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Of Medina.

MEDINA is a little city of great antiquity, containing in circuit not above two miles, having therein but one castle, which is olde and weake, guarded by an Aga with fifty pieces of artillery, but not very good. The houses thereof are faire and well situated, built of lime and stone, and in the midst of the city stands a foure-square Mosquita, not so great as that of Mecca , but more goodly, rich, and sumptuous in building. Within the same in a corner thereof is a tombe built upon foure pillers with a vault, as if it were under a pavement, which bindeth all the foure pillers together. The tombe is so high, that it farre exceedeth in heighth the Mosquita, being covered with lead, and the top all inamelled with golde, with an halfe moone upon the top: and within the pavement it is all very artificially wrought with golde. Below there are round about very great staires of yron ascending up untill the midst of the pillers, and in the very midst thereof is buried the body of Mahomet, and not in a chest of yron cleaving to the adamant, as many affirme that know not the trueth thereof. Moreover, over the body they have built a tombe of speckled stone a brace and an halfe high, and over the same another of Legmane fouresquare in maner of a pyramis. After this, round about the sepulture there hangeth a curtaine of silke, which letteth the sight of those without, that they cannot see the sepulture. Beyond this in the same Mosquita are other two sepulchres covered with greene cloth, and in the one of them is buried Fatma the daughter of Mahomet, and Alli is buried in the other, who was the husband of the sayd Fatma. The attendants upon these sepulchres are fifty eunuches white and tawny, neither is it granted to any of them to enter within the tombe, saving to three white eunuches the oldest and best of credit; unto whom it is lawfull to enter but twise in the day, to light the lamps, and to doe other services. All the other eunuchs attend without to the service of the Mosquita, and the other two sepulchres of Fatma, and Alli, where every one may go and touch at his pleasure, and take of the earth for devotion, as many do.

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