The next day in passing Montecilione, the fairest and fruitfullest bounded Bourg in all Calabria superior; I saw a distectured house; which the people told me had beene the Schoole, where Dionisius the third and last Tyrant of Sicilia (after his flight from the Kingdome and Crowne) taught Children privatly nine yeares, ere hee was knowne to be a King, but a poore Schoolemaster.
This higher Calabria though mountainous, aboundeth in delicious Wines, fine pastorage, and exceeding good Silke: The Peasants alwayes commonly here are addicted [VIII. 353.]to eate Onions, whence rose this Proverbe, I Calabrese magniano di Cepoli, the Calabrians feed upon Onions. Their women weare uncomely habits, being hooded from their browes to their backes behind, with sixe or seven sundry colours of cloth or stuffe; whose upper gownes come no further downe than their middle thighes: And their breaches and stockings being all one, and their legges halfe booted, they looke like the ghostly Armenian Gargosons.
I remember in passing this higher Countrey, I found divers Cassales or Terraes, (small Villages) of certaine Greeke Albaneses fled to Calabria.Greekes called Albaneses, whose predecessors had fled from Albania, when the Turke seased upon Epyre, and this their Province; and was priviledged here to stay by the Spaniard Philip the first: And though exiled from their naturall Patrimonies, (Omne solum forti patria est) yet are they exceeding kind to strangers, measuring largely their owne infranchized fortune, with the voluntary exposement of many unnecessary Viadants: Declining thence to the marine Bourge of Molino, being by land which we footed distant from Naples 400. miles; we crossed the narrow Faro, or Sycilian Euripus, to Messina being two miles broad. Where, when landed, and meeting with a young Scots Edenburgensen William Wylie, come from Palermo, and bound for Venice, I fastned John Browne with him to accompany his returne; and on the following day imbarked them both backe for Calabria.
And now having followed the Italian saying Si meglior a star solo come mala accompaniato; It is better for a man to be alone, then in ill company; I traversed the Kingdome to Trapundie seeking transportation for Affricke, but could get none: And returning thence overthwart the Iland, I [VIII. 354.]call to memory being lodged in the Bourge of Saramutza, belonging to a young Baron, and being bound the way of Castello Francko eight miles distant and appertaining to another young Noble youth, I rose and marched by the breach of day; where it was my lucke halfe way from Two young Barons killed at combat.either Towne, to finde both these beardlesse Barons, lying dead, and new killed in the fields, and their horses standing tyed to a bush beside them; whereat being greatly moved, I approached them, and perceiving the bodies to be richly cled with silken Stuffes facily conjectured what they might be: My host having told me the former night, that these two Barones were at great discord, about the love of a young Noble woman; and so it was, for they had fought the combat for her sake, and for their owne pride lay slaine here. For as fire is to Gun powder, so is ambition to the heart of man, which if it be but touched with selfe-love, mounteth aloft, and never bendeth downeward, till it be turned into ashes.
And here it proved for that Ladies sake, that troppo amore turnd to Presto dolore: Upon which sight, to speake the trueth, I searched both their pockets, and found their two silken purses full loaden with Spanish Pistolls, whereat my heart sprung for joy, and taking five rings off their foure hands, I hid them and the two purses in the ground, halfe a mile beyond this place: And returning againe, leapt to one of their horses, and came galloping backe to Saramutza; where calling up my host, I told him the accident; who when he saw the horse gave a shout for sorrow, and running to the Castle told the Lady the Barons Mother: where in a moment, shee, her children, and the whole Towne runne all with me to the place, some cled, some naked, some on foote, and some on horse: where, [VIII. 355.]when come grievous was it to behold their woefull and sad lamentations. I thus seeing them all madde and distracted of their wits with sorrow, left them without good-night: And comming to my Treasure, made speedy way to Castello Franco, where bearing them the like newes, brought them all to the like distraction and flight of feet.
Well, in the mutability of time there is aye some fortune falleth by accident, whether lawfull or not, I will not question, it was now mine that was last theirs, and to save the thing that was not lost, I travailed that day thirty miles further to Terra nova. Whence the next morning beeing earely imbarked for Malta, and there safely Landed; A London ship called the Matthew.I met with a ship of London called the Mathew, bound for Constantinople lying in the Roade where indeede with the Company I made merry a shoare for three dayes, and especially with one George Clarke their Burser, who striving to plant in my braines a Maltezan Vineyard, had almost perished his owne life.
Upon the fourth day, they hoysing sayle, and I staying a shoare, it was my good lucke within eight dayes to find a French ship of Tolon come from the Levante, and bound for Tunneis by the way in going home. With whom desirously consorted, within three dayes we touched at our intended Port. And now to reckon the gold that I found in the aforesayd purses, it amounted to three hundred and odde double Pistols; and their Rings being set with Dyamonds, were valued to a hundred Chickens of Malta, eight shillings the peece, which I dispatched for lesser: But the gold was my best second, which like Homers Iliades under Alexanders pillow, was my continuall vade Mecum.
Tunneis is the Capitall seate of its owne Territory, and [VIII. 356.]of all the East and lower Barbary, containing ten thousand fire-houses: And it is the place where old Carthage stood, that was builded by the Tyrians and Phenicians of the Holy Land, some three score twelve yeares before Rome, and had twenty miles in circuit: Which City in these times, was the soveraigne Queene of Affrick, and the onely envy, and predominant malice of the Romanes, being more then Romes rivall mate, in greatnesse, glory, and dominion: Neverthelesse in end, it was taken, sackt, and burnt by Scipio the Affrican Romane, some sixe hundred and two yeares after Rome was first founded, and her ruines and large Territories without, made subject to the ambition of Rome.
The divers plantations of Carthage.After which detriment, desolate Carthage was rebuilded by Cæsar, and a Collony of Italians transported there, flourished for a time, till it was destroyed and overrunne by the Gothes and Vandales: And lastly subdued by the Sarazens and Moores, it was by them transmitted to the Turkish power, who now is Maister of it, being no way answerable to the sixe part of the greatnes it had before. This Towne is situate in the bottome of a Creeke, where the Sea for a mile having cut the bosome of the Land, maketh a large and safe resting place for ships and galleyes. Which Haven and Towne is secured from Sea invasions, by the great and strong Fortresse of Galetto, builded on a high Promontore, that imbraceth the Sea, and commandeth the mouth of the Bay; wherein a Turkish Bassaw, and a strong Garrison of Souldiers remaine: the Fort it selfe being well provided with armes, men, Artillery and munition.
The Kingdome of Tunneis comprehended once the whole Countrey that the auncients called properly Affrick [VIII. 357.]or little Affrick, being the old Numidia, and was divided then in these five Provinces, Bugia, Constantino, that of Tunneis, Tripoly, and Ezzebba. In the Towne of Bugia, lying halfe way twixt Tunneis and Algeir, and 40. leagues from either being now called Arradetz, there was auncient beautifull Temples, Colledges, magnifick buildings, Hospitals, and Convents after their fashion: but the Towne being taken, and razed Anno 1508. by Peter King of Navarre, it hath remained ever since without beauty or ornament, save a few rusticke Inhabitants.