If you enquire how Justice is executed, alas, what need is there of exemplary Punishment where no Offences are committed, neither need they any Lawyers, for there is no Contention, the Seeds whereof, when they begin to sprout, are by the Wisdom of the next Superior pluckt up by the Roots. And as little Want is there of Physicians, they never surfeit themselves; the Air is always pure and temperate, neither is there any Cause of Sickness, I could never hear of any that were distempered. But the Time assigned them by Nature being spent, they die without the least Pain, or rather cease to live, as a Candle does to give Light when what nourishes it is consumed. I was once at the Departure of one of them, and was much surprized, that notwithstanding the happy Life he lived, and the Multitude of friends and Children he should forsake, yet as soon as he understood his End to approach, he prepared a great feast, and inviting all whom "he esteemed, exhorts them, to be merry and rejoice with him, since the Time was come he should now leave the counterfeit Pleasures of that World, and be made Partaker of all true Joy and perfect Happiness."
I did not so much admire his own Constancy, as the Behaviour of his friends: With us in the like Case all seem to mourn, when many of them do oft but laugh in their Sleeves, or under a Vizard. But here all both Young and Old did, in my Conscience, not pretendedly, but really rejoice thereat, and if any dissembled, it was only Grief for their own particular Loss. Being dead their Bodies putrify not, and so are not buried, but kept in certain Rooms appointed to that Purpose, so that most of them can shew their Ancestors Bodies uncorrupt for many Generations: There is never any Rain, Wind, or change of Weather, never either Summer or Winter, but as it were a perpetual Spring, yielding all Pleasure and Content, free from the least Trouble or Annoyance; O my Wife and Children, what Wrong have you done me to bereave me of the Happiness of that Place! But it is no great Matter, for by this Voyage I am sufficiently assured, that when the Race of my mortal Life is run, I shall attain a greater Happiness elsewhere.
It was the ninth of September that I began to ascend from the Pike of Teneriff; twelve Days I was upon my Voyage, and arrived in that Province of the Moon called Simiri, Sept. 21. May 12, we came to the Court of the great Irdonozur, and returned back the 17th to the Palace of Pylonas, where I continued till March 1601. When I earnestly requested Pylonas, as I had oft done before, to give me Leave to depart, tho' with Hazard of my Life, back into the Earth again. He dissuaded me, insisting on the Danger of the Voyage, the Misery of that Place from whence I came, and the abundant Happiness I now enjoyed; but the Remembrance of my Wife and Children, outweighed all these Reasons, and to say the Truth, I was so elated with a Desire of the Glory I should purchase at my Return, as methought I deserved not the Name of a Spaniard, if I would not hazard twenty Lives rather than lose the least Particle thereof. I replied I had so strong a Desire to see my Children, that I could not possibly live any longer without going to them: He then requested me to stay one Year longer; I told him, I must needs depart now or never, my Birds began to droop for want of their usual Voyage, three were already dead, and if a few more failed, I was destitute of all Possibility of Return. At length with much Solliciting I prevailed, having first acquainted the great Irdonozur with my Intentions, and perceiving by the often baying of my Birds a great Longing in them to be gone, I trimmed up my Engine, and took my Leave of Pylonas, and March 29, three Days after my waking from, the last Moon's Light, I fastened myself to my Engine, not forgetting to take the Jewels Irdonozur had given me, with the Virtues and Use whereof Pylonas had acquainted me at large, with a small Quantity of Victuals, whereof afterward I had great Occasion. A vast Multitude of People being present, and among them Pylonas himself, after I had given them all the last Farewel, I let loose the Reins to my Birds, who with much Greediness taking Wing, quickly carried me out of Sight; it happened to me as in my first Passage, for I never felt either Hunger or Thirst till I fell upon an high Mountain in China, about five Leagues from the High and Mighty City of Pequin. This Voyage was performed in less than nine Days, neither heard I any News of these airy Men I met with in my ascending; nothing stayed me in my Journey, whether because of the earnest Desire of my Birds to return to the Earth, having already missed their Season, or that the Attraction of the Earth was so much stronger than that of the Moon, and so made it easier, yet so it was, though I had three Birds less than before. For the first eight Days my Birds flew before me, and I on the Engine was as it were drawn after; but the ninth Day, when I began to approach the Clouds, I perceived myself and Engine to sink toward the Earth, and go before them. I was then horribly afraid, least my Birds unable to bear our Weight, being so few, should be constrained to precipitate both me and themselves headlong to the Earth, and thought it very necessary to make use of my Stone Ebelus, which I clapt to my bare Skin within my Clothes, and instantly I perceived my Birds made way with greater Ease than before, as seeming freed from a great Burthen, neither do I think they could possibly have let me down safely to the Earth without that Help.
China is a Country so populous, that I think there is scarce a Piece of Ground thrice a Man's Length which is not carefully manured: I being yet in the Air, some of the Country People spying me came running by Troops, and seized me, would needs carry me before a Magistrate, and seeing no other Remedy I yielded to them. But when I tried to go I found myself so light, that one foot being on the Ground I had much ado to set down the other, which was by reason my Ebelus took all Weight away from my Body, therefore I pretended a Desire of performing the Necessities of Nature; which being made known to them by Signs, for they understood not a Word of any Language I could speak, they permitted me to go aside among a few Bushes, assuring themselves it was impossible I should escape from them; being there, I remembred Pylonas his Directions about the Use of my Stones, and knit them up, with a few remaining Jewels, into an Handkerchief, all except the least and worst Ebelus, which I found Means to apply in such Manner to my Body, that but the half of its Side touched my Skin; this done I drew toward my Guardians, till coming so near that they could not cross my Way, I shewed them a fair Pair of Heels, that I might have Time to hide my Jewels, which I knew they would have robbed me of if not prevented. Being thus lightened I led them such a Dance, that had they been all upon the Backs of so many Race-Horses they could never have overtaken me; I directed my Course to a thick Wood, wherein I entered about a Quarter of a League, and there finding a fine Spring, which I took for my Mark, I thrust my Jewels into a Hole made by a Mole hard by.
