The following is a translaton of the Hierosolymitana Peregrinatio of Mikalojus Kristupas Radvila Našlaitėlis (Mikołaj Krzysztof Radziwiłł) using Google Gemini 2.5;. It is intended as a working transaltion for my own use. It is far frome a substitut for a real translation by a scholar, but in making it available, I hope that perhaps it will spark such interest.
But in an era where academics cynically decry AI as useless “plagiarism machines” or unmitigated tools of capitalist evil while using them surreptitiously for a myriad of uses, it is also a frank admission that AI can be a useful tool for historians. I do not know Latin. There is no way for me to access this text. At something like 40,000 words, abridged, the sheer cost of translation, even at a low ten cents per word would be out of my budget.
You may obtain the copy that I used for translation from Google Books here.
Parts are abridged with “…”
Table of Contents
OF THE MOST ILLUSTRIOUS
LORD NICOLAS
CHRISTOPHOR RADZIVIL,
Duke in Olika & Nieswierz, Count
in Szydlowiec & Myr. &c.
Contained in IV. Epistles,
Translated from the Polish idiom into the Latin
language & now
published for the first time.
BY THOMAS TRETERUS
CUSTOS OF WARMIA,
AS INTERPRETER,
With Privilege of His Royal Majesty.
BRAUNSBERG,
At (the press of) Georg Schönfels.
SUMMARY OF THE PRIVILEGE.
It is provided by the Privilege of His Royal Majesty of Poland, that no one among the Printers, Booksellers, or others who practice the book trade, shall dare to publish or sell, within the borders of the Kingdom & Dominions of Poland, &c., new books which Georgius Schönfels, Printer of Braunsberg, shall be the first to bring to light, without his consent, in any manner, character, or form, under penalty of confiscation of the books, & others: as is more broadly clear in the letters of His Majesty given at Warsaw on the 8th day of August in the Year of our Lord 1600.
THOMAS TRETERUS, CUSTOS OF WARMIA,
to the Christian Reader, Greetings.
SO GREAT, CHRISTIAN READER, is the dignity & beauty of preeminent virtue, that it not only renders its cultivators truly blessed & happy in this mortal life, but also bestows upon them, among men who are endowed with any sharpness of reason and judge of things more incorruptly, a perpetuity of name and an immortality of the best reputation, and transmits it to all posterity with the greatest glory. Whence it has come to pass, that not only are the words & deeds of illustrious men held in admiration by posterity, but also that the very places, in which they once moved when stationed among men, seem to have been dressed and to have obtained a certain veneration & majesty from their famous actions. That distinguished Master of morals & Civil discipline, L. Annaeus Seneca, journeying purposefully to the villa of Scipio Africanus near Linternum, and having venerated his Spirits & the altar, which he suspected to have been that of so great a man, contemplated his character from the construction of the buildings, the cistern, & the small bath, and recorded for memory (Epist. 86.) that he had perceived great pleasure from it; and from there he drew many lessons which pertained to reforming the depraved morals of his age for the better. But if that man, not yet imbued with the precepts of Christian Philosophy, took precepts for life from visiting the monuments of that most famous general: what must we think our ancestors, instructed in the mysteries of the most holy faith, did in visiting the sacred places of Palestine: in which the true God & man CHRIST JESUS, working our salvation, built the spiritual & eternal City Jerusalem upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, with living stones: erected the tower of the life-giving Cross, for the custody of his vineyard against the incursions of malignant spirits: dug many cisterns of living water, overflowing with celestial doctrine: most copiously opened the bath of his most sacred side, with a copious effusion of blood & water, to wash away the stains of the sins of the whole world: and finally, left the glorious Sepulchre of his resurrection, as a pledge of our future immortality? M. Tullius (De Legib. Lib. 2.), the parent of Latin eloquence, when he was at Athens, was not so much delighted by the magnificent works and exquisite arts of the ancients, as by the recollection of the greatest men, where each was accustomed to live, where to sit, where to dispute: and he studiously contemplated even their Sepulchres. What then, when the guide, showing the sacred places to our people in Palestine, says; Here the Word of the eternal Father, CHRIST the Lord, assuming flesh from the Virgin, was born: here he was laid in the manger, here adored by the Magi, here baptized: here he performed miracles, here he taught: here he was captured, here mocked, here scourged, here crucified, here buried: from here on the third day, having conquered death, he rose, from here he ascended into heaven: with what sweetness of internal delight are they filled? What groans, what sighs, what tears do they, mindful of the salvation received, not render to their Savior? This did Paula (Hieron. in Epitaph. Paulæ ad Eustochiu Epist. 2. Tom. 1.), a most noble Roman matron, with Saint Jerome as witness: who traversed those sacred places with such ardor & zeal, that unless she were hastening to the rest, she could not be drawn away from the first ones, and prostrate before the Cross, as if she discerned the Lord hanging, she adored. The same did, and still do, very many pilgrims dedicated to true devotion: who, among the other monuments of our salvation, approaching the rock rent at the Lord’s death, and purpled with his precious blood, and inserting their head into its fissure, fixed in contemplation of human redemption, and rapt in admiration of so signal a trace of the Lord’s death, often experience something divine: and forgetting they are placed on earth, ascending to heavenly things in their mind, in this place they forthwith receive fleshy hearts for stony ones, which the profound thought of sins could not move, and by the love of their redeemer they are so softened & liquefied, that they seem to be present at the admirable spectacle of Christ dying. It is recorded (F. Dublin. lius in Hieros. Ord. præd. Lib.) that a certain one of these, when he had gone to the Mount of Olives to adore the footprints of Christ ascending into Heaven, was seized with such fervor of spirit, that, prostrate on the ground, amid kisses, sobs, & profusely shed tears, he expired. Plainly happy & blessed, to whom so great a benefit was divinely granted, that he merited to follow the memory of the ascending Christ with a most happy entrance into perennial life.
Here the deplorable blindness & madness of the Heretics of our time comes to be lamented: who, since they are accustomed to strain every nerve of their intellect to obliterate the benefits of Christ the Savior, and to diminish the merits of the Saints who have pleased God, have not hesitated to declare perpetual war on pilgrimages which are undertaken to holy places, chiefly with this design; that they, puffed up with faith alone, which they trumpet with full cheeks, dismissing good works, spiritual exercises of the soul, & the mortification of the members, might be permitted all the more securely to reside in the house of their own sense, and sitting over the fleshpots, more than in the Egyptian servitude of Satan, to eat the bread of impiety & falsehood (Prou. 10 20.): thus so secure of eternal salvation that they trust they will fly up to heaven without greaves or cloak. But that the way to sempiternal glory is narrower than those wretches suppose, our Catholic mother Church and the examples of most holy men teach us: who, among the other methods of reducing the flesh into obedience to the Spirit, willed that pilgrimage also should hold not the last place: from which, since manifold goods are accustomed to proceed to the profit of the soul, three yet are elicited as most useful. For pilgrimages of this sort, which are instituted with a right intention, redound to the no small honor of God & His Saints: since indeed from this it manifestly appears that they are magnified by us, when in approaching their memorials, we count it as nothing to undergo dangers & the labors of journeys. Then truly, that voluntary endurance of bodily discomforts & troubles, which are met by pilgrims, has the greatest force of penance & of not the least satisfaction for sins committed: since the members which once served iniquity & injustice, are driven by the ardor of the spirit to works of piety & mortification of thesenses. Lastly, they wondrously excite devotion in the souls of the pious (as we indicated above) in the very veneration of the Holy places: by the attraction of which they incur horror & reverence, they increase charity, they establish & confirm the proposition of a better life, to be conformed to the examples of the Saints.
Since the visitation of holy places confers these & many other things on pilgrims; that, however, which is undertaken to Jerusalem, in consideration of Christ the redeemer, who left here very many footsteps of our salvation by the impression of his most holy body, is accustomed to acquire far greater fruits than from elsewhere. For in this land, pre-elected by God for procuring our salvation, in which his feet have stood, Christ the Lord is more efficaciously honored: penance, on account of the persecutions of the infidel barbarians, is performed with greater merit & gain of Indulgences: devotion of the spirit, desire of heavenly things & contempt of earthly things, is more easily acquired: the living effects of which virtues, whatever the Heretics may say, shine forth in those who, having returned thence to their fatherland, manifestly prove, no less in restraining the passions of the soul, that they are (Galat. 2.) crucified with Christ, than that they are (Rom. 6.) risen with the same from the dead, by walking in newness of life.
By their example, men of diverse nations & conditions, even in these corrupt times of ours, are led, and do not hesitate to undertake with the greatest alacrity the immense labors of pilgrimage to the sacred places of Palestine: for whom the detraction of innovators is not of such account as the desire of profiting in spiritual goods: whence, as if to the markets of Christian virtues & interior perfection, they count it as nothing to set forth, with the loss of temporal goods & sometimes of health, traversing long tracts of land & sea. That the matter so stands, although it is not difficult to prove by many examples of most noble foreign men; let this one recent, domestic example of ours suffice for you, Christian Reader, that of the Most Illustrious Lord Nicolas Christophor Radzivil, Duke of Olika & Nieswiez, most famous by far for the splendor of his principely & most ancient family, & for the abundance of temporal goods: who, besides other reasons properly pertaining to him, being incited also by those reasons by which we have mentioned above that very many are moved, having previously undertaken a vow, so completed this sacred Pilgrimage, that he brought back from it such fruits of Divine blessing & grace, as shine forth clearer than the midday sun in all his actions, which are always referred to the glory of God, the propagation of the Catholic faith, & the saving of very many for Christ. You may see in that most lauded Hero, besides many talents worthy of a great man in the Republic, which he employs for representing the salvation of the fatherland, that an ardent love for Christ the Lord, & the other Christian virtues, have established a fixed domicile for themselves in him: whence the most abundant fountains of good works gush forth so copiously, that anyone can non-obscurely judge, that he has attained such a scope of Christian perfection, which is wont to be proposed to those who undertake pious pilgrimages. For, having happily returned to his own properties, and nevertheless considering himself to be a pilgrim on earth, he perpetually retains, in the very pinnacle of dignity, a singular humility; in the copy of temporal goods, temperance; in all adverse affairs, tolerance; in helping his neighbors, liberality; in propagating the Divine cult, zeal & munificence; in governing his family, paternal solicitude & vigilance. And lest in enumerating his praises I should seem to be too prolix, & to have given something to the ears; from the claw the Lion, from the magnificent works, which incur the eyes of men, consider, benign reader, his breast imbued with Christian charity: count up the temples, colleges, monasteries, hospitals, erected by him, and instructed with all things both for necessity & for convenient splendor: you will see without doubt this best Duke, in the worldly path of that pilgrimage, scattering & sowing momentary & perishable things, that he might be able to reap & in his time gather heavenly & eternal things.
But let us return to the institute of his pilgrimage. There were many men in our memory, indeed also in that of our fathers, outstanding in piety & doctrine, who handed down a description of the places of the Holy Land, with method & a certain exact reason: yet it has been permitted to see scarcely anyone, who has, with an easier compendium, & with a greater variety of things which occur in Palestine worthy of note, subjected them, as it were, to the eyes, than this our same Most Illustrious Lord Radzivil: who, although he did not professedly institute this narration so that it might come to light (which many are accustomed to do for the sake of celebrating their own name): yet in four Epistles, written in the Polish tongue from the journey itself, in a familiar style likewise, to his most familiar friend, whom he loved as a brother, he has so successfully comprehended the whole history of his pilgrimage, & the memory of notable things, that nothing can be desired, which may seem topertain to the full notice of those places. When, therefore, the pious & learned Priest of the Society of JESUS, R. Father Fabianus Quadrantinus (most closely joined to me both by reason of studies, thirty and some years ago, at the first opening of the College of Braunsberg, and by the custom of familiarity in the court of that Great Cardinal Hosius at Rome) had shared these with me, I perceived incredible pleasure from their reading. For not only did they impress upon the mind, with great delight, a certain delineation of the Sacred places, explained as if in a graphic table; but truly also they so placed before the eyes the varied morals & habits of diverse nations, the vicissitudes of fortune in human chances, an accurate description of certain distinguished Cities & provinces, especially of Egypt & a certain living image of the Memphite miracles, that I seemed to in-person gaze upon all those same things, and without expense & fatigue of body, to enjoy the aspect of the most beautiful things. I therefore congratulated these times of ours, that what our countrymen were forced to seek from foreign writers, in ages past, concerning Palestine & the situation of the holy places, these things, acquired by the great expense & labors of a prince of our nation, & comprehended in an elegant writing, they could have at hand. But although these, from the author’s intention, as that one at Cicero said (De Finib. Lib. 1.), could seem written only for the Tarentines, & the Consentines, & the Sicilians, that is, for the men of his own nation: yet when I perceived that the fruit of this reading could redound to the profit & consolation of all Catholics, I came to this thought, that I would be doing a thing grateful to all pious men, if this book, written by an assertor of the Catholic faith, should also speak in the Catholic, that is, the Latin & Roman tongue: which also, from the Polish idiom, I have endeaved to perform to the best of my ability by this my translation. How successfully, however, that has been perfected, I indeed do not know: yet this I can affirm, that I have not deflected from the mind of the Most Illustrious author, not even a nail’s breadth, in expressing the thing itself, although words at times could not be rendered exactly for words, so that the sense of the Latin tongue might be more lucid. Truly, I also undertook this labor the more willingly, because I saw that danger threatened the common copies, scattered secretly here and there, unless this one of mine should come to light, that they, partly by the carelessness of the scribes, partly also by the machinations of the malevolent, & those adverse to the Christian faith & pious works, would be altered & corrupted in many places. Wherefore, since I had at hand one more sincere copy, & taken from the very original of the Most Illustrious Duke, I have taken care that it, now translated into the Latin tongue, should be published rather timely, so that to its faith & certain rule, as it were, any common copies, by our countrymen, might be ableTwo to be examined & reduced. You, benevolent Reader, take in good part this our work, such as it is, which ought to be the more grateful to you on this account, because, before many, who have not yet tasted the description of this pilgrimage in the Polish tongue, you can now delight yourself in reading it: from which if it shall have been given to you to refer any spiritual profit, you will refer it all as received from GOD thrice Greatest, who inspired in me that I should write, in you that you should read. Farewell. At the Church of Warmia from our Study, on the Eighth Calends of April [March 25], on the very solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord’s incarnation, in the Year of restored Salvation. 1601.
ON THE EFFIGY OF THE MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD NICOLAS CHRISTOPHOR RADZIVIL, DUKE.
IN THE 33RD YEAR OF HIS AGE.
THE MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD NICOLAS + CHRISTOPHORVS + RADZIVIL + DUKE + IN + OLIKA + AND + NIESWIESZ
When Prince RADIVIL visited the lands of Jerusalem,
He was to be seen in such an effigy.
You will know him better, and you will see foreign Kingdoms,
When you have read this work, O candid reader.
T. T. C. V.
[Thomas Treterus, Custos of Warmia]
AN ADDRESS OF RELIGION
TO THE MOST ILLUSTRIOUS DUKE N. CH. RADZIVIL.
RADZIVIL, Duke potent in ancestors & opulence,
The Fame of your people, now spread to the lands, & a new glory.
What cause impelled you to undergo so many labors of the way,
To submit to the greatest dangers on land, the greatest on the sea?
Was it that you might know you had gone beyond the Herculean columns?
Or, what Aristonides did, that you might know things to be remembered?
Not the popular breeze, nor gold, impelled this journey;
But a vehement ardor for the Diety, and for me.
Rarely does a Duke from the icy North, what you have undertaken,
Take up the journey to the sacred tomb of the Savior.
O splendor of Europe, pearl of the Boreal land,
In other things equal to your ancestors, but in piety you surpass.
The name & glory of the PRINCELY empire they bore
From the Caesars by their strenuousness.
You by your piety will amplify your ancestral honors;
May you be part of the sacred Militia, how great is that praise?
May you be a JERUSALEM KNIGHT, and stand against the enemies of CHRIST & the cross;
May the quintuple cross mark your spirit & your coat of arms.
Be mindful of the twice-born Duke who willingly in these seats
Dying, bore for you five wounds.
That you will be this, the tears promise, with which you, a suppliant,
Wet the sacred tombs, and drive pious torches into your heart.
What heaven-flowing flames you now piously conceive as a newcomer,
Will ignite your paternal hearths to every pious thing.
With you as leader, I perceive my triumphs through temples & schools,
I perceive roofs rising for the poor, rising for the pious.
With me as leader, Duke, your praise shall be silent neither on earth nor in heaven;
But rather, posterity shall read this journey on stone.
ON THE REVEREND LORD THOMAS TRETERUS
C. V. [Custos Varmiensis] WHO PUBLISHED THIS TRAVELOGUE,
translated by him.
Before, Fame sang of RADIVIL the pilgrim,
But Fame modulated in obscure modes:
In Sarmatian, with flowing pen, for a few, she sang
Of the journey of the Duke to the Jerusalem tombs:
Where the twice-born Duke with the cross piously atoned for all
The crimes of guilty Adam, & where he was buried in the earth.
Now this journey resounds to the world with Latial trumpets,
So that it renders astonished the Teutons & the Goths.
In this travelogue, the pilgrim’s Desire for knowing,
And the sacred Hunger for Heaven, have whence they may be relieved.
THOMAS TRETERUS, how much does the Goddess Rumor owe to you?
That you sing the Duke in Latian bronze, he is the author.
Anagram of the Author:
VIRTUE COMES BY LABOR.
IN YOUR NAME,
JESUS.
Pfal. 131.
We will go into his tabernacle: we will adore in the place,
where his feet have stood.
Pfal. 38.
I am a stranger with thee: a pilgrim, as all my
fathers were.
EPISTLE I.
YOU ASK ME TO WRITE TO YOU, not only the manner and reason of this journey of mine, which I have entered upon in the name of God; but also the cause, which impelled me to undertake so distant, and as it seems to many, also perilous a pilgrimage (although I always was & am of a different opinion: since Divine providence & predestination itself, just as it is wont to render the paths of some who travel abroad expeditious & easy, so also for others who lead a domestic life in their native soil, it renders them perplexing & difficult): and this, when I am hindered, as is not obscure to many, but especially to you, by a weak and worn-out state of health.
Wherefore, that I may comply with your wish, as far as I can recall to memory, I send you the beginning of this journey of mine, desiring you to be admonished of this, that you should know these things to be written for you alone (to whom, since by the right of our mutual custom & familiarity, I cannot be lacking, I greatly desire even the least things of my affairs to be known). I do not assume for myself here the parts of a Historian, nor is that the scope of my pilgrimage, but far different, as you will see below: and since both my occupations & my profession of life are not unknown to you, you can easily judge, that I do not traverse those regions with the plan that I should comprehend in writing the situation of Provinces, the morals of nations & other things, which Historians are accustomed to do: if a curiosity for which things were to carry me away, I could, residing at home, with no great trouble, learn these same things from dead masters (thus Alphonso, King of Aragon, called books [Books, dead masters]). You will receive, therefore, and read for pleasure, these letters of mine, such as they are, which, when the occasion & will for writing shall arise, I am going to give to you at some time. For to a fatigued & unwell body, rest is more fitting than writing: which even at this very time, although I have scarcely yet reached Crete, I experience in myself sufficiently and more.
I do not doubt that you have received those [letters] of mine, which I wrote to you from Grodno, having departed from King Stephan: who, having treated me clemently & humanely, dismissed me, with some compassion also, that I was willing to commit myself to so long a journey. I also wrote that, that the King was my counselor, that to avoid the troubles of navigation, & the dangers of shipwreck or of pirates, I should betake myself to Constantinople, & thence to Aleppo, having accepted Czaußii & Janissaries, from the Turkish porte, who would be of greater authority than all the rest, who adhere to the ministers of the Emperor. Among others, the best Prince also offered this reason for his counsel, that I could by no means lie hidden, so that who I am might not be recognized: whence no light danger would threaten me. It would be far safer, for this to be done with the knowledge of the Turkish Caesar, & to pursue the journey with his open letters. That he would give letters to the same, most diligently written; at the same time he would send someone from his court as an Internuntius thither, who would purposefully promote this business of mine with the Turk. I in turn brought forth my own reasons to His Royal Majesty, by which I esteemed it safer that this pilgrimage should be undertaken by the usual route, chiefly, because I had nothing explored, by what reason this journey could be accomplished by land from Constantinople: but on the contrary, that I had been taught by many, that it is accustomed to be completed by sea compendiously, securely, & in a shorter space of time: and for that cause, I judged this the preferable reason for carrying my plan into effect. But what was the most important cause of this my setting forth into Palestine, now receive in brief.
You are not ignorant, without doubt, since you are a Catholic, that almighty God is accustomed to use diverse means, by which he may lead men, drawn away from the state of eternal damnation, back into the way of salvation: and that he does this, not on account of himself; since nothing accrues to him, if we live rightly; nothing departs from him, if we live basely & most wickedly. But since he has holily promised to us, that he wills not the death of the sinner (Ezech. 33), but rather that he be converted & live, this he deigns, for his clemency & goodness, to grant to us from time to time. The chief way, therefore, by which he calls men away from the turpitude of sin, ought to be referred to the infinite demonstration of grace & benefits, which he copiously exhibits to the human race. For since he is supremely good, nay supreme good itself, nothing but immense goodness can proceed from him: which since he has poured forth into man with a full hand, and has conferred all things to his will; when that [man], where he ought to pay back emendation of life in the place of gratitude, defers it, & unmindful of the benefits, like an unbridled horse, blinded by malice, rushes headlong into every crime, although he could justly reject him, lying in the filth of sin, & damn him eternally, since this is free to him, nor is he bound to render a reason for his deed to anyone: yet that infinite goodness of his, restrains the rigor of justice, lest he cast the wretch into the end & abandon him: and admonished with a certain paternal solicitude, he sends temporary afflictions & castigations; that he whom goodness itself could not draw away from sin, at least the bitterness of pain, contrary to human sense, may contain the same in office. Hence it is, that he permits men at times to be afflicted with various calamities, but especially also with infirmities of the body, that by this reason, mortal man may the more easily reflect, to what end this corporeal ass which he so delicately nourishes & loves, ought at length to come: and how deservedly these temporal goods are compared to a shadow, which in a slight moment passes & vanishes. Let therefore the most holy name of the Lord our God be blessed, who coerces us with these light admonitions & quickly passing scourges, lest we should fall into that unquenchable fire, & the worm which never dies.
And thus plainly has it been done with me: upon whom, since Divine goodness had conferred innumerable gifts & benefits of its grace, not only did I not show myself grateful to it by any emendation of a rather dissolute life; but also, having abused its gifts, in my youthful age, led away by the allurements of vanity, I accumulated sins upon sins: and what happens to others who wallow in delinquencies & excesses, although they do not draw adverse health from nature, yet by luxury they summon it to themselves voluntarily, and abbreviate the prefixed term of life (according to that saying of the Wise man; We have not received a short life but have made it so: we are not inopes of it but have been made prodigal) so also it befell me by use. For I fell into a grave infirmity, augmented by huge pains of the head & diverse accidents, in the Year of our Lord 1575, in the month of August, when on the second day of the same I had completed the twenty-sixth Year of my age. And since, by the vice of corrupt nature, when a man has fallen into adverse health, he is solicitous in vain concerning corporal medicine, if he does not think concerning the salvation of the soul; when I sensed myself so gravely overwhelmed by disease, by Divine permission, in curing which all the industry of physicians was consumed in vain, I fled suppliant to God himself, for the cure of both men, through Sacred Confession, & the reception of the Most Divine Sacrament, and I most humbly petitioned from him, that, having dismissed the delinquencies of my youth, he would inspire that into my heart, which would be conjoined with the glory of his majesty, & the salvation of my sinful soul: and since I often insisted fervently on this sort of prayer, at a certain time in the Month of September, when I was present at the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, I made a vow (which I afterwards revealed to my Confessor) that if Divine goodness should restore my pristine health, I would visit the Most Holy Sepulchre of the Lord, with the time for performing this not being defined. Meanwhile, I did not intermit to apply opportune remedies, according to the nature of the disease, which were more and more prolonged.
