The Sicilian customes.The women ride here stridling in the sadle, and if double, the man sitteth behind the woman: The women also after the death of their friends keepe a ceremonious mourning twice a day, for a moneths space, with such yelping, howling, shouting, and clapping of hands, as if all Sicilia were surprised by the Moores: Yet neither shedding teares, nor sorrowfull in heart, for they will both hollow and laugh at one time: The same custome for the dead, the Turkes observe, and all the Orientall people of Asia.
This Iland finally is famous, for the worthy Schollers shee once produced: Archimedes the great Mathematician; Empidocles, the first inventer of Rhetoricke; [IX. 396.]Euclide the textuary Geomettrician; Diodorus Siculus that renowned Historian, and Æshilus the first Tragedian of fame, who being walking in the fields, and bald through age, by chance, an Eagle taking his bald pate for a white rocke, let a shell-fish fall on it, of that bignesse, that it beat out his braines.
But to proceed in my itinerary relation, having twice imbarked at Messina for Italy, from Asia, and Affricke, I have choosed the last time (double experience, deeper knowledge) for the discourse of my departure thence: After a generall surveigh of this Iland and Monte Bello Mine arrivall at Messina.arriving at Messina, Anno 1616. August 20. I encountered with a Worshipfull English Gentleman Mr. Stydolffe Esquier of his Majesties body, accompanied with my Countrey man Mr. Wood now servant to James Earle of Carelill, who instantly were both come from Malta, the generous affabilitie of which former Gentleman to mee in no small measure was extended; meeting also afterward at Naples, as in the owne place shall be succinctly touched.
Here I found some 60. Christian Gallies, assembled to the Faire of Messina, which holdeth every yeare the 17. of August: Wherein all sorts of Merchandize are to be sold, especially raw Silke in abundance: 30 of which Gallies went to scoure the coasts of Greece. Messina is foure miles distant from Rhegio in Calabria, and two miles from the opposit Maine. This Rhegium was that Towne where Saint Paul arrived after his ship-wracke at Malta in his voyage to Rome: It was miserably sacked by the Turkish Gallies of Constantinople, Anno, 1609. but now by the Spaniards it is repaired with stronger walles, and new fortifications, sufficiently able to gaine-stand any such like accidentall invasions.
[IX. 397.]In this time of mine abode here, there happily arrived from Italy my singular good friend Mr. Mathew Dowglas his Majesties Chirurgion extraordinary, being bound also for the Levant in the same voyage of the Christian incursions against the Infidels, whose presence to me after so long a sight of Hethnike strangers was exceeding comfortable, and did there propine him with this Sonnet (which I made on Ætna) as the peculiar badge of my innated love.
High stands thy top, but higher lookes mine eye,
High soares thy smoake, but higher my desire,
High are thy rounds, steepe, circled, as I see,
But higher farre this breast, whilst I aspire:
High mounts the fury of thy burning fire,