Ocean affronteth there is a craggie high mountaine a thing very admirable wholly consisting of the same matter he meaneth yron CARPETANIA THis region lies in the very heart of Spaine which Plinie Liuie call Carpetania The people called Carpetani were knowen vnto Strabo and the Carpitani with .i. by Ptolemey Polybius calles them Carpesios and so doth Liuie in some places Their chiefe citie is Toledo The description whereof you may reade in Nauagierus Pedro de Medina and George Brunus All Carpetania is not set downe in this Table but that part only from Toledo Eastward Concerning Toledo because I haue not read it in any other authour I will adde that which Roger Houeden in the second booke of his Chronicle of England reporteth He calles it Tulette and these be his words In this city there is an hill out of which are daily taken aboue a thousand camels loads of earth and yet it neuer decreaseth for though you dig neuer so deepe an hole yet by the morow if any raine fall it will be filled vp againe The earth taken out of this hill is transported to the neighbour prouinces and sold to wash mens heads and their apparell aswell Christians as Pagans The said Roger liued about the yeere 1200. CARPETANIAE PARTIS DESCR 1584. Cum priuilegio Imp. et Belgico ad decennium GVIPVS COAE REGIONIS TYPVS Vardulorum siue HANC INSVLAM PERLVSTRABAT ET SVA MANV DEPINGEBAT GEORGIVS HOEFNAGLIVS ANTVERPIAN BELGA Dum extendar FRANCE ALl that tract of land from the riuer of Rhene included by the Ocean the Pyreney mountaines the sea Mediterran and mount Appennine as farre as Ancona the ancient Writers by one generall name called Gallia For Westward by the Pyreney hilles it is disioyned from Spaine North it borders vpon the French and British Ocean East the riuer Rhene and the Alpes from sea to sea include it in like maner as the Pyreney mountaines doe West South it is accoasted by part of the Mediterran sea ouer against Prouence It was called Gallia in regard of the peoples whitenesse for the high mountaines and the heauens rigour exclude the heat of the Sunne from this part hereof it comes that their white bodies change not colour Wherefore the Graecians name the Gaules or ancient inhabitants of France Galatas in regard of their milke-white colour for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greeke signifieth Milke from which name the Latines haue called them Gallos This deriuation the greatest parts of Writers doe approue yet some there are that deride it supposing them rather to be so called of raine which in Hebrew is Galah and in the olde British language Glau as who should say A most ancient nation rain'd vpon and drenched in the very floud of Noah This region of theirs was of olde diuided into Gallia Cisalpina which in regard of vs lieth beyond the Alpes being that part of Italie which at this present is called Lombardie and Transalpina which is included within these fiue bounds namely the riuer Rhene the Ocean the Pyreney mountaines the Mediterran sea and the Alpes This Gallia Transalpina by Caesar in his Commentaries is diuided into three parts Belgica Celtica and Aquitanica Belgica which is enuironed by the Ocean sea and the riuers of Rhene Marne and Senie vsing most part the Dutch tongue and at this present called the Low-countries Celtica or Lugdunensis which is comprehended within the riuers Garomne Marne Senie and Rhosne It is now called France For the Celtae were subdued by the Francks of Germany so that at length they were named Westerne Francks from whom the prouince it selfe is denominated Aquitanica before named Aremorica which extendeth from the riuer Garomne to the Ocean and to the Pyreney mountaines West and by North it is confined with that part of the Ocean which is called the Bay of Aquitane Westward it hath Spaine North Celtica or France properly so called and South the country of Prouence It is now called Gascoine and the inhabitants differ both in stature and language from the residue of France These are the ancient limits of the Gaules Howbeit the countrey of the French which at this day beares the title of a Kingdome and is commonly called the Kingdome of France hath not so large extension but towards the North only is so much the narower as it is cut off by an imaginary line from Strasbourg vpon Rhene to the port of Calais and it comprehends all that tract of land which is conteined within this line the Ocean sea the Pyreney mountaines the sea Mediterran and the Alpes Postellus in his booke of the whole world reckons vp the peculiar Shires or Prouinces of this Kingdome in maner following In the East it hath Prouence Sauoie Swisserland Bressia Borgogne Lorraigne Champanie Henault Cleue and Flanders on the North Picardy Normandy and Bretaigne on the West Bretaigne Aniou Poictou Xantoigne and Gascoigne and on the South Gascoigne Bearne Roussillon Dauphnie Vellay Forest Auuergne Limosni Perigort and Angolesme East of Poictou lie the prouinces of Bourges Bourbon Beaioulois Lionnois the Countie of Burgundy Auxerrois Niuernois Berry Tours Vendosme beyond Aniou le Beaulse Gastinois Valois beyond Sens and not farre off le Perche Druise and le Mans neere Bretaigne And thus at this present are these Prouinces named But albeit Postellus accounteth Sauoy Swizzerland Loraigne Henault Cleue and Flanders among the Prouinces of France yet are they not now vnder the gouernment of this Kingdome for all of them haue peculiar princes not subiect to the crowne of France Concerning the French King Villa Nueua reports two memorable things First That in the Church of Rhemes there is a vessell full of neuer-decaying oile sent from heauen to anoint the Kings of France at their coronation Secondly That the same Kings doe heale the disease called in English The Queenes euill only with touching the place affected All France is described in a large volume by Robert Caenalis reade also concerning the same argument Gilbert Cognatus Nazorenus Iohannes Marius Chassanaeus in his twelfth booke De gloria mundi Postellus in his booke Of the whole world Aimon in the beginning of his storie of the Franks Sebastian Munster Belleforest Theuet and other Describers of the world Touching this region also and the disposition of the inhabitants you may learne somewhat out of the second booke of Laonicus Chalcocondylas of Athens Of ancient Writers Caesar surpasseth all Diodorus Siculus in his fifth booke and Ann. Marcelinus in his fifteenth booke haue many notable things concerning this region Likewise Claudius Champier of Lions wrote in French a Treatise of the first originals of the principall townes in all France Symphorianus father to this man discourseth of the riuers and the miracles of waters and fountaines in France The city of Paris is described in verse by Eustathius à Knobelsdorf and the city of Lions by Champier GALLIAE REGNI POTENTISS NOVA DESCRIPTIO IOANNE IOLIVETO AVCTORE Candido lectori S.D. Gallia tota iam
The greater part of Flanders was from the beginning vnder protection of the French Kings but now it is at libertie and absolute of it selfe being released by Emperour Charles the fift Earle of Flanders who in the treatie of Madrid quite shooke off the French yoke This region Guicciardine hath most diligently described and Iacobus Marchantius most learnedly You may reade also Iacobus Meierus his ten tomes of Flanders affaires Ad autographum Gerardi Mercatoris in hanc formulam contrahebat parergaque addebat Ab Ortelius ZELAND LEuinus Lemnius of Zirichzee in his booke De occultis naturae miraculis Of the bidden secrets of Nature amongst other things writeth thus of Zeland his natiue country That this Marine tract saith he was notvnknowne vnto the ancients it may out of Cornelius Tacitus easily be gathered although not by the same name that at this day it is knowne by but of a custome and common kind of salutation and speaking one to another which acquaintance and friends of this prouince do vse at their meetings therefore he calleth them by the name of MATTIACI when he thus writeth In the same iurisdiction are the Mattiaci a nation very like the Bataui but that those in regard of the situation of their countrie are more desperate and couragious Whereby he giueth to vnderstand that although they are next neighbours and do border vpon the Bataui or Hollanders so called of the hollownesse and lownesse of the ground so that they might iustly be accounted one and the same people yet are only distinguished by the name of their customary saluation and being neerer the Sea are more hardie and audacious as indeed they are and for manhood witte policy craft deceits cunning in buying and selling and diligence in getting and waies to enrich themselues they do farre excell them And in that hee calleth them Mattiaci I conceiue it that they were not so named either of any place or captaine but of that fellowlike salutation as I said and vsuall maner of speaking one to another vsuall amongst them to witte of Maet which in common speach and friendly meetings signifieth a fellow and companion in all our actions bargaines contracts and dangers of all our purposes counsailes labours and trauailles a copartner and consort in any thing whatsoeuer we take in hand or go about c. For the name of Zeland is not ancient but is lately inuented and made of Sea and Land as who would say Sea-land a country or land bordering vpon the sea for it is enclosed round with the ocean consisting of fifteene Ilands although it be not long since the raging Sea did great hurt in this country by whose violence and ouerflowing a good part of Zeland his dammes walles and banks being rent and broken downe was ouercome of the salt-water and laid leuell with the sea notwithstanding certaine of them do remaine of which especially three do continually wrestle with the boisterous billowes of the sea and do very hardly defend themselues with infinite costs and charges against this rude and vnruly element Of these first Walcheren Walachria doth offer it selfe to the eie of such as do saile to these coasts so named either of him that first entered and inhabited in it or as I gesse of the Gaulls Galli which much frequented this country who of the Low-countrie-men are yet called Walen or of that part of Brittaine which lieth vpon the West side of it and is called Wales the most gentleman-like and brauest nation you may beleeue him amongst the English and descended also from the Gaulles which their language as yet doth manifest c. From hence Northward or somewhat declining toward the East is Scouwen Scaldia the Latines call it of the riuer Sceldt which runneth by it and heere falleth into the sea c. Suytheuelandt so named of the situation of it toward the South to distinguish it from another distant from it Northward and therefore called Noortheuelandt a large and most goodly tract of ground coasting along the shore of Flanders and Brabant although of late yeares hauing suffered great dammage and losse it is now much lesse and narrower Thus farre Lemnius Tritthemius in the Annalles of the Franks nameth Middleborough the chiefe city of these Ilands Mesoburgus Meyer calleth it Mattiacum more like a Latinist then a true Geographer More of these thou maist read in the forenamed Lemnius who hath most excellently well described all the Ilands of Zeland and the cities of the same To these if thou wilt thou maist adioine Lewis Guicciardine and I know not what els thou canst seeke for further satisfaction There are also certaine Annalles of these Ilands written in the mother tongue by Iohn Reygersberg But for an incomme thou maist also to these former adde the descriptions of the cities of the Low-countries done by Adrian Barland Of the people of this prouince these verses are commonly spoken Crescit nequitia simul crescente senectâ In Zelandinis non fallit regula talis The worse they wax as they grow old In Zelanders this rule doth hold These Ilands are situate between the mouthes of the riuers Maese and Sceldt bordering on the North vpon Holland on the East vpon Brabant on the South vpon Flanders on the West vpon the Germane sea Iames Meyer thinketh that Procopius calleth these Arboricas Yet Petrus Diuaeus is of opinion that this place of Procopius is corrupt and for Arborichas it ought to be read and written Abroditos That these are those Ilands I do verily beleeue vnto which Caesar in his sixth booke De bello Gallico affirmeth that he forced a part of the army of Ambiorix Prince of the Eburones which as his owne words do giue to vnderstand did hide themselues in Ilands which the continuall motion or ebbing and flowing of the sea had made It is also very probable that Lucane in his first booke aimed at these Isles in these his verses Quaque iacet littus dubium quod terra fretumque Vendicat alternis vicibus cùm funditus ingens Oceanus vel cùm refugis se fluctibus aufert Ventus ab extremo pelagus sic axe volutat c. They come in troopes amaine From where th' vncertaine shore doth lie that is nor sea nor land But both by course as raging Tethys flow'th and ebb'th againe Or as the wind with rowling waues all calm'd doth stand From North to South thus carrying to and fro c. And that which the same Authour in his ninth booke sometime did speake of the Syrtes or Quicksands one may now not altogether vnfitly applie to these Ilands where he thus speaketh Primam mundo Natura figuram Cum daret in dubio terrae pelagique reliquit Nam neque subsedit penitus quo stagna profundi Acciperet necse defendit ab aequore tellus Ambigua sed lege loci iacet inuia sedes When as this massie world by Nature first was fram'd A doubtfull case it seem'd how God would haue it nam'd For neither could
Iordane in his mappe of Denmarke the ilands Groenland Island Hetland Feroa and the Orkneys Yet we haue said before that the Orkney iles do belong vnto the kingdome of Scotland vnder the name and title of a Dukedome Olaus also saith but falsly as I perswade my selfe that the I le Gotland doth belong vnto the kingdome of Swedland GOTHIA or the ile Gotland is a good ground for the feeding and bringing vp of cattell horses and oxen There is plentifull fishing fowling and hunting It is very rich of a kind of faire marble as also of all maner of things necessary for the maintenance of mans life In it is the goodly towne Visbui sometime the most famous and frequent Mart of all Europe There are yet remaining certaine ruines of marble sufficient testimony of his ancient greatnesse and beauty at this day it is now renowmed for the faire Abbey of Benedictine Friers and the Library there containing about 2000. bookes of sundry authours rare and ancient manuscripts Thus farre out of Olaus Magnus and Iacobus Zieglerus CIMBRICA CHERSONES VS now called IVITLAND CImbrica Chersonesus out of the which the Cimbri about the yeare 105. before the incarnation of Christ issued forth and spread themselues in other countries of Europe to the great terrour and affrighting of all Italie stretching it selfe from the riuer Elbe into the North about 80. miles containeth many large and goodly shires It is a part of the kingdome of Denmarke which M. Adams nameth Daniam Cismarinam Denmarke on this side the sea In the entrance of it as one commeth out of Saxony there standeth HOLSTATIA Holstein which old writers for that it is disioined and seuered four the rest of Germany toward the North by the riuer Elbe Albis they called it named NORDALBINGIA and for that it was alwaies accounted the vttermost Northren bound of the Roman Empire and therefore Henry surnamed Auceps the Fowler Emperour of Rome about 650. since had heere in the city of Sleswicke somewhat beyond the limites of the Empire a Lieutenant and Lord-warden of the Marches Holstein conteineth three principall shires WAGRIA STORMAR and DITMARSH of the which Federicke the Emperour about 106. yeares agone made a Dukedome The next prouince from the riuer Eydore which is the furthest bound of Holstein euen vnto Kolding conteineth the Dukedome of Sleswick so named of Sleswick the chiefe city and ancientest mart towne of this country For in former times this country was intituled by the name of the Dukedome of Iuitland which Waldemare the great-grand-child of Abel king of Denmarke first held by homaga from Erick their king about the yeare of Christ 1280. The male line of the Kings and Dukes failing and the Dukedome of Sleswick and the kingdome of Demnarke being vnited and knit into one body Queen Margaret heire to the three crownes granted the Dukedome of Sleswick to Gerard Duke of Holstein on this condition that he should acknowledge his tenure from the king of Denmarke The rest of Cimbrica Chersonesus called North Iuitland stretching it selfe toward Norway by Scagen a towne by reason the quicksands and the shallow sea there well known to sea men groweth sharp and narrow like a wedge This prouince is broadest about Aleburgh a mart towne vpon an arme of the sea which they call Lymford for there it falleth into Iuitland and pearceth almost quite thorow the same Westward diuiding Wensussel only a very narrow space except from the rest making it a Peninsula or Neckland from thence spreading it selfe into a greater breadth enclosing and compassing many goodly ilands putting forth many elbowes and branches it distinguisheth and boundeth diuers shires and countries In this Bay is that Iland which Otho the first Emperour of Rome about the yeare after Christs incarnation 960. when as he passed with his army from the one end of Iuitland to the other called Ottonia whereof the whole tract about this I le is called Otthesunt or vulgarly Odsunt That iland is now called Tyrhalm so named as I guesse of Tyre the mother of king Harald who after the departure of the Emperour Otho out of Iuitland caused all the country from Sleswick Northward to be fenced with a wall and deepe trench In that Iland at this day there is a village called Odby where they suppose that the Iuites ouerthrew the Emperour and his forces Thus farre the authour of this chart hath written of this whole prouince DANIAE REGNI TYPVS CORNELIVS ANTONIADES DESCRIPSIT Cum Priuilegio CIMBRICAE CHERSONESI nunc IVTIAE descriptio auctore Marco Iordano Cum priuileio decenn 1595. HOLSATIA vulgarly called HOLSTEIN OF Holstein thus Crantzius in the seuen and twentieth Chapter of his fifth booke of the history of Saxony Holstatia tooke the name of a vulgar word of thar language for that the country is woody and full of forrests to distinguish between these parts and the other neere adioining which are moorish and green pasture grounds The Saxons call the inhabitants Holsaten that is people dwelling amongst the woods on the contrary those which dwell in fenny countries they call Merstude Thereof the Latines haue formed he names Holsati Holsatia Holsaten and Holstein like as the French and Italians are from their own languages wont to enrich the Latine tongue Vpon the East this country is bounded by the riuer Bilene on the West by Store on the South by Elbe or Elue on the North by Eydore which in time past was the furthest bound of Denmarke From this riuer Eastward the Wandalles or Vandalles otherwise called Wagers did inhabit of whom that prouince was named WAGRIA of an ancient and sometime a populous city of that name now a poore village little inhabited without wall trench rampart or fence the houses are couered with reeds gathered in the fennes homely and country like it runneth out Eastward as farre as the riuer Trauenna Notwithstanding that part of the country which from the riuer Bilene by Elbe declineth toward the riuer Store and of that riuer is called Stormare leaueth but a little ground to the old Holsatia from Store to Eydore For the Dietmarshers a people inhabiting in mournish and fenny places do claime a freedome and priuiledge from the iurisdiction of any other Prince This Crantzius in his time wrote of the state of Holstein then Whereupon it is apparant that Holstein was diuided into Thietmarsh Wagria and Stormare The same Crantzius and others do also call these Holsaters Transabianos and Nordalbianos as situate beyond and vpon the North-side of the riuer Elbe called of the Latines Albis Ado nameth them also Northuidos vnder whom are conteined as the same authour and Helmoldus do write the Stormaren Holsaters and Thietmarshers He that wrote of the warres between the Danes and Dietmarshers his name we know not doth describe these countries somewhat otherwise then those forenamed writers haue done For he affirmeth that Holstein as now it is called generally doth comprehend the Dukedome of Sleswicke Wagria Stormare Dietmarsh and Iuitland with
third part by it selfe Salust doth doubt I see But Philostratus also in Isocrates doth diuide the world into Asia and Europe yea Isocrates himselfe in his Panegyricos Moreouer in Varroes booke De lingua Latina these words are read As all the world is diuided into Heauen and Earth so Heauen is seuered into his quarters and the Earth into Asia and Europe Againe the same authour in his booke of Husbandrie writeth thus First when as the world by Eratosthenes was very fuly and naturally diuided into two parts the one toward the South Asia doubtlesse he meaneth the other in the North Europe we call it S. Augustine in his 16. booke De Ciuitate Dei Lucane in his 9. booke and Orosius in the first booke of his history haue the like wordes to the same sense Notwithstanding custome since hath preuailed with all Historiographers and Cosmographers which haue written either in Latine or Greeke iointly to diuide the globe of the earth into these three parts Asia Africke and Europe the last of which we haue taken vpon vs to describe in this place not only in forme of a mappe or chart like a Geographer but in this present discourse like an historian Concerning the forme of it therefore it is manifold as Strabo writeth It is a Peninsula or demy-ile and not an iland although Silenus as Elianus writeth did sometime to Midas so relate of it For it is on all sides as you may see in the mappe bounded and beaten with the salt sea but only vpon the East where it is by a small necke ioined to the greater Asia Yet by what limits they are there distinguished the ancient and the later writers do not altogether agree For those which are more ancient as Aristotle Plato Herodotus and others which do follow their opinion do diuide Europe from Asia by the riuer Phasis a riuer of Colchis falling into the Euxine sea Mar maiore or Maurothalassa as the Greeks call it neere Trapezonda some mappes do now call that riuer Fasso others Phazzeth the Scythians as Theuet reporteth Debbassethca or which is all one by that Isthmos or neckland which is between the foresaid Mar maiore or Pontus Euxinus and the Caspian sea Mar de Cachu the ancient called it Mare Hyrcanum the Hyrcane sea which formerly all old writers thought to be but a bay or gulfe of the Scythian or Northren ocean as Strabo Pliny Mela Dionysius Plutarch in the life of Alexander and in his discourse of the face in the sphere of the Moone and Iornandes a more late writer haue left recorded Yet all of them were deceiued Only Herodotus truly as this our latter age doth approue and find to be so doth affirme this to be a sea of it selfe and to haue neither in-let nor out-let or to be intermedled with any other sea Dionysius Arrianus Diodorus Polybius Iornandes and Ptolemey haue diuided it from Asia by the riuer Tanais Don or Tana as now the Italians name it who thinketh that both the rise of this riuer and the land Northward from whence it commeth are both vnknowen and vncertaine All doubt where to place and lay their bounds as indeed who neuer perfectly knew those places toward the East and North not being then discouered but only described by them from the fabulous reports of others as for example the Riphaean and Hyperboraean mountaines which are feined inuentions of the Greekes as Strabo writeth together with Aluani montes heere described by Ptolemey where now not only these mountaines but also no other at this day are to be seene but in their places diuers huge and vast woods great fennes and bogges or large champion plaines Orpheus also long since described in this part of the continent I meane between Maeotis palus the fenne Maeotis now called Mar delle Zabacche and Mar della Tana and the sea Cronium an huge wood Likewise Dionysius Afer heere abouts placeth an Infinite wood as he termeth it from whence he saith Tanais or Don doth spring which after many windings and turnings at last falleth into the forenamed fenne Maeotis Isidorus heere hath the Riphaean woods in which he saith Tanais doth first take the beginning That Donaw Danubius doth diuide Asia from Europe Seneca in the sixth booke Natural doth manifestly affirme of which his opinion what we do thinke we will God willing set downe in the discourse to the Mappe of Dacia Hitherto we see the forenamed authours to doubt and disagree between themselues of the limittes of these two parts of the world If therefore they shall find me a meet vmpier and arbitratour in this matter I would not vnfitly and as I hope to the liking of all parties decide the controuersie thus I would make the bounds to be Tanais or the riuer Don the straights or narrow peece of the maine land that is between this riuer and the riuer Rha Athel which emptieth it selfe into the Caspian sea the East branch of the same Athel then from his head vnto the riuer Oby and so euen vnto his mouth or fall into the Northren sea For by this mouth I do easily perswade my selfe that antiquity did verily beleeue that the Caspian sea did vnlade it selfe into the maine Ocean For that the name of this riuer Oby is ancient it is very likely for that montes Obij certaine mountaines called Obij are placed heereabout in this tract by Athenaeus which he saith formerly were called of the ancients montes Riphaei the Riphaean hils but then in his daies montes Alpes the Alpes Againe Iornandes in this continent not farre from hence describeth Ouim or Obim a Scythian nation or family And that these foresaid mountaines are in this place not where Ptolemey and Pomponius Mela haue placed them very many men of great credit and learning in these our daies sufficient witnesses do stoutly auouch Amongst which Baro Herberstein in his history of Moscouy is one Paul Oderborne in his treatise written of the life of Basilides is another lastly Antony Wied in his mappe of Moscouy may be the third Now they name it vulgarly by diuers and sundrie names but commonly they call it Cingulum mundi The girdle of the world as the said Herberstein doth affirme In a Mappe of these countries set out by Master Ienkinson an Englishman who trauelled through these parts it is called Zona Orbis The girdle of the Earth Moreouer I haue in some sort for this diuision Iornandes and Aethicus vpon my side where they say that the Riphaean mountaines do part Asia and Europe Againe these selfe same hils yea and in this tract are the montes Hyperborei not where Ptolemey placeth them And they are the same with montes Riphaei Obij and Alpes Thus farre of the diuision of Asia from Europe Pliny calleth this part of the world The Nurce of all Nations Mardonius as Herodotus doth tell of him auoucheth it to Xerxes To be by farre the beautifullest of all places of the World to be a most goodly and gallant