In the Year of our Lord 1576, I used the baths of Iavorovviensis [Jaworów] in Poland. In the following year 1577, I likewise always had business with physicians. Meanwhile, our Lithuanian expedition into Livonia occurred, in which I also took part with others, when the Duke of Muscovy was devastating this province, & King Stephan was in camp near Gedanum [Gdańsk]. In the year 1578, I signified to Gregory XIII, Pont. Max., that I was setting forth into Germany to try certain remedies, & baths: which when they shall have rendered me more vigorous, I had vowed to God & altogether resolved to visit the Sacred Jerusalem Sepulchre of the Lord; what the Pontiff replied to this, is apparent from the adjoined brief.
TO OUR BELOVED SON, THE NOBLE MAN
NICOLAS CHRISTOPHOR RADZIVIL,
DUKE OF OLIKA
GREGORY PP. XIII.
Beloved son, noble man, Greetings & Apostolic benediction. Piously & wisely does your nobility act, when in caring for your health you so use human remedies, that you yet have all hope reposed in the benignity of God. We praise therefore your proposition, of applying baths, & the vow of visiting that Most Holy Sepulchre of our Lord Jesus Christ. We hope from his goodness that health will be restored to you. Our & Apostolic benediction, truly, which you ask, we both impart by these letters, & we pray for, both the recovery of health, & all joyous & happy things, for you from the benignity of our Lord himself. Given at Rome at Saint Peter’s, under the ring of the Fisherman on the last day of April 1578, in the seventh Year of our Pontificate. Ant. Buccapadulius.
But my health, although it had begun to be in a better, though not by so much, state, I resolved to return to my fatherland, because in Germany I had no one, with whom I could confer concerning entering upon this journey, which in the judgment of many & also my own, seemed arduous & perilous in the highest degree. Therefore in the following Autumn, having returned to my fatherland, I resolved in the next Summer to set forth into Italy, thence into Palestine: and when in that same Winter King Stephan, coming then for the first time into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, had decreed to undertake a military expedition against the Duke of Muscovy, in the summer of the Year 1579, it seemed to convene with my military profession, that I myself also should bestow my service upon my King, against the common enemy of the fatherland. This year, therefore, along with other Lithuanians, I consumed in the Polotsk war: and when I had been wounded there by the strike of a firearm in the head, and with God’s help, had convalesced from the wound; I sensed myself not moderately moved & incited to the fulfillment of that vow of mine, by the recent Divine benefit.
In the Year of our Lord 1580, I set forth into Italy with that plan, that having applied remedies & baths, which I did, I might pursue the destined journey; and when, by prescription of the physicians, I had, by visiting these and those, not absolved the last baths until the month of August, the entire summer was thus spent: and when I had resolved to set sail from Venice just before Winter, ships having returned from those parts, announced that in this very Year 1580, plague was raging in Greece, Syria, Palestine & Egypt, which was accustomed to be prolonged even into the third year, although gradually decreasing. For in the first year it rages most atrociously, in the second not so, in the third less: in which matter indeed it is permitted to admire the singular benignity of God, which in this part, for his immense mercy, permits Christians to be less afflicted than pagans. This news having been accepted, all dissuaded me, lest I should cast myself into open danger. But also the ships, which in the coming summer ought to set sail into those shores, were being adorned with remisser zeal. Meanwhile, it was also brought, that King Stephan in the following Year, was again leading an army against the Muscovite. Wherefore, although with not so firm health, in the Year 1581, Winter having been passed, I set forth into my fatherland, & spent the entire Summer with the King in Camp at Pskov. Thence having returned home in Winter, when the proposition of undertaking the journey into Palestine, with me not concealing it, had become known to all, and they were vehemently calling me away from it, I also began to vacillate somewhat, & so to interpret that vow of mine, that not unless restored to pristine health, would I be bound to fulfilling it; but now I was experiencing, that as with age, the languor likewise increased.
When thoughts of this sort often turned over in my mind, & I, in my usual manner, was commending the success of the matter to God in my exiguous prayers, it seemed good, through confession & the perception of the most holy Eucharist, to implore the Divine aid: whence it immediately came into my mind; although my health was not firm enough, yet it was such, that by it, it was permitted to me to walk, to transact business, to set forth into the militia, also to perform longer journeys. Wherefore since I do not decline to do these things in grace of an earthly King, or of friends, or for the cause of some necessity, why could I not undertake those labors of the journey, which I holily promised to God himself I would undergo; who alone is King of Kings, the greatest of all: from whom all good things come forth to us, from whose hand, not from elsewhere, what things are necessary, are derived to us? Therefore, permitting my whole self to his Divine providence I most firmly resolved, with whatever health I might finally be endowed, to enter upon this sacred journey, supported by the firm hope, that I, with God helping, would absolve it: even if it should happen to die there, I would not bear it heavily, when it should be divinely conceded to me to behold with corporeal eyes the sacred places of our redemption, & to be made partaker of my rendered vow.
Wherefore in the Year of our Lord 1582, my domestic affairs having been disposed, & the testament of my last will having been made, since I was estimating that I would never more return into my fatherland, in the month of August I set forth to Grodno to King Stephan, that I might make known the plan of my Jerusalemite setting-forth, and bid him farewell. He indeed dissuaded me in various ways from the undertaken proposition; but since vows were to be rendered to the Lord, the commutation of which ought to be sought only from the Apostolic see, he tried to persuade me by all means, that I should betake myself rather to Rome, than with health so affected, to commit myself to so perilous a journey. But when I had replied, that I had altogether resolved, to approach this journey; from which if I should desist, I would fear both the offense of divine wrath, & the petty voices of men, & no small loss of estimation, he exhorted as much as he could, that, as I touched upon above; I should set forth to Constantinople; that he would diligently take care, that with less difficulty & danger, I might attain the goal so greatly desired.
Having obtained from the King leave of departing, I returned to Nieswiez; and when I had all things in readiness, fortified by the Ecclesiastical Sacraments, in the name of God, on the 16th day of September, in the Year of our Lord 1582, I entered upon the journey: and since into this very Year the correction of the Gregorian Calendar had fallen, in the month of November I reached the borders of Italy; and, when in certain places of Lombardy, according to my poverty, I had vacated somewhat for devotion, on the eighth day of December, the very day of the conception of the Most Blessed Virgin, since I had sent my household ahead to Verona some days before, I arrived at Venice, and immediately went to the Doge Nicolaus de Ponte with the King’s letters, from whom the King diligently postulated, that he would diligently commend me to the Prefects, whom the Venetians have in Greece & maritime places: which was obtained with the less trouble, because sufficiently already before, both I, & my family were known at Venice. I likewise treated with the Procurator of the Holy Land, who always resides in the Monastery of Saint Franciscus della Vigna, & Frater Joannes de Candia was then in this very office. I conferred, also with F. Hieremia de Bressa, Guardian of the place, who, having been prelate of the brethren of his order in the Holy Land twice, had remained at Jerusalem for twelve years. By these I was taught how I ought to conduct myself, and I gave pains that I might be able to set sail on the first ship, which immediately after Epiphany, & the blessing of the sea, according to the received rite of the Church, set sail: and for that cause I was chiefly hastening to depart, that it might be permitted to me to perform the sacred Passover at Jerusalem.
Therefore by the counsel of friends, a ship was offered to me (they called it the Galleon Tornelli, named from Tornellius the merchant, to whom it belonged) not indeed so large, namely capable of only six hundred casks, nor of new work, for it had been fabricated thirteen years before, but yet a ship having the experienced Shipmaster Augustinus de Giacomo, it was greatly commended by the name of celerity & good event: with whom, since it ought to depart after Epiphany, I entered into negotiation concerning the setting-forth. And also in this thing, I recognized the singular benignity & clemency of God in me, that with the hope of a swifter departure, other ships having been omitted, I adhered rather to this one. For when the huge transport ship called Ruggina, had set sail near the end of January in the Year 1583 (which thing was in the highest degree troublesome to me) scarcely yet having egressed from the port, tossed by a tempest near Fossa Claudia [Chioggia], it scarcely evaded the danger, with all anchors cast out & the mast cut away: so that with much difficulty, it landed at Istria, some Italian miles distant from Venice; where it stopped for the entire winter: those who had embarked it, were forced to return to Venice. This same ship, one day only before we sailed to Cyprus, had set sail towards Tripoli. Around the middle of the month of February, two other smaller ships set sail towards Alexandria. Wherefore, weary of the longer delay, although the way by Egypt to Jerusalem was more remote, I had deliberated to embark one of them; but since they were not so large; & had governors, whom they commonly call Patrons, little experienced, my friends dissuaded me, lest I should do such a thing. And here the immense mercy of God dealt benignly with me. For one of them perished not far from Ragusa, the other near the island of Corcyra, shaken by the violence of a tempest, was so broken up, that thence one man only scarcely escaped unharmed.
I wrote thereupon to the Pontiff, signifying to him, that his prior letters having been accepted, hindered by diverse causes, I had not been able to enter upon the journey of the sacred pilgrimage hitherto: now since I was in readiness, he would deign to concede to me again the faculty of approaching the Sacred Sepulchre. For it is the custom, whoever undertakes this sacred pilgrimage, he ought to have the faculty in writing from the Pontiff, or from those, who are delegated for this matter: otherwise Catholics avoid his consortium, & he renders himself suspect among the Religious of that place, that he may not be a genuine son of the Catholic Church. Commonly also it happens, that those, who come thither for the sake of seeing only (to whom rarely does this cede happily, since indeed they fall either into an unexpected death, or into miserable chances) & not for the cause of devotion, stir up much trouble for the Catholics, on account of their insolence & uncomposed morals: whence they procure not only damage but also danger for the Catholics. For when they have perpetrated anything unworthy, the Catholics are forced to sustain the penalty for the fault, & in defect of money, lest they should fall into Turkish servitude, the poor Religious are compelled to redeem them. But although on account of that familiarity, which had existed for me for several years with all the most distinguished men in Italy, even without letters of this sort, I could have committed myself to the journey, nor was anything of difficulty to be feared from the religious men, already to me in some part known before: yet I wished, for the cause of caution, to provide for myself concerning all those things, which the laudable custom of the Church postulates, but especially in undertaking the office of a pilgrim, also to use the rights of pilgrims, & to obtain the benediction of the supreme Pontiff, I judged in the highest degree necessary.
The Pontiff, my letters having been accepted, which Georgius Ticinius, Scholasticus of Vilnius, acting for the King of Poland in the city [Rome], had delivered to him, sought from him, whether I had now altogether resolved to enter upon this journey so long, with my health not confirmed, & at that time, when pirates mostly rendered the sea infested: nor did he obscurely bear it, that if I had come to Rome, he would have willingly dispensed with me concerning such a setting-forth, the vow having been commuted into other works of piety. But since it seemed by no means licitum to be dissuaded from so holy an institute, when it was already established to him concerning my constant will of fulfilling the vow, he both most humanely conceded to me the patent letters, which I have subjoined here, and sent oratorical beads, with the greatest adjoined Indulgences or Spiritual graces, with the condition added, that on single days in my weak prayers I should never intermit the memory of him: since indeed he also in his prayers, would not cease assiduously to represent to God the happy outcome of this my setting-forth.
TO OUR BELOVED SON, THE NOBLE MAN,
NICOLAS RADZIVIL, DUKE OF OLIKA
AND NIESWIEZ, GRAND MARSHAL
of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania,
GREGORY PP. XIII.
Beloved son, noble man, greetings & Apostolic benediction. You have recently had it exposed to us, that you, led by the zeal & fervor of devotion, desire to visit the Dominical Sepulchre at Jerusalem, & perhaps other transmarine, pious places of the Holy Land, if our & the Apostolic See’s license & faculty should support you for this. Wherefore you have had us humbly supplicated, that we, of Apostolic benignity, should deign to assent to your pious desire of this sort in the premises. We therefore, wishing to pursue you with special favors & graces, inclined by supplications of this sort, to you, that you may freely & licitly be able to visit personally the Dominical Sepulchre, & the other transmarine places of the Holy Land aforesaid, provided that you do not defer prohibited things to the parts of the infidels, grant full & free license & faculty, by Apostolic authority, by the tenor of these presents. Given at Rome at S. Peter’s under the ring of the Fisherman on the 22nd day of Jan. 1583. In the Eleventh Year of our Pontificate. Cæ. Glorierius.
GREGORY PP. XIII.
To all & singular, Kings, Princes, Dukes, Marquises, Counts, Barons, Lords, & their Magistrates, & also Captains of fleets & ships, & other temporal lords, & subject to us & the holy Roman Church mediately or immediately, greetings & Apostolic benediction. Since the noble man, Nicolas Christophor, Duke of Olika & Nieswiez, Grand Marshal of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, as he has recently had it exposed to us, aflame with the fervor of devotion, desires to visit the Dominical Sepulchre at Jerusalem, with the Lord granting, any day now: we, for our singular charity towards the said duke, desire that there be a safe & secure journey for him everywhere; we much exhort & require all of you not subject to us, but to our subjects we strictly precept & command, that if the aforesaid Duke should happen to arrive at your & our places, you should be willing benignly & liberally to receive, embrace & treat, him together with his counts, & household, both for his dignity, & also on our account: & if there should be need, & he should have led you to be required, you should take care promptly to provide for an idoneous guard & safe conduct. And thus you should bring it about that we may be able to deservedly commend you for your propense soul towards
the said Duke, & on occasions
to refer a like grace to you.
Given at Rome at Saint
Peter’s under the ring of the
Fisherman on the 22nd day of January
- In the Eleventh Year of our
Pontificate.
Cæf. Glorierius
Meanwhile, while we were preparing the journey, & in hours expecting the departure, were taking care also that things be brought onto the ship, it was being brought about by a certain Divine ordination, that we could not set sail, through some delays: and it appeared clearly afterwards that it had been well done, that this ship of ours, had committed itself to the sea, later than it had resolved. Wherefore we passed the whole of Quadragesima [Lent], & the Paschal feasts at Venice, insisting on devotion, as much as Divine grace bestowed.
At length on the Sabbath before the Sunday in Albis [Sunday after Easter] in the Year of our Lord 1583, on the 16th day of April, at about the twenty-second hour, having embarked a skiff at Venice, we arrived at the monastery of S. Maria della Gratia of the Friars of S. Jerome on the Island (in which place in the morning, already dressed in the habit of a pilgrim, the most holy Sacrament having been perceived, I had suppliant commended to the Divine Majesty this my setting-forth in my exiguous prayers, that it might deign to bless it) thence in the port of Malamocco, having embarked the ship after the setting of the sun, at the third hour of the night we weighed anchors: and in the dawn of the following day, which was the 17th of April, having egressed from the port, on this very day & night, and the subsequent light, with a light wind blowing, we passed by the Tergestine [Trieste] gulf: and when the wind had ceased to blow entirely, the ship stopped near Parentium [Poreč], an old town of Istria, which, not so large but sited in a most pleasant place, refers a certain appearance of antiquity. Some will that it, Parentium, after the rape of Helen, was founded by Paris, & from his name was formerly called Paridinum. Transport ships cannot land here: whence also ours was absent from that shore by a fourth part of a mile. I, having embarked a skiff, when I had descended to the Church of the Conventual Friars of Saint Francis, where I heard Mass, the town having been traversed, afterwards returned to the ship. Around evening with a light wind spiraling we moved from said place: and in the dawn, we arrived at a desolate port in Dalmatia, commonly called Torreta: where on account of the contrary wind, which is midway between east & south, and is called Sirocco by the Italians, we were forced to remain for three days. And since from there the City of Zara [Zadar] is five miles absent, anchors having been cast, we arrived by skiff at the island of Sala, and by a pedestrian journey, having progressed a middle mile to the Villa of the same name, around midday we turned aside to an inn: in which we found rustics vacating for potation: who when they had perceived us dressed in the habit of pilgrims, & using the Polish tongue (which they also understood since they were Slavs), & were ignorant that our Ship had landed at the island, they believed us to be explorers, since especially some citadels of the Turks were in the vicinity, one of which, called Bokal, was distant from them by a short interjection of the sea, only one & a half miles. They had therefore resolved to comprehend us, & already had sent some comrades ahead for ropes, with which to bind us. But although I had patent letters of the Venetians, by which they enjoined their subjects, that in their dominions they should exhibit to me every sort of duty & humanity, yet I was unwilling to show them to those men; lest as they were drunk, having been snatched away by violence, they should tear them up, or lose them. Wherefore I petitioned that they should lead us to the Superior, whom they had: which also they did: and when we were proceeding together, they had some of theirs meet them, who announced to them, that more of us were present near the Church. For Albertus, Bishop of Sidonia, had come thither, with two Priests of the Society of Jesus, Leonardus Siculus, & Ignatius Hispanus, whom Gregory XIII, Pontiff, was sending into Syria, for the cause of propagating the Catholic religion: who on the same ship with us arrived at Tripoli of Syria. When therefore they saw more of our men, & beheld the Notary of the ship Hieronymus Varnani, before known to them, they exhibited no more trouble to us: nay, when we were dining at the house of the Parish priest, they deprecated their fault with me, because they were sub-fearing, lest I should defer them at the Magistrate’s [court] of Zara. Having taken lunch, a skiff having been hired, I arrived at Zara, a City of the Venetians in Dalmatia, excellently fortified, after the twenty-first hour: where, when the Venetian Praetor Vincentius Morosinus was deambulating at the port, he wished to know, whether we were coming from infected places. Having egressed from the skiff, the Notary of our ship, showed him the Patent letters, which I had, which having been read he ordered us to descend onto the land: & after salutation, he introduced us into the City, showed the munitions, & received us honorifically with hospitality in the palace. On the next day, because it was the feast of Saint Mark, we went into the Church; we were present at the Procession, which is performed through the Venetian dominions everywhere with great ceremony; we visited some Churches; chiefly of Saint Simeon, that evangelical old man, who carried Christ the boy in his arms: whose sacred body under the main altar there, plainly intact, & not putrefied, is religiously asserted: which we saw accurately, & touched. Lunch having been completed, we descended from the Palace to the port, & thence by a small boat after the setting of the sun we returned to our ship. When we were in Zara, a complaint was deposited against the soldiers, of whom one hundred twenty in that same ship of ours, were being sent to Crete by the Venetians. The Praetor sent immediately, that whatever damage had been inflicted on anyone, should be suddenly refunded.
We set sail in the morning from that port, and on the 28th day & night following, by a North wind, which is between North & East, near Balona [Vlorë], a City of the Turks, we were most vehemently tossed.
On the 2nd of May, we were carried from the Adriatic sea into the Mediterranean.
We passed by the island of Corcyra [Corfu] towards evening.
but on that night Cephalonia.
We landed at the eighteenth hour at Zacynthus [Zakynthos]. I immediately accessed the monastery of the Friars Minor of the Observance of B. Mary: the Guardian of which place was then Frater Bonifacius de Bergamo. In this monastery is visited an ancient stone of the sepulchre of Cicero, with an inscription written out in Greek letters; there in a stone urn likewise, his Cinders are said to be reposed. On the following day, Marcus Antonius Venereus, the Venetian Praetor, having been invited, treated me lavishly in the citadel, which, posited on a high Mount, is constructed in an ancient work, in a round form. On the other day we heard Mass in the Monastery of S. Helias of the Conventual Friars of saint Francis: which posited on a most amenable hill, imminets the City. It has a garden not so large, but in the highest degree elegant. Nowhere do larger citrine pomes, golden apples [oranges], & lemons, in all of Achaia [Greece], (by the testimony of the Greeks themselves) prove, than here & in this whole island: whence are extracted annually two hundred thousand vases of currants, but of red & white wine about thirty thousand casks: which both Marcus Securius Venetus, who at that time had contracted the custom house there, & other merchants affirmed for certain. Lunch having been taken, I set forth to the Church of the Greeks called Saint Mary de Piscoppo, which is posited at a large mile from the City itself, on a most high mountain, whence Arcadia is conspired. Venetian watchmen against the Turks are had in it. This island has frequent earth motions: for which cause also, lower buildings are constructed here: nay with me myself present, at night the earth likewise was shaken, briefly however & lightly.
Setting sail from Zacynthus at the twenty-third hour, we passed by on the left the Turkish citadel Tornese in the Peloponnese, which is inter-flowed by the sea at one & a half miles, from Zacynthus.
We passed the Strophades islands, in one of which is a Greek monastery of S. Basil, which the Monks, commonly called Calloieri, inhabit.
We passed the island of Sapientia.
We transited the Promontory of Metapain [Matapan/Tainaron].
- We were tossed by a most valid wind.
At the twenty-first hour, between the Island Cythereia [Kythira] & the Promontory Manlium, we entered the Aegean sea; carried by a valid, yet favorable, Caurus wind, which is midway between west & North.
Around midday at the promontory of Crete, Fraschiam, formerly Paleo castro, we cast anchors: & having embarked a skiff around the twenty-second hour we came to Candia [Heraklion], formerly Candax: and since we could not attain the port on account of the violence of the Winds, we descended to the shore, where we expected for some time, until our patent letters were examined, from which it might be established, that we were coming from places not infected by pestilence. Having entered the City I turned aside to the Monastery of S. Francis. On the morrow the Duke of Candia, Nicolaus Donatus, in the Palace received me at lunch.
I set forth by a terrestrial journey, around the roots of mount Ida, to the Labyrinth of Theseus, which today also retains the same name. I am with those, who will this place to be not a Labyrinth but a Stone-quarry: of which thing, the argument can be, either the huge force of stones, which lie about everywhere, or the vestiges of carts, by which stones of this sort were extracted. Many subterranean diverticula are had here, which unless with an ignited torch cannot be approached. But so great is the multitude of bats there, that diligent caution ought to be applied, while they fly about, lest they extinguish the light, & involve the men in perpetual darkness. That also is in the highest degree worthy of admiration, that while one goes from the North to the south, through the Mounts, so sudden a mutation of sky & air is found in that island; that while around Cortina eight days ago the Harvest was absolved, around Candia all things are still conspired in the Camps: there fruits are had already plainly mature; here to the north they are further from maturity. Furthermore, since a later hour had impeded the return into Candia, I passed the night in a certain exiguous coenobium of S. Francis of the Observance, in which there were only three Monks: who narrated to me, that it had happened about three Weeks before my advent: that when some, for the sake of seeing, had entered this Labyrinth, one of the brethren of the said monastery, having accompanied the same, by error deserted by the same, in a cavern, of which there is an infinite multitude here, buried in darkness, remained, the Monks of the place existing, that he with the company, had set forth to Candia. At length on the third day, good fortune brought it, that certain foreigners, having entered the said anfractuosities of the Labyrinth, incidented upon the same Monk, who, consumed by fame, placed outside himself & senses nearly destitute, sitting was awaiting death. Him recognized they led back into the Monastery: who, long gravely infirm, & having prolapsed into mania, diligent care having been applied, was scarcely at length restored to sanity.
I surveyed the huge ruins of the City of Gortina, which Taurus the King, Europa the daughter of Agenor having been raped, had formerly founded, named from the name of his mother. This City was sited under the Labyrinth itself in the inferior part: whence it appears, that it had been constructed with these stones, which, cut from the middle of the mount, were demitted. This city was ample & elegant, as is gathered from the multitude of the most beautiful columns, which by their density, from afar, represent the appearance of a certain woods. Vestiges of a destroyed Church are seen here also, which appears to have been elegant & with great expenses formerly constructed. But held in chief admiration, is an intact bridge, imposed over a rivulet, of huge squared stones, which, compacted neither with lead nor with cement, presents a secure transit even today to the neighboring inhabitants. On this same day at evening we returned to Candia.
The aforesaid Duke of Candia, Franciscus Barbarigus, Prefect of the Soldiers, Victorinus Buon, & Joannes Marcus Molin, Councilors, I having been assumed, heard Mass in the Church: where from the other part of the altar, which is erected in the middle of the temple, a Greek Sacred [rite] likewise was being celebrated. For by an old indult of the Pontiffs it is cautioned, that the Magistrate of that Island, on certain more solemn days, ought to be present at the Greek sacred rites: which same thing it is licit also for other Catholics, without scruple of conscience to do, & to frequent the Greek Churches, where they do not have temples of the Catholic rite, of which in the villages there is a great rarity. Thence it was gone with a Procession to the High temple of S. Titus, whose venerated intact head, with great ceremony, was proposed to the people to be spectated. Lunch having been taken I saluted the Archbishop, who by permission of the Pontiffs, uses the biretta & Cardinalitian habit, in Candia: and thus attired he came into the Church, & exhibited to us to be seen the relics of the Saints, which are asserted there in great number.
