The Totall Discourse of the Rare Adventures & Painefull Peregrinations of Long Nineteene Yeares Travayles from Scotland to the most famous Kingdomes in Europe, Asia and — Text and Context

Which was the furthest, he attayn'd the while: A length of no such course, by ten to one, Which thou thy selfe pedestrially hast gone: Then may thy latter dayes out-strip old times, That now hast seene, Earths circulary Climes: And far beyond Ulysses, reach'd without him, Both East and West, yea, North and South about him: Which here exactly, thou hast sweetly sung In ornat style, in our quick-flowing tongue; Of Lawes, Religion, customes, manners, rites Of Kings and people: life-sublimest sprits In policies and government: Earths spaces From soyle to soyle, in thy long wandring traces. But what my soule applaudes! and must admire Which ev'ry zealous Christian, should desire To learne and know; is this, Spaines tortring Racke And torments sharpe, which for the Gospells sake Thou constantly didst beare: O joyfull payne! Whilst Grace in those sad pangs, did thee sustaine, With love and patience: O blest lively faith! That for Christs cause, condemned was to death. Live then (O living Martyr!) still renown'd Mongst Gods elect; whose constancy hath crown'd Reformd Religion: And let Heavens thy mind Blesse with moe joyes, than thou didst torments find.

To my deare Friend, Countreyman and Condisciple, William Lithgow.

Rest Noble Spirits in your Native Soyles, Whose high bred thoughts on deare bought sights are bent Renowned Lithgow by his brave attempt Hath eas'd your bodies of a world of toyles.

Not like to some who wrongfully retayne Gods rarest gifts, within themselves ingrost, But what thou hast attain'd with care and cost. Thou yeelds it gratis, to the world againe.

Upon the bankes of wonder-breeding Clide, To these designes thy heart did first assent One way, indeed, to give thy selfe content, But more to satisfie a world beside.

Thy first attempt in excellence of worth, Beyond the reach of my conceit's confinde, But this thy second Pilgrimage of minde, Where all thy paynes are to the world set forth; In Subject, Frame, in Methode, Phrase, and Stile, May match the most unmatched in this Ile: But this renownes thee most, t'have still possest, A constant Heart, within a wandring Brest.

To his kind friend and Countreyman W. Lithgow.

Thy well adventur'd Pilgrimage I prayse, Although perform'd with perrill and with paine, Which thou hast pen'd, in more than vulgar phrase So curiously, so sweetly, smooth, and plaine, Yet whilst I wondring call to minde againe. That thou durst goe, like no man else that lives; By Sea and land, alone, in cold and raine, Through Bandits, Pirats, and Arabian Theeves, I doe admire thee; yet a good event Absolves a rash designe: So hardest things, (When humane reason cannot give consent T' attempt) attain'd; the greater glory brings. Then Friend, though praise & paines rest both with thee, The use redounds unto the world, and mee.

In commendation of the Author William Lithgow.

Come curious eyes, that pierce the highest scopes Of sublime stiles: come satisfie your hopes And best desires; in this prompe Pilgrimes paines Whose deepe experience, all this worke sustaines With solid substance, of a Subject deare And pregnant Method; laid before you heare In open bonds: Come take your hearts delight In all the colours, of the worlds great sight. Come thanke his travells; praise his painfull Pen That sends this light, to live, mongst living men; To teach your children, when he, and you are laid As low as dust; how scepterd Crownes are swaid; Most Kingdomes government: How ruld with Lawes The South world is: their rites, Religious sawes: Townes Topographick view, and Rivers courses, Fonts, Forts, and Cittadales: scorch'd Asiaes sources: All you may see, and much more, than I name Seal'd in the Authors, never-dying fame.

In Commendation of this History.

