Protect, prolong, great Britaines King,
His Sonne, and Royall Race.
AMEN.
Upon the seaventh day, there came downe to visit us, two Gentlemen of Venice, clothed after the Turkish manner; who under exile, were banished their Native Territories ten yeares for slaughter; each of them having two servants, and all of them carrying Shables, and two [III. 114.]Gunnes a peece: which when I understood, they were Italians, I addressed my selfe to them, with a heavy complaint against the Greekes, in detaining my Budgeto, and compelling me to endanger my life for their goods: whereupon they accusing the Patrone, and finding him guilty of this oppression, belaboured him soundly with handy blowes, and caused him to deliver my things, carrying me with them five miles to a Towne where they remained, called Rethenos, formerly Carastia, where I was exceeding kindly entertained ten dayes: And most nobly (as indeed they were noble) they bestowed on me forty Chickens of Gold at my departure, for the better advancement of my voyage, which was the first gift that ever I received in all my travells. For if the darts of death had not beene more advantagious to me, then Asiaticke gifts, I had never beene able to have undergone this tributary, tedious, and sumptuous peregrination: The confluence of the divine providence allotting me meanes, from the losse of my dearest consorts gave me in the deepnesse of sorrow, a thankefull rejoycing.
The Ile Nigroponti.Nigroponti was formerly called Euboea, next, Albantes: and is now surnamed the Queene of Archipelago: The Turkes cognominate this Ile Egribos: The Towne of Nigropont, from which the Ile taketh the name, was taken in by Mahomet the second; Anno. 1451. and in this Ile is found the Amianten stone, which is said to be drawne in threeds, as out of Flaxe, whereof they make napkins, and other like stuffes; and to make it white, they use to throw it in the fire, being salted: The stone also is found here, called by the Greekes Ophites, and by us Serpentine. The circuit of this Ile is three hundred fourty sixe miles. It is seperated from the firme land of Thessalia, from the [III. 115.]which it was once rent by an Earthquake, with a narrow channell, over the which in one place there is a bridge, that passeth betweene the Ile, and the maine continent, and under it runneth a marvellous swift current, or Euripus, which ebbeth and floweth sixe times night and day. Within halfe a mile of the bridge, I saw a Marble columne, standing on the toppe of a little Rocke, whence (as the Ilanders told me) Aristotles death.Aristotle leaped in, and drowned himselfe, after that he could not conceive the reason, why this Channell so ebbed & flowed: using these words, Quia ego non capio te, tu capias me. This Ile bringeth forth in abundance, all things requisite for humane life, and decored with many goodly Villages.
The chiefe Cities are Nigropont, and Calchos: The principall rivers Cyro, and Nelos, of whom it is sayd, if a sheepe drinke of the former, his wooll becommeth white, if of the latter coale blacke. From thence and after 22. dayes abode in this Ile, I arrived at a Towne in Macedonia, called Salonica, but of old Thessalonica, where I stayed five dayes, and was much made of by the Inhabitants, being Jewes.
Salonica.Salonica is situate by the sea side, betweene the two Rivers Chabris and Ehedora: It is a pleasant, large and magnificke City, full of all sorts of merchandize; and it is nothing inferiour in all things (except nobility) unto Naples in Italy: It was sometimes for a while under the Signiory of Venice, till Amurath the sonne of Mahomet, tooke it from this Reipublicke. And is the principall place of Thessaly which is a Province of Macedon, together with Achaia, and Myrmedon, which are the other two Provinces of the same.
This City of Salonica is now converted in an university for the Jewes; and they are absolute Signiors thereof [III. 116.]under the great Turke, with a large Territory of land, lying without and about them: It hath beene ever in their hands since Soliman tooke in Buda in Hungary, Anno. 1516. August. 20. to whome they lent two millions of money, and for warrandice whereof, they have this Towne and Province made fast to them: They speake vulgarly and Maternally here the Hebrew tongue, man, woman and child, and not else where in all the world. All their Sinagogian or Leviticall Priests are bred here, and from hence dispersed to their severall stations.
Thessaly.Thessaly a long the sea side, lieth betweene Peloponnesus, and Achaia: Wherein standeth the hill Olympus, on which Hercules did institute the Olympian games, which institution was of long time the Grecian Epoche, from whence they reckoned their time.
Macedon is now called by the Turkes Calethiros, signifying a mighty & warlike Nation: Macedonia, containing Thessaly, Achaia, and Mirmidon, lieth as a center to them; having Achaia to the East: Thessalia to the South: Mirmidonia, bordering with Ætolia to the West: And a part of Hoemus, whence it was called Hæmonia, and some of Misia superior to the North: It was also called Amathia, from Amathus once King thereof, and then Macedonia from the King Macedo: The chiefe Cities are Andorista, Andesso, Sydra, Sederaspen, where the mines of gold and silver be, which enrich the Turke so monethly, receiving thence somtimes 18000. 24000. & 30000. Ducats. And Pellia, where Alexander the great was borne. Bajazet the first, wonne this Countrey, from the Constantinopolitans. About this City of Salonica is the most fertile and populous Countrey in all Greece.