LAURENCE ALDERSEY ad 



1581. 



is so ruinated, that I take it rather to be a heape of 

 stones then a towne. 



Then the next morning we thought to have gone 

 away, but we could not be permitted that day, so we 

 stayed there till two of the clocke the next morning, and 

 then with a fresh gard of souldiers we departed toward 

 Jerusalem. We had not ridde five English miles, but we 

 were incountred with a great number of the Arabians, Troopes of 

 who stayed us, and would not suffer us to passe till they ^^^^^'^^^ '^^^- 

 had somewhat, so it cost us for all our gard above 

 twentie shillings a man betwixt Joppa and Jerusalem. 

 These Arabians troubled us oftentimes. Our Truchman 

 that payed the money for us was striken downe, and had 

 his head broken because he would not give them as 

 much as they asked : and they that should have rescued 

 both him and us, stood still, and durst doe nothing, 

 which was to our cost. 



Being come within sight of Jerusalem, the maner is ^^^ arr'wall 

 to kneele downe, and Sfive God thankes, that it hath ^f ^^^ f<^^^ ^^ 

 pleased him to bring us to that holy place where he 

 himselfe had beene : and there we leave our horses, and 

 go on foote to the towne, and being come to the gates, 

 there they tooke our names, and our fathers names, and 

 so we were permitted to go to our lodgings. 



The governor of the house met us a mile out of the 

 towne, and very curteously bade us all welcome, and 

 brought us to the monasterie. The gates of the citie are 

 all covered with yron, the entrance into the house of the 

 Christians is a very low & narrow doore, barred or 

 plated with yron, and then come we into a very darke 

 entry : the place is a monastery : there we lay, & dieted 

 of free cost, we fared reasonable well, the bread and wine 

 was excellent good, the chambers cleane, & all the meat fll. i. 153.] 

 well served in, with cleane linnen. 



We lay at the monasterie two dayes, friday and 

 Saturday, and then we went to Bethlem with two or 

 three of the friers of the house with us : in the way 

 thither we saw many monuments, as : 



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