heretofore a most stately City, but now in a manner desolate, having
been alter’d several Times, as the Conquerors or Lords of the Country
thought fit. At length a more convenient and pleasant place of Abode was
pitch’d upon, when about half a League off the Old, [Sidenote: New
_Cairo_.] they built New _Cairo_, which for a long Time has been, and at
present is, the chief City or _Metropolis_ of all _Egypt_. The
_Italians_ call it _Alcairo_, and others, by way of Excellency, _Grand
Cairo_. It is scituate on the _East_ side of _Nile_, in a very pleasant
Plain, at the foot of the rocky Mountain _Muccat_, winding therewith,
and representing the form of a Crescent. It stretches, says _Sandys_, p.
92. _South_ and _North_, with the adjoyning Suburbs, five _Italian_
Miles, and is in breadth scarce one and a half where it is broadest; but
as to the bigness or circumference of this City, Authors differ very
much, because some will have it consist of four Parts, _viz._ Old
_Cairo_, New _Cairo_, _Boulac_ and _Charafat_, which, if we compare with
_London_, the City of _Westminster_ and Borough of _Southwark_, we shall
find it at least three times bigger. For it is said, the parts of
_Cairo_, together with its Suburbs, are 10 or 12 Leagues in length, 7 or
8 in breadth, and 25 or 30 in circuit, and yet is this City so exceeding
Populous, that the People pass to and fro in throngs, altho’ the Women,
according to the Custom of that Country, seldom or never appear abroad.
Once in seven Years ’tis visited with a terrible Pestilence, insomuch
that 1000 or 1500 have dy’d in a Day, nevertheless, if not above 300000
die within the Year, the City is reckon’d to be in good Health, and
there is hardly any miss of the Deceas’d. There are said to be in it
18000 Streets, 23000 Mosques, and 200000 Houses, besides several
Markets, Exchanges, Hospitals, and other magnificent Structures. Every
Street is known by its Name, and fortify’d with a great Gate at each
end, which at Night, to prevent Tumults and Uproars, are lock’d up with
wooden Locks, and open’d with a Key of the same; for here all the Locks
and Keys, even of the City Gates themselves, which are plated with Iron,
are made only of Wood. The number of Men, which every Night guard this
City, is 28000. There is a _Canal_ or _Khalis_, as they call it, which
runs the whole length of the City, and conveys thro’ it Water from the
_Nile_. At the _South_ end it is fortify’d with a stately Castle (the
Palace of the _Mamaluke Sultans_) scituate on the top of a Mountain,
overlooking the City and a great part of the Country. It is so large it
seems a City of it self, environ’d with high Walls, divided into
Partitions, and enter’d by Doors of Iron, and has within it spacious
Courts, which in Time past were the places of Exercise. Now the Ruines
of those antient Buildings only show how sumptuous they have formerly
been, for there are Pillars of solid Marble yet standing, of so immense
a Magnitude, that how they came thither is not the least to be wonder’d
at. ’Tis not therefore without reason that this City was nam’d _Grand
Cairo_, which is reported in great measure to be encompass’d with a
Wall, and in which, says _Thevenot_, there are so many curious Things to
be seen, that a very large Book might be fill’d with the relation of
them. Among some of the extraordinary Things to be seen at _Cairo_,
[Sidenote: The _Hatching_ of _Chickens_.] is the artificial way of
Hatching Chickens, upon which the aforesaid Author well observes, it
might be thought a Fable to relate that Chickens are to be hatch’d
without Hens sitting upon the Eggs, and yet a greater to say, that
Chickens are sold by the Bushel, nevertheless they are both true. To
effect this, they put their Eggs into Ovens, and heat them with a
temperate warmth, which imitates so well the natural heat, that Chickens
are form’d and hatch’d in them; but for the particular manner of this, I
must refer you to _Thevenot_ in his Travels, _p._ 144. where it is to be
found more plainly describ’d. To _Cairo_ are brought, over Land by the
_Caravan_ from _Mecca_, all sorts of Perfumes, Aromatics, precious
Stones and Gums, [Sidenote: _Drugs_ brought by the _Caravan_.] such as
_Olibanum_, _Frankinsence_, _Mastic_, _Myrrh_, _Amber_ and
_Opobalsamum_, also _Indian_ Stuffs, _Indico_, and other rich and
valuable Commodities. The _Caravan_ consists of many Thousands of
Pilgrims, that Travel yearly to _Mecca_, out of Devotion and for
Traffic. That City is distant from _Cairo_ 40 easie Days Journey,
separated by a Wilderness of Sand, that lies in drifts, and is often
dangerous to the Traveller, when mov’d by the Wind, thro’ which he is
guided in many places by the Stars only, as Ships are in the Ocean. The
whole _Caravan_ has above 1000 Horses, Mules and Asses, and 500 Camels.
