bene often subiect to the spoile of enemyes many of the inhabitants haue abandoned it gon to liue in other countries Lutzembourg was wont to bee an earldome til Henry the seauenth Emperor Earle of Lutzemburg as saith Levvis Guicciardin erected it into a Duchie LVTZEMBOVRG HENALT THe earldome of Henalt hath on the north parte of Brabant parte of Flanders on the south it hath parte of Champagne parte of Picardie on the east it hath the earldome of Namure a pece of the country of Liege on the west it hath the riuer of Skeld a pece of walsh-Flanders This prouince is very fertil aboundant in corne cattel with great store of Orchardes many fish pondes It hath mynes of Iron and lead hilles wherein are quarreys of marble Stone-coles corruptly called in english seacole are here found though not so good as in the country of liege Mouns is the chief citie so ordayned to bee by Carolus Magnus The next vnto this is Valeneyne called rightly val de cignes that is the valey of Swannes for the situation of the place is low the riuers there about haue bin wont to nowrish many swannes About a league from Valencyne is the faire Abbey of Vicogne wherein is a library stored with all sortes of rare booke many other walled cities there are in this country among which is Cimay the birth place of Iohn Frosard that wrote a french cronicle About Barbançon glas for the glasing of windowes is made as also other glasses HENALT ARTOIS IN this prouince Ceasar placeth the Atrebates so called of their chief cittie Atrebatum at this present Arras which now vnto the whole prouince giueth the name of Artois It is almost circuited by Flanders Picardie having the first of these on the northeast sydes the later on the southwest It hath hereto fore belonged to Flanders but afterward vnto France by S. Levvis King of France it was made an earldome but in the agreement made in the yeare 1529 betwene the Emperor Charles the fift Francis King of France the first it came to be vnder the how 's of Austria The ayre is very temperate the earth frutefull yeilding principally great aboundance of corne Arras afore named is the chief citie next vnto lers S. Omer which according to the opinion of Ortelius was that Iccius Portus where Ceasar embarked himself when hee made his voyage to England then Britannie And that the sea hath of old tyme come vnto this towne is aparent by the often fynding of ankers in digging in the meddowes other places there abouts Not far from S. Omer is a lake wherein are certaine litle Iles that with acord or the wynde are made to pas vp downe from the one syde to the other ARTOIS NAMVRE THis earldome is enclosed betwene Brabant Henalt and the country of Liege It is but a litle countie very hillie but a fyne and pleasant region It aboundeth in mynes of Iron it yeildeth a black or browne marble as also a veyned marble of different colours and here are Stone coles also found as in the country of Liege There are in it fowre fortified or strongly walled townes The first is the citie of Namure which is principal a Hishops sea and situate where the riuer of Sambre runneth into the Mase The second is Boâ—inâ—s the third Charlemont the fowrth VValcourt The citie of Namur taketh name as some say of an Idol called Nanus which was placed on the top of the hil where now the castle standeth where to the demaunders of thinges to come he gaue answere vntil the coming of Christe by whose coming this fals God as all the others which the Pagans honored became dumme NAMVRE BRABANT THe Duchie of Brabant is limitted eastward with Geldres westward with Flanders northward with Holland and southward with the country of Liege In it is conteyned the Marquisat of the holy Empyre whereof Antvverp is the chief towne The country is very pleasant fruteful but moste towards the south It beareth all kynde of grayne about Louayn it hath vineyards but they yeild a small kynde of wyne Campinia or Kempenland is the most barren parte of all this country by reason of the sandy heathes howbeit it nowrisheth kyne sheep the soile is much bettered through the labor of the people It hath fiue woods whereof that of Sonien which beginneth neere vnto Bruxels conteyneth about 7 Brabant myles in circuit is the chief There are in it 26 walled townes whereof the moste fayre famous citie of Antvverp lying on the riuer of Skeld is the principal in trafike opulence not only of this