to the Levan 
831 
Chap. I. 
continually. The Caftle is ftrong, and the Walls high, come out of the Church, as the Arms upon the Houfes 
both built k a Sort of Stone, which great Guns can- Ihew ; but now Rhodes is inhabited only ,by Turks and 
not hurt. The Sea beats upon one Side of it, which Jews^ for though the are perrnitted to keep 
has Port-holes, with great Guns mounted, which can Shops in Town in the Day-time, yet in the Night 
eafily hinder Ships from approaching it. It is alfo they muft retire to the Villages in the Country about it. 
very ftrong towards the Land, the Walls being as found Lindo, the Country of Chares^ who made the Colojfus 
as if they v/ere lately built. No Horfe can approach of Rhodes, is a little Rock at the Point of the Ifle of 
it, and yet it may be eafily taken, by cutting off the Rhodes, fixty Miles from the Town. It has a fmall 
Water that is brought to it by an Aqueduft. The Town on it, with a very good Fort. 
Houfes in it are ruinous, and there are many Pieces of 21. At the Bottom of the MiediteTrcinecin, lies the 
Pillars found among them. The Country about it is noble Ifland of Cyprus, famous in all Ages for the Fer- 
fruitful in Grapes, Figs, and fuch like Fruits. tility of its Soil, the Excellence of its Climate, and the 
20. From Bodrou heSiled to Rhodes, which is 100 Miles Advantage of its Situation. It has been known in dif- 
from Stanchio. The lOe of Rhodes hath Lycia on the ferent Ages of the World, by very different Names, 
North, being parted from it by the Sea, which is twenty and fome of thefe are fuch, that it would be a difticult 
Miles broad, the Ifte of Cyprus on the Eaft, Candia on Thing to point out clearly the Authorities upon which 
“the Weft, and Jipypt on the South. It is 100 Miles in they are founded. In the Holy Scripture it is called 
Circuit, lying in a temperate Climate. The Soil is Kittim, from Kittim the Son of Javan, the Son of Ja^ 
fruitful’ and hath fcveral Villages in it well inhabited, phet, the Son of IToah, who firft poflefled it ; in fucceed- 
befides a fmall City which is ftrong. This IQand has ing Times it was called Ceraftis, becaufe of the many 
Promontories it thrufts into the Sea like Horns ; Maca- 
ria, becaufe of the Fruitfulnefs of the Soil, and Flappi- 
nefs of the Climate •, Afperia from the Roughnefs of the 
Soil ; Colima from its numerous Hills ; Mroja, becaufe 
been under the Greeks, Saracens, who loft it to the 
Knights Hofpitallers of Jerufalem in 1309, 'vho held 
it 200 Years, and now is in the Hands ot the Turks, 
who undtv Solyman II. took it in 1522. by Compoficion, 
‘and that more thro’ the Treachery of Andrea Amaral, of the Mines of Copper or Brafs, which were firft faid 
Chancellor of the Order (who being angry that he was 
not chofen great Matter at the iaft Eledion, inform’d 
the Turks of their Weaknefs, by a Letter fhot to them 
on an Arrow) than by Force, though his Army con- 
fifted of 200000 Men. 
The Town hath two Harbours, of which the Great 
Port, being fquare and fpacious enough, is not very 
fafe, when the Wind blows from the E. N. E. or S. E. 
On the Right Hand at the Entry of this Port is a new 
Tower, built by the Turks, in a Place where the old 
Tower of St. Nicholas flood. It is well furnifhed with 
to be found there ; Amathujia, Paphia, Salaminia^ 
Lapithia, from the Towns of Amathus, Papho, Salamtne, 
and Lapithus. At length it was called Cyprus, but from 
whence is not very clear •, fome fay from its Copper 
Mines, others from Cyprefs Trees, which were in a 
Manner peculiar to it. 
