Pilgrimage, Book 6 · Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
Of Egypt and of the famous Riuer Nilus: and her first Kings, Temples, and Monuments, according to Herodotus, Diodorus, and others.
AFter our generall view of Africa, Egypt may iustly challenge the principall place in our African discourse, as being both in situation next to Asia (whence wee are lately come) and consequently from thence first peopled; besides that Religion, our Load-Starre, hath here found the soonest and solemnest entertainement. And not in Religion alone, but in Politie, Philosophie, and Artes, the Graecious aIamblichus.which would seeme the first Fathers of these things hauehave been Disciples to the Aegyptians, as bAm.M.l.22.D.S.l.1. Plin.de Os. & is. Volat.l.12. Lact.l.4.c.9. Hieron.ad Paul.Am. Marcellinus and D. Siculus, Plutarch, and many others affirme. Hence Orpheus, Musaus, & Homer fetched their Theologie; Lycurgus and Solon their lawes; Pythagoras, Plato, Anaxagoras, Eudoxus, Democritus, Daedalus, here borrowed that knowledge for which the world hath euer since admired them. Let it not then be imputed to me as a tedious officiousnesse, if I longer detaine the Reader (otherwise delighted with the view of those rills which hence hauehave flowed among the Greeke and Latine Poets and Philosophers) in surueying these Aegyptian Fountaines and well-springs, whence hauehave issued especially a deluge of Superstition, that in elder times drowned all the neighbouring parts of the world. Nor let it bee tedious vntounto vsus to behold (in this historicall Theater) those Aegyptian Rarities; the sight whereof hath drawne not Philosophers alone, but great Princes too, and mighty Emperours, to the vndertaking of long and dangerous iourneyes: As cAelian.Spart.Seuerus.Seuerus, who though hee forbade Iudaisme and Christianitie, yet went this Pilgrimage, in honour of Serapis, and for the straunge sights of Memphis, Memnon, the Pyramides, Labyrinth &c. Vespasian also and others did the like.
The name of Egypt (saith dAntiq.l.1.c.6. Broughtons Concent.Iosephus) is Mesre, of Misraim, the sonne of Cham, and the Egyptians of themselues Mesraei. So the Arabians at this day call it (as Leo eIe. Leo l.8.affirmeth) but the inhabitans they call Chibth. This Chibth they say was hee which first ruled this Countrey, and built houses therein. The inhabitants also doe now call themselues thus: yet are there not now left any true Egyptians, saue a few Christians: the Mahumetans hauing mingled themselues with the Arabians and Africans. The Turkes fD. Chylr.call both the countrey it selfe, and principall Citie (Cairo) by the name of Misir. The name Egyptus is deriued from Aegyptus brother of Denaus after the common account: as others say, of gAi Copti, the land of Copti, (a chiefe Citie of Egypt) so Lydiat and some others.Ai and Copti.
Egypt hath on the East, the gulfe, & some part of Arabia; on the South the falles and mountaines of Aethiopia; on the West, the Deserts of Libya; on the North, the Mediterranean Sea: all which Nature hath set not onelyonly as limits, but as fortifications also to this Countrey. Nilus runneth through the middest thereof, threescore miles from Cairo making by division of himselfe that Delta, to which some appropriated the name of Aegypt, refuted by Iupiter Ammon, whose Oracle (saith Herodotus) reckoned all that Aegypt, which Nilus ouerflowed. Ptolomaus hPtol.li.4.c.54.numbreth three of those Deltas. Touching the head of Nilus; Bredenbachius (as Adrichomius citeth him) affirmeth, that many Soldans hauehave sent men on purpose furnished with skill and prouision for the Discouery, who, after two or three yeares, returning, affirmed that they could finde no head of this Riuer, nor could tell any certainety, but that it came from the East, and places not inhabited: both of like truth. For indeede this Riuer ariseth (as by late discoueries is found) out of a Lake in twelue degrees of Southerly Latitude, out of which not onelyonly this Riuer runneth Northwards into the Mediterranean, but Naire also, Westward, Zuama, and Spirito Santo Eastward into the Ocean, as is said: all ouer-flowing their Territories in the same time and from the same cause. What this cause should be, many both old and later writers hauehave laboured to search. Herodotus, Diodorus, Pliny, and Solinus, hauehave lent vsus the coniectures of Antiquitie herein: kPh.Pigafetta.l.2.c.vlt.apud Ram.Fracastorius and Ramusins, hauehave bestowed their discourses on the Subject, as Goropius also and others of later yeares hauehave done. The most probable cause is the raynes, which Gorop. lGorop.in pecees. Niloscopium.in his Niloscopium, deriueth from a double cause. For the Sunne, in places neere the line doth shew more mighty effects of his fierie presence, exhailing abundance of vapours, which in terrible showers he daily repaieth, except some Naturall obstacle doe hinder (as in someplaces of Peru mAcosta.hist.Ind.where it seldome or neuer raineth:) And hence