country of Brabant but of all the netherlandprouinces inferior to no citie in Christendom In one day a man may pas from Antvverp to Macklyn which albeit it bee a prouince a parte yet lieth it within the limitts of Brabant from Macklyn to Bruxels from Bruxels to Louaine ryde an easy pace taking his repast by the way The first of these hath the trafike of marchandise the second the highest court of Law the third the court of the Prince the fourth the vniuersitie The people of Brabant haue many great strong priueleges graunted vnto them by their former Dukes Princes BRABANT FLANDERS FLanders the best fairest earldome in Europe hath lying next vnto it on the east syde Brabant on the west the Germaine Ocean on the north it hath Zealand but separated by some smal parts of the sea on the south it hath Artois VVhence this country took name it is diuersly reported the lykelyest is to bee of the lady Flandria for whose husband the earle of Harlebeke his great seruice to Charles the great the said Charles did of espetial fauor giue vnto the whole prouince her name In old tyme it was as a wildernisse therefore the gouernour was alwayes called Forestier de Flandres The whole earldome is deuyded into 3 partes to wit Flemish Flanders vvalsb Flanders Emperial Flandres Gant is the chief citie of all the country beeing 7 Italian myles in compas it is very ancient was before the tyme of Iulius Ceasar called Odueum Bruges is the next conteyneth in circuit 4 Italian myles Then followeth Ipers Lyle Tornay Dovvay sundry other In brief there are accompted in Flanders 35 cities or townes almoste all walled such as are vnwalled haue the priuileges of walled townes Of thorps or villages there are 1174 to wit such as haue their seueral parish churches The country is very fruteful easely cultiued faire horses are bred therein the yeowes do ordinarily bring 2 lambes at a tyme and very often 3. Twelue riuers take their passages through this prouince the principal whereof is the Skeld certaine Iles adiacent do belong vnto Flanders as Cadsant Osburg and Biervliet in the later of these lieth buried VVilliam Beuckelens who died in the yeare 1397 was the first
the birth-place of the right renowmed Titius Liuius as also of sundry other excellent persons The countrie about it is very pleasant it yeildeth great aboundance of corne which maketh the purest whyte bread of all Italie In lyke manner the wyne which groweth here is very much esteemed for the singular goodnes thereof THE TERRITORIE of PADVA THE IVRISDICTION of BRESCIA THis region whereof Brescia is the chief cittie is bordered on the north with the earldome of Tirol on the south with the territorie of Cremona on the east it hath the Laga di Garda westward the country of Bergamo It is aboundant in corne wyne oyle pleasant frutes It hath also mynes of Gold siluer copper allum quarreyes of marble much other good stone The hilles valleyes plaine groundes are so wel inhabited that hardly is any prouince in all Italy better The cittie of Brescia comonly called the bryde of Venice is both in old new bookes registred hauing passed many tumultuous changes it now resteth vnder the tranquilitie of the venetians There are in this country three lakes to wit Laga di Garda Lago Idro Lago D'Iseo Lago di Garda doth far exceed the two others both in same greatnes is by old authors called Lacus Benacus it is by tempests so moued that it rather seemeth a sea then a lake so high do the waues billowes thereof arise The riuer Sarca coming out of the mountaines of Trent doth fall into this lake At such tyme as the venetians had warre with Phillip Vesconte Duke of Milan they found meanes to haue their Gallies other ships caried ouer hard steep hilles so put into this lake which was doubtlesse a wonderful woork but that the veritie is sufficiently knowne might rather seeme a fable then a truthe THE IVRISDICTION of BRESCIA THE TERRITORIE of VERONA THe towne territorie of Verona beeing in Lombardy is paled on the northsyde with the Alpes of Germany on the west parte it hath the lake of Garda on the south the state of Mantua on the east the territorie of Vecentino Verona whereof the countrie about it taketh name is accompted one of the chief citties of Italy it is very ancient hauing so faire a Theatre that in all Europe none is seene to haue better withstood the force of deuouring tyme then this After the decay