Obrazy na stronie
PDF
ePub

ing the work, in which he appears to have been assisted by the same spirit in which they were first written.

These opinions either originate in, or illustrate and confirm, the book in question. Nor must it be omitted that Josephus himself, speaking of Esdras (Ant. xi. v. 2.) gives an account of the ten tribes, and of the restoration of some of their members by Esdras to their own land, in a manner very similar to the thirteenth chapter of second Esdras.

One might almost be induced to think that Esdras predicted that partial restoration of those tribes, as a type or earnest of their final restoration, predicted by St. John in the same words, (Rev. xvi. 12.) Many commentators indeed explain the sixth vial in such a manner that 2 Esdras xiii. must appear either the ground-work or the best explanation of Rev. xvi. 12, &c. This is the passage in Esdras which struck Sir W. Jones so forcibly, and which he certainly thought to have been in a great measure accomplished.

I have now brought the external evidences to a close. The most important conclusion to be drawn is this, that if the passages in Esdras parallel to passages in the New Testament were borrowed thence, they prove that the book was written after the time of St. John's death, because many of them coincide exactly with the Apocalypse. But if the book was consequently forged in the second century, how can we suppose that within another century it should have been received by the fathers with the highest veneration? For within a century from the death of St. John, Clemens Alexandrinus, who probably possessed a Greek copy, expressly quoted the prophet Esdras. This position is the jugulum causa. This is the issue to which I bring the external evidence, and with which I shall conclude the first part of my enquiry.

I am, Sir,

Your obedient humble Servant,

JUVENIS.

EXTRACTS.

A SURVEY of the SEVEN CHURCHES of ASIA, as they now lie in their Ruins.

[From Travels in the East by THOMAS SMITH, B. D. Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford. Svo. 1678.]

The

HE curious surveys every where extant of Bethlehem, Nazareth, and Jerusalem, places so famous for the birth, education, and sufferings of our Blessed Saviour, (which are owing to the industry, and learning, and curiosity of devout pilgrims, who, from the first ages of Christianity to this present, not without the design of Providence, as I verily believe, have visited Mount Calvary and the Holy Sepulchre) suffer us not to be unacquainted with their situation and state: every one who has but the least gust for antiquity, or history, or travel, or insight into books, greedily catching at such relations. But a sadder fate seemed to hang over the Seven Churches of Asia, founded by the Apostles, and to which the eternal Son of God vouchsafed to send · those epistles recorded in the book of the Revelation of St. John, which, by the unpardonable carelessness of the Greeks (unless that horrid stupidity into which their slavery has cast them, may plead some excuse herein) have lain so long neglected; they giving us no account of their ruins; and the Western Christians, either not caring, or not daring to visit them. The English genilemen who live in Smyrna, out of a pious zeal, and a justly commendable curiosity, some few years since were the first who made a voyage thither, to see the remainders of that magnificence, for which those cities were so renowned in the histories of ancient times.

During my stay at Smyrna, where I arrived about the middle of February, 1670, from Constantinople, in order to get a safe passage for Christendom in our fleet of merchants ships, then lading at that place, I was seized with the same curiosity. But an opportunity did not so easily present itself: the waters were not then quite down; and the plains in several places scarce passable; besides, I wanted company, which is highly necessary in those countries, both for security and convenience Vol. XI. Churchm. Mag. for Aug. 1806 R having

e;

having had sad experience by my travels in other parts of Turkey, of the difficulties and hazards of such voyages.

But our ships not departing till July following, the love and respect I had to antiquity, and to the memory of those churches, once so famous, made ine not only forget, but despise danger: and it happened very luckily, that three worthy English gentlemen had taken up the same resolution, and would risque it too. The spring was now advanced; and we were to set out with all convenient speed, before the heats increased and grew excessive; and for our better safety, we hired two stout and honest Janizaries, well known to our nation; two Armenian Christians, a cook, and three grooms to look to our horses: in all, twelve of us. Which number was but necessary for at that time of the year when there is grass in the fields for their horses, the roads are infested with robbers in strong and numerous parties, well mounted and armed, who take all advantages of assaulting passengers; and kill first, and rob afterwards: sometimes coming twenty or thirty days journey out of the mountains of Cilicia, and from Georgia, to the furthermost provinces of the Lesser Asia, lying toward the Archipelago for this purpose.

