And lastly, or at this present time, the Emperours of the line and race of Ottoman, are Lords and Kings over Jerusalem, and the crost, or rather now curst land of Canaan: In whose hands it is faster kept, then the seventeene Belgian Provinces, remaine totally subject to the Spanish power.
But to the intent the Reader may the better conceive, and plainely understand the Monuments I saw within Jerusalem, and the circumjacent places of Judea; I thought best to prefixe the description thereof, by the severall dayes as I saw them, not much condemning, neither absolutely qualifying them, but shall (as it were) neutrally nominate, and recapitulate these places, as I was informed [VI. 244.]by the Padre Guardiano, Gaudentius, Saybantus, a Veronesen borne; whence he, and every one of them every third yeare are changed and recalled backe to Christendome, and other new Friers sent in their places: And especially the information of John Baptista, the Trenchman, who dwelt and had stayed twenty five yeares in Jerusalem, and from whom the Friers themselves have their informations: for a stranger that understandeth not promptly the Italian tongue, which they usually speake, when they demonstrate these places unto us, hee shall The ignorance of Travellers.conceive ignorantly, dispose his judgement blind-foldedly, and knowes not how to distinguish the circumstances, and qualities of the things delivered. As I have knowne some of these Francks, in my company, simply mistaken, even when the exposition of every object was largely manifested unto them; and precisely declared such a thing to have beene there, although perhaps the matter it selfe, be evanished and transported.
About two of the clock on Palme-sunday after dinner, for all of us eate, drunke, and lay in the Monastery, each of us paying a Piaster a day for our dyet, sixe shillings starling, besides all other costs and charges: The Guardian I say, departed from Jerusalem to Bethphage: accompanied with twelve Friers, and many other Orientall Christians, which were come thither to that Festivall time, but I by no meanes would go, neither would the six Germans, but reposing our selves on the top or platforme of the Cloyster, we stayed till their returne: And yet from this place, we saw their back-comming from Bethphage as they crossed the lower and South side of Olivet; devalling downeward, toward the valley of Jehosophat to ascend Mount Sion, for the greater performance of their foolery.
[VI. 245.]A superstitious Ceremony.The rediculous Ceremony which that day they use, is thus: In an Apish imitation of Christ, at the foresayd Bethphage, there was an Asse brought to the Guardiano, whereupon hee mounted (being as it were, the greater Asse, riding upon the lesser) and came riding to Jerusalem, the people cutting downe Boughs of trees, and also dispoyling themselves almost to the skin, bestrewed the way as hee Rode along, crying, Hosanna, Hosanna, the Sonne of David, blessed is hee that commeth in the name of the Lord: untill they came to the South gate of Syon, where the Guardian thought to have entred, Riding through Jerusalem to his monastery, with this shouting convoy of sixe thousand Orientall Christians, because their Patriarkes have not that liberty to do so, as this Italian Guardian: Notwithstanding, the clamour of the people incensed so the Turkish Garrison lying at this Gate, that they not onely abused the poore Christians in their ignorant devotion, but they pulled the Guardian also from the Asses backe, beating him most cruelly, and all the rest of the Friers and Francke Pilgrimes that were with him: Where at last entring the Convent, most of them came in groaning, and loaden with blacke and bloody blowes; whereat I, and the other Protestants, did laugh in our sleeves to behold their foolish Procession, so substantially rewarded. At night after Supper, the Guardiano knowing that I was a Protestant, and also these other Germanes, made an Oration, saying: You Pilgrims, who refuse to be participant with us in the Sacraments, nor wil not adhere to our Masses, processions and Ceremonies [VI. 246.]which we follow of the Roman Church: I would therfore intreat you (your liberty being here as much as mine, whereby you may do as you please) onely to abstaine from scandalling and mocking our Rites and ordinary Customes, which at this great feast we must performe: To which we condescended, and promised to give no occasion of offence, seeing our outward carriage in going along with them to see their customes, tended no way to hurt the inward disposition of our soules.
