those warres he thought fittest to follow at his first entry but withal gaue her Maiesty ful assurance that he would presently leade the Army into Vlster against Tyrone himselfe Yet these letters were scarce deliuered when by others he signified a necessity of a iourney into Ophalia and Leax neere Dublin against the Oconnors and Omores whom he brake with ease himself leading some 1500 into Ophalia sending Sir Christopher Blunt the Marshal into Leax with 1000 men vnder the command of Sir Charles Pearcy and Sir Richard Moryson Then at his returne taking a view of the Army he found it so weakened as by letters signed by himselfe and the Counsell there hee desired a supplie of 1000 foot out of England to inable him presently to vndertake the Vlster iourney Thus resolued to march Northward he commaunded Sir Conyors Clifford Gouernour of Connaght to draw his forces vp to Belike that hee might force Tyrone to send some of his forces that way while he assailed him on the other side Sir Conyers Clifford accordingly marched this way with one thousand foure hundred foote by Pole and the Earle of Southamptons Troop of one hundred horse vnder the leading of Captaine Iohn lephson with some other Irish horse comming to the Curlew mountaines he left the munition and carriages vnder the guard of the horse til he passing forward with the Foote had tried the passage He had not gone farre before Ororke and other rebels with him vpon the aduantage of Woods Bogges and a stony causey assailed our men who at the first valiantly repelled them till the rebels finding the munition our men had about them beginning to faile renewed the charge with greater fury then before at which time our men discouraged with the want of powder almost all they had about them being spent and their store being behind with the carriage as also wearied with a long march they had made before the skirmish began to saint and take themselues to flight whom the rebels pursued killed some one hundred and twenty in the place among which the Gouernour Sir Conyers Clifford and a worthy Captaine Sir Alexander Ratcliffe were lost besides as many more hurt whereof the greatest part recouered And no doubt the rest had all perished if the Horse had not valiantly succored them For the Lord of Dunkellyn who that day had most valiantly behaued himselfe sent word to Captaine Iohn Iephson of their distresse who presently charged vpon the causey and to the very skirts of the Wood with such resolution as the rebels either thinking Horse could not haue serued there or expecting aduantages vpon them in that boggy place stood gaping on them and gaue way without any resistance for a good space in which our men had leasure to retire ouer a Ford into the Plaine where the carriages were and thence to the Abby of the Boyle being very neere the place Afterwards the rebels began to charge our Horse but their powder being almost spent Captaine Iephson safely retyred with the losse of some few horses In a Consultation some were earnest to haue marched forward the next day but the Lord of Dunkellin Sir Arthur Sauage Captain Iohn Iephson and many of the best iudgement considering the Gouernor was lost our troopes vtterly dismaied and Odonnel come downe with all his forces into those parts thought fit our men should retire to their Garrisons So Captaine Iephson all that night kept the Ford while our Foote in the silent night retired and in the morning when they were in safetie hee with the Horse vnder his command went softly after them to the Castle of Athlone It is strange the rebels then present being but some two hundred and most of our men being old soldiers how this defeate could be giuen but small accidents in militarie affaires are often causes of strange and great euents for I haue heard this mischance fully attributed to an vnorderly turning of the whole body of the Van which though it were toward the enemy yet being mistaken by some common souldiers for a flight it caused a generall rowte In the meane time the foresaid supply of one thousand foote was sent out of England to the Lord Licutenant according to his and the Counse is request But few daies after his Lordship signified by his letters into England that he could doe no more this season of the yeere then to draw thirteene hundred Foote and three hundred horse to the borders of Vlster Whether he came about the Ides of September and Tyrone two dayes together shewed himselfe and his troopes vpon distant hilles to the English Then Tyrone sent Hagan to the Lord Lieutenant to intreat a Parly betweene his Lordship and him which his Lordship refused answering that if Tyrone would speak with him he should find him next day in Armes in the head of the Army The next day after a light skirmish one of Tyrones horsemen cried with a loud voice that Tyrone would not fight but would speake with the Lord Licutenant and that vnarmed and both withdrawne aside from the forces The next day when his Lordship marched forwards Hagan met him againe and declared to him that Tyrone besought the Queenes mercy and that he would vouchsafe to speake one word with him which granted he would in all humblenesse attend his Lordship at the Foard Balla-clinch neere the chiefe Towne of the County of Louth His Lordship sent some before to view the Foard who found Tyrone there and hee assured them that howsoeuer the waters were something risen yet they might easily heare one another from each side His Lordship being come thither Tyrone leauing a troope of horse vpon a hill not far off came downe alone and putting his horse vp to the belly in the water with al humblenesse saluted his Lordship standing on the other banke and there they passed many speeches Then Tyrone called his brother Cormack Mac Gennys Mac Guire Euer Mac Couley Henrie Ouington and O Quin to the Foard the Lord Lieutenant hauing first called the Earle of South-hampton Sir George Bourcher Sir Warham Sant Leger Sir Henrie Dauers Sir Edward Wingfeld and Sir William Constable to come downe Tyrone very Courtly saluted each one and after short conference it was concluded that the next day Commissioners should meete to treate of Peace and they made a mutuall Truce from that day for sixe weekes and so from sixe weekes to sixe weekes till the Callends of May with caution that it should bee free to either side vpon foureteene dayes warning first giuen to renew the warre And if any of the Earle of Tyrones confederates should not assent hereunto hee left them to bee prosecuted by the Lord Licutenant By this time the Queene had receiued his Lordships last letters aboue mentioned signifying that he could onely for this winter draw to the confines of Vlster with one thousand three hundred foot and three hundred horse At which time to iustifie his resolution he sent the iudgement of the
forced to wonder at the quantity varietie and goodnesse thereof which if they were all vnder the command of one Prince no two of the mightiest Kings of Christendome might therein compare with him It remaines briefely to adde something of the Nauall power of the Germans Almost all Germany being within land onely the Cities vpon the Northerne Ocean and vpon the Baltike sea haue any exercise of Nauigation And I did neuer reade or heare that any of them did euer vndertake any long and dangerous voyage by sea nor can their Marriners be praised for their experience or boldnesse compared with the English and Netherlanders The City of Dantzk which for agreement of tongue and manners I reckon among the Cities of Germany though it be in some sort annexed to Poland howsoeuer it is famous for concourse of Merchants and rich commodities yet not vsing to export them in their owne ships but rather to sell them to strangers or to lade their ships especially those of the Hollanders I could not vnderstand that forty ships belonged to that Citie Among the other Cities Lubeck and Hamburg are farre more powerfull in this kind then all the rest ioyned together The Hauen of Hamburg hath commonly great number of shipping and they said that more then six hundred ships did then belong to the City But they being vast and built onely for burthen are held vnfit for warre The City of Hamburg and the other Cities vpon the Northerne Ocean hauing long inioyed peace as neutrals while all their neighbours haue made warre one with the other and none of the Cities excepting Hamburg sending out ships further then vpon the coast it cannot be that the ships should be strongly armed At Hamburg I did see a ship then building for a man of warre of one thousand two hundred tunnes and among the other ships belonging to that Citie the greatest was called the golden Lion strongly built and bearing eighteene brasse pieces on each side which they named their Admirall But our best Sea men thought them both more fit to defend the Hauen as Forts then to make any fights at Sea In our age thirty seuen ships of Hamburg were laded by the Flemmings with Dantzk Rie for Spaine where they had free trafficke in the heate of the warre betweene England France Netherland and Spaine and of these ships sixe perished in the very going out of the Elue by tempest while English and other ships safely put to sea and the rest despaiting of the Voyage into Spaine were vnladed Not long before my being there they had sent some eight or ten ships into Spaine whereof onely one returned in safetie to Hamburg The City Lubeck hath a greater number of ships then Hamburg but they commonly trading within the Baltick sea seldome troubled with warre or Pyrates and their ships being onely built for burthen are slow of saile and vnfit to fight at sea Besides that for the foresaid reason they carry few or no pieces or other armes To conclude while I was at Lubeck a great ship of that Citie of one thousand foure hundred tuns called the Eagle laded with salt perished in the returne from Spaine Whereupon I then heard our best Sea-men impute great ignorance to the German Marriners of those Cities This shall suffice for their skill in Nauigation whereof I haue formerly spoken in the third Booke of this Volume or Part treating of the trafficke of Merchants in Germany Touching their Lawes and iudiciall courses in generall Of old the Magistrates of Germany were as Captaines of Cities who determined of Ciuill causes at home and had publike meetings yeerely for that purpose most commonly in the moneth of May or at the times of the full and new Moones They came armed to these meetings not all together but euery man at his pleasure and as it pleased the multitude so they sate in iudgement Silence was commanded by the Priests who had power to punish them Then the Prince or King or any eminent person in eloquence or in fauour was heard to speake yet as perswading not commanding and if the speech pleased the people shewed consent by murmuring or otherwise dissent by striking their speares together Here they determined all controuersies and chose new Captaines or Gouernours They had a custome that if any man complained of another hee should make a supper for a hundred men who duely examined the cause and if the plaintife had the right the defendant paid the charge otherwise he scaped free They gaue of free will to their Prince of their Cattell and Corne as much as they thought fit for his honour and necessity Tacitus writes that the old Magistrates of Germany did nothing vnarmed publikely or priuately And the Germans themselues confesse that their old Progenitors seldome tried iniuries by Law but commonly reuenged them with fire and sword and that they shamed not to take preyes by stealth or sorce Quintilianus Varus appointed Gouernour of Germany by the Emperour Augustus did first appoint the iudgement of Scabines which in the Hebrew tongue signifies a Iudge for he had formerly beene Gouernour of Iury These Scabines determined all controuersies and to this day the Germans in most places so call their Iudges The lower and vpper Saxony hath a prouinciall Law yet determines also many causes by the ciuill Law The Statutes of the Diots or Parliaments bind all but the Statutes of priuate Princes onely bind their owne subiects The greatest part of Germany is gouerned by the Ciuill Law And therefore the Doctors of the Ciuill Law are much esteemed among them and are Counsellors of Estate aswell to the Emperour as to other Princes which place they thinke vnfit to be conferred on any Doctors of Diuinity Yea the Princes of Germany haue this peculiar fashion that no sonne vseth his Fathers old counsellors but rather new chosen by himselfe The said Doctors of the Ciuil Law haue priuiledge by their degree to weare chaines of gold about their neckes and feathers in their hats There be in Germany foure kinds of Law giuing or rather foure cheefe Courts of Iustice. The first is that of the Diets or Parliaments vulgarly called 〈◊〉 that is Daies of the Kingdome which meetings by the Law should be made once in the yeere and last no lesse then a moneth at least no man hauing liberty to depart from them without leaue of the Councell Neither may the Emperour or his sonne or the elect King of the Romans make any warre or league without consent of the same The second Court is called Landgericht that is the Iustice of the Land wherein the cheefe men of each Prouince are to be called together thrice in the yeere and are to sit three weekes to determine the cheefe affaires of the Prouince as the Parliaments handle the cheefe affaies of the Empire The third Court is vulgarly called Camergerichl that is the Iustice of the Imperiall Chamber which is held at Spirt foure times each yeere each time lasting forty
required by the Ciuill Law Out of this great Counsell the new Senate is yeerely chosen and when the time of Election is at hand this great Counsel names a Consull and a Scabine of the Gentlemen called ancient or out of the cheefe of the next Order and in like sort the old Senate of the yeere past names three of the ancient Gentlemen These fiue are called the Electors of the new Senate and as soone as they are chosen all Magistracy ceaseth Then these Electors being sworne are shut vp into a Chamber whence they come not forth till they haue chosen twenty six Consuls and Scabines of each thirteen Then they chuse the rest of the new Senate and assoone as they are chosen they name among themselues those that are called ancient which are commonly the same men except some bee put in the place of them that are dead for it is a disgrace to be put from that dignity This Election is made in one day and the Senate consists of forty persons whereof thirty foure are Patricians or Gentlemen and so the gouernement is especially in the hands of the Gentlemen as a thing whereof they hold the common people to be vncapable Of these Gentlemen are 〈◊〉 the seuen Men and the Senate of the ancient as also the Captaines and Treasurers To be a Doctor of the Ciuill Law makes a Gentleman or any other to be vncapable of a Senators place But when in dificult cases they neede the aduise of Doctors they send two Senators to consult with them who relate their iudgment to the Senate For this cause and because all iudgments are according to equity not after the strict Law there be fowe Doctors in that Citty neither haue they many Aduocates the Senate giuing stipend onlyto foure who plead all causes Yet the Citty intertaines some Doctors to aduise them at I formerly said to assist them in iudgment exhibiting the cause in writing as also to be Ambassadors To the said 34 Gentlemen 8 Plebeans are added which make the said Senate and these Plebeans haue free voyces but are remoued from secret Counsels and hauing liberty to be absent seldome meete with the Senate except they be called So as the common people haue little or no authoritie and are kept vnder in so much as meetings excepting funerals and like ceremonies and walkings by night are forbidden yet they haue their priuiledges inuiolably kept and liue in great libertie vnder a most equall gouernement Of these Gentlemen gouerning the Citie they haue as I haue heard twenty eight honourable Families or there about And of the said thirty foure Gentlemen of the Senate eight are called the Ancient who like old soldiers are freed from seruice the other twentie sixe diligently attending the publike affaires with capitall and Ciuill iudgements and one of them is chosen to intertaine passengers worthy of Honor by presenting wine to them in name of the Senate and also to call the Senate together to propound the causes vpon which they deliberate to aske their Voyces and to doe many like duties These twenty sixe Gentlemen are diuided into thirteene Consuls and thirteene Scabines and these Scabines iudge capitall causes first examined by the whole Senate as the Consuls iudge Ciuill causes And they so diuide the yeere betweene them as each of them for a moneth is Consull or Scabine Out of them are chosen seuen men who haue the greatest authority and determine all secrets of State and to them the Treasurers make account And howsoeuer two of one Family may be Senators yet two of one Family cannot be of these seuen men Three of these seuen are chosen Captaines who haue the keeping of the Armory and the keyes of the Gates and vpon any tumult all flie to them and yeeld them obedience Two of these Captaines are Treasurers where of the chiefe hath the first place in all Assemblies To these Treasurers one of the Plebeans is added to ouersee the expence of the treasure and two of the best sort of the Plebeans are Clerkes of the Exchequer but onely the two chiefe Treasurers disburse and lay vp all moneys They haue in all publike Counsels two Chauncellors whereof one alwaies attends the Counsell of seuen men and these Chauncellors write the Decrees of Counsell receiue and reade write and send all letters being as Secretaries and they haue sixe Clerkes to write vnder them All the Senators haue their seuerall stipends out of the common Treasure Each of the seuen men hath yeerely fiue hundred Guldens besides gainefull Offices as the keeping of the Seales and each Treasurer hath eight hundred Guldens and each Chauncellor two hundred Guldens yeerely In Iudgements they doe not much vse the pleadings of Proctors or Aduocates but vse to iudge summarily vpon oath or to appoint Arbiters to compound controuersies But among the Courts of Iudgements one is of fiue men from whom there is no appeale yet they referre the greatest causes to the Senate The second Court is of eight men and hath two Tribunals where the causes of citizens are determined which exceede not the value of thirtie two Crownes and these two Tribunals in greater causes are vnited and haue three or foure Doctors appointed by the Senate to aduise them for onely the Scabines iudge and from these Tribunals appeale is granted to the Senate if the cause exceede the value of fiue hundred Crownes These chuse a Iudge to see their Decrees put in execution and to see capitall offenders executed They appoint a Iudge for the Villages and territories subiect to the City for whose assistance the Senate chuseth some out of the great Counsell These weekely giue the Law to the Villages and Country people and by the exercise of this Office the Iudges are inabled for the Office of Scabines Also they chuse a Iudge to haue care of the Faires and Markets who sets the price of Bread Flesh and all things there sold and he hath foure Senators to assist him in weekely inquiring after the workes of Artificers that they sell no vnperfect workes nor vse any fraude Of the Senators three are chosen supreme Tutors for pupils and widowes who diuide inheritances see that all Testaments be performed and appoint new Tutors in case the old bee dead suspected or absent These supreme Tutors prouide that the moneis of pupils be put forth to vse and that the profit returnes to the pupills They receiue the accompts of the Tutors and prouide that the Pupils be religiously and honestly brought vp One Senator is set ouer each Church Monastery and Almes house to see the reuenues well administred and to promote the causes thereunto belonging Fiue Gouernors are set ouer the Territory without the walls among which the Chancelor hath yearly one hundreth Crownes each of the rest twenty fiue Crownes for stipend In time of warre they chuse seuen Senators who take vpon them the care to prouide all necessaries for the same I vnderstoode there that not long before they