April the third, 1671, we set out from Smyrna, and went about to the northern side of the bay, which runs in a good way to the north-cast, riding for several hours near the shore, under the rocky mountains of Gordilen, which, with the opposite mountain Mimas, there being high hills also to the east, makes the haven so secure for ships, which lye, as it were, land-lockt. Our way lay northward, and somewhat to the west. For that we might the better observe the turnings and windings of our journey, and the bearings of places, we took a seacompass with us. Leaving Menamen, which I suppose is the Temnos of the ancients, on the right hand, a town well situated, and considerable for the trade of dimity and scamity, we rode down to the river Hermus, not far distant from it (having in our way a very pleasant pros pect of rich plains and meadows) where we arrived, after six hours and a half.

Hermus bath its rise in the greater Phrygia; and, passing through Lydia and Eolis, pours its waters into the bay of Smyrna, over against Surlaw (famous for its hot waters, mentioned by Strabo under the name of qua dala, and much frequented by Turks and Greeks,

in the summer time) and not far from Foggia-Vecchia, the Phoca of the ancients, where the Athenians first settled a colony.

The channel as wide as the Thames at Windsor, and deep withal, and not being fordable thereabouts, we were ferried over it, the current being somewhat strong. We rode along the banks of it towards Chiauskuy, situated about a mile from it, where we made our first conac, or night's lodging, having travelled this day about eight hours.

On the 4th, our day's travel was almost ten hours; our way lying still northward.

On the 5th, having rode through a wood for half an hour, we got into the plain of Pergamus, a most delightful and fruitful plain, several parts of it plowed up; the rest yielding excellent pasturage: it extends itself to a very considerable length to the south-east; in some places about five miles over. On the north-west of the plain we left the river Celius, which hath but a very small channel, and the Caicus to the southward of it, which we passed over at a mile distance from the city, on a stone-bridge of thirteen arches, the city lying to the north-west of it, where we arrived after four hours.

The Caicus runs with a very smooth stream; the channel about half the breadth of Hermus, but very apt to overflow its low banks on the descent of rain, and the melting of the snow upon the mountains, which makes those plains to be scarce passable for some time of the year. It runs into the bay not far from Elda, a city of Eolis (from whence it hath its denomination), called by the Turks Ayasman, on the western side of it, the scale of Pergamus; from which it may be distant about twelve or fourteen miles: this river separating Mysia from Eolis.

PERGAMUS.

Pergamus, the chief city of Mysia Hellespontica (called by the Turks with a very little variation, Bergamo), is about sixty-four miles from Smyrna, N. N. W. It lies under a very high and steep hill, by which it is sufficiently secured from the cold northern blasts. On the top of it is a castle, built according to the old way of fortification, which the Turks in a manner neglect, it being without any manner of artillery, or other provisions of war; they being altogether free from the fears of having an enemy in those parts.

R 2

From

From the castle there runs down eastward a good part of the hill, a stone-wall; at the end of which are some ruins of a fortification, that seems to have been built for the security of it that way. The ancient stonebuildings, now the ordinary dwelling-houses of the Turks, still continue in several streets: the city, by this means, retaining somewhat of its former glory, amidst those many and vast ruins that lie about it, contrary to the fate of other churches; most of whose ancient structures are wholly ruined and pitiful Turkish houses built of earth baked in the sun, and beggarly cottages, raised upon their foundations.

We went first to see the ruins of a palace (as it is judged to be), which lie in a street to the east part of the city; where we found five pillars of polished marble, of about seven yards in length, the chapiters curiously wrought; in a line equally distant: and, further on, there being a larger space between two other pillars, all which serve now only as so many props to support a wall that is built close to them. They are confronted on the other side of the street with other pillars of the same make, but whose chapiters are broken; two lying along upon the ground.

More eastward, toward the plain, lie very famous ruins of a church, dedicated to St. John, built of brick; about fifty-six paces in length, and in breadth thirtytwo; the walls of a very great height, two rows of windows on each side. Several pillars fixed within the body of the church, but broken off, and wanting much of their due height; the Turks not willing to be at any pains to clear the earth where they are fixed, and the broken pieces serving their purpose as well; which is to place them at the extremities of their graves: abundance of which we found in their burying-places in our travels wherever we came. Under the east end, a large vault. On each side of the church is a ronnd building: the one exactly agreeing with the other. The doors very high; opposite to which is a great nichio, or vity in the wall; a vault underneath, sustained by a great pillar; the foundation strengthened by several arches and pillars; it is eighteen of my paces in diameter within; the walls very thick.

ca

In the upper part of the city is the rivulet Selinus, whose stream is very swift, running towards the southsouth-east, into the Caicus; over which are built several

[merged small][ocr errors]
« PoprzedniaDalej »