of the Romane Empyre the Signorie of this cittie hath bene vnder diuers different comaunders it was 127 yeares gouerned by princes of the noble family of the Scaligers At this present it is vnder the rule of the Venetians the strength thereof is much by them encreased There is in this territoriea high hil called Monte Baldo which yeildeth great varietie of good madicinable herbes which from thence are brought into diuers regions Here are many pure holsome brookes smale riuers one fountaine among other is not to bee omitted to wit that in the valey of Policella by Negarino where in a hard stone is carued the two brestes of a woman out of the nipples whereof there issueth continually certaine drops of cleere water which hath so great vertue that a mother whose milk is dried vp coming thether washing her brestes with thesaid water obtayneth againe plenty of milk The riuer Athesus now called Ladice hauing but a smalle beginning in the mountaines of Trent runneth afterward so swiftly to Verona that through the great swiftnes it is not nauig able yet running from thence in a more calmer cours it beateth vessels and entring into the gulf of Venice it maketh there a very good hauen THE TERRITORIE of VERONA THE TERRITORIE of CREMONA THis territorie lying in Lombardy is ioyned northward vnto that of Brescia eastward with Mantua south ward with Panna Placenza westward with Crema The country is plaine euen very fruteful but abounding chiefly in corne wyne The principal cittie is Cremona the name-giuer to the countrie about it rightly of the Poet Virgil it was called Miserable Cremona in regard of the many miseries which it hath sustayned hauing bene sundry tymes sacked giuen to the spoile of soldiers the howses pallaces burnt the cittie left waste and desolate Afterward about the yeare 1248 it was againe renewed then was the high faire steeple builded that may bee reconed among the moste accompted of in all Europe howbeit after all this this vnfortunate cittie came againe to feele a new smarte through the wicked warres of the Gelphes Gibellines Lastly after many disastrous changes it came to bee vnder the gouernment of the duke of Milan consequently now to belong vnto the King of Spaine It was first founded as saith Tacitus in the tyme that Ti. Sempronius and P. Cornelius were consuls against the approching force of Hanibal and the Gaules that inhabited beyond the Po vpon which notable riuer this cittie is situated THE TERRITORIE of CREMONA THE IVRISDICTION of CREMA THis iurisdiction is vnder the venetians it lieth in Lombardy hath confyning vnto it from the east vnto the west vpon the south syde the state of Milan on the northwest syde it ioyneth vnto the countrie of Bergamo northeast vnto the iurisdiction of Brescia The chief towne is called Crema the venetians haue sought to haue it made a cittie according to the right accompt of citties but the townesmen for some reasons haue refused it it is strong beautified with faire buyldinges the inhabitants are very welthy the country round about it is full of villages of many faire vineyardes many fyne cleere brookes do pas through it which do yeild vnto the inhabitants very good fish The moste memorable thing of this citie is of the long besieging thereof by Fredericus Barbarossa who in the end obtayned destroyed it but after the destruction of Cremona this towne of Crema was againe builded vp THE IVRISDICTION of CREMA TVSCANE TVscane in old tyme called Hetruria esteemed equal to the best partes of all Italy lieth al along from the south vnto the west on the Mediteraneum sea on the northsyde it hath Lombardy and eastward a parte of Latium VVithin the limits of Tuscane are diuers goodly citties as Florence Siena Pisa Perugia Viterbo Luca others Faire Florence is the first chief of all where the duke of Florence who almoste comaundeth all Tuscane hath his principal residence It is moste pleasantly seated vpon the riuer Arno and by thesaid riuer seperated The countty round about flourisheth with fruteful beautiful trees yeildeth ahoundance of excellent comodities within this cittie are moste goodly edifices among which is the moste sumptuous Church of S. Maria Florida all of faire marble there is also an old round temple of Mars the gates whereof are of caste copper There is the stately Pallace of the Duke before the which is a moste goodly fountaine with statuaes of whyte marble The famile of Medices hath with sundry fortunes
