Con arte, et con inganno, ci vivono medzo l’ anno
Con inganno et con arte, ci vivona l’ altera parte.
With guile and craft, they live the one halfe yeare
With craft and guile, the other halfe as cleare.
And lastly, they take upon them below Calvary to shew us where the head of Adam was buried. These and many other things, are so doubtfull, that I doe not register them for trueth (I meane in demonstrating the particular places) but onely relates them as I was informed.
There are seven sorts of Nations, different in Religion, and language, who continually (induring life) remaine within this Church, having incloystered lodgings joyning to the walls thereof: their victuals are brought dayly to them by their familiars, receiving the same at a great hole [VI. 269.]in the Church-doore; for the Turkes seldome open the entry unlesse it be when Pilgrimes come, save one houres space onely every Saturday in the afternoone, and at some extraordinary Festivall daies: and yet it doth not stand open then, but onely opened to let strangers in and shut againe: Seven religious Families.For this purpose each family have a Bell fastened at their lodging, with a string reaching from thence to the Church doore, the end whereof hangeth outwardly, By the which commodity, each furnisher ringing the Bell, giveth warning to his friends, to come receive their necessars, for through the body of the Church they must come to the porch-doore, and returne from it, to the cloyster.
The number of those, who are tied to this austere life, are about three hundred and fifty persons, being Italians, Greekes, Armenians, Æthiopians, Jacobines, a sort of circumcised Christians, Nestorians, and Chelfaines of Mesopotamia.
The day before the Resurrection, about the houre of mid-night, the whole Sects and sorts of Christians Orientall (that were come thither in Pilgrimage, and dwelt at Jerusalem) convened together, which were about the number of sixe thousand men, women, and children: for being separated by the Patriarkes in two companies, they compassed the Chappell of the Holy Grave nine times; holding in their hands burning Candles, made in the beginning pittifull, and lamentable regreetings, but in the ending, there were touking of kettle-drummes, sounding of horne-trumpets, and other instruments, dauncing, leaping, and running about the Sepulcher, with an intollerable tumult, as if they had beene all mad, or distracted of their wits.
Thus is the prograce of their procession performed in meere simplicitie, wanting civilitie, and government. [VI. 270.]But the Turkes have a care of that; for in the middest of all this hurley burley, they runne amongst them with long Rods, correcting their misbehaviour with cruell stroakes: and so these slavish people, even at the height of their Ceremonious devotion are strangely abused.
But our Procession begun before theirs, and with a greater regard, because of our tributes: The Turkes meane while guarding us, not suffering the other Christians to be participant in the singular dottage of the An abhominable Idolatry.Romish folly, being after this manner: First the Guardian, and his Friers brought forth of a Sacrastia, allotted for the same purpose, the wodden Portracture of a dead Corpes, representing our Saviour, having the resemblance of five bloody Wounds, the whole body of which Image, was covered with a Cambricke vale: Where having therewith thrice compassed the Chappell of the Holy Grave, it was carried to mount Calvary, and there they imbalmed the five Timber holes; with Salt, Oyle, Balme, and Odoriferous perfumes.