Glyn Hughes' SQUASHED WRITERS ALL THE BOOKS YOU THINK YOU OUGHT TO HAVE READ In their own words... but magically Squashed into half-hour short stories...

The Squashed version of
Purchas, his Pilgrimage
or, Relations of the World and the Religions observed in all Ages
by
Samuel Purchas
1625

TO THE READER

'Wisdom is said to bee the science of things divine and humane. Divine things are either naturall or supernalturall.' The supernatural, Purchas goes on to explain, is the proper subject of theology, and not strictly within the scope of this work.

Nevertheless, because he is a professed divine, he will by annotations, and even in some parts by special discourses, seek to insinuate both the history and mystery of godliness, the right use of history and of all other learning. But it is mainly of natural things-namely, the ordinary works of God in the creatures-that the book is to treat. 'Such is the Historie of Men in their diversified hewes and colours, quantities and proportions; of Beasts, Fishes, Fowles, Trees, Shrubs, Herbs, Minerals, Seas, Lands, Meteors, Heavens, Starres, with their natural affections.

'What a world of travellers have by their owne eyes observed in this kinde is here (for the most part in their own words transcribed or translated) delivered, as in a way of Discourse by each traveller relating what in that kind he hath seene.'

He is like David preparing materials for Solomon's Temple, or rather-to be less ambitious and more homely-like the labourer who serves the mason and through him the architect; 'so here Purchas and his Pilgrimes minister individually and sensible materials to those universall speculators for their Theoricall Structures.' 'Thus the Worke could not but be voluminous, having a World for the Subject, and a World of Witnesses for the Evidence. Here also both Elephants may swimme in deepe voluminous Seas, and such as want either lust or leisure, may single out, as in a Library of Bookes, what Author or Voyage shall best fit to his profit or pleasure. For you, wee commit you to God, and give you leave to rest at home in peace, under the shadow of your own Vine and Fig-tree, which God for His Christ's sake continue and confirm to us and our posteritie.'

I: OF DIVERS VOYAGES

Purchas begins with a long dissertation on. King Solomon's navy and on its voyages to Ophir, of which also he makes spiritual application. It is fitting that he should begin thus, he says, because he also is journeying to fetch materials for a temple, as did Solomon from Ophir, and would edify Christ's Church with a fuller knowledge of God's works.

For himself, he says that he is nothing, and is more foolish than any man, for he has never travelled out of the kingdom.

'Alas, Master,' he says, 'all is borrowed.' But he has borrowed with catholicity. He comes, through journeys of Alexander the Great, Hanno the Carthaginian, and other of the ancients, to the travels of the Apostles. 'As for Saint Paul, the Doctor of the Gentiles, he flew like a swift Fowie over the World!' He believes that the Apostles and others, their fellow-ministers, extended their journeys over nearly all the known world. And if we have no record of it, 'who can wonder that the Apostles found not Penmen to record their Evangelicall conquests, thorow the World, seeking to establish a Kingdome Spiritual and Internall, containing the world's glory, when the great Conquerours, which sought to subdue the world by force, have left so obscure notice of their exploits, though dedicated to humane applause and admiration?' By far the greater part of the book, however, is devoted to travels of a period comparatively recent when Purchas wrote, i.e. from the thirteenth century onwards, most of them in the period of great activity in travel and discovery covered by the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.

II: OF MARCO POLO

Among the histories of travel falling within the earlier period- that of the thirteenth century- the most remarkable is the story of the Venetian traveller, Marco Polo.

He, with his father Nicolo and his uncle Maffeo, went from Venice to the court of 'The Great Chan of Cathay.' They were merchants of Venice, but though they travelled first of all for gain they had open and curious minds, and Marco, who became a trusted envoy of the khan, observed and inquired into many strange things in the mysterious regions of the East. For twenty-six years he went about the business of this potentate, whose name was Kublai Khan, Lord of all the Tartars. 'And knowing the Emperor was delighted with novelties in the countries which he passed thorow, he diligently searched the customs and manners of men, and the conditions of the countries, making a memoriall of all which he knew and saw, to pleasure the great Chan.'

But the Polos were meanwhile growing rich, both through their own traffic and through the Khan's rewards, and began to bethink them of Venice, desiring to see their homes and friends once more. But at their request for leave to go, the Khan was very ill pleased, and would at first by no means permit it. But through entreaty and through a fortunate chance, they obtained an opportunity of going, and so set forth for Venice, where they arrived in the year 1295.