Sigismond the first so annexed vnto Polonia OZVVICZIN and ZATOR TRANSSILVANIA THis country called in latin Transsiluania is of the Germaines called Seuenbergher-Lant that is the Seuen-hily country of seauen principall hilles where with among other that bee lesser this country is enuyroned It confyneth on the west syde with Hungary hath Moldauia VValachia ioyning to it on the northeast southeast The country albeit mountainous is very good yeilding both corne wyne cattel very aboundantly There are in it wyld oxen which haue beardes vnder their chinnes and wyld horses whose manes do hang downe to the ground Mynes there are also both of gold siluer The chief cittie is called Hermenstat but Alba-Iulia is the oldest The people are very valiant haue bene very victorious against their cruel easterne neighbours the Turcks from whose inuasions they are much defended through the mountaines that enuiron the whole countrie euen as a cittie is enuyroned with a walle The Ceculiernes are esteemed moste valiant these haue among them no difference betwene gentlemen boores but liue all in an ordinary state Parte of the Transsiluanians do speak the Germaine tongue but these the Hungarian The Prince of this country is called the Vayuode these vayuodes were wont to bee placed there by the kinges of Hungara TRANSSILVANIA PRVSSIA THis country bordereth eastward on Lituania southward with Polonia northward with Liuonia westward with Pomerania The Knights of the Teutonic or Duitsche order haue here borne great anthoritie the which at last by the King of Polonia was abridged Albert Marck-graue of Brandenbeurg was the last great-master who by an agreement with k. Sigismond of Polonia left his habit held this country in see of the King and so became duke thereof It is now denyded into 2 partes the one belonging vnto the King of Polonia the other vnto the duke of Prusia who keepeth his residence in the cittie of Coningsperg The sea shore of this country doth yeild the fairest sorte of amber the which is aswel drawne vp out of the sea with nets as gathered on the sea syde The country is maruelous aboundant in corne cattel wel furnished with fish it hath great store of woods wildernesses There are many Beares stagges wyld swyne wyld horses a greater kynd of buffulaes then are in Italy or other partes the wyld horses are neuer tamed beeing found not seruiceable through their weaknes of back The beast Alces is heerfound who resembleth the horse in proportion the hert in hornes sauing that the hornes bee more broder are yearly cast new grow againe In the woodes wildernesses are great store of bees which yeild aboundance of hony wax PRVSSIA POLONIA VVestward is this kingdome aioyning vnto Germany northward vnto the Baltish sea Prusia eastward vnto Lituania southward vnto Hungarie It is deuyded into 2 partes the greater the lesser the greater lieth toward the north the lesser towardes the south Cracouia is the chief citie there the King keepeth his court it is also an vniuersitie Danske which lieth on the Baltish sea is a cittieof great trafike of marchandise espetialy of corne the other citties are but meanly builded of no great same The whole country is plaine vnhilly therefore of the inhabitants called Pole which in their tongue signifieth plat or plaine The people of Polania Lituania Samogithia Masouia Volhini Podolia Russia Moldauia are those which of old authors were called Sarmates Lituania is great but not greatly inhabited a beast is there found called Rosomacka of the ordinarie bignes of a dog hauing a face lyk a cat a taile lyk a fox it feedeth on carren beeing ful it forceth it felf to pas betwene the narrownes of 2 trees thereby voydeth all that it hath eaten then goeth to eat againe returneth to voyd it as before continueth so long as the carren that it feedes vpon lasteth Samogithia ioyneth to Lituania the country is cold the people are strong helthful do fare hard Massonia yeildeth much hony the inhabitants mak their drinck therewith Volhinia is very fertile full of townes vilages Podolia is of corne gras so aboundant that the lyk is not knowne Russia aboundeth in horses oxen sheep In this countrie in somer are certaine woormes called Ephimere which beeing newly bred do in the morning run vpon the water at none they haue winges fly aboue the water they die before the