Melancthon and Peucer set them first in Saâ—onâ—e Paulus Diaconus the Poet and others in Scandinanie or Schonland a great near-Isle of the Sound or Baltike Sea from wheÌ„ce they might come in by the banks of Albis all or some of them and some by the coast of Mekelberg c. For Paulus Diaconus in his first booke 2. chap saith of this people they encreased so fast in their foresaid country that they were faine to part themselues into three companies and cost lots which of them should go seeke another seate This I say to shew the Poets cuÌ„ning drift that in so few lines hath set down matter enough for any man to write-on whole volumes of bookes Thus then to follow the Poet the first notable and fast aboad of the Lowbardes who came from the Gothes and Vandalles was Schonland whence a part of them dislodging vnder the conduct of Ibor and Agio setled in Scoring which is about the marches of Liuonia and Prussia and after they had there dwelt certaine yeares were constrained by a dearth to seeke further so as they came to Mauringia and at length to Rugiland and the countreis neare adioyning which Paulus Diaconus setteth down by name There after the death of their leaders they chose Agilmond for their king He had raigned 33. yeares wheÌ„ the Bulgares a neighbour people assailing theÌ„ vnawares stue king Agilmond After him was chosen Lamisson for king who to reuenge the death of his predecessour made warre with the Bulgares got and held a part of Polongne then waxing wearie of that countrey he led his people toward the Rhine to the coast of the Countie Palatine as Tacitus notes in his second booke of Histories Velleius Paterc in the life of Tiberius About Heidelberg there is a towne called Lamberten which seemes to make somewhat for the Lombardes aboad there so saith Lazius But manie yeares after they coasted backe againe and dwelt in Morauie where they warred against the Herules Sucues Gepides Then went they vp into Hungarie vnder the safe-conduit of the Emperour Iustinian to whom they payd tribut as Procopius Paulus Diaconus declare at large There had they cruell war with the Gepides but at length agreed and ioyned with them and vnderstanding by the practise of Narses that Italie was a couÌ„trey much fitting their nature their king Alboin made a roade thereinto and got Lombardie before called Insubria there they rested raigned two hundred yeares vntill Charles the great vanquisht them as is before said 21 Such was the Goth. Lazius in the tenth booke of his Mygrations hath handled well and largely the Historie of Gothes gathered out of Procopius lornandes Tacitus Claudianus Olaus Magnus Eutropius and many others I wil shut vp all in short and by way of Paraphrase vpon the Poets verse The Gothes and Almaine people had for their first assured seat the Isles of the Sound or Baltike Sea Gothland yet retaines the name of theÌ„ In Syllaes time they left these Isles came to dwell in Almaine beside the riuer Vistula now called Wixel After they had warred there against the FreÌ„chmeÌ„ they bent toward TraÌ„ssiluania Hungaria and Valachia where they remained vntill the time of Valintinian maintaining themselues by force of armes against the Greekes Romanes Then for many causes alledged by Lazius they went forward into Thrace and there dwelt and became tributaries vnto Valentinian and â—alens Eutropius saith all went not thither but a good paâ—t of them kept their former place and the cause of their sundring was a ciuill disagreement about religion the one side retaining Heathenisme vnder Athalaricke their king the other vnder Fridigerne mingling with Christenisme the abhominable heresie of Arrius which taketh quite away the true religion of Christ The Arrians drew toward the West were after called Visigothes or Westgothes the other to the contrary and were called Ostrogothes or Eastgothes who out of Thrace moued into Hungarie and the countreys adioyning where they had much adoe with the Romaine Emperours as Lazius well recordeth at last they got Sclauonia and all forward vnto the Adriaticke Sea there growing to a mightie number they determined to set on Italie vnder the commaund of Radaguise their king in the time of Theodosius the first sonne of Arcadius Their armie was in number aboue CC. thousand strong but by the speciall grace of God they were ouerthrowen captiued and sold most for ducats a peece their king slaine and all scattered into diuerse countreis but in the time of Honorius Alaricke the king of Westgothes made another volage and entring into Italie asked the Emperour a place to dwell on hauing obtained the coast that marcheth vpon Fraunce as hee was going thitherward with his companie vpon Easter day one of the captaines of Stilico set vpon him and taking him so at disaduantage by treason slue a great number of the Goths They stirred vp with anger and disdaine of such vnfaithfull dealing of Romaines make backe to Rome wast Italie and in the moneth of September 1164. beleaguer and take the Citie and three dayes after depart thence loaden with the spoile As Alaricke was marching toward Rome there appeared a reuerend