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 New Babilon, now called Bagdat.

BY this riuer the cittie Bagdat is very aboundantly furnished with all kinde of prouision both of corne, flesh, fowle, fish, and venison of all sorts; besides great store of fruit, but especially of dates, and that very cheape. This citty by some is called new Babilon, and may well be, because it did rise out of the ruines of old Babilon, not farre distant, being nothing so great, nor so faire: for it conteines in circuit but three English miles; and is built but of brick dryed in the sunne: their houses also beeing flat roofed and lowe. They haue no raine for eight mo∣neths together, nor almost any clowd in the skie night nor day. Their winter is in Nouember, December, Ianu∣ary and February, which moueths are neuerthelesse as warme as our summer in England. In a word, this towne was once a place of great trade and profit, by reason of the huge Carauans, which were wont to come from Per∣sia and Balsara: but since the Portugalls, Englishmen, and Hollanders, haue by their traffique into the East-Indies, cut off almost all the trade of Marchandize into the gulfs of Arabia and Persia, both Grand Cairo in Egipt, and Bag∣dat in Assyria, are not now of that benefit, as they haue beene, either to the merchant, or great Turke; his tributes both in Egypt, and his customes in this place being much hindred thereby.

Memorable not withstanding is this towne; for that it was the onely place, where for the space of six hundreth yeares, the Mahumetane Caliphes were resident and kept their sumptuous court; vntill the Tartare Prince and the King of Armenia (as before is declared) did besiege it, and in the end tooke it, with the Caliph also, together with an inestimable masse of treasure. Which treasure when the two Princes saw, they demanded of the Caliph,

why he would not with the same leauy and wage souldi∣ers for his owne defence. Whereunto he answered, that vnto that time, he thought, his owne subiects had beene sufficient enough to haue resisted any forraine enemie: which they vnderstanding, immediatly caused all that treasure to be carried into the castle, and the couetou•• wretch set in the midst of the same, forbidding that any man should giue him either meat or drink, where he mi∣serably dyed through famine, in the midst of his riches.

After it continued vnder the Tartar and Persian go∣uernment, vntil it was taken by Solyman the Turkish Em∣peror, from Tamas the Persian king, who (after it was yeelded vnto him) according to an old superstitious man∣ner, receiued at the hands of a poore Caliph, the ensignes and ornaments of the kings of Assyria▪ so this city, with the great countries of Assyria and Mesopotamia, somtimes famous kingdomes of themselues, and lately part of the Persian kingdome, fell into the hands of the great Turke, in the yeare 1534, and so haue continued euer since Prouinces of the Turkish Empire. It was reported vnto Rodulphus the Emperor for a certaine truth, that the king of Persia had won this citie & these countries again from the Turk, in the yeare 1604 but that newes was not true; for in Aprill last 1611, it was then vnder the Turkish go∣uernement.

Within two daies trauell of Bagdat, lyeth Cafe a little village, where the bodies of Aly, whome the Persians ho∣nor, and his two sons Hassan and Ossain lye entombed: by whose sepulchers, it is in great credit, and is euery vere vi∣sited by the Persians in all respects, after the same sort, that the Turks do visit the sepulchers of the three first succes∣sors Abuchacher, Ottaman, and Omar: yea the very Kings of Persia vsed to be crowned and gi••t with the sword in this place, where the Caliph was wont to keepe his resi∣dence as being the man that represented Aly, and occupied the chiefe roome of their filthy & abhominable priest-hood.

Hauing stayed 20. daies at Bagdat, wee put our selues into the company of a Chiaus, who was bound from the Bassa of Bagdat for Constantinople, being in number sixe∣teen persons and no more, to trauell through a great part of Chaldaea, and the defart of Arabia. So soon as we were out of this cittie, we passed ouer the swift riuer Tigris, on a great bridge made with boats, chained together with two mighty chaines of Iron: and so entred into a part of Bag∣dat, on this side of the riuer, like London and Southwarke, where we stayed foure dayes.

Notes

• Bagdat the seat of the Ca∣liph for sixe hundreth yeere••.
• Bagdat won by the Tartar Prince and King of Armenia.
• Bagdat yeel∣ded vnto the Turkes.
• A Caliph is a man reueren∣ced of all Ma∣hometa•• Prin∣ces, and hath an old priui∣ledge in the choice & con∣firmation of the Assyrian kings and Su∣••ans of Egyp••
• At Case the body of Aly intombed.