sunt Condrusi Trevirorum clientes Vbij ceteris humaniores horum civitas florens et ampla AQVITANI hominum multitudo his optima gens ad bellum gerendum Sontiates hi equitatu plurimum valent The LOW COVNTRIES THe word Belgium which Caesar in his Commentaries of the warres of France vseth more than once or twise hath long and much troubled the Readers For some of them do thinke that Caesar by it meant a city which some of whose number are Guicciardine and Marlianus do interpret it to be Beauois in France others Bauays in Henault of this later sort are B. Vigâ—nereus and our owne Chronicles The learned Goropius thinketh that the Bellouaci a people of this prouince were vnderstood by it Some there are which thinke that Caesar vsed Belgium for Belgica as Liuy doth Samnium for the countrie of the Samnites of this opinion was Glareanus Iohn Rhellicane saith that it conteined a part of Gallia Belgica but which part it should be he doth not name H. Leodius would haue it to be that part which is about Henault where the said Bauays now standeth But omitting these opinions let vs heare what Caesar himselfe speaketh of this his Belgium Hee in his 5. booke where he speaketh of the distributing of the Legions in Belgia hath these words Of the which one he committed to Quintus Fabius the Legate to be led against the Morini another to Quintus Cicero against the Neruij the third to Titus Roscius against the Essui the fourth he commanded to winter with Titus Labienus in Rhemes in the confines of Triers three he placed in Belgium ouer these he set as commanders Marcus Crassus the Treasurer and Lucius Munatius Plancus and Caius Trebonius the Legates one legion which he had taken vp hard beyond the Po with fiue cohorts he sent against the Eburones And a little aboue in the same booke where he speaketh of Britannia you shall find these wordes The sea coast of Britaine he meaneth is inhabited of those which by reason of pillage and warre went from Belgium thither all which for the most part are called by the names of those cities where they were bred and borne Heere first it appeareth very plainly that Caesar vnder the name of Belgium comprehendeth not only one city but many then that he vnderstandeth not by it all Gallia Belgica seeing that he nameth the Morini Neruij Essui Rheni and Eburones all which nations he himselfe and other good writers do ascribe to Gallia Belgicae Therefore it is more cleare than the noone day that Belgium is a part of Belgica but what part it should be that is not so cleare That it is not about Bauacum Bauais in Henault as Leodius would haue it it is manifest in that that this is situate amongst the Neruij which Caesar himselfe doth exclude out of Belgium Neither can I be perswaded that it was neere the Bellouaci but rather that it was that part of Belgica which is more neere the sea and lieth vp higher toward the North namely where about the three great riuers the Rhein Maese and Scheldt do meet and fall into the maine ocean these do affoord an easie passage and fall into the sea and from thence a short cut into Britaine Moreouer it is more likely that they should passe the sea which were acquainted and vsed to it and were seated vpon this shore and bankes of these riuers then those which dwelt vp higher into the country to whom the sea was more fearefull and terrible They therefore that went from Belgium into Brittaine did only change coast for coast Of the originall and reason of the word Belgium and Belgica the opinions of sundrie writers are diuers Some there are which deriue it of Belgen or Welgen a word of our owne which signifieth a stranger Another man of great learning and iudgement fetcheth it from Belgen or Balgen signifying to be angrie to fight Our Chronicles do thinke it so named of Belgis the chiefe city of this prouince Neither do they agree in the placing and seating of it for one of them placeth it at Bauais a towne in Henault the other at Veltsick a village about Oudenard They which thinke it so named of the city Belgis which notwithstanding is no where else read of in any good authour either Geographer or Historian they haue Isidore in the 4. chapter of the 13. booke of his Origines for their patrone where he thus speaketh Belgis is a city of Gallia whereof Gallica the prouince tooke the name The same hath Hesychius the Grecian before him in his Lexicon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Belgy was so named of the city Belges as also Honorius in his counterfeit of the world Iustine in his 24. booke citeth out of Trogus Pompeius one Belgius Pausanias nameth him Bolgius a captaine of the Gauls from whom it is like they tooke their name if you will beleeue Berosus that chaungling For he writeth Beligicos siue Belgicos appellari à Beligio aut Belgio Celtarum rege The Beligici or Belgici were so named of Beligius or Belgius a king of the Celtes Of the city Belgis we haue written in our Geographicall Treasury Well let vs leaue these to the censure of the learned and so proceed to certaine testimonies of ancient writers which we thinke wil be both pleasant and profitable to the student of Chorography Caesar in his 1. booke of the warres of France thus speaketh All GALLIA is diuided into 3. parts of the which the Belgae do inhabite one the Aquitani another the third those which in their language are called Celtae but in the Latine Galli Againe within a few lines after Of all these the Belgae are most stout and hardy because that being further off from the quaint behauiour and maners of the prouince and for that they haue no trafficke with merchants or such as do bring in those things which effeminate mens mindes againe because they are next neighbours to the Germanes which dwell beyond the Rhein with whom they make warre continually Item in the same page he thus describeth the situation of their country The Belgae do dwell in the skirts of Gallia they do belong to that part which is within the riuer Rhein they are vpon the North and East sides of it The same authour in his 2. booke hath these words Caesar found that many of the Belgae came from the Germanes which long since passed ouer the Rhein and seated themselues there by reason of the great fertility of the place and that they had driuen out the Gauls which formerly had dwelled there and that these were the onely men which in the daies of our fathers all Gallia being sore troubled kept the Teutones and Cimbres from entering within the lists of their territories whereupon it came to passe that the memoriall and record of these their famous acts haue made them to take much vpon them and to be highly conceited of their great stomacks and skill in martiall affaires Suet. in
cannot away withall for they loue to liue more freely and gentlemanlike by no meanes they will be drawen with great labour and trauell to prepare great and sumptuous banquets and dainties and then when they haue done to eat and drinke them vp In warre they arme themselues with two iauelings or darts a peece Some of them also do cary great shields which they call Thyrei for they do vse wooden bowes and shafts whose heads they dip in a very strong poison for whosoeuer he be that is wounded except he presently drinke treacle or some other holsome soueraigne antidote or shall by and by cut off all the place which is wounded that it run no further the whole body will surely rot and perish They doe delight to flie to steepe and craggie places not easily to be assaulted or come vnto and there to abide and dwell Thus far Leo the Emperour Of HISTRIA which also is contained in this Mappe thou hast a large and fine description in the twelft booke of Cassiodore his Variarum directed to the lieutenants and gouernours of this country where in respect of the great fertility and store of fruits that it yeeldeth he nameth it Rauennae Campaniam Campany of Rauenna and the store-house of the Emperiall city ITALY THey which vse to compare the situation of countries to other things do liken Italy to an oken leafe as Pliny Solinus and Rutilius haue done or to an iuy leafe as Eustathius The later writers do more truly liken it to a mans legge One in our time hath described all Europe in the form of a maiden in whose right arme Italy is portraitured and not vnfitly in my opinion if one do exactly consider the nature of the country and famous acts done in the same for euen as the strength of the body doth for the most part shew his force and ability in this member so this prouince in times past declared to the world by this his arme of what power all Europe the whole body is likely to be That Italy hath had diuers inhabitants partly Barbarians and partly Grecians it is manifest out of the ancient records both of Latines and Greekes For at the first it was inhabited by the Aborigines Siculi Pelasgi Arcades Epei Troiani Morgetes Ausones and Oenotri And therefore it was called by diuers and sundry names as AVSONIA OENOTRIA of the people and nations possessing it IANICVLA of Ianus SATVRNIA of Saturne and lastly ITALIA which it still retaineth of Italus their King or as Varro witnesseth of buls or oxen for the ancient Gretians did in those daies call buls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and because that this country did breed and maintaine many goodly buls it was of them called Italia or as others affirme which more regard poeticall fables for that Hercules from Sicilia hither followed a worthy bull which was named Italus Of the Greekes also it was named HESPERIA of Hesperus the sonne of Atlas or which pleaseth others better of Hesperus the euening starre whereof also in old time Spaine was called Hesperia For for the same reason that Italy was sometime of the Grecians called Hesperia was Spaine of the Latines called Hesperia Yet for distinction sake Virgil in the first and seuen bookes of his Aeneiads calleth Italy Hesperiam Magnam Great Hesperia But it was also by others named by other names For I see that of Macrobius Dionysius Halicarnassaeus Marcus Cato Isaac Tzetzes c. it was called APENINA ARGESSA CAMESENA TVRSENIA SALEVMBRONA and TAVRINA Stephanus writeth that it was called CHONIA and BRETTIA A part also of it was called by writers of good note MAGNA GRAECIA Great Greece of the Grecians that sometime dwelt in it They report as Aelianus writeth that there haue dwelt heere so many and sundrie nations more than in any other country of the world by reason especially that all times and seasons of the yeare are very mild and temperate againe for that the goodnesse of the soile is excellent well watered and very fertile of all maner of fruites and yeeldeth great store of pastorage Item because it is crossed with many riuers and hath the sea very commodious lying round about it and the sea coast on all sides open and cut into sundrie baies inlets creekes and hauens seruing very fitly for the entertainment and harborough of goodly tall shippes Lastly the extraordinary kindnesse and humanity of the people inhabiting it hath been a great meanes to draw others to seat themselues heere The Italians were euer as Iulius Firmicus witnesseth very famous for their princely curtesie and gentlemanlike behauiour Aethicus calleth this country Heauenly Italy and The Queen of the World Rutilius Rerum dominam The mistresse of all Nations Dion Prusaeus The most blessed and happie country of all Europe Halicarnassaeus in his first booke saith that for many reasons It is the best country of the whole World Strabo saith That none may sufficiently expresse in wordes the due commendations of this country according to the worth of the same But I thinke it not amisse to set out the praises of this country by this one commendation of Pliny wherewith he concludeth that his famous worke which he wrote of the history of Nature In the whole World saith he the cope of heauen Italy is the most beautifull country and of all things it doth possesse the soueraignty it is another nurce and mother of the World for men women captaines souldiers seruants famous arts and occupations worthy wittes and inuentions commodious situation wholesomenesse and temperature of the aire easie accesse of all nations many safe hauens kind blasts of windes sufficient good water pleasant and healthfull woods goodly hils and mountaines great store of deere and wild beasts and those harmelesse fertility of soile and multitude of people Whatsoeuer is necessarily required for the maintenance of man and beast is heere to be found and no where better Corne Wine Oliues Wooll Linnen Woollen and Bullockes Neither did I euer see better horses or more esteemed at the runnings or horse-races than those bred in our owne country For mettals as Gold Siluer Copper and Iron so long as they pleased to search for them it was inferiour vnto none all which it still retaineth in her wombe Now it yeeldeth all maner of liquors of sundrie force and vertue together with all sorts of graine and pleasant toothsome fruites Thus farre Pliny You may adde to these if you please that which the same authour writeth in the fifth chapter of his third booke Item that of Polybius in his second booke of Varro in the second chapter of his first booke of Husbandrie of Strabo neere the end of his sixth booke and lastly of Virgil in diuers place Si factum certa mundum ratione fatemur Consiliumquè Dei machina tanta fuit If that we shall confesse that heauen by heauenly skill was rais'd And in the same the massie globe by due proportion pais'd as Rutilius in his second booke speaketh of Italy
moorish fennes and bogges Those things also which the Poets do tell of the witchcraft of the sorceresse Circe and that fabulous transmutation and changing of men into diuers and sundry formes or shapes with Seruius I doe rather attribute to the force of nature than to magicke or witchcraft namely of the horrour of those which passe by that way whereby men do seeme to be changed into beasts and with Pliny I may say How infinite are those fables that are tolde of Medea of Colchis and others but especially of our Italian Circe who for her excellent skill in the arte magicke was canonized for a goddesse And be it farre from me and from euery Christian man that we should beleeue those things which it were wicked and profane to thinke or imagine For I haue read in the Ancyrane councell that they are woorse than Pagans and infidels who doe beleeue that any creature may by any man be turned and transformed into any other shape or similitude than by the Creatour himselfe who first gaue them that forme and fashion Therefore let all other men say what they will and perswade what they can they shall neuer make me beleeue these fables It seemeth that the fable arose of the nature and quality of the place for those places which lie out into the sea as this promontory doth are woont to be in more danger of storme and windes than any other places whatsoeuer Which blasts accompanied with the waues ebbes and tides of the sourging sea falling vpon the rocks cliffes and hollow places do cause such sundry sounds and noices that such as doe saile by this way not without a great horrour and trembling doe seeme as if they heard at one instant men mourne lions roare wolues howle dogs barke hogs grunt and beares to make a noice Hither do those words of Lucan in his sixt booke belong Omnia subducit Circaeae vela procellae That this promontory is full of trees especially of okes myrtles and bay-trees Theophrastus writeth from the relation of others Strabo sayth that it aboundeth with diuers sorts of roots peraduenture as there he addeth they affirme this of it that they may the better apply it in all respects vnto the fable of Circe And do you not thinke that this saying of Aristotle the Prince of Philosophers in his Admiranda did arise from hence They report sayth he that in the mount Circello there groweth a deadly poison of such great force that so soone as euer it is taken all the haire of the body immediatly falleth off and it so weakeneth all the parts and members of the same that they wex so litly and dwined that outwardly they beare the shew of dead carkeises such as it would grieue any man to beholde Strabo writeth that in this mountaine was an altar dedicated to Minerua and withall there is to this day to be seene a certeine goblet or bowle of Vlysses but this latter he affirmeth to be from the opinion and report of the vulgar sort only But passing ouer these fables let vs returne againe vnto the historicall narration of such things as in trueth are either here found or haue happened in this place Horace hath left recorded that the sea vpon this coast yeeldeth great store of good oisters which thereof are called Ostrea Circaeia Suetonius reporteth that Marcus Lepidus was by Augustus Caesar for euer confined and banished into this place Plutarch writeth that Iulius Caesar had a purpose hard beneath the city by a deepe channell to conuey the riuer Tiber another way and to turne the course thereof toward this Circaeium promontorium and so to haue caused it to fall into the sea at the city Anxur by which meanes those which for trade and trafficke were by ship to trauell vp to Rome he meant to make their passage more easie and safe but being preuented by death performed not what he had purposed Here also was the city CIRCAEIVM or Circaeia or as Strabo termeth it Circes towne That it was made a colony of the Romans by Tarquinius Liuy Halicarnasseus Cicero and Plutarch do ioyntly testifie Strabo sayth that it hath a good and conuenient hauen I would thinke that the mention or plot of this ancient citie Circaeia doth still remaine in this mountaine in that place where in this description thou seest certeine ruines and foundations of the walles as it were of a city rased long since and layd leuell almost with the ground which place at this day is called by the name of Citta vecchia that is as much to say as The old citie Certeine remnants of this name doth yet remaine to be seene engrauen in the top of this same mountaine as Angelus Breuentanus a man of good credit the authour of this description and a most diligent searcher out of the Romane antiquities doth from his owne knowledge plainly testifie yet much defaced as he also affirmeth and worne out with continuance of time to wit in this forme PROMVNTORIVM VENERIS CIRCAEIENSIVM XXI The forenamed Breuentanus thinketh that by this inscription is shewed the distance of this place from the city of Rome And it is to be seene at this day in that place of this mountaine where thou seest this marke of a starre * imprinted MAGNA GRAECIA OR GREAT GREECE THat a great part of the true and ancient Italy if not all of it together with all Sicily was sometime called by the name of GREAT GREECE I thinke there is no man meanly seen in Geographie that maketh any doubt for the Grecians did in former times possesse as Trogus writeth not only a part but welnigh all Italy Listen what Pliny in the fifth chapter of his third booke saith Of it the Grecians a Nation very prodigall in commending themselues haue giuen their verdict in that they haue named a great part of it Great Greece Hither also pertaine those wordes of Festus Italy was called Great Greece because the Siculi sometime passed it or for that many and the greatest cities of it were built by the Grecians Seruius in his Commentaries vpon the first of Virgils Aeneids writeth thus Italy was termed Megale Hellas Great Greece for that all the cities from Taranto Tarentum euen vnto Cumae were first founded by the Grecians And therefore it was not altogether vnfitly of Plautus in his Menechmis called Graecia exotica outlandish Greece Seneca in his Consolation thus speaketh of it All that side of Italy which coasteth along with the Neather sea Mar Tosco was called Great Greece That Campania Terra di lauoro was possessed by the Grecians Pliny doth plainly affirme Maximus Tyrius in his six and twentieth Oration describeth Auernus lacus the lake of Tipergola in Campania to be within the compasse of Great Greece And that these authours speake truth Trogus particularly sheweth in the twentith booke of his history in these wordes The Tusci which dwell along by the coast of the Neather sea came from Lydia Item the Venetians Veneti which now we see
last epistle describeth in the territories of Consilinum Stylo a city of this tract Marcilianum suburbium which he termeth the natiue soile of Saint Cyprian of which that by the way I may speake one word of this there is nothing spoken which indeed is strange in the liues of the Fathers or Martyrologies of the Saints or in any other authour to my remembrance Nor which is more strange in any of those writers which like as Gabriel Barry and Prosper Parisius haue particularly named and wrote of the seuerall Saints of this country But of the Nature Situation proper Qualities and Antiquities of this prouince I will not speake one word more because the same is most exactly and learnedly done by two learned men both borne heere who therefore knew it well before I began once to set pen to paper to draw this my Mappe I meane Gabriel Barrius in his booke intituled Calabria where he so largely and curiously tricked out Great Greece Brutium and the tract possessed sometime by the Locri that euen that Reader which hardly will be satisfied with such like stories may doubtlesse heere take his fill and Antony Galatey who hath painted out his Iapygia which is in truth the ancient Calabria that his Reader shall not only depart skilfull and cunning in the knowledge of this country bur also much bettered in his vnderstanding and instructed with rules of good learning and Philosophy in him also there is a description of the city Gallipoli Of Tarentum a city of this prouince Iohannes Iuuenis harh set out a seuerall treatise Of Diomedes iles belonging to this country we haue gathered these few lines which follow DIOMEDES ILES Now ISOLE DE TRIMITE PLiny describeth two ilands by this name so many also doth Strabo mention whereof the one he saith is inhabited the other wast and desert Ptolemey reckoneth vp fiue all called DIOMEDES ILANDS and so many there are at this day called by seuerall and distinct names if one shall account rockes and all Whether euery one of these were knowen to the ancients by seuerall names or not I know not Festus Stephanus and others call properly one of these Insula Diomedea Diomedes I le like as amongst the Britannicae insulae the Brittish iles one is properly named Britannia Brittaine One of them Tacitus calleth TRIMERVS or peraduenture Trimetus for otherwise I doe not see from whence that name of Trimite whereby the greatest of them at this day is called and of it the rest should come Pliny calleth another of them TEVTRIA the other for ought I know the ancients left vnnamed as for Electris and Febra which Seruius mentioneth at the eleuenth booke of Virgils Aeneids or Sebria and Aletrides whereof Pomponius Sabinus vpon the same place speaketh I do very willingly confesse that I haue not found them spoken of by any ancient writer They are seated in the Adriaticke sea not farre from the sea-coast of Puglia opposite to Monte de S. Angelo Mons Garganus or Promontorium Garganum Not within kenning or sight of Taranto Tarentum a city of Apulia as very falsly at the same place Seruius hath set downe The name was deriued by the testimony of all writers both Latines and Greekes from Diomedes the king of Aetolia Artinia Nicetas calleth it whom they report after the surprising of Troy in his returne homeward not being enterteined of his owne nation to be driuen hither and to be interred heere and that his temple monument or tombe did remaine in the greatest of them properly called Diomedea S. Maria di Trimite and that the Plane tree was first brought hither for to shaddow Diomedes tombe Pliny in the first chapter of his twelfth booke of the history of Nature hath left recorded Into Trimerus as Tacitus writeth Augustus banished sent his neece Iulia conuict of adulterie where he furthermore addeth that she endured that punishment of exile the space of twenty yeares In Platina in the life of Hadrian the first I read that Paullus Diaconus was once condemned thither by Charles the Great Of Diomedes birds which Iuba calleth Catarractae Aristotle Charadrij of others Erodij a kind of Cormorant or rauenous sea foule proper to these ilands for they are onely to be seene in this one place of all the world if we may beleeue old writers read Ouid in the thirteenth booke of his Metamorphosis where he thus speaketh of them Si volucrum quae sit dubiarum forma requiris Vt non cignorum sic albis proxima cignis The doubtfull formes of birds most strange if that you seeke to know They be no swannes yet white they be as white as any snow Suidas maketh them to be like to storkes Aristotle in his Wonders calleth them vaste and huge birdes with very long and bigge bils Pliny with Solinus do write that they be like the Fulica a kinde of coote of colour white hauing teeth and eies of a fiery sparke Some there are which do thinke them to be Heronshawes Robert Constantine testifieth that the country people of these ilands do now call them Artenae and that they make a noise like the crying of yong children Item that the fatte or grease of them is a soueraigne remedie against diseases arising of cold causes Blondus writeth that he vnderstood by some of the inhabitants of these iles that these fowles still retaining the name of the Diomedean birdes are of the bignesse of a goose But to be very harmelesse creatures yet neither doing them nor the Church any maner of pleasure They which desire to know more of these birdes as also of the Metamorphosis and transmutation of Diomedes consorts into these fowles or of their nature and quality as of their kindnesse toward Grecians honest-men Strabo calleth them and their curstnesse to strangers wicked-men as Strabo hath and of the purifying of the temple and of other poeticall fables deuised of them let them haue recourse to the authours aboue named to which they may ad that list that which Aelianus hath written in the first c. of his 1. booke S. Aug. in the 16 c. of his 18 book De ciuitate Dei Antigonius Antony Liberalis Lycophron and his Scholiast Isacius At this day these ilands are vnder the command of the kingdome of Naples are al generally called by one name Tremitanae ilands de Trimite euery one by a seueral proper name by it selfe as thou maist read in our Geographical treasury They are now all desert void of inhabitants only that except in which sometime was the temple of Diomedes where now is the Monasterie vulgarly called Santa Maria de Trimiti possessed by regular canons which Eugenius the fourth Pope of Rome enlarged and endowed with great reuenews as Blondus recordeth These as Zacharte Lillie reporteth go to Church so diligently heare diuine seruice so deuoutly and relieue those which by storme and tempest are driuen thither so charitably that they are not onely very famous and reuerently esteemed of those that dwell
here great swarmes of Monkes and Heremites were bred and from hence were spred and scattered all Christendome ouer as we finde in the Records of the Primitiue Church so that a man may iustly terme this countrey The Seminary or Nursery of all religions Of the Philosophy and Hieroglyphicall secrets of the Egyptians reade the sixt booke of Clemens Alexandrinus his Stromaton Item Orus Apollo and Pierius his Hieroglyphicks The VOIAGE of ALEXANDER THE GREAT IF Archelaus the Chorographer whom Diogenes Laërtius affirmeth to haue described all that part of the earthly globe or maine continent conquered by Alexander the Great that famous king of Macedony or Beton Baeton Athenaeus calleth him and Diogenetus whom Pliny writeth were the measurers of the iourney of the said Alexander or if the Commentaries of Strabo which he saith that he composed of the histories and famous acts of that great Conquerour were now extant it would out of all doubt haue beene an easier matter for vs to haue made this map which heere we purpose to set foorth to the view and benefit of the serious student of Geography of the VOIAGE OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT But being destitute of those helpes first we haue laid the plot of it out of Ptolemey and some other later writers Then we haue set downe in it all those particular places which Quintus Curtius Arrianus and Plutarch doe make mention of in the historie of this expedition For these three of all those which haue at large written of his life and are come to our hands haue of purpose handled this his voiage and expedition To these as helps we haue adioined what we finde making for this our purpose in Strabo Diodorus Trogus Orosius and Plutarch in that his booke which he hath intituled Of the fortune and prosperous successe of Alexander for these men although they haue not purposedly intended that argument yet notwithstanding by the way they haue shewed themselues in the setting out of his memorable acts very diligent and faithfull authours Item Philostratus Solinus and Pliny haue in like maner done vs some seruice heerein And while I looke ouer all maner of histories written either in Greeke or Latine by any other authours whatsoeuer beside those aboue named I could picke very little or nothing out of them that might serue vs in this our argument to any sted at all For although some things may be obserued in the reading of Liuy Valerius Maximus Polybius Athenaeus Polyaenus Aelianus Seneca Stobaeus Quintilian Apuleius Dion Pruiaeus Maximus Tyrius Theon Sophista Plutarch in his treatise of Mounteins and the Panegyricke made to Maxim and Constant yet those doe rather seeme in my iudgement to concerne his priuate life naturall inclination maners vertues and vices then this his voiage and expedition Francis Iuret in his annotations vpon Symmachus doth confesse that he hath by him the life of Alexander the Great written first in the Greeke tongue by one Aesope and since that translated into Latine by Iulius Valerius This authour as yet we haue nor seene and therefore of him we say nothing We haue therefore in the description of this Empire of the Macedonians the greatest as Liuy in his fiue and fortieth booke nameth it of all the whole earth begunne by this our Alexander performed what we could not what we would To this we haue caused the plot and portraiture of Iupiter Ammons oracle famous as Pomponius Mela writeth for the certainty of his predictions to be adioined for an auctuarie and ornament and for that it is so often named mentioned in all ancient histories as also for that this our Alexander in this his expedition went vnto this place to demand of the Oracle what the issue and euent of this his iourney should be Lastly Curtins and Trogus do iointly affirme that he commanded that his body after his death should heere be buried although it be certaine that this was not performed for his corps was interred at Alexandria in Egypt Of it therefore out of sundrie authours we haue collected that which followeth The ORACLE of Iupiter Ammon ALEXANDRI MAGNI MACEDONIS EXPEDITIO IOVIS AMMONIS ORACVLVM INGENIO IVDICIO ET ERVDITIONE PRAESTANTI DOMINO HENRICO SCHOTIO VRBI ANTVERP A CONSILIIS AMORIS ET BENEVOLENTIAE ERGO HANC TABVLAM DEDICAB ABRAH ORTELIVS Cum Priuilegio Imp. et Ordinum Belgicor ad decennium 1595. By that description of Iupiter Ammon in Curtius it seemeth that he meant to expresse vnto vs two formes of it viz. one which was accounted to bee his image or counterfet the other was that which was worshipped for a god that had the shape of a ramme this the forme of a bosse vmbilicus For I vnderstand by the word vmbilicus any high thing that steeketh out as the nauil in a man in maner of a pyramis or conus round or square Like as in books almost finished as Porphyrius testifieth they ordinarily vsed to doe either for ornament or some speciall purpose yea and yet to this day still they are put vpon the outside in forme of a round globe For men of ancient families were wont as we do gather by many circumstances oft times in this rude manner to point at their gods rather then truely to expresse them in their true forme and proportion In the temple of Delphos as Strabo in the 6. booke of his Geography reporteth there was a bosse preserued curiously lapped vp in skarfes and ribbends to demonstrate and shew vnto the world that this place was in Vmbilico that is in the middest or center of the whole earth and it was made as Pausanias writeth of pure white marble For the statue or image of the goddesse Venus which was to be seene at Paphus in Cyprus as Tacitus reporteth was a continuall circle broad at the bottome with a thinne edge or brim rising vp narrower and narrower by degrees in manner of a pyrarnis Maximus Tyrius in his 38. oration speaketh the same of it almost word for word but that he saith it was like a white pyramis The same authour in the same place writeth that the Arabians portraitured their god in forme of a square or cubicall stone and as Suidas affirmeth it had no manner of carued worke vpon it at all But this he speaketh of the Arabians of Petiaea and withall addeth that this their god is called Mars Minutius Felix maketh the same god to be but a rough stone vnhew'd or vnpolish't Liuy also testifieth that the Pessinuntij a people in Phrygia did honour a stone for the mother of the gods Arnobius in his 6. booke saith that it was a flint stone of no great bignesse of colour blacke or very darke and duskish verie craggy rough and vneuen Prudentius also in his 7. booke saith that it was of colour browne or inclining to blacke Herodianus reporteth almost the same of the forme of the statue of the Sunne or Elagabalus that Quintus Curtius doth of his god Ammon These are his words as you may read
