attels, to doe with them as he listed, being Christians as well as
themselues, if they may deserue so good a name. As they behaued themselues
most vnchristianly toward their brethren, so and much more vngodly (which I
should haue put in the first place) did they towards God: for as though
they were too great, standing on foot or kneeling to serue God, they would
come riding on horsebacke into the church to heare their masse: which
church now is made a publicke basistane or market place for the Turkes to
sell commodities in: but beholde the iudgement of the righteous God, who
payeth the sinner measure for measure. The Turkes the yeere before the
ouerthrowe giuen them at Lepanto by Don Iohn tooke Cyprus. These mighty
Nimrods fled some in holes and some into mountaines to hide themselues;
whereupon the Turkes made generall proclamation, that if they would all
come in and yeeld themselues, they would restore them to their former
reuenues and dignities: who not mistrusting the mischieuous pretense of the
Turkes, assembled together to make themselues knowen; whom after the Turkes
had in possession, they (as the Lords executioners) put them with their
wiues and children all to the sword, pretending thereby to cut of all
future rebellion, so that at this day is not one of the noble race knowen
aliue in the Iland, onely two or three remaine in Venice but of litle
wealth, which in the time of the warres escaped. After we had stayed in
this Iland some thirty dayes, we set saile in the foresayd shippe being
about the burthen of 900 tunnes, hauing in her passengers of diuers
nations, as Tartars, Persians, Iewes, and sundry Christians. Amongst all
which I had often conference with a Iew, who by reason of his many yeeres
education at Safet a place in Iudea neere Ierusalem, where they study the
Rabbines with some other arts as they thinke good, as also: for his trauels
into Persia and Ormus, he seemed to be of good experience in matters
abroad, who related vnto me such conference as he had with a Baniane at
Ormus, being one of the Indians inhabiting the countrey of Cambaia.
[Sidenote: Indians skilful in Astronomy.] This Baniane being a Gentile had
skill in Astronomie, as many of that nation haue, who by his books written
in his owne tongue and Characters, could tell the time of Eclipses both of
Sunne and Moone, with the Change and Full, and by iudgement in Astrologie
gaue answere to any question demanded. Being asked concerning his opinion