But tradition says that when they came to Venice, like Ulysses in Ithaca, none knew them, all esteeming them long since dead. Also they seemed rather men of Tartary than of Venice, having in a manner forgotten their native language, and their dress also was like the dress of Tartars. But at a great feast they made themselves known to their friends, showing the wealth of jewels which they had brought with them, and of proving that they were indeed the Polos who had left their city so long before. The townspeople crowded to hear their story, Marco being, as it appears, the chief spokesman. Their house was 'a faire palace' in a court still known as 'The Court of Millions; which name it had by reason of Marco's relations of so many millions in his worke, and in his discourses of the Great Chan's incredible wealth.'

After a time, however, war arose, and Marco, as captain of a galley, sailed with Dandolo against the Genoese fleet. By 'disadventure of warre' his galley was taken, and himself carried prisoner to Genoa. There 'his strange travels being made knowne, a certaine gentleman daily resorting to him-as did the whole Citie in admiration-caused and helped him to write this storie, having sent to Venice for his notes.' At first his captors would take no ransom for him, but 'his worthinesse obtained that which no moneys worth could doe, and being at libertie hee returned and marryed.'

His book includes an account of the countries which he had visited, and of the manners and customs of obtaining there, as well as a more particular account of the country, government and even the sports of the Great Khan himself. It is full and graphic, and shows a shrewd eye for observation and a more critical discernment between fact and fable than do many contemporary travellers' records.

He tells of the 'Old Man of the Mountain,' head of the Assassins, who kept his strange court at Mulehet, and sent out his servants to slay any man, prince or caliph or mere subject, who crossed his purposes. He tells also of strange places and strange beasts; of mountains that are 'of white and hard Salt, so hard that they must break it with Iron Instruments, so much that the whole world may have sufficient salt from thence.' He wastes no words. Thus he sums up a country near the mountains of salt: 'The country is fruitful, the inhabitants Murtherers, Perfidious, Mahumetans, Drunkards; their wine is boyled and excellent.'

A little further on is a country where there are 'many Porcupines, which they hunt with Dogges by the Hunters; and they, contracting themselves with great furie cast their prickly quils against the men and the Dogges, and wound them.' Again he comes to a country of many horses, excellent, great and swift. Indeed, it was said that not long since there had been there horses of the race of Alexander's Bucephalus, all with his forehead mark. But their owner was slain by the king for refusing to allow him to have one of them, wherefore his widow 'in angry spite destroyed the whole race.' He remarks, too, on the dress of the people there. 'The women in the skirts of their Garments put sixtie or eightie yards of cotton, the greatest Bumsie Boncer seeming the goodliest Lasse.'

Marco's book treats of the kingdom of Presbyter John, and of so much that but the barest indication of its scope can be given.

III: OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS

There is the story of Christopher Columbus, and of his courage and patience, as he waited long for the furnishing of his voyage to the West. His companions had not his 'confident glorious nature,' and once embarked he was often put to great straits to keep them from abandoning the enterprise. At the very start, when they lost sight of land, they broke into 'sighes and teares, many of them fearing never to see it againe; whom Don Christopher comforted as well as he could, with promises of rich discoveries; and sayling that day eighteene leagues, he reckoned no more than fifteene, diminishing his accompt, to make them seeme neerer home.' After a time they were cheered by the sight of 'Grasse, or Herbes, on the water, of a pale greene colour, and on one of them a grasse-hopper alive,' yet the land that they hoped for did not appear.

Then Columbus was threatened with mutiny, and was forced to bargain with the ships' companies to return after three more days if land were not then in sight.

But two hours after midnight on the first of these nights they descried land, and when it was day they saw it to be an island, 'plaine and woodie, with a great Poole of fresh water, the naked people wondering on the shore, thinking their shippes were living creatures.' Further on they came to an island 'where the people kissed their hands and feet, thinking them heavenly Wights, gave them Bread of a Root, and perfumed them with certaine herbes burned.' Voyaging among these islands he saw strange things, 'three' mermaids leaping a good height out of the sea, creatures (as he affirmed) not so faire as they are painted, somewhat resembling men in the face, of which at other times he said he had seene on the Coast of Guinea.' So after many trials and great tempests they came at last home again. But envy is the dark shadow that dogs success, and Columbus had to suffer much slander and detraction. Yet did his high courage and untarnished virtues bring him safe through all. And in the meeting of these attacks a ready wit also stood him in good stead.