sound For Mercury had giuen him the hearb Moly so the Gods do call it a sure antidote and preseruatiue against all maner of inchantments and witchcraft And sailing along by the SIRENVM INSVLAE the Mirmaides ilands he built the temple of Minerua Fanum Mineruae in CAMPANIA in Italy as Strabo writeth In this tract also videlicet in LVCANIA as the same authour recordeth he built the chapell of Draco Sacellum Draconis one of his companions in that his voiage From thence he sailed along by the shore and at length landed at TENESSA a city of the Bruttij Isacius vpon Lycophronfalsly writeth that he landed in England mistaking Britannos for Bruttios or ignorantly confounding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Pausanias hath left recorded Item Suidas out of Pausanias affirmeth the same but withall he addeth that heere one of the sailers did rauish a virgin and for that vild act was by the townesmen stoned to death Neere to this towne the chapell of Politas Fanum Politae one of Vlysses consorts by Strabo is described to haue stood From hence it is likely out of Pliny that he came to the iles ITHACEIAE or as otherwise they are called Vlysses specula that is Vlysses beacon or lanterne From hence setting forward and warily auoiding the dangerous Scylla and Charybdes although not altogether without the losse of some of his company he came againe into TRINACRIA or the Iland of the Sunne Insula Solis twise as Horace saith or as Ausonius writeth often losing his way and failing of his course where while he himselfe was asleep some of his company killed certaine sheep of Sol the gouernour of that place out of his flocke which as Appianus Alexandrinus in the fifth booke of his Ciuill warres writeth did feed neere Artemisium a towne in Sicilia which Barrius at this day thinketh to be called Agatha for which their villanie and foule act committed by them they were all cast away and sunke Vlysses himselfe alone getting vp vpon the mast of the ship escaped and was carried into the ile OGYGIA where hee dwelt seuen yeares as Homer writeth or six yeare as Ouid testifieth or tenne yeares as Seruius would make vs beleeue with the Nymph Calypso by whom he gate his sonne Auson After all this building a ship with his owne hands he shippeth himselfe and setteth saile all alone for meere naturall loue of his country preferring it before immortality which the goddesse had promised if so be he would stay with her committing himselfe to the sea out alas he feeleth againe the second time the waight of Neptunes wrath for that as we haue shewed before he had put out the eies of his sonne Polyphemus For the eighteenth or as Ouid writeth the eightith day after his first setting out when as he came so neere Ithaca that he might easily descry the smoke of the chimneies mark the crosse lucke tempestuous winds and raging stormes do on euery side arise so that his ship was ouerturned and himselfe throwen into the sea but as God would haue it rising againe instantly he caught hold of the ship The Nymph Leucothea Nausicaa others call her seeing him thus toiled and wandring in the middest of the sea tooke compassion vpon him and presently relieued him she aduiseth him to let go the ship to put off his apparell and to commit himselfe naked to the sea only and withall she giueth him her fillet or haire-lace wherewith her head was bound vp which he tying about his middle swom vntill he came vnto the country of the PHAEACES Cedrenus falsly hath Phoenices where he arriued neere vnto the riuer Callirhoë The foresaid Cedrenus writeth that he was carried from hence into Creta to Idomeneus and by him conuieghed thence into Corcyra vnto Alcinous But let vs proceed With this fillet of Leucothea he being tied vnto the ship and hanging at it except heere Philostratus which is ordinary with him doe tell a tale with his owne strength vsing his hande in steed of oares he swomme through the middest of the sea Yet that the shippe came thus farre and further it seemeth out of Pliny to be not altogether improbable because he writeth that about Phalacrum a promontory or foreland of Phaeacia or Corcyra this ship was turned into a rocke which rocke Martianus saith is in fashion and proportion like a ship although falsly hee in that place calleth this foreland Phalarium for Phalacrum But if any man shall say that he doth requite one tale with another I will not greatly gainsay him From Phaeacia by Alcinous king of that country who had most honourably intertained him he was at length conueighed to Ithaca his natiue country whose smoake he had many times and often desired before this to see Where killing the woers which were in number if one may beleeue Athenaeus an hundred and eight or as Dictys Cretensis saith but thirty onely he embraceth and kindly saluteth his louing wife Penelope And this is the end of all these wandring peregrinations in which as Ouid saith Iactatus dubio per duo lustra mari Tenne yeares he wandred vp and downe in seas vnknowen Signifying that the rest of the yeares were spent in trauels and troubles endured vpon the land Of which the same authour also thus speaketh Ille breui spatio multis errauit in annis Inter Dulichias Iliacasque domos In trauell many yeares he spent his iourney was not farre Betweene the iland Zante and Troy that famous towne of warre Isacius vpon Lycophron testifieth that Vlysses by the counsell of Minerua went to TRAMPYA a city of the Eurytanes a people of Epyrus or Aetolia there to offer sacrifice vnto the Gods and withall this our authour there addeth that these people are the very same that Homer in the eleuenth booke of his Odysses speaketh of in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is vntill hee came amongst those men that ne'r heard tell of Ocean sea Againe the same authour moreouer affirmeth that in this city Vlysses was worshipped as a god and that hee had an oracle there Not farre from hence amongst these people also Stephanus placeth the city BVNIMA first founded by Vlysses That he was reuerenced as a god I do find by a certaine speech of Seneca that he vseth of him vnto Serenus and therefore it is no maruell that he should giue foorth answers and oracles And that I may omit nothing of his labours Dares Phrygius amongst diuers other of his dangerous attempts writeth that hee put in to harborough at MONVCHA Cassiodorus in the twelfth booke of his Variar writeth that the towne SCYLLACIVM was also built by him That he erected a chappell vpon the toppe of mount BOREVS in Peloponnesus to Neptune and Minerua Sospita I do find in Pausanias his Arcadica Apollodorus as Strabo citeth writeth that Vlysses in this his voiage came to the I le CANNVS but which this should be I know not For of this name there are diuers as thou
thinke there is no man gentle Reader but knoweth what and how great profit the knowledge of Histories doth bring to those which are serious students therein I doe verily beleeue and perswade myselfe that there is almost no man be it that he haue made neuer so little an entrance into the same and touched them neuer so lightly that is ignorant how necessary for the vnderstanding of them aright the knowledge of GEOGRAPHY is which in that respect therefore is of some and not without iust cause called The eye of History For thou shalt meet with many things in the reading of Histories I will not say almost all which except thou haue the knowledge of the countreys and places mentioned in them cannot onely not bee well conceiued and vnderstood but also oft-times they are cleane mistaken and otherwise vnderstood then they ought to bee which thing commeth to passe in many discourses but especially in the expeditions and voyages of great Kings Captaines and Emperours in the diuers and sundry shiftings of Nations from one place to another and in the traueils and peregrinations of famous men made into sundry countreys But seeing that this is a matter which euen experience it selfe doeth teach vs to be true there is no reason why I should stand long vpon the proofe of the same This so necessary a knowledge of Geography as many worthy and learned men haue testified may very easily be learn'd out of Geographicall Chartes or Mappes And when we haue acquainted our selues somewhat with the vse of these Tables or Mappes or haue attained thereby to some reasonable knowledge of Geography whatsoeuer we shall read these Chartes being placed as it were certaine glasses before our eyes will the longer be kept in memory and make the deeper impression in vs by which meanes it commeth to passe that now we do seeme to perceiue some fruit of that which we haue read I omit here that the reading of Histories doeth both seeme to be much more pleasant and in deed so it is when the Mappe being layed before our eyes we may behold things done or places where they were done as if they were at this time present and in doing For how much we are holpen when as in the Holy Scripture we read of the iourney of the Israëlites which they made from Egypt through the Red sea and that same huge Wildernesse into the Land of promise when as looking vpon the Mappe of Palestina we doe almost aswell see it as if we were there I thinke any student in Diuinitie or that History hath oft made triall Which things being so how much those which are students and louers of Histories are combred hindred and stayd yea many times euen while they are in their race and continued course drawne backe it is an easie matter to conceiue when either the description of all countreys cannot be gotten or if they may be gotten they are dearer then that euery mans money will reach and attaine vnto especially those that are but poore or none of the wealthiest For there are many that are much delighted with Geography or Chorography and especially with Mappes or Tables contayning the plotts and descriptions of Countreys such as there are many now adayes extant and euery where to be sold But because that either they haue not that that should buy them or if they haue so much as they are worth yet they will not lay it out they neglect them neither do they any way satisfie themselues Others there are who when they haue that which will buy them would very willingly lay out the money were it not that by reason of the narrownesse of the roomes and places broad and large Mappes cannot so be opened or spread that euery thing in them may easily and well be seene and discern'd For that I may speake that which is the trueth those great and large Geographicall Maps or Chartes which are folded or rowl'd vp are not so commodious nor when any thing is peraduenture read in them so easie to be look'd vpon And he that will in order hang them all along vpon a wall had need haue not only a very large wide house but euen a Princes gallery or spacious Theater This I hauing oft made triall of I began to bethinke my selfe what meanes might be found to redresse these discommodities which I haue spoken of and either to make them somewhat lesse or if possibly it might bee to take them all cleane away And at length me thought it might be done by that meanes which we haue obserued and set downe in this our booke to which I earnestly wish that euery student would affoord a place in his Library amongst the rest of his bookes But that thou mayest the better vnderstand what it is that wee haue done in this our Theater and what it is that thou must exspect and looke for in the same I thinke it not amisse in few wordes briefly here to declare vnto thee First my purpose was to represent vnto thy view whatsoeuer heretofore thou had'st or new hast in any Geographical or Chorographicall Chartes here and there lately or long since set out that euer came to my handes or were possibly to bee gotten for loue or money Of all countreys whose descriptions are set out in Geographicall Tables we haue selected one for of some there are diuers which in our iudgement seemed to bee the best and most exact Which notwithstanding that it were by the first draught of the Authour somewhat large and broad we haue brought into that small forme as might agree with this our worke and that the whole Mappe might be contein'd in one leafe or which sometime thou shalt obserue we haue done as thou may'st see that in one leafe many might bee contein'd and expressed yet so as nothing no neuer so small a thing is either omitted or altered that was to bee found in the greater except it be this which oftentimes thou shalt finde that the names of places and other things which in the first Copies could hardly be read in these our Mappes we haue so expressed that they may perfectly be read of any man And sometime where occasion did serue or need require and the place would permit vnto the moderne and vsuall names of certaine places wee haue added the ancient names mentioned by old writers but now vulgarly vnknowne Which as we doubt not we haue done with the good-leaue and liking of the Authours themselues so I hope it will be a thing very well pleasing to all such as are readers and students of old Histories and Antiquities In those Mappes which haue their Authours names written vpon them we haue as I said altered nothing at all excepting two or three of the Marine tracts of the Low-countreys which the Sea hath much changed since the time that their descriptions were first set foorth As for examples sake in Flaunders ouer against Zeland not farre from the towne Wateruliet where by the goodnesse and great
benefit of Almighty God long after that the description of this Countrey was first set out the Maine-land was much enlarged and had gotten an aduantage of the Sea wee there haue altered the forme of that Mappe according as the place is found to be at this day The description of which plot of ground we obteined of Master Marke Laurine the Lord and owner thereof a braue gentleman greatly renowmed both for the noble stocke from whence hee is descended as also for his wisdome and great experience But in other Mappes which had no name of the Authour subscribed vnto them we were somewhat more bold for in these in some places at our discretion where we thought good wee haue altered some-things some-things we haue put out and otherwhere if it seemed to be necessary we haue put in Of some Countreys also that we might as much as in vs did lye make vp our iust number and fill vp our ranke we haue made some Mappes of our owne that there might as few Mappes be wanting as possibly might be In the abridgement and bringing of those Mappes which had as I said the names of the Authours added vnto them into a lesser forme we haue vsed that faithfulnesse and diligence that we hope to deserue thankes not onely of the Reader but also euen of the Authours themselues or at least we haue dealt so in them that no man need be asham'd of these of ours whatsoeuer they be yea he may aswell acknowledge and take this little one of ours for his owne as that greater one first set out by himselfe For wee haue endeuoured to the vttermost of our power in this our worke if it were possible to deserue thankes of the Authours if not yet by no meanes to displease them Not to follow or imitate that bad custome of some men in these our dayes who that they may seeme to the world to set foorth some new thing doe nothing els but alter the workes and labours of other men and oftentimes out of those which are good to select that which is not good and to sell it commonly for the best Sometimes by adding something at their pleasure and in some places againe taking out and detracting something and withall either by concealing the right Authors names or setting to their owne or feyning a name of some one or other they thinke to please the vulgar sort with nouelties that that their worke may sell the better and they may rake money together they care not how For we were not mooued to vndertake this labour by any couetous desire of getting much by it but euen of a willing and forward minde that wee had to helpe and further those that had a loue and affection to these studies not any whit respecting the gayning of any vaine glory and commendation by other mens labours For what need we to make new Mappes when as the old Mappes of other men now extant would serue our turne Some there are peraduenture which will looke to finde in this our Theater more descriptions of particular Countreys for euery man naturally for the loue that he beareth to his natiue soile would I doubt not wish that it were here seuerally described amongst the rest but let them know that those which are here missing are not left out and omitted either by our negligence or for that we were lothe to be at that cost and charges but because that either we neuer saw any such or at leastwayes for that there neuer came any such to our hands If there be any man which either hath any such or knoweth where there may be had him we would earnestly entreate that he would be the meanes to helpe vs vnto them assuredly promising him that we will at our owne cost and charges not without great thankes to him and a most honourable mention of his name cause them to be cut and imprinted apart and by themselues that hereafter they may be inserted into this our Booke either in their owne place elsewhere as any man shall like best Of the Order also by vs here obserued in the placing of these our Mappes I thinke it not amisse gentle Reader to speake a word or two and to acquaint thee with our purpose that if peraduenture there be any man which doeth thinke that they ought to haue bene placed otherwise we may either satisfie him if we may or els excuse our selues which is all I thinke that can be looked for at our hands First of all we present vnto thy view an Vniuersall Mappe of the whole world Then the foure quarters or principall parts of the same to wit Europe Asia Africa and America in this following dame Nature in which alwayes before the parts can be the whole whereof they be the parts must of necessitie first be Next after these we haue put the seuerall and particular Countreys of these parts beginning at the West part of the world in this following Ptolemey the Prince of Geographers and almost all others that haue written of this argument And so the Prouinces and particular countreys of America do first put foorth and shew themselues next to these do follow the Brittish Iles after them Spaine and then France From hence we passe to Germany whose Countreys being after our maner diligently surueyed from Heluetia or Switzerland we passed ouer the Mountaines into Italy which is the next countrey vnto it Eastward purposing also to view all the Prouinces thereof seuerally From thence we crossed the Sea and sayl'd into Greece Whereupon going into Slauonia we surueyed all the Countreys seuerally which do vulgarly speake the Slauonian tongue to wit Hungary Transsyluania Polonia Scandia and Russia Thus hauing finished Europe we come vnto the Isthmus or Straight land which is betweene the head of the Riuer Tanais and the North sea which is in deed the bound of Europe and Asia from it we step into Asia Which after we haue a while beheld we left and so passed into Africa by the Streights or narrow piece of the Mainland which runneth betweene the Bay of Arabia and the gulfe of Damiata Sirbonis lacus made by the ouerflowing of the Midland-sea From thence passing through Egypt and Barbary wee came vnto the Streights of Gibraltar which we crossed and at length came home againe to our owne natiue countrey from whence we first set foote like vnto a trauailer or a Pilgrime which hath viewed and trauailed through many and sundry seuerall Nations and Countreys passing out of one into another orderly as they lay and were situate one by another ouerskipping none at last returneth safely and ioyfully from whence he first set foorth Thus farre of the Mappes themselues Now let vs speake a word or two of the backside of the same Because we thought it would be a thing nothing pleasing to the Reader or Beholder to see the backesides of the leaues altogether bare and empty we determined there to make a certaine briefe and short declaration and Historicall discourse
as appeares out of the Map by an Ocean so huge and to the Indians so vnnauigable Also what else may we coniecture to be signified by this word Norumbega the name of a North region of America but that from Norway signifying a North land some Colonie in times past hath hither beene transplanted But why in mine opinion the maine Ocean was neuer sailed by ancient Nauigatours I haue declared in my Thesaurus Geographicus speaking of OPHIR All this part of the World except the North tract thereof whose Coasts are not yet discouered hath in these last times beene sailed round about From North to South it stretcheth in forme of two Peninsulae or Demi-isles which are seuered by a very narrow Isthmos or neck-land The Northermost of the two conteineth New Spaine the prouince of Mexico the countrey of Florida and New-found-land But the Southermost which the Spaniards call Terra firma containes Perú and Brasil A description of all which regions the studious in Geography may reade in Leuinus Apolonius in the Decads of Peter Martyr and in Maximilianus Transsiluanus who writ all in Latine Also to this purpose you haue many things worthy the obseruation in the Iesuites Epistles and in Maffeius his story of the Indies Postellus also promiseth Discourses of West-Indie-matters and so doth Fredericus Furius Caeriolanus These that follow haue purposely written of America but all in their mother-languages and for the most part in Spanish but the better halfe of them are translated into Italian PEDRO CIEçA DE LEON GONSALVO FERNANDO DE OVIEDO FERNANDO CORTEZ PETER ALVARADO DIEGO GODOYA ALVAREZ NVNNEZ NVNNEZ DE GVSMAN FRANCIS VLLOA FRANCIS VASQVEZ DE CORONADO ANTONIE MENDOçA FRIER MARCO DE NIZZA FERNANDO ALARCHON FRANCIS XERES IOHN VERARZANO AMERICO VESPVTIO FRANCIS LOPEZ DE GOMARA IEROME BENZO in Italian IAQVES CARTHIER and ANDREVV THEVET wrote in French IOHN STADEN in Dutch Diuerse of which Authours and many that haue written since are translated into English in the third volume of M. Hakluyts English Voyages AMERICAE SIVE NOVI ORBIS NOVA DESCRIPTIO Vlterius Septentrionem versus hae regiones incognitae adhuc sunt The peaceable or the south sea called by the Spaniards MAR DEL SVR. THis sea albeit vnknowen yet was it not vnnamed by ancient writers for Plinie calles it Ecum and Orosius Orientale that is The East sea Ptolemey falsly termes it SINVM MAGNVM A great bay whereas he should haue nam'd it MARE MAGNVM A great sea For of all the seas in the world it is the greatest and the widest In Paulus Venetus it is described vnder the name of Mare Cin that is as I interpret it out of Nubiensis Arabs Bahci'ltzni vel alkini Mare Sinarum The sea of China and in Haithon Armenus whom elswhere we more truly call Antonie Curchino by the name of Mare Cathay Well therefore might it be named by the ancient and middle-age writers but neuer was it fully knowen and discouered till Fernando Magellan a Portugale sailed thereupon Seene it was indeed and as it were saluted in the yeere 1513 by Vasco Nunnez from the coast of Perú But Magellan in the yeere of our saluation 1520. hauing passed the streight by him found and called after his owne name which it hitherto retaineth for euery common Mariner calles it The Streight of Magellan with an heroick and Herculean courage entred this sea which vncertaine it is whether any shippe before his had euer stemmed For meditating a voyage to the isles of the Moluccos whereunto the Portugals vsually sailed from West to East and intending to make thither a shorter cut from East to West he came at length vnto them by this sea in one of which isles called Machian he was slaine in a skirmish The course of his voyage was this Departing from Siuil with fiue ships whereof one being his owne was called by a name of good presage Victoria he came to the fortunate or Canary-isles then to the Gorgones or Hesperides now termed The isles of Cape verde and thence to the Streight abouenamed which when he had found and past thorow he enters into this sea where with a fresh and prosperous gale hauing sailed vpon the maine 40. dayes together and beholding nothing but sea on all sides and still the sea when he had crossed the South tropick he descried two small barren and vnhabited isles where notwithstanding because they found good fishing they staied two dayes then departed calling them the Vnfortunate isles Now they are knowen by the name of Tuberones and the isles of S. Peter Then he proceeds on his nauigation in the space of 3. moneths and 20. dayes hauing sailed ouer this vast Ocean 2400. leagues he attained at length to the Aequinoctiall and thence to the desired Molucces And because as we haue said he had for the most part a prosperous no tempestuous wind he named this Pacificum or The peaceable sea now called by the common Mariner The South sea or Mar del Sur. Those that haue written of the New world say that this sea about those vnfortunate isles is most exceeding deepe and that neere vnto the coast of Perú it yeeldeth pearles and that there are in it 7449. isles so that some in our times not vnfitly haue called the Western part thereof Archipelagus or A sea thicke set with isles seeing this like the Aegean sea which is planted all ouer with the Cyclades the Sporades and many other islands and is called in the Italian tongue Archipelago is also with isles most notably replenished In the bottome of this sea Francis Vlloa and Antonie Digafetta do report that there growes a weed of 14. or 15. fathoms high within the water and that it riseth out of the water to the height of some 4. or 5. fathom so that sometimes you shall seeme not to saile thorow a sea but rather thorow a greene medow The place of Aristotle in his booke De Admirandis c. doth not much disagree from this where he writes of the Phoenicians which inhabited Gadyra that when they had sailed a while without the pillars of Hercules they arriued at certeine regions abounding with weeds and slime which were ouerflowed with the tides of the sea The very same affirmeth Iornandes in the beginning of his Getish history where he writes that none could saile thorow the Ocean being impassable in regard of weeds or turfs and for that cause vnknowen Yea Plinie and Antigonus out of Megasthenes haue left recorded that all the East Ocean growes full of woods And that the sea neere Portugale should beare Okes laden with mast Polybius reporteth in Athenaeus Also that the Bay-tree growes in the Red sea the same authour affirmes vpon the credit of Pythagoras Hereunto you may adde that of Theophrastus in his 4. booke of the history of Plants cap. 7.8.9 and the testimony of Aelianus lib 13. de Animal cap. 3. and Strabo lib. 16. and Plinie lib. 2. cap. 103. lib. 6. cap. 22. and lib. 13. cap.
