Yet they licentiate the neighbouring Infidels to traffick with them, but when they enter the gates, they must deliver their weapons to the Corporall of the Squadron company: Neither may they stay within all night under the paine of imprisonment. Dalmatia.Dalmatia was called so of Mauritius the Emperour. The foure principall Provinces whereof are these, Atheos, Senebico, Spalleto and Tragurio. A part of which belongeth to Venice, another part to the arch Duke of Austria, and a third unto the Turkes. Zara is distance from Venice two hundreth miles.
When the wandring night was chased from the inferiour Ilands, by the recoursing day, and the Sunne had imparted his brightnesse to our under neighbours, and our dreames ready to possesse the Theater of the fancy, the wearisome creatures of the world declining to their rest; and under shaddow of the pale Lady of the night; even then, from Zara I imbarked in a small Frigot, bound for Lesina, with five Slavonian Marriners: who sometimes sailed, & somtimes rowed with Oares: in our way we past by the Ile of Brazza, which is of no great quantity, but fertile enough [II. 50.]for the Inhabitants, and kept by a Gentleman of Venice. It lieth in the mouth of the gulfe Narento, that divideth Dalmatia from Slavonia: Many fondly conceive that these two kingdomes are all one, but I hold the contrary opinion, both by experience, and by auncient Authors: having passed Capo di Costa, which is the beginning of Slavonia, I saw upon my right hand, a round Rocke of a great height, in forme of a Piramide; being cognominated by Easterne Mariners, Pomo, aunciently Salyro, for the good Faulcons that are bred therein. It standeth in the middest of the Gulfe betweene Slavonia and Italy, and not habitable.
A little beyond that Rocke, I saw the three Iles Tremiti: The chiefest whereof is called Teucria, but they are vulgarly called the Iles of Diomedes, who was King of Etolia. They are right opposite to Mount Gargano, now called Mount S. Angelo.Saint Angelo, and distant from the maine land of Apulia in Italy about nine miles.
This Mount Saint Angelo standeth in Apulia, bending in the Sea with a large promontore, it is in compasse ninety miles? Neare to this Mountaine, was that great battell fought, betweene Hanniball and the Romanes: the overthrow fell to the Romanes, under the conduct of Paulus Æmilius, and other Consuls, of whom were slaine fourty two thousand and seven hundred; And if Hanniball had followed this victory, he had easily that day subdued the common-wealth of Rome: which made Maharball Captaine of his horse-men rebuke him thus, Vincere scis Hanniball victoria uti nescis.
Thou canst o’recome thy foes in bloody fight,
But can not use the victory aright.
The like said Cæsar of Pompey, when he lost the first battell they fought at Pharsalia in Greece; O Pompey, Pompey, If thou hadst knowne how to have used the [II. 51.]victory, as thou hadst it, thou mightest have beene this day Lord of the whole World.
A woful battell.So to our lamentable memory, may that last battell be recorded fought in Hungary, betweene the Turkes and Christians, of whom Maxamilian Duke of Isbrugh this present Emperours Uncle was Generall: who having had a nocturnall victory, and the Infidels put to the flight, they remaining in the Campe more busie about the spoyles then their owne safety; the Turkes returned againe before day, the Christians being disordered with booties and the ravening of their whores, they put them all to the edge of the sword: O miserable confusion! Little better might I speake of the battell of Lepanto being abusd even in the using of it, and that glorious victory no waies followed, as good fortune had given them an awfull opportunity: For Don John of Austria their Generall had a greater mind to seaze upon the Ile of Corfu, and to robbe Venice of her liberty, then to prosecute with vengeance the brave beginning of so notable a victory; and yet his treachery was discoverd, and by the Venetian Generall speedily disappointed, to his eternall shame both wayes.
The poore Slavonians being fatigated in their hunger-starving Boat, with extraordinary paines (for we had three daies calme, which is not usually seene in these Seas) were enforced to repose all night at the barren Ile of St. Andrew: This Ile is of circuite foure miles, but not inhabited: The excessive raine that fell in the evening, made us goe on shoare, to seeke the coverture of some rocke; which found, we lay all night on hard stones, and with hungry bellies: for our provision was spent. The breach of day giving comfort to our distressed bodies, with favourable windes at the Garbo e ponente, we set forward, and about midday we arrived in the Port of Lesina, of [II. 52.]which the Ile taketh the name.
This Ile of Lesina is of circuite, a hundred and fifty miles, and is the biggest Iland in the Adriaticke Sea: It is exceeding fertile, and yeeldeth all things plentifully, that is requisite for the sustenance of man. The City is unwalled, and of no great quantity, but they have a strong fortresse, which defendeth the Towne, the Haven, and the vessels in the Roade. The Governour, who was a Venetian, after he had enquired of my intended voyage, most courteously invited me three times to his Table, in the time of my five dayes staying there: And at the last meeting, he reported the story of a marvellous mis-shapen creature borne in the Iland, asking if I would goe thither to see it: wherewith (when I perfectly understood the matter) I was contented: The Gentleman honoured me also with his company, and a horse to ride on, where when we came, the Captaine called for the father of A Monster borne in Lesina.that Monster, to bring him foorth before us. Which unnaturall Childe being brought, I was amazed in that sight, to behold the deformity of Nature; for below the middle part, there was but one body, and above the middle there was two living soules, each one separated from another with severall members. Their heads were both of one bignesse but different in Phisnomy: The belly of the one joyned with the posterior part of the other, and their faces looked both one way, as if the one had carried the other on his backe, and often before our eyes, he that was behind, would lay his hands about the necke of the formost. Their eyes were exceeding bigge, and their hands greater then an Infant of three times their age. The excrements of both creatures issued foorth at one place, and their thighes and legges of a great growth, not semblable to their age, being but sixe and thirty dayes [II. 53.]old; and their feete were proportionably made like to the foot of a Cammell, round and cloven in the middest. They received their food with an insatiable desire, and continually mourned with a pitifull noyse; that sorrowfull man told us, that when the one slept, the other awaked, which was a strange disagreement in Nature. The Mother of them bought dearely that birth, with the losse of her owne life; as her Husband reported, unspeakeable was that torment she indured, in that woefull wrestling paine. I was also informed afterwards, that this one, or rather twofold wretch lived but a short while after we saw them.