it is, that the Indians both East and West, and the Africans, reckon their Summer and Winter otherwise then in these parts of the world: for this time of the sunnes neere presence with them they call Winter in regard of these daily stormes: which hee seemes to recompence them with other six monethes continuall serenitie and faire weather; not then raising (by reason of his further absence) any more exhalations then are by himselfe exhausted and consumed, which time for that cause they call Summer. Goropius therefore out of his coniectures telleth vsus of a two-fould Winter, vnderunder both Tropikes at the same time; vnderunder Cancer the rainie Winter, which in manner (as yee hauehave heard) attendes on the same; vnderunder Capricorne the Astronomicall Winter in the Sunnes absence, where also he supposeth it to raine at that time by reason of the high hils there situate, & the great Lakes, which minister store of moisture, besides that Cancer is then in the house of the Moone. Againe, the Windes nP.Pigafetta. l.….….….Etesij (that is to say ordinaris eueryevery yeare) in their annuall course, eueryevery Winter lift vp the cloudes to the toppes of the hilles, which raelt them into raine, wherby all the Riuers in Aethiopia are filled: and cause those ouer-flowings, which in Nilus is strangest, because it is in Egypt, furthest off from the raines that cause it. The like ouerflowing is common to many other Riuers; as to Niger, in Africa; to Menan of Pegu; and the Riuer of Siam in Asia; and to the Riuers of Amazones, and Guiana in America. Frier Luys oHistoria de la Etiopia.l.….c.28.de Vrreta ascribeth the ouerflowing to some secret passages and pores, whereby the Ocean and the Mountaines of the Moone hold mutuall commerce. This increase of Nilus beginneth about the middest of Iune, continuing forty daies, after which followeth the decrease as long. In the middle of Nilus, (saith pLeo Lib.8.Leo) ouer against the olde Citie of Cairo, standeth the Ile Michias, or the measuring Ile, containing one thousand, and five hundred Families, and a Temple, and a foure-square Cisterne of eighteene cubits depth, whereinto the water of Nilus is conuaied by acertaine sluce vnderunder the ground, in the middest wherof is a pillar marked also with eighteene cubits, to which Officers for the purpose resort daily from the 17. of Iune, to obserue the increase, which if it amount to fifteene Cubits, and there stay, it doth portend fertilitie, and how much ouer or vnderunder, so much lesse abundance. In the meane time the people deuoutly exercise prayer and almes-giuing: And after, the price of victuals, (especially of Corne) is proportionably appointed for the whole yeare. The Cities and Townes of Egypt, whiles this inundation lasteth, are so many Ilands. And thus saith Herodotus, The land of Egypt doth not onelyonly owe the fertilitie, but her selfe also, vntounto the slimie encrease of Nilus: for qRaine is infectious if at any time it fall in Egypt: except in and about Alexandria, where Pigasetta saith it raineth. Terra suis contenta bonis, non indiga mercis, Aut Iouis, in solo tanta … fiducia Nile. Luceā.Bel. Sac.l.….19. Nilus solus ex amnibus vniuersis nullas expirat auras.Solin.raine is a stranger in this Countrie seldome seene, and yet ostner then welcome; as vnholsome to the inhabitants. But Goropius reasoneth largely in confutation of the opinion of Herodotus. The mouthes or falles of Nilus, numbred by the Prophet Esay rIsay 11.15.and other in olde times, seuen, and after Pliny (who reckoneth the foure smaller) eleuen: are now (as Willielmus Tyrins out of his owne search testifieth) but foure, or, as other writers, but three worthy of consideration, Rosetto, Balbitina, Dameiata, where the saltnes of the earth, and shelles found in it, may seeme to confirme Herodotus opinion, that Nilus hath wonne it from the Sea. Egypt was anciently diuided into Thebais, Delta, and the region interiacent: and these subdiuided into six and thirtie Nomt, which we may call shires, whereof Tanite and Heliopolite were the assignement of Iacobs familie fD. Chytr.then called Goshen, from whence Moses after conducted them into Canaan, as Strabo tStr.lib.16.also witnesseth. The wealth of Aegypt, as it proceedeth from Nilus, so is it much encreased by the fit conueyance in the naturall and hand-laboured channells uSesostris, Ptolomai, Traiani sossa.thereof. Their haruest beginneth in Aprill, and is threshed out in Maie. In this one Region were sometimes (by Herodotus and Plinies report) twenty thousand Cities: Diodorus xDiod.lib.1.Siculus saith eighteene thousand: and in his time, three thousand. He also was told by the Egyptian Priests, that it had beene gouerned about the space of eighteene hundred yeares, by the Gods and Heroes; the last of whom was Orus: after whom it was vnderunder kings vntill his time, the space almost yOlymp.180.of fifteene hundred yeares. To Heredotus they reported of three hundred and thirtie kings from Menas to Sesostris.
