The estates, empires, & principallities of the world Represented by ye description of countries, maners of inhabitants, riches of prouinces, forces, gouernment, religion; and the princes that haue gouerned in euery estate. With the begin[n]ing of all militarie and religious orders. Translated out of French by Edw: Grimstone, sargeant at armes.

¶ The Religion.

MAhomet the sonne of Abdala, an idolater, of the race of Ismaell, and of Hennina a Iew, both of base condition, was borne in the yeare 562. Being growne to some yeares, the Arabians Scenites accustomed to make incursions, and to steale, tooke him, and sold him to a merchant of Persia, who finding him fit for trafficke, affected him, and made so great account of him, as after his maisters death, he married the widow. Being thus rich he raised his spirit to higher matters, and made vse of the time being then fit for innoua∣tions. [ D] The Arabians were discontented with the Emperour Heraclius. The heresies of Arrius and Nestorius had miserably torne and dismembred the Church: the Iewes made a great number: the Sarrazins were powerful; and the Roman Empire was full of slaues. Mahomet seeing this opportunitie, framed a law, in which euery one had his share. He was assisted therein by two Iewes Apostates, and two heretickes, whereof the one was cal∣led Iohn a Nestorian, and the other Sergius of the Arrian sect. The chiefe end of this law, was to ouerthrow the diuinitie of Iesus Christ, wickedly opposed by the Iewes and Arabians. First he persuaded his wife, and by her meanes his neighbours, that the An∣gell Gabriell spake vnto him, so as he imputed the falling sickenesse whereunto he was sub∣iect, [ E] to the brightnesse of this Angel which threw him to the ground: then he extended it, allowing all that was pleasing to the sence and flesh, and offering libertie to slaues which should receiue this law. So as being pursued by the Maisters of these slaues which had ioined with him, and had reuolted, he fled to Medina Tanalbi, where he re∣mained some time. From this flight the Mahometans begin their Hera, or the numbring of their yeares. But there was nothing that did helpe more to extend the sect of Maho∣met, than the multitude of his victories, who defeated the Persians, made himselfe mai∣ster of Arabia, and chased the Romans out of Suria: and his successors did afterwards in∣large their Empire from the riuer of Euphrates, to the Atlanticke sea: they held Spaine, Sicile, and many other prouinces, and almost with a continuall course of victories they [ F] subdued or afflicted the East and West for three hundred yeres.

But to returne to the law of Mahomet, it maintaines circumcision and the distinction of cleane and vncleane meats, to content the lewes: it denies the diuinitie of Iesus Christ to please the Arrians, who were then powerfull: it is full of fables, to content ido∣laters, and it giues libertie to the flesh wherein most men take delight.

They confesse one God, and honour Iesus Christ, not as the sonne of God, but as a [ A] Prophet borne of Marie the Virgin; but they belieue not that he died vpon the Crosse. They do not honour images, and will not haue any. Friday is their day of rest, as Sun∣day is ours. They obserue a Lent of thirtie daies, which they call Ramadan, or Romo∣dan, during the which they eat not any thing in the day time; but whenas night comes, all meats are indifferent, but swines flesh, and in like manner they abstaine from wine and women. After which they haue their Easter, called Bayran, which continues three daies, during which, they haue all sorts of pleasures: but this feast falls not out alwaies at one prefixt time; but it is sometimes in Sommer, sometimes in Winter, somtimes the Spring, and sometiues in Autumne, the which happens for that they account not the day ac∣cording [ B] to the course of the Sunne, but of the Moone: wherefore they do carefully ob∣serue the new Moone, and salute it, and weare the signe of the halfe Moone, as we doe tha•• of the Crosse.

They are circumcised, after the maner of the Iewes, but not after the eight day, but af∣ter the eight yeare. They haue no bells, but their priests go to the top of high towers, from whence they call the Turkes with a loud voice, fiue times a day and night to come to prayers. The Mahometans will not be called Turkes, for that this name in the Hebrew tongue signifies banished, but Musulmans, that is to say, belieuing well.

There are foure sects, which are as it were foure orders of religious men among the Turkes, which differ in manner of liuing, habit, and ceremonies. These be the Torla∣ques, [ C] Deruis, Kalenders, and Huguiemales, which be very wicked and vicious, and de∣ceiue the simple people. They conuerse with Christians without any scruple, eat and traf∣ficke with them freely, yea and sometimes they marrie their daughters, and suffer them to liue after their owne law and religion. But they hate the Iewes exceedingly, and con∣temne them as the most vile people in the world, and they do not vouchsafe to eat with them or to marrie their daughters, no a Iew is not receiued into the number of the Ma∣hometans vntill he hath beene baptised a Christian.

The Turkes not onely forbeare to blaspheme the name of God, and Mahomet, but al∣so that of Iesus Christ, and the Virgin Marie, or of any of the Saints, and they punish blas∣phemers grieuously, of what sect or condition soeuer. [ D]

They assure themselues, that he that shall strictly obserue the lawes of their Mahomet shall enioy eternall life, and a Paradice full of delights, which shall be a garden enuiro∣ned with two goodly riuers, seated vnder a cleere heauen, and a very temperat aire, where they shall haue all the contents they can desire or wish for, that is to say, store of all kinds of exquisit meates, and faire wom••n, which shall serue them in vessells of gold and siluer. They hold also that the Angells shall be their cupbearers, & bring them milke in cups of gold, and wine in boules of siluer. Contrariwise, they that shall breake the laws of the Alcaron, are threatned with hell, and eternall death. Yet to molifie this feare, they haue an opinion that he shal firmely belieue in the Alcaron when he dies, how great a sinner soeuer he hath beene, shall be saued without all doubt. [ E]