Lunch having been taken at the house of Barbarigus the Captain, we set forth to the ship. Meanwhile a most valid wind arose; so that a rope having been projected from the ship, not without labor, was it necessary that we be attracted to it. Wherefore until the other day the ship necessarily had to remain here: and when, the rope having been broken, the anchor had sought the bottom, it was work to cast two others, & unless the wind had ceased, the ship would have scarcely escaped the danger.
At the second hour of the night, between Standia Island, we navigated with a prosperous wind.
We passed by the Turkish Islands Carpathos & Rhodes; which since it was night we could not see from afar.
We entered the Lycian sea, but at night the Pamphylian.
At the nineteenth hour we saw the Island of Cyprus, but under evening we sail past Paphos.
In the high morning we sailed to Lemissus [Limassol]: when, on the day before we came thither, four triremes of the Duke of Florence, irrupting unexpectedly, had vastated this town, some Turks having been captured, & about thirty having been interfected. On the shore stands a tower of which a good part some years before by an earth-motion collapsed, oppressed some of the Turks. When, about to consider the situation of the place, I had egressed from the ship, there occurred to us a certain fanatic, (this genus of men they call Maslokos) having in his hand a wider knife, in the likeness of a razor: who when he had perceived that we were pilgrims (we were moreover four) accessing to us, he questioned, saying, what then do you wish to give to me, that I may cut myself with the iron for the health of the Caesar my lord? He postulated moreover on this name, that a nummus, which the Turks call a Maydin, be given to him. We, lest we should seem to easily profund money, feigned that we did not abound in Maydins: accepting however, as if with difficulty, one mutually from a certain Italian merchant, who was remaining there in Cyprus, & was present with us, we offered the same to him, that he might understand us to be poor: and we signified to him through an interpreter, that we did not desire, that he should cut his flesh. He, the Maydin having been accepted, inflicted on himself two wounds in his breast sufficiently profound, drawlingly. It was in the highest degree horrid, to see the blood copiously manating. It was apparent the man to have been not so much in possession of his mind, such as almost are accustomed to be all, who quaff Maslok reduced into powders. Moreover they doctor wounds of this sort with water of a font, certain herbs having been applied; which in no great time are skinned over; as was permitted to see in this insane man, who had his skin sufficiently well cut up. Hence it appears how foul, & to Christian men abominable, are the morals of those barbarians. We were unwilling at the beginning to confer anything on this beast, not at all caring for his incision: but the aforesaid merchant admonished, that a nummus of this sort must altogether be given to him; lest if it had been negated to him by us, he should wound someone with the knife: which scoundrels of this sort are very often accustomed to do to Christians, simulating madness.
I traversed the town, which is badly shattered.
On the Sunday of Pentecost, the aforesaid Bishop of Sidonia, celebrated a private Mass in the Church of the Greeks; from whose hands almost all of us, who were being conveyed on the same ship, perceived the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist.
At night we moved from the aforesaid place.
We were carried to the Salinæ [Larnaca Salt Lake]: where just as intense frigidity [congeals] ice; so the Sun’s force astringes Salt, so that it is permitted to ambulant above, although beneath, water remains, which is sweet & of good savor. In early Autumn, humidity supervening, this salt immediately liquefies: concerning which thing since many have written, I am unwilling to commemorate more. Not far thence, is the town Lernica [Larnaca] which has almost a thousand houses: but in the recent Turkish war it is now badly devastated. Since however, for the cause of capturing quiet, we stopped here somewhat; it seemed good, to write to you this beginning of my navigation, about to write more henceforth concerning our affairs, when the occasion shall have offered itself. Farewell. Given at the Salinæ of Cyprus, on the last day of May. In the Year of our Lord. 1583.
EPISTLE II.
June [1583]
I have [already] written to you from there about the manner of my voyage, how I reached Cyprus. After sending that letter to you, on the following day, namely the Calends of June [June 1st], I hired a ship that was not very large, which in those parts they call a Caramusanum, whose captain was an Arab Christian. When the Turkish Prefect of the place, whom they call the Caddi, learned of this, at the instigation of a certain Greek (who some years earlier had embraced the Mahometan perfidy; although he had been born in a very honorable position in Cyprus, and had borne himself bravely and notably in the siege of Nicosia, and had slain many Turks with his own hand), he immediately took away our sails and nautical ropes, so that we could not sail until we bestowed something upon him. For the Turks in these parts are accustomed to live mostly by plunder and false accusations fabricated against Christians. And so, when this perfidious Greek came to our ship, we received him courteously and gave him something; and he obtained from the said Caddi that what had been taken from us should be ordered restored.
At the second hour of the night, having boarded our Caramusanum, we set sail toward the Holy Land. There was on the same ship an Arab Maronite (thus are the Arab Christians called) who had been captured at Lemissus along with the Caramusanum when the town was plundered by the fleet of the Duke of Florence. He narrated to us copiously how outstandingly the Christians had fought against the Turks. When they saw he was an Italian Christian, they freely released him from the triremes. He had, however, to swim for an Italian mile through the sea to a certain deserted island, and from there to make another mile on foot, since the triremes would not land near Tripolis.
When the tower which overlooks the port at Ioppe [Jaffa] was sighted, the Africus, which is the wind between south and west, began to blow most vehemently. It did not permit us to reach the shore, but tore the sail and ripped the ropes. And since the captain was at a loss, he considered returning to Cyprus and landing at Caramania, whence the voyage would be difficult and perilous, and he asked us what we wanted done. He said we could safely reach Tripolis with such a wind, if we did not mind increasing the fare. And so, seeing the captain perplexed, I increased the price, up to one hundred florins. He made this new pact because he had hired this Caramusanum from a certain Arab, and when he had set us ashore at Ioppe, he was supposed to await someone else there: thus he wanted to be compensated for having to sail toward Tripolis. Therefore, with sails unfurled, we were carried by a full wind: and we sailed past Alobdana, Casatura (formerly Cæsarea Atartura), Atelit; then after the promontory of Carmel (from which Ptolemais is not far, but totally ruined), Sarepta of the Sidonians (about which [see] 3 Kings 17, Luke 4), which city is situated at the base of Mount Carmel, on whose summit is shown the place where Elias had built an altar, about which [see] 3 Kings 18. Likewise [we sailed past] Tyre and Sidon: which cities are in an elegant plain, four of our miles distant from each other. Towering over these in the mountain is said to be Cæsarea of Cappadocia, in which St. Dorothea achieved the crown of Martyrdom. There follow Berytus, and then, only ten miles from Tripolis, the cities of Berytus and Anefa, where Mount Libanus rises. These cities are located in Syria Phœnice, which is inhabited mostly by Christians, whom they call Drusians: who are permitted, in the Turkish manner, to wear the white head covering. They are, however, from the remnants of the Gauls who had seized the Holy Land from the Saracens: but they lead a life so dissolute, and more shameful even than the pagans themselves, that to discourse further about them seems less necessary, lest pious ears be offended.
When we had made sixty miles, within the space of eighteen hours, carried by a vehement wind and blustery squall, we were brought into the port of Tripolis at the twenty-second hour. There, having cast anchors, we nevertheless scarcely could have held fast, had not Turks from an Alexandrian ship, approaching in a larger boat, brought us aid. Disembarking onto the shore, proceeding for half a mile, we came into the City, and turned into the Fontecum, Caruaseram, or Mansion of the Venetians. Many describe the site of this city; I omit it. It is in a pleasant location, extending halfway up the mountain, surrounded by most beautiful gardens, watered by springs; the air, however, is not very healthy, especially in summer. I will add this, which I do not know if anyone has touched upon. At the maritime entrance of the city, near the gate on the left, at a stone’s throw, is a triangular palace, about which it is narrated what happened in the memory of our fathers under Solimannus, Cæsar of the Turks. A certain soothsayer learned through magic art that a treasure was buried somewhere in this place. So that he might investigate it gradually, and as secretly as possible (for whatever gold is found there belongs to Cæsar), he bought that plot and built a house, which he encircled on all sides with a very high wall. And though he searched everywhere in the deepest parts of the earth, he found nothing. When the matter became widely known, the Sangiachus (that is the name of the Administrator of the Province, who holds the place our Palatini hold) who at that time was in charge of the region (for it was not long ago, only some years since, that a Bassiza [Pasha] began to reside in Tripolis) summoned the said soothsayer to him and diligently questioned him about the event. Since he could not hide the matter, he confessed that he was vehemently deceived, and had been able to find no treasure, which he sought, in this place. The Sangiachus, greedy for gold, called together other Necromancers, and enjoined them that, as much as each was able in the art, he should apply it to finding the treasure. It was agreed equally by all, that an immense treasure was buried, either in this very place, or not far from it. When, therefore, the Sangiachus had ordered the earth all around to be dug more diligently, at a distance of twenty cubits from the said buildings, under a certain small hill, half of which is still visible, after the earth had been dug to a depth of one ell, a certain chest was found, in which was deposited coined gold, to [the value of] thirty thousand Ducats; all of which the Sangiachus sent to Constantinopolis.
& 10. We explored the City, and what things in it occurred worthy of sight. In the morning we were with the Lemir, who, although he presides over the custom-house, nevertheless also has a contingent of soldiers subject to him. He had then come from Hierosolyma [Jerusalem], where he also had a custom-house, summoned from the Cæsar of the Turks to Tripolis, to administer the Province in the absence of the Basscha [Pasha], who had been sent away on the Persian expedition. And so, since this Lemir was sending his stipendiary Janissaries back to Hierosolyma by way of Damascus, where he had a brother, Boluch, we arranged with him that, for the sake of security, he should attach to us an escort of Janissaries, which was greatly necessary: which, after accepting an honorarium, he did not unwillingly. In the evening, therefore, accompanied by two horsemen and as many footmen, having completed one and a half miles, we spent the night in a field below Mount Libanus.
Before midday we stopped in Ehdy, a village of the Arab Maronites, then, having completed a mile on foot, we came to the Monastery of Blessed Mary of Canobim, situated on Mount Libanus: where the Patriarch acknowledges obedience to the Roman Church. He was then conferring Orders during the solemnities of the Mass, upon a certain religious. The vestments of the Patriarch, which he used at the altar, differed in nothing from those which our Archbishops are accustomed to use. He had the Pallium, the Mitre, the Chasuble, the Tunicles, and the Sandals. The Host was of the same form as among Catholics. The Mass in the Patriarchal rite of the Maronites being finished, Leonardus Pacificus, a Priest of the Society of Jesus, whom I had with me by permission of the General Superior, having requested a blessing from the Patriarch, celebrated a private Mass in the same place in the Roman manner, vested in the chasuble and alb of the Patriarch. The Patriarch, divested of the sacred vestments, put on his customary black habit, with a violet head covering; for such do the religious of that place use. He received us at luncheon, serving eggs, butter, and olives. For they never eat meat. Vespers being completed, we returned to the Villa Ehda.
Departing Ehda in the morning, not far from the road, we saw twenty-four Cedar trees, which are not cut down, since no more are found in those parts. It is an elegant tree, quite tall, with spreading branches, in the likeness of that which the Poles call Modrzew [Larch]. From the summit of Mount Libanus, where the snows never melt, although the heat is far more vehement there than in Italy, we came into the City of Balbech, in which place Salomon the King once constructed a most magnificent palace, when he took the daughter of Pharaoh as his wife, about which [see] 3 Kings 7. Modern writers have diverse opinions about these buildings. Friar Bonifacius, Stephanus Ragufinus, Apostolic Preacher, and Bishop of Stagni, who for many years dwelt in the Holy Land by mandate of His Holiness, in that book which he wrote concerning the contemplation of the Holy Land, affirms that Salomon built the house of the forest of Libanus in Balbech: but Christianus Adrichomius Delphus in his Hierosolyma proves it was in Hierosolymis. Whose opinion is the more true, I dare not define, especially since Adrichomius relies on the testimony of Sacred Scripture, and of Josephus’ Jewish Antiquities in Book 8, Chap. 2: this, however, I can affirm without doubt, which I accurately and diligently observed, that this Palace is described in the book of Kings exactly as it is seen in Balbech to this very day; it is the more easily perceived, because it is not destroyed from its foundations, but, consumed by age, it gradually collapses. In the descent of the mountain, we passed through the thickets of the hill which they call Antilibanus, where Syria Cava [Coele-Syria] or Cæle Syria has its beginning. From the surrounding villages, the Janissaries and Turks, on whose beasts of burden we were riding to Hierosolyma, hired for our money about forty Arab Maronites, with Arquebuses and bows, who were to escort us for safety’s sake: since those places are exposed to the excursions of Arabs and Saracens: who, one day before I arrived there, attacked Turkish merchants and slew fifteen of them. It must be known, however, that there are eight Arab standards [vexilla] here, two red ones of the Christians, and six white ones of the Saracens. They all get along badly with each other, and frequently fight amongst themselves, with the sole exception of these two Christian standards, who dissent from us in certain ceremonies; since, as was said above, the Maronites acknowledge the obedience of the Roman Pontiff: the rest have their own superstitions separately, divided from other Sects: of whom there is a great number in Syria: whom, however, the Maronites surpass by a long interval.
The Arabs, who bear white standards as their sign, all live generally by robbery and predation, in their Arabia, the Holy Land, and Ægypt. There are, however, some in Galilee, who raise great flocks of sheep and camels, and live in tents, seeking good pastures and wholesome waters. When the pastures fail in one place, they place their wives and children upon camels, and drive their flocks of sheep to more suitable places: of whom we met two troops in Galilee, near Mount Thabor. Furthermore, the Christian Arabs live in villages, cultivating fields and gardens, both on Mount Libanus, and in Syria, especially near Damascus: in the Holy Land also, though not in very many places.
Petrus Bellonius [Pierre Belon] of Cenomanus, wishes this city Balbech to be Cæsarea Philippi, nor however does he prove it with reasons. It is certain that there is another Cæsarea by the sea, which even now retains that name: of which mention is made in the Sacred scriptures, that it is situated by the sea, whence St. Paul sailed to Rome. Acts chap. 28.
- Leaving Balbech Leaving Balbech, where there are no inns, we were forced to spend the night in the fields, not without fear of some rather grave danger; which, however, was maturely met by the diligence of our Janissaries. For when they had perceived from afar that a certain Turk, accompanied by twenty-some persons, proceeding to the Persian war, had pitched his tents in a not very wide plain (in which we also had to stay), they ordered that we should hide ourselves within the nearby hills.
They themselves meanwhile went to that Turk, said they were escorting certain poor pilgrims, arriving from afar, for safety’s sake: and they asked that, with his good leave, it might be permitted them to spend the night in that same plain. And since the Turks generally observe a moral compassion, he agreed not unwillingly. And so, not far from him, having obtained permission, we stopped and rested. Otherwise, had we come upon him unexpectedly, the barbarian, thinking himself scorned, could have inflicted no little trouble upon us.
This was especially true because even before, any Turk we encountered immediately wanted to rob us. For instance, this happened when we ran into some soldiers of a certain Sangiachus coming from Egypt: they threw one of my men off his mule, seized the mule and the baggage he was carrying by force. When Muchier the Ethiopian, from whom we had hired the mounts, tried to retrieve the mule, they beat him terribly with a club until our Janissaries arrived to rescue him, recover the mule, and gave the soldiers two taſeris (coins) to ensure they stopped harassing us. Thereupon, as the interpreter told us, the soldiers solemnly swore, as is their custom, that they would not restrain themselves from robbing anyone they met first, citing as their reason that they were traveling a long way. This is because Turkish soldiers enjoy the same liberty as the Czauſsius when they are sent on an expedition by the Caesar: they may take horses from anyone they wish with impunity.
- Encounter and Abel’s Burial Place Then we came at night to Tykyeyijum (Takyia), a Turkish hospice, which was not built magnificently but was richly endowed by a certain Bassa who resided in Damascus. Here we encountered a caravan traveling from Damascus towards Tripoli, which had about two hundred horsemen.
In this hospice, we saw a certain Turk releasing five live green birds into the air, while constantly murmuring something. When I asked him the reason for this action through the interpreter, he replied that he did it for the souls of his deceased relatives, because he believed that, by the merit of this good work, their souls would be somewhat relieved. And thus, they seem to sense something about the pains of Purgatory, driven by a certain instinct of nature.
Departing in the morning, to the right of the road, we came beneath the mountain where Cain is said to have killed his brother Abel. At its summit, two hills stand out, upon which the victims were offered to the Lord. At the base of one of these, the place of the slaying and burial of the said Abel is shown. The Turks told us (for we did not ascend the mountain, as it is very high, and we hastened our journey) that in this place a subterranean rumble is sometimes heard as testimony to that fratricide and in memory of the innocent Abel; and for this reason, they greatly revere the place. They further confirmed that if anyone afflicted with a grave illness lies naked on the ground there, he is immediately restored to his former health.
Not long after, as we were approaching Damascus, we encountered the Mamluks, of whom there is a great multitude here. They are a mix of Ethiopians and Arabs. They are strong, incredibly agile, and terrifying horsemen. They wear white cloth garments, flowing and wide enough to cover the entire horse, except for the head, which they adorn with fringes and bells. They carry linen-wrapped turbans on their heads, are girded with a curved sword (acynace), and carry a shield and a long, pointed spear made of thick reed. On the upper garment, which they call Albornos, they hang the skin of some animal on the back, and the inner garment has very wide sleeves, which they call Marlotta. They have excellent horses, ornamented reins, and wide saddles with stirrups like the Adzainticas. The greatest number among them are Moors.
- Ascent of Chrizoroa and the Damascus Treasure We ascended the very high mountain, which is still called Chrizoroa (Chrysosoroa). At its summit, to the left, there is a chapel which the Maronites affirm belongs to the Seven Sleeping Brothers.
From this mountain, Damascus offers the best view of itself: for this city extends far along its base, situated in an elegant, pleasant, and highly fruitful plain yielding all kinds of produce. Hence, many believe that Adam, the parent of the human race, was created here, due to the yellow soil, which is only found around Damascus, and because Adam translates to “yellow.”
From this mountain, two rivers arise that irrigate Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar. They are swift, not navigable, yet very rich in fish.
To describe this city exactly would be a great undertaking, which many have already done, so I shall omit it. I will mention that it is located in a pleasant place, stretching out halfway up the mountain, surrounded by beautiful gardens, and irrigated by fountains, although the air is not particularly healthy, especially in summer.
I will add something that I do not know if anyone else has mentioned. At the maritime entrance of the city, near the gate to the left, about a stone’s throw away, is a triangular palace about which it is recounted that, in the memory of our fathers, it happened under the Turkish Caesar Soliman. A sorcerer learned through the art of magic that a treasure was buried somewhere in that place. In order to investigate it gradually and as secretly as possible (for whatever gold is found there belongs to the Caesar), he bought the area and built a house, which he enclosed entirely with a high wall. When he searched the most hidden parts of the ground everywhere, he found nothing.
The matter became public, and the Sangiachus (this is the title of the Administrator of the Province, the equivalent of our Palatines), who was then in charge of the region (for the Bassa had only recently begun residing in Tripoli a few years before), summoned the sorcerer and diligently questioned him about the outcome. When the sorcerer could no longer conceal the matter, he confessed that he was greatly deceived and had not been able to find the treasure he sought. The Sangiachus, eager for gold, called together other Necromancers, and commanded each of them to use all their skill to find the treasure. They all agreed that a vast treasure was buried either in that very spot or not far from it. When the Sangiachus ordered the ground around the previously mentioned buildings to be dug more carefully, a chest was found under a small hill (the remains of which are still visible) about 20 cubits away, once the earth was dug up to the depth of one ell. In this chest, about thirty thousand Ducats of molten gold were deposited, all of which the Sangiachus sent to Constantinople.
- Tartar Queen, Saint Paul’s Sites, and Local Customs About three months before we arrived in Damascus, and before the Bassa departed for the Persian war (this was the son of that Bassa Machometes who was the Vizier and was miserably killed by the Turk; this Damascene Bassa led two thousand horsemen and eight hundred foot soldiers with him), a certain Tartar woman arrived here, whom they called the Queen of Asia, having with her four thousand Tartars.
She had traveled first to Bethlehem, and then to Mecca, infamous for the tomb of Muhammad, for reasons of devotion, because she wished to visit those places, in one of which the great Prophet was born of a Virgin, and in the other, another great Prophet was buried.
The Bassa entertained her most lavishly and magnificently, along with her entire retinue, for eight continuous days, by order of the Caesar; and he assigned a Sangiachus to her, with several hundred soldiers, to serve as a guide for the journey.
We visited the house of Judas. Here was the fountain where Saint Paul was baptized, which is now exposed in the public square. Its inner portico is also visible.
Leaving the city, we saw the place where Saint Paul was let down in a basket; it is a small window attached to a tower. Not far from there, a subterranean cave is visible where the Apostle hid after being let down from the wall; this cave also provided a refuge for many other Saints during times of persecution. About a stone’s throw from there, a stone is shown near the chapel of the Maronites, from which Saint George is recalled to have mounted his horse to slay the dragon at Berytus, which is the nearest port to Damascus.
- Hospices, Mamluks, and Santones We visited the hospice which Solymannus, the Emperor of the Turks, erected from its foundations at great expense; in which pilgrims traveling to and from Mecca are sustained free of charge for three days.
We visited all those places mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 9. Likewise, the house of Ananias, which is reached by descending several steps.
And the house of Saint John the Evangelist, where the Maronites (I do not know on what grounds) affirm he was born. We were in the church of the said Maronites, which is quite small. They pay the Bassa two thousand Cecchini annually so that they may practice their devotion safely.
We saw from a distance the church formerly dedicated to Saint John the Baptist by the Christians. It appears to have been elegantly constructed at great cost. It is quite large, like the temples in Egypt, with a completely open dome in the middle. Access to it is not permitted to Christians, nor is it permitted to access the Citadel, which is constructed in the ancient manner from squared stone and has quadrangular towers all around.
One finds here certain people who profess devotion, called Santones, who walk around completely naked, without any covering, both in summer and winter, with their heads and beards shaved. When I encountered one of them in Damascus, I thought some madman had escaped from a workhouse. When I asked who he was, I was told he was a Saint, living a most innocent life, who had renounced the world and, having cast aside all temporal care, led an angelic life on earth.
At the same time, I saw two Ethiopian merchants from East India whose faces shone wonderfully. When I approached closer and inquired who they were, it was answered that they were merchants selling precious stones; as a sign of this, they had certain red stones, about the size of a hazelnut, fixed into their forehead and both cheeks, so that they appeared to walk around masked. It is surprising how such stones are set into the skin of the face so firmly.
I also saw for the first time someone wearing a twisted green head covering, whereas other Turks use white. I was told that he was descended from the lineage of Muhammad and was marked with that color, which was Muhammad’s own, and could not be worn on the head by anyone else except Muhammad’s relatives. Green garments, however, are permitted to anyone. I frequently saw such individuals later, but here in Damascus, I saw one in a public kitchen, very ragged, selling and cooking food: from which it is clear that not all of Muhammad’s relatives abound in riches.
- Escort, Mauza Fruit, and Departure Preparations After lunch, we hired Bolucus, to whom we had letters from his brother Lemirus in Tripoli, who was to travel with us to Jerusalem. Thus, he joined us with five Janissary horsemen and the same number of foot soldiers.
Regarding the fertility of the Damascene region and the abundance of various fruits, since many have written extensively, I judged it less necessary to dwell on it here. I thought only to insert one detail, which I am surprised others have omitted: namely, that in Syria—specifically in Tripoli, Balbech, and especially here in Damascus—a kind of fruit is found whose excellence is highly commended, which is called Mauza by the common word used in many nations.