personage vnto him and aduised him since hee would be counted a Christian that hee should not make such hauock as hee did whereunto the king answered it is not my desire to goe to Rome but euerie day am I forced by some one I know not who that still cryeth vnto me Go on go on and destroy Rome As the Gothes retired Alaricke dyed and Athaulph succeeded him who led them backe to Rome again So they went through with their saccage and led away captiue Galla Placidia the sister of Honorius whom Athaulph married He was after slaine of his own people at Barcelona in Spaine for seeking peace for his wiues sake with Honorius The third road they made into Italie was vnder the commaund of Vidimer but they were encountred and beaten backe by Glycerius as Iornandes writeth and so they preassed againe vpon the French and Spanish nations Afterward the Gothes of Sclauonia wearie of easie liuing got leaue of the Emperour Zeno and entred Italie and ouercame Odoacer the Exarch of Rauenna and there held estate for many yeares At leÌ„gth about the yeare of Christ 411. in the time of Honorius they seated themselues in Spaine vnder Alaricke and his successours Now during the time of their aboad neare the Meoticke marshes they had nine kings while they remained in Gothland which is now deuided into the East and West Gothie betwixt Swethland and Norway they had 28. kings and 10. about the bankes of Wixel and in Transsiluania and Sclauonia 26. After that being sundred into Eastgothes and Westgothes the Eastgothes had in Italy 11. kings from Alaricke to Teias who with the greater part of his people was ouerthrowen by Narses The Westgoths in LioÌ„ Gaule in Languedoc and Guien had 6. kings and the kings of Westgothes in Spaine from Alaricke in
Egypt had Chus Aethiopia 8 Cham. The share of Cham was Affrick which the Poet boundeth out as followeth It hath on the Southside the Aethiopicke Ocean or the sea of Guinea the land of Negres the realmes of Cefala which commeth neere the South Tropicke and 〈◊〉 right ouer against Madagascar or as the Spanish call it the Isle of S. Laurence Botongas lower and hard by the Cape of good hope Guagamet about the lake of Zembre from whence the riuer Nile springeth as Daniell Cellarius noteth in his Mappe of Affricke and Benin that lies aboue the Equator neere the great bay betwixt Meleget and Manicongo As for Concritan that is a great wildernesse betweene Cefala and Botongas which by reason of extreame heate brings forth great store of poisonous things Now the Northbound of Affricke is the Midland sea and on the West it shooteth out three capes or promontories named in the text all toward the Atlanticke Ocean but the greene cape which is more southward and pointeth more toward the Sea called in respect of the Antarticke pole the North Sea though it lie very neere the Equator on the east of Affricke plaies the Arabian Gulfe and the great red sea now called the Indicke Ocean and beyond these bounds the Poet saieth Cham also possest Arabia which is distinguished into three parts the Happy the Desert and the Stony all enclosed by the Mount Libanus and the Red and Persian Gulfes 9 Canan He setteth downe breefly and in foure verses the seuerall abodes of Chams foure sonnes according as they are named of Moses in the tenth chapter of Genesis Chus the eldest brother had Aethiopia which some take for that vnder Aegypt others for the land of Chus which is a part of Arabia the Happy as may bee gathered by many places of the old Testament well noted of M. Beroald in the sixt chapter of his fourth booke of Chronicles Mizraim peopled Aâ—gypt that of the Hebrewes was commonly called Mitzraym and long after Aegypt of the name of King Aegyptus who succeeded Belus in that kingdome and was brother to Danaue who came into Greece and was Author of that name generall to the Grecians which as Saint Augustine thinkes De Cus Dei the eighteenth booke and the tenth chapter happened about the time of Iosua Phut the third sonne of Cham gaue name sayeth Iosephus to the Phutaeans after called Lybians of one of the sonnes of Mesren or Mizrain named Lybis Hee addeth also that in Mauritania there is a certaine riuer and countrey called Phute Ezechiel 30.5 numbreth Phut among those that were in league with Chus and Lud which the Latine interpreter translateth Ethiopia Lydia and the Lydians so also did the 70. Interp. This I say to mooue the Reader that is so delighted vnto a further and more diligent search I thinke Phut was seated neere Arabia and Aegypt although Arias Montanus and others place him in the coast of Affricke now called Barbary about Tunis â—ugie Algeri and the Mountaines of Maroco Now of Canan or Chanaan the fourth sonne of Cham was called that Land of Promise which the twelue Tribes of Israell vnder the conduct of Iosua in due time entered and possessed The bounds thereof are plainly set down in the book of Exodus chap. 23 verse 31 and elsewhere I need not here discourse of them except I were to write a longer Commentary Japhet to the North and West 10 Now Iaphet spred along from th' Ellesponticke waters Th' Euxine and Tanais