The Scripture, whose Chronologie conuinceth those lying Fables, calleth their Kings by one generall name, Pharao (which some zMorn deuer.fos Antiq libr.3.ca.2.interpret a Sauiour, Iosephus saith signifieth Authoritie) and maketh auncient mention of them, in the dayes of Abraham. Some beginne this royall Computation at Mizraim. If our Berosus which Annius hath set forth were of authoritie, aPseudo-Berosiu.he telleth, that Cham, the sonne of Noah, was by his father banished for particular abuse of himselfe, and publique corruption of the world, teaching and practising those vices, which before had procured the Deluge, as sodomy, incest, buggery: and was therefore branded with the name Chemesenua, that is, dishonest Cham, in which the Egyptians followed him, and reckoned him among their Gods, by the name of bXenoph.de aquiuocu, calleth Cham Saturnus Aegyptius.c Psal.75.&108.Saturne, consecrated him a Citie called Chem Min. The Psalmes cPsal.75.&.108.of Dauid doe also thus entitle Egypt, the land of Cham: which name was retained by the Egyptians themselues in Ieromes dHier.in Gen. Brought.Conc.…dayes. Chemmis after Diodorus was hallowed to Pan, and the word signifieth Pans Citie: in Herodotus his time it was a great towne in Thebais, hauing in it a Temple of Perseus, square, and set round with Palme-trees, with a huge Porch of stone, on which were two great statues, and in it a Chappell, with the Image of Perseus. The Inhabitants want not their miraculous Legend, of the Apparitions of their God, and had a relique of his, a sandale of two cubites which he sometimes ware. They celebrate festiuall games in his honour, after the Greek maner. Herodotus also mentioneth an Iland called Chemmis, with the Temple of Apollo in it.
Lucian cLucian.Dis syr.sayth, the Aegyptians were the first that had Temples, but their Temples had no Images. Their first Temples are reported fDiod.Sic.li.1to hauehave beene erected in the times of Osiris and Isis, whose parents were Iupiter and Iuno, children to Saturne and Rhea, who succeeded Vulcan in this Kingdome. They built a Magnificent Temple to Iupiter and Iuno, and two other golden Temples to Iupiter Calestis, and Iupiter A…, or Cham, which we before spake of, instituting vntounto them Priests and golden Statues. Menas is reckoned the first King after those Demi-gods gMors.de vera Christ.rel.ca.26.who built a Temple to Vulcan, and taught the people to sacrifice, and other rites of Religion. Long after him, Busiris built Thebes, which was said hHerodot.li.….to hauehave a hundred Gates, and many stately erections of Temples, Colosses, Obeliskes; by the one Name they call their more then Giantly Images; by the other, their Pillars of one stone, fashioned like a Needle. Of foure Temples, there was one containing in circuit thirteene furlongs, in height fiue and fortie cubits, the wall foure and twentie foot thicke. Cambyses robbed it. Amongst the seuen and fortie Sepulchres of their Kings, that of Simandius was reckoned most sumptuous, the gates whereof were two hundred foot long, and fiue and fortie cubits high: within was a square Cloyster, containing in each square foure hundred foot, borne vp with Statues of Beasts in stead of Pillars, of sixteene cubits, the Roofe made of stones, of two paces broad, beautified with Starres. Then was there another gate like to the former, but fuller of worke, with three huge Statues to himselfe, his mother, and daughter. Within this was another Cloyster, more beautifull then the former. This cost, although it might happily be enlarged in the telling, yet doth not disagree to that Aegyptian opinion, esteeming their houses their Innes, and their Sepulchres their etern all Habitations. Of the race of Simandius was Ogdous, that built cIn 69.51. & 19.50Memphis (called in the Scripture Noph) compassing a hundred and fiftie furlongs, at the parting of Nilus, into that Delta-diusion, where the succeeding Kings abode, forsaking Thebes, till Alexandria was after built by Alexander.