I then took my Victuals out of my Pocket, to which till now in all my Voyage I had not the least Appetite, and refreshed myself therewith, till the People who pursued overtook me, into whole Hands I quietly surrendered myself; they led me to an inferior Officer, who understanding that I escaped from those who first apprehended me, caused an Inclosure of Boards to be made, wherein they put me, so that only my Head was at Liberty, and then carried me upon the Shoulders of sour Slaves, like some notorious Malefactor, before a Person of great Authority, who in their Language I learnt, was called a Mandarin, and resided a League off the famous City of Pequin. I could not understand them, but found I was accused for something with much Vehemence, the Substance of this Accusation it seems was, that I was a Magician, as appeared by my being so strangely carried in the Air, and that being a Stranger, as both my Language and Habit did declare, I contrary to the Laws of China had entered the Kingdom without a Warrant, and probably for no good Intent. The Mandarin heard them with a great deal of Gravity, and being a Man of quick Apprehension, and studious of Novelties, he told them he would take such Order as the Case required, and my bold Attempt should not go unpunished: Having dismist them, he ordered his Servants I should be kept in a remote Pare of his vast Palace, be strictly guarded, and kindly used; this I conjecture by my Treatment, and what followed, for my Accommodation was much better than I could expect, I lodged well, eat well, was well attended, and could complain of nothing but my Restraint; Thus continued I many Months, afflicted more with the Thoughts of my Gansas than any Thing else, who I knew must be irrecoverably lost, as indeed they were.
In this Time by my own Industry, and the Assistance of those who accompanied me, I learnt to speak indifferently the Language of that Province, (for almost every Province in China hath its proper Tongue) whereat I perceived they were much pleased: At length I was permitted to take the Air, and brought into the spacious Garden of that Palace, a Place of extraordinary Pleasure and Delight, adorned with Herbs and Flowers of admible Sweetness and Beauty, with almost infinite Variety of fruits, European and others, all composed with that rare Curiosity, as even ravished my Senses in the Contemplation of such delightful Objects; I had not long recreated myself here, when the Mandarin entered the Garden on that Side I was walking, of which having Notice by his Servants, and that I ought to kneel to him (a usual Reverence I found toward great Officers) I did so, and humbly intreated his savour toward a poor Stranger, who arrived in these Parts not designedly, but by the secret Disposal of the Heavens, he answered in a different Language which I hear all the Mandarins use, and like that of the Lunars consisting chiefly of Tunes, which was interpreted by one of his Attendants, wishing me to be of good Comfort, since he intended no Harm to me. Next Day I was ordered to come before him, and being conducted into a noble Dining-room exquisitely painted, the Mandarin commanding all to avoid, vouchsafed to confer with me in the vulgar Language, enquiring into the State of my Country, the Power of my Prince, and the Religion and Manners of the People; wherein having satisfied him, he asked me about my Education, and what brought me into this remote Country; I then declared to him the Adventures of my Life, omitting what I thought convenient, and especially forbearing to mention the Stories given me by Irdonozur.
The Strangeness of my Story did much amaze him, and finding in all my Discourse nothing tending to Magick, wherein he hoped by my Means to be intruded, he began to admire the Excellency of my Wit, applauding me for the happiest Man that this World ever saw, and wishing me to repose myself after my long Narration, he for that Time dismissed me. After which the Mandarin took so much Delight in me, that no Day passed wherein he did not fend for me: At length he advised me to cloath myself in the Habit of that Country, which I willingly did, and gave me not only the Liberty of his House, but took me also with him when he went to Pequin, whereby I had Opportunity to learn the Disposition of the People, and the Policy of the Country, neither did I by my Attendance on him, gain only the Knowledge of these Things, but the Possibility likewise of being restored to my native Soil, and to those dear Pledges which I value above the World, even my Wise and Children: for by often frequenting Pequin, I at length heard of some fathers of the Society of Jesus, who were become famous for their extraordinary savour with the King, to whom they had presented some European, as Clocks, Watches, Dials, and the like, which by them were counted exquisite Curiosities. To these by the Mandarin's Leave I repaired, and was welcomed by them, they much wondering to see a Lay Spaniard there, whither they had with so much Difficulty obtained Leave to arrive. There did I relate to father Pontoja and others of the Society the forementioned Adventures, by whose Directions I put them in Writing, and sent this Story of my fortunes to Macoa, from thence to be conveyed to Spain, as a forerunner of my Return; and the Mandarin being indulgent to me, I came often to the Fathers, with whom I consulted about many Secrets, and with them also laid the Foundation of my Return, the blessed Hour whereof I do with Patience expect, that by enriching my Country with the Knowledge of these hidden Mysteries, I may at last reap the Glory of my fortunate Misfortunes.
A Journey of several English Merchants from Oratava in Teneriff, one of the Canary Islands on the Coast of Africa, to the top of the Pike in that Island, with the Observations they made there.
Mention being made in the preceding Story of the Pike of Teneriff, it may be some Diversion to insert the following little Journey performed by divers Englishmen a few Years since to the Top, who published the following Account thereof.
The Pike of Teneriff is thought not to have its Equal in the World for Height, its Top being so much above the Clouds, that in clear Weather it may be seen sixty Dutch Leagues at Sea.