'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.' [‎228] (249/448)

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exceedingly beautify'd and enlarged by S emir amis: concerning whom dkitur altam^
CoStilihus mnris cinxijfc Semirami* Uybem. And anothei Poet; Perfarum ft at nit Bahylona
S emir amis Vrhem. Not onely compaffing it with a Wall, but fuch a Wall as worthily W as
accounted principal of the World's feven W 7 onders: for as Solinm reports, it was four
hundred and fourfcore furlongs about,which make threefcore of our miles. Diod. $icnlm x
three hundred fixty five*, for each" day one furlong. Qu. Cart, three hundred fifty eight.
the height and thicknefs holding proportion. The height fay the fame Authors was two
hundred cubits (the common cubit is the length of the Arm from the elbow to the longeft
fingers end, which is half a Yard ^ the holy Cubit was a Yard j the Geometrical Cubit
three) Fifty Cubits of the largeft meafure, faith another *, and the thicknefs was forty
foot: fifty Cubits fay others', fo broad that fix Chariots could well drive together
at the top, and fo battlemented that they could not fall. A broad grafF or trench it alfo
had filled with Water that went round the Wall *, which was entred by a hundred gates of
Brafs. And what made this Wall no lefs beautiful than ibrong, was, that it was arched,
fo as under a Piazza Men might walk as in a ftiade. Semiramk begun, but finilhed it
was for the recreation of Amyrtis the Wife of Nahuchodoxofor the Great, or as Tome
lay by Nitocris his Daughter, who as Jofefhm ex Berofo lib- 1 . contra Jppion. and Herodotus
lib, i. fay emulated Semiramis. Seconded by fuch a Palace, as gaining even his own ad
miration, extorted from him that impious boait. Is not: this Great Babel that I have built?
A City fo ftrong, that albeit Cyrm by that fuccefs obtained at Borfyppa had the oppor
tunity to wreath his brow with the Median Diadem, yet was he unable to mafter it un
til! he turned Euphrates another way ( as Semiramis had done when ihe built the Bridge)
by which he made his happy approach,whilft ( not perceiving danger fo near
at hand) was caroufing amongft the Princes of his Empire and fell afleep j a perpetual
lleep as called in Jeremiah s i. s?* being (after that dreadful apparition upon the Wall)
that night llain by Dwius, as recorded in Daniel 5. 30. A City fo great, that (as Art-
fiotle reports) one part in three days (hours fays one) after it was taken knew not that
the Enemy was entred: but that one Polt Ihould run to meet another to Ihew the King
of Babylon that his City was taken at one end, we read in the Prophet Jeremiah 51.31.
and that at the noife of the winning of Babel the Earth was moved, and the cry heard
amongft the Nations, Jen 50.46. A City fo Imperial, that for many generations it was
the ufual place of refidence for the Monarchs of the whole World; honoured with the
Court of nine and forty Emperours horn Nimrod to Beljhaz.z,er for about 1600 Years j
for the Empire terminating in that Prince, was transferred to Dariw, and after to C)-
rtts by the Vidory he obtained over Aftyages his Grand-father An.M. 3400. A City fo
beautiful and fb ftately, as Panfanias in Ajfyr. avers, that Babylon-) Omnium quas unqiMm
Sol afpexit Vrbmm erat maxima & Jplendidijpma, &c. Babylon was the greateft and the molt
glorious of all the Cities that ever the Sun beheld: For which caufe by way of excellency
in the 14. Chap, of Efay 4. Verfe, it is called the Golden City. So that befides the fu-
perlative praifes prophane Writers give. Holy Writ ftiles her the Princefs and glory
or Kingdoms, Jfa. 47. and the praifeofthe whole Earth, Jer. 51.41. Now, where
could the wit of Man find out a better to inhabit than that local place which in his
Innocency enjoy'd ? in which Babylon was fcituated ; fo rich that Alexander when he be-
came matter of this Place found treafured there two hundred thoufand Talents of gold,
eV ^ ^ ein ^ ' m ours 45 0 o l- and what fitter place could that great Monarch choofe
to bid rarewel to the World than in what was Epitome ZJniverfi as one calls it: and at
a time when Ambafladors from all parts of the Univerfe attended to acknowledge him
Sovereign; and where a Parliament of the whole World was aflembling to confulthow
to preferve what his vidorious Arm had purchafed ? Buttofhew theincertaintvofthis
Wodd s glory (being indeed.but a WW*) this great Vidor in the meridian of
• ua ™7 0r , ftreil S th ^ quaffingfomefay too great a draught of Ox blood (as the
richelt Wines there were called ) to Hercules his emulated Progenitor, departs with this
lipit te given V , an en vious Critique, Terr arum fatale malum & fydus iniqimm Gentibm :
haying diflurbed the World about twelve Years •, whofe Spirit how heroick foever it
was, is neverthelefs cenfured by a Roman Hiftorian in thefe words: Nihil aliud qmm
th e wlhf 7 a r a Now according to natural motion as all things when at
the highelt defcend, fo this triumphant City by the revolution of fucceeding times un-
able to refift the uncontroulable decree of Heaven fignified by the greater Prophets,had
his judgement pronounced. The proud walls of Babylon Ihall be utterly broken,and her
^ 1 become a heap, a dwelling place for Dragons*,
^ th ? t 11 Inouxd be faid, How is Babylon become an aftonilhment ? a hiffing and a
defolation amongft all Nations ? Jer. S o. s i. And as in the Old, fo in the New, in
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