vnto the mount Gibratars Renoumed double top and that sune-setting Maine Which with his ebbe and flow plaies on the shore of Spaine And from that other sea vpon whose frozen allies Glide swiftly-teemed Carres instead of winged Gallies Vnto the sea Tyrrhene Ligusticke Prouençall Moreas waters and the learned Atticall Against the goodly coast of Asâ—a the lesse The second Paradise the worlds cheife happines And that great peece of ground that reacheth from Amane Vnto the springs of Rha and pleasant bankes of Tane Aâ—â— those braue men of war that France haue ouerspred How and what natiâ—ns came of Iaphet 11 Of Gomers fruitfull seed themselues professe are bred So are the Germaneseke once called Gomerites Of Tuball Spaniards came of Mosoch Muscouites Of Madai sprong the Medes of Magog Scythians Of Iauan rose the Greekes of Thyras Thracians 10 Now Iaphet Moses reciting Genesis 9.27 how Noe blessed his two children sets downe two notable points the one concerning the great and many countries which Iaphet and his posterity should possesse the other of the fauour that God should shew them by lodging them in the tents of Sem that is by receiuing them at length into his church which hath beene fulfilled in the calling of the Gentiles For the first poynt whereas hee sayth God enlarge Iaphet For so the Hebrew word signifieth although some translate it Persuade it is as much as if hee had said Let Iaphet and his race possesse the countries round about him farre and neere And this hath also beene accomplished in that so infinite a multitude of people hath issued out of the stocke of Iaphet and peopled Europe which though it appeare lesser then the other parts hath alwaies had more inhabitants and fewer void countries The Poet hath set downe so parfite a description thereof as it needs no further to bee opened if the Reader haue neuer so little beheld the Mappes On the East it is parted from the greater Asia by the Maior Sea the Meotis Lake called by Ortelius the Zabach sea the Riuer Tane or Don which voids into the Lake and the Spring-heads of Rha Edel or Volga running by Tartarie into the Caspian Sea and from Asia the lesse sometime the honour of the world and exceeding rich as still it hath sufficient it is deuided by the Straight of Gallipoli sometime called Hellespent On the West it hath the Straight of Gibraltar the Spanish and Brittish Oceans on the North the Frozen sea and on the South the Midland sea which is diuersly called to wit the Sea of Marseil by the coast of Genes the Adriaticke about Athens and Morea and otherwise according to the places adioyning This goodly part of the world beside the Romaine Empyre hath many great kingdomes full of people well set foorth by the Card-men Daniell Cellarius accounts it in length from Lisbon to Constantinople about sixe hundred leagues Almaine and very neere as much in breadth from Scrifinie to Sicily 11 Gomer Moses reckeneth seuen sonnes of Iaphet Genesis 10.2 So doth here the Poet notstanding much vpon the order of them to follow the verse of Gomer are come the Gomerites whom the Greekes called Galates Gaules of them came the people that spoiled Delphos and then sate downe about Troas in Asia and were called Gaule-Greekes or Asian Galates who afterward seized a good part of Phrygia The Lord threatning by Exechiel 38. chapter Gog cheife of the Princes of Mesech and Tubal sayth he will destroy him with this
Gomer and all his bandes and the house of Togarmah of the North-quarters They that expound the prophesie gather out of this place that the Gomerites were people bordering on the North of Asia and brought by the Kings of Syria and Asia to destroy the Iewes after their returne from Babylon They preased foorth of Asia and enlarged their dominions greatly as hath been saied for they were a very warlike Nation Of them the Poet sayth are come the Germanes so Melancthon affirmeth vpon Carion so doe others also and chiefly Goropius in his fift booke But there is great diuersitie in these outworne matters betweene the late and auncient writers A diligent conference of places in the old Testament and the ancient Latine Greeke and Chaldean translations serue best for the purpose next a carefull examining of the best Greeke Latine histories but this requires a whole volume whereunto the searches of Goropius being so well handled might affoord a man great helpe Concerning Tubal the Poet followes the opinioÌ„ of Iosephus that he was author of the Spanish which must be rightly vnderstood that is after a long tract of time For by the 38 and 39 of Ezechiel it seemes that the people issued from Tubal and Mosoch that were neighbours dwelt neare Arabia and were gouerned or led to war by the king of Asia and Syria And in the 32 chapter where is mention made of the mourning that should be among the nations for the king of Egypt there are named among others Ashur Elam Mosoch and Tubal wherby it may be gathered they were of Asia As for their Colonies and outcreases into Spaine they are verie darke and hardly proued Vasaeus indeed in his Chronicle of Spaine and Taraphe in his historie and