When Abraham Was Commanded To Sacrifice
His Son Isaac, He Directed His Son To Follow Him To The Place Where
He
was to execute the divine command; and as Isaac was following after his
father, a devil met him in
The way near this wall, in the semblance of a
fair and friendly person, and asked him whither he went. Isaac answered
that he was going to his father, who waited for him. To this the arch
enemy replied, that he had better not go, as his father meant to
sacrifice him. But Isaac despising the warnings of the devil, continued
his way, that his father might execute the commandments of God
respecting him. On this the devil departed from him, but met him again
as he went forward, under the semblance of another friendly person, and
advised him as before not to go to his father. On this Isaac threw a
stone at the devil, and wounded him in the forehead; in remembrance of
which traditionary story it is that the people, on passing this way, are
accustomed to throw stones at the wall before going to the city. As we
went this way, the air was in a manner darkened with prodigious
multitudes of stock doves, all, as they pretend, derived from the dove
that spoke in the ear of Mahomet, in likeness of the Holy Ghost. These
doves are seen in vast numbers in all parts about Mecca, as in the
houses, villages, inns, and granaries of corn and rice, and are so tame
that they can hardly be driven away. Indeed it is reckoned a capital
crime to kill or even take them, and there are certain funds assigned
for feeding them at the temple.
Beyond the temple there are certain parks or inclosures, in which there
are two _unicorns_ to be seen, called by the Greeks _Monocerotae_, which
are shewn to the people as miracles of nature, and not without good
reason, on account of their scarcity and strange appearance. One of
these, though much higher than the other, is not unlike a colt of thirty
months old, and has a horn in its forehead, growing straight forwards
and the length of three cubits. The other is much younger, resembling a
colt of one year old, and its horn is only four hand breadths long.
These singular animals are of a weasel chesnut colour, having a head
like that of a hart, but the neck is not near so long, with a thin mane,
hanging all to one side. The legs are thin and slender, like those of a
fawn or hind, and the hoofs are cleft much like those of a goat, the
outer parts of the hind feet being very full of hair. These animals
seemed wild and fierce yet exceedingly comely. They were sent out of
Ethiopia by a king of that country, as a rare and precious gift to the
sultan of Mecca[46].
[Footnote 46: The unicorn is an unknown, or rather a fabulous animal,
and the most charitable interpretation that can be made of the
description in the text is, that Verthema was mistaken, or that one of
the horns of some species of antelope had either been removed, or was
wanting by a lusus naturae. The only real _Monoceros_, or one horned
animal, known to naturalists, is the rhinoceros monoceros, or one-horned
rhinoceros, which bears its horn on the nose, a little way above the
muzzle, not on the forehead. - E.]
It may seem proper to mention here certain things which happened to me
at Mecca, in which may be seen the sharpness of wit in case of urgent
necessity, which according to the proverb, has no law; for I was driven
to the extent of my wits how I might contrive to escape privately from
Mecca. One day, while in the market purchasing some things by the
direction of our captain, a certain Mameluke knew me to be a Christian,
and said to me in his own language _inte mename_, which is to say,
"Whence are you?" To this I answered that I was a Mahometan, but he
insisted that I spoke falsely, on which I swore by the head of Mahomet
that I really was. Then he desired me to go home along with him, which I
willingly did; and when there he began to speak to me in the Italian
language, affirming that he was quite certain I was not a Mahometan. He
told me that he had been some time in Genoa and Venice, and mentioned
many circumstances which convinced me that he spoke truth. On this I
freely confessed myself A Roman, but declared that I had become a
Mahometan at Babylon in Egypt, and had been there enrolled among the
Mamelukes. He seemed much pleased as this, and treated me honourably.
Being very desirous of proceeding farther in my travels, I asked him if
this city of Mecca was as famous as was reported in the world, and where
the vast abundance of pearls, precious stones, spices, and other rich
merchandise was to be seen, which was generally believed to be in that
city, wishing to know the reason why these things were not now brought
there as in former times; but to avoid all suspicion, I durst not make
any mention of the dominion acquired by the king of Portugal over the
Indian ocean and the gulfs of Persia and Mecca. Then did he shew the
cause why this mart of Mecca was not so much frequented as it used to
be, assigning the whole blame to the King of Portugal. Thereupon I
purposely detracted from the fame of that king, lest the Mahometan might
suspect me of rejoicing that the Christians resorted to India for trade.
Finding me a professed enemy to the Christians, he conceived a great
esteem for me, and gave me a great deal of information. Then said I to
him in the language of Mahomet _Menaba menalhabi_, or "I pray you to aid
me." He asked me in what circumstance I wished his assistance; upon
which I told him that I wished secretly to depart from Mecca, assuring
him under the most sacred oaths that I meant to visit those kings who
were the greatest enemies to the Christians, and that I possessed the
knowledge of certain estimable secrets, which if known to those kings
would certainly occasion them to send for me from Mecca.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 28 of 226
Words from 27496 to 28575
of 230997
