Purchas his pilgrimes. part 1 In fiue bookes. The first, contayning the voyages and peregrinations made by ancient kings, patriarkes, apostles, philosophers, and others, to and thorow the remoter parts of the knowne world: enquiries also of languages and religions, especially of the moderne diuersified professions of Christianitie. The second, a description of all the circum-nauigations of the globe. The third, nauigations and voyages of English-men, alongst the coasts of Africa ... The fourth, English voyages beyond the East Indies, to the ilands of Iapan, China, Cauchinchina, the Philippinæ with others ... The fifth, nauigations, voyages, traffiques, discoueries, of the English nation in the easterne parts of the world ... The first part.

CHAP. III. Of diuers other principall Voyages, and Peregrinations mentioned in holy Scripture. Of the trauells and dispersions of the Iewes; and of Nationall transmigrations.

HAuing premised the two former Tractates, as the two Eyes of Peregrinations most faire Face, I shall be as briefe in the following, as I haue in them beene te∣dious [ 10] and discursiue. The first voyage of Mankind was out of Paradise into the cursed parts of the Earth,* 1.1 thence with sweat and labour to get his liuing, Cains restlesse wandrings, and yet still dwelling in the Land of Nod, tha•• is of agi∣tation and vexation, neuer being still (there is no peace saith my God, to the wic∣ked) and Henochs contrary walking with God, I need not mention. And I haue already mentio∣ned the first Ship and voyage by water,* 1.2 Noahs Arke, and the first earthly Peregrination after to the Plaine of Shinar,* 1.3 where Babels building was with mutuall babbling or confusion of Langua∣ges confounded; which gaue occasions to the dispersion of Mankind ouer the Earth, that is, to the planting and peopling of the World, of which I haue giuen account somewhat largely before, in the first Booke of my Pilgrimage.* 1.4 Abram is called out of Vr of the Chaldees, and trauells with Lot to Haran first, and after into Canaan: thence Famine forced him into Egypt; after hee sets [ 20] forth for the recouery of Lot in a Martiall Expedition against foure Kings, returning by Melchi∣sedek King of Salem. Abraham after many tent-wandrings comes to Gerar, and after Isaacs birth and blessed hopes conceiued of him,* 1.5 is sent on the most difficult iourney to Moriah: at Hebron he burieth his Wife and fellow Traueller: sends his seruant to Mesopotamia for Rebekah: and ha∣uing sent his multiplied issue by Keturah vnto the East Countrey (as before Ishmael) hee ended his earthly Pilgrimage. Isaac inherits the promises, and yet trauelleth of them by trauelling, not founding Cities but dwelling in Tabernacles, as did Iacob also, before and after his long seruice in Padan Aram,* 1.6 till at last hee descended into Egypt, whither God had sent Ioseph in a former Pe∣regrination. These both died in Faith, and gaue charge, the one for his dead body, the other for his bones to trauell to Canaan the type of their hopes. [ 30]

Out of Egypt God called his Sonne, now multiplied into an Armie as is before obserued: which yet are not presently in Canaan after the passage of the Red Sea,* 1.7 but are Pilgrims fortie yeeres in the Wildernesse. Wee also after wee haue escaped the bondage of hellish Pharao, and seene him vanq••ished in the Red Sea of Christs bloud, whereinto wee are baptised, must liue the life of Faith, passing thorow the wildernesse of this World, hauing no more sustenance to our soules from our meere naturall powers, then there their plowing and husbandry yeelded their bodies: but as their food and raiment,* 1.8 were the effects of Gods grace, and not humane labour; so not by the workes of righteousnesse, which wee haue done, but according to his mercy hee saueth vs: and by his Word and Spirit as a pillar of cloud by day, and of fire by night trauelleth with vs, till Ioshua, the [ 40] true IESVS (for Moses brings not into Canaan, nor can the Law iustifie) set vs in possession of the heauenly Canaan, where Iericho is battered not by warlike Engines, but by the power of faith in the Word and Couenant of God; and the houses which our workes builded not, and vineyards which our merits planted not, euen the Thrones which Angells lost, are made ours for euer by free grace and meere mercy. This is that rest, into which none but Trauellers can enter, and that by crowding so hard into that naerrow gate,* 1.9 that they must leaue themselues * 1.10 behind; nor take pos∣session of, but by losse of life it selfe, passing that Iordan which floweth the way of all flesh into the Dead Sea, before they can liue with God.

