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 READER.

AND now, Reader, I come vnto thee, with whom I dare bee somewhat bolder. Being, I know not by what naturall inclination, addi∣cted to the studie of Historie, my heart would sometimes obiect a selfe-loue, in following my priuate delights in that kind. At last, I resol∣ued to turne the pleasures of my studies into studious paines, that others might againe, by delightfull studie, turne my paines into their pleasure. I here bring Religion from Paradise to the Arke, and thence follow her round about the World, and (for her sake) obserue the World it selfe, with the seuerall Countries and peoples therein; the cheife Empires and States; their priuate and publique Customes; their manifold chances and changes; also the won∣derfull and most remarkeable effects of Nature; Euents of Diuine and Hu∣mane Prouidence, Rarities of Art; and whatsoeuer I find by relations of Hi∣storians, as I passe, most worthie the writing. Religion is my more proper aime, and therefore I insist longer on the description of whatsoeuer I finde belonging thereto; declaring the Religion of the first men; the corrupting of it before, and after the Floud; the lewish obseruations; the Idols, Idolatries, Temples, Priestes, Feastes, Fastes, Opinions, Sects, Orders and Sacred Cu∣stomes of the Heathens; with the Alterations and Successions that haue therein happened, from the beginning of the World hitherto.

This Worke I diuide into foure partes. This first exhibiteth, Relations and Theologicall discouerie of ASIA, AFRICA, and AMERICA: The second, when God will, shall doe the same for EVROPE: The third and fourth, in a second visitation, shall obserue such things in the same places, as I hold most remarkeable in the Christian and Ecclesiasticall Historie; and that according to the same method, which is squared in the Whole by order of Place: going still out of one Countrie into the next, in each particular part and seuerall Countrie, by the order of Time; deducing our Relations, so farre as wee haue others foot-prints to guide vs, (though not exactly naming the day and yeare, and determining questions in Chronologicall controuerfies, yet in some conuenient sort) from the Ancient times, and by degrees descen∣ding to the present. If thou demaundest what profit may bèe hereof; I an∣swere, That here Students of all sorts may find matter fitting there Studies: The naturall Philosophers may obserue the different constitution and com∣mixtion of the Elements, their diuerse working in diuerse places, the varie∣tie of heauenly influence, of the yearely seasons, of the Creatures in the

Aire, Water, Earth: They which delight in State-affaires, may obserue the varietie of States and Kingdomes, with their differing Lawes, Politics, and Customes, their Beginnings and Endings. The Diuine, besides the former, may here contemplate the workes of God, not in Creation alone, but in his Iustice and Prouidence, pursuing sinne euery were with such dreadfull plagues; both bodily, in rooting vp and pulling downe the mightiest Em∣pires; and especially in spirituall Iudgments, giuing vp so great a part of the World vnto the efficacie of Errour in strong delusions, that hauing forsaken the fountaine of liuing waters, they should digge vnto themselues these broken pittes that can hold no water; deuout in their superstitions, and superstitiuous in their deuotions; agreeing all in this, that there should bee a Religion; disagreeing from each other, and the TRVTH, in the practise thereof.

Likewise our Ministers may bee incited vnto all godly labours in their function of preaching the Gospell, seeing otherwise, for outward and bodily ceremonies, the Turkes and Iewes in their manifold deuotions in their Ora∣tories euery day, and other Heathen would conuince vs of Idlenesse. And let mee haue leaue to speake it for the glorie of God, and the good of our Church; I cannot find any Priestes in all this my Pilgrimage, of whom wee haue any exact Historie, but take more bodily paines in their deuotions, than is performed by not-preaching Ministers, especially in Countrie-villages, where on the weeke daies they cannot haue occasion, or companie, for pub∣lique prayers: and therefore if they onely read the seruice then, and neuer studie for more (which I would it were not the idle practise of some) euen the Heathen shall rise vp in judgment against them. I subscribe with hand and practise to our Liturgie, but not to such Lethargie: whose darknesse is so much the more intolerable, in this Sun-shine of the Gospell, wherein wee haue a gratious King, so diligent a frequenter of Sermons; and Reuerend Bi∣shops (notwithstanding other their weightie Ecclesiasticall employments) yet diligent Preachers.

The studious of Geographie may somewhat be helped in that kind: not that wee intend an exact Geographie, in mentioning euery Citie with the degrees of longitude and latitude, but yet limiting euerie Countrie in his true situation and bounds; and performing happily more then some, which take vpon them the title of Geographers, as their chiefe profession: and more then any, which I know, hath done in our language.

He which admireth and almost adoreth the Capuchine Iesuite, or other Romanists for selfe-inflicted whippings, fastings, watchings, vowes of obe∣dience, pouertie, and single life, and their not sparing their limmes and liues for their wil-worships, may see, in all these, the Romanists equalled by Hea∣thens, if not out-stripped euen by the reports of the Iesuites and other their Catholiques. Bodily exercise profiteth little, but Godlinesse is profitable vnto all, and hath the promise of this life and that which is to come.

