The preachers trauels Wherein is set downe a true iournall to the confines of the East Indies, through the great countreyes of Syria, Mesopotamia, Armenia, Media, Hircania and Parthia. With the authors returne by the way of Persia, Susiana, Assiria, Chaldæa, and Arabia. Containing a full suruew of the knigdom [sic] of Persia: and in what termes the Persian stands with the Great Turke at this day: also a true relation of Sir Anthonie Sherleys entertainment there: and the estate that his brother, M. Robert Sherley liued in after his departure for Christendome. With the description of a port in the Persian gulf, commodious for our East Indian merchants; and a briefe rehearsall of some grosse absudities [sic] in the Turkish Alcoran. Penned by I.C. sometimes student in Magdalen Colledge in Oxford.

The returne of the Author by the way of Persia, Susiana, Chaldaea, Assiria, and Arabia.

HAuing tooke my leaue of Master Robert Sherley, and the rest of my country-men, I left them to the mercy of the king (whose bountie and goodnesse by their returne hath plentifully shewed it selfe) and be∣tooke my selfe to the protection of the Al∣mightie, to bring me in saftie againe into my owne coun∣trey: being in my returne, accompanied with one Signior Belchior Dios d' Croce, an Armenian, Portugall or Portugall Armenian; and one Christophero a Greeke, who were sent with letters from the gouernour of Goa, to the king of Spaine, but lost afterwards their liues and letters by shipwracke in the Venetian Golfe.

From Hispaan we spent ten daies trauell to Siras by per∣swasion of some Persian merchants that were bound for Aleppo with vs, trauelling through the very heart of Per∣sia it selfe, paying now and then a Sha••ghee a peece to cer∣taine villages in the way, no matter of importance worth the relating till we come to the Citie it selfe.

The description of Persia.

THis country (in which Siras standeth) is now called the Kingdome of Farsi, but in ancient time the Kingdome of Persia; a kingdome of it selfe very large and pacious; confining Northwards on Media & Parthia, Eastward on the great desart of Caramania, Westward on Susiana, which Strabo maketh a part of Persia, and lieth betweene Babylon

and Persia, as shall be declared hereafter, and Southward on Ormuz and the Persian golfe, containing also the great kingdome of Lar, whence the best Bezar stones are brought.

Very famous is this countrey: for that it was the first place, where Elam the eldest sonne of Sem dw••lt, where∣by the people of this nation were a long time called Ela∣mits, as appeareth by the prophecy of Daniel,* 1.1 who na∣meth it Elam: as also because it was the seate of those fiue great Persian kings mentioned in the Scriptures, viz. Da∣rius Medus, Cyrus, Ah••shuerosh, Darius Longimanus a∣liàs Artaxerxes, and Artaxerxes the third, which was that Darius whom Alexander the great ouercame.* 1.2 For Da∣rius Medus his acts and deeds were of so small esteeme and regard, that they are not worth the writing. But concerning Cyrus his sonne in law,* 1.3 many excellent things are spoken of him: for no king conquered so many king∣domes as he did. Besides he was in grace and fauour with God: for by Daniels instructions he was brought to con∣fesse and acknowledge the God of Israel. Of him did E∣say prophesie an hundred yeares before his birth:* 1.4 and his diligence was so great in ayding the Iewes af••er their cap∣tiuity vnto Ierusalem,* 1.5 that he suffered them quietly to re∣turne with wealth and treasure, and commaunded all his Princes of Syria, and subiects to fauour and to helpe them, publishing a decree for the building vp of their temple vn∣to God. Notwithstanding this happy and fortunate Prince was slaine by Tomyris Queene of the Massogets in Scy∣thia, who not contenting her selfe with the death of her enemy, commaunded also his head to be smitten oft, and throwne into a bole of mans bloud, with this expro∣bration of his crueltie in killing her sonne: Tu quidem meum vluentis & in pugna victricis filium perdidisti dolo captum,* 1.6 at ego te cruore satura••n: Goe now, and glut thy selfe with the bloud of men, which in thy life time woul∣dest neuer be satisfied with bloud.

