Page:Hakluytus Posthumus or Purchas His Pilgrimes Volume 12.djvu/440

 Fire from Heaven. No peace to the wicked. Mounts and Groves.

these wals was one of the two fourth parts of the House, on which the fire from Heaven fell downe within these few yeares, and consumed it : and with the blowes of the stones which fell downe many verie great Houses were broken downe to the ground (as sometimes I beheld my selfe) and they remayned with many signes of fire on them. They say, that when this fire fell from Heaven, the King commanded his Sonne to kneele downe, and beseech The Heaven to be mercifull unto him, for he himselfe was too wicked, and that the Heaven would not heare him. Within these wals are many Lodgings of the greatest Eunuches, who like Fellowes of Colledges live many in one House, everie one having his private Chamber. Heere betweene these wals are Mounts and Groves and other recreations whither the King repaireth to recreate himselfe. And the space of these wals is very great, for when I went to the Palace to teach the Eunuches which were in that place to trimme the Clocke, I passed before I came to their Lodging eight great Palaces, and on the other side there were many more. The Lodgings of the Eunuches usually are low and bad, for the Kings Servants, yet very necessarie.

Next after this followeth the third wal, where the King dwelleth, with his Wives and Children, and those which where his neerest servants, whereinto no man entreth but they. And therfore albeit I have heard that it is a very beautiful thing & very much worth the seeing, as in very deed it sheweth to be : yet I cannot give any Relation of any thing concerning the same in particular. Only this I say, that when I was in the House of the Eunuches that were the Mathematicians, I went sometimes up into a Towre, from whence I might see the tops of the Houses, the Groves, and Orchards, and me thought that I never in my life saw so great a frame of Building, although I have scene many in mine owne Countrie. And therefore [III. ii. 379.] there are alwaies a great number of Officers of all Offices, some making new Buildings, and others repayring the old. The King never goeth abroad, especially this King, and

Third partition. King a home Prisoner.