'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.' [‎242] (263/448)

P ;I 11
1' !
Temple of Belus deftroyed.
fome fay five and twenty foot) but that Leonids the Spartan King with three hundred
Lacedemonians (the remainder of five thoufand that firft appeared) defended the Paf s
with fuch incomparable refolution that for two dayes they withftood this World of Men.
An oppofitionfo memorable, as albeit with his Men were flam, yetfo noble a
facrifice lives and will live in Fames honourable Roll to all pofterity, as not without
caufe the Greeks in that place raifed him a Statua with this infeription, alicjuando hie contra
mynadasj cam trecentis hominihm yugnavit LeonicUs. Howbeit, Xerxes after this fmart
entertainment marched as far as Athens', which being abandoned by the Inhabitants he
eafily fired, by the way having plundered the Temple at Delfhos> which was marvellous
rich by the offerings of many Princes and people of preceding generations: Sacriledge(for
fo 'tis called, feeing he acknowledged for one of his Gods) fo notorious fayes
Herodotm and other Hiftorians of thofe times, as occafioned many fatal calamities to pur.
fuehim: albeit he framed this excufe, That it was irrational, nay impious, to confine
the Celeftial Gods to Earthly Habitations, for thereby they immured them within Wood
and Stone, but was other wife underftood by the Greeks who gave Judgment againft him,
by the bad fuccefs of his affaires, as followeth. For firll:, his great Afmado was foon
after beaten and funk by Themiftoclef the Athenian Admiral, with his four hundred fail
near thelile of Salamis in the Gulph of ISlegropont'', and fuchhavock made by the in.
cenfed Greeks, that Non vitti fed mncendo fatigati inter ingentes catervas flratorum hoftmm
occidermtj fiiith an Author ; a fight or execution fo dreadful to the Perfian King that his
Spirits funk fo as he could not think himfelf fafe amidft his Royal Guard fo long as he
continued on the wrong fide the Hellefpont : And accordingly leaving Mardonim (his
General and Uncle by marriage) three hundred and fifty thoufand feled men, he haften-
ed to Sefios •, where finding the Bridge difordered by a late ftorm, he was neceffitated
to ferry over in a fmall Cock-boat ^ thence giving one Riftorian occafion to fay, He was
primus infuga-y yojiremtu in frdlio, and to another, and that very truly, JEjm introitm in
Graciam nan tarn terrihilis quam difcejfus fait turf is, &c. Neverthelefs, to dilTemble his
grief for that inftability of Fortune, he began to play fuch mad pranks as rendred him
more and more ridiculous: For, in the firft place to be revenged for the breaking his
Bridge, and lofs fuftained at Sea, he commands a Sea-Captain to give the Water three
hundred lafhes, and having the Images of Nepme, Boreas and Proteus brought as Delin
quents before him, toexprefshis own greatnefs (being Brother to the Sun and Moon,
asheufually ftil'ed himfelf) and what low efteem he had of thofe marine or inferiour
Deities he committed them Prifoners to his Provoft Marlhal who was ordered to mana
cle their hands and load their legs with fetters during pleafure for which irreverence
and impiety as they imputed, the Greeks proclaimed him Beorum immortalmm Hoftis : but
he in requital thereof, and to ihew that he loved to imitate his Anceftor, chain
ed the Palladium and fired the Temple of Minerva, the rather, for that fhe was the Athe
nians Tutelary Goddefs; and with like frenzy burnt the Temples of all other Gods inter-
pofing his return (that of Ephefits excepted;) whence fo foon as he underftood how that
the reft of his great Army was wholly broken by the overthrow given Mardonim ztPlatu
by Land, and Arta^Intes at Micale by Sea in one fame day, he continued his flying march
as far as Babylon ; where to (hew that he put not his confidence in.thofe ftrong Walls, he
caufleily pulled down part thereof; and then alfo without the leaft provocation firft defa
ced and after that demoliflied the nobleft ftrudure and piece of Antiquity that was at that
time extant throughout the world, the Temple ot Belus, which Semiramls with charge
incredible and Art incomparable had ereded and dedicated to the, memory of her Hus
bands Grandfire Belm. It was a fquare Pyramis faith Straho lib., 13. c. 3. made of brick
in the midft rofe eight Towers, the firft of which was one furlong high, and the reft
proportionable; fo high, and fo curious that it fuperadded to the other feven Wonders
of the World. He alfo ravilhed thence the Statua of Belus, which was twelve cubits high
and of maflie Gold*, and zsHerodotus lib. 1. flew divers of the Flamens that would have
refcued it: Alexander would have repaired this broken Pyramis, but after an eflay
found it not prafl;icable. Howbeit this ad of his, albeit Hiftorians reproach him for
it, neverthelefs feems alluded toby that memorable predidion of Jeremiah chap. 15-
l %' where inveighing againft the grofs Idolatry of the Caldeans the Prophet con
cludes, That Vrna funt opera & rifn digna, in tempore vifitationis faa perihunt. And in
Verf. 44. fijltabofuper Belumin Babylone, murus qmque Bahylonis cor met, &c. Thus having
•r humour againft thofe imaginary Gods, with like barbarous outrage he exer-
died his Tyranny againft men*, moft inhumanely putting firft the Wife of Mafifits the
Lieutenant, and after that himfelf and Children to Death ^ with feveral others,
of whom he had conceived fome caufeleis jealoufie: So as becoming more feared than
loved.