Nor need men thinke much to trauell, where God himselfe was a Mysticall Traueller in the Tabernacle, til Salomon built him an House adorned by Ophirian Nauigations. Saul before this had trauelled to seeke lost Asses,* 1.11 and stumbled on an earthly Kingdome: Dauid by keeping of Sheepe [ 50] and following the Ewes with yong was initiated, and after by many many trauels trained to the Mysteries of Royalty,* 1.12 which with diuersified trauells hee exercised all his dayes. Ieroboams tra∣uels to Egypt taught him those caluish deuotions, which made Israel trauell into many Assyrian Plantations;* 1.13 and Iudah also was carried captiue to Babylon, restored by a trauell from thence to Ierusalem vnder Zorobabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah; a mystery of that mystie deportation of the Christian Church, by ignorance and superstition, and her reformation by Godly Princes and Pa∣stors. Hirams Mission, the Queene of Shebas Visitation, Ionabs Iourney to Niniue, intimate the calling of the Gentiles,* 1.14 whose First-fruits were the Wisemen of the East, which came so farre a voy∣age to salute the New borne King of the Iewes.

* 1.15The Deuill also is a Traueller, and continually compasseth the Earth to and fro, and goeth about [ 60] as ••••oaring Lyon seeking whom to deuoure; trauelling of mischiefe, and conceiuing lies. Such were the Assyrian, Syrian, Persian, Babylonian, Egyptian, and other trauels of the Churches Enemies; theirs also which in blind zeale comp••ssed Sea and Land to make Pharisaicall Proselites. In Mordecais time,

you see in the Booke of Esther the Iewish dispersions thorow all the one hundred and twenty se∣uen Persian Prouinces, euen from India to Ethiopia, long after the returne vnder Zorobabel,* 1.16 which multiplied no doubt in Ages following accordingly.

But why looke I for Trauellers and Voyages there, where the Church was tied to one place,* 1.17 to trauell thither three times a yeere, and therefore ordinarily not to bee farre from thence? The Babylonian and Alexandrian dispersions, after the Captiuity we haue already mentioned; where∣by the World was strewed with Iewes (not to mention the Israelites) as Apparitors to the Mes∣sias, and preparers thereof to Christianitie in the Apostles preaching. Then indeed the Iewes were Trauellers from all parts to Ierusalem, & as men were more religiously affected, There dwelled at Ie∣salem [ 10] Iewes, deuout men out of euery Nation vnder Heauen, which being of Iewish Parentage,* 1.18 were by the place of their birth, Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, Mesopotamians, Cappadocians, of Pon∣tus and Asia, Phrygiae and Pamphilia, Egypt, and of the parts of Libya about Cyrene, Strangers of Rome, Iewes and Proselytes, Cretes and Arabians.

This was after that imprecation of theirs, His bloud bee on vs and on our children: so did God seeke to ouercome their euill with his goodnesse:* 1.19 but when they which had before persecuted the seruants, and crucified the Lord of glory himselfe, now resisted the holy Ghost,* 1.20 being vncircum∣cised in hearts and eares, and iudged themselues vnworthy of eternall life; God let out his Vineyard to other Husbandmen, and the fall of the Iewes became the riches of the World. Then came the wrath of God on them to the vtmost, and they became a trauelling Nation indeed, trauelling [ 20] now aboue 1500. yeeres from being a Nation;* 1.21 and Moses his prophecie was verified in their scattering from one end of the World to the other. Eleuen hundred thousand are said to haue perished in Ierusalem alone (where Christ had been crucified) besides all other sl••ughters in all other parts of Iudaea, in that fatall warre vnder Vespasian and Titus: 97000. were sold to be distracted slaues thorow the world, Galatinus saith 200000. thirty of them for one piece of Siluer,* 1.22 which had gi∣uen thirty pieces for him which came to make them free. Yet had not the Land spued out all her Inhabitants, but grew so queasie and full of qualmes, that the remainders in Adrians time enter∣tained Bencochab for their Messias, who with 200000. Iewes in his Army, is said to haue rebelled and bred such combustions, that this Sonne of the Starre (so his name soundeth) was after called Barchosba, the Sonne of Lying. It were prodigious * 1.23, not hyperbolicall alone, to tell what the Iewes [ 30] tell of their following slaughters: 700000. slaine in Egypt, and in Iudaea, so many as passeth all mo∣desty to relate after them. Dion Nicaeus tells of fifty Castles and nine hundred and eighty of their best Townes rased, 580000. slaine,* 1.24 besides innumerable multitudes which perished by fa∣mine, fire, diseases, and other Baggage of Inuading Campes.