Thus, some who maintained to his face that his discovery had been but an easy thing to do, 'he prayed to make an Egge, which then he gave them, to stand on end; which, when they could not, hee, bruising the shell, and making the end flat, made it to stand thereon; thereby insinuating how easie it was for them to doe that which they had seene and learned of him.'

IV: OF TAMERLANE'S GLORY

Purchas did not confine himself to the writers of Christendom. He includes, for instance, the history of Tamerlane, by Alhacen, an Arab writer, though it troubled him much that, owing to his ignorance of Arabic, he was forced to get as interpreter a man who did speak Frank (as they terme it), that is to say, Italian.' He adds, 'It grieved mee much that I had not the perfection of this language'; hence he was only able to secure the drift of the original. Nevertheless he is able to record many of the glories and graces of Tamerland, as they appeared to a partial historian.

Tamerlane inherited the lordship of the 'antient Country of Parthia,' and his chief city was Samarcand. He had a lofty mind, and 'he was well instructed in the Arabian learning, and exercised himself much therein; and at such time as they thought him to be either in the Batheswherein they are very curious in that Country being their chiefest delicacies, he was in the contemplation and studie of heavenly things.

"This Prince had within his eyes such divine beautie, being full of such majestie, that one could hardly endure the sight of them without closing of their eyes, and they which talked with him, and did often behold him, became dumbe, insomuch as he abstayned with a certayne modestie and comlinesse, to look upon him that discoursed unto him.' 'More than all this, he was martial and desirous of glory, and eagerly marched against the Muscovites, who had given him sore provocation. He won a great victory, and returned to be received into all his countries with much honour and triumph.' So the story goes on at length, full of praise of the valour, wisdom and justice of Tamerlane, until at last Purchas pulls himself up thus: 'But our haste of other voyages permits not our stay here. Onely we will adde, that after all things ordered, Sicknesse arrested and Death conquered this great Conquerour; and this traveller travelled the way of all flesh into another world.'

V: OF THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE

The minds of discoverers were, even in the sixteenth century, much concerned as to the possibility of finding a route to the East Indies by the northwest. Purchas collected interesting and valuable records of a number of voyages undertaken wholly or partly with this aim in view. He introduces them with an explanation as to why the discovery was so much desired.

'The desire of Riches in some, of knowledge in others, hath long wheted men's industries to finde out a more compendious way to the East Indies by a shorter cut than the usuall passage, which in going to the places of principall trade there, and the returning thence' by enforced compassings, is made no lesse a Voyage for time, cost, danger and labour, than the immediate compassing of the whole globe.'

He explains "how, on examination of the globe, it becomes quite plain that if a passage could only be discovered towards the north, north-east, or northwest, the voyage might be accomplished with comparatively little difficulty, time, or expense.

For the large Lines, or Meridians, under the Line contayning sixe hundred miles, contract themselves proportionally as they grow nearer the Pole, where that vast Line and Circumference itseife become (as the whole Earth to Heaven, and all earthly things to heavenly) no Line any more, but a Point, but nothing, but Vanitie,' It is natural that the English, 'seated commodiously for that discoverie, and to reigne over the Northerne and Westerne Ocean, have herein beene more than industrious.'

Then follow accounts of various voyages, some expressly to seek this passage, others on enterprises of discovery directed towards Greenland, or North America, until we find William Baffin writing thus to Master John Wolstenhome: 'There is no passage, nor hope of passage, in the north of Davis Streights, wee having coasted all or neere all the Circumference thereby, and finde it to be no other than a great Bay; wherefore I cannot but much admire the worke of the Almightie when I consider how vaine the best and chiefest hopes of man are in things uncertaine.' British enterprise had been happier as regards the mainland of America, and Purchas includes matters on affairs in New England and Virginia, as well as in the island of Newfoundland.

Of the whole book, however, that part in which Purchas himself displays most zeal is concerned with the wars of Elizabeth, and with the fate of 'that Armada, surnamed invincible.' Thus he celebrates the glories of the 'English Debora,' and the confusion of her enemies:

Lo, I the man, whose Muse mus'd on Plantations,
New England, Virgin, Bermude, Newfoundlanded
Lawrell for olive take, and make Relations
Of Armes, Harmes, Fights, Frights, Flights, Depopulations,
Rome's Buls, Spaine's broyles, Ireland's ire, Traitors branded.
God, Angels, Winds, Seas, Men, Eliza's Glory,
Conspire; Shee outlives Death in Heaven, in story.