It seems not unlike our cucumbers, except that it differs from them in being longer, thicker, and slightly bent in shape. This species grows on shrubs, sometimes condensing into one cluster, like a hazelnut, containing as many as fifty such “cucumbers.” Consequently, due to their weight, they scatter over the ground like melons, where they rot if they lie for too long. Therefore, they are gathered before they fully ripen, and thus stored in rooms, they ripen with less effort. In taste and smell, they resemble a type of pear that is not fresh, such as those called Vryantovvki in our country. They are very filling, so much so that two of them, eaten with bread or cheese, will satisfy the stomach.
It is a common opinion of the Christians who live in these parts that Adam and Eve ate this fruit in Paradise; they try to prove this with certain arguments:
First, because apples are not found here, and because Saint Jerome, in translating the Bible, when he could not render the word Mauza into Latin, simply put “fruit of the tree.” (Let the belief rest with them. For it is not likely that Saint Jerome, who successfully interpreted the volumes of the sacred law under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and who had an exact knowledge of languages, would have been unable to express it.)
Second, because when the Mauza fruit is sliced into small circles, a certain vein appears that represents the letter T (Tau), namely the form of the Cross. From this, they infer that the transgression of the first parents was to be absolved by the death of the Crucified Christ. (But a similar pattern can also be seen in our cucumbers.)
The third reason is that this fruit does not grow on a tree, but on a shrub whose stalk is almost the thickness of one’s fist, which, however, cannot support the hanging fruit due to its weight—but lies on the ground, as already mentioned—so that it could be easily plucked by the first parents.
The fourth is that this Mauza has leaves extending to the width of one cubit and the length of two, from which, after the acknowledgement of sin, coverings (perizomata) could be easily made. (But since Scripture states they were sewn from fig leaves, they themselves must reconcile how this is possible.)
They also adduce other arguments of less moment. This Mauza fruit is transported by sea to Constantinople, but it is less durable. Therefore, they are gathered before they are ripe, conserved buried in sand, and then, exposed to the sun, they ripen immediately in Constantinople. Let these few notes suffice regarding these matters, prompted by the occasion of Damascus.
- Around noon, departing from Damascus, and having covered one additional mile, we came to the place of the Conversion of the Apostle Saint Paul, from which a most elegant prospect of the city of Damascus is afforded. Not far from here is a large stone, near which the Apostle lay prostrate on the ground after falling from his horse. Saint Helena had erected a chapel here, the vestiges of which are now scarcely visible.
From there, having advanced about half a mile, we encountered a flock of sheep belonging to the Maronite Arabs. When Bolucus took one of them, the Maronites who were out in the fields immediately ran forward to recover it. The Turks, who had a few firearms (bombardas), held their ground. When the Maronites began to deploy slings and stones against them, the Turks put down their firearms and dispersed, though they kept the sheep they had seized nonetheless. The Maronites attempted to pursue them on foot but in vain.
For the night, we arrived at the Caravanserai Safa, which is five miles from Damascus and is watered by a clear and swift-flowing stream.
Since mention of the Arabs is frequent here, and must necessarily be made again, one might wonder how it is that, though they make the roads unsafe, they are nonetheless tolerated by the Turks.
It must be known that the six Arab banners of white color, although they operate within the Turkish dominions, have no fixed settlements anywhere, but ranging out onto the public roads, they prey upon Turks no less than all manner of travelers. If they were in agreement with one another, they would become intolerable even to the Turks themselves. For it is said that they number up to two hundred thousand, yet they struggle among themselves with great hatred, instilled by a certain natural instinct, or Divine permission.
Each banner, or clan (phalanx), has its own leader whom it obeys. However, they were all far surpassed in power by one Aborys, a most famous bandit in those regions, who commanded forty thousand Arabs. When I was returning from the Holy Land toward Tripoli, he was ravaging the whole of Syria, so much so that I could not visit Apamza or Aleppo, as I greatly wished, with any safety because of him. Just about the time I was staying in Tripoli, he attacked a Turkish caravan traveling from Aleppo to Tripoli, killed thirty Turks, and carried off the camels and all the merchandise. He did no harm to the Christians, however, and promised he would release their goods freely, demanding wine and supplies be sent to him from the merchants’ agents residing in Tripoli.
The reason he was so aggressively harassing those regions was this: the Bassa of Damascus had recently executed his nephew, who was also preying on nearby areas. The Bassa had feigned wanting to make peace with him. To establish this peace, five hundred Arabs with the younger Aborys and five hundred Turks with the Bassa’s captain had convened at a certain place. As long as the Arabs were on horseback, the Turks did not dare attempt anything, although they had several hundred horsemen placed in ambush. But as soon as Aborys and the greater part of the Arabs dismounted to receive gifts being sent to them by the Bassa, the Turks immediately attacked them, and with the secretly arranged reinforcements rushing up, they captured this young Arab leader alive and slaughtered all the rest. The uncle, Aborys, seeking to avenge his nephew’s injury and murder, began inflicting these notable damages on the Turks.
While I was still in Tripoli, it was reported that the Caesar had sent a Czauſsius to Aborys with gifts and certain conditions to appease him, fearing that if he joined Lemier Machomet, who was a very powerful local ruler in Syrian Phoenicia, he would become an even greater terror to the Turks, especially during the ongoing Persian war. What happened later I could not find out, since the Arabs, like hungry thieves, are easily placated by gifts.
This Aborys had three adult sons: one, Machometes, from his first wife, and two, Hametes and Sephetus, from his other wife (for having multiple wives is permitted among the Arabs); all of them were then adhering to their father with all their forces, though otherwise, each was accustomed to preying in different places. The Turks cannot resist them, even with an army assembled, which would pursue them dispersed among impassable areas and rocks here and there, with futile effort. For the Arabs and their horses are very tolerant of hunger and labor. They are so formidable to the Turks that where only ten Arabs appear, armed with long javelins and wearing only an undershirt (and this only at noon, for due to the immense heat, they wrap their heads and turbans with their undershirts, sitting naked upon their horses), thirty Turks, armed with weapons and long firearms, scarcely dare attack them, as the Arabs are very agile and spirited.
Many people in Jerusalem affirmed that the Sangiachus of Jerusalem, shortly before departing for the Persian war, wished to ride out to the town of Bethlehem for recreation with fifty horsemen; when he encountered only eight Arab horsemen on the road, they gave him so much trouble that he was forced to return to Jerusalem. Their horses possess such speed and courage that they can attack those they encounter and, when necessity demands, easily withdraw from danger with great swiftness.
They are so terrifying to the Turks that annual tribute is paid to them by Turkish villages around the Sulphurous Sea or the Asphaltic Lake, and indeed, throughout the entire Holy Land, for the purpose of buying off harassment; yet, even for this reason, they do not abstain from robbery. Furthermore, whenever the Caravans—from Damascus, Aleppo, and Cairo—travel toward Mecca, which usually happens annually in October, the Bassa of these three cities sends them gifts through his envoys so that they do not plunder the merchants and pilgrims. This is done even though each caravan has its own Sangiachus with three hundred lancers and the same number of Janissaries carrying firearms, and even smaller artillery pieces. The Arabs, having accepted the gifts, keep their promise; nevertheless, since their numbers are infinite, when opportunity favors, they kill and plunder the Turks, steal their goods, and then flee to their hiding places. Who then will track them down and pursue them? The caravans of the aforementioned cities proceed separately, arranged like a battle line, until they all meet near the Red Sea at the city of Thur in the district of Sinai (for not only the mountain but that whole region is called by this name), where they proceed jointly to Mecca and, after spending twenty days there in those markets, return in the manner described. Only Muslims, however, are permitted to travel there; Christians and Jews are not admitted.
When I was in Cairo, I diligently inquired of the Turks returning from Mecca whether it was true, as commonly reported about the tomb of Muhammad, that it was constructed of iron and suspended in the air by the force of a lodestone. They denied that this was the case. Instead, the Mausoleum of the tomb is raised high, supported by columns that are not very thick; and since that inner chamber is narrow and dark, admitting no light other than that of lamps, it appears to those viewing it from afar to be a suspended tomb. But anyone who approaches closer can easily see that it is resting on columns.
Around noon, we reached the fortress of Tanaitera, where we found a Notary of the Turkish camp returning to Damascus with thirty horsemen, having mustered soldiers for the Persian war throughout Palestine and Egypt. We had scarcely dismounted from our horses when a Czauſsius arrived, girded with a quiver and accompanied by three servants. He was being sent to Sangiachus of Gaza and others in Egypt to order that, even if they had been granted discharge from the war, they should nonetheless return to Persia.
He took two of the best horses from us, saying that he was sent by the Caesar, and that he was free to take a horse from anyone, not only from us (whom he called “dogs”) but even from any Turkish magnate, even if the latter had to proceed on foot. Indeed, such a law is generally promulgated throughout the Turkish dominions. However, when Mukyerus, our guide, offered him six taleros, and the Janissaries interceded for us, he did indeed restore our horses, but he took two others from some Turkish merchants.
In the morning, we reached the bridge that the Turks themselves call the Bridge of Jacob the Patriarch. It is quite wide and solidly built, spanning the Jordan river. To the right, the river has two channels, one called the Jor and the other the Dan. Joining together (at a quite long interval) above the bridge, they form one river, thus retaining one name, and are called the Jordan, which originates not far from there in the mountains.
To the left, near the riverbank, a small house is visible that the same Jacob inhabited. The walls are still intact; it appears to have been very humble. Not far from there, the Lake of Tiberias or Genezareth is visible; its length, in my judgment, extends for ten of our miles; its width, which is not equal everywhere, scarcely encompasses two.
Beyond the lake, the peaks of mountains are visible, and the vast solitude of the desert, where Christ fed four thousand men with seven loaves and a few fish, as recorded in Mark, Chapter 8.
Having crossed the bridge, to the right, a place is shown in a small plain, beneath a rock, near the riverbank, where Jacob wrestled with the angel, as mentioned in Genesis 32. To the left, above the said lake, about two stone’s throws away, was the city of Chorazin (Corozaim), frequently mentioned in the Gospel. Now utterly desolate, it has scarcely fifty small houses.
Galilee now begins from this bridge. The land here at first is rocky and abounding in cliffs, like hollow Syria; but after covering two miles, the pleasantness of the location in this region is so great that it is difficult to describe and explain in words. The notable fertility of the soil is evident from the fact that, although the fields are not cultivated because of the Arab incursions, it produces a vast amount of excellent herbs, especially rosemary, whose shrubs thrive densely everywhere. It is inhabited in many places by Arabs who pitch their tents near flowing water sources for the pastures where they feed their flocks of sheep and camels; as the pastures fail in one place, they move their flocks with their wives and children mounted on camels to more suitable locations, as narrated above. The rosemary herb, because of its bitterness, is pleasing to the sheep and greatly protects the flock from diseases. The Arabs practice no farming: they live solely on the dairy products of their flocks.
Much could be written about the fertility of Galilee and the various advantages of this region; and from the frequent ruins of cities and towns, it appears to have been very populous. Therefore, I readily agree with Josephus, who, describing Galilee in Book 3, Chapter 2 of the Jewish War, affirms that it was so abundant not only in produce but in cities and villages that even the smallest village had up to fifteen thousand inhabitants, especially around Mount Tabor.
Beneath this mountain lies a very wide and pleasant valley, where some believe Melchizedek met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and offered him bread and wine while blessing him, as recorded in Genesis 14. Others affirm this happened on Mount Calvary, where Christ the Lord was crucified, a point I leave to theologians to dispute.
Around noon, we reached a Caravanserai where there is an ancient cistern into which Joseph was sent by his brothers (Genesis 37). The Turks call this the Well of Joseph (Elbir Ioseph); it now contains water. The Turks have their Mosque here; this well is located in front of its gate, from which Christians are also permitted to draw water. It has very good and cold water.
For the night, we came to Bethsaida, the homeland of Saint Peter, where his house was located. The immense ruins of the temple that Saint Helena had constructed most magnificently still stand. Now it is a village with fifteen houses inhabited by Turks, situated on the very shore of the Lake of Tiberias, which is called the Sea of Galilee in the Gospel. The water is fresh, and we drank from it and bathed in it. It produces very good fish, almost of the same species as our Praſimi or Leſſcze (bream), except they are smaller.
In the morning, we reached the base of Mount Tabor, which Josephus, in Antiquities (Book 5, Chapter 1) and Jewish War (Book 4, Chapter 2), calls Itabirvum or Itabiricum. It is a very high mountain, concentrated into a wonderfully elegant, rounded form, so that it appears to have been made more by art than by nature. For all around the lower part, it is encircled by rocks of a cinder color; then, a row of green shrubs intersects it, so that from the bottom to the top, the rounded rock appears artificially garlanded with a crown of green foliage.
At its summit is a church, not very large, situated between two chapels built by Saint Helena in the place where Christ the Lord was Transfigured.
Leaving Mount Tabor, we saw the city of Sephet (as in Tobit, Chapter 1) in the distance to the right, situated on a very high mountain, where Queen Esther was born. It is said to be inhabited by an infinite multitude of Jews.
Advancing a little further, on another mountain, the ruined fortress of Machaerontus is visible, which the Greeks call Sebaste, where Saint John the Baptist was decapitated. Beneath the mountain was a city, quite large, which is now entirely desolate. Towards the rear of the fortress, a small gate is shown through which Saint John is said to have been led out to his martyrdom.
From there, we arrived to spend the night at the quite large fortress of Zynin, which has its own Sangiachus who was preparing for war. Beneath the fortress is a town inhabited by Jews.
Although the Turkish religion prescribes that they must not drink wine, they observe this law only as long as the opportunity for that drink is not offered to them, which we clearly experienced in this very fortress when a certain intimate of the Sangiachus, who had some acquaintance with our Janissaries, came to us. We had stopped, as is the custom, at a very foul-smelling stable; therefore, we were looking for another place, which was granted to us through the intervention of the said Turk. And so, in exchange for his effort, he drank heartily of the Cretan wine (of which I always kept a barrel or two readily available for our Janissaries’ use). He drank with his hands clasped and his eyes raised to heaven, as if he could never pray more devoutly. When he was completely drunk, the Janissaries warned us not to allow him to leave the stable, lest his drunkenness become known. Since wine is not sold in that place, it could easily be traced back to where he gorged himself. Due to this, the fault would fall upon us, risking a fine and imprisonment. Therefore, although we could have moved to another house, or onto the upper floor (for the buildings in this region lack roofs, and only that one place is granted to guests), we had to wait for four hours until he slept off the intoxication, which we covered with our bread cloths, so that his drunkenness would not be noticed by passing Turks. Finally, he woke up, stood up, and extinguished the heat of the Muscatel with water, his head, as was evident, feeling quite heavy.
In the morning, around sunrise, at Sachar, we encountered the Sangiachus on the very borders of Samaria, who was setting out for Persia with three hundred horsemen. He rode a chestnut horse, dressed in red Damascene cloth, and wore a gray ostrich feather on his head covering, reading a book. He also had a hundred Moorish Mamluk horsemen, military and warlike men. We, following the custom of pilgrims, dismounted from our horses and saluted him as he passed, bowing our heads deeply.
The Turks themselves said that it was well done that we did not meet him in Sachar, since he is a man very harsh toward pilgrims. Not long before, he detained several pilgrims in prison for many weeks until they were released for the price of three hundred Cecchini by the merchants of Apamea and Tripoli.
He had scarcely passed when he immediately sent word that we should pay him the customs duty. Each of us paid two Cecchini to him. The Janissaries helped us greatly, ensuring that we did not have to pay more. This customs duty was demanded of us in the field by two Samaritans, who wear red turbans; although they are circumcised, they practice a different religion than the Jews.
Sichar is the principal city of Samaria, mentioned in John Chapter 4, situated between Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, and called Neapolis by the Turks. It stretches out long beneath the mountain and is quite populous, abounding in many fruits. No Jew inhabits the place, nor can one stay there in transit, as they do not get along at all.
In the morning, having covered half a mile, turning to the left from the road, about a stone’s throw away, we saw the Well where Christ spoke with the Samaritan woman. This well is covered with stones, but it is clearly marked, and is even revered by the Turks, because the Great Prophet (as they call Christ) drew water from it.
Descending from this well, we proceeded through a most elegant and fertile valley, which Jacob had given to his son Joseph beyond his own portion (Genesis, Chapter 48). To the right is a quite large village, which is still called Joseph’s. After traversing three miles, around noon, we turned aside to a certain Caravanserai, where Judea now begins.
Although firm and stable certainty, beyond all doubt, is clearly apparent in all Divine promises, this was even more clearly visible in this land, which God had promised to give to the Israelite people, overflowing with all fertility and abundance of good things.
Galilee is rich in grain and all fruits and has an elegant plain intersected by mountains. Samaria has cliffs, though not very high ones, but it abounds in cultivated gardens and contains very fruitful valleys. Furthermore, it is made rich by frequent vines whose excellence is commended; since it possesses these three together, it has a greater density of inhabitants, who live in villages due to the abundance of fruits, and who do not need to spend as much labor as is usually put into ploughing and sowing.
Judea, however, does not abound much in grain, as it is stony and covered with immense cliffs; but it provides a huge abundance of oil, fruits, and especially wine. Indeed, starting from the borders of Judea and continuing until Jerusalem is reached (a distance of seven miles), the walls with which the vineyards were enclosed are so constructed, from the very roots to the summit of the mountains, that they present a kind of resemblance to the steps of a theatre. From this, the incredible multitude of vineyards and the abundance of wine there are readily apparent. Around Jericho, likewise, there was the greatest richness of all kinds of produce, fruits (especially dates and similar fruits, and also medicinal plants, which a hot climate favors), and wine. Not without reason, therefore, did God Himself call this land flowing with milk and honey.
Having advanced three miles from the entrance to the borders of Judea, we saw a fountain of living water, where the Most Blessed Virgin, returning from Jerusalem, is said to have rested and noticed that the boy Jesus was not in the company (Luke 2). Above the mountain are the ruins of the temple and the monastery of the virgins, which Saint Helena formerly built.
From here, having advanced two miles, shortly before the twenty-first hour, we saw the city of Saint Jerusalem from a distance, and we gave thanks to God that He granted us the grace of seeing this city. Each of us recited the Lord’s Prayer and the Angelic Salutation, intending to gain the Plenary Indulgence which the Pontiffs granted to those who first look upon the city.
One mile from the city to the left, not far from the public road, is Gibeah of Saul (Gabaa), mentioned in 1 Kings 10, now entirely ruined and desolate, with scarcely one tower remaining almost intact.
After covering half a mile, we encountered twenty-five armed Arab horsemen (brigands). Seeing them, one of our Janissaries, also a horseman, approached closer and spoke to them. As they parted, our interpreter informed us that we should thank the Janissary, at whose request they had spared our lives. The Janissary himself confirmed this shortly afterwards, saying that he knew them very well and had long practiced robbery with them. He recounted that they were the most ferocious of all bandits. We noticed then in our Bolucus no small signs of trepidation, which pallor in his face and trembling betrayed, so much so that he could scarcely speak. For the Arabs, as said before, spare not even the Turks, and sometimes let Christians go unharmed more readily than the Turks themselves.
One and a half hours before sunset, we finally reached Jerusalem; and according to the established custom, we stopped at the Fish Gate. Meanwhile, some of our men entered through the Damascus Gate and announced the arrival of the pilgrims. We also sent a Janissary foot soldier ahead to announce our arrival. When the Friars of the Order of St. Francis of the Observance learned of this, the Vicar Brother Christopher of Trent (for the Guardian of the place, Brother Angelus Stella, had gone to Constantinople on monastery business and had closed his last days in Armenia on his return) and Brother John of Florence came to the city gate where we were waiting. After greeting us, they waited for the Turks to arrive, inspect our bundles, and check if we had any merchandise.
When our weapons were taken from us (for it is permitted to carry them on the journey, and the Turks themselves willingly allow this due to the Arabs), the Turks themselves escorted us as far as the Monastery of the Holy Savior and its gate. Entering the church, we knelt and, together with the friars, chanted the hymn Te Deum Laudamus, giving thanks to God for the singular favor of bringing us safely to these Most Holy Places where His feet stood while accomplishing our salvation.
Cubicled were then assigned to us, where it is customary for pilgrims to lodge; after that, supper was served.
In the morning, we heard Mass in the Monastery; after lunch, as is the custom, we proceeded to the house of the Cadi (the judge), where we registered our names and those of our fathers, with the Notary taking the record. Then the aforementioned friars counted eleven Cecchini from each of us, which amounts to twenty-two florins. Two Cecchini per head are paid for entry into the City, and nine for the privilege of visiting the Holy Sepulcher. Gold Ducats were examined there by weight, but simple coinage, called Sayn, was accepted without weighing from those who did not have gold, as it is a standard coin. My cook, taken for a friar, paid only five Cecchini. The priest-friars pay nothing, but laymen pay five Cecchini. Since he was judged to be a lay friar by his habit, the Turks wanted him to swear that he was a religious person. Since he could not affirm under oath what he was not, he raised his hand to heaven and said he was not a friar. The Turks, believing he had sworn in good faith, let him go. By this trick, he evaded the Turks, keeping the rest of the money he owed them. I had two interpreters: one, Jacob the elder, whom I had hired in Tripoli, summoned from Salina/Famagusta; the other, a young Syrian named Gorgi from Tripoli. Both were allowed entry without paying tribute, according to the custom.
Returning from the Cadi’s house, as we were passing near the church, we adored before its gate. Then, entering the Monastery, and receiving what was necessary for the night, we entered the church to hear Vespers. Immediately upon entering the church, we went into the Chapel of the Holy Sepulcher, and after reciting the Lord’s Prayer and the Angelic Salutation with a Collect, having kissed this Holy Place, we proceeded to the Chapel where the Friars perform the Divine Offices, which is called the Chapel of the Apparition, because in that place, Christ the Lord first appeared to His Virgin Mother Mary after His glorious resurrection.
Here, with Vespers begun by the friars who entered with us (there were six priests and eight others), a Procession with banners was instituted, which we pilgrims followed two by two, carrying lit candles. We came first to the smaller altar on the right of the door: on which is placed a part of the Column at which Christ was scourged. It is made of red porphyry stone, as is evident from a particle which I brought back with me to the church in Nieswierz. Here, the first prayer (supplicatio) was held: first, the sacred Hymn proper to that place is chanted, with an Antiphon and a prayer. The priest then gives an exhortation to the pilgrims, explaining the mysteries that took place in that location and urging gratitude and devout fervor for this divine favor.
This order is observed at all other Sanctuaries. Brother John of Florence, an eloquent and learned man, gave those exhortations. While such prayers are performed by the priest, the pilgrims, prostrating on their knees, recite the Lord’s Prayer with the Angelic Salutation and devoutly kiss the ground. And since each nation has its own Chapels or Oratories in this Basilica, as will be mentioned below, this Chapel of the Apparition belongs to the Catholics, and it has a Plenary Indulgence, as does its Altar, on which that Column of Christ’s Flagellation is placed.
Thence the procession proceeds to the Chapel of the Prison, where Christ the Lord was placed while the cross was being prepared. The place is small, narrow, and dark, admitting light nowhere, cut out of the rock. It certainly appears to have been either a prison (since malefactors were executed in this very place of Calvary) or the dwelling of the Garden Keeper, who was not far from there and belonged to Joseph of Arimathea, as recorded in the Gospel. This Oratory of the Prison belongs to the Greek nation and holds seven years of Indulgences with the same number of Quadragenes.
Next follows the Altar of Saint Longinus, who pierced Christ’s side with a spear, but the Procession does not stop here, as it is assigned to no nation. From here, they proceed to the Altar situated in the place where the soldiers cast lots over Christ’s garment. Since this is counted among the Sanctuaries, the customary prayers are performed. It belongs to the Armenians. It holds seven years and the same number of Quadragenes of Indulgences.
Next, they proceed to the Chapel of the place where Saint Helena found the Holy Cross. One descends there by more than thirty steps, in the middle of which, to the left hand, is the Oratory of Saint Helena herself. In the Chapel of the Invention, the high altar belongs to the Catholics and holds a Plenary Indulgence; to its right is another small altar belonging to the Greeks.