others that haue written of Spaine in diuerse languages following Ioseph and Berose make Tubal first king of Spaine but sithence they declare not what time he came thither I leaue the reader to consider-of search further into the matter Looke the historicall Librarie of N. Vignier the first part page 15. where he treateth of the people of Europe Magog as the Poet saith is father of the Scythians his first habitation and Colonie was in Coelesyria as may be gathered out of the fift booke and 23 chapter of Plinie and the 37.38 and 39 chapters of Ezechiel At this time the right Scythians are the Sclauonians Mosceuites and Tartarians who vaunt of their descent from Iaphet This might haue bene by tract of time but not so soone as the Poet in the sequele Melancthon in his first vpon Carion takes the prophecies against Gog and Magog to be meant especially of the Turkes whom he calleth by the name of Scythians and applieth also vnto them that which is written in the Reuelation And in the end of his secoÌ„d booke he giues the name to all people that professe Mahomet I thinke my selfe that some while after Noes partition of the lands Magog and his people dwelt in Coelesyria or therabouts and thence by succession of time thrust vp into the higher couÌ„treys Now as the ancient people of God were much vexed outraged by the kings of Syria and Asia successors of Seleucus Nicanor and signified by the name of Gog who aiding the people of Magog Mosoch and Tubal their subiects greatly annoyed the Iewes then returned from Babylon so hath Satan in these later dayes against the holy Citie the Church of God stirred vp againe Gog and Magog many kings and Princes enemies to the faith who haue conspired together and made a League to ouerthrow it vtterly but th' Almightie in due time and season shall confound them Reade the 20 Chapter of the Reuelation and the 89 Sermon of Bullinger thereupon As for Mosoch Ioseph saith of him are come the Cappadocians and for proofe thereof alleageth a certaine towne of their countrey called Mazaca It may be gathered out of the 120. Psalme that Mesech or Mosoch was a neighbour people to Syria and Arabia which place the Chaldee Paraphrast expoundding vseth words of this import O wretch that I am for I haue bene a stranger among the Asians and dwelt in th' Arabiantents The Poet considereth what might haue bene in continuance of time how farre the mans posteritie might haue stretched Madai sure was author of the name of Medes whose Empire was verie great in the higher Asia they destroyed the Chaldean Monarchie as may be noted out of Ieremy 51.11 Dan. 5.18 The Thracians Ioseph saith and the Poet are descended of Thyras Melancthon thinks that of him are come the Russians but the Scripture speaketh not of his posteritie Plinie makes mention of a riuer Tyra in the Russian or European Sarmatia Melancthon Goropius and others call it Noster Coropius in his seuenth booke puts the Gotes Daces and Bastarnes among the Thracians as all of one stocke and speaking almost the selfe same tongue which also as hee saith comes verie neare the Câ—mbricks and Brabantish Iauan the fourth sonne of Iaphet gaue names to the Ionians who after with their neighbours were called Greekes and therfore the Latine interpreter translating the place of Ezech. 27.19 for the Hebrue Iauan hath put Grecia so haue the 70 put 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the name of Greece for the same word As also in the thirteenth verse of the sayd Chapter and in the 19 of the 66 of Esay they both haue translated the Bebrue Ieuanim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graci The couÌ„try of Athens hath in old time bene called Ionie as Plutarke saith in the life of Theseus and Strabo in his 9 booke recites out of Hecataeus that the Ionians came out of Asia into Greece Now the Greekes as they were great discoursers they haue deuised a thousand tales of their first beginning but I let them passe because my notes are alreadie waxen ouer long He will noâ— eâ—ter into matter far out of knowledge 12 Here if I were disposd vpon the ground to tread Of that supposd Berose abusing all that read As he and others do well might I let you see Of all our Auncesters a fayned pedegree I boldly might assay of all the worlds prouinces From father vnto sonne to name the former Princes To sing of all the world each peoples diuerse lot And of the meanest townes to lay the grunsill-plot But what I meane not I as eu'ry wynd shall blow To leaue my former course and straight begin to row The Load-starre bright vnseene vpon the waues vnknownâ— Of such an Ocean so full of rocks bestrowne And Scylla's glutton gulfes where tumbleth equall store Of shipwracks on the sands and billowes to the shore Not hauing other guide then vvriters such as faine The names of auncient kings and tell vs fables vaine Who make all for themselues and gaping after glory Vpon one Cirons foote can build a perfect story 12 Now. The like is seene in many bookes of late times and auncient that treate of the kingdomes countreys and people of the world