In the conclusion of his long Exhortation, hee disclosed this admonition, saying: All of you Travailers must in A flattering beggary.general be indued with these three worthy gifts, Faith, Patience, & Mony: Faith, to beleeve these things you shall see here at, and about Jerusalem: Patience, to indure the apparent injuries of Infidels; and Money, to discharge all tributes, and costs, which here (meaning in his owne Monastery) and about this City must be defrayed. His Sermon he concluded like a Grey Frier, as indeede hee was: for I am fully perswaded hee little cared for our Faith, and Patience, providing, that our purses could answere his expectation, as truly we found the condigne trial thereof afterward: making our Patience to startle, our Faith to over-top his lyes, and our monies to bee a slave to his greed; and wee left the last tributary spoyles of two extortionable flatterers, Avarice, and Ignorance; with the which our Reverend Guardian was fully invested.
Monday earely, we Pilgrimes went foorth to view the monuments within the Citty, being accompanied with the Padre Viccario, and a French Predicatore: the places of any note wee saw were these: first they shewed us the place where Christ appeared to Mary Magdalen, who sayd: Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father, John 20. 15. and this place by them is supposed to be the Center or middle part of the World. Next, where Saint James the first Bishop of the Primitive Church was beheaded: then the House of Saint Thomas, but that [VI. 247.]is doubtful (say they) because it is not yet confirmed by the Papall Authority: From thence they brought us to the place where Annas one of the High Priests dwelt, and also the Tree to the which our Saviour was bound, whiles Annas was making himselfe ready to leade him to Caiphas; but that I wil not beleeve, for that Tree groweth yet, being an Olive Tree. They shewed us also the house where Saint Peter was imprisoned, when his fetters were shaken off his legges, and the Prison doores cast open, and hee relieved: And where Zebedeus the Father of James and John dwelt, which are nothing but a lumpe of Ruines.
Caiphas Lodging.Thence wee came to the decayed lodging of Caiphas, without the Citty, uppon the mount Syon, whereupon there is a Chappell builded, and at the entry of that little Domo, we saw the stone, on which the Cocke crew, when Peter denied Christ. Within the same place is the stone that was rolled to the Sepulcher doore of our Saviour, being now made an Altar to the Abasines. These Abasines, are naturally borne blacke, and of them silly Religious men, who stay at Jerusalem, in two places, to wit, heere at Caiphas House, on mount Syon, and the other Convent on mount Moriah, where Abraham would have sacrificed Isaac: They weare on their heads flat round Caps of a blackish colour, and on their bodies long gownes of white Dimmety, or linnen cloath, representing Ephods: the condition of themselves being more devoute, than understanding the true grounds or their devotion, blind zeale and ignorance overswaying their best light of knowledge. They being a kinde of people, which came from Prester Jehans dominions.
And within that Chappel they shewed us a narrow pit, [VI. 248.]wherein (say they) Christ was incarcerat, the night before he was brought to the Judgement Hall. Upon the same side of Syon, we saw the place, where Christ did institute the Sacraments: and not far hence, a decayed House, where (say they) the Holy-Ghost discended upon the Apostles, and also the Sepultures of David, and his sonne Salomon: Over the which, there is a Moskie, wherein no Christian may enter, to see these monuments. For the Turkes doe great Reverence, to most of all the ancient Prophets of the old Testament.
From thence we returned, and entred in via dolorosa, the dolorous way, by which our Lord and Savior passed, when he went to be crucified, carrying the Crosse upon his Backe: And at the end of the same streete (say they) the Souldiers met Simon of Cyrene, and compelled him to helpe Christ, to beare his Crosse when hee fainted. Pilats judgement Hall.Pilats Judgment Hall, is altogether ruinated, having but onely betweene the two sides of the Lane, an olde Arch of stone, under the which I passed, standing ful in the high Way: Here they shewed us the place, where Christ first tooke up his Crosse, and on the top of that Arche, wee saw that place called Gabbatha, where Jesus stood, when Pilat sayd to the Jewes, Ecce homo.
A little below this, they brought us to the Church of Saint Anna, where (say they) the Virgin Mary was borne. And going downe another narrow Lane, they poynted in to a House, and sayd, heere Dives the rich Glutton dwelt, who would not give to Lazarus the Crummes of Bread that fel from his Table: this I suspend, amongst many other things, for all hold it to bee a Parable, and not a History: And although it were a History, who can demonstrate the particular place, Jerusalem having beene so often transformed by alterations.