of the serifo the king of mecca. the serifo is descended of the prophet mahomet by fatma daughter of that good prophet, and alli husband to her, and sonne in lawe to mahumet, who had no issue male, saue this stocke of the serifo, to the eldest sonne whereof the realme commeth by succession. this realme hath of reuenues royall, euery yeere halfe a million of golde, or litle more: and all such as are of the prophets kinred, or descended of that blood (which are almost innumerable) are called emyri, that is to say, lordes. these all goe clothed in greene, or at the least haue their turbant greene, to bee knowen from the other. neither is it permitted that any of those christians which dwell or traffique in their countrey goe clothed in greene, neither may they haue any thing of green about them: for they say it is not lawfull for misbeleeuers to weare that colour, wherein that great friend the prophet of god mahomet was woont to be apparelled. of the citie of mecca. the citie of mecca in the arabian tongue is called macca, that is to say, an habitation. this citie is inuironed about with exceeding high and barren mountaines, and in the plaine betweene the sayde mountaines and the citie are many pleasant gardens, where groweth great abundaunce of figges, grapes, apples, and melons. there is also great abundance of good water and fleshe, but not of bread. this citie hath no walles about it, and containeth in circuite fiue miles. the houses are very handsome and commodious, and are built like to the houses in italie. the palace of the serifo is sumptuous and gorgeously adorned. the women of the place are courteous, iocund, and louely, faire, with alluring eyes, being hote and libidinous, and the most of them naughtie packes. the men of this place are giuen to that abhominable, cursed, and opprobrious vice, whereof both men and women make but small account by reason of the pond zun zun, wherein hauing washed themselues, their opinion is, that although like the dog they returne to their vomite, yet they are clensed from all sinne whatsoeuer, of which sin we will hereafter more largely discourse. in the midst of the city is the great mosquita, with the house of abraham standing in the very middest thereof, which mosquita was built in the time when their prophet liued. it is foure square, and so great, that it containeth two miles in circuit, that is to say, halfe a mile each side. also it is made in maner of a cloister, for that in the midst thereof separate from the rest, is the abouesayd house of abraham, also the galleries round about are in maner of 4. streetes, and the partitions which diuide the one street from the other are pillars, whereof some are of marble, and others of lime and stone. this famous and sumptuous mosquita hath 99. gates, and 5. steeples, from whence the talismani call the people to the mosquita. and the pilgrimes which are not prouided of tents, resort hither, and for more deuotion the men and women lie together aloft and beneath, one vpon another, so that their house of praier becommeth worse sometimes then a den of thieues. of the house of abraham. the house of abraham is also foure square, and made of speckled stone, 20. paces high, and 40 in circuit. and vpon one side of this house within the wall, there is a stone of a span long, and halfe a span broad, which stone (as they say) before this house was builded, fell downe from heauen, at the fall whereof was heard a voyce, that wheresoeuer this stone fell, there should be built the house of god, wherein god will heare sinners. moreouer, they say that when this stone fell from heauen, it was not blacke as now, but as white as the whitest snow, and by reason it hath bene so oft kissed by sinners, it is therewith become blacke: for all the pilgrimes are bound to kisse this stone, otherwise they cary their sinnes home with them again. the entrance into this house is very small, made in maner of a window, and as high from the ground as a man can reach, so that it is painful to enter. this house hath without 31. pillars of brasse, set vpon cubike or square stones being red and greene, the which pillars sustaine not ought els saue a threed of copper, which reacheth from one to another, whereunto are fastened many burning lampes. these pillars of brasse were caused to be made by sultan soliman grandfather to sultan amurath now emperor. after this, hauing entred with the difficultie abouesayd, there stand at the entrance two pillars of marble, to wit, on each side one. in the midst there are three of aloes-wood not very thicke, and couered with tiles of india 1000. colours which serue to vnderproppe the terratza. it is so darke, that they can hardly see within for want of light, not without an euill smell. without the gate fiue pases is the abouesayd pond zun zun, which is that blessed pond that the angell of the lord shewed vnto agar whiles she went seeking water for her sonne ismael to drinke. of the ceremonies of the pilgrimes. in the beginning we haue sayd how the mahumetans haue two feasts in the yeere. the one they call pascha di ramazaco, that is to say, the feast of fasting, and this feast of fasting is holden thirtie dayes after the feast, wherein the carouan trauelleth to mecca. the other is called the feast of the ramme, wherin all they which are of abilitie are bound to sacrifice a ramme, and this they call bine bairam, that is to say, the great feast. and as the carouan departeth from cairo, thirtie dayes after the little feast, so likewise they come hither fiue or sixe dayes before the great feast, to the ende the pilgrimes may haue time before the feast to finish their rites and ceremonies, which are these. departing from the carouan, and being guided by such as are experienced in the way, they goe vnto the citie twentie or thirtie in a company as they thinke good, walking through a streete which ascendeth by litle and litle till they come vnto a certaine gate, whereupon is written on each side in marble stone, babel salema, which in the arabian tongue signifieth, the gate of health. and from this place is descried the great mosquita, which enuironeth the house of abraham, which being descried, they reuerently salute twise, saying, salem alech iara sul alia, that is to say, peace to thee, ambassadour of god. this salutation being ended, proceeding on the way, they finde an arche vpon their right hand, whereon they ascend fiue steps, vpon the which is a great voyd place made of stone: after, descending other fiue steps, and proceeding the space of a flight-shoot, they finde another arche like vnto the first, and this way from the one arche to the other they go and come 7. times, saying alwaies some of their prayers, which (they say) the afflicted agar sayd, whiles she sought and found not water for her sonne ismael to drinke. this ceremonie being ended, the pilgrimes enter into the mosquita, and drawing neere vnto the house of abraham, they goe round about it other seuen times, alwayes saying: this is the house of god, and of his seruant abraham: this done they goe to kisse the black stone abouesayd. after they go vnto the pond zun zun, and in their apparell as they be, they wash themselues from head to foote, saying, tobah allah, tobah allah, that is to say, pardon lord, pardon lord, drinking also of that waier, which is both mudie, filthie, and of an ill sauour, and in this wise washed and watered, euery one returneth to his place of abode, and these ceremonies euery one is bound to doe once at the least. but those which haue a mind to ouergoe their fellowes, and to goe into paradise before the rest, doe the same once a day while the carouan remaineth there. what the carouan doeth after hauing rested at mecca. [sidenote: the mountaine of pardons