All the vvorkes of Iohn Taylor the water-poet Beeing sixty and three in number. Collected into one volume by the author: vvith sundry new additions corrected, reuised, and newly imprinted, 1630.

The Copy of a speech that I made to a Mahometan in the Italian tongue.

THe Copie of a speech that I made extem∣pore in the Italian tongue to a Mahometan at a City called Moltan in the Eastern India, two daies iourny beyond the famous Riuer Indus, which I haue passed, against Mahomet and his accursed Religion, vpon the occasion of a discourtesie offered vnto me by the said Mahometan, in calling mee Giaur, that is, infi∣dell, by reason that I was a Christian: the rea∣son why I spake to him in Italian, was because he vnderstood it, hauing been taken slaue for many yeeres since by certaine Florentines in a Gally wherein he passed from Constantinople towards Alexandra, but being by them in∣terrupted by the way, he was carried to a City called Ligerne in the Duke of Florences Domi∣nions, where after two yeeres hee had learned good Italian, but he was an Indian borne and brought vp in the Mahometan Religion, I pronounced the speech before an hundred people, whereof none vnderstood it but him∣selfe, but hee afterward told the meaning of some part of it as farre as he could remember it, to some of the others also. If I had spoken thus much in Turky, or Persia against Mahomet, they would haue rosted me vpon a spit; but in the Mogols Dominions a Christian may speake much more freely then hee can in any other Mahometan Country in the world. The speech was this, as I afterward translated it in∣to English.

BVt I pray thee tell me thou Mahometan, dost thou in sadnes call mee Giaur? That I doe, quoth he, Then (quoth I) in very sober sadnes I retort that shamefull word in thy throate, and tell thee plainly that I am a Mu∣sulman, and thou art a Giaur. For by that Arab word Musulman, thou dost vnderstand that which cannot be properly applied to a Maho∣metan, but onely to a Christian, so that I doe consequently inferre that there are two kindes of Muselmen, the one ••n Orthomusulman, that is, a true Musulman which is a Christian, and the other a Pseudo-musulman, that is, a false Mu∣sulman which is a Mahometan. What thy Mahomet was from whom thou dost deriue thy Religion, assure thy selfe I know better then any one of the Mahometans amongst many millions: yea all the particular circum∣stances of his life and death, his Nation, his Parentage, his driuing Camels through E∣gypt, Syria, and Palestina, the marriage of his Mistris, by whose death hee raised himselfe from a very base and contemptible estate, to great honour and riches, his manner of coo∣zening the sottish people of Arabia, partly by a tame Pigeon that did flye to his eare for meat, and partly by a tame Bull that he fed by hand euery day, with the rest of his actions both in peace and warre: I know aswell as if I had liued in his time, or had beene one of his neighbours in Mecca, the truth whereof if thou didst know aswell, I am perswaded thou woul∣dest spit in the face of thy Alcaron, and tram∣ple it vnder thy feet, and bury it vnder a la••e, a booke of that strange and weake matter, that I my selfe (as meanly as thou dost see mee at∣tired now) haue already written two better bookes (God be thanked) and will here after this, (by Gods gracious permssion) write a∣nother better and truer, yea I would haue thee know (thou Mahometan) that in that renouned Kingdome of England where I was borne, learning doth so flourish, that there are many thousand boyes of sixteene yeeres of age, that are able to make a more learned booke thea•• thy Alcason, neither was it (as thou and the rest of you Mahometans doe generally be∣leeue) composed wholy by Mahomet, for hee was of so dull a wit, as hee was not able to make it without the helpe of another, namely a certaine Renegado Monke of Constantinople, called Sergis. So that his Alcoran was like an

arrow drawne out of quiuer of another man. I perceiue thou dost wonder to see mee so much inflamed with anger, but I would haue thee consider, it is not without great cause I am so moued: for what greater indig∣nity can there be offered to a Christian which is an Arthomusulman, then to bee called Gtaur by a Giaur? for Christ (whose Religion I pro∣fesse) is of that incomparable dignity, that as thy Mahomet is not worthy to bee named that yeere wherein my blessed Christ is, so neither is his Alcoran worthy to bee named that yeere wherein the* 1.1Iuieel of my Christ is. I haue obserued among the Mahometans such a foo∣lish: forme of prayer euer since my departure from Spas••an, (which I confesse was no nouelty vnto me, for that I had obserued the like be∣fore both in Constantinople and diuers other Turkish Cities) that what with your vaine repetitions and diuers other prophane foole∣ries contained therein, I am certaine your prayers doe euen stinke before God, and are of no more force then the cry of thy Camell when thou doest lade or vnlade him: But the prayers of Christians haue so preuailed with God, that in time of drought they haue ob∣tained conuenient aboundance of raine, and in time of pestilence a suddai••e cessation from the plague, such an effect of holy and seruent prayer as neuer did the* 1.2Scofferalahs, or the Allernissel allow of any Mahometan produce: yet must wee, whose prayers like a sweete smelling sacrifice are acceptable to God, bee esteemed Giaurs by those whose prayers are odious vnto his Diuine Maiesty: O timos! O maners! Now as I haue told thee the diffe∣rence betwixt the effect of our Christian and your Mahometan prayers, so I pray thee obserue another difference betwixt you and vs, that I will presently intimate vnto thee: thou by the obseruation of the Law of thy ridicu∣lous Alcaron dost hope for Paradise, where∣in thy Master Mahomet hath promised Riuers of Rice, and to Virgins the imbracing of An∣gels vnder the shaddowe of spacious Trees, though in truth that Paradise be nothing else then a filthy quagmire so full of stinking dung hils, that a man cannot walke two paces there, but hee shall stumble at a dung hill and defile himselfe, but where this Paradise is, not one amongst a thousand of you knoweth; therfore I will tell thee, it standeth in a Coun∣try situate betwixt Heauen and Earth, cal∣led Vtopia, whereof there is mention in the third booke of thy Alcaron and in the seuen and thirty Asaria, but expressed with those mysticall and obscure termes, that is very dif∣ficult to vnderstand it, for this Vtopian Para∣dise I say, as the reward of all your superstiti∣ous mumbling in your prayers, and the often ducking downe of your heads when you kisse the ground, with such a deuout humility for∣sooth, doe you Mahometans hope in another world: But wee Christians hope to liue with God and his blessed Angels for euer and eue•• in Heauen, as being a proper and peculiar in∣heritance purchased vnto vs by the precious bloud of our Christ, yet must wee bee reputed Giaurs by those that are Giaurs? One thing more will I tell thee (O thou Mahometan) and so I will conclude this redious speech, where∣unto thy discourtious calling of me Giaur hath inforced mee, and I prethee obserue this my conclusion.

