A Collection of Curious Travels and Voyages, Dedication 2
Dr. Leonhart Rauwolff, TO His Honoured Couſins and Friends, HANS WIDTHOLTZ, CHRISTOPH. CHRISTEL, AND NICHOLAS BEMER.
Honoured and Dear Couſins,
THE Ancient Philoſophers were wont not unfitly to compare the ſtudy and purſuit of Ingenious Arts and Sciences to the practiſe of Merchandizing; for as Merchants fear no Dangers, neither ſpare any Pains or Coſt in travelling to foreign Countries, by Sea and Land, that they may procure and bring thence, to furniſh their Store-houſes, ſuch Goods and Commodities as they chiefly deal in. So thoſe who make the attainment of Skill in the forementioned Liberal Arts their principal End, and the ſtudy thereof their Delight, are not deterred from proſecuting this Deſign, by any diſtances of Places, by Winter or Summer, fearing neither Rain nor Snow, nor the traverſing of horrid Deſarts, or the wild and roaring Seas, nor waſting or weakening their Patrimonies, if at laſt they can but arrive at thoſe places, where they may gain the acquaintance and familiarity of eminently-learned Maſters, able to inſtruct them in thoſe Arts and Sciences, to the Knowledge and Comprehenſion whereof they aſpire; or where they may inform themſelves of the Conſtitutions and Cuſtoms of famous Nations, and of other things ſubſervient to their Intentions. We have an Inſtance of this in the Wiſe Philoſopher and famous Law-giver Solon, who (as Plutarch in the Deſcription of his Life remarketh) travelled through many foreign Countries, to acquire the knowledge of their Government and Polity, their Laws and Conſtitutions, in order to the qualifying and enabling himſelf to accompliſh his deſign of giving Laws to his own. We read alſo in Diogenes Laertius, that Plato did travel to Megara, to viſit Euclide; to Cyrene, to ſee Theodorus Mathematicus; into Italy, to encounter the Pythagorean Philoſophers; and alſo into Egypt, to converſe with the Prieſts and Sages there, ſo mightily cried up in the World, and to acquaint himſelf with their Learning and Myſteries: Moreover, that he intended a Journey into Aſia, had he not been hinder'd by a War then newly commenced.
After the ſame manner Galen writes of himſelf, That he ſailed to Lemnos, Cyprus, and Paleſtina of Syria, on purpoſe to ſee foreign Plants, and rare Oares and Minerals.
To relate what great Troubl… and Dangers thoſe that have written of Exotick Plants to this day have ſuſtained and incurred in their foreign Peregrinations, would not be grievous to me, did I not fear that it would extend this Dedication to too diſproportionate and tedious a length; wherefore I will omit it, and briefly touch what concerns my ſelf, mine own Inclinations to travel, and proceedings in purſuance thereof.
Although I dare not compare my ſelf with thoſe Excellent and Incomparable Perſons newly mentioned, nor boaſt of any high Ʋnderſtanding, Experience, or Learning, (ſo far as I know my ſelf) yet to confeſs the Truth, I am forced to own, that from my Infancy I alwaies had a great deſire to Travel into foreign parts, and to enquire out Learned and Famous Men, that I might get ſomething of them to encreaſe my Stock of Knowledge. From whence it did proceed (I having chiefly before all other Faculties, a great inclination to the Study of Phyſick, and finding that it required the aſſiſtance of a great many Sciences more, and eſpecially Skill in Botanicks) that after ſerious and mature deliberation, with the Conſent of my Parents and Relations, and at their Expences, I did leave the German Univerſities, and travelled into France and Italy, where the Knowledge and Practiſe of Medicine doth chiefly flouriſh, where alſo ſeveral rare Plants of great uſe in Phyſick, do naturally grow; to acquaint my ſelf with which, and to gain the knowledge of them I have taken abundance of pains, and chiefly at Montpellier, where in company with the highly learned Jeremias Martius, Doctor of Phyſick, I wander'd over ſeveral Hills and Valleys in many places, but chiefly the high Mountain Ceti, ſituate near Frontignan, on the Sea-ſhore, &c. by which means I gathered ſeveral hundreds of Simples, and kept them by me as a Treaſure.
But when I began to conſult Authors concerning them, finding a great many others, no leſs uſeful and advantageous in Phyſick, that were ſaid to grow in Greece, Syria, and Arabia, &c. I was highly therewith pleaſed, chiefly when I found alſo thoſe fruitful places of the Eaſtern Countries deſcribed, which ſeveral Authors, and above all the Holy Scriptures have mentioned; and from thence I was enflamed with a vehement deſire to ſearch out, and view ſuch Plants growing ſpontaneouſly in their Native places, and propounded alſo to my ſelf to obſerve the Life, Converſation, Cuſtoms, Manners, and Religion of the Inhabitants of thoſe Countries. And although I did not then immediately put this my deſign in execution, but delay'd for ſeveral years, doing mean while what Service I could to my Native Country, yet I embraced the firſt opportunity that offer'd it ſelf of accompliſhing it: For when my deceaſed Brother-in-law Mr. Melchior Manlich wiſhed me to take a Voyage into the Eaſtern Countries, to find out their Drugs and Simples, and other things convenient and profitable for his Trade, and did promiſe me requiſite Charges, and a conſiderable Salary, I immediately accepted his agreeable Offer, and readily embraced ſo often-deſir'd an opportunity, and addreſſing my ſelf inſtantly to the Magiſtrates of this City (for I was then in their Service) craved Leave to go; which I had no ſooner obtained, but I began my Travels into the Levant: What I ſaw, learned, and experienc'd, during the ſpace of Three years, (for ſo much time this Journey took me up) not without great danger and trouble, I conſigned all in good order, as it occurred daily, in a Pocket-Journal, to keep as a Memorial of my Life.