the yeare 411. to Philip that now raigneth are eight and twentie in number according to the account of Lazius who reckoneth also two and thirtie kings of Arragon and two and twentie of Nauarre vnto the kings father that now is Of these matters it may suffice to haue touched thus much in a word 22 Such was the French To enter into the whole historie of the FreÌ„chmen or Gaules it was not the Poets meaning but onely to note briefly the chiefe Outroads of this braue nation and that within the compasse of 2000 yeares I will go no further but follow the text The first beginning of the French is diuersly recorded and all the opinions thereof are well gathered and examined by the Author of the French Antiquities who in the end sheweth his owne iudgement and auoucheth it to be verie likely that the land of Gaule which in old time besides the realme of Fraunce did containe also the Low countreys Germany within Rhine Lorraine was first inhabited by the line of Gomer thither comming vpon diuerse occasions and inereasing more and more with the time as also by the Germanes a neighbour people for litle could the Rhine hinder the Gâ—ules and Germanes from coming together but that either as they preuailed in strength might come into others countrey for their better liking And as the men of Marseil are counted an outcrease of Asia it is like the rest of the towns and quarters of Fraunce were peopled after the same sort Amâ—anus Marcollinus liuely painteth out the Gaules in his 15. booke So doth Polybius Caesar Diodorus Siculus Strabo and others All agree they were a very warlike people and their multitude gaue them to thinke vpon such remedie as others had vsed before Their first outroade that was of any account was in the raigne of Tarquinius Prisons and about the time of the Iewes thraldome in Babylon some 600 yeares before the birth of Christ The Celâ—ae which were the auncient Gaules possessed the countreys now called Suisse Sauoy Daulphine Languedoc Vellay Viuaretz Lionnois Forest Auuergne Berri Limosin Quercy Perigort Xanctoigne Angulmois Poictou Brettaigne Anjou Tourraine Maine Perche Normandie within Scine the Chartrain Hurepois Beaulâ—e Gastinois Brie Champagne the Duchie and Counte of Bourgongne their king Ambigat sent forth Sidoveze and Belloveze to seeke other dwelling Sidoveze taking towards Germanie left people in Bauaria Bohemia and Carinthia and seated him selfe in the point of Europe toward and beyond the Riphean mountaines Belloveze a while staying at the foote of the Alpes was after by the perswasions of a certaine Tuscane called Arron drawne into Italie and possessed Insubria Some of his company seating first among the Pyrene hils at length entred a part of Arragon and gaue the name to Portugal But these were nothing so renowmed as the other who preassing further into Italie marched vnder Brenâ—us as farre as Clusium and so to Rome Of his exploits there Liuie writeth and Plutarke in the life of Camillus which was â—86 yeares before the coming of Christ A third companie that followed Bellevoze because they wold haue roome inough ouer-ran Slauonia and maugre all stay entred Hungary and after many skirmishes departed thence in two bands the one coasting into Macedonie the other into Greece where they made the whole world afraid of theÌ„ after they had slaine Ptolomeus Keraunus brother to Philadelphus king of Egypt Pranses was their king whoÌ„ others call BreÌ„nus but was not he that sackt Rome This man not content to haue obtained a great victorie of the Macedonians and harried their countrey presumed so farre as to spoile the Temple at Delphos whereby himselfe and all his were brought to a miserable end Neuerthelesse the French that stayed behynde to guard the frontiers of the countrey fainted not at the report of these newes but went to field with 1500 foote and 3000 horse ouercame the Getes and Triballes and wasted all Macedonie onely through negligence as they retired loaden with spoile they were brought to their end Yet they that remained in Gaule sent forth other companies into Asia who passed on as far as Bossen Dardanie where by reason of a quarell that fell betweene them they sundred themselues One part of theÌ„ cast into Thrace raigned there a long time the other setled about where Sanus and Danubius meete not far froÌ„ Belgrade These that remained in Dardanie when they heard tell of the fruitfull soile of the lesser Asia went on so farre as Hellespont and there because they were three coÌ„panies they parted Natolia betweene them into three partes The Trocynes had the coast of Hâ—llâ—â—pâ—nt the Tolystoboges Eolide and Ionie which the Turkes call Quiscon The Tectosages the countrey further into the maine land All that part of Asia which lyeth on this side Taurus they made their tributarie plaÌ„ting theÌ„ selues all along the riuer Halys that parteth Paphlagoria from Syria That prouince where the Gaules dwelt in Asia froÌ„ their first arriual to the height of the Romane Empire retained the name of Gaul-Greece together with that same language which S. Ierome sixe or seuen hundred yeares after saith was like that he heard spoken