Aeliu•• Adrianus banished the Iewes from Cyprus and Iudaea, erected a new City instead of Ieru∣salem, called of his owne name Aelia,* 1.25 and set Images of Swine ouer the Gates as Porters to keepe out the Iewes, yea prohibited by Edict the Iewes to looke toward it from any high place. Traian before was instigated by their rebellion, to destroy many thousands of t••em in Egypt, Cyrene, and Mesopotamia. And euer since, those which are contrary to all men,* 1.26 haue found all men contrary to them; and haue liued (if such slauery and basenesse be a life) like Cain, wandring ouer the World▪ [ 40] branded with Shame and Scorne. Spaine, England, France, Germany, Poland, Italy, Turkie, all the In∣dies as farre as China haue had them Inhabitants; haue had indeed, for many haue giuen them terrible expulsions, the rest vsing cruell and vnkind hospitalitie, so that they are strangers where they dwell, and Trauellers where they reside, still continuing in the throwes of trauell both of misery and mischiefe. But I haue handled this matter more fully in my Pilgrimage, and both Beniamin Tudelensis a Trauelling Iew, and other Trauellers in the following Relations, will giue you strange trauells of theirs thorow Asia, Africa, and Europe; in all their dispersions to this day retaining their bloud, name, rites, as disposed by a higher and most mercifull prouidence, which in his time will shew mercy on them, to see him by the eye of Faith,* 1.27 whom by the hand of Cru∣elty they had crucified, and all Israel shall be saued, and returne to the Church by a more generall [ 50] Conuersion then hath yet beene seene; and as their reiection hath proued the reconciling of the World, so the receiuing of them shall be life from the dead.

All times are in Gods hand, but hee which hath promised is able to performe: and perhaps if Rome the Spirituall Babylon bee captiued and ruined, which hath obtruded so long on them the monsters of Image worship, Transubstantiation, worshipping of so many Saints, with other see∣mings of refined Ethnicisme, and imposeth on Conuerts the losse of all their substance; the way shall bee made more plaine for them: which wee hope is growing to some ripenesse in this Age, when about so many yeeres haue passed since the calling of the Gentiles, as from Iacobs Family in Egypt, growing to the face and proportion of a People and Nation, vnto their destruction: and full out as many as were from Iosephs death in Egypt, to the destruction of the Temple vnder Ti∣tus, [ 60] and more then from Moses his Exodus, to that other Exodus and extermination vnder Adri∣an. We are no Prophets, and must learne by euent the certainty of Gods (before secret) c••••••sells. In meane while let vs pray, Hallowed be thy Name, thy Kingdome come,* 1.28 that this trauelling Nation may one day trauell in birth of Christ till he be formed in them, and with the prodigall Sonne, may trauell from their wandrings, and at once returne to their Father and to themselues, that we may all

meet in the vnity of Faith, and Gods will may bee done in Earth, as it is done in Heauen, there being but one Shepheard and one Sheepefold, Amen. As the Iewish Nation hath been litterally Trauellers, so the Christian Church is alway trauelling spiritually to her home, and from her selfe; and the Iewish deportation to Babylon, was a figure of the Antichristian Captiuity in Romish and Popish superstition, of which wee haue taken occasion to speake more fully elsewhere * 1.29.