first found in the yeere 1180 yeelding to this day rich veines of siluer There bee other Mines of siluer neere these since that time discouered namely at Schaneberg found in the yeere 1470 at Anneberg found 1510 in Ioachimus valley found 1526. For this Elector of Saxony hath many Mines of siluer which lest any should thinke to belong of right to the Emperour it must bee obserued that the Princes Electors haue Regall power vnder the Emperour granted by priuiledge in the Lawes of the golden Bulla by which they haue right to all Mines found in their owne Territories After I had seene the Elector Christianus his funerall at Eriburg the ceremonies wherof shall bee described in the proper place I returned to Dresden in a Coach hyred as aboue said so from Dresden to Misen but from Misen I returned not to Torge but tooke another way to Leipzig being tenne miles which we went in one day foure miles to Owsen three to Wortson where wee dined and thence three miles to Leipzig all through plaine and fruitfull corne fields I spent this winter at Leipzig that I might there learne to speake the Dutch toung the Grammer wherof I had read at Witteberg because the Misen speech was held the purest of all other parts in Germany Heere each Student vseth to bay for his diet a Gulden weekly besides beere for which euery man paies according to his drinking some lesse some more most beyond measure For the Citizens haue no beere in their houses but one kind which is very small and buy the better kindes as that of Torge which the richer sort vsually drinke from a publike house where it is sold by small measures to the profit of the Senate Besides the Schollers pay seuerally for their bed and chamber My selfe lodged with a rich Citizen and for diet bed and chamber paied weekly a Doller and a halfe CHAP. II. Of my iourney from Leipzig to Prage in Bohemia to Nurnberg Augspurg Ulm Lyndaw Costnetz in Germany Scaphusen Zurech Baden and Bazell in Sweitzerland BEing to take my iourney to Prage in the end of the yeere 1591 after the English account who begin the yeere vpon the twenty fiue of March I returned againe to Dresden from whence I wrote this Letter concerning my iourney to a friend lying at Leipzig Honest M. Know that after I parted from you at Torg by good hap and beside my expectation I light vpon a Coach going to Dresden with which good hap while I was affected and hasted to hire a place therein I had forgot to pay for my Coach for the day before But when we were ready to go remembring my errour and intreating my consorts to stay a while for mee I ranne backe to the Inne as speedily as the Parasite Curculio in Plautus and finding not the Coachman there I gaue the money to the seruant of the house before witnesses and so returned to the Coach all sweating with hast There I found that dunghill rascall the Coachman hauing my gowne on his backe I laid hold of the garment as if I knew it and hee held it as fast as a pledge for his money I being inraged that hee should vse me so when I had dealt honestly with him drew my sword and making knowne that I had paid the money bad him lay downe the gowne vpon his perill I had almost drawne a rabble of Coachmen on my back but they forbore me in this heat for you know they are not apt to quarrell in the morning but if I had thus prouoked them in the afternoone being warmed with drinke sure they would haue run vpon me though they had been naked Will you know the companions of my iourney I was alone among a Coach full of women and those of the Electors Dutchesse Chamber for sooth which you would haue said to haue been of the blacke guard It was a Comedy for me to heare their discourse now declaiming against Caluenists now brawling together now mutually with teares bewailing their hard fortunes and they fel into al these changes while the winde blew from one and the same quarter Is anything lighter then a woman and lest the flocke of geese should want matter sometimes they charged me to be a Caluenist sometimes a Iew I answered merrily that if any of them were but a Consuls wife I would satisfie them for my religion At eight a clocke in the night the horses being spent my selfe wearied and only their tongues vntired wee came to a Village called Derwaldhan where wee should lodge We entered a kind of Barne my selfe not without sighs Lipsius should here haue had no cause to complaine of stinking beere browne bread and often shaking hands No man returned salutation to vs the women my companions drew out victuals they had brought to eat I being fasting to that houre with great feare and trembling of heart expected that at least they would giue me some raw bacon or dried puddings But they thought nothing lesse At last I desired an egge or two for my supper The seruant answered that the old woman was in bed and that he knew not the mystery whether any eggs were in the house or no. If the Comicall Poets Saturio had been here he would haue fallen into a sound To be brief the women took compassion on me and I without blushing was content to eat of free cost and made them know that I was no Iew for I made no religion to eat what was before mee The next morning before the day-starre arose I was walking in a meadow what doe you blesse your selfe with a crosse Sure I am no lesse sleepy then I was but he is soone apparelled that hath a dogs bed in straw yet this straw was cleane which is no small fauour and when I gaue the seruant a Misen groshe for his paines he was astonished as if he had neuer seene a whole groshe before so as he forgot to thanke me onely shewing it to the standers by as if I had deserued another burthen of fresh straw The Women Virgins Men and Maids seruants all of vs lay in one roome and my selfe was lodged furthest from the stoue which they did not for any fauour though contrary to their opinion I was glad of it delighting more in sweet aire then the smoke of a dunghill My companions laughed at me for babling dutch in my sleep surely reason cōmanding me waking had not power ouer me in sleep to hinder me from reuoluing the pleasant passages of the day past On Saterday the same day I came to Dresden frō whence fiue passengers were newly gon for Prage in a Coach but after three daies expectation I haue found new consorts to morrow being Wednesday and the eight of March I begin my iourney to Bohemia While I dispaired of consorts I was determined to goe in a boat'vpon the Elue and had now bought cleane straw in which I meant to triumph alone when by good hap turning from the riuer to the
my studies at Bazell Therefore not to bee wanting to my selfe I hyred a horse and made this cozenage knowne to the Arch-Dukes officer desiring him to exclude my debtor from the priuiledge of the Monastery But this Dutch Gentleman finding mee to speake Latine readily tooke mee for some Schoole-master and despised both mee and my cause so as I returned to the Citie weary and sad hauing obtained no fauor But a better starre shined there on mee for the Consuls that day had determined in Court that my debtors horses should bee sought out and deliuered to mee and the Lawyers and Clearkes were so courteous to me as neither they nor any other would take the least reward of mee though I pressed them to receiue it Then my debtors brother being loth the horses should be carried away paid me my mony and I gladly tooke my iourney thence towads Bazel This integrity of the Dutch Magistrates which especially in the Cities of the reformed Religion hauing found by many testimonies I cannot sufficiently commend and curtesie of the Dutch towards strangers I haue thought good in this place thankefully to acknowledge Vpon the Lake Acrontiis vulgarly Boden-sea that is vpper sea I passed by boate foure miles to Costnetz and paied for my passage three Batzen Betweene this vpper sea and the lower sea vulgarly Vnden-sea this Citie Costnetz lyeth on the banke lengthwise and is subiect to Ferdinand of Inspruch Arch-Duke of Austria whose base sonne hath also the Bishopricke of that City which is famous by a Councell held there whither Iohn Hus was called with the Emperours safe conduct in the yeere 1414 yet was there condemned of Heresie and burned On the West side of the Citie within the walles in the Monastery called Barfussen Cloyster is the Tower wherein he was imprisoned and without the walles on the left hand as you goeout is a faire meadow and therein a stone vpon the high-way to which he was bound being burnt the same yeere 1414 in the Month of Iuly Where also his fellow Ierom of Prage was burnt in September the yeere following both their ashes being cast into the Lake lest the Bohemians should carry them away The Senate-house in which this Councell was held is of no beauty When the Emperour Charles the fifth besieged this Citie it was yeelded to the hands of Ferdinand King of Bohemia and brother to Charles who made the Citizens peace for them Heere each man paid eight Batzen a meale and for wine betweene meales eight creitzers the measure Hence I went by boat two miles to Styga and paied for my passage two Batzen We tooke boat at the end of the Lake close by the City where the Rheine comming againe out of the Lake and taking his name therein lost doth runne in all narrow bed and when wee had gone by water some houre and a halfe wee entred the lower Lake called Vnden-sea Neere Costnetz is an Iland called little Meinow and in this lower lake is another Iland called Reichnow of the riches the Monastery therof hauing of old so much lands as the Monkes being sent to Rome vsed to lodge euery night in their owne possessions This Iland is said to beare nothing that hath poyson so as any such beast dieth presently in it and in the Monastery are some reliques of Saint Marke for which as they say the Venetians haue offered much money VVriters report that of old a Monke thereof climing vp a ladder to looke into a huge vessell of wine and being ouercome with the vapour fell into the same with a great bunch of keyes in his hand and that shortly after this wine was so famous as Princes and Nobles and many sickly persons vsually sent for the same the cause of the goodnes being not knowne to proceed of the putrified flesh till the vessell being empty the keyes and the Friers bones were found therein the Monkes till then thinking that their fellow had secretly gone to some other Monastery of that Order yet the Dutch in my company reported that this happened in a Monastery not farre off called Salmanschwell By the way was a stately Pallace belonging to the Fugares of Augsburg On the East-side out of the walles of Styga lye woody fields on the West-side the Iland Horue and pleasant Hils full of vines and corne In this City the Bishop of Costnetz hath his Pallace who is Lord of the two Ilands Meinow and Reichnow and hath very large possessions in these parts mingled with the territories of other Lords And this City is vpon the confines of Germany and Sweitzerland Hence I passed by boat two miles to Schaffhausen and paied for my passage two Batzen The swistnes of the Rheine made the miles seeme short and this riuer againe loseth his name in the said lower Lake and when it comes or rather violently breakes out of it then resumes it againe This City is one of the confederate Cantons of Sweitzerland Not farre from this City on the South side in the riuer Rheine is a great fall of the waters ouer a rocke some fifty cubits downeward passing with huge noyse and ending all in fome And for this cause the Barkes are forced to vnlade here and to carry their goods by carts to the City and from the City to imbarke them againe which yeeldeth great profit to the City by taxations imposed on the goods which must necessarily be landed there On both sides the riuer as we came to this City are pleasant hils planted with vines faire pastures with sweet groues The City is round in forme and is washed with the Rheine on the South side and vpon the banke of the riuer within the Towne is a pleasant greene where the Citizens meete to exercise the shooting of the Harquebuze and crosse-Bow where also is a Lynden or Teyle tree giuing so large a shade as vpon the top it hath a kinde of chamber boarded on the floore with windowes on the sides and a cocke which being turned water fals into a vessel through diuers pipes by which it is conueyed thither for washing of glasses and other vses and heere the Citizens vse to drinke and feast together there being sixe tables for that purpose On the same South side is a Monastery with walles and gates like a little City It hath the name of 〈◊〉 that is a sheepe or Schiff that is a ship and Hausse that is a house as of a fold for 〈◊〉 or roade for shippes Here I paid for each meale six batzen For the better vnderstanding of my iourney from Schafhusen to Zurech I will prefix a letter which I wrote to that purpose from Bazel To the Right Worshipfull Master Doctor Iohn Vlmer IN those few houres I staid at Schafhusen you haue made me your Seruant for euer I remember the houres of our conuersation which for the sweetnes thereof seemed minutes to me I remember the good offices you did towards me a stranger with gentlenes if not proper to your selfe yet proper
rest called New-graft and Altkirkhoffe and there is a pleasant walke well shaded with trees vpon the banke of the Riuer In the midst of the City is the Cathedrall Church hauing a faire Tower and a Bell which they report to be of eighteene thousand pounds weight Neere to the same is the Bishops Pallace wherein the Bishops dwelt before the vnion of the Prouinces but at this time there dwelled the Countesse of Meurs whose husband died in these warres In the same part lie the market place and the Senate house The houses of the City are of bricke and fairely built but lose much of their beautie by being couered on the outside with boords and they seeme to haue more antiquitic then the buildings of Holland There be thirty Churches but onely three are vsed for diuine seruice In Saint Maries Church which as I remember is the Cathedrall Church these verses are written vpon a piller Accipe posteritas quod per tua secula narres Taurinis culibus fundo solidata columna est Posterity heare this and to your children tell Bull hydes beare vp this piller from the lowest hell Vpon a second piller this is written in Latine A Frison killed the Bishop because hee had learned of him being drunke and betrayed by his sonne the Art to stop a gulfe in this place the yeere 1099. Vpon a third piller this is written in Latine The Emperour Henry the fourth built this Church to our Lady because hee had pulled downe another Church at Milane dedicated to her And to my vnderstanding they shewed me at this time manifest signes of the aforesaid gulfe which these inscriptions witnesse to haue beene in this place Heere I paied for my supper twenty stiuers and for my breakefast six stiuers From hence I went to Amsterdam fiue miles in three houres space and paied for my passage in the waggon ten stiuers For halfe the way on both sides wee had faire pastures and saw many strong Castles belonging to Gentlemen Neere Vtrecht at the passage of a riuer each man paid a Doight and before wee came to the halfe way we passed the confines of this Bishopricke and entred the County of Holland Then in the space of two houres and a halfe we came to Amsterdam hauing in our way on both sides faire pastures On Friday in the beginning of the Month of Iuly at fiue a clocke in the euening I tooke ship vpon the Mast whereof was a garland of Roses because the master of this ship then wooed his wife which ceremony the Hollanders vsed And the sea being calme wee passed eight miles to Enchusen where wee cast anchor By the way wee passed a shole where our sterne struck twise vpon the sand not without feare of greater mischiese On Saturday we'sayeld betweene West Freesland vpon our right hands towards the East and Holland vpon our left hands towards the West and after tenne miles sayling came to the Iland Fly which being of small compasse and consisting of sandy hils hath two villages in it From hence they reckon twenty eight miles by sea to Hamburg in Germany whether we purposed to goe Assoone as wee cast anchor here the Master of our ship went aboard the Admirall of certaine ships which vsed to lie here to guard this mouth of the sea with whom hee spake concerning our passage to Hamburg and deliuered him Letters commanding that our ship should haue a man of war to wast it This Admirall lay continually in this harbour to guard this passage into the sea and he commanded nine ships which were vpon all occasions to wast the Hollanders to Hamburg and defend them from the Dunkirkers and all Pirats But at this time there was not one of these men of warre in the harbour and the Admirall himselfe might not goe forth So as for this cause and for the tempestious weather wee staied here all Sunday But vpon Monday the winde being faire for vs and contrary for the men of warre that were to come in so that losing this winde we must haue expected not without great irkesomnesse a second winde to bring in some of these men of warre and a third winde to carry vs on our iourney the Master of our ship carrying sixe great Peeces and hauing some tenne Muskets did associate himselfe with seuen other little ships hauing only Pikes and swords and so more boldly then wisely resolued to passe to Hamburg without any man of warre This Monday morning we hoysed saile but being calmed at noone we cast anchor between the Fly on our left hand toward the West and another little Iland Shelling on our right hand towards the East and lying here wee might see two little barkes houering vp and downe which wee thought to be Fisher-men and nothing lesse then Pirats of Dunkirke Here till euening we were tossed by the waues which vse to bee more violent vpon the coast but a faire winde then arising all our shippes gladly weighed anchor At which time it happened that the anchor of our ship brake so as our consorts went on but our Master according to the nauall discipline not to put to sea with one anchor returned backe to the harbour of the Fly there to buy a new anchor all of vs foolishly cursing our fortune and the starres On Tuesday morning while wee sadly walked on the shoare vvee might see our consorts comming backe with torne sailes and dead men and quarters of men lying on the hatches We beholding this with great astonishment tooke boat to board them and demanding the newes they told vs that the little barks we saw the day before vvere Dunkirkers hauing in each of them eighty Souldiers and some few great Peeces and that they had taken them spoiled their ships of their chiefe lightest goods and had carried away prisoners to Dunkirk all the passengers chief Marriners after they had first wrung their foreheads with twined ropes with many horrible tortures forced them to confesse what money they had presently what they could procure for ransom Further with mourning voice they told vs that the Pirats inquired much after our ship saying that was it the bride with whom they meant to dance cursing it to be destroyed with a thousand tuns of diuels swearing that if they had foreseene our escape they would haue assailed vs by day while we rode at anchor They added that they had left no goods but those they could not carry for weight and had changed their ragged shirts and apparell with the poore Marriners And indeed they had iust cause to bewaile the escape of our shippe being laded with many chests of Spanish Ryalls whereof they were not ignorant vsing to haue their spies in such places who for a share in the booty would haue betrayed their very brothers As we had iust cause to praise almighty God who had thus deliuered vs out of the lawes of death so had wee much more cause to bewaile our rashnesse yea and our wickednesse that
bridles and if a man ride into a Towne vpon a Post-horse he must either goe away on foote or take another Post-horse there for no priuate man dare let him a horse which makes passengers loth to hier post-horses of returne though many times they may be had at good rate rather then he will returne emptie with them yet if a man will walke a mile or two he may easily hier a horse in other Townes which are frequent in Italy And let no man maruel that these Princes fauour the Post-masters and Inkeepers to the preiudice of strangers because in that respect they extort great rents from them By the way in the Village Bel ' Aria each of vs paid two bolinei for passage of a Riuer The Brooke Rubico now called Pissatello by this way to Rimini did runne from the West into the Adriatique sea and there of old was a Marble pillar with this inscription in Latin Here stay leaue thy Banner lay down thy Armes and leade not thy Army with their Colours beyond this Brooke Rubico therefore if any shall goe against the rule of this commaund let him be iudged enemie to the people of Rome c. And hereupon it was that Iulius Caesar returning out of France and first stopping here and then after he had seene some prodigious signes passing ouer this Brooke with his Army vttered words in Lattin to this effect Let vs goe whither the prodigics of the Gods and the sinnes of our enemies call vs. The Die is cast In the Market-place of Rimini is a monument of the same Caesar yet remaining where words in the Latin tongue are grauen in a stone to this effect The Consuls of Rimini did repaire this pulpit decaied with age in the moneths of Nouember and December in the yeere 1555. Vnder that is written Caius Caesar Dictator hauing passed Rubico here in the Market place of Rimini spake to his fellow souldiers beginning the ciuill warre In the same Market-place of Rimini is a pleasant Conduit of water The Citie hath no beautie and lyeth in length from the East to the West On the West-side is a bridge built by the Emperour Augustas which they hold to be very faire Towards the East is a Triumphall Arke built by the same Augustus with old inscriptions and a pinackle erected which shewes the Flaminian way to Rome and the Emilian way towards Parma I said that the Popes territory extendeth this way as high as Ancona and these inhabiters of Marca are accounted a wicked generation the greatest part of the cut-throtes and murtherers dispersed through Italy being borne in this Country Our Hoste vsed vs very ill demaunding of each of vs a poli for our bed and three polo for our supper and when we desired a reckoning demaunding for a little piece of an Ele one polo and a halfe and for three little Soles tenne bolinei besides that by the aforesaid priuiledge he forced vs being Post-master to take horses of him at what price he listed The next morning we rode fifteene miles to the Castle la Catholica where is a bridge diuiding the territories of the Pope and the Duke of Vrbine then we rode to Pesaro ten miles and each man paied for his horsefoure poli and all our way was through fruitful hills and little mountaines This Citie hath a faire round Market-place and a plesant Fountaine therein distilling water at eight pipes The aire is thought vnwholesome for which cause and the great plentie of fruit nothing is more frequent here then Funerals in the Moneth of August and the Inhabitants seldome liue to be 50 yeeres old each of vs paid a Polo for our dinner calling for what meate we liked and agreeing first for the price From hence to Ancona ate fortie fiue miles and wee hired three Horses for twentie fiue Poli with condition that our guide vulgarly called Veturale or Veturino should pay for his horse-meate and bring them backe againe After dinner we rode fiue miles to the little City Fano compassed with high walles of Flint and lying vpon a hill-side towards the sea and subiect to the Pope where we did see a triumphall arck of marble curiously engrauen Then we rode fifteene miles more to Senogalita a strong Citie and subiect to the Duke of Vrbin By the way we passed the Bridge Di Metro hauing foure-score Arches and the Bridge Di Marctta hauing fiftie Arches both built of wood and very low as seruing to passe ouer little Brookes which notwithstanding by reason of the Mountaines being neere doe often ouer-flow All this dayes iourney was by the Sea-shore on our left hand towards the North and fruitfull hills of corne towards the South ouer which hung the Apenine Mountaines whence many times the waters discend violently by reason of the narrow valley betweene the fea and the said Mountaines It is prouerbially said of the Magistrate of Senogallia il Podesta commanda fallo stesso that is The Gouernour commaunds and doth it himselfe whereby it seemes he is little esteemed The Citie is of a small circuit but very strong and the houses are built of bricke with a roofe something flat after the Italian fashion The Inne is without the gate and so the more comodious for strangers who may come late and departe earely which they could not do if their lodging were within the walls It is true that he who buyes hath need to sell for the Duke extorting great rent from the Inkeeper he in like sort oppresseth the passengers for a short supper at a common table each man payed foure Poli or Poali a coine so called of Pope Paul The next morning we rode fifteene miles to Fimesino and tenne to Ancona hauing the sea on our left hand towards the North and fruitfull mountaines on our right hand towards the South Fimesino is a Fort and belongs to the Pope but the Inne without the gate belongs to the Duke of Vrbine And againe when you haue passed the Bridge all the Territorie to Ancona is subiect to the Pope The Citie of Ancona is compassed with three Mountaines and hath the forme of a halfe Moone On the North side is a Mountaine vpon which the Gouernour dwelles and vpon the East side is another Mountaine and vpon the side of these two Mountaines the Citie is built to the valley and sea-side towards the North. On the South-side is the third Mountaine vpon which is the Castle called Capoaè Monte built in the same place where the Temple of Venus stoode and vpon this side the Citie is narrow there being no houses built vpon the Mountaine but onely in the valey vpon the sea The Pope hath souldiers in this Castle and thereby keepes the Citie in subiection for the Citizens long defended their liberty and how soeuer they were subiect to the Pope yet secretly chose their Magistrates euery yeere to the yeere 1532 at which time Pope Clement the seuenth built this Castle against the Turkish Pirates but
