i^fi The fixtli Booke of 



impoftsj cuftomesjand tributes : but now it is come to be but a fort and .calHeof dcfence.Eut G 

 there continue ftill in their entier and as flourifliing ftate as ever they were^ thecitie Hebara and 

 OruroSj unto which by the fortunate conduiSl; of Pompej the Greatjthe Umits and bounds of the 

 Romane Empire vyerc extended ; and it is from Zeugma 2 50 miles.. Some writers make vcpovXy 

 ihatthc river Euphrates was divided by a governour of Mefbpbtamia, andone arme thereof 

 brought to Gobarisj even in that place where weefaid it parted in twaine : which was done for 

 fcare leaft one day or other the river with his violent ftreame fhould endaunger the citie of Bar-? 

 bylon. They affirme moreover, that the Aflyrians generally called it * Armalchar^ which figtov 

 fieth a royall river. Vpon this new arme of the river aforefaidj there flood foraetime AgranijOiie' 

 of the greateft townes of that region, which the Perfians caufed to be utterly rafedand de- 

 ftroyed. ' H 



As for the cittie of Babylon, the capitall citie of all the Chald^ean nations, for a long time 

 carried a great name over all the world: in regard whereof, all the other parts of Mefopotamia 

 and Afly ria was named Babylonia : it contained within the walls 60 miles. Tlie walks were 

 foot in height,and 50 thicke; reckoning to everie foot3' fingers breadth morethaii;.6ur QEdu5|- 

 rie meafure.Through the mids of this goodly great citie, pafleth the river Euphrates ; a wMer- 

 full peece ofworke, if a man confldcr both the one and die other. As yet to this day thetempk 

 of iHpiter BeU^ there flandeth entire. This prince was the firft inventer of Aflronomie. It is nmi 

 growne .into decay and lyeth wail and unpeopled, by reafon that Seleuciathe cittie fiandetli^ 

 neereit, which hath drawne from it all reibrt and traffick : and was for that purpofe built by 

 c, It or mihin^omyksoi it, in the verie confluent where the new arme of Euphratesis brought I 

 by a ditch to meet with Tigris : notwithftanding, furnamed it is Babylonia,a free flate at this day 

 and ftibjed to no perfon ; howbeit they live after the lawcs and manners of the Macedonians. 

 And by repor t,in thiscitie there are 600000 cittizens. As for the walls there of,hy repGrt,they do 

 refemblc an Eagle fpreading her wings ; and for the folic, there is not a terricorie in all the Eafl 

 paitscomparable to it in fertilitie. The Parthians in dcfpight againe of this citie, andfor to doe 

 the like by it, as fometime was done to the old Babylon, built the citie Ctefiphon within three 

 miles of it,in the trad called Chalonitjs,even todifpeople and impoverifb it: which now atthis 

 prefent is the head citie of the kingdome. But when they could doe httle or no good thereby to: 

 difcrcdit the faid new Babylon, of late daies j^oUgrfus their king founded another citie hd,xdb% 

 called Vologefo Gerta.Moreover,other cities there are befidesiivMefopotamia, namely HypTr % 

 j3arenum,a citie likewife of the ChaldGeans,and ennobled for their learning as well as Babylon t 

 fituateupon the rivet Narragon, which gave the name unto that citie . Howbeit the Pcrfians- 

 caufed thisHypparenum to be difmantled,and the walls thereof to be demolifhed, Therebe al- 

 fo in this traftj the Orchcnes toward the South : from whence is come a third fort of the Ghal- 

 da^ans, called Orcbeni. Beeing pail this region, you meet with the Notites,OrthophantSj and 

 Gvasciophants.iV^'W;//^ and f>»<?//^/'rt/^,who regiftred the voyage of Alexander the Great in- 

 to the Indians, report,That from the Perfian fca to the citie of Babylon by the river Euphrates, 

 15412 miles.Butthe later and moderne writers, doe count from Seleucia to the Perfian gulfe, 

 4Pomiles.K./«^i? writeth,thatfromBabylontoCharax,is 175 iniles. Some affirme moreover, 

 that beyond Babylon, the river Euplirates maintaineth his entire courfe and keepeth one chan- 

 nell 87 miles, before that hee is divided into feverali braunches here and there, for to water the 

 countrey : and that he holdeth on his courfe from his head to the fea/or thefpace of 1200 miles. 

 This varietie of Authors as touching the meafure,is the caufe thata man may not fo well refolve 

 and conclude thereof, confidering that even the very Perfians agree not about the dimeniions 

 of their Scoenes and Parafangcs,but have divers meafures of them. Whereas the river Euphra- 

 tes giveth over his ownechannell, (which for the breadth thereof is a fufficient munition to it 

 lclfe)andbeginnethtopart into divers braunches,whichitdoth about the marches and con- 

 finesof Charax,inall thattraaneereadjoyning,greatdaunger there is of the Attain, athee- 

 vifb nation of the Arabians, who prefently fet upon all paffengers comming and going to and 

 fro. When ye are paft this infamous and fijfpeaed region, you fhall enter into the countrey of M 

 theSchenites. As for the Arabians called Nomades, they occupie all the coafls of the river 

 Euphrates, as farre as to the deferts of Syria : from which place we faid that he turned and tooke 

 ; his wayinto the South3abandoningthedefertsofPalmyrene.Toconclude,from the beginning 



and head of Mefopotamia.it is counted to Seleuciajif you paffe upon the river Euphrates,! 125 



miles; 