Next vnto him raigned Ahashuerosh,* 1.7 whom our wri∣ters call Xerxes, the Chaldeans Artaxerxes the first (hus∣band to Queene Hester) whose dominion did extend it selfe from India vnto Ethiopia, ouer an hundred and sea∣uen and twenty Prouinces. The goodnesse of this king was fully proued, at what time the Church was miserably afflicted by proud Haman, and hindered by cruell Camby∣ses against the decree of Cyrus: for he gaue full liberty and licence vnto the Iewes to build the Temple at Ierusalem. Neuerthelesse towards his latter daies, he was very vnfor∣tunate in his warres, being twise ouercome both at sea and land; by which vnfortunate successe, he that earst while was termed the Terrour of all Nations, became in so generall contempt of all his subiectes,* 1.8 that both himselfe and his sonnes were slaine by Artabanus the traitour.

Next vnto him succeeded Darius Longimanus.* 1.9 This Prince was no way behind his predecessours in pietie and deuotion towards God: for he would not by any meanes change their institutions concerning religious worship, but with great beneficence fauoured the Iewes. For in the se∣cond yeare of his raigne the Temple at Ierusalem was fini∣shed: and in the seauenth yeare Esdra•• with a number in his company returned.

The last King was Artaxerxes the third,* 1.10 whom they called by the name of Darius a Prince of great industrie, and noblenesse of spirit: yet at last was vanquished by Alexander the great, and slaine by one of his owne kins∣men, ending his life together with the Persian Empyre.

So that now by the computation of the raigne of these kings which was one hundred fortie and seauen yeares,* 1.11 we may easily confute that malicious tergiuersation and erroneous exposition of the Iewes, of the prophecy of Daniel, touching the threescore and nine weekes to the comming of the Messiah. The Iewes affirme that the same prophecie doth not belong to our Sauiour Christ,

but that it ended the day wherein the Temple was ouer∣throwne by Titus: and doe interprete Christ (whom Daniel prophecied should be slaine after threescore and nine weekes) to be Agrippa the last of the Herodians (sur∣mising peeuishly that the Messiah liueth in the wor••d inuisi∣bly) colouring their grosse errours therein by the false and lying Histories of some Greeks and ••atines,* 1.12 who at∣tribute two hundred yeares and aboue to the Empire of the Persian kings: whereby some haue beene dri∣uen to recken the beginning of those weekes after the time of Cyrus, that they may end at the death of our Saui∣our Christ.

Which false Histories to make vp those yeares, name more Persian kings then euer were;* 1.13 as Cambyses to succeed his father Cyrus; wheras he was but left by his father King in Persia, in his expedition into Scythia, according to the Persian custome mentioned by Herodotus, which was that if the king went out of the countrey with an armie, hee must appoint another king to abide in the countrey du∣ring his absence. And so were Cambises and Darius Hi∣staspis kings of Persia. And whereas some Persian kings had two or three names, as Darius, Xerxes, and Artax∣erxes, they make so many kings; whereas the Scriptures set downe but the fiue before named,* 1.14 who raigned (as we said) but one hundred fortie and seauen yeares. Where∣upon it falleth out, that whether you beginne to account the threescore and nine weekes from the first yeare of Cy∣rus, who then determined the Iewes reduction; and as the captiuitie grew at three times, so the returne from the cap∣tiuitie was at three times.

For first in the second yeare of Cyrus, Zorababell with welnigh fiftie thousand Iewes returned, and then laid the foundation of the Temple; which was finished the se∣cond yeare of Darius Longimanus: And many Iewes re∣maining in Babylon, who for the loue of their possessi∣ons and children, hauing purchased of the kings of Persia

a forme of a commonwealth, elected to themselues a Prince of the line of Dauid, (whom Origen calleth a Patriarch) calling him Aechmalatarcham, which sig∣nifieth the head of the outlawes. And in the seauenth yeare of Darius Longimanns, Esdras with a number in his company returned. And lastly in the twentieth yeare of the same Darius, Nehemiah with his company de∣parted.