the Creeke of Pozzoli of this Citie Suetonius writes that the Emperour Tiberius consulting about his successor and inclining more to his true Nephew Thrasyllus the Mathematitian should answere that Catus should no more raigne then he should ride ouer the Creeke of Baie Wherefore Caius being Emperour and hearing of this diuination not as others say in emulation of Xerxes who made a Bridge ouer Hellespont nor to the end that with the fame of this great worke he might terrifie the rebellious Germans and Britans did build a Bridge ouer this creeke of the sea being about three miles long that hee might thereupon passe from Baie to Pozzoli Of this Bridge thirteene piles of bricke may bee seene neere the shore at Pozzoli and as many on the other side neere the shore of Baie and some of these piles haue yet arches vpon them but ready to fall And from these piles the Inner part of the bridge was founded vpon two rankes of shippes fastened with ancors and couered ouer with a bancke of earth to make the passage like the way of Appius The rest Suetonius addeth in these or the like words Ouer this bridge he went to and fro for two daies the first day vpon a trapped horse hauing his head adorned with a Crowne of Oake leaues and bearing an Hatchet a Sword and a Garland and a robe of cloth of Gold The next day in a Coch-mans habit driuing a Coch drawne by foure famous horses carrying before him Darius a childe one of the pledges giuen by the Parthians his Pretorian Souldiers accompanying him and his friends following him in a Coach c. He that desires to comprehēd the magnificence of this work must first know that the Mediterranean sea is very calme hauing little or no ebbing or flowing and that this Creeke is yet more calme and that this bridge was built in the furthest part of the Creeke very neere the land These things considered if my iudgement faile not there is greater cause of wonder at the Bridge built by the Duke of Parma besieging Antwerp being in like sort built vpon barkes fastened one to the other and also at the Bridge of London bearing a great ebbing and flowing of the sea and built of free stone vpon so firme a foundation as it beareth many great and faire houses vpon it but whatsoeuer the magnificence were surely the vanitie of this worke was great to spend so much vpon this Bridge the way by land being not a mile longer then by the Bridge Giue me leaue to digresse so farre as to remember that the Territorie of Falernum is not farre from Pozzols the wine whereof called Falernum is so much praised by Horace After dinner we went from Pozzoii to view the Antiquities lying vpon this Creeke and first we came to the Labyrinth a building vnder ground which hath the name of the multitude of roomes with such passages to and fro as a man may loose himselfe in them and here wee had not onely neede of the thread of Ariadne but of light also to conduct vs. Leander thinks that all this building was to keepe fresh water Then we came to the Amphitheater being of an Ouall forme the inner part whereof is 172 foot long and 88 broad the building whereof is little ruined And Suetonius writes that this was built for the Plaies of Vulcan Not farre thence neere the shoare is a fountaine of cleare and sweete water flowing plentifully out of the sea so that for a great distance we might with our eies distinguish the same from the sea water which Leander thinks to haue been brought by pipes vnder the earth to these houses of the old Romans Neere this place are the ruines of many buildings now called Belgeimano which the Emperour Tiberius is said to haue built when hereturned with triumph from the German warre Betweene the rocks that compasse this sea is the way Attellane which leades those that passe to Rome to the way of Appins and there be many baths for most of the waters are medicinall Neere the Lake of Auernus vpō the side towards Pozzoli lies a Mountaine q which lately broke out of the earth where of old were the bathes of Tripergola whence the dwellings in this part and this place are called Tripergola and here of old were many large and stately buildings but by reason of many Earthquakes and roberies of Pirats the houses were long since forsaken and at last in the yeere 1538 were swallowed vp by the earth For in that yeere vpon Michaelmas day was a terrible Earthquake in this place which brake out with fire in great flames casting vp stones with a great tempest of winde and darkenesse of the aire so as the people thought the worlds end was come And at this time the ashes of this fire were carried by the winde to places twentie miles distant At last after seuen daies this confusion ceased and then the aforesaid Mountaine breaking out of the bowels of the earth was first seene being three miles high and at the bottom foure miles compasse Vpon the toppe of this Mountaine is a hole some fistie paces broad which towards the bottom growes more and more narrow where it seemeth round and of little compasse hauing a cleare water yet giuing a stink of brimstone and this hole is like a Theater made by art In the foresaid fearefull Earthquake caused by the breaking out of the vapours inclosed vnder the hollow earth many famous bathes were lost and no more seene Not farre hence is the Mountaine of Christ so called because they say that Christ with the squadrons of the Fathers passed this way when hee ascended from Hell But the French Gentleman Villamont worthily iudgeth this to be fabulous and likewise the miracle of the Crucifex here bearing the markes of Christ yet doth he giue too much credit to the miracles of Loreto Vpon the shore of the creek of r Baie lies the Lake as Virgil saith of the foule stinking Auernus This Lake is a naturall Hauen but is not vsed because the Hauen of Lucrinus is betweene it and the sea It is compassed with high hils on all sides but onely where the Sea enters on the South-side at a passage fifty paces broad and the forme of it is round and the hils that compasse it now seeme pleasant but of old were all couered with a thicke wood which shutting vp the aire and by the shadow drawing many birds to it was thought to be the cause that these birds stifled with the smell of brimstone fell suddenly dead till the Emperour Augustus caused the wood to be destroied And of the birds thus killed the Lake was called Auernus For this smell of brimstone and the shadow of the foresaid wood darkening the Lake and the blacke colour of the water and because the sunne is shut out from the Lake by the hils this Lake was feined by the Poets to be one of the Lakes of hell Leander writes of a fountaine here the water
that Secretaries and Scriueners tyred with writing of businesse haue some reason to declame against letters of complement but you being at leasure and liuing in a Citie yea in an Vniuersitie of Toscany should say with me well fare letters of complement full of gratious words Goe too now and if you thinke I haue not wel fitted you heareafter make your selfe sport with our Country eloquence Towards the conclusion you giue me many Master-ships or worships to doe mee pleasure and you remember me of it least I should not see it Indeed you haue now hit me iust where my paine lies yet you know nothing is so cheape in Italy as masterships which are plentifully giuen to very Porters so as if I loued them well yet the very plenty of them would make them irkesome Write you to me without any speaking of Masterships in the third person which I wil take for no disgrace ' but rather for a pledge of your loue And for my part since these titles are vnpleasing to you I will hence forward send you no more of them except it be in exchange of those you shall send me in which case I will pay you with vsurie Touching your affectionate offers of loue to me I cannot expresse how I take them to heart but for the present I can returne you nothing but words till occasion serues to witnesse my loue in action and in the meane time I leaue my selfe at the stake with you yea I giue my selfe to you all that little I am worth doe with me what you please keepe me for your seruant and if neede hee sell me to the Turkes what would you haue more You will say also that this is written in ieast yet you know that Poets vnder fained words shadow the truth Beleeue me except you will haue me vse furious protestations for I will and must be beleeued I speake in good earnest commaund me with securitie where I am good for your seruice for my selfe will freely make bold with you as in effect you may see in the trouble I giue you by the inclosed And so I kisse your hands and also your cheekes after the manner of Venice From Saint Casciano this 23 of Iuly 1594 The same as your brother F. M. To the noble Sigr. the Sigr. Nicolao della Rocca my most respected at his house in Saint Casciano or to his hands LEt this foolish businesse not to say worse bee confined to Merchants counting-houses since it hath made me not forget you which it can neuer doe but to vse too great delay in giuing you testimony of my kind remembrance of you Now being ready to take horse for my iourney to Paduoa I thought good to write these few lines vnto you with condition that you send them not to be censured in the Academy della Crusea for my selfe being thus remouing they must needes participate the confusion in which I am for the present Is it possible that a braue Gentleman like your selfe should faile of his promise I stood looking with what securitie you would proceede with mee to take it for an euidence of your loue and expected many daies I will say freely not without some inconuenience to haue the happinesse to see you ere I went But since either by your forgetfulnesse or other reason best knowne to you this our meeting hath not succeeded and there is no more hope that wee should meete to reconcile this quarrell there is no other remedie but to make our peace at leasure by exchange of letters In which dutie for my part I will not faile so long as I shall stay at Paduoa And when I shall bee returned into my Country I will vpon all occasions scoure vp that little Toscane language which after my long iourney through confusion of tongues shall be remaining vnto me to make it appeare to you that howsoeuer my language be decreased yet my heartie loue towards you shall euermore increase Two things lie heauie vpon me first the burthen of your curtesies wherwith you haue loded me as you best know and wherwith Sig r Raphaele Colombani hath newly charged me here by inuiting me friendly to his house by leading me to the Monastery Certosa and by entartaining me with vnspeakable kindnes which I take as done for your sake knowing my owne small desert and yet I doe not so much as thanke you for it because I know such fauours can not bee repaied with words The second thing which lies heauie vpon me is that being thus bound vnto you I am ashamed to haue deceiued you in one point which so much the more grieues mee because this deceit hath vtterly taken from me all hope to expresse my loue to you hereafter vpon any happie occasion then which nothing should be more pleasing to me Now at once to disburden my selfe and to cleare you for being any longer deceiued by this paper hauing the priuiledge of Maskers vizards which neuer blush howsoeuer their Masters haue cause to bee ashamed I let you know that I am an Englishman and not a Dutchman as I haue hitherto caused my selfe to bee reputed And lest you should thereby doubt that you haue cast your loue vpon a Iugler or a man vnworthy your so great fauours know that for honourable respects I haue thus concealed my Countrey I am sure you know that the English haue warre with the Spaniardes so as either falling into the hands of the other should bee lawfull prisoners vpon Ransome and I being within few dayes to passe through the Dutchey of Milan did therefore thinke it no wisedome to make my selfe knowne especially lying in a publique Inne vpon the beaten high-way which all men of those parts daily passe I am confident that you will make good my excuse or at least pardon my errour remember that I am your seruant more then euer neither can bee more yours then I am maintaine the Englishman in your good fauour by the same gentlenesse in which you vouchsafed it to me as a Dutch-man for in whatsoeuer you shall commaund me as an English-man my heart serues mee to doe you as faithfull seruice as any Dutch-man whatsoeuer And so imbracing you thus farre off I offer and recommend my selfe to you once for all And againe I kisse your hands From Florence this tenth of August 1594 Your affectionate seruant F. M. I had taken my iourney from Saint Casciano to Florence that I might receiue money and now vpon a sudden occasion being to returne to Sienna and from thence to Padoua I hired a horse to Sienna but haue omitted what I paied for the same and so I returned to Sienna by the same way I came namely to Trauernelle fifteene miles and to Sienna seuenteene which iourney for others instruction I will particularly set downe To Saint Casciano eight miles to Colmo foure to Barbarino sixe to Puodibonzo sixe to Sienna fiue being in all thirtie two miles The situation of Sienna is most pleasant vpon a high hill and the
Riuer we did see some ten Italian miles distant On the North-side of Ierusalem I cannot say whether beyond Iordan or no we did see many Towers hauing globes of glistering mettall and that very distinctly the day being cleere also we did see the wals of a City neere the Riuer Iordan and they said that it was Ieriche Further towards the North they shewed vs from farre off a place where they say our Sauiour was baptized by Iohn And they affirme vpon experience had that the water of Iordan taken in a pitcher will very long keepe sweet and that it corrupted not though they carried it into forraigne parts This water seemed very cleere till it fell into a Lake where they say Sodome with the other Cities stood of old before they were burnt by fier from Heauen And the day being cleere we did plainely see and much maruell that the cleere and siluer streame of Iordan flowing from the North to the South when in the end it fell into the said Lake became as blacke as pitch The Friers our guides seriously protested that if any liuing thing were cast into this Lake of Sodom it could not be made to sinke whereas any heauy dead thing went presently to the bottome Also that a candle lighted cannot be thrust vnder the water by any force nor be extinguished by the water but that a candle vnlighted will presently sinke I omit for breuities sake many wondrous things they told vs of the putrifaction of the aire and other strange things with such confidence as if they would extort beliefe from vs. We had a great desire to see these places but were discouraged from that attempt by the feare of the Arabians and Moores for they inhabite all these Territories And I said before that the Arabians howsoeuer subiect to the Turk yet exercise continuall robberies with all libertie and impunitie the Turkes being not able to restraine them because they are barbarous and liue farre from their chiefe power where they can easily flye into desart places Yet these Barbarians doe strictly obserue their faith to those that are vnder their protection And all the Merchants chuseone or other of the Arabian Captaines and for a small pension procure themselues to be receiued into their protection which done these Captaines proclaime their names through all their Cities and Tents in which for the most part they liue and euer after will seuerely reuenge any wrong done to them so as they passe most safely with their goods All other men they spoile and make excursions with their leaders and sometime with their King to the sea side as farre as Ioppa and much further within Land spoyling and many times killing all they meet When we returned from Bethania we declined to the North side of Mount Oliuet and came to the ruines of 71 Bethphage where Christ sent for the Colt of an Asse and riding thereupon while the people cried Hosanna to the Highest and laid branches and leaues vnder his feet did enter into Ierusalem Vpon Friday the seuenth of Iune to wards the euening we tooke our iourney to Bethlehem Iuda and we foure lay consorts the Friars by our consent still hauing the priuiledge to be free from these expences deliuered iointly foure zechines to the Friars ours guides for our charges whereof they gaue vs no other account then they did formerly yet they onely disbursed some small rewards since we went on foot and were otherwise tied to satisfie the Friars of the Monastery vnder the name of gift or almes for our diet there but since they vsed vs friendly we would not displease them for so small a matter We went out of the City by the gate of Ioppa on the West side and so along 72 this line passed by a paued causey beyond Mount Sion and then ascended another Mountaine to Bethlehem 73 Here they shew the Garden of Vvia and the Fountaine wherein Bersheba washed her selfe which at that time was drie And from the place where the Tower of Dauid was seated vpon Mount Sion noted with the figure 6 is an easie prospect into this garden 74 Here they show the Tower of Saint Simion 75 Here is a Tree of Terebinth which beares a fruit of a blacke colour like vnto an Oliue yeelding oyle and vnder this tree they say the Virgine did rest when shee carried Christ to be presented in the Temple For which cause the Papists make their beades of this tree and esteeming them holy especially when they haue touched the rest of the monuments they carry them into Europe and giue them to their friends for great presents and holy relikes 76 Here they shew a fountaine called of the Wise-men of the East and they say that the starre did here againe appeare to them after they came from Herod 77 Here they shew the ruines of a house wherein they say that the Prophet Habakcuk dwelt and was thence carried by the haires of the head to feede Daniel in the Lions Den at Babylon 78 Here they shew the Fountaine of the Prophet Elias and the stone vpon which he vsed to sleepe vpon which they shew the print of his head shoulders and other members which prints haue some similitude but no iust proportion of those members From a rock neere this place we did see at once both Ierusalem Bethlehem 79 Here they shew a Tower and ruines where the Patriarck Iacob dwelt and here againe we did see both Cities 80 Here is an old stately Sepulcher in which they say Rachel Iacobs wife was buried It is almost of a round forme built of stone and lime foure foote high hauing the like couer aboue it borne vp by foure pillars There be two other Sepulchers but nothing so faire and all three are inclosed within one wall of stone 81 Here they shew the Fountaine for the water whereof Dauid thirsted yet would not drinke it when it was brought with the hazard of blood 82 Here the City Bethlehem is seated which then was but a Village hauing no beauty but the Monastery 83 Here the Monastery is seated large in circuit and built rather after the manner of Europe then Asia which the Italian Franciscan Friars called Latines and more commonly Franckes doe possesse but other Christian sects haue their Altars in the Church by speciall priuiledge and the Turkes themselues comming hither in Pilgrimage doe lie within the Church for the Turkes haue a peculiar way by a doore of Iron made of old and kept by them to enter into the Chappell where they say Christ was borne This Monastery seemes strong enough against the sudden attempts of the Turkes or Arabians yet the Friars in that case dare not resist them liuing onely in safety by the reuerence which that people beares to this place and by the opinion of their owne pouerty The greater Church is large and high in which I numbred twenty foure pillars but my consorts being more curious obserued that the pillars were set in foure rankes euery ranke
