'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.' [‎249] (272/448)

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(jreatnefs of the Verjian
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and Burial-place of the Terfian Monarchs. -No place in the world being put into the
balance with this City would have weighed it down ; for after the Souldiers had loaded
themfelves with three dayes plunder of Money, Plate Jewels 3 Images of Gold, and Bullion
in abundance, the Conquerour for his fhare had a hundred and twenty thoufand Talents
in coin: But not content therewith, he fet the City and Palace on fire, at the inftigati-
on of an infambus ilrumpetnot worth a naming the fecond time •, Vrbem illam Regiam,
tot Monarch arum altricem, totim Orientis mperatricem, Gracia et cater arum gentikm terrorem
flammis miferrime incendit, fayes Munfler Cofmojr.
- And not finding any fitter place to take a furvey of the Perfian Exchequer, which
clearly appears by the feveral vaft fums ^ArWffrfeized in this itinerant War to be pro
digious, fuffer me a little view, that it may evidence how properly the Perfian Kings
arrogated to themfelves the Title of Rex Regftm, Dominofq^ omnium hominum^&c. their
annual Revenue being anfwerable to the amplitude of their Empire, which extended one
way from the North fide of the Hellefpont to the River Ganges ; and the other way to the
Jrx-PhHenorum and Countrey of the Garamants : lb as if onely from India they extraded
yearlythree hundred and threefcore Talents Of Gold*, out of the reft of the 127 Provin
ces how great mult be the receipt? for no kfs was yearly brought into the Exchequer
fay good Authors than 40500 Talents of Gold, every Talent according to the Hebrew
amounting unto 4500 pounds*, fo as the feveral vaft fums which Alexander diljpofed out
of thefe feveral Treafuries may well be credited equalling ('tis thought) the publick reve
nue of the Roman Exchequer, which in Augufim C<efar's Raign,was 15 o Millions of Crowns
as by fome is reported. Let it not then be loft labour to enumerate thofe fums as I find
regiftred^ and probably agreed with the Accompt then given Alexander.
At the battel otljfm Alexander took from the Treafurer at War 6100 Talents of coin
deiigned for the pay of Darim his Army, and 500 Talents more in Bullion, unminted.
What the Silver Talent was, is doubtful; For if it were the Babylonian Talent, that was
218 pounds*, if the Alexandrian, 375 pounds *, if the nALgyytian, 250 pounds*, (fori
obferve th^t the Attique andEuboique with the Talents in different Kingdoms were not
the fame, no more than was the Weight which had its equal variation, andfuchas hath
occafioned fundry miftakes amongft Hiftorians.) At Memphis he found 800 Talents^
at Damafcus 2600. at Babylon 5.0000, at Ecbatan 26000. atShujhan 50000 un_minted and
nine millions of Gold •, at Parfagard 60000. and in Perfejtolis 120000 Talents ^ or as Strabo
reports (if he mean not rather the Total) thirty two millions feven hundred and fifty thou
fand pounds: So that the 3 0000 Talents or eighteen millions of Crowns which Dariw prof
fered Alexander with his Daughter Smira in portion, and the 10000 Talents for ranfom-
ing of prifoners, would eafily have been paid, feeing that prodigious mafs of treafure Alex
ander fent thence into his native Kingdom was fo great as loaded five thoufand Camels, and
ten thoufand Mules.
Moreover, feeing I am upon this fubjed, fufFer me to balance thefe .with other ftu-
pendious fums I meet with in authenic ftories. Andfirft, concerning that which 5^2-
napalm facrificed with himfelf in flames when Nineveh was taken by Belochus : It is report
ed to be nolefsthanOne hundred millions of Talents in Gold and a thoufand millions of
Talents in Silver, which in our money amounts unto twenty, thoufand and five hundred
millions of pounds 5 fcarce credible, if the vaft extent of that Empire and arbitrary
authority of thofe Rings were not confidered, and that it was foon after the golden age;
and compared with what King David amaiFed together out of a far lefs Dominion: tor
David (as appears 1 Chron. 22. 14.) bequeathed Solomon towards the building of the
Temple One hundred thoufand Talents of Gold and ten hundred thoufand Talents of Silver,
which in our money amounts to eight hundred fixty feven millions, three hundred eighty
two thoufand and five hundred pounds fterling, or thereabouts. Marvellous it|is likewifs to
confider where and in what manner Cyrw fcraped fo faft a fum together out of his Lieute
nancy in the lelfer Afia fuch time as he marched againft his Brother Artaxerxes, being as
Xenophon reports One hundred and five and twenty millions of pounds!.
Now as in the firft I gave but one inftance out of the Tax that was yearly raifed from
India', foin the laft I fhall onely mention ^gypt, which in Cleopatra's time brought
every year into the publiqueTreafury Twelve thoufand and five hundred Talents of Gold,
which according to our computation makes 7500000 Crowns; fums fo very great, as
puts to filence that mafs of plate which was offered Pyzdrro a Spamfh Commander
in America by Attahalipa the Peruvian King for his ranfome. Qhi how has our
Mother Earth groaned through the violence that has been offered her bowels by extract
ing this Mammon of darknefs ? How* many millions of lives have been Ipent in Mines for
the producing that which mif-ufed has helped to put the Univerfe into a combuftion^
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