So that it falleth out, that whether you beginne to account the threescore and nine weekes from the first yeare of Cyrus, who then determined the Iewes re∣duction; or from the second yeare of Darius (as o∣thers will) for that hee confirmed, and put the same in execution: or from the twentieth yeare of his raigne, for that hee then made a new edict in fauour of Nehe∣miah, and sent him intò Iewrie. (And not onely the tribes of Iuda, Leui, and Beniamin, to the number of thir∣tie thousand, but some of the other tribes to the num∣ber of tenne thousand returned also into Iewrie by the Edict of those kinges.) Euery way those threescore and nine weekes did ende eyther in the raigne of Augustus or Herode, vnder whom Christ was borne, or in the yeare of Tiberius vnder whome hee suf∣fered.

Hee that would reade more of the ancient estate of Persia, eyther concerning the Royall Maiestie thereof, or the Religion, Lawes, Manners, and Customes of the same, or the Militarie Discipline whilest shee held the world in awe, let him reade Barnabas Brissonius, who hath written three bookes, De Regio Persarum Principatu. In the meane time, wee come to describe that which wee haue seene; returning where we left to Siras ancient Persepolis.

The description of Sieras ancient Persepolis.

* 1.15THis Citie is situated on the banks of Bindamir, a great and famous riuer, which courseth through Persia, and the kingdome of Lar, and so emptieth it selfe into the Per∣sian Golfe, and was once the Metropoliticall seat of all the kingdome, vntill of late yeares, Hispaan hath gained that priuiledge from her. Notwithstanding it is large & spacious containing very neere ten miles in circuit, and lieth iust in the road way which leads from Hispaan to Ormuz. Plinie did call it caput Persiciregui, for so it was during the Mo∣narchy, the head Citie of the Persian kingdome, which continued famous many yeares together, being stuffed with the spoyles of the whole world: for Alexander when he tooke it, found in the treasury fortie thousand talents of gold, euery talent being sixe hundred crownes by Budaeus his computation.* 1.16 And the same t••me at the request of a drunken strumpet he set this gallant Citie on fire, himselfe being the first president in that wofull misery, which in short time was quite burnt downe to the ground as Dio∣dorus Siculus relateth. Which vnhappy mischance Quin∣tus Curtius on this manner bewaileth: Huno exitum ha∣buit Regiatotius Orientis, vnde tot gentes ante i••ra petebant patria tot regum, vnicus quond••m G••aecia terror. &c. Such a miserable end befell to the re••all Citie of all the Ea••••, whence so many Nations did deriue their lawes and cu∣stomes; which was the seate of so many kings, and in times past the onely terour of Greece.

So that in and about this towne are to be seene the ru∣ines of many ancient monuments: as two great gates, tha•• are distan•• one from the other the space of twelue miles, which shewes the circuite of this Citie, as it was in the time of the Monarchy, to be both large and spacious. On the South side we viewed the ruines of a goodly Pallace, ••••ilded as they say by King Cyrus, a Palla•••• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••agni∣fied