pressed them to confesse their sinnes and so to receiue the Lords Supper which when they refused to doe it was apparant to the Friars that they were of the reformed Religion whom they terme heretikes Whereupon the Friars beganne to neglect them I will not say to hate them and while the two which were wounded staied for recouery of their health and so detained the other two with them it happened that the third fell sicke So as none had their health now but Master Verseline who louingly and like a seruant more then a friend prouided all necessaries for his companion Master Bacon till at last himselfe also fell sicke and was the first of them that died Then within eight daies space all the rest died either for that they were neglected by the Friers which I thinke sufficient in that Countrey to cast away any in their case or by their too much care namely by poison as some suspect for the Friars haue one of their order who is skilfull in physicke and hath a chamber furnished with cooling waters sirops and other medicines most fit for that Countrey When they were dead the Friars gaue into the Turkes hands the bodies of the two Flemmings and Master Verseline who had little store of crownes which belonged to the great Turke as heire to all strangers and the Turkes permitted them to be buried vpon Mount Syon without the wals in the Church yard proper to the Christians of Europe But Master Bacon ouerliuing the rest and now seeing his life to depend vpon the Friars care of him shewed a Nouice Friar long bracelets of peeces of gold twined about his arme and promising to giue them all to him and greater rewards if he would goe with him into England so as he would take care of him in his sickenesse he had perswaded the young Friar to goe with him into England and to promise him faithfull seruice there yet when this Nouice at his confession made this knowne and after verified as much to the Guardian and chiefe Friars I know not whether the hope of this booty made him die sooner but I am sure he liued very few daies after And giue me leaue to tell the truth these Friars either to gaine his money which was due to the Great Turke or for feare that inquisition should be made by the Turkes after the cause of his death appearing by manifest signes vpon his body as others suspected and reported I say these Friers buried this Gentleman in a yard of their Monastery secretly which if the Great Turke or any of his Magistrates had knowne no doubt they would gladly haue taken this occasion to extort much money from the Frires since by the like forged accusations they vse sometimes to oppresse them the very Turkes hauing at other times themselues buried dead bodies within the circuit of the Monastery and after caused them to be digged vp as if they had beene casually found and then crying that their Ottoman was deceiued put the Friars to pay large ransomes for redeeming of their liues And let no man wonder that these hungry Gouernours of Cities and Prouinces in Turkey should vse like frauds to intrap Christians as they doe very frequently since they buy their Offices and many times are recalled before they be warme in their seats if any man at Constantinople offer larger summes for their imployment So as this one Prouince of Palestine and one City of Ierusalem though hauing small or no trafficke hath had in one yeeres space foure Zaniacci the old being recalled to Constantinople assoone as his successour had outbribed him there And this is one of the greatest mischiefes in this Empire since starueling flies sucke much more then those that are fully gorged The foresaid Zaniacco is chiefe Gouernour for military and ciuill affaires of all Pallestine and lies at Ierusalem in the house of Pontius Pilate His Substitute or Liefetenant is called Catake who cast one of our consorts for a time into prison because he complained of the Turkish exactions and his owne pouerty The third Magistrate is called Cady who gouernes Ecclesiastiall matters and dwelt in Salomons house as they call it at Ierusalem neere the yard of the old Temple of the Iewes in which now a Turkish Mosche was built and of this man we had our leaue to enter the City and to see the sepulcher and being called before him we were commanded to put off our shooes he sitting crosse leg'd like a Tailor on the ground vpon a Turkey Carpet The fourth Magistrate was called Agha who kept the Castle of Ierusalem and when we walked one euening on that part of the roofe of our Monastery whence we had the fairest prospect into the City he sent a messenger to command vs to retire from beholding the Castle or otherwise he would discharge a peece of Ordinance at vs. CHAP. III. Of our iourney from Ierusalem by land to Haleppo by Sea to Tripoli in Syria by land to Haleppo and Scanderona and of our passage by Sea to the Iland Candia VPon Friday the fourteenth of Iune in the yeere 1596 we went out of Ierusalem and by the same way and in the same manner as wee came rode backe to Ramma deliuering to our guide as many zechines as before to pay for the Turkish exactions and to our Muccari for their Asses which we had hired Neither did any memorable thing happen to vs by the way saue that when we came neere to Ramma and by chance rode ouer the place of buriall for the Turks where some women were then mourning for their dead friends they thinking it a reproch that we should ride ouer their graues did with inraged countenances fling stones at vs till wee appeased them by dismounting from our Asses The fifteenth of Iune we came backe to Ioppa where our guide gaue three meidines to a Ianizare that hee would beate with a cudgell certaine Arabians who had offered vs wrong by the way which hee did readily and roundly Then without delay we went aboard our little Greeke Barke which according to our bargaine at Cyprus staied here for our returne For the Master thereof was further tied to transport vs from hence to Tripoli in Syria neither had he yet receiued full paiment for transporting vs hither the money being left in Cyprus with an Italian Merchant who was to pay it him at his returne if hee brought a testimony vnder our hands that he had performed his bargaine to vs. This condition we made prouidently and by aduice of experienced men for otherwise the Master of our Barke vpon any profitable occasion would haue left this port before our returne from Ierusalem and wee should hardly haue found another Barke here in a place not much frequented with ships Besides that the restraint of the money not to be payed but vpon a testimony brought vnder our hands was a good caution that he should not vse vs ill nor any way betray vs. The sixteenth of Iune vpon
and the State of Venice would assist the Raguzeant against them and no way indure that the Turkish Ottoman should make himselfe Lord of that Hauen Vpon the three and twenty of Aprill towards euening we sayled by the little Iland Augusta being yet of a good large circuit and populous and subiect to the Raguzeans but the Coast is dangerous for ships arriuall by reason of the Rockes called the Augustines and by the little Iland Corsolavi Some Ilands in this Sea are subiect to the Raguzeans and some neere to the Northerne continent haue the Great Turke for their Lord but the rest are subiect to the Venetians and are very many in number but little and good part of them little or not at all inhabited The Italians our consorts told vs of an Iland not farre distant called Pelaguza and lying neere the continent of Italy vpon the Coast whereof the famous Turkish Pyrate of Algier a Hauen in Africa was lately wont to houer and lie hidden and made rich booties of the Venetian and Italian Merchants Vpon Sunday the foure and twenty of Aprill we had in sight and little distant the little Ilands Catza and Lissa and in the afternoone on our left hand towards Italy the Iland Pomo and in the euening towards Dalmatia two Ilands and vpon the continent the City Zaga being some two hundred miles distant from Venice And the night following we sailed ouer an arme of the Sea some thirty miles broade lying betweene Dalmatia and Istria called Il Cornaro which we passed without any appearance of danger though otherwise it be generally reputed so dangerous as the Venetians offended with any Marriner vse this imprecation Maledetto sia il Cornaro che t' ha lasciato passare that is Cursed be the Cornaro for letting thee passe Vpon Monday the fiue and twenty of Aprill as we sailed by the Coast of Istria one of the Marriners aged and as we thought honest and of some authority among the rest priuately admonished me that I should safely locke vp our goods in our chests left the inferior Marriners should steale our shirts or any other thing they found negligently left which they vsed to doe especially at the end of any voyage Vpon Tuesday the sixe and twenty of April we cast anchor beyond Pola in the continent of Istria a City now ruined and vpon the seuen and twenty day we entred the Hauen of Rouinge in Istria subiect to the Venetians where the ships vse to take a Pilot for their owne safety or els are tied so to doe by some old priuiledge of that City Here the Prouisors for health gaue vs liberty of free conuersation as they had formerly done at Zante seeing no man in our ship to be sicke or sickely And I did not a little wonder when I obserued each second or third person of this City to halt and be lame of one foot which made me remember the Citizens of Islebe in Germany and in the Prouince of Saxony where almost all the men haue wry neckes whereof I knew the cause namely because they vsed daily to dig in mines with their neckes leaning on one side but of this common lamenes of the Inhabitants in Rouinge I could not learne any probable cause except it were the foule disease of lust raigning in those parts which I rather thought likely because the lamenesse was common to weomen as men Now the sayling in our great ship was like to be more trouble some dangerous and slow whereupon fiue of vs ioyning together did vpon the thirtieth of Aprill after the old stile hier a boate of sixe Oares for seuen Venetian Duckets to Venice where we arriued the next day towards euening and staied in our boat vpon the wharfe of the Market place of Saint Marke till the Prouisors of health sitting in their Office neere that place came vnto vs and after some conference vnderstanding that we and our ship were free of all infection or sicknesse gaue vs free liberty of conuersation Wee staied three dayes at Venice to refresh our selues and paied each man three lyres for each meale in a Dutch Inne Then hauing receiued money of a Merchant I went to the Village Mestre and there bought of Dutchmen newly arriued in Italy two horses for my selfe and my man the one for thirtie the other for twentie ducates These horses I sold at Stode in Germany after my iourney ended at or about the same rate He that hath the Dutch tongue and either knowes the waies of Germany himselfe or hath consorts skilfull therein being to trauell from Stode or those parts into Italy shall finde more profit in buying a horse in those parts of Germany for so hee shall saue great summes vsually paid for coches and at the iournies end or rather by the way towards the ende of his iourney may in Italy sell his horses with good profit In the Village Mestre each of vs paid each meale fiftie soldi that is two lires and a halfe From hence we took the right way to Augsburg in Germany to Nurnberg Brunswick and to Stode an old Citie lying on the Northern Sea of Germany The particulars of which iourney I here omit hauing in my iourney to Ierusalem passed the very same way from Stode to Venice So as it shall suffice to adde some few things in generall Within the confines of Italy each man of vs paid for each meale fortie and sometimes fiftie Venetian soldi and for hay and stable for his horse commonly at noone foure soldi at night twelue soldi and for ten measures of oates giuen each day to each horse fiftie soldi After we entred Germany each man paid each meale commonly twentie creitzers at Inspruch twentie foure and somtimes twentie six creitzers for hay six creitzers a day or there-abouts and for ten measures of oates seruing one horse for a day wee paid fiftie creitzers In the middle Prouinces of Germany each of vs paid for each meale commonly sixteene creitzers that is foure batzen and in the parts vpon the Northerne sea some foure Lubeck shillings And from the Citie Armstat seated betweene Augsburg and Nurnberg to the said Northern sea side we had a new measure of oates called Hembd one of which measures was sold for some tenne Lubeck shillings and serued three horses for our baite at noone and another was almost sufficient for them at night From Stode seated vpon the German Sea we passed in a boat to the outmost Hauen where wee went abroad an English ship vpon the fourth of Iuly after the old stile being Tuesday The sixt of Iuly early in the morning we set sayle and the eight of Iuly we came vpon the most wished land of England and cast anchor neere Orford a Castle in Suffolke Vpon Saturday the ninth of Iuly after the old stile we landed at Grauesend and without delay with the night-tide passed in a boat to London where we ariued on Sunday at foure of the clock in the morning the tenth of
such an humble and heartie submission as they might recommend into England from him Tyrone by his answere of the two and twentie of Ianuarie acknowledged vnder his hand her Maiesties mercy therein extended to him and confessed offences and breaches of the Articles there signed withall desiring them to examine the wrongs and prouocations by which he had beene driuen thereunto and protesting his sorrow for these offences The same day he met the Commissioners neere Dundalke where he being on the one side of the Brooke they on the other hee put of his hat and holding it with great reuerence in his hand said to them That hee was come thither not onely to shew his duty to them as her Maiesties Commissioners but his inward desire to bee made continued a subiect When he would haue remembred the wrongs since his late Pardon prouoking him to disloialtie they cut him off by remembring him of all the benefits and that of his last pardon receiued from the Queene which should haue counterpoised his wrongs and haue kept him in duty He confessed this with shew of great remorse and protested before God and heauen that there was no Prince not creature whom he honoured as he did her Maiestie nor any Nation of people that he loued or trusted more then the English Protesting further that if her Maiestie would please to accept of him againe as a subiect and to take such course as hee might bee so continued thus still he reserued pretence of wrongs to shaddow his future disloialties then he doubted not but to redeeme all his faults past with some notable seruices Besides hee gaue answers to diuers questions and signed them after with his hand First asked what messages and letters had passed betweene Spaine and him he answered neuer to haue receiued any but incouragements from Spaine and assurances of an Army to aide him that he neuer had further contract with the Spaniards and that he had sent the King of Spaines letter aboue mentioned to the Lord Deputie and Counsell that he neuer receiued thence any money or ought of value nor any of his confederates to his knowledge Only Odonnel had some fifteene barrels of powder whereof he should haue had a portion but neuer had it Secondly for the late Submitties Pardons and Pledges hee vndertooke that with all speede the Pledges should be sent to Dublin with Agents to sue out the Pardon 's granted in the last Treatie at Dundalke Thirdly for his making O kealy he vowed that the Gentlemen of the Countrie made him and that he would hereafter neuer meddle in the causes of the Brenny Fourthly for the Rebels of Lemster and the Butlers he answered that he neuer had confederacy with any but Feogh Mac Hugh and for the Butlers hee neuer had any thing to doe with them Fiftly for Agents in Spaine he denied to haue any or to know any his confederates had Sixthly for his iealousie of the State hee auowed it to be vpon iust causes which hee would after make knowne This done hee desired Captaine Warren might come ouer the Brooke to him and then by him he requested that himselfe might come ouer to the Commissioners in token of his faithfull heart to her Maiestie which granted he with great reuerence saluted them and with hat in hand lifting vp his eyes to Heauen desired God to take vengeance on him if her Maiestie vouchsafing to make him a subiect and to cause the Articles of Dundalke to be kept to him he would not continue faithfull and desired neuer to see Christ in the face if he meant not as he spake He confessed that the Spanish ships lately arriued in the North had brought Odonnel the Kings letter signifying that he heard the Earle of Tirone to be dead and the Irish to haue receiued a great ouerthrow desiring to be aduertised of their State And that Odonnel before his comming had giuen answer that if the King sent an Army he would take his part and hoped the like of the other Irish. But at his comming that the Spanish Captaine excusing that the King had not written to him he only told him that promise had not been kept with him by the English and therefore he would not refuse the Kings promised aide And with many execrations swore that the Captaine left neither Munition nor Treasure with him and that he neuer receiued any thing from the King of Spaine but that letter ahoue mentioned which he sent to the Lord Deputy And that he neuer wrote but three letters into Spaine all about one time and as he thought all intercepted Lastly he vehemently denied to haue incited any Mounster men to rebellion since his last pardon So with like reuerence as formerly he tooke his leaue Vpon aduertisement hereof into England the Commissioners receiued ample power to conclude all things with Tyrone Thus much they made knowne to him by letters sent to him by his old friend Captaine Warren the ninth of March with instructions to appoint the second of Aprill the day of meeting at Dundalke which Tyrone accepted with shew of ioy to be receiued to her Maiesties mercy the sweetnes whereof he had often experienced and of feare to be pursued by her forces which he professed himselfe not able to resist But by his letters the fifteene of March he made doubt of meeting pretending that his pledges were not changed according to couenant nor restitution made him by those that had preyed his Country and that his confederates could not come so soone The Commissioners replyed by letters the two and twenty of March that these were but delayes since the pledges at the meeting vpon his putting in his eldest sonne for pledge should be restored and he in all things reasonably satisfied protesting that if he refused this occasion they could doe no more for him since her Maiesty would be no longer abused by his faire promises and delayes Adding that he must conforme himselfe to the directions they had and could not alter Master Secretary wrote out of England vnto the Commissioners the two and twenty of March That her Maiesty was displeased to haue the treaty thus delayed and charged to haue the meeting in a Towne as a submission of the Rebels not in the field as a parley That her Maiesty prepared for the warre resoluing not to haue any more treaties if this tooke not effect Lastly desiring them to acquaint the Lord Deputy with all their directions and the issues and to excuse his not writing to his Lordship thinking that the Commissioners were not at Dublyn with him Vpon the tenth of Aprill in the yeere 1597 the Commissioners againe pressed Tyrone by letters not to slacke his owne greatest good by delayes and appointed for the last day of meeting the sixteenth of that present moneth and that his confederats not able then to come should draw after as soone as they could protesting that this was the last time that they would write vnto him Tyrone on the