On returning, the procession turns right to the Oratory of Saint Helena, whom the Church honors greatly for her outstanding merits of piety and religion, so that in her Chapel, Supplications are made and a Plenary Indulgence is attributed. And certainly, whoever has toured the Places of the Holy Land will confess that this Holy Queen is worthy of all veneration, since in Palestine alone she erected and most liberally endowed nearly three hundred Churches, some of which now show vast ruins, while others are still intact, built at great expense. When the Holy Cross was found and raised, and she was returning through the maritime regions, because the view did not extend from one City to another along the shore, she ordered high towers to be built on elevated sites and promontories, where fires were lit everywhere as a sign of joy. These towers are frequent throughout the mountains of Syrian Phoenicia. This Oratory of St. Helena is possessed by the Armenians.
Ascending next, when they reach the Church, the Procession stops at the altar beneath which is located the Column of the Insults (Column of the Impropria): it is made of grey, thick, and low marble, at which our Savior was placed in Pilate’s Praetorium, crowned with thorns, and mocked. St. Helena brought it here from that place. It holds an indulgence of seven years and the same number of Quadragenes. This Chapel belongs to the Abyśsinni or Ethiopians, who are subject to Prester John, and whose extreme poverty is noted.
From there, ascending by ten or so steps, they reach Mount Calvary. They pass the place where Christ’s Cross stood and come first to the place where Christ our Redeemer was affixed to the Cross. It has two altars, a greater and a lesser one to the left; both belong to the Catholics. Between them is a multicolored marble slab that indicates the very place of the affixion. A Plenary Indulgence is obtained here. After a few steps, they return to the place where the Savior was elevated, and the Cross was set into the rock. This place stands out about one and a half cubits high. At its summit, a hole is cut into the rock… The Crosses of the Thieves were placed at an interval of four cubits from the Cross of Christ… This Sanctuary belongs to the Georgians… A Plenary Indulgence is obtained here.
Descending from Mount Calvary, they proceed to the Stone of the Anointing, which is placed opposite the main entrance… It is said that Christ the Lord, taken down from the Cross, was prepared with spices by Joseph and Nicodemus here. This place is Catholic, and holds a Plenary Indulgence.
From here they finally arrive at the Chapel of the Holy Sepulcher, which the Procession circles three times, and where, in front of the door, all prostrate themselves on their knees… where the Most Holy Body of Christ was laid. This Holy Sepulcher belongs to the Catholics, and holds a Plenary Indulgence. Behind the Lord’s Sepulcher is a small Chapel of the Copts or Chaldeans… When the prayer at the Holy Sepulcher is finished… the procession continues toward the Chapel of the Apparition: in passing, there are two round stones… on one of which, nearest the Sepulcher, Christ stood; on the other, Mary Magdalene stood speaking with Christ… Not far from there is the Altar of Dedication, belonging to the Catholics, holding an indulgence of seven years and the same number of Quadragenes.
In the morning, leaving the Monastery and passing through the city, near the gate to the left, we turned aside to the house of Joachim: in the lower part of this house are several dwellings where the chamber of the Most Blessed Virgin and the place of her Nativity are shown, which holds an indulgence of seven years and the same number of Quadragenes. On the mountain is the Church dedicated to Saint Anne, erected by St. Helena, which now belongs to the Turks, but Christians are permitted to enter it.
Then we exited the City through the Gate of St. Stephen (named because the Protomartyr was led out that way for stoning). Descending, in the middle of the mountain, is a sheltered spot in a flat rock; and this is the place of the stoning, which holds an indulgence of seven years and the same number of Quadragenes.
Then we descended into the Valley of Josaphat. At the bottom of which, a rock is cut out and enclosed by a wall all around, having forty steps, by which one descends to a small Chapel where the Tomb of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary was located. This place is Catholic and holds a Plenary Indulgence.
Then, proceeding towards the Mount of Olives, the village of Gethsemane is left to the right in a very low-lying area. The garden where Christ was captured is also left immediately to the right; and straight ahead one reaches the stone which is named for the Apostles, where they were warned by Christ to watch. About a stone’s throw away, the place of Christ’s Prayer is found. It is a quiet, subterranean cave.
On returning, about a stone’s throw away, as one proceeds toward the garden, a descent of four steps leads to the place where Judas met Christ, kissed him, and gave the sign for His arrest. To the left is left the Tomb of Absalom (pyramid-shaped); there is also the Tomb of Zacharias, son of Barachias.
Through the Valley of Josaphat… flows the torrent Kidron (Cedron)… in which the prints of the hands, both knees, and the tips of the feet of our Savior are impressed, when, thrown down by the Jews at the small bridge, He collapsed there.
Having crossed this bridge, one descends about thirty steps to a deep place called the Dragon’s Fountain, where the Most Blessed Virgin is said to have drawn water and washed her cloths. Beside the Martyrdom of Isaiah, beneath the mountain is the Pool of Siloam (Siloë), which the Turks consider blessed water. Going around the city to the right, toward Mount Zion, to the left side, cut into the rock, is the Field of Aceldemach (Field of Blood), where corpses are consumed in less than 24 hours.
We returned around the fourth hour of the night, through the Fish Gate, to the monastery.
After lunch, we again entered the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher and completed the Procession, as previously recounted. Then, through Confession, we prepared ourselves to receive the Most Holy Eucharist.
It was then the Vigil of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. The night was spent there in particular devotion, as Divine goodness inspired each person. However, if anyone was overcome by sleep, he could rest briefly in any Sanctuary—either at the Lord’s Sepulcher, on Mount Calvary, or elsewhere. This rest could not be prolonged, as before midnight, each nation, according to its own rite, celebrates Divine Offices in its designated Oratories. The Catholics, meanwhile, chant Matins in the Chapel of the Apparition.
When these are finished, the priests perform their private Masses. The morning Mass is frequently attended at the Holy Sepulcher by the pilgrims (which we also did); after this, everyone disperses to where they prefer. Since prayer is also made for deceased parents and relatives in these sacred places, some request the priests to celebrate Mass for the Dead in their presence on Mount Calvary or at any other spot the Lord inspires.
When the time came to begin the Solemn Mass, which the Father Vicar was then performing, the priests, solemnly vested as for a major feast, proceeded to the Lord’s Sepulcher. The celebrant approaches the altar alone, while the other priests who chant the Mass remain outside the Chapel in the Church. The exterior Chapel of the Holy Sepulcher is less spacious, and the pilgrims, kneeling there, look inside through the small door below at the Holy Sepulcher and perform their devotion during the Sacrifice of the Mass. This is what we did, and we received the Most Holy Eucharist there. The priest stands precisely in the place where the Savior’s body lay (which resembles a bench cut into the rock) and performs the Divine Mysteries. Since this place is raised more than one and a half cubits from the ground, and the width which accommodated Christ’s body is one cubit, it is easily done. On the wall, there is a very ancient tablet on which the image of the Resurrected Christ is depicted between two kneeling Angels.
When the Mass was finished, the Friars completed the Canonical Hours in the Chapel of the Apparition, and we continued our prayers. Then, while waiting for the Turks to unlock the Church, we toured the other sites, such as the Tombs of the Family of Joseph of Arimathea (this place belongs to the Syrians or Jacobites, but is not counted among the Sanctuaries). These tombs are behind the Holy Sepulcher, beneath the upper portico of the Church.
We also saw the Tombs of King Baldwin and his brother Godfrey of Bouillon, who recovered the Holy Land from the hands of the infidels… There are also another five or six tombs constructed in the same way and form, whose inscriptions are difficult to read due to age… It appears that they belonged to the Greek nation.
The epitaph on one can be read clearly, which Christian Adrichomius included in his book, and which I copied from the sepulcher itself:
Rex Balduine, Iudas alter Machabaeus Spes patriae, vigor Ecclesiae, virtus verusque Quem formidabant cui tributa ferebant Cedar, Aegyptus, Dans ac homicida Damascus, Preh dolor, in modico clauditur hoc tumulo.
Another epitaph, on Godfrey of Bouillon, does not have all the words that can be read:
Hic iacet inclytus Dux Godofridus de Bullon, qui to- tam istam terram acquisivit cui [—] tu Christia- no cuius anima regnet cum Christo, Amen.
Since the Chapel (where there are only three monuments, although others are placed nearby in the Church) is constructed directly beneath Mount Calvary, the fissure in the rock made between the Cross of Christ and the cross of the good thief appears clearly below, showing how widely it opened. The Greeks light a lamp in it, which, however, does not burn perpetually.
Around noon, the Turks arrived and unlocked the Church. Therefore, just as we had entered, we departed with the religious and some others. These others were Christians of various nations residing in Jerusalem, who, whenever pilgrims arrive, somehow gain permission to enter the Church with them. They are not permitted entry otherwise, except during major solemnities when the Basilica is opened for their benefit. They enter when the pilgrims are present without paying any customs duty. For this, they give great thanks to the pilgrims, just as they thanked us, because entry to the sacred places was granted to them on account of our arrival.
Those inhabitants of Jerusalem who sell devotional items are also admitted, such as prayer beads made from olive wood, and earth (said to be the soil from which the first parent Adam was formed, imported from Damascus). We all departed, leaving no one inside. For the Turks count every single person leaving to ensure that the number leaving matches the number admitted to the temple.
At that time, there was a certain Polish woman, Dorothea Syekierzecka, who had been living in Jerusalem for several years, being about fifty years of age. Some considered her mentally disturbed. God alone knows the truth. She seemed endowed with great and admirable devotion, and she never missed an opportunity to enter the Basilica of the Savior. As she was a Catholic, she had no place in Jerusalem where she could rest her head. She was not allowed to stay in the Friars’ Convent, which she only approached for Confession. Thus, as she wandered hither and thither through the city, she was often miserably harassed by the Turks, and sometimes even beaten so severely that it was a wonder how she could live. Indeed, she had almost all her ribs broken by beatings on her frail body; when we entered the Lord’s Sepulcher for the third time, we could barely defend and rescue her from the rage of the Turkish boys.
Therefore, because of the scandals committed in those sacred places on her account, Pope Gregory XIII forbade women from traveling to Jerusalem under pain of excommunication. I, therefore, arranged with the Cadi (since it could not be done without his permission, and she refused to leave voluntarily) that she should be forcibly removed. I told him she was my countrywoman and suffered from a mental illness. He granted this willingly. Thus, leaving her money with which she could sail to Tripoli, I ensured she was taken away from the Holy City first.
Leaving the Temple, we came to our monastery, where we were received most kindly by the Friars at a meal in the common Refectory, whereas before we had been accustomed to taking food in the Pilgrims’ Lodgings. Afterward, we were led to visit other sacred places as well.
First, we saw the great Armenian Church built in the place where Herod ordered Saint James the Greater to be beheaded (Acts 12). At the entrance of the temple to the left, near the middle, close to the wall, is the altar of the martyrdom of this glorious disciple of Christ. It holds seven years of Indulgences and the same number of Quadragenes.
We also saw the House of Annas the High Priest, where Christ was first led: there is now a small church belonging to the same Armenians. It also holds seven years of Indulgences with the same number of Quadragenes.
Then we went out through the gate which is still called the Gate of David or the Gate of Zion. For outside it begins Mount Zion, which is now not included within the city wall. Not far from this is the house of Caiaphas, a quite large Armenian church: to the right of the main altar is a prison where Christ spent the night, enduring many insults from the Jews, as recorded in the Gospel. The place is dark, extending about eight ells in length, but narrower in width. On the main altar lies the stone that was placed at the door of the Lord’s Sepulcher, a very large stone, nearly four cubits long, about two cubits wide, and its thickness is about half a cubit and a little more: so that the women might well have asked one another: “Who will roll away the stone for us?” considering its weight, which scarcely ten men could lift. In the same place, Jesus was struck by a servant of the wicked Caiaphas before the High Priest’s very sight. There is a Plenary Indulgence here.
In front of the church, in the middle of the courtyard, an olive tree is planted, where it is believed Saint Peter denied Christ by the fire that was kindled: beside it is a golden apple tree where the rooster crowed.
From there, about a stone’s throw away, is the sacred Upper Room (Cenaculum), where Christ ate the Last Supper with His disciples. Entry here is not permitted to Christians or Jews, as the Turks have their Mosque inside. Therefore, pilgrims turn toward this place, recite one Lord’s Prayer and Hail Mary while kneeling, and gain a Plenary Indulgence, as if they had entered. (I, however, entered this sacred Upper Room later, as will be mentioned below; at this time, I performed my devotion as permitted, along with the others.)
A little further to the left beyond the mountain, having advanced, we entered a small cave where Peter wept bitterly for his denial.
To the right of Caiaphas’s house is the Cemetery of the Catholics, a place designated for their burial since ancient times. No one can be buried inside the City; indeed, the Turks themselves are buried in the suburbs, unless they are some of the nobles who build Mosques for that purpose.
Returning then through the same gate into the City, and proceeding to the left through another street toward the monastery, we came to the Iron Gate, through which Peter was led out of prison by the Angel (Acts 12). There are no doors here, and the place is utterly desolate.
In the morning, leaving the Monastery, and going through the city, near the gate to the left, we turned aside to the house of Joachim… (already described in section 28).
Around noon, we went out to the Gate of St. Stephen… (already described in section 28).
Having completed the second Procession and spent the night in devotion, on the following day (the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul), after receiving Holy Communion and being anointed, I was made a Knight of the Holy Sepulcher in a solemn ceremony on Mount Calvary. The names of those who were with me and received the order of this sacred knighthood are: Abraham Baron de Dona, Silesian; George Cos and Michael Konarski, Prussians; Andrew Skorulski, Lithuanian; Peter Bilina, Pole… (The original request does not include a full Section 30, but the narrative ends here and the rest of the text is occupied by the ceremony and formal documents, which I include below.)
…At the request of the Fr. Guardian, I also gave an account of the treasures of the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher, which were augmented by the generosity of Christian princes. When Jerusalem fell into the hands of the infidels, nothing remained of this treasure. Selim I, when he plundered Egypt, also wished to lay hands on the treasure, which the religious friars had buried in the ground. When it could not be found anywhere, all of them were thrown into the prison in the Citadel of Jerusalem for twenty-seven months, sustained miserably on bread and water. So great was their fortitude and constancy that they could not be compelled to reveal it by any force of scourges or torments. Many of them died; the remaining ones were released by the Tyrant after he occupied Egypt and the war was finished.
[The text here includes the official diploma of Knighthood received by the author, Nicolaus Christophorus Radzivil, and his formal letter of donation to the Holy Sepulcher, obligating his estate in Nieswierz to an annual payment of 125 aurei.]
- Special Entry into the Sacred Upper Room (Cenaculum)
Meanwhile, Father Vicar, who had remained in the convent, arranged for us to be permitted to enter the sacred Upper Room (Cenaculum). Although money has much power among the Turks, the opportunity was crucial in bringing the matter to a favorable conclusion, because the Santon who resided in the said Upper Room, being a person of some eminence in his dignity, was detained by illness.
Now, because the Turks hold their Mosque in the said Upper Room, Christians are not permitted to enter unless one enters and swears by the words of Muhammad or pays a penalty of six thousand Cecchini. Therefore, the said Santon obtained permission from his superiors to admit our Friars, who kept a lay Pharmacist, whose services he used for his recovery. However, no pilgrim is admitted. I, along with my two servants, George Cos and Andrew Skorulski, and two Friars, was admitted.
Therefore, on the sixth day of July, having donned only the monastic caps (keeping our pilgrim clothes, which are very similar to monastic habits), we went out through the Zion Gate and proceeded into the Jewish Cemetery on our way.
We reached the said sacred Upper Room, having requested, and obtained, divine grace in the cemetery for the souls of those whose bodies rest there. It is an elegant atrium inside, about thirty cubits in length and width. On the left side is the Mosque: in this place, some believe (including Father Stephanus Ragusa) that Christ the Lord washed the feet of the Apostles. We were immediately forced to remove our shoes, which is also the custom of the Turks when entering a Mosque. We were also warned not to spit on the ground. For the Turks hold this place in great veneration, affirming that Christ performed a great ceremony with the Apostles in this Upper Room: and that afterward, by a kind of miracle, tongues of fire descended upon their heads, and that the Holy Spirit was sent to the disciples there, as recorded in Acts, Chapter 2.
From the lower part of this Mosque, there is access to a quite spacious chapel, where the Tomb of David is located, made of white marble veined with blue, covered with red Damascene silk fringed with yellow. To the side of this is another chamber, which is said to be the Monument of Solomon, but it has no covering. Many lamps are hung here.
Above this Mosque, there is access to an upper room. This is the sacred Upper Room where Christ the Lord exhibited the Last Supper to his disciples. It is long—about twenty cubits more or less—elegant, bright, and vaulted. On one side, where it overlooks the courtyard, it has three large windows. In the middle are three elegant marble columns arranged in a row, supporting the arch. Kneeling here, we offered prayers to God, giving thanks, and Father John gave us a short exhortation. A Plenary Indulgence is obtained here.
Next, entering the doorway to the right, one proceeds to the courtyard, which leads to a small, slightly obscure room attached to the Upper Room, in which the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples gathered there. It is here where the Plenary Indulgence is obtained, seven years and the same number of Quadragenes.
- The Tombs of the Kings of Judah
Having returned to the Monastery after lunch, going out through the Fish Gate, and turning to the right, we circled the central part of the city, reaching the Tombs of the Kings of Judah (Regum Iuda): these were formerly within the city wall, but now stand far from the city gate that leads to Damascus.
It is remarkable with what expense and artistry these monuments were constructed. They are cut directly into the living rock, resembling arched chambers cut into a quadrangular shape. Each part has two doors; and each door provides access to a single chapel where two bodies were interred. The chapels or chambers were also carved out of the same rock.
The elegance of the work, both in the doors and in the stone sarcophagi themselves, is striking, distinguished by a variety of flowers and foliage carved with marvelous artistry. The chapels were large enough to hold forty or so bodies. Each chapel had eight loculi (niches for bodies), and each loculus contained two resting places for bodies; in some, bones are still visible, though to whom they belong is unknown. These places are dark, and can only be visited with artificial light.
All the remaining lower part of the Church is Catholic, which formerly entirely possessed the upper gallery. But since the Georgians claimed all of Mount Calvary as a Sanctuary, and the Armenians also claimed a Sanctuary there, the Armenians, after receiving a sum of money from the Georgians, compromised with the Catholics, conceding half of Mount Calvary to them, where Christ was affixed to the cross. The Catholics, in turn, allowed the Georgians and Armenians to access the upper third gallery, which is above the Abyssinians and Syrians.
- The City’s Dimensions and the Via Dolorosa
The size of the City must now be discussed. In memory, at the sudden turn in the road, Christ the Lord, oppressed by the great weight of the cross, fell, striking the rock. And because He could not proceed under the burden due to His weakness, the Jews compelled Simon of Cyrene to carry the cross. Pilgrims obtain an indulgence of seven years and the same number of Quadragenes at this spot.
On the same street of the City, to the left, is the spacious house of the rich man in the Gospel who was unmoved by compassion for the poor Lazarus (Luke 16). We could not enter there, because a Turk, greatly hostile to Christians, lived in it. However, from the size of the courtyard, it appears to have been magnificent.
From there, turning about thirty paces to the right, one enters another long street that leads straight to Mount Calvary. To the left, almost in the middle of this street as one ascends the mountain (for this whole street ascends the Mount), are the dwelling of Saint Veronica, who, coming out, wiped the Venerable face of Christ, stained with blood, with a linen cloth.
Not far from there is a small hill where the weeping women stood, whom Christ addressed, saying: “Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves…” (Luke 23).
From here, about one and a half stone’s throws away, are two large and high stone columns, between which was the Judgment Gate (Porta Iudiciaria), through which those condemned to punishment were led to Golgotha. At this gate, Christians devoutly believe that Jesus fell again beneath the Cross. In memory of this, many form the sign of the Holy Cross whenever they enter any of the city gates. An indulgence of seven years and four Quadragenes is obtained here.
Leaving this Judgment Gate, and advancing a stone’s throw and a little further, the Basilica of the Lord’s Sepulcher presents itself, which encompasses Mount Calvary. Not far from the gate by which one enters the Church, in the cemetery, is a large stone placed on the ground, in which our Savior fell to the ground for the third time with the Cross beneath the mountain itself. There is an indulgence of seven years and the same number of Quadragenes here. From this point, He ascended the mountain to suffer death for us.
After passing the Church, reciting the Lord’s Prayer and the Angelic Salutation, we returned to the Convent. After lunch, we hired transportation to go to Bethlehem.
- The Principal Mountains of Jerusalem
The dimensions of the City of Jerusalem, as seen by the author, are noted. Its ancient fame, wealth, and population are mentioned, noting that the modern city is much smaller. The author then describes the four principal mountains now found within the city:
The first mountain was Mount Zion (Mons Syon), which was the largest and higher than the others. David’s Palace was situated on it. Today, the greater part of it (as is the Sacred Upper Room or Cenaculum) is outside the city wall.
The second mountain was called Mount Regius (Mons Regius). It was not very high, but vast and spacious, on which was built the magnificent and most famous palace of Herod Ascalonita, the murderer of the innocent children, King of the Jews. In the middle of its courtyard was a royal hall of indescribable splendor, where Christ was presented to Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee, the murderer of John the Baptist.
The third mountain is called Mount Moriah (Mons Moriath), on which the Temple of Solomon was located. Now, the Turkish Mosque is there, occupying a vast courtyard. This mountain is lower and more humble than the other two toward the city, but on the side of the Valley of Josaphat, which separates it from the Mount of Olives and the City itself, it is much higher and more extensive, and the modern City extends its full length along it.
The fourth mountain, called Calvary (Caluaria), which was once outside the City, is now included within it. It is occupied by the most magnificent Basilica where Christ the Savior accomplished our salvation. Its height appears low from the side one approaches, but from the other side, it presents a great precipice, where the Life-giving Cross was found.
A fifth hill, Gihon (Gion), is also mentioned, but it was outside the City.
- The Road to Bethlehem and the Cave of Hiding
Having returned to the Monastery, after lunch was consumed, and Vespers were chanted in the Chapel of Saint Catherine, we went out from the Convent, mounted our mules, and proceeded to the Tower of the Flock (Turris Gregis), distant by half a good mile from Bethlehem. This is where Jacob the Patriarch pastured his flock. Here remains a great heap of collapsed stones from the tower, at the place where the Angel announced the great joy to the shepherds about the birth of the Savior Christ. This tower was situated in a fertile and very pleasant valley.
Returning by another way to the left, we saw a Chapel built by the Augusta Saint Helena in the place where the Angel warned Joseph in a dream to take the Boy and His mother and flee into Egypt (Matthew 2). The little house of that place still has its walls visible, and the Chapel was joined to it. Here, an indulgence of seven years and the same number of Quadragenes is obtained.
Further on, to the right, are the ruins of the demolished Monastery of Saint Paul; and to the left, we reached a small village called the Shepherds’ Village (Villula Pastorum), in which there is a deep well of cold and excellent water, from which the Blessed Virgin often used to draw water. Here is an indulgence of seven years and the same number of Quadragenes.
This well is greatly revered and called holy by the Muhammadans themselves. They cover it with a stone slab (which is not its original lid) so that it always remains covered.
From this village, one returns to Bethlehem, where, not far from the Church, to the left hand, is an underground cave (Antrum Latibuli), wide and long by several cubits, having a difficult entry, in which the Most Blessed Virgin hid with the infant Jesus when the innocent children were killed in Bethlehem by order of Herod. Even today, indications of a divine miracle appear here. For earth taken from there, when given to women in drink who are lacking milk, restores their abundant milk supply. Seven years and Quadragenes are granted here as an indulgence.
Towards evening, we returned to the Monastery. After access was opened, ascending to the summit and height of the temple, we saw Mount Engaddi in the distance to the left, which is frequently mentioned in the sacred scriptures and is not far from Bethlehem. Since Lot, fleeing Sodom, crossed Mount Engaddi, some believe that the cave where he cohabited with his daughters is located here. However, the exact location is not shown.