These are the Ships of _Arabia_, and their Seas are the Desarts. The
City of _Mecca_, Capital of _Arabia Fælix_, lying near the _Red Sea_, is
a Place of great Traffic, not only by reason of the _Indian Caravans_,
that repair thither yearly with their Commodities, but also of the
Country adjoyning, whose precious Productions have procur’d it the Name
of _Happy_. From hence they go to _Medina Talnabi_, or the _City_ of the
_Prophet_, where in a little Chappel, lighted by 3000 Lamps that burn
there perpetually, lye _Mahomet_, _Omer_ and _Haly_, in plain Tombs of
the antique Fashion, cut out like Lozenges. That of _Mahomet_ (not
hanging in the Air as is reported) is cover’d with green, having on the
side a Carbuncle as big as an Egg, which yields a marvellous Lustre.
These meet again the rest of the _Caravan_ at the place appointed, as
_Sandys_, p. 97. tells us, who gives the foregoing Account.
[Illustration:
The Balsam Plant
Tho. Platt. sculp.
To M^r. James Petiver Apothecary, F.R.S. who has been pleas’d to
encourage this Work, this Plate is humbly dedicated by
His most humble Servant Thomas Greenhill.
]
Five Miles _North-East_ of the City _Cairo_, lyes a Village call’d _El
Matharia_, [Sidenote: _Matarea._] where, in a Garden, is preserv’d the
_Balsam Plant_ as a great Rarity: [Sidenote: The _Balsam Plant_.] Some
falsly attribute the natural Production of it to this Country, and some
to other Places, tho’, truly speaking, ’tis brought from _Mecca_ in
_Arabia Fælix_, beyond the _Red Sea_, by the _Turkish_ Pilgrims when
they go to visit _Mahomet_’s Tomb, and so has been cultivated in several
Places, and renew’d by the same means whenever it dy’d. Thus the _Balsam
Plant_ grew and prosper’d in _Judæa_, as is attested by _Theophrastus_,
_Pliny_, _Justin_, and many more; nay by _Galen_ also, who purposely
travel’d into _Palæstin_ to see and learn the Virtues of this _Balsam_
of _Syria_; likewise from the Story of _Cleopatra_, who obtain’d some
Plants of _Balsam_ from _Herod_ the Great, to transplant in _Egypt_. Yet
that this Plant was not in _Judæa_ before the Time of _Solomon_, that
great Collector of Vegetable Rarities, appears from the Account of
_Josephus_, who relates how the Queen of _Sheba_, a part of _Arabia_,
brought, among other Presents to that King, some Plants of the
_Balsam-Tree_, as one of the most valuable Things in her Country;
whereby it appears it was not an original Native Plant of _Judæa_, and
others affirm also that it had not its natural Growth there, utterly
denying it was peculiar to that Country, or only to be seen in two
Gardens about _Jericho_. We are to rely chiefly on the Credit and
Authority of _Joannes Veslingius_ and _Prosper Alpinus_, who rightly
conclude the natural and original Place of this Plant to be in _Arabia_,
about _Mecca_ and _Medina_, where it still plentifully grows, and
Mountains abound therewith. From hence it has been carefully
transported, by the _Basha’s_ of _Grand Cairo_, to the Garden of
_Matarea_, where, when ever it dies, it is renew’d from those parts of
_Arabia_ where it grew, from whence the _Grand Signior_ yearly receives
a Present of _Balsam_ from the _Xeriff_ of _Mecca_, still call’d by the
_Arabians_ _Balessan_, and whence ’tis suppos’d the _Greek_ Apellative
_Balsam_ arose. The Shrub, which produces this Liquor, is about two
Cubits high, with few Leaves, like to those of Rue, always green, and
somewhat inclining to white, yet which fall not off in Winter. The Wood
is gummy, cleaving to the Fingers, and outwardly of a reddish colour,
with Branches of the same that are long, streight, slender and
odoriferous, with a few Leaves disorderly plac’d, sometimes three, five
or seven together, after the manner of the Mastic-Tree: It bears a few
small white Flowers, like _Acatia_ or the _Egyptian_ Thorn, which are of
a pleasant scent, but fade in a little Time. After the Blossoms follow
yellow fine scented Seeds, inclos’d in a reddish black Bladder, very
sweet, and containing a yellowish Liquor like Honey: They are bitterish
and a little tart on the Tongue, and of the same shape and bigness with
the Fruit of the Turpentine-Tree, in the middle thick, and at the ends
pointed. The Juice call’d _Opobalsamum_, drops in the Summer-Time from
the slit of the insected Bark, which no sooner comes into the Air but it
turns whitish, afterwards green, then of a gold colour, and lastly
becomes paler. When ’tis first dropp’d ’tis clear, but instantly turns
thick and cloudy, and when old grows like Turpentine. ’Tis at first of
so strong a Smell, that in many it causes the Head-Ach, and in some a
sudden bleeding at the Nose; but this strong and sharp Savour at length
changes into a pleasant Scent, which in old _Balsam_ is so weak that you
can hardly discover any Smell at all.