seuenteenth of April sent his reasons of not comming First iustifying his relaps into disloialty by the truce not obserued to him and because restitution was not made him of preyes taken from him which was promised Then excusing his not meeting because his pledges by the truce being from three moneths to three moneths to be changed were still detained yea his pledges the second time put in were kept together with the first And saying that he durst not come to the Lord Generall because many promises by him made being not kept he knew it was much against his honourable mind and so could not be perswaded but that the Lord Generall was ouerruled by the Lord Deputy so as he could not make good his promises without the Lord Deputies consent who shewed malice to him and was no doubt the cause of all the breaches of such promises as had beene made vnto him Againe in regard he heard that the Lord Bourgh was to come ouer Lord Deputy who was altogether vnknowne to him he protested to feare that the acts of the Lord Generall with him would not be made good wishing that rather the Lord Generall might be continued in his command for then he would be confident of a good conclusion Finally he desired a meeting neere Dundalke the sixe and twenty of Aprill but this appointment for the day being against the last finall resolution and for the place against her Maiesties directions there was no more speech of this treaty In the meane time Sir William Russell Lord Deputy by the managing of those and like affaires finding himselfe not duly countenanced out of England in the place he sustained had made earnest suit to be called home and accordingly about the end of May he was reuoked and the Lord Bourgh so he himselfe writes others write Burke and Camden writes Borough came ouer Lord Deputy The ill successe of the treaties and small progresse of the warres together with this vnexpected change of the Lord Deputy comming with supreme authority as well in martiall as ciuill causes brake the heart of Sir Iohn Norryes Lord Generall a leader as worthy and famous as England bred in our age Of late according to vulgar speech he had displeased the Earle of Essex then a great fauourite in Court and by his merites possessed of the superintendency in all martiall affaires For Sir Iohn Norryes had imbraced the action of Brest Fort in Britany and the warres in those parts when the Earle himself had purpose to entertaine them and preuailed against the Earle by vndertaking them with lesse forces then the Earle desired for the same And it was thought that the Earle had preferred the Lord Bourgh of purpose to discontent him in regard the said Lord Bourgh had had a priuate quarrell with the said Generall in England and that besides the superiour command of this Lord though otherwise most worthy yet of lesse experience in the warres then the Generall had could not but be vnsupportable to him esteemed one of the greatest Captaines of his time and yet hauing inferiour command of the Presidentship of Mounster in the same Kingdome Certainely vpon the arriuall of this new Lord Deputy presently Generall Norryes was commanded to his gouernement of Mounster and not to stirre thence without leaue When he came thither this griefe so wrought vpon his high spirit as it apparantly brake his braue and formerly vndaunted heart for without sickenes or any publike signe of griefe he suddenly died in the imbrace of his deere brother Sir Thomas Norreys his vicepresident within some two moneths of his comming into Mounster The Lord Bourgh at his entry into the place of Lord Deputy found all the North in Rebellion except seuen Castles with their Townes or Villages all but one lying towards the sea namely Newry Knockfergus Carlingford Greene-Castle Armagh Dondrom and Olderfleet And all Connaght was likewise in Rebellion together with the Earle of Ormonds nephewes the Butlers in Mounster In this moneth of May Ororke was sent into England by the King of Scots and there executed This Ororke seemes to haue beene expelled his Countrey when Sir Richard Bingham was Gouernour of Connaght but those of his name and the chiefe of them vsurping the Countrey of Letrym still continued Rebels Tyrone hitherto with all subtilty and a thousand sleights abusing the State when he saw any danger hanging ouer him by fained countenance and false words pretended humblest submission and hearty sorrow for his villanies but as soone as opportunity of pursuing him was omitted or the forces were of necessity to be drawne from his Countrey with the terror of them all his loyalty vanished yea he failed not to mingle secretly the greatest Counsels of mischiefe with his humblest submissions And these courses had beene nourished by the sloth of our Leaders the frugality of some of our counsellers and the Queenes inbred lenity yet of all other he had most abused the late Lord Generals loue to him and his credulity which specially grew out of his loue Now of this new Lord Deputy by letters hee requested a truce or cessation which it seemed good to the Lord Deputy to grant for a moneth in regard of the conueniency of her Maiesties present affaires not any way to gratifie the Rebell for he had no purpose to entertaine more speech of his submission or to slacke the pursuit of him and his confederates to which he was wholly bent He saw the lamentable effects which these cessations together with protections had hitherto produced and among other euils did specially resolue to auoid them Therefore assoone as the moneth of truce was expired the Lord Deputy aswell by his first actions to giue luster and ominous presage to his gouernement as because he iudged it best for the seruice to strike at the head presently drew the Forces towards Tyrone The Irish in a fastnes neere Armagh so they call straight passages in woods where to the natural strength of the place is added the art of interlacing the low bowes and casting the bodies of trees acrosse the way opposed the passage of the English who made their way with their swords and found that the Irish resolutely assaulted would easily giue ground Then the Lord Deputy assaulted the Fort of Blackewater formerly built by the English vpon the passage to Dungannon whence the Eurle at his first entering into rebellion had by force expelled the English as carefully as he would haue driuen poyson from his heart This Fort he soon wonne and repayring the same put a company of English souldiers into it to guard it But 〈◊〉 the Lord Deputy with the whole army were rendering thanks to God for this good succesle the 〈◊〉 shewed themselues out of the thicke woods neere adioyning on the North-side of the Fort so as the prayers were interrupted by calling to armes The English entered 〈◊〉 and preuayled against them driuing them to styeinto the thickest of their dens In this conflict were killed Francis Vaughan
Lord Deputies discretion But their Lordships aduised warily to obserue and know such as offered submission because it had alwaies been the Arch-traitors practise to let slip such as he could not defend that they might saue their goods and liue vpon her Maiestie without any intent to doe her seruice Lastly whereas the Lord of Dunkellin by his letters in regard of some restrictions whereby hee was disabled to serue her Maiestie as he desired had made offer to resigne the gouernement he had in the Prouince of Connaght And forasmuch as the Queene was alwaies vnwilling to imploy any great Lord in his owne Countrie yet finding him placed in that gouernement by the Earle of Essex had still continued him there only out of her speciall fauor to him And for that of late some insolencies had bin offered to Companies of the English by the old Earle of Clanrieards soldiers in her Maiesties pay Their Lordships signified that the Queenes pleasure was to accept the Lord of Dunkellins resignation in the fairest maner and withall carefull tendering of his honour aduising the Lord Deputie to inuite him to accompany his Lordship and serue in the Army vnder him And Sir Arthur Sauage then a Colonel of the Army and lying with his Company at Athlone was appointed prouisionall Gouernour of the Prouince of Connaght except the Lord Deputie knew some sufficient cause to the contrary The Lord Deputy hauing attained his end of drawing the Army into the North by the safe landing and setling of Loughfoyle Garrison in the farthest North of Ireland on Tyrones backe His Lordship the twentie eight of May hearing that Tyrone had drawne backe his men two miles further into the fastnesse and being informed that the Pace of the Moyrye by reason of much wet lately fallen and the Rebels breaking of the causey was hard to passe returned by Carlingford pace to Dundalke and so to Dublin where he vnderstood that the Rebels had in his absence burned the Pale though he left for defence of it 2000 foot and 175 horse in Lemster but the damage was not answerable to the clamour for many priuate men haue in England sustained greater losse by casuall fire in time of peace then the whole Pale had done by the enemies burning in warre and many priuate men in England haue in one yeere lost more cattel by a rot then the Pale lost by this spoyling of the rebels of which they lamentably complained Besides that indeede this burning and spoyling of the very Pale did further the greatest end of finishing the warres no way so likely to be brought to an end as by a generall famine Giue me leaue to digresse a little to one of the fatall periods of Robert the noble Earle of Essex his tragedy and the last but one which was his death whereof the following relation was sent into Ireland The fifth of Iune there assembled at Yorke-house in London about the hearing of my Lord of Essex his cause eighteene Commissioners viz. my Lord of Canterburie Lord Keeper Lord Treasurer Lord Admi Lords of Worcester Shrewsbury Cumberland Huntington Darby Zouch Mast. Comptroller Master Secretarie Sir Ihon Fortescu Lord Popham Chiefe Iustice Lord Anderson Chiefe Iustice of the common Pleas Lord Perian Chiefe Baron of the Exchequer Iustices Gaudy and Walmesley They sate from eight of the clock in the morning till very neere nine at night all at a long table in chaires At the Earles comming in none of the Commissioners stirred cap or gaue any signe of curtesie He kneeled at the vpper end of the Table and a good while without a cushion At length my Lord of Canterbury moued my Lord Treasurer and they ioyntly my Lord Keeper and Lord Admirall that sat ouer against them then was he permitted a cushion yet still was suffered to kneele till the Queenes Sergeants speech was ended when by the consent of the Lords he was permitted to stand vp and after vpon my Lord of Canterburies motion to haue a stoole The manner of proceeding was this My Lord Keeper first deliuered the cause of the assembly and then willed the Queenes Counsaile at Law viz Sergeant Attorney Solicitor and Master Bacon to informe against him The Sergeant began and his speech was not long onely a preface as it were to the accusations The summe of it was to declare the Queenes Princely care and prouision for the warres of Ireland and also her gratious dealing with the Earle before he went in discharging ten thousand pound of his debts and giuing him almost so much more to buy him horses and prouide himself and especially in her proceedings in this cause when as after so great occasion of offence as the consumption of a royall Army fruitlesse wasting thirty hundred thousand 〈◊〉 treasure contempt and disobedience to her expresse commandement she notwithstanding was content to be so mercifull towards him as not to proceede against him in any of her Courts of Iustice but only in this priuate sort by way of mercy and fauour After him the Attorney began whose speech contained the body and substance of the accusation it was very sharp stinging for besides the man faults of contempt and disobedience where with hee charged him he did also shrewdly inferre a dangerous disposition and purpose which was by many rhetoricall amplifications agrauated to the full he diuided his speech into three parts Quomodo ingressus Quomodo progressus Quomodo regressus In the ingresse hee obserued how large a Commission he stood vpon such a one as neuer any man had the like before namely that he might haue authoritie to pardon all Traytors of himselfe yea to pardon treason committed against her Maiesties owne person and that he might mannage the warres by himself without being tied to the aduice of the Counsell of Ireland which clause hee said was granted that he might at first proceede in the Northerne iourny which the Counsell of Ireland whose lands and liuings lay in the South might perhaps hinder and labor to diuert him to the safeguard of themselues In the other two parts of his speech were contained fiue speciall crimes wherwith the Earle was charged viz. His making the Earle of Southampton Generall of the Horse 2. His going to Lemster and Mounster when he should haue gone to Vlster 3. His making so many Knights 4. His conference with Tyrone 5. His returne out of Ireland contrary to her Maiesties command These all sauing the fourth were recited by the Lords in their censures as the crimes for which he was censured by them The first was amplified for that he did it contrary to her Maiesties mind plainely signified vnto him in England that hee increased that offence by continuing him in that office stil when her Maiesty by letters had expressely commanded him to displace him and thirdly for that he wrote a very bold presumptuous letter to her Maiesty in excuse of that offence which letter was afterwards read The second point of his Southerne iourny was agrauated
and first notably cleering the Earle from all suspition of disloyalty which he protested he did from his conscience and afterwards often iterated the same and preserued it vnto him entire he spake singularly for the iustifying of her Maiesties speciall care and wisdome for the warres in Ireland in prouiding whatsoeuer could be demanded by the Earle for that seruice before his going out with supplying him afterwards with whatsoeuer hee could aske so it were possible to bee giuen him in prescribing that course which had it beene followed was the onely way to haue reduced that Realme and which being forsaken was the onely ruine and losse of that royall army And as for all those excuses which the Earle alleaged for himselfe hee cleerely cut them off shewing that his excuse of following the Counsell of Irelands aduice was nothing his commission being so large that he was not bound to follow them and if he had beene yet were they a Counsell at his command he might force them to say what he list his own letters which he alleaged might be prouisionary written of purpose then to excuse him now To be short he greatly iustified her Maiesties wisdome in managing that whole action as much as lay in her and laid the whole fault of the bad successe in Ireland vpon the Earles ominous iourney so he called it into Mounster And thus in the behalfe of her Maiesty he fully satisfied the Auditors Master Secretary gaue the Earle his right alwaies and shewed more curtesie then any yet saied he the Earle in all his iourney did nothing else but make as it were circles of errours which were all bound vp in the vnhappy knot of his disobedient returne Also he gaue the Earle free liberty to interrupt him at any time in his speech But the Earle being contented with the opinion of loyalty so cleerely reserued vnto him was most willing to beare the whole burthen of all the rest of the accusation and therefore neuer vsed any further reply onely by reason of a question or two that were moued by my Lord of Canterbury and my Lord Admirall some little speech there was to and fro My Lord of Canterburies question was concerning the conditions of yeelding vnto Tyrone in tolleration of religion the Earle heartily thanked him for mouing that doubt then protested that it was a thing mentioned in deed but neuer yeelded vnto by him nor yet stood vpon by the Traitor to whom the Earle had said plainely Hang thee vp thou carest for religion as much as my horse Master Secretary also cleered the Earle in that respect that he neuer yeelded to Tyrone in that foule condition though by reason of Tyrones vaunting afterwards it might haue some shew of probability By reason of my Lord Admirals question the Earle spake somewhat of his returne that he did it vpon a false ground of hope that her Maiesty might pardon him as shee did the Earle of Leicester in the like case who returned out of the Low-Countries contrary to her Maiesties expresse Letter This I thought with my selfe quoth the Earle if Leicester were pardoned whose end was onely to saue himselfe why might not Essex be pardoned whose end was to saue a Kingdome But Master Secretary replied that vpon his knowledge there neuer passed any letter from her Maiesty to forbid the Earle of Leicesters returne Iudge Walmesley his speech was more blunt then bitter Prisoners at our barres saith he are more gracelesse they will not confesse their faults Againe he compared my Lord his comming home and leauing the army there to a shepheard that left his flocke to the keeping of his dogge In conclusion the Earle protested that all he sought for was the opinion of a true and a loyall subiect which might appeare by the speech wherewith he hedged in all his answeres namely that he intended onely to shew those false guides which misled him whether they were his owne errours or the errours of his Counsellors whom he followed that he yeelded himselfe wholly to her Maiesties mercy and fauour and was ready to offer vp his poore carkasse vnto her he would not say to doe for alasse he had no faculties but to suffer whatsoeuer her Maiesty should inflict vpon him and so requested them all to make a iust honourable and fauourable report of his disordered speeches which had fallen from him in such sort as his aking head and body weakened with sickenesse would giue him leaue This done they proceeded to the censure My Lord Keeper beganne with a good powerfull and eloquent speech That by Iustice and Clemency the Throne is established as for mercy her Maiesty had reserued it to her selfe but for the satisfying of her Iustice shee had appointed them to enquire into the cause That they were to enquire onely of those faults of contempts and disobedience laid vnto the Earle and to censure him accordingly and for her mercy they had nothing to doe with it onely God was to worke it in her Princely breast In examining the Earles faults he laid these for his grounds that the two grounds and foundations of the Princes Scepter and Estate are the reputation of a diligent and carefull prouidence for the preseruation of her estate and Countries and the obedience of her Subiects and he that should take either of these from her should take from her the Crowne and Scepter For the first he notably shewed at large how her Matesty had deserued it in the whole course of the Irish warres for obedience he shewed the nature of it consisting in precisely following the streight line of the Princes commandement and vpon that straine he amplified to the vttermost all the Earles contempts and disobediences that her Maiesties great mercy might appeare the more cleerely Among the rest for he went through them all in order he answered thus to the pretence of Leicesters president for excuse of the Earles returne In good things the example is better then the imitation of another he that doth wel of his owne head doth best and he that doth well by imitation doth commendably in a lesse degree but in bad things the proportion is otherwise the example being naught the imitation is worse Therefore if my Lord of Leicester did euill in comming ouer contrary to the Queenes commandement my Lord of Essex did worse in imitating my Lord of Leicester and is so much the more to be punished for it In the end he came to the censure which was this If quoth he this cause had beene heard in the Starre-chamber my sentence must haue beene so great a sine as euer was set vpon any mans head in that Court and perpetuall imprisonment in that place which belongeth to a man of his quality that is the Tower but now that we are in another place and in a course of fauour my censure is that he is not to execute the office of a Counsellor nor to hold himselfe for a Counsellor of Estate nor to execute the office of Earle
