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 description of Susa.

TRauelling two daies farther from the entrance in∣to this Kingdome, wee rested at Valdac, once the the great Citie Susa, but now verie ruinous. It was first built by Tythonus and his sonne Memnon, but inlar∣ged by Darius the sonne of Histaspis.

In the building whereof Memnon was so exceeding pro∣digall, that as Cassiodorus writeth, he ioyned the stones to∣gether with gold. It was once one of the regal Cities of the Kings of Persia; and was so rich that Aristag••ras did in this maner cheere vp the harts of his souldiers, when they came to besiege it. Hanc vos vrbem, si animose ceperitis, iam cum Ioue de diuitijs, licet certetis, If you can winne this Citie couragious souldiers, you may striue with Iupiter himselfe for riches: which Alexander had good experience of, when he found fiftie thousand talents in wedges of gold, besides siluer, and great store of coyne. Behold (saith Q. Curtius) that in an houre, which many kings had heaped to¦gether for posteritie, falleth now into the hands of a stran∣ger. In a word such was the beautie and delectablenesse thereof for situation, that they called it Susa, which then in the Persian tongue signifyeth a Lilly, but now it is called Valdac, of the pouertie of the place.

Close by this ruinous towne swimmeth the famous Ri∣uer Choaspes, which after many turnings and windings through the countrey of Susiana dischargeth it selfe in the Persian Golfe. The water of this riuer is very delicate to the tast; so that it is no meruaile, though the Persian and Parthiā kings in times past would by their good wils drink of no other water. For which purpose they had vessels of gold and siluer, to carry the same after them, whensoeuer they eyther did ride in prograce, or goe to the warres. Xerxes (as Varr•• relateth) being on a time exceeding thirstie, caused proclamation to be made throughou•• his campe, that if any soldier had any water of Choaspes left he should be well rewarded. And it so fell out, that a small quantitie was found, which though it was exceeding muddie by reason of carriage, yet that mightie Prince dranke freely of it. Of such account was ••his riuer in an∣cient time.

Hauing passed ouer this riuer, we set forward towards Mosul, a very antient towne in this countrey, sixe dayes iourney from Valdas; and so pitched on the bankes of the riuer Tigris. Here in these plaines of Assiria, and on the bankes of Tigris, and in the region of Eden, was Nineuie built by Nimrod, but finished by Ninus. It is agreed by all prophane writers, and confirmed by the Scriptures, that this citty exceeded all other citties in circuit, and answerable magnificence. For it seemes by the ruinous foundation (which I throughly viewed) that it was built with foure sides, but not equall or square; for the two longer sides had each of them (as we geffe) an hundreth and fifty furlongs; the two shorter sides, ninty furlongs, which amounteth to foure hundred and eighty furlongs of ground, which makes threescore miles, accounting eight furlongs to an Italian mile. The walles whereof were an hundreth foote vpright, and had such a breadth, as three Chariots might passe on the rampire in front: these walles were garnished with a thousand and fiue hundr••th towers, which gaue exceeding beauty to the rest, and a strength no lesse admirable for the nature of those times. Here it was that Ninus raigned, who after he had maistred Bactria, and subiected vnto his Empire al those regions betweene it and the Mediterranean sea, and Hellespont (Asia the lesse excepted) & finished the worke of Nin••uie, he left the world i•• the yeare thereof 2019. after he had reigned two and fifty yeares. After him suc∣ceeded Semiramis his wife, a Lady of great prowesse and vertue, who in this citty buried him so honourably and in such a sumptuous tombe, that it was the onely patterne which Artemesia the Queene of Caria made for her hus∣band Mausolus, and accounted for the rarenesse thereof, one of the seauen wonders of the world. Vpon the Pillars whereof was set this Epitaph. Mihi pat••r Belus Iupiter, Auus Saturnus Babilonicus, proauus Chus Saturnus Ae∣thiops, Abauus Saturnus Aegiptus, Atauus Coelus Phoenix

Ogyges, repeating the pedegree of Ninus to be the son of Belus, the sonne of Nimrod, the sonne of Chus, the son of Cham, and the sonne of Noah.

Now as the Monarchie of the Assyrians began by Ni∣nus, which lasted for the space of a thousand and two hundred yeares, and some adde fortie yeares more: so it ended in Sardanapalus, that beastly Epicure, who fin∣ding his forces too weake to fight against the power of Arbaces and Belochus his two Lieutenant••, the one in Media, and the other in Babylon, retired out of the field to his pallace in Niniuie, and there caused an huge fire to be made, into which hee cast himselfe and all his riches; herein onely playing the man. Such was the effeminate wantonnes of this King, that he consumed whole daies in the nurcerie among his concubines, sparing no time from incontinent exercises. As appeares by the Epitaph, which liuing, he commanded to be written on his tomb:

Ede, Bibe, Lude. Eate, Drinke, Play.

Which Epitaph, Aristotle chancing to find, stayed, and read the first part thereof, and smiling, said: A man wold thinke, this writing fitter to be fixed to the graue of an oxe, then written vpon the tombe of a Prince And hauing per∣used the three verses, concluded, That Sardanapalus en∣ioyed that being dead, which liuing he neuer had, but so long as he was in feeding his panch. Intimating, that all pleasures which are not reduced to necessity and hone∣stie, are very reprochfull

Here also raigned and dyed Saneherib, who at his re∣turne from the beseeging of Ierusalem was slaine by his two sons, Adramelech & Sharezar, as he was in the tem∣ple worshipping Nisro••h his god. Herodotus relates, that after his death, an image was set vp v••to him with this inscription; Learne by me to feare God; for a memoriall of Gods iudgement against him.

Finally, that this city was farre greater then Babilon,

being the Lady of the East, the Queene of Nations, and the riches of the world, hauing more people within her wals, then are now in some one kingdome: but now it is destroyed (as God foretold it should be by the Chaldae∣ans) being nothing else, then a sepulture of herself, a litle towne of small trade, where the Patriarch of the Nesto∣rians keeps his seate, at the deuotion of the Turkes. Sun∣dry times had we conference with this Patriarch: and a∣mong many other speeches which past from him, he wi∣shed vs that before we departed, to see the Iland of Eden, but twelue miles vp the riuer, which he affirmed was vn∣doubtedly a part of Paradise.

Notes

• Herodot. lib. 5.
• Cassiod. lib. 7. ••ariar. ••pist. 15.
• The riuer Ch••aspes.
• The descrip∣tion of Ni∣neuie.
• The magnifi∣cent building of Nineuie by Ninus.
• Ninus reig∣ned in Nine∣u••e.
• The rich and sumptuous tombe of Ninus.
• His Epitaph.
• Sardanapolus the last king of the Assyrians.
• Sardanapalus destroyeth himselfe.
• His Epi••••ph.
• San••he••ib slain by h••s 2. sons. 2. Reg. 19 37. Herodotus lib. 2.