in Gaule about the quarter of Treues Thus concerning the auncient Gaules now to cleare some few dark words of the text The worke of Romulus c. He meaneth Rome builded by Romulus the most warlike Citie of all the world and therefore Mars whom the Painims counted the God of warre may be thought the founder of it Cold Strymon A riuer parting Macedome from Thrace as Plinie saith and because Thrace is no very warme countrey he giueth Strymon the adioint of Cold. Th' Emathicke fields to wit Macedonie so called of king Emathion Plinie speakes thereof in his 4 booke and 10 chapter thus Macedonie a countrey containing a hundred and fiftie nations sometime renowmed for two kings he meaneth Philip and Alexander and for the Empire of the whole world it was aforetime called Emathia which word the Poets as Virgil and Lucan do somtimes vse for Thessaly a country neare Macedonie Lucan in his very first verse Bella per Emathios plusquam ciuilia Campos And Virgil in the end of his 2 Georgic Nec fuit indignum superis his sanguine nostro Emathiam latos Aemi pinguescere campos The Pharsalian fields are in Thessaly as Plinie recordeth in his 4 booke and 8 chapter Dindyma A hill in Phrygia The Poet calleth it Dindyme chastré guelt Dindym because the Priests of Cybele called Curetes kept and sacrificed there and were Eunuches attired like women The Poets meaning is that these Gaules harried also Phrygia and called the countrey where they dwelt in Asia Gaul-Greece after the name of that from whence they first came and so planted as it were another Gaule in the middest of Asia What became of their successors in the Romanes time because the Poet makes no mention thereof I passe it also 23 Of people most renown'd He sheweth in few words wherfore he thrusteth no
appeares that aboue ten thousand Myllions of golde haue been brought thence into Europe beside heapes of Rubies Emeraudes and Pearle much wracked in the sea and much brought for a yearly tribute into Spaine Whereunto I will adde what Franciscus Lopes de Gomara saith concerning the vnualuable riches of Guainacapa the name signifieth young and rich the father of Antibalippa last king of Peru whom the Spaniards put to death All the furniture of his house table and kitchin saith hee in the 120. chapter of his fourth booke were of golde aend siluer and the meanest of siluer somewhat embased with copper for the more strength He had in his wardrop giant-like images of golde liuely featured as also all kinde of beasts foules trees herbes and flowers that the land there beareth and all kinde of fishes that either the Sea there or any fresh water of his kingdome breedeth in the said mettals well and proportionably resembled not so much as cordes paniers troughes billets and other such implements but were so to conclude there was nothing in his kingdome whereof he had not the counterfet in golde or siluer Jt is also said that the kings of Peru called Ingaes haue a garden in a certaine Isle neere Puna where they delight themselues when they list take the Sea that hath in golde and siluer all hearbes flowers and trees and other things whatsoeuer meet for a pleasant garden such a sumptuous deuise as neuer was heard-of or seene elsewhere Besides all this that king last but one had gathered into Cusco huge masses of golde and siluer vnfined which the Indians hid so secretly as the Spaniards could neuer come-by it there was also in and about Cusco great store of picture-tables and tombes all of fine siluer worth some thirtie some fifty some threescore thousand ducats a peece also dining-tables vessels and images a great number all of fine golde The Spaniards at the taking of Antibalippa found as good as 252000. poundes of siluer and of golde 1300265. pezoes euery pezo valued at a ducat and a halfe Besides the great golden table of Antibalippa worth nye 40000. Crownes Now for all this great spoyle that the Spaniards got and hauock that they made as well in Peru as other the Prouinces thereabout yet the Indians as Benzo reports who stayde there with the Spaniards foureteene yeares and wrote in three bookes worthy-reading that whole storie they sticke not to say they haue yet more remaining then all that the Spaniards euer had And to make their meaning plainer they will take out of a great vessell full of wheate one graine betwixt their fingers and say See you this the Viracochie so they call the Spaniards haue taken as it were this one graine away but thus much say they poynting to the rest in the vessel thus much and more haue they left behinde them Now the word Viracochie because it comes thus in my way Benzo himselfe in his third booke saith it signifies the frother scumme of the Sea and that the Peruvians so call the Spaniards for deepe hatred and abomination of them saying also sometimes one to another in their language The winde bears downe houses and trees and the fire burnes them but these Viracochie they doe worse then winde and fire They waste all they eate all they turne the earth and all vpsedowne they turne the course of riuers they are neuer at quiet they neuer cease ranging vp and