disposed At Carickefergus Sir Arthur Chichester Gouernour 200. Sir Foalke Conway 150. Captaine Billings 150. Captaine Phillips 150. Captaine Norton 100. Captaine Egerton 100. Foot 850. Sir Arthur Chichester 25. Captaine Iohn Iephson 100. Horse 125. At Lecaile Sir Richard Moryson Gouernour 150. Captaine Toby Cawfield 150. Foot 300. These following forces when they should be drawne out for conuoy of victuals or otherwise were to be commanded in chiefe by Sir Francis Stafford and were thus disposed in seuerall garrisons At the Newry Sir Francis Stafford Gouernour 200. Captaine Iostas Bodley 150. Sir William Warren 100. Foot 450. Sir Francis Stafford 50 Horse At Mount Norreis Captaine Edward Blaney Gouernour 150. Captaine Atherton 150 Sir Samuell Bagnoll 150. Captaine Rotheram 150. Foot 600. Sir Samuell Bagnoll 50 Horse At Armagh Sir Henry Dauers Couernour 150. Sir H. Follyot 150. Capt. Guest 150. Capt. Thomas Roper 150. Captaine Francis Roe 100. Capt. Treuer 100. Foot 800. Sir Henry Dauers 100. Captaine Darcy 25. Horse 125. At Blackewater Captaine Williams Gouernour 150. Captaine Constable 100. Sir Garret Moore 100. Foot 350. The twenty foure of August his Lordship leauing the field rode backe to the Newry from whence he sent one W. an Englishman in bonds to the Lords in England for the reasons following Sir Henry Dauers after his elder brothers perishing in the late Earle of Essex his attempt was desirous by actiue prosecution of the Rebels to deserue her Maiesties good opinion And for this cause as for that hee was enabled to doe great seruices aswell by his noble vertues as by the command he formerly and now had both of horse and foot his Lordship in speciall loue to him being most willing to giue him all opportunity to attaine this his desire appointed him Gouernour of Armagh aduising him to be often stirring with the forces vnder his command and to practise what possibly he could deuise vpon the person of the Arch-traitor To him this Englishman made offer to kill Tyrone yet would not discouer his plot for greater secrecy as he pretended neither would he presse him further since he required no assistance and so in the night he was suffered to goe by the watches and passed to Tyrones Campe whence he was imploied to the Ilander Scots and comming to Sir Arthur Chithester hands was by him sent backe from Knockefergus to his Lordship at the Newry where being examined what he had done in Tyrones Campe he auowed that once he had drawne his sword to kill him though vnder pretence of bragging what he would doe for his seruice yet gaue he no good accompt of his actions or purposes but behaued himselfe in such sort as his Lordship iudged him franticke though not the lesse fit for such a purpose Now because hee had not performed that he vndertooke and gaue an ill accompt of himselfe in this action his Lordship aswell for the discharge of Sir H. Dauers who imploied him as of himselfe who consented therevnto and aduised Sir H. Dauers so to doe thought good to send him prisoner to the Lords that he might be there examined where by reason of his friends dwelling in London they might be sufficiently informed of the mans quality The fiue and twentieth his Lordship and the Counsel there present wrote from the Newry this following letter to the Lords in England IT may please your Lordships Since our last letters we haue for the most part imploied our selues in putting vp as great quantity of victuals as we could to Armagh and the Blackewater being loath to ingage our selues into any thing which wee had further purposed vntill we should see the issue of this assured expectation of the Spaniards inuasion or till we might by some meanes better strengthen this Army Of the first we haue reason to be iealous both by many arguments of assured confidence in this people of present succour and by the arriuall of a Spanish ship in which the Arch-traytors agent is returned with assurance that he left the Spanish forces ordained for his aide in a readinesse to set out For the strengthening of our Armie wee had good reason to bee prouident considering the weakenesse thereof and especially of the English and finding by experience the rebels strength now when he had none but the forces nourished in Tyrone to assist him Wherefore hearing that Sir Henrie Dockwra had planted a Garrison at Dunnagall and had left O Donnel possessed in a manner of nothing in Tirconnel and that vpon the late ariuall of his munition he intended to be actiue in those parts neere Loughfoyle and vnderstanding by Master Secretary that about the twelfth of August there were two thousand men to be supplied for Mounster we resolued to send for some of the Companies in Connaght of the Mounster Lyst and to put the rest into Galloway and thereabouts for the assurance of those parts and vpon the receiuing of that addition to our strength to haue drawne to Monaghan and spoiled the Corne of that Country being of exceeding quantitie or if we had seene reason to haue left a Garrison there and to haue inabled it to gather the most part of that Corne for their better prouision or otherwise to haue continued the prosecution in these parts vntil we should heare of the Spaniards landing or by any assurance of their not comming should be at liberty to proceede in our former purposes But receiuing answere from the Captaines of Mounster that they had direction not to stirre from Connaght vpon any other order whatsoeuer then from the President of Mounster in regard of the present expectation of Spaniards to land in those parts and we thereby being not so well able to wade any further in our determinations for the North receiuing some probable intelligence that the place designed for the Spaniards landing was Sligo wee resolued to leaue the Northerne Garrisons very strong in foote and horse and as well prouided with meanes as we can and to draw our selues with the rest of our force towards Connaght appointing the rest of the Couusel to meete vs in the way at Trym to aduise with vs of the best course to establish the heart of the Pale and to answere the present expectation of Spanish forces And although by our suddaine leauing the North we haue ommitted some things which wee conceiued to bee of great consequence to the seruice yet if it shall please your Lordships to supply the foundations we haue laid in those parts with one thousand shot according to our former sute and with store of victuals for the Garrisons in Winter we hope you shall finde no small effect of our Summers labour But seeing we are perswaded that if any Spanish forces arriue they wil land at Sligo where they haue a fit place to fortifie to be relieued by sea to vnite themselues with all the Rebels force and where they haue a faire Countrie to possesse with an casie way by the rebels assistance into Mounster or the hart of the
with victuals munition and other necessaries from Dublyn without which we saw it would be to little purpose to take the field But when we had staied there till the sixteenh were not prouided of munition none being come to vs from Dublyn or from Lymricke whether we had likewise sent to haue some brought to vs and wanting both victuals and most of the prouisions belonging necessarily to so great a siege yet to inuest the Town where the Spaniards are lodged from receiuing succours both of victuals and of such as were disposed to ioine with them and withall to auoid the opinion which the Countrey beganne to conceiue of our weakenes because wee did not draw into the field we resolued the sixteenth day to rise and the next day did sit downe within lesse then halfe a mile of the Towne keeping continuall guardes round about the enemy We can assure your Lordships that we doe not thinke our selues much stronger if any thing at all in numbers then they are whose army at their setting to sea did beare the reputation of sixe thousand and we haue cause to iudge them because since our last letters to your Lordships there arriued another ship at Kinsale which brought fiue hundred men more vnto them now to be aboue foure thousand by the Pole In both these points of number in reputation or by Pole they differ not much from ours for it may please your Lordships to consider that the whole force we can draw into this Prouince leauing the Pale Connaght and the North prouided for as it may appeare by this inclosed note they are in some measure doth not exceede in lyst 7000 and of those we are enforced to leaue some part vpon the borders towards Lymricke to be some stay to the whole Countrey and it must in reason be thought that our Companies generally are weake in numbers seeing they haue had no supplies of a long time and that we desire two thousand to reinforce them besides that many are taken out of them for necessary wards some are sicke and many of the Northerne Companies lie yet hurt since the late great skirmishes against Tyrone which they performed with good successe but a little before they were sent for to come hither Wee doe assuredly expect that many will ioine with Tyrone if hee onely come vp towards these parts and almost all the Swordmen of this Kingdome if we should not keepe the field and the countenance of being Masters thereof how ill prouided soeuer wee doe find our selues Wherefore wee most humbly and earnestly desire your Lordships to hasten away at the least the full number of such supplies of horse and foote as we doe write for in our last and that it will please your Lordships to beleeue from vs that if the Countrie should ioyne with Tyrone and make a defection our chiefe securitie will be in the horse we must receiue out of England for the most of these here already are much weakned and harazed out with their continuall employment in euery seruice It may also please your Lordships to consider that in a siege where foure thousand such men as these Spaniards are possessed of any place whatsoeuer there will bee necessarily required royall prouisions and great numbers to force them neither can it bee thought but the sword and season of the yeere will continually waste our Army so as we are enforced earnestly to desire your Lordships while this action is in hand to send vs continuall supplies without which this Army will not be able to subsist And although grieued with her Maiesties huge expence we are loth to propound for so many men as are conceiued to be needefull and profitable for the present prosecution of this dangerous warre yet wee are of opinion that the more men her Maiesty can presently spare to be imployed in this Countrie the more safe and sudden end it will make of her charge And not without cause we are moued to solicite your Lordships to consider thereof since wee now perceiue that we haue an Army of old and disciplined souldiers before vs of foure thousand Spaniards that assuredly expect a far greater supply and much about twenty thousand fighting men of a furious and warlike nation of the Irish which wee may iustly suspect will all declare themselues against vs if by our supplies and strength out of England they doe not see vs likely to prēuaile These Prouincials a few of Carbry only excepted appertaining to Florence Mac Carty do yet stand firme but no better then neutralitie is to be expected from those which are best affected nor is it possible to discouer their affections vntill Tyrone with the Irish Forces doe enter into the Prouince who as the Councell at Dublin write is prouiding to come hither The supplies from Spaine are presently expected If they should arriue before our Army be strengthened out of England or before this Towne of Kinsale be taken it must be thought a generall defection through out the Kingdome wherein wee may not except the Townes will ensue and then the warre will be drawne to a great length and the euent doubtfull If the Queenes ships doe not in time come to Kinsale our taske will bee very heauie with this small Army to force so strong an enemie so well prouided of all necessaries for the warre Wherefore wee humbly beseech the sending of them away which will not onely giue vs a speedie course to winne the Towne but also assure the coasts for our supplies and giue an exceeding stay to the Countrie the enemie fearing nothing more and the subiect desiring nothing so much as the arriuall of her Maiesties Fleete The sixtie lasts of Powder and sixe pieces of battery with their necessaries the victuals and all things else written for in our former letters wee humbly desire may presently bee dispatched hither and although so great a masse of victuals as is needefull cannot bee sent at an instant wee desire it may bee sent as it can bee prouided and directed for the hauen of Corke What wee shall bee able to doe till our supplies come wee cannot say but what we shall haue reason to feare except they come in time your Lordships may iudge Onely wee assure your Lordships that her Maiestie with the helpe of God shall finde wee will omit nothing that is possible to bee done nor shunne any thing that may bee suffered to doe her the seruice wee owe vnto her If in the meane time by all our letters both to the Councell at Dublin and all others in this Countrie to whom we haue occasion to write we giue out these Spaniards to bee in number not three thousand in their meanes scant and miserable in their persons weake and sickely and in their hopes dismayed and amazed we hope your Lordships will conceiue we do that but for the countenancing of our party and to keepe as many as we can from falling from vs. On the other side Don Iean de l'Aguyla the Spanish
Generall hath vsed many arguments to moue the Irish to defection and among other which is very forceable and fearefull vnto their wauering spirits he telles them that this is the first great action that the King his Master hath vndertaken and assures them he hath protested that he will not receiue scorne in making good his enterprise and that he will rather hazard the losse of his Kingdoms then of his Honour in this enterprise The Priests likewise to terrifie the consciences threaten hell and damnation to those of the Irish that doe not assist them hauing brought Bulles for that purpose and send abroad Indulgences to those that take their parts These and such like pollicies as their offering of sixe shillings a day to euery horseman that will serue them doe so preuaile with this barbarous Nation as it is a wonder vnto vs that from present staggering they fall not to flat defection as they will soone doe if they once discouer them of abilitie to giue vs one blow before the comming of our supplies and meanes which wee are most earnestly to solicite your Lordships to hasten assuring your Lordships that nothing will more confirme the state of this Kingdome then the arriuall of her Maiesties Fleete which wee are resolued by the best iudgements may be imployed in these parts to preuent the arriuall of forraine succours Yet in the meane time we will omit nothing that shall be feasable with the force we haue neither haue we been idle since our comming hither hauing had continuall skirmishes whereof two especially were well performed by our men The first the twentieth of this moneth when the enemy by night sallyed with more then a thousand foote to cut off a guard of horse we kept neere the Towne and purposing to attempt something on our Campe but three hundred of our men led by Sir Iohn Barkley did incounter them and beat them backe with losse of many of their men and some bodies left in the field by whose spoile our men were incouraged and returned with triumph The other the next day when Cormock Mac Dermot chiefe Lord of Muskerie comming to the Campe to shew vs his rising out we willed him to returne by the Spaniards trenches that they might see the Irish serue on our side against them where they entertained a good skirmish but soone falling off a horseman was engaged and vnhorsed but Sir William Godolphin with my troope rescued him charging close to their trenches in a way flancked by two trenches and filled with great numbers of shot yet returned to our great maruell with little or no hurt hauing beaten them from their strength and killed many of their men whereof they left some behind them besides others wee saw them carry off From this beginning we hope God will so blesse our iust quarrell as shortly we shall haue cause to enforme you of better successe We vnderstand that Tyrone will presently come hither which if he doe your Lordships can iudge how weake we are to deale both with him and the Spaniards The same day his Lordship wrote this following letter to Master Secretarie SIr what we desire and how our affaires are disposed of you haue by our general letters to my Lords Now I will desire that my vnremoueable affection may be held as a conclusion so absolutely granted that I may no more trouble you with any ceremonies for you shall finde that I will not value my life nor any fortune of this world to make you assured demonstration thereof when I shall haue the happinesse to haue power and occasion to shew it Onely now touching the point of my Lord Presidents comming ouer to take from you any doubt that in my owne particular I could not earnestly concurre with you I doe protest on my Christianitie that I know no man in this Kingdome that I could haue been better pleased should haue been the deliuerer of my affections and actions then himselfe and by him vnto you and from you might haue deliuered and receiued much which I desire most to doe neither do I know any who I conceiue could haue deliuered more sufficiently the present state of this Kingdome nor propounded to greater purpose for her Maiesties seruice the course that will be fittest for you in England to embrace But against mine owne priuate desire he hath opposed his own peremptory distaste of the motion with this protestation to hate me if I should vrge it Besides it seemes to me against the publike commodity in so weighty a cause to send away so worthy an instrument and depriue our selues of the assistance we receiue thereby at this time especially the stage of this great action being chiefly in his owne Prouince in the which the successe of his gouernement doth best shew what authority his iudgement and presence doth carry So that I conclude for your sake his owne and mine but especially for the publike at this time he cannot well be spared from hence besides that he hath vowed to fall out with all if it be vrged And although these spoiles of ambition are of all other the most vnwillingly shared by men of our profession yet I protest I am glad euen in this great goale of honour to runne equally with him and to participate with all his aduentures This band of the honour we beare to you and mutuall affection to each other hauing for chiefe knot the seruice of our dearest Soueraigne there is no corruption that may be likely to dissolue it and therefore I hope it is tied by the hand of God and it shall not be in the power of man to loose it I am assured that you and I thinke the State of England cannot but conceiue the importance of our worke for now I act a est alia betweene England and Spaine and we that doe play the game haue least interest in the stake though we will winne or loose our liues to shew that we doe not play booty wherefore I hope you will not forget vs for vestrares agitur And let this onely argument which I could confirme with many circumstances oppose it selfe against the Counsels of those that will sell their birth rites in Heauen it selfe to please their owne enuious and partiall pallates that the warre of the Low-Countries was begunne and hath beene maintained with few more naturall Spaniards then are arriued here already and that putting armes and discipline into this people they are more warlike then any of his auxiliaries Sir I will trouble you no longer being desirous to doe somewhat worth the writing God send vs an Easterly winde and vnto you as much happines as I doe wish vnto my owne soule From the Campe by Kinsale this 24 of October 1601 Yours Sir most assured for euer to doe you seruice Mountioy The fiue and twenty the Army was ready to rise but the weather falling out very foule direction was giuen not to dislodge Foure naturall Spaniards came this day to vs from the Enemy who the
easily they might haue been if we had not sought well to preuent it I assure my se fe that al the Townes of this Prouince would haue reuolted and the current of that fortune would haue run so violently through all Ireland that it would haue been too late o haue stopped it For the second the difficulties of a winters siege in this Countrie where by reason of the great numbers of the besieged we are forced to keep strong and continual guards will soone waste a greater Army then ours if God doe not mightily blesse vs for the weather is so extreme that many times we bring our Sentinels dead from the stations and I protest euen our chiefe Commanders whose diligence I cannot but mightily commend doe many of them looke like spirits with toyle and watching vnto the which we are with good reason moued since there be many examples that where an enemy can sally out with two or three thousand men they haue defeated Armies that haue been trebble our number But now besides these ordinary difficulties which in al winter sieges doe waste or make vnprofitable the greatest part of an Army when wee are to make our neerest approches to force them we cannot doe it without great losse for although the Towne be weake against the Canon yet can we plant the Canon no where but they haue places that do absolutely command it so that the towne is weak to defend it self yet exceeding strong to offend which is the best part that art can adde to any fortification and this is so well prouided by nature that from one hill they beat into any ground that wee can lodge in neere them All these difficulties and many more I doe not alleage as being any waies diffident of the great fauour that God is determined to shew her Maiestie in this action but that you may in some measure guesse that wee are not so improuident in her Maiesties cause as to require an army and charge of greater proportion then is fit for such a taske the which when wee haue performed with that happinesse that I hope the eternall God will blosse vs with all I will then say and proue it vnto you at large A Domine factum est hoc mirahilc est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nostris Sir if I should write all vnto you that I haue a desire to let you know both for the publike and my priuate I should not end my letter before the time that I hope we shall beate the Spaniards but hauing been vp most of this night it groweth now about foure a clocke in the morning at which time I lightly chuse to visit our Guards my selfe and am now going about that businesse in a morning as cold as a stone and as darke as pitch and I pray Sir think whether this be a life that I take much delight in who heretofore in England when I haue had a suite to the Queene could not lie in a tent in the Summer nor watch at night till she had supped but by God Sir I will doe for Queene Elizabeth that which I will not doe for my selfe and willingly and be you my pledge that I will faithfully serue her against all the World or any in the World or else I beseech God now I am going out that I may neuer returne aliue to my House of Turffe in the which I write this at her Maieistes Campe before Kinsale This thirteenth of November 1601. The thirteenth day our Fleet recouered the mouth of Kinsale Harbour but could not get in the wind