of them called SCOTLAND Syluester Gyraldus Cambrensis about 400. yeares since described this Iland in a seuerall treatise But because that this booke as yet is not set forth and therefore not common and euery where to be gotten we will out of it gather so much as this narrow roome may conteine not doubting but we shall worthily deserue great thankes at the readers hand for the same Listen therefore to his words Ireland next after England the greatest Iland of the knowne world hath the greater Britaine vpon his East side vpon the West only lieth the vast and wide Ocean on the North three daies saile from the coast of Ireland lieth Island of all the Northren iles by far the greatest Britaine is almost twice as great as Ireland for seeing that the length of both runneth the same way from South to North that is about 800. miles long and about 200. miles broad this from Brendam hilles to the iles Columbine otherwise called Thorach is about eight daies iourney that is 400. miles long at the least Ireland conteineth in all 176. Canweds The word Canwed is a compound word vsed aswell of the Welch as Irish and signifieth a circuite of ground conteining within it 100. villages The soile of Ireland is vneuen full of hilles and dales soft and squally full of woods bogges and fennes Vpon the toppes of the highest and steepest hilles you shall oft find great ponds and bogges yet it hath in some places most goodly plaines and champion but in respect of the woods they are very little The ground is very fatte and fertile for Corne. The mountaines abound with sheepe the woods are full of Deere and the whole I le generally is better for pasture then for eareable ground much better I meane for grasse then corne For the kernelles of wheat are heere so dwined and small that they may hardly be dressed with any manner of fanne That which the Spring-time doth bring forth and flourisheth for a while in Summer the dripping and watery Autumne will hardly suffer kindly to ripen or tidily to be inn'd For this Iland is more subiect to blustering winds outragious stormes of raine and floods then any other country vnder the cope of heauen It is very rich of honie and milke Solinus and Isidore affirme that it hath no Bees but by their leaue if they had more diligently examined the matter they might haue on the contrarie written that it wanteth vines but is not altogether void of Bees For this Iland neither now hath nor euer had any vines But of Bees it hath as any other country great plenty which notwithstanding would heere as I thinke swarme in farre greater number if it were not for the venemous and sowre ewgh-trees which in all places of the Iland do grow in great abundance The Iland is euery where crossed and watered with many goodly riuers of which the principall are these Auenliss runneth by Dublin Boand or Boine through Methe Banna through Vlster Linne by Connagh Moad by Kenelcunill Slechey and Samayr Modarn and Furne by Keneleon There are also very many other riuers whereof some issuing forth of the bowels of the earth and from their cleare fountaines other immediatly rushing forth of lakes and fennes wandring heere and there diuide and part the Iland into many goodly prouinces and shires For vnder the foot of Bladina hill now called Bliew Blemy three famous riuers do arise commonly called The three Sisters for they beare the names of three sisters Berne Birgus now Barrow which runneth by Lechlin Eoyr Neorus they call it Nore by Ossire and Swyre by Archfine and Trebagh neere Waterford they kindly salute one another and so falling into one channell they quietlie toward the sea Slane runneth by Wexford Boand by Meath Auenmore by Lismore and Simen by Limiricke And indeed amongst all the riuers of Ireland Sinnen bear'th the bell not only for his goodly greatnesse long and diuers wandrings through the country but also his great plenty of dainty fish For it ariseth out of a very large and goodly lake which diuideth Connagh from Munster and spreadeth it selfe into two branches running two contrary waies one of them tending toward the South passeth by the city Kelleloe and then enclosinge round the citie Limiricke with a direct course and large streame for an hundred miles and vpward running between the two mountaines emptieth it selfe into the Brendan sea The other not much lesse then the former diuiding Meath and the farther parts of Vlster from Connagh running with a crooked course turning this way and that way at last hideth it selfe in the Northren ocean So that this riuer doth separate the fourth and West part of the Iland from the other three like a midland streame running from sea to sea For this Iland in former ages was diuided almost into fiue equall parts namely into North Mounster South Mounster Leinster and Connagh This country hath diuers goodly Lakes The sea coast aboundeth plentifully with all maner of sea-fish on all sides the Riuers and Lakes are stored with great variety of fresh-fishes especially with these three sorts Salmons Trouts and Eeles The riuer Shynen swarmeth with Lampreyes But there are wanting many other sorts of good fresh-fish of other countries as Pikes Perches Gogeons and almost such fish as come not from the sea or salt waters On the contrary the Lakes of this Iland haue three kinds of fish which are no where els to be found For they are somewhat longer and rounder then Trouts very white fleshed passing sauery and pleasant very like vnto the Hallibut Vmbra our authour calleth it but that they are much bigger headed There is another kind very like to herrings aswell for proportion and bignesse as also for colour and tast There are a third sort in all points like trouts but that they are not spotted Yet these sorts of fish are only seen in the Summer in the Winter they neuer appeare In Meath neere Foner are three Lakes not farre distant one from another ech of which hath certaine fish proper to it selfe not found in any of the other two neither do they I meane euer come one at another although there be most conuenient passages by reason of the riuer which runneth from one to another nay if it shall chance that the fish of one lake be caried to another either it dieth within a while after or returneth vnto his own lake againe Eryn HIBERNIAE BRITANNICAE INSVLAE NOVA DESCRIPTIO Irlandt Cum Priuilegio From these naturall things let vs passe vnto those strange wonders which nature worketh in these out-countries of the world In North Mounster there is a lake wherein are two Ilands a greater and a lesse the greater hath a Church the lesser a Chappell Into the Greater neuer any woman or liuing creature of the female kind might euer come but it would die by and by This was often proued by bitches cattes and other creatures of that sex In the lesser no man did
euer die or could die of a naturall death In Vlster there is another Lake in which there is an Iland of two diuers qualities one part of it hauing a church consecrated to the seruice of Christianity is very beautifull goodly and pleasant The other very rough ouer growne and vnpleasant is said to be bequeathed to Diuels and euill spirits This part hath in it nine caues or trenches in any of which if a man do chance to sleepe all night he is presently assaulted by the euill spirits and all the night so greeuously tormented and vexed that by the morning hee shall scarce be able to breath and will be almost halfe dead This place is called of the country people The purgatory of S. Patricke There is also a spring or fountaine in Mounster with whose water if any man shall wash himselfe he will presently become hoary or gray-headed I my selfe saw a man who washed the one halfe of his beard with this water and the haire became white the other remaining blacke as it was before On the contrary there is in Vlster a fountaine in which if any man wash his haire he shall neuer be horay or gray-headed In Connagh there is a fountaine of fresh water vpon the toppe of a very high mountaine which ebbeth twise in 24. houres and floweth as oft in this imitating the vnconstant motion of the sea There is a fountaine in the farder and North part of Vlster which by reason of the great coldnesse of it in seuen yeares space turneth sticks and wood cast into it into stone In Connagh there is a fountaine only kind and wholesome for men but for cattell and other such kind of bruite beasts pestilent and dangerous There is a fountaine in Mounster which if any man shall touch by and by the whole country wil be ouerflowed by storms of raine The people of this countrie do weare course blacke mantles or rugges for the sheep of this Iland are blacke and they put them on as rudely and vnhandsomely They vse also little hoods which hang down to their shoulders In riding they vse no saddles boots nor spurres but with a rod sharpe and tapered at one end they pricke forward their horses and make them runne Their bridles are such as do serue both for bitte and reigne so made as their horses only vsed to grasse are neuer hindred from eating They go into the field to warre naked and altogether vnarmed They vse three kind of weapons long speares darts and battell-axes The people is wild and very vnciuill they delight in nothing more then to liue idly and libertie they preferre before great riches I only obserued the people to delight much in musicall instruments and in that to deserue some commendation These briefly we haue gleaned heere and there out of the historie of Gyraldus Cambrensis diligently retaining the tenor of his owne phrase which we haue thought good to translate word for word as they are deliuered by our Authour that succedent ages might see either the credulous simplicity of former times or how time doth alter countries people and maners of men And because we haue spoken before of S. Patricks purgatory it shall not be amisse to adde to those former this discourse of it taken out of the twelfth booke of Caesarius his historie of Things worth the remembring When as S. Patricke saith he conuerted this nation to Christianity and they made a doubt and beleeued not that men should be punished for their sinnes in the world to come hee by earnest praier obtained this place at the hand of God the maner of the place is thus There is a deepe pit or trench enclosed round with a wall there are also certaine Regular Canons No man is so great a sinner to whom they enioine any greater penance then to abide all one whole night in that purgatorie If any man be desirous to enter in first making his confession they administer the sacrament vnto him they anoint him perfume him and instruct him thus Thou shalt see this night say they the assaults of the Deuill and the horrible paines of hell but they shall not hurt thee if thou haue but the name of Iesus alwaies in thy mouth But if thou shalt yeeld to the flattering enticements or terrible threatnings of the Deuill and so shalt cease to call vpon the name of Iesus thou art surely but a dead man Then in the euening putting him into the pit they shut vp the dore and comming againe in the morning if they presentlie find him not they looke no farther for him Many haue died there and many haue gone home againe whose visions haue been written of the foresaied friers and are shewed to such as are desirous to see them IReland saith M. Camden according to maners of the people is diuided into The wild Irish and The English pale but according to the ancient iurisdictions and naturall situation of it it is more fitly diuided into fiue parts and indeed it once conteined fiue kingdomes Mounster in the South Leinster in the East Connagh in the West Vlster in the North and Methe almost in the middest and heart of the land MOVNSTER Memomia the Irish call it Mown sometime diuided into West Mounster which in Ptolemeys time the Gangani Luceni Velabri and Iterni did inhabit and East Mounster possessed then of the Vodiae comprehendeth now these seuen Shires Kerry Limiricke Corke Tiparary Holy crosse Waterford and Desmond Of which Kerry and Tipararie were sometimes county Palatines LEINSTER Lagenia they call it Leighnigls a fertile soile and holesome seat possessed sometime by the Brigantes Coriondi Menapij Cauci and part of the Eblani Now it is diuided into these counties Wexford Caterlogh Kilkenny Dublin Kildare The Kings county The Queenes county Longford Fernes Wicklo METHE Media the Irish call it Mijh in the mid'st almost of the country the other part of the ancient possessions of the Eblani for his great fertility either for corn or grasse fish or flesh pleasant situation healthful aire multitude of people strength of castels and towns commonly called as Bartholomeys English reporteth The chamber of Ireland was lately diuided into East Methe and West Methe CONNAGH Connacia they call it Connaughty where long since were seated the Auteri and Nagnatae now it containeth these shires Clare Letrimme Gallawey Rosecomin Maio Sligo The whole prouince although it be in many places fertile and pleasant yet it is euery where full of dangerous Bogges darke Woods Creeks and Baies conuenient Stations and Harborough for shippes VLSTER Vltonia the Irish call it Cui Gully the Welsh Wltw a large country euery where full of great Lakes thicke and huge woods in some place resonably fruitfull in others leane and hungry but in all places greene and pleasant to the eie and therefore it maintaineth great plenty of cattell Here in Ptolemeys time inhabited the Voluntij Darni Robogdij Vennicny and Erdini at this day it conteineth these shires Louth Down Anwimme Monalion
to name places after the same Saints vpon whose daies they finde them I haue nothing to adde saue that Theuet is mistaken in that he falsly and carelesly ascribes the same mountaine vnto S. Michaels Isle which we haue truly and fully described in Pico Of these Isles somewhat you may read in the Historie of Ierome Conestagio touching the Vnion of the Kingdome of Portugale to the crowne of Castile And also in the 97. Chapter of Iohn Huighen van Linschoten his East-Indian iournall AÇORES INSVLAE Priuilegio Imp. et Reg. Maiest necnon Ordinum Belgicor ad decennium Longitudo huius descriptionis sumta est à meridiano I Ptolemaei Occidentem versus Has insulas perlustrauit summà que diligentia accuratissimè descripsit et delineauit Ludouicus Teisera Lusitanus Regiae Maiestatis cosmographus SPAINE SPAINE is resembled by Strabo vnto an Ox-hide spred vpon the ground It is around inuironed by the sea saue only where it is diuided from France by the Pyreney-mountaines On the East it hath the said Pyreney-mountaines which from the Temple of Venus or the Promontory stretched foorth neere Illiberis now Colibre runneth along to the British Ocean and this is the very narrowest part of Spaine insomuch saith Vaseus that when I trauelled thorow Biscay I remember that from the hill of S. Adrian if my sight deceiued me not I saw both seas namely the Ocean neere at hand and as farre off as I could discerne the foame-white waues of the Mediterran sea North it is bounded by the Biscain sea West by the Western sea and South by the Streight of Gibraltar and part of the Mediterran sea Spaine is diuided into three Prouinces Baetica Lusitania and Tarraconensis Baetica on the North is inclosed with the riuer Anas now called Guadiana West with that part of the Atlantick Ocean which is betweene the mouth of Guadiana and the Streight of Gibraltar South with part of the Mediterran sea called of olde Mare Balearicum extending from the Streight last mentioned to the Promontory of Charidómus now called Cabo de Gata and Eastward it is bounded by an imaginary line drawen from the said Promontory by the towne of Castulo to the riuer Guadiana It is called Baetica of the famous riuer Baetis which cuts the whole Prouince in twaine This riuer springing out of the wood or forest anciently called Saltus Tygensis runneth into the Atlantick-ocean and is at this day called by an Arabian name Guadalquibir that is to say The great riuer This prouince of later times of the Vandal inhabitants was called Vandalicia at this present by the same word corrupted Andaluzia Lusitania conteines Algaruc and the greater part of Portugale Lusitania confineth North vpon the riuer Duero from the very mouth thereof to the bridge ouer against Simancas West it bordereth vpon that part of the Atlantick-ocean which ebs and flowes betweene the outlets of Duero and Guadiana South vpon Andaluzia and East it fronteth Hispania Tarraconensis now called Castilia c. euen from the ancient Oretania to the foresaid bridge ouer against Simancas Lusitania was thus named from Lusus the sonne of Bacchus and Lysa one of Bacchus his companions whereupon it is somtimes called of Lusus Lusitania and somtimes againe of Lysa Lysitania The residue of Spaine pertaineth to the prouince called Tarraconensis of the city Tarracona which is the head of all that prouince a city saith Strabo most notably fit for princes in their trauels to retire themselues and here the Emperors kept their chiefe iurisdiction This prouince containeth the kingdome of Murcia likewise Valencia and Arragon with Catalonia also Castilia Vieja the kingdome of Nauarre part of Portugale between the riuers Duero and Minho the kingdome of Gallicia Asturia and all Biscay Hitherto Vaseus in his chronicle of Spaine who intreateth of this argument more at large Read also Marinaeus Siculus Marius Aretius Damianus a Goës Francis Taraffa the bishop of Gerundo Annius Viterbiensis and in Spanish Florian del campo and after him Ambrosio Morales with all those other Writers of Spaine that Vaseus in the fourth chapter of his Chronicle doth recite Stephan Garibayo in his Chronicle of Spain diuided into twenty books describes the kingdome of Nauarre Iohn Mariana likewise not long since published a volume concerning Spanish matters Among the ancient Writers you must peruse Caesar Strabo and the rest which Damianus a Goës in his booke called Hispania doth nominate also the Panegyrick speech of Latinus Pacatus and Claudianus de laude Serenae Vnto these you may adde the first booke of Laonicus There is extant also a little Trauellers Breuiate written in Spanish by Alonço de Meneses containing almost all the ordinarie voyages in Spaine wherein also are noted the distances of places Three memorable things as writeth Nauagierus are prouerbially spoken of Spaine the first A bridge ouer which the water runneth whereas it runnes vnder all other bridges namely the water-conduct at Segouia the second a city compassed with fire that is to say Madrid because the town-walles are of flint and the third a bridge whereon are daily fed ten thousand head of cattel whereby is signified the riuer Guadiana which hiding it selfe vnder ground for the space of seuen miles doth then breake forth againe Albeit this last is a thing sprung rather out of the peoples vulgar opinion than out of truth as Don George of Austria Gouernour of Harlebeck an eye-witnesse most worthy of credit hath informed me being a man conuersant in all kinde of history and a a wonderfull searcher and admirer of naturall Philosophie The islands belonging vnto Spaine wherof ancient writers haue made mention at the Celtick promontory or Cape Finister are the Cassiterides which at this present are not to be found in the ocean Also Insulae Deorum otherwise called Cicae and of late times Islas de Bayona Londobris named also Erythia and now the Burlings Gades in olde time dedicated to Hercules now commonly called Cales All these are in the Ocean In the Mediterran sea you haue Ophiusa now called Formentera As likewise the two Gymnesiae or Baleares at this present called by distinct names the one Maiorca and the other Minorca The coast of Minorca is beset round about with huge mountaines but at the entrance of the hauen the roots of these mountaines are leuelled into a plaine till they meet at so narrow a distance on the other side of the shore that no ships can enter the harbor but with a gentle gale of wind The hauen is named Mahon being a most beautifull and commodious place for it stretcheth almost foure miles in length with many inlets all which serue for the harboring of ships From hence ariseth a perpetuall ridge of mountaines on which the inhabitants cut downe great plenty of wood At the vtmost part therof on the mountain-tops is built a city Contrariwise the greater Island hath a plaine shore and most high and barren mountaines in the middest A city there is of one and
vpon what ground Calis-Malis In the lesser of the two foresaid isles stood the towne of Gades and in the greater Iulia Gaditana Augusta which before as appeareth out of Strabo was called Neapolis Now they call both towne and island Cadiz It is the seat of a Bishop who also is intitled Bishop of Alger This Isle was first discouered and inhabited by certaine Phoenicians of Tyrus as is euident out of most ancient records Vpon this isle some are of opinion that the Geryones afterward planted themselues whose droues the Aegyptian or Tyrian Hercules forcibly draue away At one corner of the isle stood the temple of this Hercules famous both for builders superstition riches and antiquity Why it should be holy saith Mela his bones there buried are a sufficient cause Vpon the other corner Strabo affirmes the temple of Saturne to haue been erected In the said temple of Hercules Caesar found the image of Alexander the great as Suetonius in his life reporteth A fountaine there was very holsome to drinke which with a strange kind of contrariety diminished at the floud and increased at the ebbe of the sea In this temple as the same author affirmeth were certaine brazen pillars of eight cubits wheron were ingrauen the costs bestowed in building of the same Here also the same author out of Artemidorus acknowledgeth a temple dedicated to Iuno Dionysius describes therein the temple of Age and of Death and tels of certaine altars consecrated to the Yere to the Moneth to Arte and to Pouerty Hercules pillars are here extant saith Isidore and here growes a kind of tree like a palme with the gum whereof the glasse of Epyrus being mingled is turned into a precious stone The inhabitants of old were famous for their skill in nauigation and from this their ancient trauersing of the seas they do not as yet degenerate But their principall gaine consisteth in making of Salt and in catching of Tunies for which they haue euery yeere an ordinary fishing These fishes being cut in pieces pouldred and barrelled are dispersed all Europe ouer This isle was esteemed by antiquitie the worlds extreame Westerne limit whereupon saith Silius Italicus in his first booke And Gades the vtmost bounds of men c. Also in his 17. booke Gades lands farthest end And Calpe bounding Hercules And Baetis crystall streames That bathe Apolloes steeds For here the Poets faine that the Sun being weary of his dayes labour drencheth himselfe in the Ocean and takes his rest wherefore Statius also calles it Gades the Sunnes soft bed Yea at this very time our Netherlandish Mariners call the Westermost Cape of this isle which by the inhabitants is named El cabo de San Sebastian Het einde der Werelt that is to say The Worlds end This ancient inscription found vpon this isle is by Appianus in his booke of Inscriptions alleged out of Cyriacus of Ancona as followeth HELIODORVS INSANVS CARTHAGINIENSIS AD EXTREMVM ORBIS SARCOPHAGO TESTAMENTO ME HOC IVSSI CONDIER VT VIDEREM SI QVISQVAM INSANIOR AD ME VISENDVM VS QVE AD HAEC LOCA PENETRARET In English thus I Heliodorus a mad Carthaginian commanded in my last will that they should in this tombe bury me at the worlds end to see if any more franticke than my selfe would come thus farre to visit me But that all this inscription is counterfeit and new I learne out of Anthony Augustinus his eleuenth chapter of ancient coines Concerning this isle you may reade more at large in Strabo and Philostratus And of the city reade Brunus in his volume of cities GVIPVSCO GVIPVSCO is a part of that Northerne tract of Spaine called of olde Cantabria it borders vpon the kingdome of Nauarre and the Pyreney mountaines which diuide it from France and it is bounded Westard by the prouince of Biscay The inhabitants in Ptolemey are called Varduli At this present some call it Lipuscoa others Lepuscoa but corruptly as Stephan Garibaio borne in the country writeth Some ancient records of this country do not vndeseruedly name it The wall and fortresse of Castile and Leon. It is a mountainous place euery where so abounding with yron and steele that for quantity and goodnesse of this mettall it is excelled by no other region in the world Wherefore from hence to their great commodity all the neighbour-countries are abundantly supplied with all kind of iron-tooles and instruments Here likewise they make warlike armour and artillery as namely Great ordonance Harquebuzes Caliuers Harnesse Swords c. so good and in such plenty as people of all nations are desirous to haue them They themselues also are a people very warlike So that this region a man may rightly call Mars his armory and the inhabitants his workemen Such as dwell vpon the coasts spending the greatest part of their time at sea reape vnto themselues great profit by taking Newfoundland fish called Baccalaos and Whales of whose fat they make great quantitie of Traine-oile Heere also they boile Salt mixing it I know not for what purpose with Oats and with Hempe-seed The head citie is Tholosa situate at the confluence of the riuers Araxis and Oria others there are also of note as Placencia swarming with Smiths Motrico or rather Monte de Trico so called of the rocke Trico that hangs ouer it The port of Sant Sebastian which is the largest most commodious vpon all the coast Hither people of sundry nations do trafficke At first it was called Hicuru afterward Don Bastia and corruptly Donastia which in signification is all one with Sant Sebastian For Don in the Biscain tongue signifieth Saint as Santo in Spanish But by the inhabitants it is commonly called Vrumea For this region differing altogether in language from the residue of Spaine hath many townes called by diuers names according to the difference of languages some whereof I thought good here to note for the benefit of those that reade histories The sundry names therefore of diuers townes in Guipusco are these that follow Salinas alias Gaza both signifying salt Mondragon alias Arrasale Monreal alias Dena Aspeitia alias Vrasueitia Saluatierra de Traurgui Olite alias Ariuierri Renteria alias Villanueua de Oiarcum Penna Oradada alias Puerto de Sant Adrian Elicaur alias Licaur Marquina alias Elgoiuar Azcoytia alias Vrazgoitia Miranda de Traurgui Araxa Arayça Also the hill Aralar is called Arara and the riuer Vidoso Vidorso and Alduida and Beyouia This riuer runnes betweene Spaine and France In describing this region Stephan Garibayo is very copious in the 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. and 14. chapters of his 15. booke And Florian del Campo writes somewhat of it in his first and second chapter And Nauagierus in his Iournall affirmeth that there is so much yron and steele dig'd out of the mines of Guipusco as yeeldeth 80000. duckats of yerely gaine The words of Plinie in his 34. booke and 14. chapter are not I thinke to this place impertinent Vpon the coast of Cantabria saith he which the