There is another sort of _Balsam_ brought from _Cairo_, in Flasks and
Leather-Bottles, which is very odoriferous, yet not the pure Liquor or
Gum issuing from the Bark of the aforesaid Tree, but drawn out of the
Wood and green Branches by boyling. Another sort is press’d out of the
Seeds, and many times sold for the right, tho’ not so strong scented nor
so bitter in Taste. There is no Medicine more generally us’d by the
_Egyptians_ than the _True Balsam_, which they esteem a kind of
_Panacea_ for all Diseases, both external and internal, curing therewith
divers sorts of Wounds, as also the bitings of venomous Creatures. They
use it moreover as a Preservative against the Plague, and to drive away
Agues or Fevers that proceed from Putrifaction. The Seeds and green
Branches, are likewise us’d against all Distempers that the _Balsam_ it
self is: The same Virtue is ascrib’d to the Wood; but the _Balsam_,
term’d by the _Greeks_, _Opobalsamum_, is the strongest, the Seed or
_Carpobalsamum_ more gentle, and the Wood or _Xylobalsamum_ the weakest
of all. But the chief Use of the _Balsam_ for our Purpose, is preserving
the dead Bodies of Kings and Princes; from which Quality, and on account
of its Analogy with _Embalming_, the _Art_ it self deriv’d its Name from
it, as we shall show hereafter, when we come to speak of its
_Etymology_: Its other Virtues, which are very many, together with a
more general Description of it, the manner of extracting the Liquor, and
the true signs of its Goodness when unsophisticated, I intend to treat
of more fully in my _Pharmacopœia_, in the Chapter of _Balsams_, &c.
therefore shall here only insert the Draft of this Plant, which is very
scarce, taken out of _Prosper Alpinus de Plantis Ægyptiacis_, and
represented in our third Plate.
We come next, according to the Method propos’d, to speak of
_Alexandria_, [Sidenote: _Alexandria._] so call’d from _Alexander_ the
_Great_, who built this City upon a Promontory, thrusting it self into
the Sea, by which on the one side, and the Lake _Mareotis_ on the other,
it is exceeding well defended. Here _Alexander_ built himself a large
and stately Palace of admirable Workmanship, and all the succeeding
Kings of _Egypt_ so enlarg’d and beautify’d this City, some with Ports
and Arsenals, and others with magnificent Temples, and such like rich
Donations, that it was then judg’d by many to be second, if not the
first City of the World; being exceeding Populous, and plentifully
provided with all sorts of Provisions and other Necessaries. _Diodorus
Siculus_ tells us, when he was there, he was inform’d by those that kept
the Rolls of the Inhabitants Names, that there were above 300000
Freemen, and the King receiv’d above 6000 Talents yearly Revenue. This
City _Alexander_ peopl’d with _Greeks_, immediately upon his Conquest of
_Egypt_, and some of his Successors had their Residence here for 900
Years. This was the _Metropolis_ of _Egypt_ before _Grand Cairo_ was
built; but _Alexandria_ is now so ruinous, says _Thevenot_, that many
Strangers ask where it is even when they are in the middle of it, yet
are there such fair remains among the Ruines, as shew it to have been a
wonderful Place. One of the finest Things, now to be seen there, are the
Walls, which, tho’ ruin’d, are so Magnificent, one must needs confess
they have been matchless. These Walls are strengthn’d with stately ranks
of Pillars, and have 118 great square Towers, with a little one betwixt
every two, nay, they are so neatly contriv’d, that there are stately
Casemates underneath, which may serve for Galleries and Walks: In each
Tower there is a large square Hall, the Vault whereof is supported by
great Pillars of _Thebaic_ Stone; there are a great many Chambers above,
and over all a large Platform, above 20 Paces square. In short, all
these Towers are so many Palaces, able to contain 200 Men each. The
Walls are several Foot thick, and have every-where Port-holes in them,
and formerly encompass’d the antient Town, fortify’d by such Towers.