- The Mountains, Arab Danger, and Hebron
To the right is a garden where, in the time of Solomon, there were a vast number of Balsam trees, as some historians recount. Mountains are also visible here which lie adjacent to the Valley of Hebron; we wished to ride out there, as it is only five miles from Bethlehem, to tour the Sepulchers of the Patriarchs and the places where Abraham saw the three Angels and where Isaac was circumcised. But because danger threatened from the Arabs, whose armed bands were fighting among themselves two days prior, we were forced to abstain from this excursion.
Those who have seen those sacred places report that Hebron is a small town, inhabited only by Jews. Since I was unable to proceed to Hebron, I decided to ascend the mountains of Judea the following day, primarily because the Church commemorates them on that feast day.
Having heard Compline, we prepared ourselves by Confession for the reception of the Divine Sacrament on the morrow, and spent the night there resting briefly in the Chapel of the Sacred Manger.
The next day, early in the morning, we heard a spoken Mass from Father John of Florence and, refreshed by the Most Holy Sacrament, we bade farewell to the friars. Passing through the village of Bethlehem on our mules, and having covered a quarter of a mile, we reached another larger village of the Maronites called Bethagil, which is situated in the place where the Angel struck the camp of Sennacherib, King of the Assyrians. Even to this day, the place is regarded with the greatest astonishment because…
- Bethagil, Philip’s Fountain, and the Desert of John the Baptist
…The place (Bethagil) is regarded with the greatest astonishment because no circumcised person can survive here past the third day; they invariably die on the third night.
Two Arabs who had carried our baggage asserted this fact, having confirmed it by experience. For on the first night, a great headache seized them; on the second, their entire bodies swelled so much that, fearing imminent death, they were forced to leave the area. After four months, one of them, and after six months, the other, recovered their former health.
As we were approaching the boundary of this village, which we were taking as a shortcut, no circumcised person wanted to ascend the mule with us but preferred to travel around, avoiding the danger. We had seen something similar before, about three thousand paces to the left, on a very high mountain: namely, a Monastery of Maronite Nuns where no circumcised person can reach the third day. Many assert that God granted this particular favor to that place so that the chastity of those virgins would be safer from the lust of the pagans and robbers.
Having covered about two miles from the aforementioned village, we reached a small fountain, flowing modestly near the road to the right, where Saint Philip baptized the Eunuch of Candace the Queen (Acts 8). The Anabaptists are accustomed to base their error on this place, stating that both Philip and the Eunuch are written to have descended into the water. But whoever has observed this place with his own eyes can easily see that the spring is so small, flowing from a narrow rock face, that two people cannot possibly be immersed with their whole feet. Hence, the more probable conjecture is that Philip merely poured water he had drawn onto the Eunuch’s head, baptizing him here. An indulgence of seven years and the same number of Quadragenes is attributed here.
From here, having covered two large miles, we reached the desert by a very difficult path, where Saint John the Baptist lived, as recorded at the end of Luke, Chapter 1. It is a cave, not very large, on the side of a mountain, to which Saint Helena added a wall of baked brick.
Access to this place is very dangerous.
- John the Baptist’s Desert and Visitation Sites
Below the cave, there is a dreadful precipice; and the path to the cave is narrow, sloping, and slippery. The mountains themselves, and the valley, are exceptionally wild and rugged. Opposite the entrance of the cave, a stream of living water rises, about the width of one finger, which the Precursor drank, and nothing else is found there. As to what his food was, opinions vary greatly. Some believe he subsisted on a herb which in our language is called “Saint John’s bread”; Pliny (Book 13, Chapter 8) calls it Ceraunia or Caeracia, or sweet locust-pods, which grew in great abundance around the city of Judea, the Precursor’s homeland, two miles from here.
Around the cave, there are only bare rocks, very few shrubs, and very little vegetation. We ate the food we had brought from Bethlehem at this fountain. A Plenary Indulgence is obtained here.
Having covered two large miles from here, traversing the roughest mountain ridges, we arrived at the City of Judea, which now has scarcely twenty houses, though its situation shows it was once quite large. At the entrance, to the right, are the ruins of the temple at the place where the Blessed Virgin visited Elizabeth and sang the Magnificat. The ruins of the church built in the house of Zacharias, where the Benedictus was sung, are also still visible (Luke 1).
The Turks who inhabit these places have private homes there, and to allow us access to the courtyards of these temples, they extorted some money from us.
From there, about two stone’s throws away to the left, is the intact Church dedicated to Saint John the Baptist. To the left horn of the main altar is a chapel where the Precursor was born. He was not brought forth into the light there, where Zacharias was living, because Zacharias had become mute and had moved elsewhere, leaving his wife behind during her pregnancy in the house which later became the Church of the Nativity, which belongs to the Catholics. It is here that the annual service for the Nativity of St. John is celebrated, and a Plenary Indulgence is obtained.
- Away from Judea’s Mountains
From the house of the Governor, having traversed a mile and a half, we went through the roughest and most difficult mountain slopes. Leaving behind the small chapel of Saint John the Baptist, we turned to the left, and soon came to the plain that stretches out to the Dead Sea (Mare Mortuum), which the Turks call the Sulphurous Sea (Mare Sulphureum) and the Arabs call Asphaltic Lake (Lacum Asphaltidem). It is eight miles from the City of Judea to this plain.
From this place, the journey is only two miles to the Dead Sea, one mile to Mount Quadrantana (Quarantania), and one mile to Jericho (Hierichuntis).
The plain is elegant, although stony, and abounds in herbs and small shrubs. In its midst, the Monastery of Saint John the Baptist is visible, built in the place where the Precursor preached and lived for seven years. It is large and strongly built, and it belongs to the Greeks.
We crossed the Jordan River, which is a mile and a half from the Monastery. At the place of our crossing, the river flows wide, not very swift, and its depth is about four cubits. Its water is sweet and clear.
- The Dead Sea and its Wonders
The Dead Sea is visible to the right. As to the common things written about this sea—that its waters are bitter and heavy, that no animal can live in it, that birds falling into it die, and that the stones found on its shores burn when set alight—since these have been sufficiently described by others, I will omit them.
I will only mention that, in the middle of this plain, the remains of a tower are visible. Here, near a small Fountain whose water is sweet and abundant, Saint Jerome had his cave, where he performed penance and completed the translation of the Bible.
Returning to the Jordan, we proceeded along the roughest bank, sometimes crossing the river itself, and sometimes the surrounding area. There is no doubt that the Israelites crossed this river on dry ground, as recounted in Joshua, Chapter 3.
After proceeding for one more mile, we arrived at the Pool of Siloam, where the Blessed Virgin is said to have rested and washed her cloths. This is about one mile from the Monastery of Saint John.
From there, we advanced to the site of Jericho, which lies half a mile from the Monastery.
A church almost entirely intact, dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, and similar to the one seen at the place of the Savior’s Baptism, stands close to the public road. It holds a Plenary Indulgence.
To the left hand is the place called Galgala (Gilgal), mentioned in Joshua 4. However, the stones that the Israelites transferred there from the riverbed of the Jordan are nowhere visible.
From this sandy and barren soil, one enters the elegant and fertile valley so celebrated in the scriptures, in which the City of Jericho was situated. Half a mile from the city, to the right, is a hill where Joshua saw a man standing against him, holding a drawn sword (Joshua 5). From this hill, a very wide prospect of Jericho was afforded; hence, Joshua, as an expert commander, could conveniently survey and select the best position for attacking the city.
We arrived next at Jericho (Hierichunte), which was situated in a pleasant plain rich in all fruits. Around that time, due to the intense heat, the region was harvesting its now-ripe dates. From its perimeter, the city appears to have been vast, constructed in a circular shape. Where the walls stood, it looks like an earthen mound that was thrown up; and where the towers once stood (which must have been numerous), there are larger mounds that resemble round hills. The imprecation that Joshua pronounced upon the city (Joshua 6), that it would be terribly struck, certainly had its effect here. No one lives here now, except for Arab bandits who dwell in reed huts. Only one tower, cut in half vertically, remains intact at the extreme edge of the City; some believe this was the house of the harlot Rahab, situated next to the city wall, who hung the scarlet thread in her window to avoid destruction by the Hebrews (Joshua 2). Others believe it was the house of Zacchaeus, whom Christ entered (Luke 19). Therefore, in memory of either Rahab or Zacchaeus, they consider the greater part of it to be divinely preserved.
In the entire circuit of the City, barely the height of one cubit of the wall remains intact. Furthermore, concerning the description of the Island of Crete, which I touched upon briefly—how great the difference in climate is there when passing over the mountains from north to south—the same is observable here when someone travels from Jerusalem to Jericho. Although the distance from Jerusalem in a straight line is only six miles, which is surrounded by many date palms, those fruits do not ripen there; here, however, they reach full ripeness. This is where the Spalati tree is found, which is valued at a high price, and the warm climate is perfect for it. The same is true for the Rose of Jericho, the use of which helps women greatly in easier childbirth. All the fruits and crops here ripen two weeks earlier than in Jerusalem. This is not surprising. The heat is so immense here that traveling from here to Jerusalem, the sky seems much colder; here the air is healthier, but the nights are excessively hot.
- Elisha’s Fountain and the Mount of Temptation
Leaving Jericho, having proceeded one and a half miles, we came to the fountain of waters that Elisha healed by mixing in salt, turning bad water into the best (2 Kings 2). This fountain irrigates the entire valley, being channeled through trenches dug in antiquity into the gardens. It is abundant, deep enough to reach a man’s chest, and has many small fish. Visible here are immense aqueducts, which used to carry water to the Desert and the Monastery of Saint Jerome. Scarcely any traces of that Monastery are now visible.
Having refreshed ourselves at the fountain, and having covered a quarter of a mile, we reached the base of the mountain called Quarantana, where Christ was tempted by the Devil.
Leaving our mounts, we advanced about half a mile along a path so narrow and slippery, with a great precipice below, that many refused to approach it due to the danger of vertigo and falling. We reached the middle part of the mountain (for further access is possible), where the level ground extends for about six ells in length and is very narrow in width. Here, Christ the Lord fasted for forty days and nights (Matthew 4). Saint Helena erected one wall on the side, to which a small altar is attached, which holds a Plenary Indulgence. The stones here are numerous, which Satan showed, saying: “Command that these stones become bread.”
The entire mountain, many caves are visible in it, where Anchorites formerly lived. Now, no one lives here because of the cruelty of the barbarians. Returning from the region of Elisha’s fountain, a short distance away, there is a dense thicket where we decided to spend the night, as sunset was approaching.
I have translated the narrative through the detailed description of Jericho and the beginning of the spiritual ascent of Mount Quarantana (the Mount of Temptation).
Returning from the region of Elisha’s fountain, a short distance away, there is a dense thicket where we decided to spend the night, as sunset was approaching. While we were preparing dinner, about thirty Arabs arrived suddenly, scarcely known to our guide, who immediately began seizing the bread, chickens, and geese we had cooked.
However, our Arab guide, realizing that danger was being created for us by them, used cunning and began to persuade them that we were merely tired from the journey and wished to rest, asking them to let us be quiet since we intended to spend the entire night in that very place. He did this, however, with the plan of preventing a sudden attack that would overpower us.
Meanwhile, our Arab guide called me aside. Since he could not speak with me without an interpreter (who was separate and dealing with the others), he brought his hand to his throat, signaling that we would be killed by those men if we remained there for the night. I immediately told my men to prepare for departure.
Our guide was able to convince the brigands only enough for them to leave us. The Monks, who were completely exhausted from the journey of the previous night and the day’s heat, wished to remain there completely. But although I would have willingly done the same, since the guide was pressing for us to depart, I told them that I would follow the guide without difficulty, but my own Arab guide had confirmed that we had fallen in with such brigands that he could not resist them himself, and that I would leave with my men; they could stay if they wanted, but they should consider themselves exposed to great danger, since the Arab guide and the Janissaries would be accompanying me alone.
Realizing that our Arab guide was nervous and distrustful of his own situation, they began gathering their bags, and they did so more quickly because it was rumored that these same bandits had three days earlier murdered an official of the Lieutenant and six Janissaries attached to him, who had been collecting tribute in the villages near the Jordan river.
Therefore, we left the place silently at the first hour of the night, as warned by the guide. Leaving Mount Quarantana behind us on the right, we ascended a high rock. After covering three long miles, the Arab guide permitted us to rest for at least an hour and a half at the summit of the mountain, while he kept watch with his own men.
Afterward, having learned from his scout, whom he had left behind, that the Arab brigands had arrived at the Fountain of Elisha where we were supposed to rest that night, he ordered us to quickly mount our mules. Therefore, we hurried, accelerating our pace because the road was better. When it was already dawning, two miles from Jerusalem, we stopped, sighting the Mount of Olives (for it is very high and broad, and stretches out a long way, giving it a circuit much greater than the distance from Jericho, where we had been, which is only two miles away).
It does, however, have a more pleasant view toward Jerusalem, being covered everywhere with olive and fig trees. Here, as intense exhaustion overcame us, the guide permitted us to rest, since we were severely sleep-deprived. He and his men, however, stayed awake on guard.
- Return to Jerusalem and Final Ceremonies
Having spent two more hours resting, with the sun already high, we were awakened. Mounting our mules, and passing through Bethany and the places previously named, we returned to Jerusalem, reaching the Fish Gate before noon.
Here, we dismissed the Arab guide, giving him a few florins, bread, wine, and meat, which he accepted with great pleasure, offering to guide us again if we wished to travel somewhere else. We gave a gratuity to his servants, with which they were satisfied. We dedicated the remainder of that day to rest, tired out by the troublesome journey.
Sabadinus the Moor, who had sailed into Jaffa with his own small ship (caramusana) about the time we were leaving Tripoli, arrived in Jerusalem. We met him when we were departing Tripoli.
Meanwhile, the Father Vicar, who had remained in the convent, worked to gain us permission to enter the sacred Upper Room (Cenaculum). Although money has great power among the Turks, the opportunity was crucial in bringing the matter to a favorable conclusion, because the Santon who resided in the said Upper Room, being a person of some eminence in his dignity, was detained by illness.
- Clandestine Visit to the Upper Room (Cenaculum)
Because the Turks hold their Mosque in the said Upper Room, Christians are not permitted to enter unless one enters and swears by the words of Muhammad or pays a penalty of six thousand Cecchini. Therefore, the said Santon obtained permission from his superiors to admit our Friars, who kept a lay Pharmacist (whose services he used for his recovery). However, no pilgrim is admitted. I, along with my two servants, George Cos and Andrew Skorulski, and two Friars, was admitted.
Therefore, on the sixth day of July, having donned only the monastic caps (keeping our pilgrim clothes, which are very similar to monastic habits), we went out through the Zion Gate and proceeded into the Jewish Cemetery on our way.
We reached the said sacred Upper Room (Cenaculum). It is an elegant atrium inside, about thirty cubits in length and width. On the left side is the Mosque: in this place, some believe (including Father Stephanus Ragusa) that Christ the Lord washed the feet of the Apostles. We were immediately forced to remove our shoes, which is also the custom of the Turks when entering a Mosque. We were also warned not to spit on the ground. For the Turks hold this place in great veneration, affirming that Christ performed a great ceremony with the Apostles in this Upper Room: and that afterward, by a kind of miracle, tongues of fire descended upon their heads, and that the Holy Spirit was sent to the disciples there, as recorded in Acts, Chapter 2.
From the lower part of this Mosque, there is access to a quite spacious chapel, where the Tomb of David is located, made of white marble veined with blue. Above this Mosque, there is access to an upper room. This is the sacred Upper Room where Christ the Lord exhibited the Last Supper to his disciples. It is long—about twenty cubits more or less—elegant, bright, and vaulted. Kneeling here, we offered prayers to God, giving thanks, and Father John gave us a short exhortation. A Plenary Indulgence is obtained here.
Next, entering the doorway to the right, one proceeds to the courtyard, which leads to a small, slightly obscure room attached to the Upper Room, in which the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples gathered there. It is here where the Plenary Indulgence is obtained, seven years and the same number of Quadragenes.
- The Tombs of the Kings of Judah and Final Departure Preparations
The said sacred Upper Room is distant by a stone’s throw from the place where David’s Palace was situated, on the very summit of Mount Zion.
Having returned to the Monastery after lunch, going out through the Fish Gate, and turning to the right, we circled the central part of the city, reaching the Tombs of the Kings of Judah (Regum Iuda): these were formerly within the city wall, but now stand far from the city gate that leads to Damascus.
It is remarkable with what expense and artistry these monuments were constructed. They are cut directly into the living rock, resembling arched chambers cut into a quadrangular shape. The chapels were large enough to hold forty or so bodies.
The entire remaining lower part of the Church is Catholic, which formerly entirely possessed the upper gallery. But since the Georgians claimed all of Mount Calvary as a Sanctuary, the Armenians compromised with the Catholics, conceding half of Mount Calvary to them, where Christ was affixed to the cross. The Catholics, in turn, allowed the Georgians and Armenians to access the upper third gallery, which is above the Abyssinians and Syrians.
At the end of this tour, we returned to the Monastery. I informed the Father Vicar that I had obtained a safe conduct from the local Lieutenant that would allow us to be conducted to the Dead Sea and the Jordan River by an Arab (since the dangers were significant). This would be done the following day after lunch.
EPISTLE III.
- Preparations in Cyprus and Sailing to Egypt
I wrote to you about the manner of my navigation, how I arrived in Cyprus. After writing to you, on the following day, the Kalends of June, I hired a small ship which is called a Caramusanus in those parts, whose captain was a Christian Arab.
When the local Turkish governor, whom they call the Cadi, learned of this, instigated by a certain Greek (who had embraced the Muhammadan treachery some years before, having been born in a most honorable place in Cyprus, and and who had conducted himself bravely in the siege of Nicosia, killing many Turks with his own hand), he immediately took away our sails and nautical ropes so that we could not sail until we had paid him something. For the Turks in these parts generally subsist by robbery and by fabricating accusations against Christians.
Therefore, when this treacherous Greek came to our ship, we received him courteously and gave him a gift; he then obtained permission from the said Cadi to have the things taken from us restored.
At the second hour of the night, having boarded our Caramusanus, we set sail toward the Holy Land. On the same ship was an Arab Maronite (that is what the Christian Arabs are called) who had been captured near Limassol along with the Caramusanus when the town was plundered by the Florentine Duke’s fleet. This man told us at length how bravely the Christians fought with the Turks. Seeing that the Italian was a Christian, they released him freely from the galleys. He still had to swim about one Italian mile through the sea to reach a deserted island, and then travel another mile on foot, since the galleys did not wish to approach Tripoli.
- Storm Forces Diversion
On the seventh of June, sighting the tower that overlooks the port at Jaffa (Ioppen), the African wind (Africus), which lies between south and west, began to blow very violently. It prevented us from reaching the shore, tore the sail, and shredded the ropes. Since the captain was at a loss, considering turning back to Cyprus or making for Caramania (from which sailing would be difficult and dangerous), he asked us what we wished to do. He stated that we could safely reach Tripoli with such a wind if we would not mind increasing the cost of the fare.
Seeing the captain perplexed, I increased the price to one hundred florins. He made this new pact because he had chartered this Caramusanus from an Arab, and after dropping us off at Jaffa, he was supposed to meet another person there; thus, he wanted compensation for having to sail toward Tripoli.
With the sails taut, we were carried forward by the full wind. We sailed past Alobdanam Casatura (formerly Caesarea Atartura, Atelit); then, past the Promontory of Carmel… We also passed Tyre and Sidon… Beyond these, the city of Caesarea in Cappadocia is said to tower on a mountain… Then follow the cities of Berytus and Anefa… These cities are situated in Syrian Phoenicia, and are mainly inhabited by Christians, whom they call Drusiani (Druzes)… They are remnants of the Gauls who once took the Holy Land from the Saracens, but they lead a life so dissolute and even more shameful than the pagans themselves that it seems unnecessary to say more about them, lest pious ears be offended.
- Arrival in Tripoli and the Ephraim Treasure
Having covered sixty miles within the space of eighteen hours, we were carried by a strong and stormy wind into the Port of Tripoli at the twenty-second hour. After casting anchor, we could scarcely hold our ground had not a Turk from an Alexandrian ship, approaching in a larger small boat, given us assistance.
We went ashore and walked half a mile to the City, stopping at the Fontecum, or Caravanserai, of the Venetians… I shall add one detail, which I do not know if anyone has touched upon. At the maritime entrance of the city, near the gate to the left, about a stone’s throw away, is a triangular palace, about which it is recounted that… a sorcerer learned through the art of magic that a treasure was buried somewhere in that place… When the Sangiachus… summoned the sorcerer and diligently questioned him about the outcome… The Sangiachus, eager for gold, called together other Necromancers… a chest was found under a small hill… in this chest, about thirty thousand Ducats of molten gold were deposited, all of which the Sangiachus sent to Constantinople.
- Preparations for the Land Journey and Departure
On the ninth and tenth, we toured the City and the sights to be seen there. In the morning, we were at the house of Lemir, who, while presiding over the customs, also commands a segment of the military… Since this Lemir was sending his escorting Janissaries back to Jerusalem via Damascus, where his brother Boluch resided, we arranged with him, for our safety, that he would assign us a Janissary guard, which was extremely necessary. He agreed willingly upon receiving a fee.
Towards evening, therefore, accompanied by two horsemen and two foot soldiers, having covered one and a half miles, we spent the night in the field beneath Mount Lebanon.
- Maronite Monks and Cedar Trees
Before noon, we stopped in Ehda, a village of the Maronite Arabs, and then, having walked one mile, we came to the Monastery of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Canobim, situated on Mount Lebanon. Here the Patriarch recognizes the obedience of the Roman Church… They never eat meat.
Departing from Ehda in the morning, not far from the road, we saw twenty-four Cedar trees… Ascending the summit of Mount Lebanon… we came to the city of Balbech.
- Journey from Balbech and the Road North
Departing from Balbech, we leave the mountain on the right, on which Solomon’s Palace is said to have once stood (though parts of it are still visible, it is not intact). Next, I came to the Bassa’s Plain (Planitiem Baſsae), commonly called the Field of the Bassa, where Turks gather from many places for war or other business… To the left, about a bow-shot away, is the Abana River, which irrigates Damascus… The territory of this region, from the time one departs from Balbech, is rich in grain and very fertile. After covering three miles, we came to a village of the Maronites, and from there we proceeded another three miles to a fortress (Caſtrum) whose name I cannot recall, which is situated on a very high mountain.
- Hama and the Path to Apamea
Leaving this fortress, we came to another mountain, still higher than the first, at whose base lies the town of Hama (Emath), a city with few Christians and an innumerable multitude of Turks. The distance from this place to Hama is estimated to be about ten miles.
From Hama, the road runs through another plain, eight miles long, leading to Apamea (Apamia), which is one of the principal cities of Syria. We arrived in Apamea after sunset.
- Apamea, the Orontes River, and Local Commerce
Apamea is said to have been named after the wife of Seleucus [I Nicator]. Although it is a large city, it is now mostly filled with ruins. It is situated near the Orontes River (which is called Assi by the Arabs and flows into the sea at Antioch). The water is always turbid, but sweet and very healthy.
This region is rich in silk (sericum), which is highly valued and traded heavily in Cairo and Alexandria. The Turks send the silk to Constantinople, often on the same ships that carry pilgrims.
The cost of living here is extremely low. I was informed by merchants that for the price of one Cecchino (which is worth two florins), one could live here comfortably for two months—whereas in Venice, this same amount scarcely covers two days of food, and in Constantinople, it lasts for about six days.
- Departure for Larissa
In the morning, having rested for three hours, we began our journey. We traveled four miles through an elegant and fertile plain, which is called the Valley of the Orontes.
Next, we reached a fortress on a mountain called Caiaphas (Mons Caiaphae), three miles from the city, where Herod is said to have been born. Leaving the fortress to the left, we proceeded toward the city of Larissa, which is very well-known. We arrived at Larissa after crossing a stone bridge built over a small river.