seuen Hospitals seuen Parishes seuen Nunries seuen Colleges seuen Frieries and seuen gates Not farre from hence is the valley of Chisa at the head of the riuer Sorgues a place so highly magnified by Petrarch as he often calles it his Helicon and Pernassus This he made choise of as an hermitage to weane himselfe from worldly cogitations A man in my conceit not of the ordinary cast of Writers and whom I may boldly and deseruedly call The Christian Seneca PROVINCIAE Regionis Galliae vera exactissimaque descriptio Petro Ioanne Bompario auctore Cum Privilaegio decennali Imp. Reg. et Brab 1594 The coast of NARBONNE THE principall places along this coast William Paradine describes in these words Arles was a colonie of the Sextaine as some Writers doe affirme Standing vpon Rhosne it is enuironed with Marshes wherein at this present are a breed of fierce and vntamed Kine Whilome it was a famous Mart-towne as Strabo writes in maner following Narbo saith he the most frequented Mart of this Region standeth at the outlet of the riuer Araxis by the lake Narbonensis but vpon Rhodanus the towne of Arles a Mart of no small importance is situate Neere vnto Arles are those hot bathes where Sextius saith Strabo built a towne after his owne name calling it Aquae Sextiae The cause why he built it was to place a Roman garrison there Here were the Cimbrislaine by Marius as writeth S. Ierome Aurasio now called Orange famous in times past for the gouernment of the Gabali or Cabilonenses wherin I saw the ruines of an huge Theater and a mightie wall excellently built of square stone the like whereof I doubt whether all France can affoord There stands also at the gate towards Lions a triumphall arche with a tilt or turniment of horsmen ingrauen thereupon which we long beheld with great delight To this citie belongeth Nemausum now called Arenas a place renowmed for the ancient Theater there extant Heere is a most woonderfull passage vnder ground passing thwart vnder the very chanell of Rhodanus to the citie which standeth afarre off Heere likewise you may see the Palace of Plotina built by Adrian the Emperour as Spartianus reporteth c. Thus much out of Paradine But of all others most exactly Iohn Poldo d' Albena hath described this citie and set forth the antiquities in picture with the situations and ancient names of the places adiacent Of this argument reade Strabo in his fourth booke and Gunterus a Poet of Genoa The originall of this Table my friend Mr. Carolus Clusius of Arras gaue me drawen with his owne hand SAVOIE SAVOIE standeth on this side the Alpes the Prince whereof called the Duke of Sauoie is Lord of the Region of Piemont The head citie is Chamberi of olde as saith Caenalis called Ciuaro wherein the Senate or Parliament resideth This region some thinke was named Sabaudia from certaine people called Sebusiani and as others suppose of the Sabbatian fourds But Bouillus renders another reason of this name For this region saith he in regard of the narrow passages as being situate among the Alpes and of the scarsitie of inhabitants was all ouer-pestered with theeues which either robbed or murdered such trauellers as passed that way Hereupon a certaine Nobleman hauing obtained it of the Emperour vnder the title of a Dukedome expelled by force of armes all the said theeues and robbers and made the way most secure for trauellers This done he caused it afterward to be named Salua via commonly Sauluoy that is The safe way which before was called Mala via alias Mauluoy The euill or dangerous way hence the Latines call it Sabaudia Hitherto Carolus Bouillus Whether it be a fable or an historie I appeale to the authours credit This one thing I am sure of that the word SAPAVDIA is often vsed in the booke called Notitiae prouinciarum for a name of one of the prouinces of Gallia Narbonensis But here also I thinke it not amisse to annex the description of this prouince out of the history which Paradine wrote of it His words be these That region which in Latine is now called Sabaudia commonly Sauoy ancient Writers named Allobroges And it containeth all that tract which in times past the Sabbatij Ingauni Intimelij Hiconij Tricorij Vicontij Lepontij Latobrigi Medualli Centrones Catoriges Veragri Nantuarij Salassi Tharantasij and Seduni inhabited The regions therein comprised at this present are thus named Sauoy the countie of Geneua the Marquisat of Susa the countie of Morienne the Baronisse of Tharentaise Brengeois Foucigni Chablais Val de Oste Pais de Vaul Pais de Geis and some others The Duchie of Sauoy hath vnder it the region of Piemont adorned with the title of a Princedome Also the region of Bresse wherein are the counties of Varaz Mountrueil Pont de Vaulx Bagey c. Out of ancient monuments it is apparent that this region in times past bare the name of a Kingdome especially in the dayes of Hannibal who being ordained vmpire betweene Bronchus and his brother about the gouernment of this countrey compounded their quarrell and restored the kingdome to the eldest whom his yonger brother had expelled as Liuie reports in his 21. booke Florus also affirmeth that Betultus or as some reade it Betuitus the King of this place was taken captiue by Fabius Maximus And sundrie authours doe make mention of King Cottius in the time of the Emperour Augustus of whom the neighbour-alpes were called Cottiae More concerning this region you may reade in Philibert Pingonicus The Countie of VENACIN THe Countie of Venacin named in Latine Comitatus VENVXINVS and by Caenalis VENETICVS and the Popes territory also because it is vnder his iurisdiction is part of that region in France now called Prouence and of olde Narbonensis secunda The principall citie is Auignon situate vpon the Rhosne It is the Popes towne and held for a while the Papall sea In this countie are three Bishopricks where law-matters also are decided namely Carpentras Cauaglion or L'isle and Vaurias In this Table is comprehended also the Princedome of Orange so called of Orange the chiefe citie being famous in Sidonius and Ptolemey vnder the name of Arausio Plinie and Pomponius call it Arausia Secundanorum COL ARAVSIO SECVNDANOR COH 33. VOLVNT is found grauen vpon an ancient stone More concerning this region you may reade in Belleforest and Theuet GALLIA NARBONENS SABAVDIAE DVCAT Auctore Aegidio Bulionio Belga Scala milliarium VENVXINI COMITATVS NOVA DESCR Auctore Stephano Ghebellino LORRAIN THE bounds of Lorrain in times past extended much farther for it comprehended in a maner all the whole region lying betweene the riuer Rhene and Scheld and the mountaine Vogasus All which was diuided into the higher and the lower The lower Lorrain contained Brabant Haspengow Guelders and Cleue In the higher were the Bishopricke of Liege with the counties of Lutzenburg and Limburg as likewise the duchy of Maesland the countie Palantine vpon Sur and
salt made which is carried hence in carts to the neighbour countries and yeelds great reuenue to this region SCODINGA situate in a long streight valley extending in length betweene a double ridge of high mountaines which beare vines in such places as are most open to the Sunne it is exceeding strong being fortified with two castles and diuers loftie turrets ARBOIS seated in a most pleasant soile and abounding with all necessaries especially with excellent and durable wine It hath large suburbs on all sides It is enuironed with ditches but such as they make gardens vpon Round about it are mountaines of most beautifull prospect watered with cleare springs and clad with fruitfull vines and sightly woods It is called Arbois ab Arboribus because it is so planted with trees POLIGNY a faire towne fortified with stately walles and towers the castle called Grimonia lying within it and on the one side it hath mountaines of woods and on the other side hilles set with vines the wine whereof is principall good PONTARLIER situate in a low valley betweene two mountaines on the bancke of Dubis Not farre hence stands the strong castle of Iura or Ioux on the top of an exceeding high hill so that for situation it is impregnable NOZEROY founded vpon an open hill in the very nauell or midst of this region All the houses in a maner are built of stone the Prince of the countrey hath here a castle called The Leaden castle because it is couered with lead Here is a Faire kept foure times in the yere In times past this towne before it was walled was named Nucillum of the abundance of hazel-nuts that grew round about it CHASTEL CHALON built and named by the Emperour Charlemaine both pleasantly and strongly situate MONTMOROT vpon a steepe mountaine planted with vines ORGELET abounding with merchandise The inhabitants are industrious and painfull and exercise themselues in clothing Their fields are barren for they are full of hilles and craggie rocks whereupon is grounded a common prouerbe which saith That Orgelet hath fields without grasse riuers without fish and mountaines without woods and groues The cities of Dole are first DOLE it selfe the head citie of the prouince a nurse of all learning and especially of the ciuill law most pleasantly situate vpon the riuer Dubis adorn'd with bridges walles and inuincible forts The houses churches and schooles both for greatnesse and curious building are most delightfull to the beholders QVINGEY a most ancient towne situate vpon the bancke of Louë ORNANS standing also among high mountaines by the riuer Louë LA LOY a most ample village ROCHFORT a pretie litle towne VERCELLES with ruinous and deformed walles In this countie stands BESANÇON a citie Imperiall and Metropolitan of both Burgundies the description whereof because I cannot condignly expresse in this page being exactly performed by Gilbert Cognatus Paradine and George Bruno in his volume of cities I cease here to speake any farther For sith their books are so easie to be had I referre all students to them To these also you may adde Robert Caenalis It were to be wished that Cognatus had not frustrated the hope of students for he promised in a booke to restore and bring to light ancient Burgundie together with a particular Map and the olde and new names of places But we haue hitherto expected him in vaine Howbeit not long since Lewis Gollusius published concerning this Countie in French a great and peculiar volume BVRGVNDIAE COMITATVS Hugo Cusinus sive Cognatus patriam suam sic describebat 1589. Cum Privilegijs Imp. Regis et Brabantiae ad decennium The Dukedome of BVRGVNDIE THat part of France which the Aedui whilome enioyed is now called The Dukedome of Burgundie It is limited North by Champaigne and Gastinois West by Niuernois and Burbonnois South it borders vpon Lionnois and East the riuer Rhosne diuides it from Sauoy and the county of Burgundy The head citie in times past was Augustodunum but now Diuio or Diuionum as Gregory Turonensis in his third booke calles it or as the inhabitants Digion hath gotten the superiority for here the supreme court of Parliament for the whole Dukedome is holden It is seated on the bancke of Oscarus commonly Ousch a riuer abounding with fish in a fertile and plentifull soile the mountaines adiacent yeelding strong and excellent wines as the said Turonensis reporteth who most learnedly describes it Some thinke it was built by the Emperour Aurelian but others affirme it to be much ancienter It is a citie both by arte and nature most strongly fortified against all hostile attempts certaine new forts being lately added Belna commonly Beaulne is the second citie of the Dukedome famous for the wines of Beaulne which all men commend This Citie is fairely built being impregnable in regard of a Castle which Lewis the twelfth erected here It hath an hospitall comparable for building to any Kings Palace Here also is the seat of the high court of Chancery In the territorie adiacent was built by Duke Otho about the yeere of our Lord 1098. the abbey of Cistertium in a woody and clammy soile which some thinke was so called in regard of certaine Cisternes there digged Vnder the iurisdiction of this Monasterie Belleforest reporteth that there are 1800. other Monasteries of Friers and as many of Nunnes Next followes Augustodunum which some though vpon no sufficient grounds of antiquitie suppose to haue beene called Bibracte now Auttun That this citie of ancient times was most large and populous it is euident out of sundry authours and especially out of Caesar Here are yet extant mightie ruines of a Theater of Statues Pillars Water-chanels Pyramides and many other monuments of antiquitie Likewise here are dayly digged vp coines little vessels and other such ancient fragments This citie hath endured two memorable ouerthrowes one by Caesar in his French warres and the other about the time of Galienus the Emperour But it was afterward reedified by Constantine the sonne of Claudius as the Panegyrick of Eumenius calling it Flauiam Heduorum doth testifie And at this very day it is adorned with stately temples and other buildings for publicke vses Then haue you Matiscona Caesaris or Matisconense castrum Antonini where he placeth in garrison the tenth Roman legion It is now called Mascon Of olde it was graced with the title of an Earledome It ioyneth the bancks of Araris by a bridge Here the Lords day of the Christians began first to be hallowed as Paradine reporteth out of the Edict of Guntram The relation of the citie of Mascon Philip Bugnonius hath elegantly and briefly set downe Cabilonum now Chalon vpon the bancke of Araris also anciently called Orbandale as reporteth Peter Sanjulian By Antoninus the foureteenth Roman legion was here put in garrison It was of olde the royall seat of Guntram which notwithstanding afterward Lotharius sonne to Ludouicus Pius so destroyed and abolished with fire as he left no mention at all of a citie yet now it is very
well deserueth the title of the Royal or princely castle For it resembleth rather a city then a Castle filling vp so great a roome with the wals and buildings Of publique edifices the Church built by King Charles before mentioned and the Castle erected by K. Vladislaus late deceased are the most memorable And as Prage of all their Cities hath the preeminence so hath Elbe called by Tacitus renowmed and famous of all their riuers Howbeit concerning the fountaine of this riuer Tacitus writeth skarce soundly namely that it springeth in the region of the Hermonduri For it ariseth not among the Hermonduri but rather out of certaine Bohemian mountaines lying open to the North vpon the frontiers of Morauia which the ancient Bohemians call Cerconessi From which mountaines this riuer refresheth and watereth the greater and better part of Bohemia and then hauing augmented his streames by the influence of Vultawa Egra Satzawa Gitzera and Misa his neighbour-riuers continueth his course and name through Misnia and Saxonie to the maine Ocean being all that way enriched with abundance of Salmons But the smaller riuers and freshets of Bohemia yeeld in some places graines of gold and in others shell-fishes containing pearle Heere also you haue certaine hot bathes both pleasant and medicinable And all the whole countrie so aboundeth with graine as it affoordeth plenty to the neighbour-regions Wines there are no great store and those of the countrey so weake as they last but a very small time Howbeit they haue saffron of the best excelling both in colour smell and moisture three principall properties to chuse that commoditie by There are siluer-mines so exceeding rich that were it not for some small quantitie of flint that insinuates it selfe into the veine you should haue nothing but perfect siluer whereas in other countries those mines are esteemed of high price that hold a quarter or a fift part or at the vtmost one halfe of good siluer They find also plenty of gold-ore in certaine mines which take their name of a place called Giloua It is reported that the Kings of Bohemia haue had graines of pure gold brought from thence weighing tenne pound a piece Neither are they destitute of baser metall namely tinne lead copper and yron And sometimes they finde in those mineral rockes the carbuncle the Saphyre and the Amethist Next vnto their mines there is nothing of greater account to the Bohemians then their waters replenished with carps which I haue declared more at large in a peculiar booke treating of fish-pondes Now let vs decypher the disposition of the inhabitants In briefe therefore both in maners habit and stature of body the Bohemians resemble the Lion king of beasts vnder whose constillation they are subiect that is to say if you consider either the largenesse of their limbs their broad and mightie breastes their yellow shag-haire hanging ouer their shoulders the harshnesse of their voice their sparkling eies or their exceeding strength and courage The Lion carries a kind of contempt and disdainefull pride ouer other beastes and hardly shall you vanquish him if you assaile him by force Neither doth the Bohemian in this respect degenerate but soone shewes his contempt towards other nations both in word and deed and discouers his arrogancie both in his gate gesture and pompe Being set light by he growes impatient in any enterprize he is as bold as a Lion and most firme and constant till he hath brought it to execution but not without a touch of ambition and vaine glory Moreouer like a lion he is greedie of his meat and very curious in the dressing and seasoning thereof And their neighbours the Saxons haue taught them to carouse both day and night And by reason of their neighbourhood the Bohemians differ not much from the Germans in other qualities Hitherto Dubrauius by whom also the originall and ancient dwelling place of this nation is described They brew excellent ale in this countrey calling it Whiteale They speake the Sclauon tongue calling themselues Czecks and the Germans Niemecks Vnder the stile of this kingdome are also comprized the regions of Morauia Silesia and Lusatia Likewise in the yeare 1315. the city Egra became the warehouse or principall mart towne of the Bohemians Concerning the region it selfe you may read more largely in Aeneas Siluius and of the people in the first booke of Martinus Cromerus his Polonian story Vnto these you may adde Munster Rithaimer Crantzius in his description of Wandalia and Sabellicus En. 10. lib. 2. Panthaleon Candidus wrote of late seuen books entitled Bohemaidos Prage the head citie of this Kindome is peculiarly described by Georgius Handschius The Map it selfe we borowed out of the Table of Ioannes Crigingerus published at Prage 1568. The diuers appellations of certaine cities in this Kingdome we thought good here to put downe out of Munster For the names of all their cities are by the Bohemian pronounced after one maner and by the German after another Bohemian names German names These cities are immediatly subiect to the King Praha Prag Plzen Pilsen Budiciowize Budwis Kolim Coeln Cheb Eger Strzibre Misz Hora Kuttenberg Tabor Taber Zatetz Satz Litemierzitze Leitmiritz Launij Laun. Rockowinck Rakowinck Klattowy Glataw Beraim Bern. Most Bruck Hradetz Gretz Auscij Aust Myto Maut Dwuor Hoff. Laromiertz Iaromir Bohemian names German names These cities are subiect to the peers of the kingdome Dub Ath. Piela Wiswasser Gilowy Gilaw Krupka Graupen Loket Elbogen Hanzburg Hasenburg The riuer Albis is called by the Germans Elbe and by the Bohemians Labe. The Bohemians call the riuer Molta by the name of Vltawa REGNI BOHEMIAE DESCRIPTIO Bohemiae longitudo latitudoque peuè par nam retundam faciem ex circumiacientibus montibus accipit cuius diametrū trium dierum itinere expedito absoluitur quorū montium quae ad Septentrionalem plagā vergunt Sudetae appellantur ardui sane ac praecipites vbi Gabrita silua ingens extenditur qui montes cum alijs Danubio proximis vnde Albis fi se proripit in coronam cocunt quos vndique profundissima nemora latissimè occupant Hercinia enim silua vniuersā Bohemian compraehēit SILESIA JOhn Crato one of the Emperours counsellers and his principall Physician hath for the benefit of the studious in Geography out of his relations of Silesia imparted thus much vnto vs. That we may not be scrupulous about the name of the Silesians nor as some haue done deriue it from the Elysian fields we are out of ancient writers to vnderstand that the same region which they now possesse was formerly inhabited by the Quadi For Quad in the Saxon or old German tongue hath the same signification that Siletz hath in the Polonian or Sclauon For they were a people that resorted hither out of sundry places more addicted to warre than peace destroyers rather than builders and impatient of all superioritie The first King that bare rule ouer them was Boleslaus a Polacke He was borne in the yeere of our Lord 967. his