Thou art not hatch'd, forth from anothers braine, Nor yet Collect'd, from others toiles thy sight, The selfe-same Man, that bred Thee beares the paine Of thy long birth: O weary wandring Wight! It's carefull he, by Knowledge gives thee light, And deepe experience to adorne thy name; Both Pilgrime, Pen-man, so thy Maister right; Who best can judge, in what concernes the same: Then free-borne toile, flee forth with winged Fame Thy Countries Virgin, thou the first penn'd Booke That in his Soile, did ever Pilgrime frame Of curious Travailes; whereon the Learned looke: Then Knit thy Maiden brow, with Garlands greene, The first of times, the last this Age hath Seene.

THE AUTHOR TO HIS BOOKE

Go painefull Booke, go plead thy owne Defence, Walke with undaunted Courage, stop the Breath Of carping tongues; who count it small offence To bulge Thee up, within the jawes of Death: Go lively charg'd, with stout Historian Faith, And trample downe, base Crittickes in the Dust: Make Trueth thy sword, to batter down their wrath So shall thy Grave discourse, triumph as just: Who yeeld Thee Credite, and deserving trust, There prostrate fal, give them their hearts content: Point forth the Wise, and Court them as thou must, Give them insight, as I give Argument: Instruct the Curious, inlarge the Servile Mind, Illuminate misunderstandings blinde: Sound Knowledge in their eares, deigne to approove me, Since Friends and Foes, the World and I, must love thee.

PAINEFULL PEREGRINATIONS

See Rome discover'd, Italy made playne, The Roman Library, a golden gaine: Hunns old Parthenope, with Venice met, And strong Brundusium, in Ottranto set: Times rich antiquities displayd abroad On circling Cume, Avernus lying odde: And Lorets Chappell, foure times beene transported On Angells backes, from Nazareth detorted; Where for discourse, on this false forged Lady, To tend you with inveiglings, shall be ready: Thus piece and piece, from soile to soile, I'le goe, And now begin, the end will deeper growe.

It was a wise saying amongst the Auncients, that thrice happy and blest was that Kingdome, when old men bore sway and ruled the State, and young men travelled abroad: The first by long experience prudently to execute judgement; and the latter by sight and knowledge of forraine soyles and lawes, growing more judicious; might when come to age and preferment, the more facily, and dexteriously exhibit Justice at home. But what shall I say to these moderne and dissolute times? when by the contrary meanes, travell is sleighted, government abused, and insinuating Homelings, thrust in high offices, incapeable of them, being pratling Parrots, and sounding Cymbals: who convert sound Judgement and Justice, to their owne greedy respects, and selfe mercinary ends; turning their chiefest felicity to avaritious ambition and vaine glory, and their sweetest fortunes, to their belly and their backe. O miserable and effeminate age! when vertue by most men is despised, and neglected, and sensuall vice every where exalted: Nay; ruffian Pandors, by hopefull youth and prodigall gallants, are now clothed, Coatched, and richly rewarded; whilst best merits and highest deserts, of rarest spirits, are neither looked to, set by, nor regarded. And for approbation, and examples sake, of their valerous designes, let them thinke upon latter passages, nor worthy to be thought upon, and they will finde this future caveat to stand needfull, Hæc olim meminisse juvabit. So likewise now every Capri-cullion from Cæsar, to the Pascorell, can crowd and chawe from his warbling waspishnes, this stinging censure of absurd untrueth, that Travellers and Poets may lye & lye by authority, which they themselves performe at home without leave.

