William Lithgow (traveller and author)

"This gulfe or bay of Carnaro, runneth in North, and by East 50. miles within land, at the narrow entry whereof, it hath a part of Istria on the West, and the Dalmatia on the East: The Venetians use to keepe alwayes certaine Gallies at the mouth of this bay, on the Dalmatian side, to intercept the cursary of the Scoks: In the bottome of this Carnarian gulfe are placed Senna, Gradisca, and Novagard, the chiefe Cities of Croatia: the people which inhabit these Townes, and the adjoyning Countrey are called Scoks, a kind of Dalmatians, being of a robust nature, courageous and desperate: Their weapons are broad two handed swords, long Skenes, carrying targets at their girdles, and long Gunnes in their hands: They are marveilous swift on foote, and dayly annoy by land their neighbouring Turkes with inrodes, fetching away great spoyles and booties, of The Scoks live under the house of Austria.cornes, cattell and horses: And by Sea with Frigots and Brigantines did ever and often vexe the Venetian commerce, in their owne domesticke waters: The great losses which from these incursive people the Venetians had from time to time received, and the other dammages they inflicted upon the Turkes in their trafficking with Venice, for whom the Venetians are bound by former articles of peace, to keepe harmelesse within their owne gulfe from all Christian invasions, was the onely and urgent cause that moved the Venetians to wage warre with Ferdinando then Duke of Grasse, and now Emperour, Anno Domini, 1616. And besieged Gradisca to their no small disadvantage, both of charges and losse of men: For the towne being strongly fortified with walles and munition, and 2000. Scoks within to defend it, would often at the neare approaching of the enemy make a salley forth on horse and foote, giving many miserable overthrowes to the Assailants: To the which detriments, for twenty dayes space I was a testator, being after my returne from Affricke in my second travels, as I was going for Hungary, Moldavia, Valecchia and Transilvania, taking this countrey in my way: And one morning at the breake of day, I saw 800. Scoks issuing out of towne, make bloudy havocke of 3000. of the Venetian army: This part of Croatia is exceeding fertile, abounding in cornes, wines, bestiall and pastorage, though then by lawlesse, and turbulent souldiers, it was miserable defaced.The whole number of these Scoks that are able to carry armes, be not above sixe thousand men: They are wonderfull kinde to strangers, which to me in no small measure was extended, and that by the better sort their Captaines and Commanders, and onely for the affinity of Scoki and Scoti, although I dare sweare, there is little or none at all betwixt the two Nations."

"... Our fresh water waxing scant, and the winds falling out contrary to our expectation, we sought into Valdogosto in the Isle of Osero, which is a safe haven for ships and Gallies. This Osero was first named Asphorus, and then Absirtides, of a Captaine Absertus, who came from Colchis, accompanied with many people, to bring backe Medea to her carefull father. Whose purpose being frustrated, stayed still, and inhabited this land. ..."

"Amongst the Turkes there is noe Gentility, nor Nobility, but are all as ignoble and inferiour members, to one maine body the great Turke, lineally descending of the house of Ottoman: whose magnificence, puissance, and power is such, that the most eloquent tongue cannot sufficiently declare: His thousands or Janisaries, Shouses, and others dayly attending him: which are the nerves and sinewes of the Warlike body of his whole Monarchy and imperiall estate: His hundreds (besides his Queene) of Concubines, hourely maintained by his meanes, and monethly renewed: His Armies, Bashawes, Emeeres, Vizier-bashawes, Sanzacks, Garrisons, and Forces here and there dispersed amongst his dominions, would be impossible for me briefly to relate. The inhumane policy of the Turkes, to avoid civill dissention is such, that the seede of Ottoman (all except one of them) are strangled to death: Wherefore, as Augustus Cæsar said of Herod in the like case, it is better to be the great Turkes dogge, then his Sonne. His Daughters or Sisters are not so used, but are given in marriage to any Bassa, whom so they affect; yet with this condition; the King saith to his Daughter, or Sister, I give thee this man to be thy slave; and if he offend thee in any case, or be disobedient to thy will, here I give thee a Dagger to cut off his head; which alwaies they weare by their sides for the same purpose."

"The better sort of Women here, and all the Kingdom over, weare Rings of gold or silver, through the hollow of their noses, both endes of their mouthes, and in their under lips; hanging rich pearles, and precious stones to them; wearing also about their armes faire Bracelets, and about their ancles below, broad bonds of gold or silver. To which if the baser sort can not attayne unto, then they counterfeit their Betters, with Rings, Bracelets, and bonds of Brasse, Copper, Lead, and white Iron, and thinke themselves not worthy to live, unlesse they weare these badges."

"A Most Delectable and True Discourse, of an Admired and Painefull Peregrination (1614, reissued 1616; new, expanded edition, 1623)"

"Purchas his Pilgrimes … the Second Part (1625)"

"May not the scelerate hands of foure blood-shedding wolves facily devoure, and shake a peeces, one silly stragling lambe?"

"The Gushing Teares of Godly Sorrow (1640)"

"The Totall Discourse of the Rare Adventures and Painefull Peregrinations of Long Nineteene Yeares Travayles (1632)"

"And loe here is mine Effigie affixed with my Turkish habit, my walking staffe, & my Turban upon my head, even as I travelled in the bounds of Troy, and so through all Turkey: Before my face on the right hand standeth the Easterne and sole gate of that sometimes noble City, with a piece of a high wall, as yet undecayed: And without this Port runneth the River Simois (inclosing the old Grecian Campe) downe to the Marine, where it imbraceth the Sea Propontis: A little below, are bunches of grapes, denoting the vineyards of this fructiferous place; adjoyning neare to the fragments and ruynes of Priams Pallace, surnamed Ilium: And next to it a ravenous Eagle, for so this part of Phrigia is full of them: So beneath my feet ly the two Tombes of Priamus & Hecuba his Queene: And under them the incircling hills of Ida, at the West South west end of this once Regall Towne; & at my left hand, the delicious and pleasant fields of Olives and Figge-trees, wherewith the bowells of this famous soyle are interlarded."

"As for the science Practique, it doth first imbrace the Morall that some divide in three, to wit, Ethique, that doth forme the manners of one man, Secondly in Ecoenomick, that doth dispose the actions domesticke: The third in Politicque, that comprehend the actions Civill; concerning the government of Common-wealths, which containeth under it the whole science of right civilitie. And with Practique, is also placed Dialectique, the Art of memory, the Grammar, the Rhetorique, to which also may be joyned the Art Poetique, and of Histories. But for their particular divisions I am not prolixious, as inutile to my designe in hand; divers dedicate themselves to the knowledge of these sciences, not knowing that they forget the most necessary, to wit, the science of the world.... This science is onely acquisted by conversation, and haunting the company of the most experimented: by divers discourses, reports, by writs, or by a lively voyce, in communicating with strangers; and in the judicious consideration of the fashion of the living one with another. And above all, and principally by Travellers, and Voyagers in divers Regions, and remote places, whose experience confirmeth the true Science thereof; and can best draw the anatomy of humane condition."

"The Pilgrimes Farewell, to his Native Country of Scotland (1618)"