downe to seeke golde and siluer and all they finde is too little for them When they haue it what doe they They take their pleasure they warre one with another rob one another kill one another they are euer giuen to lying blaspheming and denying the same God whom they professe and these men haue cruelly slaine without cause our fathers our children and kinsfolkes taken from vs contrarie to all right our goods our libertie and countrie Hauing thus commended the Spaniards they curse the Sea for vomiting on the Earth so cruell and wicked a people and often haue vpbrayded the Spaniards themselues with this notorious reproach that golde was the Christians God O how shall this people in the latter day condemne that euer-greedy couetousnes for which Europe nowadayes heareth so ill and is by the selfe-people thereof so wasted and vnpeopled But concerning the diuers gouernements of the West Indies seeing they are set downe so well at large by Lopes Ouiede Benzo and others it is too great a matter for mee to handle in this discourse which is I feare mee growne to long alreadie therefore will I draw to an ende The Poet at the 413. verse begins to shew some likely opinions how this new-founde worlde was peopled and first in generall that the people of countries enhabited exercising their ordinary trafficke one with another might sometimes be cast by force of tempest vpon the West-Indian shore and so be constrained their shippes being broken to remaine still there Others by plague warre or famine were driuen to leaue their countries seeke some quieter dwelling farther off and so haue lighted on these new Countries Or perhaps some great man of authoritie or cunning Pilot by ventring made a discouerie thereof and ledde the ouer-creases of some people thither As the Poet sheweth more particularly in the verses following 44 Nay could not long agoe He guesseth inspeciall and most likely that the inhabitants of the furthest Northeast shore of Asia to witte the men of Quinsay and other places there might haue emptied their ouer-peopled Citties by passing the Anien Straight a part of sea no broader as he saith then the Phare of Gallipoli Gibraltare or Messine and so frō the East Indies might they haue stoared first the lande of Tolguage which Theuet in his mappe of the new world placeth betwixt the Realmes of Anian Tolm and Quiuir within 15. degrees of the North-pole then the rest as followeth 45 So from the Wastes of Tolm Quiuir In all this huge Northen part of America few people there are especially toward the coast ouer-against Quinsay and th' other East-countries There are therefore great Waste-landes as the later Card-men haue noted about the kingdomes or countries of Anian Tolguage Quiuir and Tolm aboue 12000. leagues compasse So then the Poet holds opinion that some of Sems posteritie hauing once passed from the farthest East-point of Asia ouer to the West-Indian Coast thrust their of spring farther into the land The Countries here named by the Poet are to be found in the Sea-cards and Land-mappes betwixte New-Spaine and Estotilant as if he meant that the North-part of America was first inhabited concerning the properties particular descriptions of these places reade the thirde volume of the Spanish Nauigations the second Booke of the generall history of Lopez de Gomara Chap. 37. c. the History of Florida Benzo the Reportes of Iohann s Verazzanus laques Cartier and other French Captaines concerning their discouering of the Land of Labour where the sea is frozen Baccalos New-France Canada
Hochilega and other landes thereabouts Reade Theuet also the latter Card-men For the French Calicuza I haue translated Caliquas according as I finde it written both in others and in Ortellius who also hath for Mechi Terlichi-mechi and therefore I translate it Terlichi 46 They sow'd at'hother side Xalisco nowe called Noua Gallicia is described by Gomara in the 21. Chapter of his 5. booke It is a land very fruitfull and rich in honny waxe and siluer and the people there are Idolaters and Men-eaters Nunnius Gusmannus who seized the countrie for the king of Spain in the yeare 1530. hath written a discourse thereof and it is to be read in the third volume of the Spanish Nauigations The Prouince of Mechuacan from whence not farre lyeth Cusule is about 40. leagues lower southward then Xalisco that also the said Gusmannus conquered after he had most cruelly and traiterously put to death the Prince and Peeres of the countrie as Gomara sheweth in his booke chapter aboue quoted Mexico which some count all one with Themixtetan is the mother Cittie of that kingdome now called Hispania Noua wonderfull rich it is and strong and of high renoume built farre more curiously then Venice vpon a lake salt on the northside because it is there of a Sea-like breadth and on the southside fresh because of a Riuer that empties there into it Greater is the Cittie thought to be then Seuille in Spaine the streetes are passing well set and their channels in such manner cast as can not be mended Diuers places there are to buy and sell-in the needefull and ordinary wares