[Concerning sinistrous censures.] By which traditional concession, I being absolute in the first, and borne to the Muses, as to the World, a mungrell to both; may have a lawfull (unlawfull) liberty assigned. Any marvell? if men in this kind be so injuriously censured, when the very Gospell it selfe, by perfidious Atheists, Formalists, Sophisters, Romish-rabines, Nullifidians, and Schismaticall Sectaries, is quartered, mangled, and rejected; such be the Satanicall opinions of this hell-borne age: Whose confused conceits, blasphemies, incredulities, and imaginary devisions, have shamefully stained the better part of this now best World. Nay, good and godly Kings, so pricked at, and wounded by the viperous murmurings of miscreant villaines, as though their royall and just lives were the meere inordinate paternes of all impiety, and lewdnesse. Sith therefore the Sacred Scriptures, the gods of the earth, Ecclesiasticke columes; yea the name and fame of the most righteous alive, be thus diversly taxed, and vituperiously calumniated; can prevention in me, escape the lawlesse horrour of this impoysoned fury? No, I have had already the assault, and newly prepared, patience proofe to receive more, wrought by the piercinghammer, of nineteene winters, as many Summers deare bought toyle. Let venome-thundring Crittickes, contumeliously carpe, infernall firebrand Cerberans barke, and the hell prepared off scourings of true religion gnashing grudge I have aheart can smile, at their backbiting malice, a judgement to discerne such wormish waspes, and if present, the weight of understanding truth, to confound their blind absurdities with reason. As for chamber complementers, whose vast insides, like to the vaults of wasting Strombolo, are become threed-bare, having their outsides onely adorned with rich ornaments.

Such serving Cyphers, cypher childish censures, And shallow scal-patch'd pates, have forebald tonsures. Yet touch a C. flat in his face he'le start As though a Dame, had grac'd him with a ------ Whose wringes, winks, whose curious smiles & words, And scraping feete, lost blandement affoords: Whence pride and lust, become two servile Mineons To top his thoughts, with false and fond opinions: Then happy they, who least frequent a Court, Nor in the fields of flattery love to sport.

To such bellowing caves winded with the borrowed rags of patch'd-up Commedies, clouted complements, stolne Phrases, and lip-licked labours, of lamp-living spirits, to such hollow Tombes, I say a tush for their kindnesse, and I justly hold it a manifest idolatry to honour, or do homage to any of them: And this much for the misconstruous lack-judgment of emulating cloudes, No Courtiers. And as concerning the impostrat quagmires of this abortive age, wherein so many Simonaicall Matchevilians, mercenary parasits, and arch-betraying Sicophants live, vindicating themselves excessively, upon the advantage of time, I insufficient I, to dive in such bottomlesse businesses, bequeath them onely to their owne repining consciences, just tryalls, and ignominious rewards. To satisfie the World in my behalfe, as touching my travells, I sincerely protest, that neither ambition, too much curiosity, nor any reputation I ever sought, from the bubling breath of breathlesse man (whose [The reason why the Author begun his Travels.] defective censure, inclineth, as instigation, or partiality, moveth his weake and variable opinion) did expose me to such long peregrinations and dangerous adventures past. But the proceeding whereof, thousands conjecture the cause, as many the manner; ten thousand thousands the effect: The condition reserved, I partly forbeare to penetrate in that undeserved Dalida wrong; and reconciled times pleading desistance, moderate discretion inserteth silent patience.