Next to the Walls, the finest piece of Antiquity that has withstood the
rage of Time, is the Pillar of _Pompey_, [Sidenote: _Pompey_’s Pillar.]
scituate about 200 Paces from the City, upon an Eminence or little Hill,
whereby it is seen at a great distance: This Pillar stands on a square
Pedestal seven or eight Foot high, and each Face about 14 Foot over; the
Pedestal is fix’d on a square Base about half a Foot high and 20 broad,
made of several Stones cemented together. The Body of the Pillar
consists only of one Stone, which some believe to be of _Granit_; but
_Thevenot_ and others affirm, ’tis a sort of Cement, which, in process
of Time, grew into Stone, or else was cast on the spot, for ’tis aver’d
for truth, the Ancients had the Secret of casting Stones. But others
absolutely deny this Stone was so made, affirming the antient
_Egyptians_ got these Pillars and Obelisks, that are to be seen at so
many places in _Italy_, at _Saide_, where they pretend many have been
cut out and brought by Water down the _Nile_: If this be true, what
extraordinary Barks or Water Carriages must they have had, to bring so
great a weight, and in so large a bulk, as was that of this Pillar, nay,
what Engins to raise it on its Pedestal? _Thevenot_ says, No Artificer
could be found that would undertake to remove it to another place, and
that it is 120 Foot high, but _Le Bruyn_, who measur’d it, found it to
be but 90, yet as much as six Men could grasp round, which, according to
his Calculation is 38 Feet. On the top is a fine Chapiter,
proportionable to the bigness of the Pillar, but made of a distinct
piece of Stone. ’Tis said _Julius Cæsar_ erected this Pillar in memory
of the Victory he obtain’d over _Pompey_.
[Sidenote: _Cæsar_’s Palace.]
At some Paces distant is _Cæsar_’s Palace, but all ruin’d, says
_Thevenot_, except some Pillars of _Porphiry_ that are now entire and
standing, yet the Frontispiece is still pretty sound, being a very
lovely piece of Architecture. About 80 Paces wide of _Pompey_’s Pillar
is a _Khalis_ or _Canal_ of the _Nile_, dug by the antient _Egyptians_
to bring Water to _Alexandria_, which has no other to drink. This, when
the _Nile_ swells and breaks down a Bank, fills the Cisterns that are
purposely made under the City, and which are very magnificent and
spacious; for _Alexandria_ is all hollow underneath, being an entire
Cistern, whose Vaults are supported by several fair Marble-Pillars, and
upon these Arches the Houses are built. Now this Water of the _Nile_, so
convey’d by the _Khalis_ under the Town, is by Wheels, with Earthen
Pitchers or Buckets, drawn up into the private Cisterns of each House.
There are likewise to be seen at _Alexandria_ two very stately Obelisks
of _Theban_ Marble, intermix’d or speckl’d with Veins of various
colours: One of these remains entire, but so sunk into the Earth, that
it appears without a Pedestal. The other is quite bury’d in the Ground,
except the Pedestal only, which is about 10 Foot high; each of these are
of one entire Stone, 100 Foot in height and eight in breadth, suppos’d
to be larger than those at _Rome_, and mark’d with such like
_Hieroglyphical_ Figures.
[Sidenote: Palace of _Cleopatra_.]
Near these Pillars or Obelisks are the Ruins of _Cleopatra_’s Palace, by
whose stately Chambers or Apartments, in some part remaining entire, it
may reasonably be conjectur’d, it was a very superb and magnificent
Building, as likewise by some remains, still to be seen on the Sea-side,
of a Gallery supported by many fair Pillars, and running outwards to the
Mouth of the Harbour, so that any one might embark there from the
Palace. _Thevenot_ tells us, in his Travels to the _Levant_, p. 125.
that this City abounds with Marble, Porphiry and _Thebaic Stone_ or
_Granit_, as also that among the Ruins, there are several very curious
Stones to be found, such as _Agats_, _Garnets_, _Emeralds_, &c. like to
Medals, some engrav’d with Heads, others with Idols, and some with
Beasts, all being different from each other, and serving heretofore for
_Talismen_ or _Charms_. These are so excellently well wrought, that
certainly nothing now-a-days can come up to them, whereby it appears
either their Engravers were wonderful Artists, or else they had the Art
of casting, or at least of softning Stones; for tho’ some of these are
so small one can hardly finger them, yet are they nevertheless all
engrav’d or otherwise wrought to perfection.