Here also the Reader may see most of their Popish Rites, deriued out of Chaldaean, Aegyptian, and other fountaines of Paganisme; as in the later taske we shall haue more occasion to shew. Here euerie Englishman may see cause to praise God continually for the light of his truth, communicated to vs: whereas it is (in comparison) but a small part of the world, that soundeth

the sacred name of IESVS; and of those that professe it, how infinite are the sectes and superstitions? God hath shewed his Word vnto our IACOB (THE DEFENDER OF HIS FAITH) his Statutes and his iudgments vnto this I∣srael of Great Britaine. He hath not dealt so with euery Nation, neither haue the Heathen, nor scarsely, if sarcely any other Christian Nation, so much knowledge of his iudgments. And yet how seditious are some? how prophane are other? how vnthankfull the most? That beastly Sinne of Drunkennesse, that biting Sinne of Vsurie, that Deuilish Sinne of Swaggering, ruffling in deformitie of clothes, like monstrous Chimaeras, and barking out a multi∣formitie of oathes, like hellish Cerberi, as if men could not be Gallants, vnlesse they turned Deuils: These are the payments we returne vnto the Lord, in∣stead of prayers for, and loialtie to his Maiestie; peaceablenesse and charitie to each others; modestie and sobrietie in our selues.

For the forme, I haue sought in some places, with varietie of phrase, in all, with varietie of matter, to draw thee along with mee in this tedious Pil∣grimage. Some names are written diuersely, according to the differing Co∣pies which I followed, which thy discretion will easily conceiu.e I doe not in euerie question set downe my censure; sometimes, because it were more then needes; sometimes because of the difficultie. I mention Au∣thours sometimes, of meane qualitie, for the meanest haue sense to ob∣serue that which themselues see, more certainly then the contemplations and Theorie of the more learned. I would also acknowledge the labour of the meanest. I haue laboured to reduce relations to their first Authours, set∣ting their names to their allegations: the want where of hath much troubled me, whilst the most leaue out their Authors, as if their own assertion were suf∣ficient authoritie in things borrowed. I haue (to my great paines) contracted and epitomized whole volumes (and some very large) into one chapter; a thing vsuall through these relations. Where I haue found plentifull dis∣course for Religion (my chiefe aime) I am shorter in other relations; and where I haue had lesse helpes for that discouerie, I insift more on the won∣ders of Nature, and discoueries by Sea and Land, with other remarkeable accidents. These Rarities of Nature I haue sometimes suted in a differing phrase and figure of speech; not that I affect a fantasticall singularitie; but that these diuine workes might appeare in Robes, if not fitting their Maiestie, yet such as our Word-Robe did willingly without any great affectation or studie, afford: not without example of the Scripture, which vseth to bring in the mute creatures, speaking and performing, (as it were) other personall offices; nor without this effect, to make the Reader staie a while with obser∣uation and wonder; besides that varietie, of it selfe, is delightsome.

If any mislike the fulnesse in some places, and the barrennesse of wordes in others; let them consider, wee handle a World, where are mountaines and vallies, fertile habitations, and sandie desarts: and others steps, whom I fol∣low, hold me sometimes in a narrower way, which elsewhere take more li∣bertie. I touch sometimes a Controuersie; both for illustration of Historie; and in season, and out of season, to shew my affection to the truth.

Now if any man thinke, that it were better these rotten bones of the pas∣sed and stinking bodies of the present Superstitions were buried, then thus

raked out of their graues; besides that which hath beene said, I answere, That I haue sufficient example in the Scriptures, which were written for our learning to the ends of the World, and yet depaint vnto vs the vgly face of Ido∣latrie in so many Countries of the Heathens, with the Apoitasies, Sects, and Heresies of the Iewes, as in our first and second booke is shewed: and the Ancient Fathers also, Iustin, Tertullian, Clemens, Irenaeus, Origen, and more ful∣ly, Eusebius, Epiphanius, and Augustine, haue gone before vs in their large Catalogues of Heresies and false Opinions. And what doth more set forth the glorie of Gods grace, then in pardoning; his power, then in reforming; his justice, then in giuing men vp to such delusions? Are not these the Tro∣phees and glorious victories of THE CROSSE OF CHRIST, that hath subuerted the Temples, Oracles, Sacrifices, and Seruices of the Deuill? And maist not thou see herein, what Man is, and thou thy selfe maist be, if God leaue thee to thy selfe? Reade therefore, with praises vn∣to God, the father of thy light; and prayers, for these Hea∣thens, that GOD may bring them out of the snare of the Deuill, and that Christ may be his saluation to the ends of the World.

And let me also obtaine thy prayers in this my Pilgri∣mage, to be therein directed, to the glorie of God, and good of my Coun∣trie. Euen so Lord IESVS. ({inverted ⁂})

Notes

• I. Tim. 4.8.