rs go as far as Mecca to Mahomet's tomb, which journey is both
miraculous and meritorious. The ceremonies of flinging stones to stone the
devil, of eating a camel at Cairo by the way; their fastings, their running
till they sweat, their long prayers, Mahomet's temple, tomb, and building
of it, would ask a whole volume to dilate: and for their pains taken in
this holy pilgrimage, all their sins are forgiven, and they reputed for so
many saints. And diverse of them with hot bricks, when they return, will
put out their eyes, [6559]"that they never after see any profane thing,
bite out their tongues," &c. They look for their prophet Mahomet as Jews do
for their Messiah. Read more of their customs, rites, ceremonies, in
Lonicerus _Turcic. hist. tom. 1._ from the tenth to the twenty-fourth
chapter. Bredenbachius, _cap. 4, 5, 6._ Leo Afer, _lib. 1._ Busbequius
Sabellicus, Purchas, _lib. 3. cap. 3, et 4, 5._ Theodorus Bibliander, &c.
Many foolish ceremonies you shall find in them; and which is most to be
lamented, the people are generally so curious in observing of them, that if
the least circumstance be omitted, they think they shall be damned, 'tis an
irremissible offence, and can hardly be forgiven. I kept in my house
amongst my followers (saith Busbequius, sometime the Turk's orator in
Constantinople) a Turkey boy, that by chance did eat shellfish, a meat
forbidden by their law, but the next day when he knew what he had done, he
was not only sick to cast and vomit, but very much troubled in mind, would
weep and [6560]grieve many days after, torment himself for his foul
offence. Another Turk being to drink a cup of wine in his cellar, first
made a huge noise and filthy faces, [6561]"to warn his soul, as he said,
that it should not be guilty of that foul fact which he was to commit."
With such toys as these are men kept in awe, and so cowed, that they dare
not resist, or offend the least circumstance of their law, for conscience'
sake misled by superstition, which no human edict otherwise, no force of
arms, could have enforced.

In the last place are pseudo-Christians, in describing of whose
superstitious symptoms, as a mixture of the rest, I may say that which St.
Benedict once saw in a vision, one devil in the marketplace, but ten in a
monastery, because there was more work; in populous cities they would swear
and forswear, lie, falsify, deceive fast enough of themselves, one devil
could circumvent a thousand; but in their re