found dead Plinie in his second booke chap. 107. testifieth that once this whole Lake did burne PERVSINI agri exactissima nouissimaue descriptio auctore Egnatio Dante Cum priuilegio Imperatoris Regis cancellariae Brabantiae ad decennium 1584. The territories of the city of SIENA CAesar Orlandius a famous Ciuillian of Siena sent from Rome this Mappe together with a briefe history of the city taken out of a larger worke of his as he confesseth in his priuate letters to me written of the originall of the same to be inserted into this our Theater of the World The city of Siena saith he is so ancient that of his first beginning there is nothing to be found in any approued old writers For that some do report it to haue beene built by the Galli Senones which vnder the conduct of Breanus their generall about 363. yeares after the building of Rome in the space of seuen moneths as Polybius and Plutarch haue recorded wan the city it cannot be proued out of any good authour For Iohn of Salisbury which first broached this opinion who for that he intituled his history by the name of Polycraticon is therefore called Polycrates or of others Polycarpus in the seuenteenth chapter of his sixth booke bringeth no authority for this his assertion And himselfe confesseth in the twenty and fourth chapter of his eighth booke that he was not familiarly known to Pope Adrian the fourth Now it is apparant to all the world that Adrian the fourth sate in the Papall seat but from the yeare of Christ 1154. vnto the yeare 1159. and therefore the testimony of Iohn of Salesbury concerning the building of Siena so many yeares before he was borne is of no validity at all Cornelius Tacitus in his twentieth booke of his Annales calleth this city Colonia Senensis Which words of his can by no meanes be vnderstood of the other Sena which at this day also is in the country Piceno and is vulgarly called Senegallia as some haue fondly imagined For in the time of Tacitus and Plinie that city of Piceno was not euer called Sena but Senogallia or Senogallica or Senogallia as is most manifest out of the words of Plinie and Ptolemey For Plinie reckoneth Coloniam Senensem amongst the mid land Colonies of Hetruria and not many lines after he placeth Senagallia in the sixth region of Italie Ptolemey not only in the Latine copies printed but also in most ancient manuscript Greeke copies placeth Sena amongst the mid-land cities of Hetruria but Sena Gallica for so he termeth it amongst the cities of the Senones neere Ancona and the Temple of Fortune When this city first was made a Bishops sea although as yet it be not certainly knowne yet this is certaine that amongst the 46. Bishops or there about all of them neighbours to the city of Rome which in the first Romane Synod in the time of S. Hilary Pope of Rome and first of the name assembled together in the yeare of Christ 465. Eusebius Episcopus Senensis was one of them Againe in the second Councill of Lateran vnder Pope Martin the first in the yeare of Grace 652. amongst the subscriptions of 125. Bishops these are named Maurus Caesenatis Ecclesiae episcopus Maurus episcopus S. Senatis ecclesiae in the same maner and forme that Clusinus Roxellanus and Fauentinus Bishops do call their Churches Clusinatem Roxellanatem and Fauentinatem In like maner amongst the like number of about 125. Bishops who subscribed vnto the Epistle of Agatho Bishop of Rome which the Legate sent vnto the six generall Councill at Constantinople held in the yeare 573. caried with them this subscription is found Vitalianus episcopus S. ecclesiae Senensis Whereupon it is manifest that no man may cauill and say that Episcopus Senensis is the same that Episcopus Senogalliensis or that for Episcopetus Senatis it should be written and read Episcopus Caesenatis As also for that out of Plinie and Ptolemey before mentioned it is plaine that euen in their daies that Sena of Picenum was not called Sena but Senogallia Moreouer also because in the forenamed Councill of Lateran not only Episcopus Senatis but also Caesenatis and Senogalliensis named by one and the same name subscribed seuerally Lastly Venantius Episcopus Senogalliensis subscribed also to the second and fourth Synods of Rome summoned by Pope Caelius Symmachus about the yeare of Christ 498. Furthermore Pope Pius the 2. borne in Siena in the yeare 1459. which was the yeare of his creation aduanced the Church of Siena from a Bishops sea vnto the dignity of an Archbishopricke and assigned the Bishops of Suano Clusino Crassetano and Massano Suffraganes to the Archbishops of Siena and their Churches subiect to that sea This hath Caesar Orlandius written of the originall and antiquity of Siena his natiue country to be published for no other cause as he protesteth then that the fond opinion of Blondus and others which haue written otherwise of it then the plaine truth is might wholly be rased out if it were possible of the minds of all men Claudius Ptolemeus Senensis in his sixth booke of epistles to Gabriel Caesano hath most elegantly described Monte Argentario MARCA ANCONA IN former times this region was called Picenum now they call it Marca Ancona of the head city of the same Sometime it was called Marca Firmiana of a town in this prouince as Blondus hath giuen out It lieth between the riuers Isaurus now called Foglia and Trento and betweene the Hadriaticke sea and Mount Apennine It is manifest by ancient records that the Piceni Vmbri Senones were long since seated in this tract The country is a fertile soile yeelding in great plenty all maner commodities but especially for fruit trees corne it doth farre excell other places Silius Italicus doth highly commend it especially for oliues The head city as we haue said is Ancona so called of his situation for that being seated vpon the promontory Comerano it lieth out into the gulfe of Venice like an arme or elbow Whereupon the ancient comes of this city which heere oft times are found within the earth are obserued to be stamped with an arme holding a penne in the hand The Hauen of this most ancient city was made by Traian the Emperour as an inscription in Marble doth giue to vnderstand Heere is also Aelia Ricina otherwise since that called Ricinetum and at this day now Recanati is a towne situate vpon the toppe of an hill where we saw the Mart or Faire which there is kept at certaine times of the yeare vnto which they come almost from all quarters of the World Not farre from hence is the Church of S. Maria Lauretana with the hamlet Loreto enclosed with a very strong wall The gorgeousnesse of this church and holinesse of the place is such that so soone as one shall set foot within the dores it will strike him into a great admiration This Church is well furnished with all maner of weapons
againe wonne by those of Pisa Now together with the kingdome of Sicilia it is gouerned by the Spaniard MALTA sometimes called MELITA QVintinus Heduus hath passing well described this Iland and hath set forth a peculiar Treatise of the same The landing of S. Paul and his shipwrecke heere vpon this coast hath made this Iland famous But not many yeares since by the ouerthrow of the Turks huge nauy the knights of Hierusalem to their eternall fame manfully defending the assault it is now againe made more famous See also Fazellus of this I le ELBA anciently called ILVA THis Iland in these our daies is in subiection to the Dukes of Florence and by a strong castell newly built it seemeth to be very defensible and safe against the inuasions of the Turks Of the new order of knight-hood by the name of the Knights of S. Steuen answereable to those of Hierusalem in Malta instituted in the yeare 1561. by Cosmus Medices Duke of Tuscane read Caelius Secundus in his historie of the warres of Malta That this Iland had many veines of mettall it is cleare by the report of ancient Cosmographers And now Leander saith it hath a rich mine of iron where also the Loadstone is found as he writeth Matthiolus telleth that from hence Liquid alume is brought and conueied vnto vs. Diodorus Siculus in his fifth booke hath a large description of this Iland where he calleth it by the name of Aethalia CORCYRA now CORFV IT is an Iland of the Hadriaticke sea subiect to the state of Venice In it is a very strong castell of the same name where is continually maintained a garrison against the Turks Beside the ancient Geographers these later writers Volaterranus Bened. Bordonius and Nicolas Nicolay in his Eastern obseruations with others haue described this Iland ZERBI of old writers called LOTOPHAGITIS THe ouerthrow of the Christian nauie neere this Iland which happened in the yeare of Christ 1560. hath made this iland more famous Of the situation bignesse and gouernours of this Iland read Iohannes Leo Africanus in his fourth booke of his description of Africa INSVLARVM ALIQVOT MARIS MEDITERRANEI DESCRIPTIO Cum Priuilegio The Ile ISCHIA THat this Iland hath been in former times called AENARIA ARIMA INARIMA and PITHECVSA Homer Aristotle Strabo Pliny Virgill Ouid and other good writers are sufficient witnesses Now it is called ISCHIA of the name of the city there built vpon the top of an hill in forme somewhat like the Hucklebone as Hermolaus Barbarons testifieth which of the Greeks is named Ischia or rather of the strength and defenciblenes of the place as Volaterranus thinketh Although it be sure that these be but synonymes of one and the same iland yet Mela Liuie and Strabo do seeme to make Aenaria and Pithecusa two distinct iles as also Ouid may be thought to do in these verses Inarimen Prochitamque legit sterilique locatas Colle Pithecusas habitantum nomine dictus By Inarime he saileth by Prochyte ile by barren Pithecuse A town on toppe of loftie cragge where wilie Apes do vse Where by Pithecusas as I thinke he vnderstandeth the city ancientlie as also now it is of the same name with the whole iland Which although now it be obserued to be ioined to the I le yet in former ages it was called Gerunda and was apart and disioined from the I le as Pontanus a man of good credit doth testifie in his second booke which he wrote of the warres of Naples where he affirmeth that in his time it was ioined vnto the Iland by a causway made between them Prochita not farre distant from hence which Plinie doth write to haue been seuered from Pithecusa doth shew that this was sometime adioined to and sometime disioined from this Iland The same authour doth affirme which Strabo also doth approue that all these sometime were cut off from the maine continent and to haue been part of the cape Miseno This doth the forenamed Pontanus in his sixth booke confirme in these words That Aenaria saith he was cutte off from the maine continent many things do demonstrate namely The torne rocks The hollow ground full of caues The nature of the soile like vnto that of the continent leane drie and spuing out hotte springs and fountaines It breedeth flaming fires in the middest of the earth wherefore it is manifest that it conteineth much Alume Andreas Baccius in that his famous worke of the Bathes of the whole world writeth that this iland doth counterfait Campania of which it was sometime a part not only in respect of the fertility of the soile but also for likenesse and similitude of the bathes Erythraeus vpon the 9. booke of Virgills Aeneiads doth thinke it to be called Arima of a kind of people or beasts so named and that Virgill was the first that when he translated that of Homer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Ionicke preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 altering the declension and number did make the new word Inarime Yet Plinie in the 6. chapter of his 3. booke and Solinus surnamed Polyhistor are of a contrary opinion which do affirme it to be of Homer also called Inarime And as the same Pliny reporteth it was called Aenaria for the ships of Aeneas put into harborough heere Pithecusa not of the great store of Apes there found but of Coopers shops or warehouses But this opinion the same Erythraeus in the foresaid place laboureth to ouerthrow as not altogether consonant to the truth for that of tunnes made for this purpose he protesteth that he hath not read of in any authour whatsoeuer Yet Seruius in my iudgement seemeth vpon the forcited 6. of Virgils Aeneads to stand for Pliny where he saith that by Cumae there was a certaine place named Doliola that is if we should interpret it Tunnes And it is more likely that this Iland should take the name from that place with which sometime it was vnited according to the opinion of these good authours rather then of apes for I regard not the fable of Ouid of which beasts none are heere or euer were That this Iland from the beginning hath been subiect to earth-quakes flames of fire and hot waters from thence oft breaking out we are certified by Strabo and Pliny The mountaine which Strabo calleth Epomeus and Pliny Epopos now they call it S. Nicolas mount which for the same cause they report to haue burned inwardly at the bottome and being shaken with an earthquake to haue somtimes cast out great flakes of fire Heere hence arose that fable of Typhon the giant wherof you may read in Homer Virgill Silius Italicus who calleth him Iapetus Lucane and others as the same Strabo interpreteth which they fable to lie vnderneath this hill and to breath out fire and water That it is on euery side wonderfully fertile of the last writers Io. Elysius Fran. Lombardus Io. Pontanus Solenander Andreas Baccius and especially Iasolinus the authour of this
map hath shewed abundantly who in it doth reckon vp beside the 18. naturall bathes which others haue written of 35. other first discouered by himselfe The same author also beside these baths doth make mention of 19. stoues or hot houses fumarolas they call them and 5. medicinall sands soueraigne in Physick for the drying vp of raw humours Of this fire heere in the bowels of the earth Aristotle in his booke of the Miracles of Nature affirmeth that heere are certaine stoues which do burne with fierie kind of force and exceeding feruent heate and yet neuer do burst out into flames But Elysius Pandulphus and Pontanus do report the contrary There is a place in this Iland Ischia about a mile from the city of the same name which of the raging fire that happened heere in the time of Charles II in the yeare 1301. is at this day called Cremate For heere the bowels of the earth cleauing in sunder by the flashing fire that flamed out a great part of it was so consumed that a small village being first burnt down was at the last vtterly swallowed vp And casting vp into the aire huge stones intermedled with smoke fire and dust which falling againe by their own force and violence scattered heere and there vpon the ground made a most fertile and pleasant iland wast and desolate This fire continued the space of two moneths so that many both men and beasts were by it destroied and many shipping themselues their goods forced to flie either to the ilands neere adioining or to the maine continent Yet this iland for many things is very fruitfull for in it there are excellent good wines and those of diuerse kinds as that which they call Greeks wine Latine Sorbinio and Cauda caballi It beareth good corn about S. Nicolas mount In it the Cedar the pomecitron and the Quince tree do grow euery where most plentifully Alume and Brimstone are found deep within the earth it hath had long since some veines of gold as Strabo and Elysius haue written and now hath as Iasolinus affirmeth About the hill commonly called Monte Ligoro there is great store of phesants hares conies and other wild beasts neere the cape of S. Nicolas they take much fish and withall find much Corall Not farre from thence is the hauen Ficus or Fichera where the water boileth so hot that in it flesh or fish are sodden in a short time and yet notwithstanding it is of a pleasant tast and very sauory There is a fountaine which they call Nitroli in which this is admirable that besides his great vertues for the cure of certaine diseases if you shall lay flax in it within three daies at the most it will make it as white as snow Whereupon the authour of this Table saith that this I le for bignesse good aire fertility of soile mines of mettall strong wines doth far surpasse the other 25. ilands which are in the bay of Naples Betweene the foreland called Acus the needle and that other named Cephalino there is a great caue or safe harborough for ships especially for pinnaces those lesser sorts of ships Heere it is like that Aeneas landed of which Ouid speaketh as also Pompey when as he sailed from Sicilia to Puteoli whereof Appian writeth in his 5. booke of Ciuill wars In this same Iland ouer against Cumae there is a lake in which there is continually great plenty of Sea-mews or Fenducks Larus or Fulica these are very gainfull and profitable to the inhabitants The words of Pliny speaking of this iland are worth the noting In the same saith he a whole town did sinke and at another time by an earthquake the firme land became a standing poole stagnum he calleth it although that the ancient printed copies for stagnum haue statinas in which place the learned Scaliger had rather read statiuas meaning standing waters The same Pliny hath left in record that if one heere shall cut down a Cedar tree yet it will shoot forth and bud againe Liuy saith that the Chalcidenses of Euboea did first inhabit this iland yet Strabo saith they were the Eretrienses But these also came from the I le Euboea I am of opinion that Athenaeus in his 9 booke although he nameth it not yet he meaneth this iland which he affirmeth he saw as he sailed from Dicaearchia vnto Naples inhabited by a few men but full of copies There is also neere vnto this Prochyta an iland so named not of Aeneas his nurse but because it was profusa ab Aenaria seuered from Aenaria or as Strabo in his 5. booke affirmeth from Pithecusae Notwithstanding in his I. booke he writeth that it was sundered from Miseno yet both may be true for aswell this as that by inundations and tempestuous storms were rent off from the maine land The poets same that Minas the giant lieth vnder this Iland as Typhon doth vnder Ischia Of which Horace in his 3. booke of Poems writeth to Calliope Andreas Baccius writeth thus of this ile It is a little ile saith he but very pleasant rich of mettals and hot bathes notwithstanding for the continuall fires which the continuall tides of the sea do kindle in it as Strabo writeth it neuer was much inhabited It retaineth still the ancient name for they now call it Procida Of this iland you may read more in Scipio Mazella in his additions vnto the tract of Elysius of the Bathes of Puteoli ISCHIA quae olim AENARIA Ab Aeneae classe hic appulsa sic nominata Nè mireris lector si Septentrionalem plagam non superiorem ut moris est sed contra inferiorem regionem spectare videas Id namque data opera fecimus Quo utilior magis necessaria atque amoenior Insulae pars verusque eius Situs in conspectu Caietae Cumarum Prochytae Baiarum Puteolorum et Neapolis obviam iret Omnia autem haec constant ratione Circini semper indubitata exceptis Mediterraneis locis circumvicinis Insulis Montium aliquot atque crematorum lapidum quantitatibus Quae tum situs tum ornatus perspectivae gratia ponuntur IVLIVS IASOLINVS DESCRIB CANDIA sometime called CRETA CReta which now they call Candia is bigger then Cyprus but lesser then Sicilia or Sardinia vnto which ilands only in the Mediterran sea it is inferiour Yet for worth and fertility it is equall to the best Ancient Historiographers do affirme that once it was famous for one hundred cities and therefore was called Hecatompolis In the time of Pliny it had not aboue forty At this day as P. Bellonius testifieth it hath not aboue three of any account that is Candy a colonie of the Venetians whereof the whole iland is now named Canea and Rhetimo The compasse of the iland is about 520. miles It is euery where full of mountaines and hils and therefore the inhabitants are much giuen to hunting There is in it neuer a riuer that is nauigable nor any venemous or hurtfull beast The excellent
that this is but a meere fable Moreouer Frisach a very ancient towne S. Lionhart Wolfsperg c. are townes also of this country In former times the Iapydes were thought to haue dwelt heere abouts The soueraignty and secular iurisdiction of this country doth belong vnto the Dukes of Austrich but as concerning Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction it partly belongeth to the Bishop of Salczburg and partly to the Patriarch of Aquileia as Paracelsus affirmeth in his forecited Chronicle But in the same place he hath a most ridiculous etymologie of the name of this prouince which he faineth to be fetched from the Latines namely that it should be named Carinthia as who would say Caritas intima Intire loue and affection As if the first inhabitants who seated themselues heere should haue been desirous to haue their country named by a name fetcht from a forrein nation and strange language not vnderstood of them The Reader not satisfied with this heere set downe by vs let him haue recourse vnto Sebastian Munster Sabellicus Pio II. c. I vnderstand also that one Iohn Saluian hath surueied this country whose description as yet I haue not seene Goritiae palatinatus The county palatine of Gorcz belonging to the Duke of Austrich is so named of Goercz the chiefe city of this country called of the Italians for it standeth in Italie beyond the Alpes Goricia of Ptolemey Iulium Carnicum as Leander thinketh Amasaeus as the same Leander saith gathereth by diuers antiquities heere found and remaining that Noteia sometime was seated heere about It is a towne situate at the mouth of the riuer Wipach formerly called Fluuius frigidus I meane where Wipach falleth into the riuer Natiso HISTRIA or ISTEREICH IT is almost a common thing generally as Pliny saith in his naturall historie that euery man describeth best and most curiously that country in which he was borne and brought vp And within a few lines after the same authour saith thus I will follow no one man altogether but as I shall find him in all points to speake most probably and consonant to the truth And therefore heere in this place the which I do almost euery where in these discourses vpon my Maps I haue determined amongst many others that haue described this prouince to offer to the view of the Reader a great description according to the capacity of the place of Lewis Verger that country man borne This man in the Cosmography of Munster saith that this Neckland or Demi-ile from the inner bay where Trieste now standeth hard vpon the shore vnto the S. Veit a towne situate in Fanatico vpon the riuer Fiume conteineth in length better then 200. miles The whole country is not very leuell and plaine yet the mountaines are neither very high steep nor barren but plentifully replenished with vines oliues and other fruit-trees corne pastures and cattell only in that part which bendeth toward the bay Golfo di Quernero sometime called Flanatico or Fanatico it hath a very high mountaine which they commonly call Monte maior This first presenteth it selfe to the eie of the seamen which saile hitherward in whose toppe there ariseth a very goodly spring of fresh-water It yeeldeth many rare hearbs and plants of singular vertues which do make Physitions farre dwellers from hence to resort hither in time of the yeare and with great toile and danger to clamber vp the same The riuers of Histria are three Fornio Naupertus and Arsia the first the country people call Risano the second Quieto the last Arsa which falleth into the bay Quernero or Fanatico and is now the vtmost bound of Italie The cities of Histria are Mugia Iustinopolis Isola Pitano or Piran as I thinke it is named in the mappe Pumago Hemonia Parenzo Osara Rubino Pola S. Veit all of them marine cities Pinguento Montana Portulae Grisignana Bullae S. Lorenzo Doi castelli S. Vincenzo Val Adignano Pamerano Albona Fianonae Petina Galigagna Coslaco and Pisino are vpland cities The most famous city of this whole country is Iustinopolis which they commonly call Capo d' Istria the head of Histria Pliny nameth it Aegida it standeth vpon a rocke in the sea farre remote from the continent vnto which it is ioined by a long bridge This city with many other is subiect vnto the Venetians the rest are vnder the gouernment of the Duke of Austrich c. Beside the ancient Geographers read also Leander Volaterran and Dom. Niger Cassiodore in his 12. booke Variar hath much of this prouince ZARA and SEBENICO ZARA we thinke sometime to haue been called Iadera and others do affirme that his territories anciently was called Liburnia SEBENICO is that which old writers called Sicum Both are marine cities situate vpon the Hadriaticke sea vnder the iurisdiction of the Venetians In that place where in this our mappe thou seest certaine ruines of old decaied buildings Dominicus Niger saith sometime did stand the city Essesia which now lieth leuell with the ground and the place at this day is called Beribir where Epigrammes in Latine and Greeke with many other monuments of antiquity are yet to be seen The authour of this mappe whose name we know not calleth the same Bergine Of this part of Illyria read the same Dom. Niger his sixth booke of Geography M. S. Cornelius Scepper sometime Embassadour of Ferdinand Emperour of Rome vnto Soliman the great Turke in his Iournall hath these wordes At Zara we saw the church of S. Io. de Maluasia so named for that the sailours of a hoy laden with Malmesy being in foule weather in danger of shipwracke vowed that if they escaped safe to land they would build a church whose mortar should be tempered with malmesy which was accordingly performed CARINTHIAE DVCATVS ET GORITIAE PALATINATVS WOLF LAZIO auctore Histriae tabula Petro Coppo descr ZARAE ET SEBENICI DESCRIPTIO HVNGARY HVngaria which it is certaine was so named of the Hunni or Hungari a people come out of Scythia which now inhabit it conteineth almost both the Pannonies the countries of the Iaziges and the Daci now comprehending Transsyluania VValachria and Moldauia On the South it beginneth at the riuer Dra on the North it is bounded by Sarmatia Europaea now called Polonia and Getia at this day named VValagria on the West it hath Austrich sometime the head of the Higher Pannonia vpon the East it is confined with Mysia which at this day they call Rhetia Donaw Danubius of all the riuers of Europe by farre the greatest runneth through the middest of it and so diuideth it into two parts the Heather and the Farder The HEATHER HVNGARIA is that which formerly were the Pannonies the Vpper and Neather this is seuered from the further Hungaria by the riuer Dra from Austrich and Bayern by the foote of the mount Caecius from Slauonia by Dra from Bosna and Rascia by Saw The head and chiefe cities of this part is Buda often they call it the imperiall seat of their kings Other townes of great account