Thebes was called Diospolis, or Iupiters Citie, where (as Strabo dSt.lib.17.reporteth) was consecrated to Iupiter a beautifull Virgin of noble birth, who, vntill the time that shee had her naturall purgation, had the carnall companie of whomsoeuer she pleased, and at this her menstruous accident was bewailed as dead, and after married. Such Virgins the Greekes (sayth he) called Pallades. Many yeares after Ogdous, succeeded Sesostris. Iosephus eAntiq.lib.8.4.is of opinion, That Herodotus erred in the name, and ascribed the deeds of f2.Chron.12.9.Shishak to Sesostris; to which also the computation of Herodotus doth agree reasonably in the time. gVolater.li.12.Lud.Reg.libr.4.Others account him the same with Sesachis in Diodorus. The huge Conquests of this Sesostris are beyond all that euer Alexander atchieued, if we credit Authors. At his returne he builded in eueryevery Citie of Aegypt a Temple to their chiefe God at his owne costs; and offered a shippe of Cedar, two hundred and eighty cubites in length, filuered on the in-side, guilded on the out-side, to the chiefe god at Thebes, and two Obeliskes one hundred and twenty cubits high, wherin were ingrauen the greatnes of his Empire and reuenues. At Memphis in the Temple of Vulcan he dedicated Statues of himselfe and his wife, thirty cubites high, of his children twenty. And when he went to the Temple, or through the Citie, his Charriot was drawne by Kings, as Lucan singeth:
Venit ad Occasum mundi que extrema Sesostris;
Et Pharios currus Regum cernicibus egit.
Sesestis in the Westerne World, by warre
Compelled Kings to draw his Memphian Carre.
Thus we reade in our owne Chronicles hMat Western. Fox Act.& Monument. Slow.obron.&c.of Edgarus Pacifieus, sometimes King of England, rowed in a Boate by eight Kings, himselfe holding the Sterne.
Tacitus iAnnal.2.15.telleth of Rhamses an Aegyptian King, who conquerd the East and South parts of the world, helped heerein, (as the Priests tolde Germanicus) with the forces of Thebes, who had then seuen hundred thousand fighting men. This was written in Egyptian Characters at Thebes, interpreted by one of the Priests, together with his reuenues not inferiour to the Roman or Parthian Empires. Pheron, the sonne and successour of Sesostris, enraged at the rage of Nilus, swelling aboue eighteene cubits, cast a dart against the streame, kHer.lib.2.and thereupon lost his sight, which by the aduice of the Oracle in Butis, was restored by the vrine of a woman, which had neuer knowne man but her husband: which caused him to burne his owne wife and many other, failing in this new experiment, and to marry her whom at last he found by this proofe to be honest. He set vp in the Temple of the Sunne two Pillars, each of one stone of 100 cubits high, and eight broad. After, succeeded Memphites, Rhamsinitus, and Cheopes. This last shut vp all the Temples in Egypt, and busied them in his owne workes, one hundred thousand by course ten yeares together, in building a Pyramis for his Sepulchre. The least stone was thirtie foote, and all grauen. Nilus passeth vnderunder it by a trench. It was reckoned among the Wonders of the World. His daughter and brother made two other; odious therefore to the Egyptians, who will not once name them. lBellon.l..2.c.42.Bellonius out of his owne sight reporteth, that the Pyramides (vet remayning) doe exceed that which Histories hauehave related of them. Hee measured one of the foure squares of one of them, which contained three hundred and foure and twenty large paces. This was hollow, the other solid. They did it (saieth hee) in hope of the resurrection. For they would not interre their dead bodies, because of the worms; nor burne them, because they esteemed Fire a liuing creature, which feeding thereon, must together with it perish. They therefore with nitre and cedar thus preserue them. Some also report, mGi.Bot.…That they vsed hereunto the slimie Bitumen of the dead Sea, which hath preserued an infinit number of Carkasses in a dreadfull Caue (not farre from these Pyramides) yet to be seene, with their flesh and members whole, after so many thousand yeares, and some with their haire and teeth. Bellonius thinketh the fables of Lethe and Styx to hauehave flowed from that Lake, by which the dead bodies were brought hither. Of these is the true Mummia. Not farre hence is that Sphynx, a huge Colosse, with the head of a Maid, and bodie of a Lion, supposed by Bellonius to be the monument of some Sepulchre. It yet continueth all of one stone, and is a huge face, looking toward Cairo. The compasse of the head, sayth P. Martyr, nLeg.Bab.lib.3an eye-witnesse, is 58. paces. Plmy oLib.36.ca.12.numbreth …. Pyramides and saith, That the compasse of this Sphynx, about the head, was 102. foot, the length 143. 360000 men were 20. yeares in making one of the Pyramides, and three were made in 78. yeares and foure moneths. The greatest (saith he) couereth eight acres of ground; and Bellonius affirmeth, That the Pyramides rather exceede then fall short of the reports of the Ancient, and that a strong and cunning Archer on the toppe is not able to shoot beyond the fabricke of one; which Villamont being there, caused to be tried and found true. But I would be loth to burie the Reader in these sumptuous Monuments, the witnesses of vanitie and ostentation; of which, besides the Ancient, Martyr, Bellonius, Euesham, Villamont, and other eye-witnesses hauehave largely written.
