the Mohumetans resort thyther.
Nowe the tyme requireth to speake somewhat of the famous citie of
Mecha, or Mecca, what it is, howe it is situate, and by whom it is
gouerned. The citie is very fayre and well inhabited, and conteyneth in
rounde fourme syxe thousande houses, as well buylded as ours, and some
that cost three or foure thousande peeces of golde: it hath no walles.
About two furlongs from the citie is a mount, where the way is cutte
out,[FN#25] whiche leadeth to a playne
[p.346] beneath. It is on euery syde fortified with mountains, in the
stead of walles or bulwarkes, and hath foure entries. The Gouernour is
a Soltan, and one of the foure brethern of the progenie of Mahumet, and
is subject to the Soltan of Babylon of whom we haue spoken before. His
other three brethren be at continuall warre with hym. The eighteen daye
of Maye we entered into the citie by the north syde; then, by a
declynyng way, we came into a playne. On the south syde are two
mountaynes, the one very neere the other, distant onely by a little
valley, which is the way that leadeth to the gate of Mecha. On the east
syde is an open place betweene two mountaynes, lyke vnto a
valley,[FN#26] and is the waye to the mountayne where they sacrifice to
the Patriarkes Abraham and Isaac.[FN#27] This mountayne is from the
citie about ten or twelve myles, and of the heyght of three stones
cast: it is of stone as harde as marble, yet no marble.[FN#28] In the
toppe of the mountaine is a temple or Meschita, made after their
fashion, and hath three wayes to enter into it.[FN#29] At the foote of
the mountayne are two cesterns, which conserue waters without
corruption: of these, the one is reserued to minister water to the
camels of the carauana of Babylon or Alcayr; and the other, for them of
Damasco. It is rayne water, and is deriued far of.[FN#30]
But to returne to speake of the citie; for as touchyng the maner of
sacrifice which they vse at the foote of the mountayne wee wyll speake
hereafter. Entryng, therefore, into the citie, wee founde there the
carauana of Memphis, or Babylon, which prevented vs eyght dayes, and
came not the waye that wee came. This carauana
[p.347] conteyned threescore and foure thousande camelles, and a
hundred Mamalukes to guyde them. And here ought you to consyder that,
by the opinion of all men, this citie is greatly cursed of God, as
appereth by the great barrennesse thereof, for it is destitute of all
maner of fruites and corne.[FN#31] It is scorched with drynesse for
lacke of water, and therefore the water is there growen to suche pryce,
that you cannot for twelve pence buye as much water as wyll satysfie
your thyrst for one day. Nowe, therefore, I wyll declare what prouision
they have for victuales. The most part is brought them from the citie
of Babylon, otherwyse named Memphis, Cayrus, or Alcayr, a citie of the
ryuer of Nilus in Egypt as we have sayde before, and is brought by the
Red Sea (called Mare Erythreum) from a certayne port named Gida,
distaunt from Mecha fourtie myles.[FN#32] The rest of theyr prouisions
is brought from Arabia Faelix, (that is) the happye or blessed Arabia:
so named for the fruitfulnesse thereof, in respect of the other two
Arabiaes, called Petrea and Diserta, that is, stonye and desart. They
haue also muche corne from Ethyopia. Here we found a marueylous number
of straungers and peregrynes, or pylgryms; of the whiche some came from
Syria, some from Persia, and other from both the East Indiaes, (that is
to say) both India within the ryuer of Ganges, and also the other India
without the same ryuer. I neuer sawe in anye place greater abundaunce
and frequentation of people, forasmuche as I could perceyue by tarrying
there the space of 20 dayes. These people resort thyther for diuers
causes, as some for merchandies, some to obserue theyr vowe of
pylgrymage, and other to haue pardon for theyr sinnes: as touchyng the
whiche we wyll speake more hereafter.
[p.348]CHAPTER XVII.Of the Pardons or Indulgences of Mecha.
Let vs now returne to speake of the pardons of pilgryms, for the which
so many strange nations resort thither. In the myddest of the citie is
a temple, in fashyon lyke vnto the colossus of Rome, the amphitheatrum,
I meane, lyke vnto a stage, yet not of marbled or hewed stones, but of
burnt bryckes; for this temple, like vnto an amphitheatre, hath
fourscore and ten, or an hundred gates,[FN#33] and is vaulted. The
entrance is by a discent of twelve stayers or degrees on euery
part[FN#34]: in the church porche, are sold only jewels and precious
stones. In the entry the gylted walles shyne on euery syde with
incomparable splendour. In the lower part of the temple (that is vnder
the vaulted places) is seene a maruelous multitude of men; for there
are fyue or sixe thousande men that sell none other thyng then sweete
oyntmentes, and especially a certayne odoriferous and most sweete
pouder wherewith dead bodyes are embalmed.[FN#35] And hence, all maner
of sweete sauours are carried in maner into the countreys of all the
Mahumetans. It passeth all beleefe to thynke of the exceedyng
sweetnesse of these sauours, farre surmounting the shoppes of the
apothecaries. The 23 daye of Maye the pardones began to be graunted in
the temple, and in what maner we wyll nowe declare. The temple in the
myddest is open without any inclosyng, and in the myddest also thereof
is a turrett of the largnesse of sixe passes in cercuitie,[FN#36] and
inuolued or hanged with cloth or
[p.349] tapestry of sylke[,][FN#37]and passeth not the heyght of a man.
They enter into the turret by a gate of syluer, and is on euery syde
besette with vesselles full of balme. On the day of Pentecost licence
is graunted to al men to se these thynges. The inhabitantes affyrm that
balme or balsame to be part of the treasure of the Soltan that is Lorde
of Mecha. At euery vaulte of the turret is fastened a rounde circle of
iron, lyke to the ryng of a doore.[FN#38] The 22 day of Maye, a great
multitude of people beganne, early in the mornyng before day, seuen
tymes to walke about the turret, kyssing euery corner thereof, often
tymes feelyng and handelyng them. From this turret about tenne or
twelue pases is an other turret, like a chappell buylded after our
maner. This hath three or foure entryes: in the myddest thereof is a
well of threescore and tenne cubites deepe; the water of this well is
infected with salt peter or saltniter.[FN#39] Egypt men are therevnto
appoynted to drawe water for all the people: and when a multitude of
people haue seuen tymes gone rounde about the first turret, they come
to this well, and touchyng the mouth or brym thereof, they saye thus, Be
it in the honour of God; God pardon me, and forgeue me my synnes. When
these woordes are sayde, they that drawe the water powre three
buckettes of water on the headdes of euery one of them, and stand neere
about the well, and washe them all wette from the headde to the foote,
although they be apparelled with sylk. Then the dotyng fooles dreame
that they are cleane from all theyr synnes, and that theyr synnes are
forgeuen them. They saye, furthermore, that
[p.350] the fyrst turret, whereof we haue spoken, was the fyrst house
that euer Abraham buylded, and, therefore, whyle they are yet all wette
of the sayd washyng, they go to the mountayne, where (as we have sayde
before) they are accustomed to sacrifice to Abraham.[FN#40] And
remayning there two daies, they make the said sacrifice to Abraham at
the foote of the mountayne.