In ancient Times it was confecrated to Venus, who is 
ftiled by the Poets, the Cyprian Goddefs, and the Rea- 
fon of this feems to have been from the Wantonnefs of 
its Inhabitants, as this again may be derived from the 
Excellence of its Climate, and from the Fertility of the 
Cannon, hath a Baftion behind, and Curtine reaching Country. The longeft Day is about fourteen Hours and 
to the Walls of the Town *, over againft this Tower ftands a half, their Weather in Summer is prodigioufty hot, 
the Caftle of St. but fome what ruinous. fo that fometimes their Brooks, and even their Rivers 
This Caftle and Tower were built in the Place where have been dried up ; and in the Reign of Conjlantine 
ftood the Feet of the great Colojfus, one of the feven the Great, when they had no Rain for thirty fix Years, 
Wonders of the World, between the Legs of which it was in a great Meafure deferred, but fuch Accidents, 
a Ship under Sail might pafs. It reprefented the Sun, or rather fuch Judgments happen feldom, and therefore 
and was caft by Chares the Lyndian. It was feventy ought not to be mentioned as Objedlions to the general 
Cubits high, ftrided fifty Fathom, and carried a Light- Repute this Country has been in for its great Fruitful- 
houfe in one Hand. It was overthrown by an Earth- nefs. It was anciently governed by Kings, of whom 
quake, and being broke to Pieces by the Saracens, was there were nine when Cyrus reduced it ; but it feems they 
fold to a Jew, who loaded 900 Camels with the Metal, remain Tributaries, and were not dripped of their Do- 
and carried it to Alexandria, in the Year of our Lord, minions j for long after this, we find the Greek Orator 
954, and 1461 Years after it was made. The Port of Ifocrates, addreffing two of his Orations to two of the 
the Galleys, which is covered by the Caftle of St. Erme, Cyprian Monarchs ; and in the Time of Alexander the, 
is a good Harbour, and able to contain many Galleys, Great, the King of Citium is recorded to have prefented 
but the Mouth of it is fo narrow, that one Galley only him a mod excellent Sword, which he ufed afterwards 
can enter at a Time. It looks to the E. N. E. and is during his Life. 
every Night ftiut with a Chain. A little up-land above Upon the Divifion of his Empire, Cyprus fell under 
the Port is a Burying place, and in it fifteen or twenty the Dominion of Ptolemy, and was governed fometimes 
Domes of Free Stone well built, and fupported mod as a Province, fometimes as a leparate Principality by 
of them by four Arches. Thefe are the Sepulchres of 
the Beys, or other Perfons of Quality in Rhodes, who 
have been killed in the Wars. On the Side of this 
Port is a Piazza with fome Trees and a Fountain in it. 
that Family, till conquered by Portius Cato for the Ro- 
mans, who carried from thence feven thoufand Talents, 
which was more than ever came into the Roman Treafury 
by any former Conqueft. After the Divifion of the 
and at the Bottom of it the Arfenal, where the Galleys Roman Empire, it belonged to the Greeks, from whom 
and Saiques are built. The Town is fmall, but ftrong, 
having high and well built Walls, planted with Faul- 
cons on the Top, and below there are Port-holes for 
great Cannon. 
It hath three Gates, one to the Sea, where Corn is 
fold, and two to the Land-fide. Over the Water- 
Gate is fet up the Dragon’s Head, which was thirty three 
Feet long, wafted all the Country round, and was flain 
by Peogate de Gozon, one of the Knights of St. John. 
The Streets of the Town are pretty broad, all paved 
with little Stones, and for the mod part covered with 
Pent-houfes on each Side, There are feveral fair Build- 
ings in it. St. John’s, Church is ftill ftanding, but is 
turned into a Mofque. Over the Gate in a Nich, which 
<hath a round Cover, are the Figures ot our Saviour and 
the bleffed Virgin, and St.John holding the Crofs, cut 
,fn Bajfe Relief e. No Chriftian is now fuffered to go 
into It. The Street of the Knights lay juft as you 
it was taken by the Saracens, recovered from them, and 
governed by Dukes or Princes. Iniiqi, it was con- 
quered by our King Richard L who firft mortgaged it 
to the Knights of Rhodes, and then gave it to Guy of 
Liifignan, whofe Family held’ it for many Genera- 
tions. 
Under thefe Princes it was divided into twelve Coun- 
ties, containing forty eight great Cities, and upwards 
of eight hundred Villages. Charlotta, the laft Heirefs 
of that Family, was driven out by James II. her Baftard 
Brother, who married Catharine Cornaro, of a noble 
Venetian Family, adopted Daughter of the Republick, 
to whom file bequeathed this Kingdom, to which, how- 
ever, her Right was but indifferent. The Venetians 
came into PottfefTion in 1473, and held it almoft an 
hundred Years ; but at laft it was taken from them by 
Solyman II. Emperor of the Turks, after a long and 
glorious Defence, and with Circumftances of moft in- 
“ ' ' . famous 