Son setting of these woormes Aristotle speaketh in his first book of beastes Moldauia is a parte of walachia the chief cittie is Sotschen the people are good soldiers is it said that the regents of this country do cause their yong children to be marcked with hot irons that thereby their descent may the more certainly bee knowne POLONIA LIVONIA LIuonia called in the Germaine tongue Lysland lieth on the eastsyde on Russia on the westsyde on the Baltish sea northward an arme of the sea seperateth it from Eniland southward it bordereth vpon Prussia The chief cittie of this country is Riga which is a place of great trafike as are the other principall places of Reuel Narua The country is somwhat sandie not mountanous Great woods there are store of wyld beastes as foxes Martres Sables Ermynes hares It yeildeth wax hony wheat rie and furres The people are not greatly industrious nor wholy ciuil The faith of Christ was preached vnto them about the yeare 1270 diuers of the rude people are yet heathenish nor letting to pray vnto the Sun to the Moone or to some great tree or to one thing or other according as their blynd folly leades them VVhen one of them is dead they put with him into his graue an ax bread wyne meat some peece of mony bid him go his wayes into the other woorld where he shall raigne ouer the Duitschmen as they haue raigned ouer him in this They are subiect vnto a certaine order of Germane knights that do rule gouerne them The great master of which order keepeth his court residence at VVenden a towne situate in the middest of the country LIVONIA THE NORTHERNE REGIONS THe Septentrional regions of Europe that hetherto are knowne are first that which is called the I le of Scandia which conteyneth the kingdomes of Sweden Norwey a parte of Denmarck then the famous I le of Albion conteyning England Scotland VVales then are there the Iles of Ireland Friesland Island Groeneland Grecland c. the rest yet vndiscouered Of all which regions the realme of England is the principal best parte by reason of the goodnes of the soile and myldnes of the ayre in that it lieth more to the south then any of the other Sweden is a country very mountanous ful of lakes riuers aboundant in cattel fish hauing also mynes of siluer copper lead Iron The chief
also sheep whose tailes are of incredible greatnes conteyne 5 or 6 yea 8 or 9 pound of flesh A certaine beast there is which is called Hyena which draweth dead bodies out of the graues vnto his den and their feedeth on them it is about the bignes of a wolf the people of the country are of opinion that these beastes do vnderstand their speech espetialy when they go about to catche them These people are generally held to be very crafty fals deceatful NATOLIA EGIPT THis ritch ancient kingdome hath on the north syde thereof the Midland sea on the east the desert of Sues the northerne end of the Red sea on the south the countrie of Nubia on the west the land of Barcha In this country of Egipt it raineth not but the riuer of Nyle ouerflowing it at sundry tymes doth make it of great fertilitie in the said riuer is a piller of marble whereon are made certaine markes of the height that the water doth arise vnto when the yeare wil prooue plentiful The riuer is deep great ships may pas on it the great serpent called the Crocodile liueth heere and eateth both men horse the fish of the riuer The greatest cittie is called Cairo or Alcaire it is meruelous great of great welth Not far from hence are the moste wonderful Pyramides vpon the greatest whereof as Plinie writerh 2060 men did continually woork for the space of 20 yeares they are buylded foure square from the foot vnto the top do stil grow sloping lesse lesse a man standing on the top for there is some space to stand or go shooting a bolt out of a crosbow the bolt in falling downe wil light on the same Pyramide which argueth the greatenes of the space it carieth beneath at the foot which greatnes also apeereth in that it neuer yeildeth any shadow from it These Pyramides haue bene buylt by the ancient kinges of Egipt to serue for their sepulchres these sepulchres the Egiptians vsed for the conseruation of their dead bodies which euen at this present are found vnrotten the flesh of them is called Mummia caried thence into other countries to bee vsed in medicyne The 2 principall sea-hauens of Egipt are Alexandria Damiata EGIPT THE