but one there is greater then the rest with many walkes and galleries round about it where euery day may bee seene aboue threescore thousande Chapmen There is the Iudgement hall for common Pleas and were also many temples shrines of Idols before the comming of Ferdinando Cortez who made thereof the first conquest for the K. of Spaine exercising most horrible cruelties vpon all both yong and old in the Citie as Barthelemi de las Casas a Monke Bishoppe of Spaine reports in his historie of the Indies where he stayed a long time Looke the description of Mexico in the thirde volume of the Spanish Nauigations fol. 300. See also Benzo of Millaine his historie of the newe worlde the 2. booke and 13. Chapter Now from these partes aboue named after report of some wonders of many there seene and worthie a larger discourse by themselues the Poet drawes his Colonies down further towardes Peru by the Land-straight of Panama which parts the South-sea from the Ocean and thereabout is hardly 20. leagues in breadth The fiery mountaine of Nicaragua is by Gomara described in his 5. booke Chap. 203. so are the other wonders which the Poet here notes in his 4. booke chap. 194. 47 Then Chili they possest Gomara in his fourth booke chap. 131. holds opinion that the men of Chili are the right Antipodes or Counter-walkers vnto Spaine and that the countrie there is of the same temper with Andaluzie This Chili lyeth on the shore of el Mar Pacifico so also doth Quintete which I haue put for Chinca both neere the Patagones or Giants whose countrie is full of people and hath certaine riuers that runne by day and stand by night some think because of the snowes which in the day time are melted by the Sun and frozen by the Moone in the night but I take it rather to be some great secret and miracle of nature The cause why here I made exchange of Chinca was first for that the Poet had spoke before of the springs of Chink which I take for the same then because it is so diuersly placed of the Card-men for Ortelius in his Mappe of the new world sets it aboue and Theuet beside Chili in either place it stands well to be taken for the Chink afore-named but Mercator placeth it a great deale lower and on the contrary coast neer the riuer of Plata where indeede is a countrie called Chica that perhaps hath bred this error Lastly Quintete stands so right in way which the Poet followes from Chili to the Patagones that I thought it not amisse to take the same rather then the doubtfull Chinca By the fomy Brack of Magellanus he meanes the sea and Straight of Magellan close by terra Australis Gomara describeth it well in the beginning of the third booke of his Portugall Historie The Poet hath alreadie shewed how people came first on the North America from the kingdome of Anian ouer the maine land to th' Atlantick sea shore then on all the further coasts from Quiuir to the Magellan Straight along th' Archipelago de San Lazaro Mar del Zur Pacifico and now he takes the higher side on the left hand from the Land-Straight of Panama to the riuer of Plata which is not farre from the Magellan noting by the way the most note-worthie places of all this huge reach of ground represented as it is by our late writers in their generall and particular Mappes of the New-found world Huo is a great sweet-water streame rising at Quillacingas that lieth vnder the Equatour and running athwart the countrie now called Carthage into the sea at Garia Vraba is the countrie that lieth betwixt that riuer and Carthagene Concerning Zenu marke what Gomara sayth thereof in his second booke and 69. chapter It is the name of a riuer and citie both and of a Hauen very large and sure The Citie is some 8. leagues from the sea There is a great Mart for Salt and Fish Gould the inhabitants gather all about and when they set themselues to get much they lay fine-wrought nets in the riuer of Zenu and others and oftentimes they draw-vp graines of pure gold as big as egges This countrie is not farre from the Straight of Darien In the sayd second booke chap. 72. he describes also Noua Grenada and the Mount of Emeraudes which is very high bare and peeld without any herbe or tree thereon growing and lieth some fiue degrees on this side the Equatour The Indians when they goe-about to get the stones first vse many enchauntments to know where the best vaine is The first time the Spanyards came there they drew thence great and little 1800. very fayre and of great price but for this commoditie the countrie is so barren that the people were faine to feede on Pismers till of late the Spanish couetousnesse hath made them know the value of their Mountaine Cumana is described in the foresaid booke chap. 79. in the ende whereof Gomara sayth the vapours of the Riuer of Cumana engender a certaine little mist or slime vpon mens eyes so as the people there are very pore-blind Parie is described in the 84 chapter of the said second book Maragnon a Riuer which as Gomara sayth 2. booke 87. chapter is three-score miles ouer It emptieth at the Cape of Aâ—inde three degrees beiond th' Aequator but springeth a great way further