I Proceed To Quote, And To Illustrate With Notes, The Few Chapters
Devoted In The 1st Volume Of This Little-Known Work To Meccah And
Al-Madinah.
CHAPTER XI.—Of a Mountayne inhabited with Jewes, and of the Citie of
Medinathalnabi, where Mahumet was buried.
In the space of eyght dayes we came to a mountayne which conteyneth in
circuite ten or twelve myles. This is inhabited with Jewes, to the
number of fyue thousande
[p.338] or thereabout. They are very little stature, as of the heyght
of fyue or sixe spannes, and some muche lesse. They have small voyces
lyke women, and of blacke colour, yet some blacker then other. They
feede of none other meate than goates fleshes.[FN#8] They are
circumcised, and deny not themselues to be Jewes. If by chaunce, any
Mahumetan come into their handes, they flay him alyue. At the foot of
the mountayne we founde a certayne hole, out of whiche flowed
aboundance of water. By fyndyng this opportunitie, we laded sixtiene
thousand camels; which thyng greatly offended the Jewes. They wandred
in that mountayne, scattered lyke wylde goates or prickettes, yet durst
they not come downe, partly for feare, and partly for hatred agaynst
the Mahumetans. Beneath the mountaine are seene seuen or eyght thorne
trees, very fayre, and in them we found a payre of turtle doues, which
seemed to vs in maner a miracle, hauying before made so long journeyes,
and sawe neyther beast nor foule. Then proceedyng two dayes journey, we
came to a certayne citie name Medinathalnabi: four myles from the said
citie, we founde a well. Heere the carauana (that is, the whole hearde
of camelles) rested. And remayning here one day, we washed ourselves,
and changed our shertes, the more freshely to enter into the citie; it
is well peopled, and conteyneth about three hundred houses; the walles
are lyke bulwarkes of earth, and the houses both of stone and bricke.
The soile about the citie is vtterly barren, except that about two
myles from the citie are seene about fyftie palme trees that beare
dates.[FN#9] There, by a certayne garden, runneth a course of water
fallyng into a lower playne, where also passingers are accustomed to
water theyr camelles.[FN#10] And here opportunitie now serueth to
[p.339] confute the opinion of them whiche thynke that the arke or
toombe of wicked Mahumet to hang in the ayre, not borne vp with any
thing. As touching which thyng, I am vtterly of an other opinion, and
affirme this neyther to be true, nor to haue any lykenesse of trueth,
as I presently behelde these thynges, and sawe the place where Mahumet
is buried, in the said citie of Medinathalnabi: for we taryed there
three dayes, to come to the true knowledge of all these thynges. When
wee were desirous to enter into theyr Temple (which they call
Meschita,[FN#11] and all other churches by the same name), we coulde
not be suffered to enter without a companion little or great. They
taking vs by the hande, brought vs to the place where they saye Mahumet
is buried.
CHAPTER XII.—Of the Temple or Chapell, and Sepulchre of Mahumet, and of
his Felowes.
His temple is vaulted, and is a hundred pases in length, fourscore in
breadth; the entry into it is by two gates; from the sydes it is
couered with three vaultes; it is borne vp with four hundred columnes
or pillers of white brick; there are seene, hanging lampes, about the
number of three thousande. From the other part of the temple in the
first place of the Meschita, is seene a tower of the circuite of fyue
pases vaulted on euery syde, and couered with a cloth or silk, and is
borne vp with a grate of copper, curiously wrought and distant from it
two pases; and of them that goe thyther, is seene as it were through a
lateese.[FN#12] Towarde the lefte hande, is the way to the tower, and
when you come thyther, you must enter by a narower gate. On euery syde
of those gates or doores, are seene many bookes in manner of a
librarie, on the one syde 20, and on the other syde 25. These contayne
the filthie traditions and lyfe of Mahumet and his fellowes:
[p.340] within the sayde gate is seene a sepulchre, (that is) a digged
place, where they say Mahumet is buried and his felowes, which are
these, Nabi, Bubacar, Othomar, Aumar, and Fatoma[FN#13]; but Mahumet
was theyr chiefe captayne, and an Arabian borne. Hali was sonne in lawe
to Mahumet, for he tooke to wyfe his daughter Fatoma. Bubacar is he who
they say was exalted to the dignitie of a chiefe counseller and great
gouernour, although he came not to the high degree of an apostle, or
prophet, as dyd Mahumet. Othomar and Aumar were chief captaynes of the
army of Mahumet. Euery of these haue their proper bookes of factes and
traditions. And hereof proceedeth the great dissention and discorde of
religion and maners among this kynde of filthie men, whyle some confirm
one doctrine, and some another, by reason of theyr dyuers sectes of
Patrons, Doctours, and Saintes, as they call them. By this meanes are
they marueylously diuided among themselues, and lyke beastes kyll
themselues for such quarelles of dyuers opinions, and all false. This
also is the chiefe cause of warre between the sophie of Persia and the
great Turke, being neuerthelesse both Mahumetans, and lyue in mortall
hatred one agaynst the other for the mayntenaunce of theyr sectes,
saintes and apostles, whyle euery of them thynketh theyr owne to bee
best.
CHAPTER XIII.—Of the Secte of Mahumet.
Now will we speake of the maners and sect of Mahumet. Vnderstande,
therefore, that in the highest part of the tower aforesayde, is an open
round place. Now shall you vnderstande what crafte they vsed to deceyue
our carauans.
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