Learning (which is the most precious Iew∣ell that man hath in this life, by which hee at∣taineth to the knowledge of diuine and hu∣mane things) commeth to man either by re∣uelation which we otherwise call inspiration, or by industry: Learning by reuelation I call that which God doth infuse from aboue by his speciall grace, vnto those whom he will vse as the instruments of his glory, who without labour or trauell doe aspire to a most eminent degree of knowledge. Learning by industry I call that, which a man doth purchase to himselfe by continuall writing and reading, by practice and meditation: now by neither of these meanes haue the Mahometans acqui∣red any meane, much lesse any singular lear∣ning, for as Mahomet himselfe was a man of a very superficiall and meane learning, so neuer

was there any one of his Disciples in any part of the world that was indued with any pro∣found knowledge: but wee Christians by the one and the other meane, haue attained to the most exquisite science that can be incident to man:* 1.3some of our men that neuer were brought vp in Studies, hauing beene so expert in a generall learning (onely by Gods speciall illumination) as those haue spent forty yeeres in the practice thereof, and others by conti∣nuall practice of writing and reading, haue beene so excellent, that they became the very Lampes and Stars of the Countries wherein they liued. These things being so, it cannot possibly come to passe, that the omnipotent God should deale so partially with mankinde, as to reueale his will to a people, altogether misled in ignorance and blindnes as you Ma∣hometans are, and conceale it from vs Christi∣ans that bestowe all our life time in the prac∣tice of diuine and humane disciplines, and in the ardent inuocation of Gods holy Name, with all sincerity and purity of heart. Goe to then thou Pseudo-musulman, that is, thou false∣beleeuer, since by thy iniurious imputation laid vpon mee, in that thou calledst mee Giaur, thou hast prouoked mee to speake thus. I pray thee, let this mine answer bee a warning for thee, not to scandalize mee in the like manner any more; for the Christian Religion which I professe, is so deare and tender vnto mee, that neither thou nor any other Mahometan shall scotfree call mee Giaur, but that I will quit you with an answer much to the wonder of those Mahometans.

Dixi.

I Pray you, Mother, expect no more letters from me after this, till my arriual in Christendome; because I haue resolued to write no more, while I am in the Mahometans Countries, thinking that it will bee a farre greater comfort, both to you, and to all my friends whatsoeuer, to heare newes that I haue ac∣complished my trauells in Mahometisine, then that I am comming vp and downe, to and fro in the same, without any certainty of an issue thereof; therefore I pray haue patience for a time: about two yeeres and a halfe hence, I hope to finish these Mahometan trauells, and then either from the City of Raguzi in Sclauonia, which is a Christian City, and the first wee enter into Christendome, from those parts of Turky by land neere vnto the same, or from fa∣mous Venice, I will very dutifully remember yea againe, with lines full of filiall piety and officious re∣spect. I haue written two letters to my Vncle Wil∣liams, since I came forth of England, and no more, whereof one from the Mogols Court the last yeere, iust at the same time that I wrote vnto you; and a∣nother now, which I sent iointly by the same Mes∣senger that carried yours out of India by Sea. Once more I recommend you and all our hearty wel-wil∣lers and friends to the gracious tuition of the Lord of Hosts; I pray you remember my duty to Master Hancocke that reuerend and Apostolicall good old man, and his wife, if they are yet liuing; to their Sonnes Thomas and Iohn, and their Wiues.

Notes

• * 1.1

  This doe all Mahometans cali our Gospell, or the Histo∣ry of our Sauiour, written by the foure Euangelists.
• * 1.2

  words that the Mahometans doe often repeat in their prayers
• * 1.3

  I meane the blessed Apostles of our Sauiour.