But after I returned home again, being deſir'd, nay, continually importun'd by ſeveral Gentlemen and others, my very good Friends, to communicate this my Itinerary to them, and to make it publick. At laſt, after many Refuſals, not being able any longer to reſiſt their Solicitations, I was prevailed upon to comply with their Deſires, to publiſh it in Print.
Wherefore I looked my Itinerary over again, and whatever Curioſities I had obſerved, I did tranſcribe into a peculiar Diary, which I divided into three parts, according as I travelled into ſeveral Countries, and committed it to the Preſs, that I might communicate Copies thereof to my Friends.
It is not Vain-glory that hath prompted me to do this, but rather the Profit and Pleaſure it may afford the Reader; that thoſe who have no opportunity to viſit foreign Countries, may have it before their Eyes, as a Map, to contemplate; and that others may be excited further to enquire into theſe things, and induced, by reading this Account, to Travel themſelves into thoſe parts whereof I have written, to obſerve that more narrowly and exactly wherein I have been too ſhort.
But if any ſhall object, and ſay, That I might have ſpared this Labour and Trouble, and employed it to better purpoſes; and, that the preſent State, Condition, Situation, and Manners of the World have been ſo fully ſurveyed and deſcribed by others, that there is hardly a corner of it left unſearched. To this I anſwer, That what others have written I have not tranſcribed into this Work, but what I have ſeen, experienc'd, obſerv'd and handl'd my ſelf, is only mentioned here: But if any one hath already, out of the like Books printed before, learned all theſe things, ſo that nothing here propounded is new to him, I confeſs this my Labour is of no uſe to ſuch an one, neither have I written it for him. But he that by daily experience obſerveth how Wars, Plagues, Diſtempers, and other Accidents, may and do mightily alter Kingdoms, Countries, Cities, and Towns, ſo that what was praiſed formerly as glorious and beautiful, lyeth now deſolate and in Aſhes, and what then was accounted barren and waſte, may be now become fruitful and glorious; he will confeſs, that ſtill in our times a great many things remain to be ſearch'd and enquir'd into, which others before us never did nor could obſerve, treat of, or publiſh. Purſuant to this the wiſe Solon before mentioned ſaid, That he grew old, continually learning many things.
foreign.
And Julian the Law-giver was wont to ſay, That if one of his Feet were in his Grave, yet he ſhould be deſirous to learn.
If this my Work doth not make or improve Divines, Lawyers, or Phyſicians, (for which purpoſe I never intended it) yet I hope ſome way or other it may be as well uſeful as pleaſant to them and others; for whoſoever ſhall read in this my Itinerary, how the glorious and ſtrong City of Jeruſalem is now ruin'd, and become a heap of Stones, and great Babylon laid in Aſhes, and other famous places in like manner deſtroyed and deſolate, the Land of Promiſe alſo changed into a barren Ground, he may thence collect, that the Wrath of God is a conſuming Fire, that he hath not only not ſpa…ed the Jews, his elect and peculiar People, which he choſe for his Inheritance, but alſo deſtroyed that once fruitful Land, flowing with Milk and Honey, which tho' it ſelf did not ſin, yet he hath curſed with Barrenneſs, for the Tranſgreſſions of its Inhabitants, Pſal. 107.30. and turned the holy City into a deſolation and ſolitude; the due conſideration whereof would be an effectual Motive to provoke Chriſtians to amend their Lives and Manners; for, if this was done in the Green Tree, the choſen People of God, what will become of the Dry, if once the wrath of the Lord be kindled.
Moreover, he that by this Book is inſtructed in the Manners, Cuſtoms, Laws and Orders of the People of the Eaſt, and what Tricks and Cunning they make uſe of, in time both of Peace and War, will know the better how to behave himſelf in all his Neceſſary Occaſions of Traffick and Dealings with them.
Further, this Book alſo teacheth a Chriſtian how to behave himſelf in his Slavery, (if it ſhould befal him) towards his Maſter, without any detriment to his Soul or Conſcience; and how by convenient means he may procure his Liberty again.
You may alſo ſee here how many Sects of Religions there are in theſe places, and how there are many good and well-diſpoſed People, which are not far from the true knowledge of God, and might eaſily be brought to embrace the Orthodox Chriſtianity.
I hope alſo that this my Work will not be very unacceptable to Apothecaries and Phyſicians, containing Deſcriptions of many uſeful Herbs, of which I had willingly added the Cuts, but was forced to forbear at preſent, for ſeveral Reaſons, not needful here to be related, but I hope it may be done afterwards, when Time and Opportunity ſhall ſerve.
You will likewiſe find here ſeveral ſtrange Stories, both pleaſant to read, and which may give occaſion to higher Conſiderations: So that I am in good hopes I ſhall not have taken all theſe Pains, and uſed this Diligence altogether in vain.
Now, Honoured Gentlemen and Couſins, to return to you; Sith it hath been always uſed by Writers, both ancient and modern, to dedicate their Books to ſome perſon or other, I alſo in compliance with this laudable Cuſtom, have thought fit to dedicate this my Itinerary to you, not only becauſe of that Relation we ſtand in to each other, by reaſon of conſanguinity, but alſo to acknowledge my Obligations, and declare my Gratitude for the many Favours, Good-turns, and Friendly Offices done me by Mr. Leonhart Chriſtel, our dear Uncle of pious Memory (in whoſe Steps you Mr. Nicholas Bemer, and Chriſtopher Chriſtel, the Heirs as well of his Virtues as his Eſtate, do tread) when he was alive, and do ſtill at preſent receive of you three my Honoured Kinſmen; which my well-meaning Dedication I hope you will favourably accept, and own and acknowledge as your Couſin.
Your moſt humble Servant, Leonhart Rauwolff.