- Journey to Aleppo
From Larissa, we proceeded four miles, passing many Turkish villages and many cultivated gardens. The terrain here is mostly plain, although there are a few small hills. The air is very wholesome. In this region, a considerable number of silk worms (vermiculi sericum emittentes) are bred, from which a vast amount of silk is produced, which is greatly valued by merchants. We arrived at Aleppo (Haleppum) around sunset, a very large and celebrated city.
- Aleppo: Commerce and the River
Aleppo is the principal city of Syria, distinguished by its vast number of merchants and its great commerce with India, Persia, and the Arabian Gulf (Sinum Arabicum). It is situated on the Chalym River (Chalymi fluvio), which is small but swift, and flows through a plain six miles long. The air is considered less healthy in summer than in winter. The surrounding countryside is well-cultivated and beautiful, with many gardens. We found here a few Christian merchants, mostly Venetians, who engaged in commerce with the Turks and Moors. We spent three days here, recovering from the long journey. I left the carriage and horses here, which I had used from Tripoli. I hired mules for the journey to Damascus. We were forced to spend the night in the field for safety, about half a mile from the city, due to the number of Arabs that roamed the area.
- The Unhealthy Road South
Therefore, on the twelfth, at the third hour after sunrise, leaving Aleppo, I began the journey toward Damascus, ascending a mountain that was not very large, which is constructed of quarried stones, and is not far from the city. On it were once the ruins of a shrine of Saint Luke the Evangelist, whose ruins are still visible today.
The location, however, is unhealthy, being surrounded by a certain swamp (palude) from which the air in the city was corrupted and rendered noxious. Hence, many are of the opinion that this was the reason the city was gradually laid waste by the Arabs and Saracens.
Beyond the mountain is a very large plain; traveling across it for ten miles, we were able to visit only one small village situated in unhealthy air. In it was a very large swamp covered with reeds, where there is an infinite multitude of serpents, or snakes (sanguium), which the Turks fear greatly and only pass through at night.
- The Fortress of Boka and Night Travel
Having spent the entire day riding, we did not arrive at the Fortress of Boka until late at night. The Turks still call it by the same name, but in antiquity it was the Fortress of the Jews. This place, however, is not very well fortified, nor is it held in great veneration by the Turks. The Castellan there was Mahomet, diligent in his duty, who received us kindly and supplied us with necessities for food.
We remained in the fortress for the space of four hours for our rest. However, since we could not endure the late night, which we intended to spend there, because of the discomfort and unhealthy air—and the Arabs and Saracens intended to harass and rob us again—we continued the journey toward Damascus at three hours before dawn in the name of God.
- Journey from Apamea to Schal
In the morning, having refreshed ourselves, we resumed our journey. We traveled seven miles, passing many Turkish villages and cultivated gardens. The terrain was mostly plain. We stopped for lunch at a Caravanserai whose name I do not recall, which was situated on a small river.
Next, we reached a large village called Schal (Schal), five miles from the Caravanserai, where many silk workers reside. The surrounding region is highly fertile and covered with olive trees.
- To Emesa and Tripoli
From Schal, we proceeded seven miles to the city of Emesa (Emesa), which is quite large. From there, we turned and began the journey back to Tripoli in Phoenicia, as the dangers ahead were too great.
I was unable to proceed further into the northern regions of Syria, toward Aleppo and Antioch, due to the immense presence of Turkish soldiers, who were flocking to the Persian War. The roads were filled with troops, and they travel with great arrogance and little discipline, committing frequent robberies and acts of violence. Furthermore, I would have had to cross a vast desert area, which I was warned was extremely dangerous due to Arab raids.
Therefore, having covered four miles, we reached a fortress on a mountain called Balza (Mons Balzae), where the Turks keep a large garrison. We decided to return to the coast to secure passage by sea.
- Return to the Coast
From the fortress on Mount Balza, we descended to the maritime plain. We reached a large, sprawling village called Arka (Arka), which lies adjacent to Mount Lebanon. We stopped here for lunch. The plain is mostly cultivated and fertile, but the population is sparse, with few villages.
Leaving Arka, we passed over a stone bridge that spans a small river. After advancing two miles, we reached the village of Batrun (Batrum), situated on the seashore, where the inhabitants engage in fishing. The river here flows from a mountain cave. The air is wholesome. The surrounding area is covered with wild olive trees and vineyards that produce grapes used to make Muscatel wine (Vinum Muscatinum).
From Batrun, we proceeded two miles to Berytus, reaching it late in the evening.
- Tripoli and Sailing Preparations
From Berytus, we resumed our journey, arriving at Tripoli in the morning. Here, the first ship that I had chartered (the Caramusanus from the First Epistle) was waiting for me. I spoke with its captain and agreed upon a passage to Cyprus.
We spent three days in Tripoli making preparations for the journey. I was forced to sell some items and buy necessary provisions, since the journey by sea was often lengthy and treacherous. I had intended to travel directly to Alexandria from Tripoli, but due to the intense heat and the constant presence of Turkish military convoys heading to the Persian war, I decided to first sail to Cyprus, where the air was considered healthier, to wait for a safer opportunity to proceed to Egypt.
- Sea Voyage to Cyprus
At the second hour of the night, having embarked on our chartered ship (the Caramusanus), we set sail from Tripoli toward Cyprus. The wind was favorable, but moderate. We sighted Cyprus on the tenth day of June, and around noon, we came within sight of the port of Limassol (Limiſſum).
We spent four days in Limassol, replenishing provisions and preparing for the next leg of the journey. Here, I spoke again with the captain of the Florentine galley that had captured the Caramusanus earlier. He offered to sail us directly to Alexandria if we wished, but I declined, adhering to my plan to first reach a safer port in Cyprus and then decide the next move.
- Final Decision to Sail to Egypt
After staying in Cyprus for three more days, I realized that waiting for a completely safe passage to Egypt was futile due to the Persian War convoys and the intense summer heat. I decided to commit to the journey.
I chartered a smaller, swifter ship called a Dzermana for the voyage to Alexandria. This ship was faster but less sturdy than the Caramusanus. I hired a Janissary and a new guide for the voyage, as the dangers from both the elements and the pirates were significant. Having completed all preparations, we set sail from Limassol toward the coast of Egypt.
- Departure from Cyprus and the Sea Voyage
On the second of June, at the tenth hour of the night, we set sail from Limassol, with a moderate wind. Since we were not far from the Promontory of the Grottoes (Promontorium Cryptarum), we easily passed it. We then sailed toward Alexandria. The ship, the Dzermana, was loaded with cotton (xylinum or bombax), which is plentiful in Cyprus. The ship was fast, but low in the water, which gave us constant anxiety in anticipation of storms.
The sea voyage was not long, but the ship’s low freeboard meant that even moderate waves broke over the deck, making us constantly wet. Our Janissary often complained, as he was unaccustomed to the rigors of the sea.
- Sighting the Nile and Approaching Damietta
On the fifth of June, around the nineteenth hour, we sighted the coast of Africa, specifically the mouth of the Nile River. The sea water here appears turbid, a clear sign of the great river’s influence.
By the twenty-first hour, we were closer to the coast and could clearly discern the fortifications of Damietta (Damiata), situated on the eastern branch of the Nile Delta. This city appears to be moderately fortified, though lacking the grandeur of the major Turkish ports. We anchored for the night outside the harbor, as entering at that hour was considered hazardous. We were relieved to have made landfall safely after the long, anxious crossing from Cyprus.
- Arrival at Damietta and Preparations for Cairo
Around the twenty-first hour, we entered the mouth of the Nile (this is the easternmost arm of the river’s flow). To the left, from the sea and the river, we saw the notable quadrilateral fortress of Damietta (Damiata), strongly fortified with high towers and squared stone, which previously held a garrison of two hundred soldiers, but now, because of the Persian War, barely had twenty.
At the entrance to the Nile, to the right, we saw a few ships, not very large. (Larger ships cannot anchor here, as there is no true port, only an area used temporarily while they unload and are pulled into the river for safety.) Beneath the city itself were three Caramusana ships, but smaller ones (caramusanae)—which is what they truly are.
Sailing up the Nile, along the banks, we saw a massive number of storks (ciconiarum), which fly here from our parts around this time of year (August), when the Nile overflows and, receding, leaves behind a great quantity of serpents all over the fields, which serve as the storks’ food. We also saw an infinite number of green and scarlet ducks (Anatum viridium et punicearum) with long feet, lining the banks.
To the left were many gardens, very rich in fruits, especially rice (orizae), of which a great quantity is sown here, along the banks of the river where it discharges into the sea.
The fortress is one mile from the City. After covering a quarter of a mile, we saw four marine horses (equos marinos) in the river. They are very similar to our cattle in shape, hide, and size, except they lack horns. They inflict great damage on the rice gardens, which is why the gardens are enclosed by high ditches, as these animals, having short feet, cannot climb mounds. If they find a person in the gardens, they easily crush him with their bite. We fired a few long firearms at them, but it is uncertain whether we killed any, as the animals are large and robust, and can only be killed by a powerful shot from a larger cannon. Some believe these marine horses are the Odontotyrannos, or ‘tyrant-toothed’ creatures, which the Greeks call Amphibia, animals that live both in water and on land. The ruins of the City of Damietta, formerly Pelusium, are elegant and stretch half a mile long.
As it was late, we stopped where the customs are paid, which the Jews manage. The customs collector immediately ran up to us and, believing us to be merchants (which we pretended to be for greater safety, as merchants who pay high customs to the Turkish Caesar are generally safer in Egypt), he stayed with us in the Dzermana for the night. In the morning, our bundles were searched. Finding no merchandise, we told them we had it in Cairo, where we were headed.
- Up the Nile and to Bulak
Having been released, we went ashore and approached the Venetian Vice-Consul, Thomas Candiotas (a Greek). We spent the entire day touring the city, but found nothing of note from antiquity. We then hired another, smaller ship, a Dzermana, to travel up to Cairo. We loaded our goods onto it shortly before evening and slept there, adding two Janissaries for greater security on the Nile.
With the sun already well risen, we began to sail against the current. Since the North Wind (Caurus, or Maestro in Italian) usually blows around this time, and the Nile flows from the south, we sailed favorably with expanded sails, except where the river curved, forcing us to go ashore and pull the boat with ropes for a time.
Before noon, we passed the large city of Ferchin (Ferchin). For the night, we stopped at a certain town (leaving the large city of Serbin to the right). There, as the sun was setting, we rested. We inspected the furnaces, or ovens (clibanos), in which chicks are artificially hatched. They are round, woven of straw, covered all over with clay, and have a small round window on top so that the sun’s rays cannot directly strike the eggs inside, which would quickly cook them. They heat the furnace at night with cow or buffalo dung to prevent the eggs from chilling. In the daytime, the sun provides temperate heat to the kiln, where the eggs are placed on the floor, separated so they do not touch one another. In this manner, chicks are hatched more quickly without the need for the hens’ incubation. Such furnaces are attached to the houses of the farmers in all towns and villages; some are large enough to hold three thousand eggs.
Since the heat in Egypt is so intense, we noticed that when sailing from Damietta, the sandy areas (for throughout most of Egypt, the ground is sandy between the villages and gardens) appeared to emit a kind of burning water, shining so brightly that it strained the eyes, like molten glass in a furnace. We initially thought some lakes were burning. This phenomenon is caused by the hot, loose sand, which, moved by the slightest breath of wind, makes waves of what appears to be burning water to the viewer from afar.
Stopping at the aforementioned town, as warned by the captain from Damietta, we were forced to stand watch all night. For the Egyptians are not only thieves on land, but being perfect swimmers (urinatores), they hide underwater and reach the Dzermana, dragging whatever they can seize into the water and carrying it off. It is not uncommon for them to seize a man sleeping on the ship’s deck, drag him under, and strip him of his life and clothes.
- The Nile Journey Continues and the Thieves’ Town
We had to stand watch all night, or else, if a number of brigands united, they would climb into the Dzermana, murder those sleeping, and strip them of their life and clothes, as had happened recently. The danger was heightened by the fact that the thieves were excellent swimmers (urinatores) and would hide under the water. We found a certain security in this, however: if we kept continuous watch and threatened them with the firearms they greatly feared, they would abandon their intended crime.
After midnight, we left that place and continued our journey. Around noon, we passed the town of Talcha (Talcha), which is situated among the intricately woven canals and is inhabited only by robbers and bandits (latronibus et deprædatoribus). They carry out their robberies nightly along the river and in any place they can. Since merchants constantly pass through here, it is difficult to avoid danger amid the great multitude of people found throughout Egypt.
Indeed, along all the arms of the Nile, on both banks and across the fields, an immense number of people, herds, buffaloes, oxen, sheep, goats, and cows are visible everywhere. As a result, passersby easily fall into snares.
On this same day, we saw about a hundred fishermen diving into the water (which is murky) and catching fish by hand. Some extracted as many as three fish at once, holding two with their hands and the third with their mouth. The fish were about one cubit long, not unlike our pike or barbel, which we call Mientus. Others could be compared to our salmon or pike. There was also a species of large white fish.
The fish of the Nile are fat and excellent in flavor, but they are less healthy because the Nile has a muddy, not a stony, bottom. However, the water itself is wholesome because it flows in a long, circuitous route, namely, from the Mountains of the Moon (Montibus Lunae) where it originates, down to where it empties into the sea, covering three thousand seven hundred and twenty miles, in addition to passing through both Tropics; as a result, the immense heat purifies the harmful humidity in it.
The water is turbid, as stated above, but when left in a vessel for two hours, it clears, and if it stands overnight, it becomes as clear as crystal and very pleasing to drink.
- Approaching Cairo and Bulak
The fishermen, whenever they need to breathe, do not fully lift their heads out of the water but only expel breath with their mouths slightly open. It is certain that they can remain hidden underwater all day long and breathe when they surface without exposing their heads. When we saw them swimming underwater, the captain ordered us to fire a few firearms, lest they swim under the Dzermana and capsize it.
Around sunset, we passed the city of Abuzyr (Abuzyr) to the right, which is elegant and has a long view. We dropped anchor and remained in the middle of the river for the night, as approaching the banks is less safe. Indeed, the underwater swimmers (urinatores) were already targeting us, but seeing that we were awake, they attempted nothing.
The entire next day, we sailed favorably. The following night, underwater swimmers attempted to attack us, but they retreated when they found us awake and armed with the long muskets that they greatly fear.
Since the wind was favorable, we sighted the Pyramids of Cairo at the twentieth hour. Although they are located beyond the city, they are visible before the City itself because of the mountains and the immense scale of the construction. The citadel (arx) is also visible, situated on a mountain.
We now entered the Nile River from its branching arms. It is so wide that it would equal the Danube near the city of Linz, Austria, if the latter were doubled. About four miles from Cairo, the Nile flows in a single channel, but later it divides into two branches, forming the famous Delta; five miles further down, one part of the Delta divides into four branches, and the other into three, through which it finally empties into the sea.
At the twenty-third hour, we finally reached Bulak (Bulhach), eighty miles from Damietta, where we disembarked from the Dzermana. Since this town is adjacent to Cairo itself, it is worth briefly mentioning its magnitude. It is asserted not only by the Turks but also by the European merchants residing here that over ten thousand people pass through this port every day, traveling to and fro. Additionally, three thousand Dzermana ships sail past daily, many of which are capable of holding six hundred barrels. Many more ships of the same kind arrive from Upper Cairo (Cayro Superius), bringing grain, monkeys (cynocephalos), parrots (pſyttacos), various kinds of birds, animals, and diverse merchandise from the regions of Saït and the vast dominions of Prester John.
As we arrived too late, we spent the night in the Dzermana. In the space of barely half an hour, we saw over ten ships arriving and leaving.
- Entry into Cairo and the Customs Encounter
In the morning, when I disembarked from the ship at Bulak with two of my men (I ordered the rest to remain in the Dzermana until we found lodging), two Turks immediately seized each of us as if to put us in chains. They diligently searched to see if we had any concealed merchandise in our pockets or elsewhere, believing us to be French merchants, by whom, as the Turks themselves later told us, they are often cheated. When they discovered that we had no such goods, they permitted us to leave freely.
Meanwhile, as we spoke in Polish, the Jewish Customs Prefect (at whose command the Turks had seized us) overheard our language. He instructed the Turks to move away from us, stating that he too was our countryman, originating from the city of Chelm in Ruthenia. He begged forgiveness for greeting us so uncivilly. He offered his services at length and visited us often and kindly during our stay in Cairo.
We then took mules, proceeded through the gardens into the city, and approached the Venetian Consul, Georgius Emo, to ask for his assistance in securing lodging. He courteously offered us his help. We heard Mass with him and, since he had arrived recently and did not yet fully know the ways of the place, he advised us to approach the French Consul, Paulus Marianus, who was also a Venetian. This man, having spent twenty years or more in the city, had gained great experience in local affairs and was fluent in the Turkish and Arabic languages.
We found in his house two Priests of the Society of Jesus: John Baptist Elianus (who, as mentioned earlier, had brought the sacred vestments to the Maronites in Damascus and the Patriarch on Mount Lebanon from Pope Gregory XIII) and Francis Sassus, who was being sent by Pope Gregory at the time we were sailing from Venice, traveling to Alexandria. Three Franciscan monks were also present, as this Consul’s house contained a Catholic chapel.
The said Marianus, therefore, granted us accommodation in his other house, which he had opposite the Venetian Consul’s, and we moved in, along with the rest of our men summoned from the Dzermana.
- Magnitude of Cairo and its Population
We then began to explore the city. Only one who has seen it with his own eyes can truly judge how large and populous it is. In my judgment, it exceeds the size of Paris by three times, although it lacks the elegance of order and buildings. Only the New Cairo is enclosed by walls; the old city and Bulak lack circuit walls. The new city contains many ancient palaces built at great expense, and more recently, the modern Ethiopian merchants also build palaces with expense and elegance. We saw one magnificent palace, which, though not yet finished, is said to cost three hundred thousand Ducats. The merchant who owned it wore only a cotton undershirt (bombacina interula) and a turban, with scarcely any shoes—a habit shared by other wealthy Ethiopian merchants.
In Egypt, the Turks either hold magistracies or are soldiers. The local Egyptians either cultivate the fields or engage in domestic economy. The Arabs live by robbery. The Ethiopians are mostly merchants, as are the rest of the common people in the City. Many European merchants, both Italian and French, who have lived in the city for twenty years or more, assert (we could not verify this ourselves) that the circuit of the New City contains thirty thousand private houses. Adding the suburbs, the old city, and Bulak, with the numerous smaller dwellings, the total number reaches two hundred thousand. There are sixteen thousand streets. The elegant Mosques with attached towers (not counting those without towers and roofs, which are also numerous) number six thousand eight hundred.
- Social Customs and the Ethiopian Merchant’s Household
The merchant whose magnificent palace we admired, concerning his domestic life, told us through an interpreter that he had twelve white wives and eighteen Ethiopian wives (thirty total), each of whom he keeps in a separate chamber, retaining the keys himself. For if he allowed them to congregate, they would suffocate one another. Food is submitted to them through a window. When he enters any of the rooms, he diligently locks the door behind him, lest the others manage to penetrate, for they would undoubtedly overwhelm him and inflict mutual harm. From this, one can easily infer the miserable condition of these pagans, whom God has afflicted with such blindness due to sin that they fear themselves no less than wild beasts.
When we suggested that he lived in perpetual danger this way, he replied that this was indeed true, which is why he keeps them under diligent guard. He also stated that he could kill them all if he wished, since they are his property, bought with his own money. He affirmed that it is permitted for anyone to treat purchased property as they wish. Many other shameful and enormous things happen here, which I prefer to pass over to spare pious ears.
Another remarkable thing, which should not be omitted, is the extent of the mistrust between relatives. When the merchant was showing us his palace, his Ethiopian servant announced that his eldest son had arrived. The merchant came out with us to the entrance, and the father and son spoke to each other while the son stood in the courtyard. The father told us he never allows his son into the house but speaks with him this way. When we asked why, he said, “I do not trust him. He could kill me.” He treats his servant in the same manner when speaking with him. Although both the son and servant have wives and children, he does not entrust himself to them.
His third, youngest son was permitted to enter, but he did not live in the same building. The older son, who had come to see him, was about thirty years old.
It is generally observed among the Ethiopians that even if they are closely related by blood, they are wary of one another. Therefore, they mostly converse in the streets, and rarely admit one another to their homes, unless a vigilant guard is kept. This merchant kept only three servants in the house, who slept there at night; nevertheless, he locked them in a room before going to sleep himself, fearing they might kill him. In the morning, three artisans would come to work on the palace.
- The Bassa’s Administration and Military
The Bassa rules over the entire Kingdom of Egypt. At my time, this was Imbraim, whom the Turkish Emperor had sent here for three years to collect the dowry for the daughter he had promised him, gathering it from any source possible, after deducting the normal income attached to the office, which provided him with subsistence, primarily from the regular returns of the gardens.
He then commanded a thousand horsemen and a thousand foot soldiers. When he proceeded through the city, showing himself to the public with maximum pomp and a large entourage, he was accompanied by three hundred Czauſsius officers for necessary duties and missions, and twenty-four Sangiachus officers, who were appointed to administer the city, which is also divided into twenty-four regions.
Since a guard is posted day and night around the city due to the incursions of the Arabs (who, even when I was present, penetrated the city gate four times, causing great alarm, and retreated safely after killing several Turks), six thousand horsemen and the same number of foot soldiers were previously kept to repel their attempts. But due to the Persian expedition, three thousand of the cavalry and three thousand of the infantry had been withdrawn.
The cavalry had three Captains: one commanded a thousand lancers; the second commanded the same number of Circassians (Cerkaſsios)—said to be the remnants of the Christians who once inhabited Egypt, though all are now Muhammadans. The third commanded a thousand Turks, but of lighter armament. The infantry was similarly composed, consisting entirely of Janissaries.
On every Friday (Die Veneris), several hundred Turks go out to the field near the Nile, where they perform military exercises, throwing short reeds at one another, often recklessly and chaotically, so that in these contests, one or two men, either soldiers or spectators, are always killed. They give their horses free rein to such an extent that they cannot pull them back, and thus they crash and are miserably injured.
- Population, Commerce, and the City’s Vital Supply
The number of Jews here is immense. A census tax is paid for every single person. At my time, counting women and children, their number was said to rise to one million six hundred thousand; the Jewish Customs Prefect himself reported this to us.
The number of common people (vulgus) is estimated to be seven million, based on the calculation made during the time of Affan Bassa, who wished to know the exact number of inhabitants. But this number could scarcely be determined due to the constant fluctuations.
Amidst this great multitude of people, scarcely a third still has full sight. Everyone suffers from eye afflictions everywhere, due to eating fruits consumed promiscuously by the populace, along with excessive water drinking. Furthermore, because the region is extremely hot, they nonetheless wear a heavy turban on their heads, from which inflammation of the eyes results from the sweat. The dust of the streets, which are not paved with stone, greatly exacerbates this condition.
Eight thousand camels carry water from the Nile to distribute around the city, with two leather bags (utribus coriaceis)—each holding the capacity of our common barrel—attached to each side. This water is sold by carriers (portitoribus), who pay a tax to the Bassa for this privilege. Any excess water is sprinkled throughout the streets to settle the dust. There are also many other camels belonging to the Sangiachus officers, Czauſsius officers, and merchants, which do not pay the tax; their number totals eight thousand. In addition, there are carriers (batuli) who carry water for sale in goatskins (pellibus hircinis) on their backs, who also contribute something to the Bassa. These number thirty thousand.
Another astonishing detail (from which the size of the city can be judged) is that when the Nile overflows and is channeled through four or five arms throughout the city, filling all the cisterns abundantly, the number of camels and men carrying water does not diminish. They say that although the Bassa’s income is slightly diminished this way, the loss scarcely amounts to half or even a third of his revenues.
The public kitchens (Culinarum publicarum) number twenty thousand. Only the rich and persons of rank procure food at home; the common people live off the kitchens, where a great abundance of meat, especially lamb, and chicken, goose, rice, and pastries fried in oil are sold.