being strong against them The foureteenth day the Fleete with much difficulty warped in and recouered the Harbour whence the Admirall and Vice-Admirall came to the Lord Deputy at the Campe. This night and the next day the two thousand foot sent vnder Captaines in the Queenes shippes were landed and came to the Campe. And the fifteenth day in the afternoone the Lord Deputy went aboard the shippes whence returning to the Campe the Enemy discerned him riding in the head of a troop of horse and made a shot out of the Town at him which grazed so neere him that it did beat the earth in his face In these ships were sent vnto vs not onely artillery and munition but also speciall Officers to attend the same as fiue Canoneers two Blacke-smiths two Wheele-wrights and two Carpenters This day the Lord Deputy was aduertised that according to his former direction Sir Christopher S t Laurence was come out of the Pale and the Earle of Clanrickard out of Connaght to the Lord Presidents campe to whom his Lordship wrote that if the Rebels should slip by him he should be carefull to come vp with his Forces to our campe so as hee might arriue there to ioine with vs before the Rebels came vp so farre The Queenes ships after they had saluted the Lord Deputy at his going aboard with thundering peales of Ordinance had direction the next day to beat vpon a Castle in the Iland called Castle Nyparke which the Lord Deputy was resolued to make his next worke to beat the Spaniards out of it and so to inuest the Towne on that side This some of the ships performed and brake the top of the Castle but finding that they did it no greater hurt and that the weather was extreame stormy they ceased shooting This day his Lordship gaue direction that the hundred horse one thousand foot which first landed at Castle Hauen and now were arriued from thence in the Harbour of Kinsale should be conducted to Corke to refresh themselues for being beaten at Sea and now landed in extreame weather and in a Winter Campe where they had no meanes to be refreshed they beganne to die and would haue beene lost or made vnseruiceable if this course had not beene taken to hearten them This day and for many daies after diuers Spaniards ranne from the Towne to vs by whom we vnderstood that in the tenth daies skirmish the aboue named Captaine Soto a man of speciall accompt was slaine The seuenteenth day the weather continued stormy so as neither that day nor the next we could land our Ordinance or doe any thing of moment yet because this was the day of her Maiesties Coronation which his Lordship purposed to solemnize with some extraordinary attempt if the weather would haue suffered vs to looke abroad wee sent at night when the storme was some what appeased the Seriant Maior and Captaine Bodley with some foure hundred foot to discouer the ground about Castle N. parke and to see whether it might be carried with the Pickaxe which was accordingly attempted but the engine we had gotten to defend our men while they were to worke being not so strong as it should haue beene they within the Castle hauing store of very great stones on the top rumbled them downe so fast as they broke it so that our men returned with the losse of two men proceeded no further in that course The eighteenth day the Lord
answere at the gate that they held the Town first for Chhist and next for the King of Spaine and so would defend it Contratanti Vpon his returne with this answere the Lord Deputy commanded to make battery with all our Artillery planted all on the East side of the Towne which was presently performed and continuing till towards night brake downe great part of the East gate In the meane time the Spaniards being retired in great numbers into their trenches on the West side to escape the fury of our Ordinance on the East side Sir Christopher S. Laurence was commanded to draw out from our new Campe on the West side and to giue vpon them in their trenches which he performed and did beat them out of the Trenches following them to the very gates of the Towne killing many and hurting more of them and so returned without losse of a man on our side hauing onely some few hurt The nine twentieth all our Artillery plaied vpon the Town and brake downe most part of the Easterne gate and some part of a new worke the Enemy had made before the gate This day two Spaniards wrote from Kinsale to some of their friends prisoners in our Campe whom they stiled poore Souldiers when we knew them to be men of accompt and withall sent them such money as they wanted yet vnder the title of Almes as if they had neither mony of their owne nor were of credit to be trusted for any The last day of Nouember Sir Richard Wingfield the Marshall tooke some fifty shot and went to the wall of the Towne to view the fittest place for vs to make a breach the Spaniasds made a light skirmish with them and hurt some few The Marshall when he had well viewed the wall drew the shot off and iudging the wall close to the Easterne gate on the right hand to be fittest for the making of a breach he gaue present order that our artillery should beat vpon that place which was done without intermission and therewith we brake downe before night a great part of the wall which the Enemy in the night attempted to make vp againe but was beaten from it by our Guards who plaied vpon them with small shot most part of the night In the euening a Spaniard ranne away from Kinsale to our campe who reported to the Lord Deputy that our Artillery had killed diuers Captaines and Officers in the Towne besides many priuate souldiers The first of December it was resolued in Counsell of State and by the Counsell of Warre namely the chiefe Commanders and Colonels that some foote should bee drawne out of the campe to giue the Spaniard a brauado and to view if the breach we had made were assaultable and also to cause the Spaniards to shew themseues that our Artillery might the better play vpon them To this purpose two thousand foot commanded by Sir Iohn Barkeley the Sergiant Maior and Captaine Edward Blany were presently put in Armes and drawne neere the wals of the Towne who entertained a very hot skirmish with the Spaniards who were lodged in a trench close to the breach without the Towne During this skirmish our Artillery plaied vpon those that shewed themselues either in the breach or in the trench and killed many of them besides such as were killed and hurt by our small shot Among the rest on Captaine Moryson a Spaniard of whom as one of the pledges vpon the composition we shal haue cause to speake hereafter walked crosse the breach animating his men and though S r Richard Wingfield our Marshall caused many both great and smal shot to be made at him with promise of 20 pound to him that should hit him or beat him off whereupon many great shot did beat the durt in his face and stories about his eares yet all the skirmish he continued walking in this braue manner without receiuing any hurt Many thinke them best souldiers who are often and dangerously hurt but it is an errour for wounds are badges of honour yet may befall the coward assoone as the valiant man and I haue knowne most aduenmrous men who neuer receiued wound Pardon this my digression not warrantable in a iournall I will onely adde that braue souldiers for the starres haue a kinde of power in our birth are by some secret influence preserued when others intruding themselues into that course of life or driuen to it by necessity of estate fall at the first allarum And to speake theologically God preserues vs but stil in our waies so as he who without calling rushes into another way then his own hath no warrant of diuine protection After an howers fight when we had taken full view of the breach and found it not assaultable our men were drawne off with little or no dammage on our part onely three of our men were hurt and Captaine Guests Horse was killed vnder him which Captaine first had killed two Spaniards with his owne hand The same day it was resolued in counsell to plant a Fort on a Rath on the West side of the Towne to lodge therein some foote for seconds to the guard of our artillery intended to be planted neere the same And to this purpose in the night following the Marshall the Sergiant Maior Captaine Edward Blany and Captaine Iosias Bodley Trenchmaster the Lord Deputy being almost all night present with them drew out fiue and twenty of each company and intrenching themselues on the said hill not halfe Calliuers shot from the Towne beganne to cast vp a small Fort. And though the Spaniards perceiued not their purpose yet many of them lying in a trench they possessed close to the West gate did play very hotly all night on our men guarding the Pyoners and ours did no lesse on them so that diuers were hurt and killed on both sides But the second day of December about nine in the morning when a great myst beganne to breake and they discouered our worke a yard high then from the said Trenches and more from the Castles and high places in the Towne they plied vs all the day with small shot Notwithstanding which annoyance our men brought the work to very good perfection before night In the meane time a Serieant to Captaine Blany drew out some seuen or eight shot and suddenly fell into a Trench which some Spaniards possessed close by the Towne of whom the Serieant killed two and each of the rest one with their owne hands But when not content therewith they attempted another Trench something distant from the first the Serieant in going on was shot through the body and two of his Company were hurt in bringing him off and so returned with this and no more losse This night the Trenches where the Cannon was planted on the East side of the Towne were manned with the Lord Deputies guard commanded by Captaine Iames Blount with Sir Thomas Bourkes Company and Sir Beniamin Berries company both commanded by their Lieftenants by Captaine Rotherams company
twentieth of December the eleuenth of Ianuary which were the first that wee receiued out of England since the arriuall of Sir Richard Leuison with our munition and supplies And although we haue vpon euery important reuolution of our businesse dispatched vnto your Lordships both our estate and desires yet we humbly desire your Lordships pardon for the omission of our dutie to enforme you more often of our present estate the chiefe cause thereof being the respect and feare wee haue to possesse you with such falsehoods as it seemeth they doe which vndertake more liberally to aduertise your Lordships of the estate of our affaires for in no place doe all intelligences come apparrelled euen to them that are neerest vnto them in more deceiueable mists vntill time and great obseruation discouereth the truth So that if we should write vnto your Lordships often according to our best informations wee should present to your Reuerent iudgements such ridiculous contrarieties as would giue you occasion to confound your determinations and to condemne vs. But in generall we beseech your Lordships to remember that as wee haue in all our dispaches declared our hopes to ouercome all difficulties out of the confidence of our good cause and alacritie to serue her Maiestie so we haue continually propounded how great and difficult a warre it was in which we were ingaged in that without Gods miraculous preseruation the Army in a winters siege would so decay as it must haue pleased your Lordships continually to supply it with men victuals and munition Also we propounded that we held it a matter of no small danger and great difficulty to force such and so many men in a place of the least aduantage That wee expected no lesse then a generall reuolt and a powerfull combination of the Rebels against vs. Lastly againe we humbly desire your Lordships to remember that we haue promised nothing but the vttermost of our faithfull Counsels and endeauours to accomplish in that seruice her Maiesties purpose And therefore we are most heartily sorry that by our faithfull and sincere Counsels and our extreame induring in the execution thereof howsoeuer the euent were not so speedily happy as we desired and laboured for yet it was not our happinesse that her Maiestie should receiue so much satisfacti by Sir Oliuer Saint Iohns as wee hoped to haue giuen her vpon the former probabilities Yet when it shall please your Lordships throughly to consider our difficulties by the true relation thereof with all materiall circumstances we presume it will appeare that we could haue done no more and we must only attribute it vnto God that we haue done so much By Sir Henrie Dauers your Lordships haue been acquainted at large with all our proceedings vntill that present Since which time the effects of that victory which it pleased God of his infinite goodnesse to giue vs against the traitors vpon Christmas Eue haue appeared by great and vnexpected good thereof insusuing for the Rebels are broken and dispersed O Donnel Redmond Bourke and Hugh Mostyon all Arch-rebels haue imbarked themselues with Sirriage for Spaine and that without Tyrones knowledge and contrary to his aduise and will they hauing only left behind them in Mounster with the Prouinciall Rebels Tyrrell and a small force with him being dispersed by smal companies in Carbery Beere Desmond Kerry and the County of Lymrick Tyrone in great feare and with a speedy march hasted out of the Prouince of Mounster loosing vpon euery Foard many of his Foote but especially in passing the Riuers of Broadwater of May in Connolagh and at the Abbey Owney in O Malryans Country At which Foards the waters being high as we are informed he lost aboue two hundred men and all the way as he went the wearied foote cast away their Armes which those of the Country gathered vp and with all tooke some of their heads but not so many as they might haue done if they had regarded their duties as they ought Their tired horses were slaine by their riders Their hurt men which escaped at the ouerthrow and were carried away vpon garrons died vpon the way and foure principall Gentlemen whereof wee vnderstand Tyrone himselfe was one and Mac Mahown another the rest are not knowne yet were caried in litters Since his departure from O mulryans Country we heare nothing of him but we assure your Lordships that the dismay in which they were and still are is incredible Vpon New-yeeres Eue Don Iean sent a letter vnto me the Deputy the copy whereof is here within sent vnto your Lordships The next day Sir William Godolphin was sent with instructions to receiue from Don Iean the points whereof hee desired to treate whose discreete carriage in so weighty a cause wherein hee performed as much as in discretion and iudgement could be required was such as without doing the Gentleman wrong we may not omit to recommend him to your honourable fauours he being as by experience we may truly report wise valiant and of many extraordinary good parts The copy of the articles agreed vpon betweene vs and Don Iean subscribed by either part your Lordships with these shall likewise receiue hoping that in the same we haue done nothing but that which shall be agreeable to your Lordships and which as we suppose our present estate duly considered vehemently vrged vs to imbrace Now our great care is to hasten these Spaniards away who are as Don Iean affirmes no lesse by pole then three thousand fiue hundred The defect of shipping is our chiafe want They and wee are in equall paine for they are no lesse desirous to bee gone then we are to send them away The contempt and scorne in which the Spaniards hold the Irish and the distaste which the Irish haue of them are not to bee beleeued by any but those who are present to see their behauiours and heare their speeches insomuch as we may probably opniecture that by such time as Don Iean with his sorces is arriued in Spaine it will be a difficult thing for the Irish hereafter to procure aides out of Spaine The copy of the contract for the rates which Don Iean must pay for tunnage and for victuals for his men in their returne your Lordships with these shall also receiue The ninth of this moneth wee dissolued the Campe and brought hither with vs Don Iean who remaines hostage for the performance of the Couenants betweene vs. The day following Capt. Roger Haruy and Capt. Flower were dispatched Westward to receiue from the Spaniards the Castles of Castle-hauen of Baltimore and of Beere-hauen The winning of which places in our iudgements although Kinsale had been taken by force would haue been more difficult vnto vs then that of Kinsale aswell in respect of the incommodities which wee should haue found in keeping a strong and furnished Army in so remote places as in respect of the naturall strength of those places and espetially of Baltimore which with a little Art would bee made of
entertainement cannot allow so much for his horse but by that meanes both the Horse will be starued and the Oates will perish before they be spent In time of plenty the ordinary rate of Oates in Ireland was but at twelue pence the barrell yet they are now well content to pay six shillings a barrell which is at the highest rate the Souldier can giue Of these particulars wee humbly pray redresse from your Lordships And so c. From Corke c. The first of March the Lord Deputy by letters from the Lords in England was required to send ouer a Lieftenant being one of the late cast Companies but still remaining in Ireland to the end he might answer before their Lordships certaine complaints made against him For whereas many Officers in the late leuies of men had receiued in the Country able and sufficient men as wel to serue vnder themselues as to be conducted ouer to be disposed by the Lord Deputy whereof they had for diuers sums of money dismissed many at the Sea side pretending that they were lame or sicke and that they had taken better men in their place neither of these pretences being true Their Lordships purposed to inflict some exemplary punishment for this great offence and therefore required this Lieftenant to be sent ouer who was accused among and aboue the rest The eight of March Sir Oliuer S. Iohns who was sent into England from Kinsale with newes of the good successe in the taking of Rincoran and Nyparke Castles and the happy repulse of the Spaniards sallying vpon our Cannon returned backe to Corke and brought from the Queene this following letter Elizabeth Regina RIght trusty and welbeloued we greet you well By the genlemans relation whom last you sent vnto vs and by your Letters we receiued with much contentment the newes of the rendition of Kinsale and other places held by the Spaniards in that Kingdome wherein although by comparing the same with those reports which were brought vs by diuers that they were not onely in misery for victuall but in penury of men as not being fiue hundred strong we conceiued that you might haue giuen them stricter lawes in their composition and so doe now perceiue how easie a matter it is for those that are neerer hand to the matters of warre then we are to be mistaken yet vpon those considerations which we haue obserued in your iournall last sent ouer containing many important circumstances which did leade you to that course amongst which no one hath so much moued vs as that assault would haue shed the blood of our subiects which is dearer to vs then any reuenge or glory we doe account it both in the successe one of the most acceptable accidents that hath befallen vs and in your carriage thereof discerne it to haue beene guided with as many parts of an able and prouident Minister as any we haue vsed in seruice of like nature And therefore hold it both iust and necessary for vs to yeeld you this testimony of our gracious acceptation of your endeauours which haue beene accompanied with so much paine and perill It remaineth now seeing the state of all things there and your owne desires doe require it that wee speake something of those things which are fit to be thought of for the time to come whereof seeing this euent hath both already begun and is very like to worke great alteration to our aduantage That which we could wish you to aime at is in sum next to the safety of the Kingdome to giue all possible ease to our State by diminishing that great consumption of treasure which of late yeeres wee haue sustained And yet how to direct precisely by what meanes and parcels in euery particular the same is to be done is very hard for vs at this present especially vntill we shall receiue from you and our Counsell there further light by the information of the state of all things now after these successes together with your owne opinion thereupon onely as it is apparant to vs already by your letter that in your own iudgement hauing due sence of the infinite inconueniencies which daily are multiplied vppon this Kingdome by that occasion you did immediatly after the rendition both cast some part of our Army there and stay the supplies comming from hence so in that course we doubt not but you doe and will continue as farre forth as things may beare it in taking care that our Army be not weakened by holding more small garrisons then are necessary And this we may with very good reason say out of obseruation of that which hath passed of latter yeeres and agreeable to your owne opinion That one charge there is very great to vs and yet without any manner of ground of safety if there were cause of aduenture and that is the entertainement of great numbers of Irish wherein we will note vnto you these two considerations First that when things there were at most hazard for vs your owne spirit was doubtfull of the seruice which might be reaped by them Secondly that heretofore when they haue beene vsed it hath not beene seene that either they were entertained at the same rate of pay with our owne Nation or so mixed in common with them in regiments but euer kept more apart both in companies seuerall and vsed in places and in seruices proper for them which course although this extraordinary danger of our Kingdome hath giuen occasion to dispence with yet doubt we not but in your owne conceit you will thinke it meet with all conuenient speed to reforme and giue beginning to it by such degrees of dimunition and in such measure as you shall find to be most for the good of our seruice For the matter which hath beene moued to you from the Arch-trairor we commend your handling of the offer in that you haue kept the dignity of the place you hold and therein ours and yet we doe not mislike that you did not so desperately reiect him as to conclude him thereby from opening the further scope of his desires And though till the next ouerture we haue little more to write vnto you yet we may say thus much in generality that the monstrousnesse of his fact stained with so many and deepe spots of offences of seuerall natures and degrees though none more odious then his ingratitude and the quicke sence we haue alwaies of the biemishing of our honour doth not permit vs to hold any other way with him then the plaine way of perdition And therefore doe aduise you to all courses that may winne vs glory vpon him and if our Armes must be accompanied with any part of mercy rather to imploy the same in receiuing the secondary members and Vriaghts from him by whom that life which is left him standeth then to make so much account of so vile an head as to thinke him worthy to be recouered but rather that abandoned of God and men he may be left to feele