by Aelianus in his first booke de animalibus. cap. 59. And on the North side the ruines of an old Castle, which seemes was gyrt about with a three-fold wall: ••he first wall being foure and twentie foote high, adorned and bea••••i••ied with many Tu••rets and spires: the second was like vnto the first, but twice as high; ••nd the third was foure square, be∣ing foure score and ten foote high. All fabricated of free stone. On each side were twelue gates of Brasse, with brazen pales set before them very curiously wrought, all which did shew the magnificence of the founder. On the East side of this ruinous Castle, some foure ac••es of ground distant, is a mountaine, on which was erected a goodly Chappell, in which most of the Persian kings in anticke time were intombed. And though this Citie hath endured sundry mutations and changes, yet is it not to be esteemed one of the least Cities in Persia: for out of it in short time is leuied twentie thousand horsemen well ar∣med. Besides it is one of the greatest and most famous Cities of the East,* 1.17 both for traffike of merchandize; as also for most excellent armour and furniture, which the armorers with wonderfull cunning doe make of yron and steele, and the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of certain hearbs, of much more no∣table temp••r and beautie, then are those which are made with vs in Europe; not onely Headp••ec••s, Curiaffes, and complete armours, but whole caparisons for horses, curiously made of thinne plates of yron and steele.

Now by the s••tuation of this towne on the ri••er Bin∣damir,* 1.18 a verie profitable trade for the East Indian compa∣nie might be at Batan, an hauen towne in the Persian Gol••e, which trende••h in the forme of an halfe Moone, hauing a little pretie Iland, as a most commodious shelter, in the mouth of the same, whereby a sh••p of fiue hundred ••unnes and better may ride at pleasure. Very desirous is the Persian King that our shipping should come thither, or to any oth••r port in his dominions; prom••sing often∣times

times (as may be iustified very probably) that it should be lawfull for vs to builde and fortifie,* 1.19 and to enioy all priuiledges in as ample manner as his owne subiectes; and that if the Portugals in Ormuz should offer vio∣lence to our shipping, that then hee would become their professed enemie: whose league of friendship (I am assured) they dare not in that Iland breake, stan∣ding so many waies beholding to the Persian King as they doe. Besides where wee planted in Batan, the King would quickly cut off the greatest trade of Merchan∣dize eyther of raw silke or Indico from Tauris to Con∣stantinople, and turne it vnto that harbour. There wee should haue a speedie vent for our broade cloath, Car∣sies, Tinne, and Lead, and haue in barter for the same whatsoeuer eyther the kingdome of Persia or India doth affoorde. So that in mine opinion to haue Batan for a resting and refreshing harbour after our tedious say∣ling through the great Ocean, were farre better then Bantam in Iaua, or Aden, or any other port in A∣rabia Felix; places altogether of wrong and oppres∣sion, where little iustice is to bee found being so farre from Constantinople: Whereas Batan standeth in such a Countrey as is full of peace and tranquilitie, ha∣uing a most iust and vpright Prince (the onely true stay of traffike) Lord of the same, whose onely care and endeuour is to maintaine and vpholde the trade of Merchandize. But to leaue these thinges to the Merchants, wee come now to the Kingdome of As∣siria.

Notes

• * 1.1

  No more but fiue kings in Persia.
• * 1.2

  Darius Medus.
• * 1.3

  Cyrus.
• * 1.4

  Esay. 44.28.
• * 1.5

  2. Chro. 36.22. 1. Esdras. 1.2. Esdras. 2. Ioseph. Anti. 11. ca. 1.
• * 1.6

  Herodo••us.
• * 1.7

  Ahashuerosh.
• * 1.8

  Iustin. lib. 3.
• * 1.9

  Darius Longi∣manus.
• * 1.10

  Darius.
• * 1.11

  The Iewe•• confuted. Daniel. 9.25.
• * 1.12

  The Iewes sur∣mise that the Messiah liueth in the world inuisibly.
• * 1.13

  Herodo. lib. 7.
• * 1.14

  As the capti∣uitie grew at three times. So the returne was at three times.
• * 1.15

  The riuer Bin∣damir.
• * 1.16

  Alexander at the request of a strumpet fi∣••eth Pe••sepolis.
• * 1.17

  Excellent ar∣mour made in Syras.
• * 1.18

  Batan a com∣modious por•• towne in the Persian Golfe for the East Indian company.
• * 1.19

  The riuer Ies∣dri ninneth close by Batan.