Mycermus is reckoned the next King, better beloued of his subiects, whose daughter was buried in a wooden Bull in the City Sai; to which eueryevery day were odors offred, & alight set by night. This Oxe once a yeare was brought out to the people. Next to him was Asychis, who made a Pyramis of bricks; and these bricks were made of earth, that claue to the end of a pole for this purpose, in a vaine curiositie thrust into a lake. Yet were all these wonders exceeded by the Labyrinth, the worke (say some) of pHons.Cos.li.3.sammetichus, or (after Herodotus) of the twelue Peeres which reigned in common as kings, partly aboue ground, partly beneath, in both containing 3500 roomes. Herodotous saith he saw the vpper roomes, the lower he might not, as being the Sepulchres of the Founders, & of the sacred Crocodiles: all was of stone, and grauen. The lake of Maeris was not lesse wonderful, compassing 3600. furlongs, & 50 fadom in depth, made by Maeris, whose name it beareth. In the midst were 2. Pyramides 50. fadom aboue, & as much beneath water, one for himselfe, the other for his wife. The water flows 6 months out, & 6 months in, from Nilus. The fish were worth to the kings coffers twēty of their pounds a day the first 6, & a talent a day the last 6 months. Of Necus whom the Scripture calles Pharaon Necho, & of his victory against the Syrians in Magdolo, or Magiddo, where he slue king Iosiah. He also makes this Necus author of that trench, from Nilus to the red sea, which Strabo ascribes to Sesostris. Pli. rPlm.li.6.c.29makes Sesostris first author, seconded by Darius, who in this busines was followed by Ptol. 100. foot broad, 37. miles long; but forced to leaue the enterprise, for feare of the red sea ouerflowing Egypt, or mixing his water with Nilus.qReg.23.29.
Tremellins thinks it to be the labour of the Israelites, in that seruitude, from which Moses freed them. He consumed in this work 120000. Egyptians. After him reigned Sammi, & then Apries. About these times sAnton.Galux.Nabuch. conquered the Egyptians, according to Ezech. prophecy, Ezec.30. But they had also ciuil wars. Amasis tPhilostrat.de vita Apollon.lib. 5.ca.…. saith that Apollonius, seeing a Lion (which one had tamed) offer to fawn on him, withall, vttering certaine murmurings; interpreted that speach of the Lion to the people, saying, that be sometime had been Amasis the Aegyptian King: whereupon he was sent with pompous procession of the Priests, to Leontopolis, and there placed in the Temple.depriued Apries, who, being of a base birth, of a great bason of gold in which himselfe & his guests had vsed to wash their feet, made an Image, & placed it in the most conuenient part of the city; & obseruing their superstitious deuotion thereunto, said that they ought now no lesse to respect him, notwithstanding his former base birth and offices. When hee was a priuate man, to maintaine his prodigall expenses, he vsed to steale from others: and when they redemaunded their own, he committed himselfe to the censure of their oracles. Such oracles as neglected his thefts, he being a king, did neglect. He brought from the city Elephantina 20 daies sailing, a building of solid stone, the roofe being of one stone, 21 cubits long, 14 broad, and 8 thicke, and brought it to the Temple at Sai. He ordained, that eueryevery one should yerely giuegive account to the Magistrate, how he liued, & maintained himself. Psammenitus his son succeeded, whom Cambyses depriued.