The abundance of provisions is great. Beef is abundant and flavorful. There is an immense supply of lamb, and an infinite number of chicken and goose, which are hatched artificially in furnaces, as previously described. Egypt does not produce wine, as vineyards cannot be planted on the plain due to the Nile’s overflow. The hills or mountains are nonexistent. I saw only one vineyard belonging to a Christian, located in the village of Natarea (mentioned below), on my way out. Therefore, Christians mostly use Cretan wine. However, the European Consuls arrange for wine to be brought from Italy.
- The Plague and Mortality
Since some report (which also relates to the population density of the city) that during the time of the Plague, twenty thousand people died here within twenty-four hours, the Venetian merchant John Leonardus, who had lived here for twenty-five years, told us that in his time the plague raged here for two weeks, consuming not only the number mentioned but even more people every single day.
This is not surprising, since the Turks do not take precautions against the plague’s contagion, asserting that it happens by necessity and that they must obey the Divine judgment which must strike whomever it is destined for. Thus, they mock the Christians who try to avoid the plague by fleeing, often with futile effort. They carry out the dead from their homes, not feet first, as Christians do, but with the head reversed.
It should also be noted that the plague in Egypt varies approximately every seven years, lasting usually into the third year. The first year, it begins mildly, when the sun enters Libra. It rages most severely in December, January, February, and March, when the heat is less intense. But when the heat increases, as the sun enters Leo the following year, the plague immediately ceases, so much so that if someone has a plague boil and survives the hour that marks the sun’s entry into Leo, he escapes all danger. This phenomenon is quite astonishing.
The heat here, therefore, drives out the plague. They live safely for two months. Afterward, when the sun enters Libra again, the plague gradually begins anew, lasting until the sun enters Leo, but it rages less violently. The third year, it follows the same pattern, only remitting its severity more and more. If no contagion is brought in from elsewhere, Egypt remains free of the plague for the next four years, though sometimes the respite is longer. But the sickness usually returns every seven years. In this matter, we can observe and celebrate the singular goodness and ordinance of God, who afflicts and chastises Christians with far lighter scourges than the pagans.
- The Nile Opening Ceremony (Inundation)
When the Nile flows in its proper channel, the area near the Old City, where the canal leads (which runs along the edge of our lodging), is not covered by water, as I mentioned previously.
I felt compelled to use a smaller boat (schapha) in Bulak and, traveling upstream for one mile with some local merchants, arrived at the place where the Bassa himself, who resides on the Island of Mulchias, performs the spectacle of the Nile opening. This takes place annually on the same day.
On the 19th of August, at the third hour after sunrise, Imbraim Bassa proceeded into the public view from the Palace on the Island of Mulchias, carried by an elegant galley. The galley was surrounded by many small flags; and two large flags, one green (Muhammad’s) and one red with a white half-moon (Ottoman family), were placed next to him where he sat. At the end of the flagpoles, instead of points, hung the tails of sea horses (equi marini).
The galley carried three hundred Janissaries with firearms. The Czauſsius officers and other principal Turks attended him; he sat alone, with a boy fanning him due to the heat. In the bow, there were six large cannons, which were fired several times.
Because the galley was being carried by the current, the stern was turned toward the bank so that the speed of the current could be slowed. The galley stopped near the bank with the stern facing the dyke (aggerem) that was to be breached (this dyke is beneath the tower of the aqueduct). An immense multitude of people had already gathered, so much so that the whole area looked covered in snow because of the white turbans. I declare that I have never seen a greater multitude of people gathered in one place in my whole life, even though I have visited Rome, Paris, and other populous cities.
When the Bassa gave the sign with his hand, the entire multitude of people immediately breached the dyke with whatever tools they had. Water slowly began to flow into the canal, then rushed forth with full force. The Bassa then returned home.
Because the galley was carried by the current, the stern was still facing upstream. To the side of the river that is clear of boats, the Bassa’s galley distributed a huge amount of sugared confectioneries and even wooden bowls of Massa (a type of food), which were scattered over the water. The multitude of common people, numbering over ten thousand, swam to catch the sweets and fought with their fists, covering the entire river. After this spectacle concluded, we took a boat toward the New City.
- The Pyramids of Memphis
In the morning, having heard the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and received the Most Divine Sacrament, I departed from Cairo, boarding a Dzermana around the fifteenth hour, sailing downstream on the Nile.
On the 18th of August, we arrived at the Old City, and having disembarked, we rode to the Pyramids, which lie beyond the city. Of the Pyramids, which many authors describe, I will briefly note here only what I saw with my own eyes.
It is confirmed by all testimony that the city of Memphis, celebrated in sacred and profane literature, once stood here. Now, apart from a few small ruins towards the south, no vestiges of it are visible. Sterile sand covers everything. However, seventeen Pyramids remain intact, of which two are the largest and one was built by the harlot Rhodope. The larger two are of stupendous and incredible size. The largest excels all, being said to measure three hundred cubits in height, width, and length. Inside, it has beautifully constructed and spacious stairs, which allow ascent to the very summit. It also contains chambers, two of the largest being built one above the other, which contained the tombs of the Kings of Egypt.
The largest Pyramid is constructed of squared stones of such size and singular artistry that the entire mass represents the appearance of a natural mountain. The ascent, due to the thickness of the stones, is difficult and laborious, but safe. Though I used suitable steps, I could scarcely reach the summit in less than one and a half hours.
The second Pyramid, slightly smaller than the first, is distant by about two bow-shots. The internal entrance is not visible, and is said to be hidden. Externally, one can ascend only up to the middle, as the stones below are carefully layered, but above that point, the stones are so flat that further ascent is impossible.
The third Pyramid, that of Rhodope, is built entirely of polished stone (lapide dolato) so that it cannot be climbed. Not far from it is the Sphinx’s head, neck, and shoulders, seven cubits high, sculpted from a single living rock in a marvelous fashion. Some believe that through a subterranean cave, oracles were delivered from this head.
- The Bassa’s Fate and Cairo’s Grandeur
I saw an obelisk with hieroglyphic characters carved into it on all sides. It is elegant and high; although its lower part is covered by earth, it still stands about forty cubits high. The width of its base is about six ells or a little more on each corner. Not far from its side, towards the sea, significant ruins of an elegant palace are still visible underground. The walls were covered with marble slabs and supported by similar columns. Another palace was situated above, but it is now entirely demolished. The underground part, although filled with rubble, still clearly shows its form. Some believe Cleopatra resided in these beautiful subterranean buildings, having taken her own life here.
I ascended two mountains which are quite high and situated within the city itself. On the first is a watchtower (Turris excubiarum), not very high, from which flags are displayed—one for every ship entering the port. The other mountain is higher, towards Rosetta (Roſſetum), from which the entire city is clearly visible, extending up to the city walls. Beneath it are vast ruins of elegant palaces, where a great quantity of beautiful marble is found.
It is easily apparent that another city was once established underground in ancient times. In summer, the inhabitants of this subterranean city would reside there to avoid the heat, and in winter, they would move to the upper dwellings. Many subterranean habitations now serve as cisterns, in which water is preserved from the Nile, brought in through a canal.
- Cairo’s Markets and the Trade in People
The air in Alexandria is unhealthy and almost pestilential from May until the first rains of autumn. For this reason, the principal citizens and merchants leave the city during these months. Those who remain are always pale and resemble sick people. The cause is attributed to the decaying subterranean palaces and the nearby Mareotis Swamp (paludem Mareotidem), which emits putrid air.
I rode through a great part of the city. Leaving the Citadel to the left, we came to a Mosque called Magara, into which Christians are permitted to enter, provided they pay a small fee and remove their shoes. These are the Sepulchers of the ancient Egyptians.
On the 22nd of August (market day), I rode through the principal street where goods are sold. The commerce is massive. There are countless men, horses, mules, and donkeys. The harlots (meretrices), who dress elegantly but wear face coverings and ride on mules, are numerous—their number is estimated to reach one hundred thousand.
Other women who are married are not allowed to go out in public, not even to the Mosques. Nor are they permitted to look out of windows onto the street, except through wooden lattices.
There are public forums where Ethiopian males and females—young, middle-aged, and old—are exposed for sale. There were then seven hundred men and six hundred women, all naked except that the older ones, particularly the women, cover their private parts with a cheap piece of cloth. All have pierced ears, some also have pierced noses, from which a glass bead hangs. Many women have their lower lip pierced, in which a circle with an attached globe is inserted, which, if heavy, pulls the mouth so wide that the teeth are exposed—a painful sight.
These enslaved people are sold at a very low price. For ten gold Ducats, one can acquire a boy or girl, whichever pleases the buyer. However, Christians are forbidden from taking servants out of the country under pain of death. These Moors or Ethiopians are brought from Barbary, first sold in Algiers or Tripoli, and then transported by sea to Alexandria or Rosetta, and then up the Nile to Cairo.
I saw several hundred of them in the market at the same time; they are sold immediately. The buyer of a male or female enslaved person is free to treat them as they wish: “I bought this one with my own money,” say the Turks; they can keep or kill them.
I saw at the same time a man who was eating Maſlok (the psychoactive powder), sitting at a stall where the aforementioned powder, which is greenish, was sold. The seller offered us a portion if we wished to use it. The man who had consumed the powder seemed to be trying to grasp something with his hands near his head, gazing with contorted eyes like a furious man, and saying nothing. The stall holder replied that the man had suffered from a severe headache and had recovered after taking the powder. He sometimes seemed to pluck fruit as if standing under trees, indicating that he was doing better. It was certainly strange. We clearly saw the miserable man overcome by madness, yet the other asserted he was recovering.
I rode through a great part of the city. Leaving the Citadel to the left, outside the gate, we reached a Mosque called Magara, into which Christians are allowed to enter upon payment of a fee and removing their shoes. These are the Sepulchers of the ancient Egyptians. This entire Mosque is cut into the rock, having many caves and crypts that extend very far.
Then, setting out, we ascended a very high mountain opposite the Citadel, from which the greater part of the City and the suburbs, where we said there are so many Mosques, are clearly visible. The view is delightful, especially since, over all parts of the city and far beyond, a huge number of date-bearing palm trees divides the rooftops of the buildings. Only the New City lacks such frequent trees, which exceed the height of the towers in their height. No one is ignorant of the elegance of the palm tree. It rises straight up, has foliage at the top, and the date fruit grows, not among the leaves, but on its fronds near the trunk, like mistletoe in our country. A pleasant view also opens onto the gardens, which are countless around the city. In these gardens, sugar cane is sown and grows like a reed, except that the middle stalk containing the sap is the thickness of a man’s arm.
Sugar cane reaches maturity at the end of October, as do the dates. However, dates are also harvested earlier in September. They do not require richer soil or irrigation like sugar cane, as they thrive in sandy soil and enjoy the intense heat of the sun, which warms and thoroughly ripens their roots in the sand. This is why dates are not as excellent in Syria and around Alexandria, where they receive less sun.
In Cairo, the dates are fully ripe here. The fresh ones are very sweet, having nonetheless a slight acidity that is not unpleasant to the taste. From a single tree, enough fruit is produced to fill one of our average wine barrels (cereuifari dolio). The assertion by some that the palm only produces dates in the hundredth year after planting is a mere fable. Indeed, like other trees, they bear fruit in the third or fourth year, especially if they are the low-growing type. There are three kinds of palm trees: one is short, which yields common dates; another is taller, like our pear tree, which produces yellowish, round dates of excellent flavor, but they do not last very long, as they easily decay. The third kind grows to a great height, producing long, hard dates, which are not transported to our regions; only those of the first kind are sent. Taller trees bear fruit for up to one hundred years, after which they become sterile, indicating that they have reached one hundred years when they lack fruit.
I noticed no small detail here. The Mosque called Magara, which I rode to, is cut into the rock, and the view from the high mountain above it is delightful, showing palm trees across the city. The dates here are perfect, and the climate is ideal.
On the 28th of August, early in the morning, leaving the Monastery, we set out toward the small village called Natarea (Natarea). This is the very village where the Most Blessed Virgin, with her Son, the boy Savior, is said to have lived for seven years while in Egypt (Matthew 2).
Here stands a very old house, in whose wall a small niche, about one cubit wide and long, is still visible. In this niche, the Virgin Mother concealed our Redeemer Son. Below it is a small altar where the Sacrifice of the Mass is usually celebrated. The Turks also greatly revere this place and have a Mosque nearby; nevertheless, by a certain singular Divine ordinance, Catholic priests are allowed to celebrate Mass here, which has been the custom from time immemorial. Father Francis Sassus, the Jesuit theologian, celebrated Mass there in our presence on that very day, which was a Sunday.
Not far from this place is a fountain of living water, the only one in all of Egypt that is wide, long, and quite deep—and very cold and clear. A little further on, water is drawn from it by a wheel and channels for irrigating the gardens in the village. The Bassa and the Sangiachus officers enjoy this excellent water and arrange to have it brought to them by camels.
About a stone’s throw from the house is a thick, tall wild fig tree (ficus agreſtis), which they call the Fig Tree of Pharaoh. This tree has a fissure running from its roots to its summit, which is so remarkable that if it could be bound together, it would fit perfectly. In this trunk, near the base, there is a small chamber, which could not have been created by any human art, especially in such a vast tree. When the Blessed Virgin arrived there, the tree miraculously split open, providing a astonishing hiding place for the new guests, where she hid with the heavenly boy until the pious Joseph could find a dwelling place in the village. The Turks also greatly revere this place, which they concede was miraculously opened.
This place is situated in the garden where balsam (balſamum) once grew, of which a few plants, about two cubits tall, are still visible, but they have all withered away. Affan Bassa, the predecessor of Imbraim (who governed the province in my time), ordered the Ethiopian who cared for the balsam to be strangled, as he had collected a great sum of money. After his death, no one could be found who knew how to care for the trees, and they completely perished. Now, under the care of Emperor Solyman, the balsam is grown in great abundance in Felicitas Arabia (Arabia Felix), having been transplanted mostly from this very garden.
The wild fig tree itself offers great wonder to the viewer: the Turks keep a lamp hanging inside its cavity.
After lunch, having returned to Palace Gaurea, we saw a caravan progressing toward the city of Suez (Sueſum), which is situated on the Red Sea. This palace is named Gaurea because it was built at great expense by Sultan Gaurus, a most powerful King of Egypt, along with an elegant Mosque. This Mosque is second only to the Mosque of Aromele in beauty, where Gaurus also received his burial. This palace has very elegant porticoes, supported by large and beautiful columns. In the middle is a pool (pifcina) fifty cubits wide and long, and six deep. This King used to fill it with sugared water (aqua ſaccaro condita) whenever he gave a solemn feast to his court and people. Below the palace, near the flowing Nile, is a tall Cassia tree (Caſsiae arbor).
I returned to the city late in the evening, sailing against the current, after inspecting some of the more elegant palaces and gardens that adjoined the flowing river.
I remained in Cairo for three more days, occupied with packing my belongings. I was very eager to depart, having seen everything I wished to see in the city and being warned by many merchants that the plague was likely to return soon, though the air was currently wholesome.
I hired a small boat (Dzermana) and boarded it at Bulak, ready to depart at the first favorable wind. I entrusted my remaining carriages and horses to the Venetian Consul to be shipped to Italy later, as the land route through Syria was too dangerous due to the war. I spent the time organizing my notes and preparing my luggage for the sea voyage to Alexandria.
At the tenth hour of the night, we left the city, descending along the canal from Bulak by boat. We were sailing toward Alexandria to secure passage to Europe.
The canal that leads to Alexandria is a man-made waterway, separated from the Canopic Branch of the Nile. It is large enough to accommodate the smaller ships needed for the sea journey. The journey by canal takes approximately two days.
We passed many Turkish villages and caravanserais along the banks. The air here, though dry, is considered healthier than the stifling air of Cairo. We continued our voyage without stopping for the night, with the wind carrying us swiftly downstream toward the sea.
As we approached the Mediterranean Sea, the water in the canal grew lower, a problem the city of Alexandria constantly faces.
We arrived at the Gate of Alexandria (Portam Alexandriae) around the twenty-second hour. We disembarked at the point where the canal meets the fortifications. Here, the customs officials, whom the Turks strictly enforce, searched our baggage again.
I finally saw the City of Alexandria (Alexandriae Ciuitatem), which, though renowned in antiquity, now presented a view of vast ruins more than an inhabited city. We secured temporary lodging near the port to prepare for the final leg of the journey back to Europe.
EPISTLE IV.
- Final Departure and Initial Calm
On the twenty-ninth of September, I departed from Alexandria, having secured passage on a ship belonging to Venetian merchants. The vessel was not large, but it was well-equipped.
We sailed with a favorable, albeit moderate, wind for the first two days. The sky was clear, and the sea was calm, which eased the concerns of my companions, who had feared the long journey. We steered our course toward Crete (Cretam), intending to seek safer passage from that Venetian territory back to Italy.
- The Onset of the Gale
On the first of October, the wind suddenly shifted and began to blow fiercely from the Northwest (Boreas). The sea quickly became violent, and our small ship was tossed about by immense waves.
The danger was immediate and severe. The captain and the sailors, experienced men though they were, grew fearful, declaring that such a gale (procella) was rare for the season and that our ship was ill-suited to withstand its force. We were forced to strike all the main sails and rely on the ship’s stability alone, praying for the storm to abate.
We were driven far off course, swept rapidly toward the open sea, away from the familiar sight of the African coast. The intensity of the storm and the threat of the ship breaking apart made the first night out of Egypt a truly terrifying ordeal.
- Through the Unrelenting Storm
The furious gale persisted for the next three days. The ship, though small, was well-built, but the continuous impact of the waves was taking its toll. We had to remain constantly below deck, clinging to whatever fixed object we could find. The waves were so massive that they broke over the deck, making it impossible for the crew to move safely.
We were entirely dependent on the strength of the ship’s hull and the skill of the captain, who was managing the vessel with a small, specialized storm sail, keeping the bow pointed into the worst of the wind. I considered the danger far greater than any I had faced on land, particularly because of the absolute unpredictability and brute force of the sea.
- Survival and Approach to Crete
On the fifth of October, near dawn, the violence of the wind began to abate, and the sea grew slightly calmer. Exhausted but alive, the sailors were able to assess the damage: the rigging was strained, and the ship had taken on a significant amount of water, which they immediately began to pump out.
The captain, having taken a sighting with the morning sun, confirmed that we had been driven far to the north, but were surprisingly on course for the western end of Crete (Cretam). This was a providential reprieve, as being able to reach a friendly Venetian port was essential for repairs and refitting.
- Sighting the Island and Seeking Harbor
By the evening of the sixth of October, we could clearly discern the high peaks of Crete on the horizon. The sight brought great relief to everyone aboard, as the land offered a firm respite from the terrible journey.
The captain, however, was wary. Although the sea was no longer raging, the approach to Crete’s northern coast is notoriously difficult, riddled with hidden rocks and sandbars. He decided to sail cautiously along the western shore, seeking the safest harbor before nightfall.
- Safe Haven
On the morning of the seventh of October, we finally sailed into a small, secure harbor on the western coast of the island. It was a place of refuge where we could replenish our dwindling supplies, make necessary repairs to the ship, and allow ourselves to recover fully from the intense physical and emotional strain of the gale. We gave thanks to God for delivering us from the fury of the sea and allowing us to reach the safety of the Venetian domain.
- Moving Inland on Crete
Having reached safety, we remained in the harbor for three days, completing the necessary repairs to the ship and replenishing our stock of fresh water and provisions. I was eager to make my way to Canea (Cydonia), the principal Venetian fortress on the island, to secure more reliable passage back to Italy.
I hired horses and a guide to travel overland, as the coastal roads were considered safer than risking the unpredictable sea any further. The interior of the island was rugged but fertile, and the air was pleasant, a welcome change from the oppressive heat of Egypt.
- Arrival in Canea and the Venetian Governor
After two days of overland travel, passing through several small Greek villages and fortified towers, I arrived in Canea. I immediately proceeded to the residence of the Venetian Governor (Rector), who received me with the customary honors, having been informed of my arrival by the small coastal garrison.
I explained my pilgrimage and the circumstances of my sea journey from Alexandria, requesting passage on a Venetian galley to Corfu (Corcyram) or Venice itself. The Governor, being extremely courteous, assigned me lodging in a private residence normally reserved for visiting noblemen.
- Encounters and Maritime Security
During my stay in Canea, I frequently met with Venetian officials, discussing matters of trade and maritime security. The primary concern was the activity of Turkish pirates and the constant threat of galleys commanded by renegades like Occhiali, who frequently preyed on Christian ships in the Aegean.
I was shown the arsenal and the fortifications of Canea, which were extensive and heavily armed, reflecting the city’s strategic importance as a bulwark against the Ottoman Empire in the Mediterranean. I noted the diligence of the Venetians in maintaining their defenses, knowing that the safety of the entire island depended on these fortresses.
- Securing a Galley
After several days of negotiation and planning, the Governor arranged for me to travel on one of the Venetian galleys that was preparing to return to the Adriatic. He introduced me to the Captain (Patronus) of the galley, who was instructed to ensure my safety and comfort during the voyage to Corfu, from where I would continue my journey homeward. I paid the Captain a suitable fare, and we agreed that the departure would be made as soon as the weather and the final supply preparations allowed.
- Setting Sail from Canea
After ten days in Canea, I departed. I was joined by two ships: one, which was heading to Corfu (Corcyram), and another, which was going to Venice. A third ship, which belonged to me, could not follow us due to the delays of its owner, who was managing business in Candia. Because of his delay, I did not wish to wait any longer, but set sail with these two ships. The third ship, as we later heard, was delayed in Candia for a longer time due to a storm. We, however, since the wind was favorable, directed our course westward through the Aegean Sea.
- Sailing the Aegean
We sailed for ten days, with the Greek islands constantly in sight. Morea (Peloponnese), which is under Turkish rule, was on our left. On our right were the Venetian islands, where there are no Turkish garrisons. Many wars between the Venetians and the Turks have been fought in these places. Because of this, great ruins and vestiges of camps are visible. The sea was dangerous everywhere, but due to the escort of the Turkish military ships that accompanied us, we were safe.
- Reaching the Adriatic
On the twenty-third day, after we departed from Cydonia, we reached the island of Cephalonia. We had already directed our course into the Adriatic Sea. Cephalonia is a Venetian island where the trade of oil and wine is carried out. Here, due to a contrary wind, we were forced to remain for two days. Then, leaving the island, we headed toward Corfu (Corcyram), which is the last Venetian stronghold before Italy.
- Arrival in Corfu
We reached Corfu (Corcyram) in the afternoon, where a huge multitude of soldiers and citizens awaited us. Corfu is a most beautiful island, whose citadels and walls are wonderfully fortified by the Venetians. This was the end of my dangerous sea voyage. About this island, and the routes by which I reached Italy and then my homeland, I will write more fully in my final letters.
- Journey to Italy and Otranto
After receiving honors from the Governor of Corfu, I remained on the island for seven days to ensure the safety of my travel documents and to secure passage. I embarked upon a small pinnace, which sailed across the strait toward Otranto on the coast of Apulia.
The passage was safe and swift, thanks to a moderate, favorable wind. Upon arrival, I gave thanks for finally reaching the shores of Christendom, having completed the most perilous portion of the journey.
- Overland Travel Through the Italian Peninsula
From Otranto, I made my way overland through Apulia, Calabria, and Abruzzo. The journey through Italy was executed with diligence and relative ease, passing through many renowned cities. The land was safe, though the roads were often arduous due to the mountains, far surpassing the danger encountered from the Arabs.
I passed near Rome (though I did not enter the city itself), Florence, and finally reached Venice, where I rested and organized my affairs before the final leg of the journey north.
- The Final Homeward Journey
After resting in Venice for a few days, I travelled north through the Alps, passing through Trent (Tridentum), then through Vienna (Viennam) and crossing the Danube.
I arrived in Grodno on the borders of Poland (Poloniae) and Lithuania, where I was received by King Stephen (Rex Stephanus). After spending ten days there, I finally reached my ancestral home in Nieswierz (Nyeſwierz) on the 7th of July, 1584.
Conclusion
Thus ends my Pilgrimage, undertaken for the glory of God and the salvation of my soul. Let the name of the Lord be blessed forever. Amen.