Then the Guardian, and the other twelve Friers kneeled downe, and kissed each one of the five Suppositive Wounds: the Turkes meanewhile laughing them to scorne in their faces, with miserable derision. Thence they returned, and layd the senselesse blocke uppon the Holy Grave, whence being dismissed, the Papall Ceremony ended.
Truely hereupon, may I say, if the Romane Jesuites, Dominicans and Franciscans, there Resident in certayne speciall parts of the Turkes Dominions, had onely behaved themselves as their polliticke charge required, and dismissed from the Paganisme eyes, onely their idolatrous images, veneration of Pictures, Crosses, and the like externall superstitious Rites: These Infidels I say, had [VI. 271.]long agoe (without any insight of Religion) bene converted to the Christian Faith. For besides all this blindnesse, what infinite abhominable Idolatries commit they in Italy and Spaine; in clothing the Pictures of dead Abbots, Monkes, Priors, Guardians, and the better kind of officiall Friers and Priests, with robes of Sattin, Velvet, Damnable and intolerable superstition.Damas, Taffaty, long gownes and coules of cloth, shirts, stockings, and shoes: And what a number of livelesse portrayed Prioresses, motherlesse Nunnes, yet infinite mothers, be erected (like the Maskerata of Morice-dancers) in silver, gold, gilded brasse, yron, stone, tynne, lead, copper, clay, and timber shapes, adorned with double and triple ornaments: over-wrought with silke, silver, and gold-laces, rich bracelets, silke grograine, and cambricke vales, chaines, smockes, ruffes, cuffes, gloves, collers, stockings, garters, pumpes, nose-gayes, beeds, and costly head-geire; setting them on their Altars, O spectaculous Images! adoring them for gods, in kneeling, praying, & saying Masses before them: Yet they are none of their avowed, allowed, and canonized pontificall Saints: for although they be bastards & wooden blocks, yet are they better clad, then their lupish legitimate ones, no, I may say, as the best Kings daughter alive. Which is a sinfull, odious, and damnable idolatry; and I freely confesse at some times, and in some parts I have torne a peeces those rich garments from their senselesse images and blockes, thinking it a greater sinne not to do it than to stand staring on such prodigall prophannesse, with any superstitious respect, or with indifferent forbearance to winke at the wickednesse of Idolaters.
[VI. 272.]Here the Guardiano offered for ten peeces of gold (although my due be thirty Chickens sayd he) to make me Knight of the holy Grave, or of the order of Jerusalem, which I refused, knowing the condition of that detestable oath I behooved to have sworne; but I saw two of these other Pilgrimes receive that Order of Knighthood.
The Knights of the Holy Grave.The manner whereof is thus: First they bind themselves with a solemne vow, to pray (during life) for the Pope, King of Spaine, and the Duke of Venice, from whom the Friers receive their maintenance; and also in speciall, for the French King, by whose meanes they obtaine their liberty of the great Turke, to frequent these monumentall places. Secondly, they are sworne enemies to Protestants, and others, who will not acknowledge the superiority of the Romane Church. Thirdly, they must pay yearely some stipend unto the Order of the Franciscans. These attestations ended, the Frier putteth a gilded spurre on his right heele, causing the yong made Knight stoope downe on his knees, and lay his hands on the holy Grave: after this he taketh a broad sword from under his gray gowne (being privately carried for feare of the Turkes) which is (as he sayd) the Sword, wherewith victorious Godfrey conquered Jerusalem, and giveth this new upstart Cavaliero, nine blowes upon the right shoulder. Loe here the fashion of this Papisticall Knighthood, which I forsooke.
Indeed upon the Knight-hood they have certaine priviledges among the Papists, of which these are two: If a malefactor being condemned and brought to the Gallows, any of these Knights may straight cut the rope and releeve him: The other is, they may carry and buy silkes through all Spaine and Italy, or elsewhere, and pay no Custome, neither in comming nor going, nor for any silke ware, where the Romish Church hath any commandement.
[VI. 273.]After our Guardiano had ended his superstitious Rites and Ceremonies, upon Easter day, before midnight, we returned to the Monastery, having stayed three dayes within that Church: And the next day thereafter, the nine Ragusan and Venetian Factors left us, returning backe to their severall Stations.
About sixe of the clocke, on monday morning, the Padre Viccario, and the aforesayd John Baptista accompanying us, we travailed abroad in the hilly Countrey of Judea. In this dayes journey, the places of any note we saw were these: Certaine relicts of Monuments.First, where the Daughters of Jerusalem came foorth to meete Saul, crying, Saul hath slaine his thousand, and David his ten thousand: And for memory of this standeth a certayne olde pillar of Marble. Next, the valley of Trebin, where David slew the great Goliath. And for remembrance of that, there are a great heape of stones layd together in the bottome of the valley, like to the Relickes of an old monument. Thirdly, Bezura, where Absalom killed his brother Ammon for Thamars sake, whereof nothing but the name is onely reserved.
Emaus.Fourthly, the Castle of Emaus, now altogether ruinated, except only three fire houses of Moores; in which our Saviour was knowne after his Resurrection, by the two Disciples in breaking of bread; where now the remanents of that house being vaulted, is turned over for a shelterage to sheepe; and a soft paved lodging for quivering Goates.
Fifthly, the Valley of Gibeon, where the ray-beaming Sunne stood still, at the voice of Joshua, from his naturall course. Joshua 10. 12.
Sixtly, the Toombe or buriall place of Samuel, that [VI. 274.]divine Prophet of the Lord: over the which the Moores have a Moskque erected, wherein we could not enter, but hard by and without it, we found one of the finest Fountaines in all Judea, and yet not a dwelling house neere unto it by three miles, in regard of the sassinous and infertile ground about it, the water whereof was exceeding light, sweete, and pleasant in digestion. Seventhly, the Tombes of the valiant Captaine Judas Macchabeus, and his Children, whereupon are now onely the ruines of an old Chappell, which is converted in a The buriall place of the Kings and Queenes of Israel.hould for Sheepe and Goates: And last of all, the buriall place of the noble Family of the Kings and Queenes of Israel, or Jerusalem, being neere unto the Citty, and within a short halfe mile. The entry whereto was so straite, that on our backes we behoved to slide downe, above ten paces under the ground, with light candles in our hands.