A collection of curious travels & voyages in two tomes ... / by John Ray ...

CHAP. XI

Of the GREEKS.

AS the ancient Greeks in former days did excel almost all other Nations in Wisdom and Understanding, and used to have their Children instructed at home in thir own Universities in all manner of Learning; so

in our times we find the contrary; for in all Greece there is not one University to be found, where such Discipline and Learning flourishes as did anciently: just so is the desire of Learning, and instructing their Children extinguished in them. They take greater de∣light in idle Discourses, and rather love Idleness, which they have learned very well, since they truckle under the Turkish Yoak. 'Tis true, they write the Greek Language, but which is as corrupt and different from the Ancient, as the Italian is from the Latin. The Turks despise them for their Laziness and Cowardize, and on the contrary they love the Germans, French and Italians, and praise them, saying, That they are stout and courageous Soldiers; they call them all by the same Name Franci, because the Divisions of our Country are unknown to most of them.

In former Ages they had here and there in large and eminent Towns, instead of the Pope (whom they will not obey, nor be subject unto) their Patriarch, Archbishops and Bishops, whereof some are still kept up: but after the Turks did take and possess themselves of their Country, there is fewer of them in number, and they have smaller Revenues.

Without their Country, they have in great trading Cities, as Cayro, Alepo, Antiochia of Syria, Venice, &c. their peculiar Churches, and chiefly in some holy places in the Land of Promise. As at Jerusalem the Temple of Mount Calvaria, the place of Sculls whereon Christ was Crucified: and also the beautiful Chancel that is in the middle of the Church: wherein is a round hole about a span over in a stone, which is, as they pretend, the middle of the Earth, according to the Words of the Kingly Prophet David, when he says: God, who now is my King from the beginning, has wrought our selves on the middle of the Earth. Besides these, they have ano∣ther called the Holy Cross, about an English Mile out of Town, which, as they pretend, is built on the same place where the Tree did grow, whereof they made the Cross of Christ. Besides this they have a great many more which I reckon unnecessary to mention here.

Some of their Church-Doors are so low, that you must stoop when you will go through them.

They believe that the Holy Ghost doth proceed only from the Father, and not from the Son. They keep yearly two great Fasts, and they eat Flesh upon the Sabbath, or Saturday, at pleasure: they sing the Mass in their own Language, that every Body may un∣derstand it. In their Churches they suffer no embossed Work, nor carved Images, but have plain Pictures on Boards, or on the Walls. They do not believe a Pur∣gatory (as the Papists there called Latini) nor that our Praying, Fasting or Offering, for the Dead, can do them any good. And they are mightily displeased, that the Roman Priests do not, according to the plain words of St. Paul, marry as well as they, nor give the Lords Holy Supper in both kinds, as our Lord himself did institute it. Wherefore they condemn such Er∣rors of the Popish Church, and excommunicate the Pope and his Adherents on the holy Friday yearly. And because they reckon them to be superstitious, they will not permit them to say Mass upon their Altars; but if they should do it, they accuse them before the Turkish Magistrates.

So it happened when I first came over, that they were very angry with a Papist that had said Mass upon their Altar, and so had profaned it, wherefore they did immediately consecrate the Altar again, and had the Priest before the Cadi: and they brought it so far, that he was mulcted Five hundred Ducats, to pay in a short time. When he thought that the Punishmenr was greater than the Trespass or Transgression, he did seek for help at Alepo and Tripoli by the French and Italian Consul, but did obtain no great matter, so that he was still in election to pay the Forfeiture.