'Some years travels into divers parts of Africa, and Asia the great. Describing more particularly the empires of Persia and Industan: interwoven with such remarkable occurrences as hapned in those parts during these later times. As also, many other rich and famous kingdoms in the oriental India, with the isles adjacent. Severally relating their religion, language, customs and habit: as also proper observations concerning them.' [‎229] (250/448)

< Babjilon.Hagdat*
Riv. I?- the like judgment is denounced againft myftical Bahylan ( for the Old was then
deilroy'd ) Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and become the habitation of Devils, &c of
that aftonifhment both to the Kings and Merchants of the Earth, that ftanding a far off
they weep and wail, faying, Alas! alas! for that great City; but the Righteous do re-
joyce, feeing that in her was found the Blood of the Prophets and of the Saints, and of
all that were flam upon the Earthy which how far applicable unto this, I intermeddle
not: Nor concerning her have more to fay, than that the utter defolation of this Great
City may well ferve as a Mirror for all others of that kind to view their deftiny; for
even the greateit Cities die and have their periods. Give me leave therefore onely in
her prefent mines to eredt a Monumental Pillar to her memory, whereon in Capital
Letters I may affix this Elegiac Infcription,
BABYLON
^Qlnift
Neverthelefs as was her rife, her fall was not at one time, butlanguifhed by degrees
The greateft blow given was by Selemhns Nicanor A. M, 3645. who about 360 Years be
fore the Incarnation of our Saviour, in that very place where Coch once Hood built a
City, at the place where Tigris and Euphrates meet, for fome fpace making one Chan
nel *, and after his own Name called it Seleucia : but before that was named Calanne and
Chains, one of thofe four Cities over which Nimrod ruled, mentioned in Gen. 10. 10 be
ing fifty miles to the North of Babylon-, by the diminution of the one,the other increaf-
ing: For, partly by perfwafions, but principally by menaces,that great Prince forced fix
hundred thoufand Souls out of Babylon to people Seleucia. Agreeable to the Prophecie
of Jeremiah 51. 45. which fays that the People Ihould go out after her. Strabo alio
lib. 16. in brief remembers as much; Babylonis partem Per fa diruermt, partem eonftimpfit
TempHS, partem negligentia Macedonam, prafertim poftquam Seleucus Nicanor condidit Seku-
ciam ad Tigrim, ftadiis tantum 300 a Baby lone diflans ^ &c. The Parthian s afterwards did
the like to Selemia when they built Oefiphon about a league further upon the River and
that new City in the like fort was made defolate upon the building of Fologocerta by
logefesthe Parthian King about a hundred Years after the firft Cafar ; the rutnes of which
great Cities oft amufe and probably mifguide Travellers, when they view their mines
for the finding out old Babylon or Nimrod\ Tower: notwithftanding all the light held
forth by ancient Writers, or the traditional reports of the prefent Inhabitants whofpeak.
onely by hear-fay and pure ignorance: And by reafon of Voifinage Seleucia alfo is (but
erroneoufly) by fome taken for Babylon rather than Bagdath, That Babylon which is in
v£gypt was built by Cambyfes the Per fan King Son to Cyrus, but fince named El-Cairo by
Gehoar Lieutenant to El-Cair the Babylonian Chalyph, Caire in Syriack^znd Brittifh fignify-
ing a City. Where, note that Memphis and Latopolis itood there or very near that place,
as Leo in his Hiftory of Africk acquaints us.
B AG D A T (raifed out of old BabeFs mines) is in 36 degrees 20 minutes North in
82 of longitude: built in that part of Mefopotamia the Per pans call Trakein, the Turks
Dyarhec, the Arabs Ja^irey, the Armenians Mere din albeit fome place it in Safiana about
25 miles North of Babylon. The Name Bagdat (I fuppofe) is either from Bag-Deb, i.e.
a Lordly Cityor from Bawt-dat, i. e. a Princely Garden*, for Bagdaden, t. e. Horms
Eden, others fancy it. Hbwbeit, fome fay from Bagiafer the Babylonian Kalyph, who dif-
burfed two millions of gold to re-edifie it after that devaftation which was made there
by Almerick^ King of Jewry. But long ihe enjoy'd not that fplendor ; for Chyta a Tar
tarian? nnce by order from Alako his Brother,not onely fack'd it with a barbarous rage,
but withal cruelly tortured the then Lord Chalyph Muftaed-zem. Howbeit in the Year
of our Lord 762. of the Heg. 142. Almanfor (or Abviaphcr as fbme name him) the three
and twentieth Chalyph, by Art Magick obfervingaprecifetime when by a good influence
of the heavens it might in future times be fortunate begun to rear her up again *, and
as a peculiar a6t teftifying his devotion builded the Mofyne in that place where one Bagdet
an Eremit had made his Hermitage, and from whofe memory probably it took the de
nomination. Almanfor neverthelefs ( as Mircond the Per fan Hillorian fayes ) gave it an
other name ^ viz.. Medina Jfalem, i. e. the City of Peace : or according to Ben~Cafen,
Deer-Ajfala, i. e. the Church of Peace. I fuppofe that great Almanfor who every month
to alter his gray hairs to black, was at the charge of two thoufand drachms of Musk,
An