ENGLAND In old writers there are but few records left of these Ilands Amongst the new writers Olaus Magnus Gothus Episcopus Vpsaliensis Albertus Crantzius Saxo Grammaticus Iacobus Zieglerus Sigismundus ab Herberstein in his commentaries of Moscouia haue described these countries And Nicolas Wimman hath set forth the nauigation of the Northren sea See also a little discourse of Antony and Nicolas Zenis two brethren of the ilands situate vnder the North pole together with the shipwracke of Peter Quirinus written by himselfe and Christophero Fiorauante as also by Nicholas Mighel in the Italian tongue There is also a discourse of these Northren parts written by Sebastian Cabato who in the yeare 1557. first sailed into these quarters But aboue all the history of Saxony lately written and set out by Dauid Chytraeus is not to be forgotten SEPTENTRIONALIVM REGIONVM DESCRIP ISLAND I Do find in the Ecclesiasticall history lately set forth and imprinted vnder the name of M. Adams That the people of this Iland came vnto Adelbert Bishop of Breme earnestly entreating him to appoint them some learned diuines that might be able to preach the Gospell and plant Christianity amongst them Neither do I thinke that there is any mention of this Nation in any other more ancient writer than he Although I must confesse that Sigebertus Gemblacensis hath left record that Great King Arthur about the yeare of Christ 470. subdued this iland and reduced the people to his obedience This I take as a fable not for any true history For I do certainly know that this was neuer written by Sigebert but shuffled in as many things els by some other For a very faire Manuscript copy of mine owne as also another in parchment of my friend haue it not Now this Adelbert died about the yeare after Christs incarnation 1070. And that the name Thule oft spoken of almost by all old writers aswell Poets and Historians as Geographers doth not pertaine to this Iland against the opinion well neere of all the learned men of our time but rather to Scone Scandia Peninsula a neck-land of Norway not only the authority of Procopius a graue discreet writer but also for that a note and remnant of that name yet remaineth to this day in Scone in that part which is opposite to the Orkeney iles namely in a place of Norway where the famous Mart of the Belgae is seated For amongst other shires of Norway there is one in this place which they call Tilemercke that is the March or shire of Tule The ilands also ouer against this shore which vulgarly are called Hetland and Shetland the seamen as I vnderstand out of England by the relation of my good friend M. W. Camden are commonly called Thylinsel whereby I conceiue that this Iland tooke the name from the next maine land opposite vnto it For what els is Thilensel but the iland of Thile This opinion of mine not only Pomponius Mela doth confirme who writeth that Thule was opposite to the sea coast of the Belgae he directly saith I say Belgarum not Britannorum littori the sea coast of Britaine where indeed Island is situate not Thule but also Ptolemey the prince of all Geographers and writers in that argument who placeth Thule vnder the 29. degree of Longitude and 63. of Latitude Which position and calculation of degrees doth exactly and precisely fall vpon Tilemarke And as for Island there is no man that hath looked with halfe an eie into Geographicall Mappes and Charts but doth know it to lie vnder the first degree of Longitude and the sixtieth degree of Latitude And I perswade my selfe euen Arngrimus Ionas himselfe an Islander borne in that his Treatise of Island where he saith that the latitude of this Iland is about 44. degrees and 45. minutes was much deceiued It is therefore as cleare as the noone day as he saith that Island is not the same that Thule was and the same Procopius saith that it is inhabited by thirteen Nations and gouerned by so many Kings and to be tenne times as great as Brittaine so that not without good cause Stephanus giueth it the title of Great when as it is certaine that Island is much lesse than Brittaine The same Procopius affirmeth that the Scritifinni a kind of people so called did inhabite Thule these Diaconus nameth Strictofinni and speaketh of them in Scandia as doth also Iornandes in his history notwithstanding he corruptly calleth them that I may note this by the way Crefennae Thus gentle Reader thou seest that which they name Scandia or Scone he calleth Thule and the same nation to this day dwelleth in the same Scandia called by the same name no whit corrupted For they are called vulgarly Scrickefinner and do dwell in Scandia and not in Island In Thule Procopius writeth that there be huge great woods in Island all the world knoweth there are none at all And so Isacius vpon Lycophron saith truly when he affirmeth that Thule is vpon the East of Brittaine not vpon the North as is Island Contrary to that which Strabo a most worthy and diligent Geographer by the sound iudgement of all the learned saith of it but from the relation as there he addeth of Pytheas a shamefull lying historiographer whose custome was as Diodorus Siculus in his second booke writeth to counterfait and coine fables so cunningly that ordinarily they passed for true stories This is that Thule which Tacitus reporteth when the Romane nauy sailed round about Brittaine was seen and viewed by them but not regarded and therefore not entered as is probable This could not be Island which is much farther off and out of kenning But this is enough in this place of Thule or Scandia We will addresse our selues to speake of Island an iland altogether vnknowen and not once named in any ancient writer ISLAND or the Frosen or Icie land which is all one was so named of the ice which lieth continually vpon his North side for there now beginneth the Frosen-sea as Crantzius writeth It was called SNELAND of the Snow which all the yeare long doth heere in some places continue Item GARDARSHOLM that is Garders ile so called as Arngrimus himselfe being an Islander borne writeth of one Gardar a man so named who first found it or inhabited the same This iland is an hundred Germane miles in length as commonly most writers do hold but the foresaid Arngrimus Ionas saith it is 144. miles long For the most part it is not inhabited but is wast and mountainous especially toward the North part by reason of the bitter blasts of the South winds which will not suffer as Olaus teacheth so much as any low shrubbe or bush once to put forth his head It is subiect to the king of Norway and so hath continued euer since the yeare of Christ 1260. at what time first the same Arngrime affirmeth they did their homage to that Crowne Whereupon the king of Denmarke euery yeare sendeth thither a Lieutenant by
before namely the furnace or hearth the panne or kettle with the trefeet the tunnell the drinking cuppes or earthen pots the spoones and the boxes wherein they keep the hearb and the powder made of the same These things they set little lesse store by than we do heere in Europe by rings beset with pretious stones or bracelets of the best and most orient pearles Their houses for the most part are framed of timber to auoid the danger of earth-quakes which heere are very frequent and often although that some haue their houses very artificially and stately built from the foundation vpward of a very faire kind of stone They haue many goodly Churches and Monasteries both of men and women very rich and sumptuous The language of all these ilands is one and the same but so diuers and manifold and of such different dialects that it may not vniustly be said to be many For they haue of one and the same thing diuers and sundrie names of which some are vsed in scorne and bad sense others in good sense and honourable vsage other phrases and words are vsed by the Nobility others by the common people others are spoken by the men others by the women Moreouer they speake otherwise than they write and in their writing there is a great variety for they write their priuate letters vnto their friends one way and bookes and such like another way They haue diuers bookes very fairely written both in verse and in prose Againe their letters are such as in one and the same character they do expresse and signifie sometime one word sometime two or more Lastly the Iaponian language is of indifferent iudges preferred before the Latine either in respect of the elegancy and smoothnesse of pronunciation or copy and variety of the same therefore it requireth both great time and labour to learne it They are a very warlike people and much giuen to follow that kind of life the chiefe men of dignitie which haue the command of the kingdome and gouernment of the same they generally call Tonos although amongst those there are also certaine degrees as there are amongst our Nobility Princes Dukes Marquesses Earles and Barons Another sort of men there are amongst them which haue the charge and managing of matters of their Church these are shauen all ouer both head and beard these may neuer marrie but do vow perpetuall chastity There are diuers and sundrie sects of these religious persons amongst them some there are which after the maner of the Knights of the Rhodes do iointly professe armes and religion together but they are generally called by one name Bonzij They haue in many places diuers great schooles such as we call Vniuersities The third state or sort of people amongst them are the citizens and other degrees of gentry next vnto these are the retalers hucksters factours and shop-keepers with artificers and handiecraft-men of diuers occupations very ingenious and skilfull in their trades They haue many kinds of armours and warlike weapons made of sundrie makings and excellent temper They haue also the vse of Printing with letters and stamps not much vnlike our maner inuented and practised heere in Europe The last sort and state of people in these ilands are the husbandmen and labourers Generally it is a very subtile wittie and wise Nation and of singular endowments and good parts of nature both for acute iudgement aptnesse of learning and excellency of memorie It is no shame or reproach to any to be accounted poore Slaunderous and railing speeches theeuing robberies and that vngodlie kind of rash othes and swearing with all kind of dicing and gaming they do vtterly abhorre and detest Any offendours against the Law of what degree soeuer are punished by no lesse punishment than banishment confiscation of goods or death Those which are to be executed are for the most part beheaded suddenlie before they are aware Notwithstanding it is the maner in some places to cary such as are taken for robberies in a certaine kind of carre round about the city in the face of all the people and to hang them vp without the wals of the towne In the seruice of God which is the chiefe point of iustice and vertue they do miserably erre and swarue from the right tract Their guides and great masters of religion to informe the rest are those which I say they name Bonzij Amongst their saints which they worship the chiefe are those which they call Amida and Xaca other idols they haue of lesse estimation and note amongst them whom they pray vnto for health recouery in sickenesse children money other things belonging to the body these they call Camis All Iaponia or the people of that name were subiect in time past vnto one Emperour whom they called Vo or Dair this was his title of honour and dignity vntill such time as he growen effeminate and giuen to pleasures and ease became to be scorned and contemned by the Lieutenants and Nobility especially of the Cubi for so they called the two chiefest Princes vnto whom the gouernment of the country was committed of which afterward the one did kill the other therefore the Lieutenants of the seuerall shires with the military men hauing for a time endured such a carpet Knight by and by began to loath his gouernment and at last wholly shaking off the yoke of subiection seised euery man into his owne hand the prouince ouer which he was set as gouernour vnder the Emperour so at an instant that vnited body and maine Empire of so large command was shattered as it were into many parts and pieces yet so as notwithstanding a kind of soueraigne authority doth euen to this day remaine in the Dair of distributing and giuing the titles of honour to the Nobility which eftsoones are altered according to the diuersity of the degrees and are designed by certaine notes and badges The chiefe and most mightie of all the Princes of Iaponia is he that gat either by force or policy Meacum and the best kingdomes neere to the same which they generally by one name do vulgarly call Tensa Those places were lately possessed by Nubunanga that tyrant which I spake of before this King being slaine by treason about two yeares before and his children murdered or banished one Faxiba a chiefe captaine of the rebels by force and violence stepped into his regall throne and tooke vpon him to sway the scepter of that kingdome The honour and credit of the first entrance of this Iland certaine Portugals do challenge and take vnto themselues but I do rather giue credit to Antonio Gaualno who reporteth in that booke which he wrote of the descries of the New-found world that Antonâ—o Mota Francisco Zeimoro and Antonio Pexoto in their iourney as they sailed from the city Dodra in Sion to passe for China they were caried by a contrary wind to the Ilands of the Iaponians about two and forty yeares before that time All this we haue extracted out
the second booke of Chronicles But there being three Arabiaes Deserta Felix and Petraea we are especially in respect of the neerenesse and neighbourhood of it to Iudaea to speake of the later in this place ARABIA PETRAEA tooke the name of Petra the Metropolitane city of this prouince and place of residence of their Kings This also was called NABAIOTH by the Hebrews of Nabaioth the sonne of Ismaël Esa 60. Ezech. 27. whereupon the name and appellation of Nabataea arose amongst the old Historiographers It sometime did belong to the Edomites and Amalechites and was a part of their lands and country Whereupon the Israelites by the commandement of God were constrained to passe by this country Saint Hierome saith that Petra the city is of the Hebrews called Iacteel and of the Syrians Recem This country by reason of the passage of the children of Israel through it and the great workes and wonders of God done in it is very famous and oft mentioned in the holy Scriptures The places of it oft spoken of in the booke of God are these The Red sea Exod. 13.14.15.23 Num. 11.14.21.33 Deut. 1.2.11 Iosu 2.24 Psalm 77.105.113 Act. 7.1 Cor. 10. Sur and Mara Exod. 15. Elim Exod. 15.16 There were twelue wels and seuenty palme trees of which Strabo doth speake in the sixteenth booke of his Geography The wildernesse of Sin Exod. 16. Arabia Petraea in many places was a vast and horrible desert as is apparant out of the first and eight chapters of Deuteronomy of which there are also diuers other testimonies euery where to be obserued Sinay Exod. 16. Raphidim Exod. 17.19 Horeb Exod. 3.17 Obserue in this place that Horeb was part of those mountaines which the Greekes call Mélanas that is the Blacke hils which are of such a wonderfull height that vpon the toppe of them the sunne may be descried at the fourth watch of the night that is about three of foure of the clocke in the morning an houre or two before her appearance to those which dwell in the plaine But Sinay was the East part or ridge of mount Horeb. This is proued by these places of Scripture Exod. 33. Deut. 4.5.9.10.29 Psalm 105. Actor 7. In Deut. 33. Sinay is called the hill Pharan and in Exod. 18. the Holy mount Moreouer there is mention made of the hill and wildernesse of Sinay almost in euery chapter throughout the whole bookes of Exodus and Leuiticus and in the two and thirtith chapter of Deuteronomy it is againe spoken of The country round about it is called the Wildernesse of Sinay Num. 9.10.26 Amalec Exod. 17. Num. 14.24 Deut. 25. Madian Exod. 18. Num. 10. Act. 7. The Graues of lust and Haseroth Num. 11.12 Deut. 1. Pharan Num. 12.20 Deut. 1.33 The Desert of Zin Num. 13.20.26 Deut. 32. The Desert of Cades and Cadesbarne Num. 13.20.26.32.34 Deut. 1 9. Iosu 10.15 Horma Num. 14.21 Hor Num. 20. Deut. 32. The Waters of strife Num. 20.26 Oboth Ieabarim Zared the Brooke Mathana Nahaliel Bamoth Num. 21. Deut. 2. Also of Zared and Seir mention is made in Num. 24. Deut. 1.2.33 Iosu 24. Tophel and Laban Deut. 1. Elath Deut. 2. Asiongaber Deut. 2.3 Kings 22.2 Paral. 8. Beroth Mosera Gadgad Iatebatha Deut. 10. In the three and thirtith chapter of Numbers the foure and twenty mansions or places of abode where the children of Israel in that their tedious peregrination between Aegypt and the Holy Land pitched their tents are recited by name Which mansions and encamping places of theirs were greatly famoused with many miracles and wonderfull workes of God which he wrought there in the sight of that peruerse and froward generation These places were not remote one from another by equall distances as is very probable by these places of the Old Testament Exod. 14.15.19 Num. 10.14.33 Neither did the people of Israel being led through this wildernesse vp and downe euer crosse the first way which they had gone before but by winding turning this way and that way they came thrise to the Red-sea as may easily be demonstrated out of the three and thirtieth of Numbers the second of Deuteronomy and the eleuenth of Iudges These do necessarily appertaine to the vnderstanding of the tract of that their iourney and orderly placing of those forsaid mansions and resting places Of SYRIA and PHOENICIA Although in old time the name of SYRIA and the bounds thereof were more large yet that is properly called Syria which is enclosed within the mount Amanus Monte Negro Postellus calleth it a part of the riuer Euphrates Iudaea and the Phoenician sea PHOENICIA a part of Syria famous by many reasons and accidents amongst his more notable cities had Tyre and Sidon But the chiefe or Metropolitane city of COELESYRIA Hollow Syria or Holland in Syria we may call it lying Eastward from Iudaea was Damascus oft mentioned both in holy and prophane writers Of which places we haue spoken of in Palaestina Thus farre Stella the authour of this Mappe hath discoursed vpon the same Of the old Palaestina read Saint Hierome and that which the learned B. Arias Montanus hath written of it in his Chaleb Iacobus Zieglerus Wolfangus Wissenburgius and Michaêl Aitzinger haue described the same in seuerall and peculiar treatises Iosephus in the six and seuen bookes of the warres of the Iewes Adam Reisner in seuen bookes and Christianus Adrichomius haue described Ierusalem the chiefe city of Palaestina IEWRY and ISRAEL An exposition with an history or discourse vpon certaine places of this Mappe ADER or Eder a tower The Iewes do call a flocke or herd Eder although others do thinke that the word rather signifieth a defect or want and I know not whether it do in those places signifie a floore or plot of ground I meane that which the Latines do call Aream In this place some write that the natiuity or birth of our Sauiour Christ was by the Angels told vnto the Shepheards Beersabe the well of the oth or the well of confirmation made by an oth so called for that Abimelech King of Gerar made a couenant neere this place first with Abraham Gen. 21. then with Isaac Gen. 26. Againe Iacob going into Aegypt when he came vnto this well he was encouraged and commanded by a voice from heauen that he should boldly go downe into Aegypt and not feare God promising him that out of his seed should come the Captaine or Leader of the Gentiles and the Redeemer of Israel Gen. 46. It is also called the Fountaine of fulnesse or saturity for Agar the handmaid of Abraham when she was with her sonne Ismaël cast out by Sara her mistresse she wandred vp and downe in this place ready to die presently with her sonne for want of drinke but the Angell shewed her this well whereby she with the child drunke their fill and were satisfied Gen. 21. Neither is that Beersabee Gen. 22.3 King 13. diuerse from this BETHANIA the house of obedience or the house of affliction or the house
yeare of the raigne of the Emperour Claudius 56. yeares after the incarnation of Christ v. 30. and had by them at that time been slaine v. 31. had not the Captaine of the garrison there by the help of his souldiers and men of war rescued him and freed him from the hands of that tumultuous multitude v. 32. yet by reason that about him the vproare grew v. 31. and for that the captaine supposed him to be Theudas the Egyptian who not long before that had made an insurrection and had led a company of ruffians cut-throats and disordered fellowes to the number of 4000. men out into the wildernesse v. 38. and chapter 5.36 he caused him to be bound with two chaines Act. 21.33 and should haue been whipped Act. 22.24 had he not been a Roman v. 29. wherefore he was loosed from his bonds and by the chiefe captaine was brought before the high Priests and the whole Councell of the Iewes to heare what they could charge him withall and what he could answer for himselfe v. 30. but the aduersaries falling at variance and dissentions amongst themselues Act. 23.7 he was by the Scribes and Pharisies the greater part freed and wholly acquited v. 9. yet the multitude still raged neuerthelesse against Paul so that the Captaine was forced to with-draw him into the Castle to secure him from their furie v. 10. and for further security he is sent away in the night by Claudius Lysias the Tribune garded with 200. footmen 70. horsemen and 200. archers v. 23. vnto Antipatris a towne in the tribe of Manasses called in Macchab. 1.31 Capharsalama or as the Greeke copy hath Capharsarama it is now called Assur as some learned men thinke and was the first towne that the Christians wanne in their voiage to the Holy Land as Volaterran writeth v. 31. where the footmen leauing him returned to the castle he was the next day caried on to Cesarea Palaestinae where Felix the gouernour lay v. 32.33 where fiue daies after he was by him brought foorth before Ananias the high Priest the elders of the Iewes and other his aduersaries there to answer to the faigned and malitious obiections of their prating lawyer Tertullus Act. 24.1 but because beside their slanderous cauills and bare affirmations there were neither depositions nor witnesses present v. 20.21 he was for that time dismissed and committed as prisoner vnto the keeping of a Centurion v. 24. In the meane time Felix hauing now been president full out two yeeres and being to resigne vp his place to Porcius Festus to curry fauour with the Iewes left Paul in prison v. 28. He within three daies of his entrance goeth vp to Ierusalem Act. 25.1 where they a fresh againe renew their suite against Paul withall desiring Festus to send for him vp to Ierusalem v. 3. which Festus would not grant v. 4. but willeth them to bring his accusers and witnesse downe ta Cesarea where they should be heard without partiality v. 5. Therefore Festus hauing taried at Ierusalem tenne daies returneth to Cesarea and the next day calleth foorth Paul before the Iewes v. 6. who malitiously accused him of many things which they could by no meanes proue against him v. 7. yet Festus desirous to please the Iewes demandeth of Paul whether he would be willing to be tried before him of those things at Ierusalem v. 9. Therefore Paul appealeth to Caesar v. 11. which was allowed by Festus and the councell v. 12. But before he could be dispatched to Rome king Agrippa and Bernice came to Cesarea to salute Festus v. 13. who being desirous to heare Paul v. 22. he was brought foorth into the common hall before them v. 23. where he maketh an apologie for himselfe Chap. 26. Now when it was concluded that Paul should go into Italie he was committed to Iulius a centurion of Augustus band Chap. 27.1 and being shipped in a ship of Adramyttium a city of Mysia or Aeolia in Natolia and setting foorth sailed along by the coast of Asia and came the next day to Sidon v. 2. and then hoissing saile came close by the shore of Cyprus v. 4. from thence he crossed the sea by Cilicia and Pamphylia and so came to Myra a city of Lycia in Natolia now it is called Strumita as Stunica writeth the vulgar edition in stead of Myra hath Lystra which is not a city of Lycia but of Lycaonia distant from the sea of Cilicia more than 40. leagues v. 5. Heere the Centurion shipped Paul and his company into a ship of Alexandria bound for Italy v. 6. and after many daies they came ouer against Guidus a marine or port towne of Caria in Asia minor from thence they passed hard by Salmone an hauen of Crete now called Candy situate in the promontory Sammonium the sea-men at this day call it Cabo Salamo v. 7. and so with much adoe casting about at last they came to a certaine place named The faire Hauen Pulcher portus or as the vulgar hath Boni-portus Lyra calleth it Bona Villa neere to which was the city Lasea the vulgar hath Thalassa v. 8. But because this place was not conuenient to winter in they put out from hence labouring to reach to Phoenice a port town in the same iland of which Ptolemey also maketh mention in the last chapter of his third booke of his Geography v. 12. But a gust or stormy wind which the sailours call Euroclydon the vulgar hath Euroaquilo arising caught the shippe v. 14.15 and caried it vpon a little iland called Clauda thus Ptolemey in the 17. chapter of the 3. booke of his Geography writeth it the vulgar and the Syrian interpretour of the New Testament nameth it Cauda v. 16. fearing that they should haue fallen vpon the Quicke-sands Syrtes the Syrian retaineth the Greeke word the Grecians otherwise call these dangerous places Brachea the Latines Breuia shelues or flattes v. 17. But at the last after fourteen nights of continuall storme and danger they were driuen into the Adriaticke sea v. 27. where falling vpon the coast of the iland Melita now called Malta Act. 28.1 from thence after he had lien there three months he passed in a ship of Alexandria v. 11. and arriued at Syracuse in Sicilia where he staid three daies v. 12. From whence fetching a compasse they came to Rhegium a towne in Calabria a prouince of Italy it is now vulgarly called Rhezo where they staid but one day and then set forward againe and the second day came to Puteoli a towne in Campiana now called Pozolo v. 13. where they staid seuen daies and so from thence by Appius Market Forum Appij and the three Innes or Tauernes Tres Tabernas they went by land to Rome v. 15. in the second yeare of the raigne of the Emperour Nero where he was suffered to dwell by himselfe committed only to a souldier as his keeper who had the charge ouer him v. 16. who after he had remained thus two whole yeares restrained at