The mansuet cup, the gods consuetly drunke, In me involv'd, straight hony-gald it sunke: That sweete Ambrosian Nectar, soundly wrapt In my lock'd closet, suspitious Envy trapt; And fierce-eyd Jealousie, wingd with wind Pierc'd staring Argos, turned his hundred blind: Mycene-fancy fraught, Lusts fond alarmes, Cros'd eye-stard'd Sparta, rapt with Phrigian charmes: And teare-rent Sophyre, Synon-like betrayd What votall oathes, loves sterne fort, ne'er bewrayd But high-bred drifts, the stormy fates, grim night And gloomy Hellespont, rob'd Heroes right: As Illions destiny, forc'd Numidias Queene To gore a Scepter, a Diadem in teene: So haplesse I belov'd, O passion strange! May as amaz'd, admire, that time, this change. I chang'd a Wolfe, once for a tusked Boare, And changing Beast for Beast, triumph'd the more: Strained to assume, in countercambiat breath, A dying life, revert in living death: Translate it so, my Metaphore is such, That Time, nor I, nor Fortune can avouch: Thus Passion whirling in a cloudy Vale, I trancing flye, I fall, I hovering scale: And whilst from Phleg'ran fields, the weirds me call, I in Elisean plaines, am forc'd to fall; Wherein some flowry faire enamild ground I'le place my Tombe, mine Epitaph shall sound, Of traine-shut sluces, of the Thespian spring, Where chatring birds, Dodonean trees do sing: And mild Hydaspes streames do gently flow, There shall my Lesbian layes, sad Liricks shew. And where the Borean Roses strow the Hall, Where flot-glass'd Nymphs, the Circe-fled Greeks enstal; There shall shrill Triton sound, Armilla's staind, Whom foule affection preyd, and Lucre gaind; Load with the filth of dallying Lust and Sin, Where bloody murther, like a Theefe creept in; Yet shall the spotles Heart, triumph in trueth, When worth reapes fame and vertue conquers youth: And crowne Dorasmos, faith-plight Delphian Bayes, With more then Lawrell praise, immortall rayes. Than brass-brou'd Fiends, accurst by Minos doome, Flee Fairy flight, to Pluto whence you come; And tast Phlageton, Lethe, court Proserpine, Sterne Radamanth attends, such stinking vermine; There Hippolitus, slaine Pirothous stay Neere t'Acheron, (all faithles lovers way) To welcome Fiendly, fright Eremiall guests With flame-flash'd firebrands, sulphur scorching tasts: Chaynd fury-brangling, in remorseles paine, Where Belzebub, and Lucifer remaine. In this umbragious Cell, there lurks a hound To beare Sarpedons Scepter; helpe to sound Your Cleopatran clamours; and I thinke The Ferrier Charon, makes such wretches drinke Upon the Stigian bankes. Then gnashing Spirits That howling waile, Hells inexpugnat merits: Where's all your gentry? for I dare conclude, That vertue's better borne, then noble blood: This Epitomizd Epilogue, I send To them who best can censure't, there's an end.

But by your leave, let me enter into consideration of the intractable passage of my malecontents past, and these importunate designes thereupon ensuing: And thus, have I, in the late dayes of my younger yeeres beene grievously afflicted? Ah; yea; and with more then desastrous injuries overclowded, O heavy under-prop'd wrongs. But hath not the like accident befallen to man before? yea; but never the like condition of murther: Nay, but then preponderate seriously this consequent? may not the scelerate hands of foure blood-shedding wolves? facily devoure, and shake a peeces, one silly stragling lambe? yea, and most certaine, that unawares, the harmelesse innocent; unexpecting evill, may suddenly bee surprised by the ambushment of life-betraying foes. All this I acknowledge; but whereupon grew this thy voluntary wandring, and unconstrayned exyle? I answere, that being young, and within minority, in that occurrent time, I was not onely inveigled, but by seducements inforced, even by the greatest powers, then living in my countrey, [A Dialogue betweene the Author and Himselfe.] to submit my selfe to arbitrement, satisfaction and reconciliation. But afterward growing in yeeres, and understanding better the nature or such unallowable redresses, and the hainousnesse of the offence; I choosed rather (voti causa) to seclude my selfe from my soyle, and exclude my relenting sorrowes, to be entertained with strangers; then to have a quotidian occular inspection, in any obvious object of disastrous misfortune: or perhaps any vindicable action, might from an unsetled ranckour be conceived. O! a plaine demonstrate cause, and good resolution; for true it is, that the flying from evill, is a flying to grace, and a godly patience is a victorious freedome, and an undaunted conquerour over all wrongs; Vengeance is mine (saith the Lord) and I will repay it. To this I answer; mine eyes have seene the revenging hand of God upon mine adversaries, and these night-gaping foes, are trampled under foote, whiles I from strength to strength, doe safely goe, through the firy triall of calamities. My consolation arising from his eternall dictum, quos amo castigo, whom I love I correct: And to say my part in my soules experience,