As at first the World was peopled by peregrination successiuely from Noahs Arke, and Babels Tower: so in the worldly vicissitude of all things, a world of peregrinations haue happened in the World, and that of worlds of men together, in Nationall inuasions, plantings, supplantings, Co∣lonies and new alterations of the face of the world in each part thereof. Thus the Israelites sup∣planted the Canaanites & dwelt in their rooms;* 1.30 as did the Moabites to the giantly Emims, the Edo∣mites to the Horims, the Ammonites to the Zamzummims, and other Nations to others. To re∣cite [ 10] these were to recite all Stories in manner of the World: Lazius de Migrationibus Gentium, and others haue in part vndertaken it. For euen in Palestina alone how many successions haue beene, of Canaanites, Israelites, Assyrians (after called Samaritans) and Iewes together? Of those which the Romans placed or permitted, of Saracens, of Frankes, or Westerne Christians in so many millions as two hundred yeers space sent out of Christendome thither; of Drusians, Syrians, & a very Babylon of Nations (none and all) euer since? This Britaine of ours, besides those which first gaue it name (whose remainders still enioy Wales) hath admitted Romane sprinklings and Colonies, and after that a generall deluge of Saxons, Iuttes, and Angles; tempests and stormes out of Den∣marke and Norway, and lastly the Norman mixture and combination. Neither is there any Regi∣on of ancient Note, which hath not sustained chance ••nd change in this kind. But wee mind not [ 20] such neere peregrinations, as these vsually were, but longer Voyages and remoter Trauells. And such also we haue already mentioned in Sesostris the Egyptian, in the Phoenicians, in the Assyrians, vnder Semiramis to India, besides Eudoxu•• and other priuater persons; and such are the Fables or outworne Stories of Ethnike Antiquity, touching the Atlantines, Osiris, Bacchus, Hercules, Per∣seus, Daedalus; and those which retaine some more truth, though obscure enough, of the Argo∣nauts, Vlysses,* 1.31 Menelaus, Aenaeas, Hanno, Himilco, Iambolus, and others; some of which shall fol∣low in the following Relations. That of Alexander is more renowmed, and first opened the East to the West, and to Europe gaue the Eyes of Geography and History, to take view of India and the Regions adiacent. And here is the first solid foot-print of History in this kind, though heere also Trauellers haue beene as farre from the truth, as from their homes, and haue too often trauel∣led [ 30] of Vanitie and Lies.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Paradise.
• * 1.2

  Es. 57.31.
• * 1.3

  Babel.
• * 1.4

  Abram and Lot
• * 1.5

  Abraham and Isaac.
• * 1.6

  Iacob & Ioseph.
• * 1.7

  Moses & Aaron. Israels peregri∣nation in the Desert. See it before in Map.
• * 1.8

  Tit. 3.5. Exod. 13.
• * 1.9

  Matt. 7.
• * 1.10

  Matt. 16.24.
• * 1.11

  Saul. Dauid.
• * 1.12

  Ieroboam.
• * 1.13

  Captiuity.
• * 1.14

  Matt. 2.
• * 1.15

  Iob. 1. ••. Pet. 5.
• * 1.16

  Est. vlt.
• * 1.17

  Deut. 16.
• * 1.18

  Act. 2.5, 9, 10, 11
• * 1.19

  Matt. 27.
• * 1.20

  Act. 7. & 13.
• * 1.21

  Deut. 28. Ios. de Bel. Iud. l. 7. c. 24.
• * 1.22

  Gal. Arcan. l. 4.21.
• * 1.23

  See my Pil∣grima••e l. 2. c. 10
• * 1.24

  Dion Adrian.
• * 1.25

  Iewes d••struc∣tions.
• * 1.26

  Iewes dispersiōs
• * 1.27

  See my Pilg. l. 2. c. 21. Rom. 15.26. Rom. 11.15.
• * 1.28

  Ga••. 4 1••. Luc. 15. 〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.29

  To. 1. l. 8. c. 6.
• * 1.30

  Deut. 2.9, 12, 20
• * 1.31

  Varro distin∣guished Rela∣tions of times into 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: that is, Fabulous, Obscure, and Historicall.