This City of _Alexandria_ was likewise very famous for its Academies or
Colleges, endow’d with large Revenues, and planted with such Persons as
were eminent in Liberal Sciences, who were drawn thither by Rewards, and
cherish’d by Favours, thro’ which means _Alexandria_ became the
_Parnassus_ of the Muses, and the School of all good Literature. The
chiefest and most memorable Place of all these was the _Serapion_,
[Sidenote: The _Serapion_.] or Temple of the God _Serapis_, for
sumptuous Workmanship and magnificent Building inferior to none but the
_Roman_ Capitol. It had a curious _Portico_ of a Mile in length, whereto
adjoyn’d a Court of Justice and a Grove: In this last, the Followers of
_Aristotle_’s Doctrine had a peculiar School, whereof the
_Alexandrians_, as _Eusebius_ and _Nicephorus_ write, would needs impose
the Charge on Bishop _Anatolius_, for his extraordinary Knowledge in all
Arts. St. _Mark_ the Evangelist was here first Divinity-Professor, whose
Successor erected a School for _Theology_, wherein, for the advancement
of the Christian Religion, several of the most learn’d Men were
appointed Readers, who scholastically handled the main and fundamental
Points only: Among these was _Pantænus_, who read both Divinity and
Philosophy to all such as came to hear him, which, as it is conceiv’d,
gave the first hint to the instituting of Universities throughout the
rest of Christendom, insomuch that, from so small a beginning, the
Schools of _Alexandria_ became so great and eminent, that _Nazianzen_
gave them the Title of Παντοίας παιδεύσεως ἐργαστήριον, _The Shops or
Workhouses of all Learning_. Here also St _Jerom_, St. _Basil_, St.
_Gregory_ and others were educated, and _Philo-Judæus_ likewise became
eminent, for in this Academy the _Jews_ had a flourishing and populous
Synagogue; but what greatly encreas’d the glory of this Assembly, was
that most wonderful Library of _Ptolemy Philadelphus_, [Sidenote:
Library of _Ptolemy_.] Son of _Ptolemeus Lagus_, the second of that Name
of the Line of the _Egyptian_ Kings, first establish’d by him, and
afterwards augmented and enrich’d by his Successors; for this King being
an exceeding Lover of all Arts and Sciences, he, with great Labour and
much Expence, made a Collection of all manner of Books, as well in
Divinity as in all Arts, Sciences, History, and the like, some of which
he obtain’d from _Greece_ and other places, but the _Pentateuch_, and
the rest of the Old Testament, he procur’d from _Judæa_. Then wrote this
King to _Eleazer_ the High Priest, to send him six out of every Tribe to
Translate this Book for the common Use. These _Ptolemy_ receiv’d at
_Alexandria_ with exceeding great civility, and erected several
convenient Mansions for them, wherein every one was by himself to
Translate the Holy Law, which they so perform’d, according to the
Testimonies of _Josephus_, _Clemens Alexandrinus_, _Eusebius_
_Nicephorus_, St. _Austin_, and other learned Writers, that they not
only us’d the same Sense, but the very same Words also, yet that
certainly not without the special Grace and Assistance of the Holy
Spirit. Now this is the Translation which bears the Name of _Septuagint_
to this very Day. [Sidenote: The _Septuagint_.] Moreover, this King sent
to the _Chaldeans_, _Romans_ and other Nations for Books, all which he
likewise commanded to be Translated into the _Greek_ Tongue. One
_Phalerius Demetrius_, a Learned _Athenian_ Exile, was Keeper of this
Library, which amounted, as _Agellius_, _Ammianus Marcellinus_ and
_Diodorus Siculus_ alledge, to 700000 Volumes, and was afterwards from
Time to Time very much augmented by the succeeding Kings, ’till at
length this invaluable Treasure of _Manuscripts_ (for then the _Art_ of
_Printing_ was not so much as thought of) was burn’d in the Civil Wars
between _Pompey_ and _Cæsar_, in the 183 _Olympiad_, after it had
continu’d about 124 Years. This _Cæsar_ ever after accounted the
greatest of his Misfortunes, that he, who was so great a Lover of Arts
and Sciences, should be Cause of the destruction of so incomparable and
unparalel’d a _Library_.
[Sidenote: The _Serapion Library_.]