this continent and circuite curtuous Reader that thou beest not caried away with a vaine and false perswasion of the knowledge of things done in the whole world or if you please so to call it within the compasse of that part of the world described by the old Cosmographers all ancient HISTORIOGRAPHY both SACRED and PROPHANE is comprehended in these all famous acts of mortall men which from the beginning of the world euen vnto the daies of our fathers haue been registred by learned men haue been done and performed For euery storie before the forenamed Columbus written in Latine Greeke or any other language exceeded not the limits of the Roman Empire or the conquests of Alexander the Great if you shall only except the trauels of Marcus Paulus Venetus by land into China and the nauigation of Katherino Zeni by the ocean sea into the North parts of which we haue spoken in the discourse to the Mappe of Mare del zur which I make no doubt all learned historians and others will easily grant me Whereupon we may see how maimed and vnperfect the history of the world is when as it is very apparant that this part of the earth then knowen is scarse the one quarter of the whole globe of the world that is now discouered to vs. And which is especially to be considered rather than to be commended we may truly say that now which Cicero in his third oration against Verres wrote then most falsly when he said of that age There is now no place within the vast ocean none so far remote and distant from vs none so obscure or hidden whither in these our daies the couetous and bad minds of our men doth not cause them go Certaine recordes and testimonies of ancient writers concerning Geographicall Mappes Anaximander scholler to Thales Milesius did set forth as Strabo witnesseth the FIRST GEOGRAPHICALL CHART Now Anaximander who liued in the time of Seruius Tullus the VI. king of Rome was borne in the first yeare of the 35. olympiade which was the first yeare of the raigne of Ancus Martius the 4. king of the Romanes 639. yeares before the birth of Christ The same Strabo maketh mention of a mappe of the HABITABLE WORLD done by Eratosthenes Socrates when he saw Alcibiades to stand so much vpon his welth and great possessions brought him to a mappe of the VVHOLE VVORLD bid him there to find out the prouince of Athens which when he had found he againe willed him to point to his landes and when he answered that they were not in any place there described he saith Art thou then proud of the possession of that which is no part of the World Aelianus in the 28. chap. of his 3. booke De varia historia Hamo Carthaginensis setteth out a mappe of his nauigation into the ATLANTICKE SEA wherein he made a discouery of the COASTS OF LIBYA which he caused to be hanged vp in the temple of Saturne Aristagoras Milesius had a Table of Brasse in which was cutte the VVHOLE COMPASSE OF EARTHLY GLOBE the VVHOLE SEA with all the RIVERS emptying themselues into the same Herod in his V. booke Augustus and Agrippa set out a mappe of the VVHOLE VVORLD to the publicke view of all men as Pliny in the second chapter of his third booke hath left recorded Amongst the Aegyptians there were continually kept certaine Chartes containing all the TRACTS BOVNDS and COASTS both of sea and land as Apollonius in the fourth booke of his Argonautickes doth witnesse Saint Hierome affirmeth that a MAPPE of PALAESTINA made by Eusebius Caesariensis was lost long before his time That Charles the Great Emperour of Rome had a Siluer Table wherein the VVHOLE VVORLD was portraitured those authours who liued in his time and haue written of his life and histories do constantly affirme Theophrastus Eresius bequeathed and gaue by his last Will and Testament certaine mappes in which were described the SITVATION of the VVORLD on condition that they should be put and reserued in the lower part of the gallery which he built and adioined to his schoole as Diogenes Laertius writeth in his life I haue described a Charte of the VVORLD in 12. sheets of parchment Thus Dominicanus the authour of the Annals of the city Celmar in Germany who wrote about the yeare of Christ 1265. speaketh of himselfe in that his worke There are certaine GEOGRAPHICALL CHARTS mentioned and cited by Stephanus Byzantinus in the word Αινος The Emperour Domitian put Metius Pomposianus to death because he caried about the country certain mappes of the VVORLD portraitured in sheets of Velame as Suetonius recordeth Varro in the second chapter of his first booke of Husbandrie hath these wordes There I light vpon by chance Caius Fundanius wy wiues father and Caius Agrius a Knight of Rome a disciple and follower of Socrates with Publius Agrasius the Customer whom I found looking vpon a Mappe of ITALY drawen and described vpon a wall Heere also Vitruuius what he speaketh in the eighth book of his Architecture that these things are and may be so the HEADS OF RIVERS do sufficiently prooue which we do see are described in the Chartes and Mappes of the World Florus who seemeth to haue liued in the time of Traian the Emperour hath these wordes I will do that that Cosmographers are wont to do who vse to set out the SITVATION of the VVORLD in a small chart or table Iulian the Emperour in an Epistle to Alypius thus writeth I was euen then newly recouered of my sicknesse when thou sentest the GEOGRAPHY and yet the map which thou sentest was neuer the lesse welcome For there are in it not only better and more true descriptions but also certaine excellent Iambicke verses wherewith thou hast much graced it But that the Ancients were wont to describe the VVORLD and globe of the earth in Mappes it is manifest out of Plutarcke in the life of Theseus as also out of the fourth booke of Propertius the Poet where he bringeth in Arethusa thus speaking to Lycorta Cogimurè TABVLA PICTOS ediscere MVNDOS We forced are to vnderstand By charts the state of Sea and Land AEVI VETERIS TYPVS GEOGRAPHICVS Abrah ortelius Regiae M t s Geographus describ cum Privilegijs decennalib Imp. Reg. et Cancellariae Brabantiae Antverpiae Ambivaritorum 1590. EN SPECTATOR PILAE TOTIVS TERRAE ICHNOGRAPHIAM AT VERERIBVS VSQVE AD ANNVM SALVTIS NONAGESIMVM SECVNDVM SVPRA MILLES QVADRINGENT COGNITAE TANTVM GEOGRAPHIAM The ROMANE WORLD OR The ROMANE EMPIRE AMmianus Marcellinus thus writeth in his foureteenth booke At such time as triumphant Rome which shall flourish as long as men do liue vpon the earth began first to grow into credit and honour in the world that it might still rise by degrees and lofty steppes into a firme league of eternall peace vertue and fortune which often times iarre did fully consent and agree For if either of them had opposed themselues it surely had neuer come to that
of colour but also to marke them with diuers kinds of pictures and counterfeits of sundrie sorts of liuing creatures and to go naked least they should hide this their painting I read in Herodian Listen thou shalt heare Solinus speake the same wordes The countrie is partly possessed by a barbarous and wild people which euen from their childhood haue by certaine cutters men skilfull that way diuers images and pictures of liuing creatures drawen and raised vpon their skinne and so imprinted in their flesh that as they grow vnto mans estate these pictures together with the painters staines do wax bigger and bigger neither doth the wild people endure any thing more patiently and willingly than that their limbes by meanes of those deep cuts and slashes may so deepely drinke in these coloures that they may sticke long by them Amongst the Goddesses as I learne by Dion they worshipped Andates for so they call Victoriam victory who had a temple and sacred wood where they vsed to do sacrifice and performe their religious seruice and worship to her Beside her they had another which was called Adraste whether this were the same with Adrastia which some did take to be Nemesis the Goddesse of reuenge which the ancient Grecians Romans did worship I leaue to others to determin Caesar saith that in former times the Druides a kind of superstitious priests dwelt also amongst this people who affirmeth that their discipline and religion was first heere inuented and from hence caried beyond sea into France That they continued vntill the time of Vespasian the Emperour of Rome in Mona or Anglesey it is apparent out of the 14 booke of Cornelius Tacitus his Annals Frō them doubtlesse this nation had their knowledge of the state immortality of the soule after this life for this was the opinion of those Druides as Caesar and others haue written of them But of the Druides we will God willing speake more in our Old France or Gallia as it stood in Caesars time That the Britans did so greatly esteeme and wonderfully extoll the art Magicke and performe it with such strange ceremonies that it is to be thought that the Persians had it from hence I haue Pliny for my patron who mightily perswadeth me The forenamed Bunduica also doth seeme to iustifie the same who as soone as she had ended her oration vnto her army cast an hare out of her lappe by that meanes to gesse what the issue of that iourney would be which after that she was obserued to goe on forward all the company iointly gaue a ioifull shout and acclamation To sacrifice and offer the blood of their captiues vpon their altars and to seeke to know the will and pleasure of their Gods by the entrails of men as the Romans did by the bowels of beasts these people held it for a very lawfull thing Thus farre Tacitus and thus much of Albion now it remaineth that we in like manner say somewhat of Ireland HIBERNIA Or IRELAND VPon the West of Britaine in the vast ocean the Latines call it Oceanus Virginius that is as the Welch call it Norweridh or Farigi as the Irish pronounce the word lieth that goodly iland which all ancient writers generally haue called by one and the same name although euery one hath not written it alike an ordinary and vsuall thing in proper names translated into strange countries For Ptolemy and vulgarly all Geographers which follow him calleth it HIBERNIA Orpheus the most ancient Poet of the Greekes Aristotle the Prince of Philosophers and Claudian IERNA Iuuenall and Mela IVVERNA Diodorus Siculus IRIS Eustathius in his Commentaries vpon Dionysius Afer WERNIA 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and BERNIA the Welch-men or ancient Britans YVERDON the Irish themselues from whence all the rest were fetched ERIN whereof also the Saxons by adding the word Land signifying a countrey or prouince as their manner is haue framed IRELAND by which name it is not only knowen to the English but generally at this day it is so called of all Nations whatsoeuer Thus farre the learned Clarencieux who also thinketh it so to haue beene named by them of their Irish word Hiere which signifieth the West or Western coast or country Like as the Celtae whose language he proueth to be the same with this for the same reason and of the same word named Spaine Iberia which afterward the Greekes in their language interpreted Hesperia In Festus Auienus who wrote a booke intituled Orae maritimae the sea coast it is named INSVLA SACRA The Holy Iland who moreouer addeth that it is inhabited of the Hierni that is of the Irish-men Isacius in his Commentaries vpon Lycophron calleth it WEST BRITAINE Plutarch in his booke which he wrote Of the face in the sphere of the Moone calleth it OGVGIA but why we know not yet read him if you thinke it worth the while you shall heare many an old wiues tale The latter writers as S. Isidore and the reuerend Beda our countriman call it SCOTIA of the Scottes which seated themselues in the West part of this I le about the yeare of our Lord 310. from whence within a very few yeares after being called in by the Picts they came into Brittane and indeed Paulus Orosius Beda and Egeinhardus authors of good credit wrote that it was inhabited of the Scots It is in length from South to North 400. miles in breadth scarse 200. The soile and temperature of the aire as Tacitus affirmeth is not much vnlike that of England It breedeth no snake or serpent nor any venemous creature fowle and birds heere are not very plentifull and as for bees no man euer saw one in the whole country yea if so be that any man shall strew dust grauell or small stones brought from hence amongst the hiues the swarmes will presently forsake their combes as Solinus writeth Yet we know by experience that this is all false for such is the infinit number of bees in this country that they are not only to be found heere in hiues and bee-gardens but also abroad in the fields in hollow trees and holes of the ground The temperature of the aire saith Pomponius Mela is very vnkind and vnfit for the ripening of corne and graine but the soile is so good for grasse not only great and ranke but also sweet and wholesome that their heards and cattell do fill themselues in so short a time that if they be not driuen out of the pasture they will feed while they burst Solinus affirmeth the same but in fewer words Furthermore he calleth it an inhumane and vnciuill country by reason of the rude and harsh manners of the inhabitants And Pomponius Mela termeth the people a disordered and vnmannerly nation lesse acquainted with any sort of vertue then any other people whatsoeuer yet they may in some respect be said to be louers of vertue in regard that they are very religious and deuout Strabo saith that they are more rusticall and vnciuill then the
it must cost one of them his life Others do take vp in the theater gold or siluer or a certaine number of hogges-heads of wine and assoone as they haue bound themselues with an oath that they will endure that for which they had receiued these gifts then taking them and distributing them vnto their most inward and dearest friends they stretch themselues out straight vpon their backes and lay them downe vpon their shields one standing by that is to stabbe them in their throat and cut off their necke with a sword They lie downe to sleepe on grasse or rushes strowed vpon the ground as Polybius testifieth or vpon deares skinnes as Diodorus recordeth In the thirteenth booke of Athenaeus where you shall find these words in my iudgement spoken of Braccata Gallia They lie vpon skins betweene two Ganimedes For I am verily perswaded and I thinke all wise men with me that he meant the Grecians of Marseilles and not the true and ancient Gauls whose maner it was as before we haue noted out of Iulian the Emperour that they vsed that act only for the procreation of children Their houses and habitations saith Caesar for the most part were in woods or vpon the bankes of brookes and riuers thereby to shelter themselues from the violence of the Sunne and heat of Sommer and those Vitruuius writeth were made and couered ouer with oken shingles or else with straw Strabo affirmeth that they are built in a maner round of planks and hardles couered with a great roofe made taper-wise or sugar loafe fashion this roofe as Pliny writeth was of stubble Their gates if we may beleeue Nicolaus in Stobaeus did continually stand open Iulianus the Emperour in his Misopogonus relateth a tale whereby we gather that they had the vse of hot-houses or stoues such as still to this day are vsed in some places of this countrie Villages they haue as Polybius noteth without any wals or rampart for defence against the assault of the enemies For Trogus reporteth that they learned of them of Marseilles to enclose their townes with wals and ramparts The maner of building and fashion of which wals thou maist vnderstand out of the seuenth booke of Caesars commentaries where moreouer thou shalt find this that followeth when any great or notable matter falleth out they giue notice of it through the fields and countries by lowd cries or proclamations one vnto another and so still forwards like vnto our hue and cries vntill it stay at the outmost border of the kingdome Ammianus in his fiue and twentieth booke saith that they gaue themselues much to swimming In hunting as I gather out of Cornelius Celsus they were woont to strike the deere with a venomed arrow Item Aulus Gellius out of Pliny citeth these words of the same argument The Gauls when they went on hunting were woont to dippe their arrow heads in the iuice of hellebore verily beleeuing that the flesh of such deere as were stroken and killed with them was farre more tender than otherwise it would be but by reason of the venome of the hellebore they say they did vse to cut off round about a great deale of the flesh where the arrow went in Item Pliny also maketh mention of the hearb limeum wherewith they made a kind of ointment which they call venenum ceruarium Hart-poison with which in hunting they do besmeare their arrowes Aristotle in his Admiranda sheweth that amongst the Celtae there is a kind of poison found called by them Toxicum the Latine interpreter did read Xenicum that is strange which infecteth and killeth so speedily that the hunters of that country when they haue stricken a deere with an arrow dipped in the iuice of this herb they runne with all speed and do presently cut out all that flesh neere round about where the arrow went in lest the venome spreading it selfe further and further the whole deere should putrifie and so be marred and good for nothing c. Pliny maketh me beleeue that this confection or poison was made of the yeugh-tree taxus they call it where hee saith that those poisons which we now call toxica wherewith they did besmere their arrowes were sometimes called taxica Of the poison and venemous nature of the yeugh-tree we haue entreated before But there was a tree which grew amongst the Celtae much like vnto a figge-tree whose fruit that it bare was fashioned like vnto the chapter of the Corinthiacke pillar This fruit being cutte doth yeeld a iuice wherein if any man shall dippe his arrowes whatsoeuer hee shall strike therewith will presently die of that wound as Strabo affirmeth from the report of others That the Gauls did not feare the danger of Earth-quakes Aristotle and Plutarch do plainlie testifie But whether it be true or false I dare not affirme Another notable example except one should thinke it to be a feined and forged tale of great boldnesse or rather of desperate rashnesse I find in Aelianus his varia historia which is thus They do account it saith he so fowle and shamefull a thing to flie or runne away that oft times they will make no hast to get from vnder houses that they see are ready to fall vpon their heads nay they will hardly out of those houses that are on fire so that many times they be burnt to ashes in the flame Many of them also will stand still vntill the waues and tide of the sea do runne quite ouer them Moreouer some of them will cast themselues into the sea in their armour and with their swords drawne and shaking of their speares daren the tide as if they could either fraie or wound the same Let the credulous Iew beleeue this if he will I beleeue neuer a word of it although I know that Stobaeus and before him Nicolaus did verily beleeue it all to be true Heere I do by experience find that saying of Pliny to be very true that There is hardly any greater disparagement to the truth than when a false told is told by a graue authour But may not one thinke that I may requite one tale with another that this was that sight which Lucian in his Apologia writeth that his friend Sabinus went as farre as the West ocean to see Their funerals according to their maner and state are very gorgeous and costly all things that the dead men in their life time did especially loue and affect yea euen such liuing creatures as they best esteemed were cast into the fire and burnt and not long since within the memory of our forefathers euen their seruants and followers whom they loued extraordinarily well when all ceremonies of the funerall were done were cast into the fire and burnt together with their Masters or Mistresses thus Caesar reporteth of them To this Pomponius Mela addeth That with the dead they burne and burie in the ground all things that they commonly vsed when they were aliue their accoumpts and debts were deferred till doomes day Some there were of
them which would willingly cast themselues into the fires and graues of their friends verily perswading themselues that they should still liue together with them Item Diodorus Siculus reporteth that some of them would cast into the fire where their friends deceased were burnt to ashes their letters verily beleeuing that they would reade them there For that opinion of Pythagoras of the immortality of the soule had taken footing and deepe root amongst them being perswaded that afterward the bodies being dead in processe of time they should againe returne into other bodies Listen also what Valerius Maximus saith of this matter It was an ancient custome saith he amongst the Gauls as old records do verifie vsually to lend money in this world to be paid againe in the world to come Which the forenamed authour termeth Philosophiam foeneratoriam A couetous or miserly kind of Philosophie practised then by some vsurers But can you tell where now a man may borrow an hundred pounds vpon good security till that day I doubt whether there be any pale-faced cut-throat vsurer glorious smooth-tongued gold-smith crafty mocke-lawyer Scriuener or any rag-merchant broker in this our city that was euer Pythagoras scholler This Iewish sect are all I thinke by their practise of the opinion of the Sadduces who thought and taught that there was no resurrection of the soule to be expected after this life It is no wonder or strange matter to thinke that the Gauls were of this opinion if so bee that be true that one Alexander in Clemens Alexandrinus doth tell of namely that Pythagoras did trauell into France Tertullian out of Nicander doth write that they vsed to he abroad all night vpon the graues and tombes of valiant men and there to expect the answeare of some of oracle I care not an halfe penny for that opinion of the great Orateur Tully in that his oration which he made for Marcus Fonteius where he writeth that The Gauls are hardly addicted to follow any religion at all For Liuy although in other things he be partiall and dealeth hardly with this nation yet he plainly affirmeth that they be not very backeward in religion And Caesar in his seuenth booke of the warres of France who throughly well knew this people saith that they were much giuen to religion and seruice of some god or other Item he saith That they did especially worship god Mercury of whom there were amongst them many images and statues they affirming him to be the authour and inuentour of all arts and sciences him also they hold to be their guide and leader in all iourneies and waies through which they are to trauell him they supposed to haue a great power and stroke in all maner of trafficke and gainfull trade for money to him they offered mans flesh in sacrifice as Minutius Felix writeth Besides him they did also worship Apollo Mars Iupiter and Minerua Of these their gods they held the very same opinion