north side of the town, in which it was written, CHAP. V. and not far off the cave where it was revealed, both SECT. II. places being equally honoured by the Greeks and Latins. comes to Miletus. To go on now with the course of St. Paul's 10. voyage, who having left Samos, sailed to Miletus*, St. Paul a port-town on the Asiatic continent in the province of Caria. It is memorable for being the birth-place of Thales, one of the seven wise men of Greece, and the father of the Ionic philosophy; as also for the birth of Anaximander his scholar, Timotheus the musician, and Anaximenes the philosopher. There was another Miletus in Crete, or in a little isle adjoining, and so appertaining to Crete, where St. Paul left Trophimus + sick. The Miletus in Asia, where St. Paul now was in his voyage to Syria, is at present called by the Turks (as Sir Paul Rycaut‡ informs us) Melas; not far distant from which, the true Mæander, called by Turks Boluck Mendrees, or the Great Meander, falls more gently into the sea, than it runs before. For though it encircles all the plain it runs through with wanton mazes, or innumerable turnings and windings, yet it runs with such a rapid current, that it stirs up the earth and gravel from the bottom; so that we found not, saith Sir Paul, the streams of water so clear and crystalline as we hoped to have enjoyed, when we sat down to make our collation on the banks of the river. 11. sails from Loosing from Miletus, St. Paul came with a strait course unto Coos, another isle of the Archipe- St. Paul lago, lying near the south-west point of Asia the Miletus to Lesser. It is now commonly called Lango; and Coos. was formerly celebrated for its excellent wine. It is also memorable for the birth of Hippocrates the famous physician, and Apelles the famous painter. Here was formerly made that fine thin stuff, so much in use among the chief ladies of Rome, which at once shewed them both clothed and naked, In *Acts xx. 15. + 2 Tim. iv. 20. PART II. the suburbs of the chief town of this isle, called by the same name as the isle, stood a temple of Esculapius, famous and rich, with offerings made to the same supposed Deity. 12. Rhodes. From Coos St. Paul came the day* following to Thence to Rhodes, another famous isle on the south of the province of Caria, in the Lesser Asia, accounted for dignity next to Cyprus and Lesbos among the Asiatic isles. It was remarkable among the anci ents for the clearness of its air; insomuch that it is said by some of them, that there is no day in the whole year, wherein the sun does not shine there. On which score Phoebus, or the sun, was thought by them to have a peculiar kindness for this isle, and was looked on as the more peculiar God thereof. Hence there was erected in the harbour of the city of Rhodes, and consecrated to the sun, a vast statue of brass, called Colossus, seventy cubits high, every finger of it being said to be as big as an ordinary man; and standing astride over the mouth of the harbour, so that the ships sailed between his legs; on account of its vast bulk, reckoned one of the seven wonders of the world. It was thrown down by an earthquake; and some years after, the brass thereof was carried by the Saracens into Egypt, nine hundred camels being loaded therewith. The city of Rhodes was es teemed formerly one of the principal universities of the Roman empire, Rhodes, Marseilles, Tarsus, Athens, and Alexandria, being reckoned the old academies of that empire. 13. St. Paul sails to Patara. 14. Sailing from Rhodes, St. Paul touched next at Patara +, a sea-port of Lycia, formerly beautified with a fair heaven and many temples, one of them dedicated to Apollo, with an oracle in it, for wealth and credit not much inferior to that of Delphi. At Patara St. Paul and his companions finding a Thence to ship bound for Phoenicia ‡, went aboard her, and Ptolemais. leaving Cyprus on the left hand, they sailed for Syria, and arrived at Tyre, where the ship was to *Acts xxi. 1. + Ibid. Acts xxi, 2, 3. SECT. II. unlade. Having staid here a week, they took ship CHAP. V. again, and came to Ptolemais *, of which take the following account from Mr. Maundrell †. Acra had anciently the name of Accho, and is another of the places, out of which the children of Israel could not drive the primitive inhabitants, Judges i. 31. Being in aftertimes enlarged by Ptolemy the first, it was called by him, from his own name, Ptolemais. But now since it hath been in the possession of the Turks, it has (according to the example of many other cities in Turkey) cast off its Greek, and recovered some semblance of its old Hebrew name again, being called Acca, or Acra. This city was for a long time the theatre of contention between the Christians and Infidels, till at last, having divers times changed its