Travels into the Levant- part h • 
LatinTongues,that he might be ranked among the sbleft ProfefTors cf the fsme ; 
arid fo much Mafler of the Hebrew, that he not only iinderftood Hebrew Becks, 
but all T'b.tRubi>?s to the depth ; and he Difpnted againft the JewiHi Dcftours or 
Bak^ns, to whom he explained the Prophets and Old Teftament with fo much 
advantage to our Faitii, fo fubtilly, and with fo good fuccefs, that 1 dare be 
bold to fay, he fcartled and Paook moftofthem: They were fo taken with his 
LearniRg,that they importuned him with their vifits, and (after a converfation' 
of three or four hours continuance, with their Books in their hands) I have 
feen them take their leaves of him with regret, for that it feemed, that the 
time which he was obliged to beftow upon his other friends, was robbed from 
them. He was no lefs skilful in the Chaldaick and Syriack Tongues; at that 
time he excelled in theArabick, Turkilh and Perfian Languages, whereof he 
hath fo well improved the Books fince, that I may confidently fay, he is in all 
thefe Languages the mofl knowing man in Enrobe. I place not only his Skill in 
the fpcaking of thefe Tongues, and underftanding their Books, but chiefly 
in their Learning and Knowledge ofmoft things of the Eaft ; whereof he never 
fpeaks but fo intelligently,that almolt all that hear him are ravilhed and furprifcd 
with his Erudition. This knowledge of fo many Oriental Languages, hath fo 
fccomplilhed him in all kind of Hiftory, both Ancient and Modern, from which 
he hath colleftedfo many particularities,that our Geographers and HiHorians do 
but feem to be in the dark as to thofe things which he could make out witli^éer- 
tainty : He is no lefs knowing in other Sciences than in Languages, and being 
of a humour far from vanity, and the temper of thofe Learned men, who difdain 
toconverfe with fuchas know lefs than themfelves ^ but on the contrary, making 
a myftery of nothing, and frankly difcouriing with any man upon what Subject 
he propofes, informing him pf that he knows; I failed not to embrace the 
occahon, and make the bell of afriendihip that was fo ufcful unto me. He 
imparted to me all that he had learnt from the Levantines, with whom he had 
converfed,not only as to their maners^and method of conduft,but alfo as to what 
circnmfpedions I was to ufe on m.any occafions ; and in ihort, he made me 
determine to Travel into thtLevam. I was overjoyed when he told me that 
he himfelf intended to make the voyage, fhugg'd my felf a long while,in hopes 
of fo good company, and m.ade no doubt but that with fo great affiftances, I 
might be able upon my return, to give the World an account of all the Rarities 
that the Ealt produces in Learning, Art nnd Nature: But when we were upon 
the point cf embarking, there happen'd toMonfeur J-Jerbcht Çth2.l^z%x^z 
Gentleman's name) a domeftick Affair, of fo great ccnfequence, thaWt inter- 
rupted his defign, and obliged him to defer his departure: 1 patiently bore 
with that misfortune, becaufe he promifed to meet m.e at Aîdt^, and feeing Î 
had put my felf in a readinefs to embark in one of the Pope's Gallies, that was 
to touch at Naples-, into which the French at that time had ho adraiffion ; he 
advifed me not to let flipfo fair an opportunity, and accordingly I did not. I 
parted from Rome on Mo-nday^ May 31. 155$ , and June 2. embarked at 
Civitx yecchia^ in the Galley commanded by the Count Gaddt-, from whom I re- 
ceived all the teftimonies of a noble Generofity. The fourth of June the Gallies 
Itopt eight miles ïïomNaples : And the fifth being fpent in the Paffengers veiwing 
of that City, we partecl on 5«W^j' the fixth of ^^^/^f, towards the evening, and 
made fail for Stcily. We faw in our palfage the fire of the Mountain of the Ifle 
of 5^/ w«l7o/i,and I was told that they who were near it heard great bowlings, 
which proceed not from Hell (of which the filly people of the Country think the 
top of this hill to be the mouth) but from the violence of the Winds ; which 
breaking impetuoufly into the vail concavities that have been hollowed by the 
Sea, and there kindling in the fulphur-mines, whereof that Country is full, the 
flame that has made and preferved to it felf a paffage through the Mountain, 
makes a noife likejto the bowlings of the damned. Tuefday the eight of 
about night, we palFed the Phare of Mefma^znd next day, Wednefday., the ninth 
of we camé in the night-time, before Mejjhia^ and dropt Anchor without 
the Port. Thiirfd^yy the tenth ofjme^ we v/ent afhore, and walked about the 
Town with more freedom than Vv'e had done at Naples : I lhall fpeak of it in 
fhort. 
CHAP. 
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