The Mountaine it selfe is somewhat steepe, and sterile, especially the two toppes, the one whereof is dry, and sandy, signifying that Poets are alwayes poore, and needy: The other top is barren, and rocky, resembling the ingratitude of wretched, and niggardly Patrons: the vale betweene the tops is pleasant, and profitable, denoting the fruitfull, and delightfull soyle, which painefull Poets, the Muses Plow-men, so industriously manure. A little more East-ward, as we fetcht up the coast of Achaia, the maister of the vessell shewed me a ruinous village, and castle, where he sayd the admired Thebes.Citty of Thebes had bene. Whose former glory, who can truely write of; for as the earth, when she is disroabed of her budding and fructifying trees, and of her amiable verdure, which is her onely grace and garment royall, is like a naked table wherein nothing is painted: even so is Thebes and her past tryumphs defac’d, and bereft of her lusty and young Gentlemen, as if the spring-tide had bene taken from the yeare: But what shall I say to know the cause of such like things, they are so secret and mysticall; being the most remote objects, to which our understanding may aspire, that we may easily be deceived, by disguised and [III. 120.]pretended reasons; whilst we seeke for the true and essentiall causes: for to report things that are done is easie, because the eye and the tongue may dispatch it, but to discover and unfold the causes of things, requireth braine, soule, and the best progresse of nature. And as there is no evill without excuse, nor no pretence without some colour of reason, nor wiles wanting to malicious and wrangling wits; Even so, was there occasion sought for, what from Athens, and what from Greece, whereby the peace and happinesse of Thebes might be dissolved, and discord raised to the last ruines of her desolation.
Geographicall errours.This Achaia is by some ignorant Geographers placed in the middle betweene Epire, Thessaly, and Peloponesus: where contrariwise it is the Eastmost Province of Greece except Thrace, lying along twixt it and Thessaly by the sea side, which part of the Countrey, some late Authors have falsly named Migdonia, which is a Province, that lieth North from Thracia, East from Macedon, and South from Misia, having no affinity with the Sea: The chiefe Citties in Achaia, are Neapolis, Appollonia, and Nicalide where the famous Philosophers Aristotle was borne: Here is a huge and high Hill Athos, containing in circuit 70. miles, and as some affirme three dayes journey long, whose shaddow was absurdly sayd to have extended to Lemnos, an Iland lying neere the Carpathian Sea.
Achaia was formerly called Aylaide, but now by the Turkes Levienda: Athos in Greeke is called Agios æros, to wit, a holy Mountaine; the top of it is halfe a dayes journey broad, and 14. Italian miles high. There are twenty Monasteries upon it of Greekish Coleires, a laborious kind of silly Friers, and kind to Strangers: The chiefest of which Cloisters, are called Victopodos, and Agios laura, being all of them strongly walled and fensible.
[III. 121.]Upon the third day from Salonica, we arrived in the Roade of Tenedos, which is an Iland in the Sea Pontus, or Propontis: It hath a City called Tenedos, built by Tenes, which is a gallant place, having a Castle, and a faire Haven for all sorts of vessells: It produceth good store of wines, and the best supposed to be in all the South east parts of Europe, or yet in Asia. The Iland is not bigge, but exceeding fertile, lying three miles from the place where Troy stood, as Virgil reported, Æneid. 2.
Tenedos.Est in conspectu Tenedos, notissima fama insula,
In sight of Troy, a stately Ile I fand
Shut up with Pontus, from the Trojane land;
Whose beauteous bounds, made me wish there to stay,
Or that I might transport the same away;
Else like Tritonean rude Proponticke charmes,