a roome in this kind by her selfe: nor would Christian Historie vouchsafe these Stran∣gers her holy companie, and therefore hath enioyned me a second Pilgrimage, and Perambulation ouer the World, to trace her footsteps, and obserue euery where her Plan∣ters, Corrupters, and Reformers.

Great is this burthen of atwofold World, and requires both an Atlas and an Hercules too, to vndergoe it. The newnesse also makes it more difficult, being an enterprise neuer yet (to my knowledge) by any, in any language, at∣tempted; conioyning thus Antiquitie and Moderne hi∣story, in the obseruations of all the rarities of the World, and especially of that soule of the world, RELIGION. Yet haue I aduentured, and (I speake it not to boast, but to excuse my selfe, in so haughtie designes) this my first Voyage of Discouerie, besides mine owne poore stocke laide thereon, hath made mee indebted to seuen hundred Authors, of one or other kind, in I know not how many hundreds of their Treatises, Epistles, Relations and Histories, of diuers subiects and Languages, borrowed by my selfe; besides what (for want of the Authors them∣selues) I haue taken vpon trust, of other mens goods in their hands. Wherein had I enioyed that Academicke leisure,

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉

Or the benefits of greater Libraries, or conference with men more skilful: my Braine might haue yeelded a fairer issue, a more compleate and better-armed Minerua. But besides the want of these, the daily cares of my Fa∣mily,

the weekly dueties (in Preaching and Catechising) of my Ministerie, the grossenesse of the Aire where I liue, which (some say) makes a duller wit, I am sure, a sicklier body; maypleade excuse for me. If not,

Clades Authore leuatur,

The World is the weight that presseth me, and my booke shall haue this praise in the greatest dispraise,

Magnis tamen excidit ausis.

Howsoeuer; I shall thinke my selfe happie in your Gra∣ces Examination and Censure, if it be not Impietie in me to offer to intercept, and with interposition of these lines a while to Eclipse, your Gracious aspect and influence vnto our Church and State. And though your Grace can∣not, for more necessarie imployments, and needes not, as knowing them better alreadie, afford your Precious time to these things of baser worth: Yet if your Recrea∣tions shall vouchsafe them as Remembrancers, out of my labours to refresh yours, I shall bee more then sufficiently recompenced. Others may hence learne by that most la∣borious, though not mostlearned argument of Inducti∣on, two lessons fitting these times, the Vnnaturalnesse of FACTION and ATHEISME: That law of Na∣ture hauing written in the practise of all men (as we here in the particulars doe shew) the profession of some Reli∣gion; and in that Religion, wheresoeuer any societie of Priests or Religious persons, are, or haue beene in the World, no admittance of Paritie; the Angels in Heauen, Diuels in hell, (as the Royallest of Fathers, the Father of our Countrie hath pronounced) and all Religions on Earth, as here we shew, being equally subiect to inequali∣tie, that is, to the equitie of subordinate Order. And if I liue

to finish the rest, I hope to shew the Paganisme of Antichristian Poperie, and other Pseudo-Christian he∣resies; and the Truth of Christianitie as it is now profes∣sed and established in our Church, vnder the Great Defender of the Faith: for whose long Raigne, and your Graces prosperous seruice vnder so Religious a So∣ueraigne, I heartily pray vnto the King of Kings, and cheefe Shepheard of our Soules, IESVS CHRIST. Nouemb. 5. 1612.

Your Graces in all duetie, Samuel Purchas.