Volume 1

A full and just account of the present state of the Ottoman Empire in all its brances: with the government, and policy, religion, customs, and way of living of the Turks, in general ... from a serious observations, taken in many years travels thro' those countries / By Aaron Hill.

  • Hill, Aaron, 1685-1750.
Date:
1709
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A full and just account of the present state of the Ottoman Empire in all its brances: with the government, and policy, religion, customs, and way of living of the Turks, in general ... from a serious observations, taken in many years travels thro' those countries / By Aaron Hill. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    W E Defcended fome few fteps, and having Walk’d about fix paces far.TheC.ve, ther, came upon a hidden to a very large and lightfome Cave-, the Light 5^ r-V was introduc’d by very Artificial Hollows, from the Surface through1theSveWritt ° .Rock, and in the midrr of one of the Four Squares, which form’d the Cell his kevclati- was cut a Seat, exaftlv like the Niches made for Statues in Cache- ons' dr a l Churches. JUST before this Niche, there ftands a folid Rocky Table, of about a yardSquaie, and here they wou’d perfwade us to beleive, the Saint was ieated at lus daily Stud ies. To confirm me in belief of this Opinion, they Rei;0,es h made long Harangues of thofe Authentic proofs, which juftified Tradition, the Cave, and defir d that I would take particular and ferious Notice of a kind of round Impreflion on the Area, or Superficies of the Table, which they fay was caus’d by the Perpetual landing of the Brazen VefTeJ, which contain’d his Ink, and on the Floor, they fhow’d me feveral little Marks like Spots of Black, which they allur’d me, were the Drops, oCcafion’d by the Shaking of the Pen, where¬ with the Saint was us’d to Write the Dictates of his holy Infpiration. WIT H thefe obliging Pnefts I vifited the Monastery, and was there T{12 M<ma- recew d as civilly as I coud poflibly have found an Entertainment in the ry ofst. John. Houle of an Acquaintance or Relation, every thing was Neat, and Plen¬ tiful without Extravagance, becoming the Decorum of Religious Livers yet not void of Relifh, Form, or Delicacy. AMONG the many Reliques they delight to boaft of, and com¬ municate to Travellers, they fhew’d me a large bony Hand, which feem’d A Miracle of to be a Mans, Cut off not far above the Wrift; the Bones were dry and fullSu 3Ws of little Holes, as if Worm-eaten, yet there feem’d to fproutatall the Fingers Hand* Ends a little fign of fomething, which the Fryars told us were the Nails of the late-nam’d St. John. HOW they came by St. John's Right Hand, they cou’d not tell me, but attefted that on every Second Sunday of the Month, the Nails were Cut, as clofe as polfible, and that they always grew again. They brought me a large Silver Box, wherein the Parings of thefe Nails were fafely kept, as facred Reliques, never to be us d, but when fome Father of their order was ex- treamlySick, and then, they Paid, a few of thofe, thrown pioufly upon a Th„ VJrfn Fire, and the Smoke thereof afcending at his Noftrils, are a very quick, his Nails. and never-failing Remedy, provided the Sick Man’s appointed Hour of Death prevents not his Recovery. FROM Patmos let us look on Zea, a fmall Uland of about Twelve Oefcription of Miles in Compafs, Hilly and extreamly full of Woods, produftive 0f a theIfland z“* large and fat’mng Acorn, of fuch noted goodnefs, and of fuch abundance in this Iiland, that the few Inhabitants upon it, who are generally Greeks, (but fubjeH to the Turks Authority) enrich themfelves confiderably by ex¬ porting Yearly, great Shiploads to other Iflands, and fome Places on the Continent. f , , * * r r c t •;» • „ BU T what is moft worth Notice here, is the prodigious Ulefullnels of certain AJfes, which the Natives Saddle, and upon their Backs (fowell Affes excel. do thofe poor Creatures Climb) can Travel over Rocks and Craggy Pre- lent at Climb2 cipices, fo extremely Steep and Rugged, that a Man on Foot wou’d find ing* himfelf put to it, to afcend without Afliflance. 1 HE Ifland boaffs one little Town, but that entirely void of ffately Buildings, or indeed the Pooreft Ornaments of common decency, for not a D001 in all the Place is Four Foot High, but People almoffc Creep, who are