The merchants map of commerce wherein the universal manner and matter relating to trade and merchandize are fully treated of, the standard and current coins of most princes and republicks observ'd, the real and imaginary coins of accounts and exchanges express'd, the natural products and artificial commodities and manufactures for transportation declar'd, the weights and measures of all eminent cities and towns of traffick in the universe, collected one into another, and all reduc'd to the meridian of commerce practis'd in the famous city of London / by Lewis Roberts, merchant.

CHAP. LXVI. Of Tyrus, and the ancient Trade thereof.

* 1.1TYrus lieth also in this Tract, or to say more properly and more truly, did once lie in this Tract, which for its great splendor in Traffick in times past deserveth here the commemo∣ration thereof, which I will insert as I find it noted by the Prophet Ezekiel in chap. 26. and 27. the greatness and amplitude of which Trade now ruin'd and altogether desolate, serving for ex∣ample to all eminent Cities of Traffick, that the Merchants Inhabitants of those places forget not God the giver of that plenty and abundance; nor yet abuse the same to their own de∣struction, as is shewed there it was to the Tyrians. Tyrus then in the height of its greatness is recorded ••o have a very great Trade, and so large that it served for a general Mart to all the World, and that all Nations were furnished with their Merchandize and Commodities thence, which wonderfully inriched the City, and increased the power of the Citizens; so that she is there termed the strong and renowned City of the Sea, and which was mightily inhabited by Sea-men and Merchants, whose power and greatness in Navigation and Trade is described by many particulars in that Chapter; as First, That her Ship-Timber was of the Fir trees of Hermon∣hill, and the Masts thereof were of Cedar, and brought from Lebanon, and the Oars thereof were of the Oaks of Bashan; the Sails thereof were fine imbroidered Linnen brought from Aegypt, and the coverings (or as Sea-men term it their awnings) were of blew Silk and Purple, brought from the Isles of Elishah: their Mariners were the Inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad, and their Ship-Masters and Pilots were the wisest of the City, and their Car••enters, Shipwrights and Calkers were the ancients of Gebal, and the wise men thereof; and all the Ships of the Sea with their M•…•…iners negotiated in her in the Traffick of Merchandize. Now those that traded hither, and were the Merchants thereof, and the Commodities for which they traded is also recor••ed there, for the Merchants of Tarshish brought hither to the Fairs all rich Commodities, as Si••ver, Iron, Tin, Lead: The Merchants of Graecia, Italy and Cappadocia, fur••ished it with Slaves for labour, and with all manner of vessels of Brass. The Merchants of Togarmah brought hither to her Marts Horses and Mules for carriage. The Merchants of Dedan brought Unicorns Horns and Elephants Teeth. The Merchants of Aram brought to her Fairs Emerald, Coral, Pearls, fine Lin∣nen, and Purple imbroidered Works. The Merchants of Israel brought Honey, Balm, Oyl, and Wheat. The Merchants of Damasco brought Wines, Woolls, and multitude of other rich Wares. The Merchants of Dan and Javan brought Iron-work, Cassia, Calamus,. The Merchants of Arabia furnished it with Cattel. Of Sheba and Ramah with Spices and precious Stones and Gold. And to conclude, all the Nations of those Regions were accounted the Merchants that did traffick thither with all the riches of their several Countries, and furnished the same with the best of their Sea-men, and the principal of their Ships for Navigation: but the Holy Prophet in lieu of their then greatness, prophesied their future misery; instead of their then riches, pro∣phesied their future poverty, which is there recorded to have fallen deservedly upon this City,

and their Inhabitants, for glorying in their own strength and opulence, and for deriding of the holy City of Jerusalem, by rejoycing at the visitation and fall which God had been pleased to afflict her withal; so that many years past the said Prophesie hath been in her fulfilled, as now we see it in these days to be; for many Nations have risen up against it, and the waves of the Se•• have devoured it; the riches thereof are robbed, and the Merchandize thereof are spoiled the Nations that have known the splendor of it, are risen up in astonishment at it, the waten have covered it; and in fine, the same is brought to nothing, and shall never hereafter have a being, which is fully accomplished in every particular: Therefore let each flourishing City of Trade, and every Merchant exercising traffick, take warning by their ruin and desolation, and by their just and faithful dealing and upright conversation, endeavour to divert the wrath of God from the Cities of their Habitations; and having the sin of the Tyrians ever in remem∣brance, they may thereby hope to avoid their Punishment.

Now as for the Country of Judea, I find not that it affords any eminent City of Trade in these our days, though otherwise it be famous in Scripture in times past, both for the City of Bethleem, where our Saviour Christ was born, and where it was found the Innocents did suffe for him ere he suffered for them; * 1.2and also for the City of Jericho, destroyed by the sounding of Rams horns; * 1.3and lastly, for Jerusalem the City of the Lord, built by Melchisedeck. Prince and Priest of Salem, in the Country of the Jebusites; but since that time having been laid waste divers times, and having again found new re-edifiers, is now of little consequence: Here w•…•… that most magnificent Temple built by Solomon, and the famous Temple of the Sepulchre 〈◊〉〈◊〉 by Helena Daughter to Coilus a British King, and Mother to Constantine the Great; the ruines thereof is yet much resorted unto both by Protestants and Papists, though for sundry ends; which place affordeth now not any Trade to any Nation save to the Jews, who farm of the Grand Signior this abovesaid Temple at 80000 Sultanies yearly, and every Pilgrim or other Christian entring, must pay 9 Sultanies to the said Farmers for admittance; so that the poste∣rity of those Jews make an an unrighteous gain and traffick by his death, whom unrighteoush their Fore-fathers occasioned to die.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Of Tyrus, and the an∣cient Trade thereof.
• * 1.2

  Jericho.
• * 1.3

  Jerusalem.