I never find affliction fall on me Without desert, for God is true and just: Nor shall it come, and without profit be, For God is good, as mercifull I trust. Then welcome all afflictions sent from God, He whom he loves, he chastneth with his rod

And as one of the Auncients speaketh well, Adversa corporis, animæ remedio sunt, ægritudo, carnem vulnerat, sed mentem curat: The affliction of the body is wholesome phisicke for the soule, it woundeth the flesh, but cureth the spirit. Certaine it is, that the Lord in chastising his owne, doth often move the wicked reprobates of his wrath, to be the instruments of his correcting hand. I could involume, as large a discourse, upon this heart-grieving project, as upon the late intollerable tortures I sustained by the treacherous Governour, and bloody Inquisition of Malaga in Spaine; being in quality, though not in quantitie alike. But constantly containing my selfe, within the precinct of patience, referring such eminences to the Creator, which in a part belongeth not to the creature; I may sigh to this world, as sorrowfull Æneas to his Dido.

Infandum Regina, jubes renovare dolorem.

Thou wouldst, I should renew my former griefe To speake of sorrow, helplesse of reliefe: He melts in woes, who uttereth griefe with words, Whilst deepest streames, the greatest calme affords.

But now to proceed in my punctuall purpose, the nature of man, by an inward inclination, is alwaies inquisitive of forraine newes; yea, and much more affecteth the sight and knowledge of strange, and unfrequented kingdomes, such is the instinct of his naturall affection. Navigation hath often united the bodies of Realmes together, but travell hath done much more; for first to the Actor it giveth the impression of understanding, experience, patience, and an infinite treasure, of unexprimable vertues: secondly, it unfoldeth to the world, the government of States, the authority and disposition of Kings and Princes; the secrets, manners, customes, and Religions of all Nations and People. And lastly, bringeth satisfaction to the home-dwelling man, of these things, he would have seene, and could not attempt. Travell hath beene in more request amongst the Ancients, then it is now with us in the latter Age. Philosophers, Poets, Historiographers, and learned Divines, how they have perigrinated to know the life of States, and the fashions of farre Countries, would be an endles taske for me briefly to relate. Many (I confesse) long to see the remotest Regions of the earth, but dare not undertake the dangers of sight, the chargeable expences of a tributary journey, the hard indurance of flint stones, for a soft feather bed, the extremities of thirst, nor the parching heat of the Sun, hunger in the belly, nor the moist distilling dew to be a humide coverlet to their tender skinne, with innumerable other insuing miseries. But Ixion-like, mistaking Juno, would by a meere imagination, runne out the sleeping course of an endlesse peregrination. For my part, what I have reaped, is by a deare-bought knowledge, as it were, a small contentment, in a never contenting subject, a bitter pleasant tast, of a sweete-seasoned sowre, and all in all, what I found was more then ordinary rejoycing, in an extraordinary sorrow of delights.

But now to leave the contemplation of attempts, I come to the reall adventure; After two voyages I made to the Orcadian, and Zetlandian Isles; in the stripling age of mine adolescency, and there after surveighing all Germany, Bohemia, Helvetia, and the Low-Countreys from end to end; I visited Paris, where I remained ten moneths. Divers contestions have I had, about the equality of London, and Paris, in quantity and quality: But having a more serious subject in hand than this [A comparison betweene London and Paris.] paralell, I conclude thus, the infinite shipping, and commodious navigation of London (besides their universall commerce)is more of value, then the better halfe of Paris: compare you the quantity, for there is the quality of the argument. Paris I confesse is populous, a masse of poore people, for lacques and pages, a nest of rogues, a tumultuous place, a noctuall den of theeves, and a confused multitude: Where contrariwise London is adorned with many grave, prudent and provident Senators, civill, well taught, and courteous people, and absolutely, the best governed City on the whole face of the earth, as well by night, as by day, and nothing inferiour in quantity to it.