porte of CARTHAGE THe countrie enuyroning the gulf of Golette otherwise called Sinus Cartha ginensis hauing at the south end thereof the cittie of Tunis is now after the name of that cittie called the kingdome of Tunis It lieth on the northsyde on the Midland sea almost directly ouer against Sardinia on the west it extendeth to Algiers eastward to Mesurata all along on the southsyde it hath the mountaines that seperate Barbarie from Biledulgerid This kingdome conteyneth 5 prouinces to wit Bugia Constantine the iurisdiction of the cittie of Tunis Tripoli and Ezzab On the west syde of thesaid Gulf are the ruynes of an aquaduct of the Ancient cittie of Carthage whereof but some sew ruynes els are left behynde to testify that once so famous a cittie hath flowrished in that place some number of howses village-lyke to that it hath bin about 25 shops of marchants are now there to bee found This cittie of Carthage is a true glasse wherein the incertitude of this vaine world may bee seene that no glorie on earth can haue euerlasting durance THE porte of CARTHAGE ABISSINE or the EMPYRE of PRESTER-IOHN THe great King comannder of all Aethiopia sundry other kingdomes countries is called of Christians Proster Iohn of the moores Arictabassi of his owne people Acegue that is Emperor His dominions are limited on the southsyde with the Mountaines Lamae on the west with the kingdome of Congo the riuer Nyger c. on the north with Nubia Bugia that confyne vpon Egipt on the east with the Red sea Synus Barbaricus The country generaly is very fruteful albeit there bee litle corne yet is there other grayne other good frutes not found in Europe vineyards they haue but no olyue trees yet make they oyle of an herbe called Gena Of hony and wax they haue meruelous great store They haue al sortes of great beastes as Elephants Lions Camels horses red-deere kyen gotes c. they are much endamaged by great multitudes of grashopers Good mynes of metals they haue but not theskil to make vse of them They haue 2 somers 2 winters which are not greatly denyded by heat or cold but by rainy faire wheather The people are of a kynde of tawny colour vnseene in notable scyences without knowlege of Phisick They haue no coyned mony but vse peces or wedges of gold by waight They are Christians but hold many grosse errors both men and women are circumsised they are Christened at 40 dayes old They haue a book which is deuyded in 8 partes which they beleeue the Apostles to haue written before their departure from Ierusalem Mōnasteries they haue many both of men women wherein they do liue stricktly but it is lawfull for lay men to haue 2 or 3 wyues at once deuorcements are also allowed The Emperor affirmeth him self to be descended from the lyne of King Dauid he hath no one setled place of residence but remoueth from one prouince to another dwelleth in tents It is said hee is not of the colour of his people but of a whyter fairer skin He may surely bee accompted one of the greatest princes of the world is esteemed able to bring to the feld a million of men 500 elephants a great nomber of horses camels ABISSINE or the EMPYRE of PRESTER-IOHN BARBARIE ON the northsyde of Africa all along by the Mediteraneum sea oueragainst the south partes of Spaine France Italy lieth this country of Barbarie al along on the southsyde thereof are certaine woodie mountaines that deuyde it from Biledulgerid in these hilles are great store of wyld beastes This country of Barbarie is held the best moste fruteful parte of Africa conteyneth 4. kingdomes or rather in deed prouinces to wit Maroco Fez Telesine and Tunis The inhabitants are of a duscish colour are called Barbarians of the woord Barbara which in the Arabee tongue signifieth grumbling because their speech soundeth in the eares of the Arabians as no perfect or cleere pronunced speech but as a kynde of grumbling they were first Idolaters afterward conuerted to the faith of Christ yet at the length they came to Mahometisme wherein they yet continew are for the most parte subiects or tributaries to the Turck except some few places which are in the possession of the King of Spaine BARBARIE FESSE and MAROCCO AT the west end of Barbarie are thease 2 kingdomes of Fesse Marocco that of fesse lieth of the twaine more toward the north the Mediteraneum sea that of Marrocco more inward toward the south The realme of Fesse taketh name of