Here in Argos I had the ground to be a pillow, and the world-wide-fields to be a chamber, the whirling windy-skies, to be a roofe to my Winter-blasted lodging, and the humide vapours of cold Nocturna, to accompany the unwished-for-bed of my repose. What shall I say then, the solid, and sad man, is not troubled with the floods and ebbes of Fortune, the ill imployed power of greatnesse, nor the fluctuary motions of the humerous multitude; or at least, if he be sensible of his owne, or their irregularities, or confusions, yet his thoughts are not written in his face, his countenance is not significant, nor his miseries further seene than in his owne private suffering; whereas the face and disposition of the feeble one, ever resembleth his last thoughts, and upon every touch, or taste of that which is displeasant and followes not the streames of his appetite, his countenance deformeth it selfe, and like the Moone, is in as many changes as his fortune, but the noble resolution must follow Æneas advice in all his adventures;
Per varios casus, per tot discrimina rerum,
Tendimus in latium, &c.
By diverse wayes, and dangers great we mind,
To visit Latium, and Latinus kind.
In all this countrey of Greece I could finde nothing, [II. 72.]to answer the famous relations, given by auncient Authors, of the excellency of that land, but the name onely; the barbarousnesse of Turkes and Time, having defaced all the Monuments of Antiquity: No shew or honour, no habitation of men in an honest fashion, nor possessours of the Countrey in a Principality. But rather prisoners shut up in prisons, or addicted slaves to cruell and tyrannicall Maisters: So deformed is the state of that once worthy Realme, and so miserable is the burthen of that afflicted people: which, and the apparance of that permanency, grieved my heart to behold the sinister working of blind Fortune, which alwayes plungeth the most renowned Champions, and their memory, in the profoundest pit of all extremities and oblivion.
Greeke Champions.Let the Ghosts of that Theban Epaminondas, that Mirmidonian Phillip, & these Epirean worthies, Pyrhus and Scanderberg, be witnesses hereto; but especially, that Macedonian Alexander, whose fortunes ever followed him, rather than fled him til his last dissolution; wherein I may say his greatnesse rose; Like to a mighty and huge Oke, being cled with the exuvials, and Trophees of enemies fenced with an army of boughes garnished with a coat of barke as hard as Steele; despising the force and power of the Winds, as being onely able to dally with the leaves, and not to weaken the roote: But the Northerne wind, that strong Champion of the airy Region, secretly lurking in the vault of some hollow cloude, doth first murmure at this aspiring Oke, and then striketh his Crest with some greater strength; and lastly, with the deepest breath of his Lungs, doth blow up the roote: Even so was it with Alexander, who from a stripling came to be a Cedar, and from the sorrow of no more worlds, was soone cut off from the world he was into: For destiny [II. 73.]is no mans drudge, and death is every mans conquerour, matching the Scepter, with the Spade, and the crowned Prince with the praislesse Peasant: And in a word, there was never any to whom fortune did sooner approach, nor never any from whom she did more suddenly flee, then from Alexander, leaving him a cleare mirrour of the worlds inconstancy.
Now as concerning the government of Greece, tearmd by the Turkes, Rum Ili, that is, the Romane Country: The Beglerbeg of Greece.It is ruled by a Beglerbeg, or Bassa, this word Beglerbeg imports, Lord of Lords, in regard of the Sanzacks, or Subbassaes under them, who also are tearmed Lords; which is a barbarous pride in an ambitious style: This Beglerbeg of Greece, retaineth his residence at Sophia the Metropole of Bulgaria, formerly Dacia, and is the greatest Commaunder of all other Bassaes in the Turkish Provinces of Europe.
All other Beglerbegs are changed every third yeare, or continued according to the Imperiall pleasure, neither may they returne from their station during this time. But this Bassa of Greece, keepeth his government for his life-time, and remaineth most at Court: He reserveth under his commaund, fourty thousand Timariots or Horsemen; led under the conduct of twenty two Sanzacks, or Judges deputies of Jurisdictions; to wit, two in Albania, at the Townes Iscodera, and Ancolina: two in Achaia, at Delvina, and Albassan: three in Thessalia, at Priasim, Salonica, and Trichola: two in Sparta, at Misietra and Paleopatra: three in Macedonia, at Carmona, Selistria, and Giastandila: one in Moldavia, at Acheranma: in Bulgaria, one at Sophia: in Thracia, one at Viazza: in [II. 74.]Epyre, one at Ducagina: in Ætolia, one at Joanina: in Peleponesus, one at Peterasso: the rest are Usopia, Nycopolis, Corinth, and Bandera towards the black-sea, and to the Northward of Danubio, at his kissing the Euxine waves: This much for the Beglerbeg ship of Greece, and the Provinces thereunto adjoyning.