Henry Timberlake's visit to Jerusalem, 1601

Two (...) new visitors came to Jerusalem in the same year, Henry Timberlake and John Sanderson, and for them, as for us, their arrival in 1601 is an introduction to a new and harsher reality about the Holy City:

Being our Lady-Day in Lent, and nine of the clock before noon, I saw the city of Jerusalem; when kneeling down and saying the Lord's Prayer, I gave God most hearty thanks for conducting me thither, to behold so holy a place with my eyes, whereof I had read so often. Coming within a furlong of the gates, I, with my companion, Mr. John Burrell, went singing and praising God, till we came to the west gate of the city, and there we stayed because it was not lawful for a Christian to enter unadmitted. My companion advised me to say that I was a Greek, only to avoid going to Mass; but I, not having the Greek tongue, refused to do so, telling him even at the entry of the gate that I would neither deny my country not religion. Whereupon, being demanded who we were, Mr. John Burrell, answering in the Greek tongue, told them that he was a Greek and I am an Englishman, This gave him admittance to the Greek patriarch; but I was seized on and cast into prison before I had stayed a full hour at the gate; for the Turks flatly denied that they had ever heard of either my queen [Elizabeth] or country or that she paid them any tribute. The father guardian, who is the defender of all Christian pilgrims, and the principal procurer of my imprisonment because I did not offer myself under his protection but confidently stood to be rather protected under the Turk than the pope, made the Turk so much my enemy that I was reputed to be a spy and so by no means could I be released from the dungeon.

Now give me favor to tell you how it pleased God that very day to deliver me and grant me to a pass as a Protestant without yielding to any other ceremony than carriage of wax candle only, far beyond my expectation. Here let me remember you that when I stayed Ramoth,…having so good leisure I went to a fountain to wash my foul linen, and being earnest about business suddenly there came a Moor unto me who, taking my clothes out of my hand and calling me by my name, said he would help me. [It turned out they had been on the same ship from Algiers and the Moor in question continued on from Ramle to Jerusalem.] When this Moor [now] saw me thus imprisoned, my dungeon being right up against the Sepulcher of Christ, albeit he wept, yet he bade me be a good comfort and went to the pasha of the city and went to the saniake, before whom he took his oath that I was a mariner of a ship which had brought 250 or 300 Turks and Moors into Egypt from Algiers and Tunis, their journey being unto Mecca.

The Moor, in regard he was a Musselman, prevailed so well with them that, returning with six Turks back to prison, he called me to the door and there said unto me that if I would go to the house of the father guardian and yield myself under his protection, I should be inforced to no religion but mine own, except it were to carry a candle' to the which I willingly condescended.
So paying the charges of the prison, I was presently delivered and brought to the guardian's monastery, where the father [guardian], coming to me, took me by the hand and bade me welcome, marvelling I would so much err from Christianity as to put myself under the Turks' rather than his protection. I told him what I did was because I would not go to mass but keep my conscience to myself. He replied that "many Englishmen had been there but, being Catholics, went to Mass, telling the Turks at the gate's entry that they were Frenchmen, for the Turks know not what you mean by the word Englishman," and advising me further that when any of my countrymen undertook the like travel, at the gates of Jerusalem they should term themselves either Frenchmen or Britons, because they were well known to the Turks.

This or such like conference passed between us; and further he asked me how old our Queen's Majesty was, and what was the reason she gave nothing to the maintenance of the Holy Sepulcher as well as other kings and princes did, with divers other frivolous questions, whereto I answered accordingly. This day being spent even to twilight, Mr. John Burrell, who passed as a Greek without any trouble, came in unto us, being nevertheless constrained to this [same] monastery or else he might not stay in the city; for such sway do the papists carry there that no Christian stranger can have admittance there but that he must be protected under them or not enter the city.

Mr. Burrell and I being together in the court of the monastery, twelve fat-fed friars came forth unto us, each of them carrying a wax candle burning and two spare candles besides, the one for Mr. Burrell and the other for me. Another friar brought a great basin of warm water mingled with roses and other sweet flowers. And a carpet being spread on the ground and cushions in chairs set orderly for us, the father guardian came and sat us down, giving each of us a candle in our hands; then came a friar and pulled off our hose and, setting the basin on the carpet, washed our feet. So soon as the friars began to wash, the twelve friars became to sing, continuing so till our feet were washed; which being done, they went along singing and we with the guardian came to the chapel in the monastery where one of them began an oration in the form of a sermon, tending to this effect: "How meritorious it was for us to visit the Holy Land and see those sanctified places where Our Savior's feet had trod."

The sermon being ended, they brought us unto a chamber where our supper was prepared; there we fed somewhat fearfully, in regard that strange cats have as strange qualities; but committing ourselves to God and their outward-appearing Christian kindness, we feel to heartily, supped very bountifully, and, after praising God, were lodged decently. Thus much for my first entertainment in Jerusalem, which was March 25, 1601, being our Lady-in-Lent. (Timberlake 1616: 340-342)

In F.E. Peters, Jerusalem. p512