masters, it was by a long siege finally taken by the Turks, and ruined by them in such a manner, as if they had thought they could never take a full revenge upon it for the blood it had cost them, or sufficiently prevent such slaughters for the future. As to its situation, it enjoys all possible advantages both of sea and land. On its north and east sides it is compassed with a spacious fertile plain; on the west it is washed by the Mediterranean Sea, and on the south by a large bay extending from the city as far as mount Carmel. But notwithstanding all these advantages, it has never been able to recover itself since its last fatal overthrow. For besides a large kane, in which the French factors have taken up their quarters, and a mosque, and a few poor cottages, you see nothing here, but a vast and spacious ruin. It is such a ruin, however, as sufficiently demonstrates the strength of the place in former times. It appears to have been encompassed on the land side by a double wall, defended with towers at small distances; and without the walls are ditches, ram p. 52. Acts xxi. 7. Journey from Aleppo to Jerusalem, PART II. parts, and a kind of bastions, faced with hewn stone. In the fields without these works we saw scattered up and down the ground several large balls of stone, of at least thirteen or fourteen inches diameter, which were part of the ammunition useď in battering the city, guns being then unknown. Within the walls there still appear several ruins, which seem to distinguish themselves from the general heap, by some marks of a greater strength and magnificence. As first, those of the cathedral church, dedicated to St. Andrew, which stands not far from the sea-side, more high and conspicuous than the other ruins. Secondly, the church of St. John, the tutelar saint of this city. Thirdly, the convent of the Knights Hospitallers, a place whose remaining walls sufficiently testify its ancient strength. And not far from the convent, the palace of the grand master of that order, the magnificence of which may be guessed from a large stair-case and part of a church still remaining in it. Fourthly, some remains of a large church belonging to a nunnery, of which they tell us this memorable story. The Turks having oppressed this city with a long and furious siege, at last entered it by storm, May 19, 1291. In which great extremity, the abbess of this nunnery, fearing lest she and those under her care might be forced to such bestialities as are usual in cases of that deplorable nature, used this cruel but generous means for securing both her and them: she summoned all her flock together, and exhorted them to cut and mangle their faces, as the only way to preserve their virgin purity; and, to shew how much she was in earnest, she immediately began before them all to make herself an example of her own counsel. The nuns were so animated by this heroical resolution and pattern of the abbess, that they began instantly to follow her example, cutting off their noses, and disfiguring their faces with such horrible gashes, as might excite horror rather than lustful desires in the beholders. The consequence which was, that the soldiers breaking into the nun of nery, and seeing, instead of those beautiful ladies CHAP. VI. they expected, such tragical spectacles, took a — revenge for their disappointed lusts, by putting them all to the sword: thus restoring them, as in charity we may suppose, to a new and inviolable beauty. But to go on, many other ruins here are of churches, palaces, monasteries, forts, &c. extending for more than half a mile in length; in all which you may discern marks of so much strength, as if every building in the city had been contrived for war and defence. This is the present state of Ptolemais, given us by an ingenious person, who saw it in 1697. 15. comes to From hence, having staid one day, St. Paul * with his company departed, and came to Cæsarea, St. Paul where they were entertained by Philip the Evange- Cæsarea, list, and one of the seven deacons. Having tarried and thence here many days, they went up thence + to Jerusa- to Jerusa lem, where the brethren received them gladly. lem. A.D. 56. CHAPTER VI. Of St. Paul's Travels and Voyages, from his being sent a Prisoner to Rome, till his Martyrdom or Death. 1. NOT long after his return to Jerusalem, St. Paul being in the Temple ‡, was laid hold of by the Jews, St. Paul is as a man that taught all men every where against apprehendthe people of the Jews, and against the law, and ed and sent that place. And so great was their rage against to Felix. a prisoner the Apostle, that they went about to kill him; and A.D. 56. had done it, had they not been prevented by the chief captain's coming with some soldiers to quell Acts xxi. 8. † Acts xxi. 15. Acts xxi. 27, &c. |