that night beaten backe On Sunday they were ready to set out againe since which time we haue not heard from thence more then that they lay aboard in the mouth of the Harbour and our men were possessed of the Towne and we haue obserued the wind since that time to be good for them so as wee are in good hope they are all gone The pledges according to agreement were come to Corke being three Captaines of long continuance so as we haue cause to thinke Don Iean hath dealt sincerely with vs and are not out of hope to be no more troubled with any Spaniards yet to be prouided for the worst that may happen so long as the Spanish Cloud hangs ouer vs wee haue deuided both the victuals and great part of the munition into sundry Harbours along the Sea Coast of this Prouince the more ready to answere all occasions as may more fully appeare by the notes wee send herewithin If by this meanes her Maiesties charge grow great as wee cannot but acknowledge it will and the seruice North ward goe on slowlier then it would otherwise if we might apply our selues wholly that way we beseech your Lordships fauourably to consider the necessities that leade vs thereunto least leauing any place vnprouided for the facilitie should inuite a comming thither and in that regard wee haue giuen out an intention to fortifie in all the seuerall places of Beer-hauen Castle-hauen Baltimore and the Creekes passages along that Coast. Whereas these Spaniards being gone as now God be thanked they are we haue no meaning so to doe in regard we haue no answere from your Lordships touching that point and thereby conceiue that her Maiesty wil not vndergo so great a charge though we continue stil of this opinion that it were the safest course to fortifie in those places and if the Spaniards should come againe without strong Forts and Cittadels vpon the chiefe townes whom our late experience shewed vs apparantly to be wauering we can neither haue safetie for retreate if any diaster should befall vs nor commoditie for victuals and munition but that altogether would be in danger the whole hazarded or loste at an instant which point we hold our selues bound in dutie to prouide for and therefore if her Maiestie do not like to make Cittadels in these Townes and Cities which we noted to be fit in our former letters we hold it of very great necessitie that the harbors of Corke Kinsale be yet wel fortified which we haue already begun to do at Kinsale haue viewed the mouth of the Harbour of Corke where by raising one good Fort at the entry and another vpon an Iland in that Riuer the Harbour will very aptly be secured and all victuals and munition for our vse most commodiously defended against all enemies which we hold a matter of very great importance And if these workes shall be erected ten Culuerings and ten demy-culuerings of Iron mounted vpon vnshod wheeles for platformes to bee placed in the Forts to bee made in those two Harbours must forth with be sent with bullets for them either to Corke or to Kinsale Our whole store of victuals being diuided into sundry parts of this Prouince as by this note appeareth we are in doubt wee shall want when wee enter into a prosecution Northward vnlesse your Lordships be pleased to continue that course for our supplies that we confesse you haue most prouidently hitherto afforded vs for where some conceine and as it seemeth haue informed that we may be furnished here with victuals it is to vs most strange and past all beleefe and to make it more apparant vnto your Lordships it may please you to consider that it is impossible to make an end of this warre without wasting and spoiling of the Countrie This as we must doe still wee haue of long time very earnestly laboured and effected in as great a measure as we can possibly deuise and then how can it in reason be thought that wee can starue the Rebell and yet preserue victuals in the country for the souldier so as we must conclude that if we faile once of our victualing out of England vpon hope to haue it found in this Realme by any mans vnderstanding the Army will either be starued or driuen to breake vpon a sudden when it will not be in our power to helpe it and this wee beseech your Lordships to beleeue if we haue made any vse of our experience here Yet if there be any possibilitie thereof when wee haue conferred what may bee prouided out of the Pale and quietest parts of Mounster wee will further certifie your Lordships And besides we doe apparantly foresee now that the apparrelling of the souldier is left vnto the Captaine which yet best contents all parties that if the exchanging of the new coyne be not Royally kept vp the souldier will be in worse case then before For all things here are already growne so deare and scarse since the new coine went currant as clothes are both excessiuely deare here and in any quantity not to be had for money but must necessarily bee prouided in England and brought hither which cannot be if the exchange faile neuer so little for then will the souldier be vnclothed which rather then he will indure he will runne away though he be sure to be hanged and this we feare will be likewise a meane for the breaking of the Army The decaies by sicknesse and otherwise are already so great notwithstanding all that wee can doe and yet we haue not been wanting in our prouidency as wee most humbly craue to haue supplies sent from time to time till the rebellion be broken which if no forraigne forces arriue we hope will be in short time not vnder Captaines but Conductors for we find by experience that the Captaines that are sent hither with their Companies conceiuing that they shall not stand long either by negligence or corruption loose their men so that when they are turned ouer to supply others scarse ten of a hundred can be had of them where at the first comming ouer with the Conductors we can better call them to a strict account and finde the men to fill vp other Companies by disposing them to such as we know will best preserue them so as they neede not reinforce their Companies with the Irish as they will when they cannot come by English by which meanes the Companies wee confesse are full of Irish which till our supplies come cannot well be holpen And whereas I the Deputie haue euer bin as my dutie is most desirous to diminish her Maiesties Lyst and to that end not onely haue taken all occasions by the death of Captaines to extinguish their entertainement but also haue meerely discharged aboue fiue thousand since Nouember 1600. Now the Captaines and men thus discharged thinking their fortunes ouerthrowne by me had neuer consideration of the necessitie imposed vpō me to do it but onely looking vpon their owne
150. Captaine Sackfeild 100. Captaine Norton 100. Captaine Billings 150. Captaine Phillips 150. Foote 850. Horse at Carickfergus Sir Arthur Chichester Gouernour 25. Captaine Iohn Iephson 100. Horse 125. Foote in Lecale Sir Richard Moryson vnder his Lieutenant 150 himselfe commanding a Regiment in the Armie The Lord Deputies Army in the field for this Summers seruice Horse The Lord Deputie 100. Sir William Godolphin 50. Sir Garret Moore 50. Sir Richard Greame 50. Sir Samuel Bagnol 50. Sir Henrie Dauers 100. Master Marshall 30. Sir Christopher S. Laurence 25. Sir Francis Rush 12. Captaine Fleming 25. Captaine George Greame 14. Horse in the Army 506. Foote Lord Deputies Guard 200. Sir Iohn Barkeley 200. Sir Beniamin Berry 150. Sir Henry Folliot 150. Sir William Fortescue 150. Sir Iames Peirse 150. Sir Garret Moore 〈◊〉 Sir Christopher S. Laurence 150. Sir Edward Fitz Garret 100. Sir Tibbot Dillon 100. Master Marshall 150. Capt. Iosias Bodley 150. Capt. Toby Gawfeild 150. Captaine Richard Hansard 100. Capt. Edward Blany 150. Capt. Fran. Roe 150 Capt. Ralph Counstable 100. Capt. Fisher 100. Captaine Iohn Roberts 100. Capt. George Blount 150. Captaine Iames Blount 100. Captaine Hensto for pioners 200. Captaine Masterson 150. Captaine Henrie Barkley 150. Captaine Morrys 100. Captaine Anthony Earsfeild 100. Captaine Treuer 100. Foote in the Army 3650. Totall of horse by the List 1487. Foote by the List 16950. The forces being thus disposed for the Summers seruice and the Lord Deputie hauing recouered his health his first care was to obey her Maiesties directions in dispatching for England Sir Robert Gardener and Sir Oliuer S. Iohns with a relation of the present state of this Kingdome By them besides instructions of the present state his Lordship sent this following letter to the Lords in England dated the fifth of May 1602. MAy it please your Lordships although you haue good reason to guesse at the difficulties of the warre of Ireland both by the long continuance and the exceeding charge thereof before my time vnder which the rebels strength did euer grow as by the slow progresse though still to the better that it hath made I must confesse vnder my gouernement yet since I doe conceiue that none but we that are personall actors therein especially in these times wherein the fashion and force of this people is so much altered from that it was wont to bee can thorowly apprehend with how many impediments crosses and oppositions we vndertake and proceede in all things I humbly desire your Lordships to giue mee leaue for your satisfaction and the discharge of my duty to open vnto you some of the causes which I doe better feele then I can expresse that haue hindred so speedy a conclusion of this warre as her Maiesty out of her great prouidence and large proportion of expence might happily expect At my first arriuall I found the rebels more in number then at any time they had bin since the conquest and those so farre from being naked people as before times that they were generally better armed then we knew better the vse of their weapons then our men and euen exceeded vs in that discipline which was fittest for the aduantage of the naturall strength of the Country for that they being very many and expert shot and excelling in footmanship all other Nations did by that meanes make better vse of those strengths both for offence and defence then could haue bin made of any squadrons of pikes or artificiall fortisications of Townes In regard whereof I presumed that mans wit could hardly find out any other course to ouercome them but by famine which was to be wrought by seueral Garrisons planted in fit places altered vpon good occasions These plantations could not be made but by Armies which must first settle them and after remoue them as the strength of the enemy required the time for those plantations not only of most conueniency but almost of necessity was to be in the Summe and that for many eminent reasons but especially in that meanes might bee prouided for horse to liue in the winter without which those Garrisons would proue of little effect Now I beseech your Lordships to remember that I receiued this charge the eight and twentieth of February in the yeere 1599 at which time I found the rebels in number and Armes as I haue said growne to the very height of pride and confidence by a continued line of their successe and our misfortunes of the subiects the worst assisting them openly and almost the best leaning to their fortune out of a despaire of ours the Army discouraged in themselues and beleeue mee my Lords for you will hardly beleeue much contemned by the Rebels None of our Garrisons had stirred abroad but they returned beaten the enemie being so farre Master of the field that Tyrone had measured the whole length of Ireland and was comming backe vnfought with And with mee they began the warre at the very suburbs of Dublin At that time the choice of the whole Army and euen of euerie Company that was left behind was drawne into Mounster by the Earle of Ormond how beit I being desirous to loose no time nor opportunitie presently gathered together that poore remnant being the refuse of the rest with a purpose to haue fought with the Traitor in his returne betweene Fercale and the Ennye but hee hastening his iournies vpon some intelligence of my designe and I being the longer staied by the difference of the Councels opinion from mine intent it fell out that I came too late to trie that faire fortune with him The rest of the Spring I was enforced to attend the drawing of diuers Captaines and Companies from remote and diuided Garrisons that were to be imploied for Loughfoyle and Ballishannon for by your Lordships appointment I was to send one thousand other souldiers from these parts and to cast three thousand more in consideration of so many sent thither out of England and to reduce the List from sixteene thousand to fourteene thousand which at that time was a proportion too little to vndertake the warre with all I was further to victuall the Forts of Leax and Ophalye in those times accounted great and dangerous seruices And about the fifth of May 1600 I drew towards the North chiefely to diuert Tyrone and his Northerne forces from giuing opposition to the Plantation at Loughfoyle but withall purposing if I found meanes for victuals and carriages to haue left a Garrison at Armagh The first I did thorowly effect for I gaue way to those of Loughfoyle to land and settle quietly drew Tyrone with his chiefe forces vpon my selfe and in all the fights I had with him made him know that his fortune began to turne and brake those bounds of his circuit whence hee was wont to affront our greatest Armies for in that which was last before this called a Northerne iourney when the Army consisted almost of double numbers of Horse and Foote they were by the Traytor
I hope your Lordships shall daily heare of more the whole forces being returned What course we haue thought on for this next Summer I will not trouble your Lordships with the repetition thereof being set downe and deliuered to Sir Oliuer S. Iohns Onely this I beseech your Lordships to giue me leaue to remember you of out of a publike durie how much soeuer it may seeme to taste of my priuate ends that you continually enioyne me and I as much endeuour to decrease the List yet you still send ouer new Captaines and command me to bestow Companies on such as giue them vp in England to others recommended by them vnto whome to deale plainely most of them doe sell them And euen of late I haue receiued your Lordships letters for the increase of some particular mens Companies When I cast the Captaines which your Lordships send ouer I procure their hate and many of your Lordships displeasures besides their owne friends that fauour them If I doe not increase such as you commend I doe incurre the like If I cast those Companies and Captaines that in so many trials I doe know to bee best able to doe her Maiestie seruice heere I shall dispaire or at least bee diffident hereafter of doing any good and yet haue they most reason to condemne me of iniustice and to importune your Lordships to be otherwise relieued that haue spent most of them their Mouds and all of them their continuall labours euen in mine aie for the recouerie and defending of this Kingdome I humbly desire your Lordships since heretofore it was my fortune to be hated of few that you will preserue mee from becomming odious by doing that which is fittest for the seruice For I haue alreadie tasted of their spleene whom God knoweth against my will I haue been forced to cashere though I haue delt more fauourably with some of them whom being loth to harme I haue rather commended when my onely fault was that I did not punish them And since I hope God will so blesse our worke that ere it bee long wee shall much diminish the number of our labourers if in that great cashering there be not meanes to preserue the best Captaines I would bee loth to bee the man that should vndertake the conclusion of the warre And now I doe humbly desire your Lordships to pardon mee if out of my great care to satisfie you in all things I haue troubled you with so long and I feare mee so vnworthy a letter of your Lordships reading c. Instructions being giuen to Sir Robert Gardiner and Sir Oliner Saint Iohns whereby they might satisfie her Maiestie in all points touching the present state of her affaires in this Kingdome The Lord Deputie with some Commanders diuers voluntarie Gentlemen and his seruants attending him rode to Dundalke And whilest hee there attended the comming vp of the forces and the arriuing of victuals with other necessaries that might enable him to take the field his Lordship on the thirtieth of May receiued from her Maiestie this letter following Elizabeth Regina RIght trusty and welbeloued Wee greet you well Whereas the paiment of our Army in that Kingdome hath been of late yeeres made partly in money by certaine weekely lendings and partly in apparrell which course of paiment was instituted vpon good considerations to preuent the fraud which diuers Captaines of euill disposition did exercise vpon their Companies Notwithstanding we haue 〈◊〉 by your letters and by the reports of some persons who haue had credence from you to deliuer the same to our Counsell here that such manner of paiment hath not wrought that effect which was expected in causing our Companies to bee kept fuller and yet is by reason of the late alteration of the standard of our monies there more chargeable to Vs then the paiment in readie moneys would bee We haue therefore thought good to cease that manner of payment from henceforth and to reuiue the old manner of payment in money after the rate of eight pence by the day of the new standard to each souldier which course Our pleasure is shall begin to take place from the first day of this moneth of Aprill and to be continued by your Warrants to Our Treasurer directed and shall be made from time to time by way of imprests to each Captaine for himselfe and his Companie at your disaretion according to the state of their Companies or to the necessitie of Our seruice vntill the dayes of full paies which Wee are pleased shall bee made twise in euerie yeere viz. at the Feasts of Saint Michael the Arch-Angell and the Annuntiation of the Virgin Marie At which times Our pleasure is that all our Armie shall be fully and clearely paid of their whole wages all defalcations due vpon them being formerly deducted And for that purpose Wee will prouide that against that time there shall bee in Our Treasurers hands money sufficient to make full paids And whereas by your latter letters written since our Conncell signified vnto you that Wee were pleased to restore this kinde of pay you doe require that for the establishing thereof with contentment of our Army two things may bee 〈◊〉 obserued The one that Our Treasurer may haue money in his hands sufficient from time to time for performance of this payment The other that the Exchange bee duely maintained on this side without which you alleadge that there will arise inconueniencies intollerable to the army we are pleased for your satisfaction herein to assure you that in both these I oints wee will take such order that neither our Treasurer there shall want monies of the new standard for payments necessary in that Realme nor the bankes here sterling monies to make good the exchange according as it is established by our Proclamations Although in this point we cannot omit to let you know that we see no cause or such vehemeni complaints as your letters doe import of default in the exchange for that vppon examination we doe find that of three or foure and fifty thousand pounds returned in this last yeere there is not vnpaied at this present aboue sixe thousand pounds which considering our excessiue charges in that yeere ought not to giue to any much cause of offence These two points like as we are pleased to obserue in such manner as we haue written to the end that thereby our Army and subiects may perceiue how great our care is that they should receiue contentment in things due vnto them So on the otherside for that a straight obseruation of the same on our part without a good correspondency of yours and theirs to remedy some inconueniencies which thereby may be cast vpon vs may proue very burthen some to vs wee are to admonish you of the obseruation of two other points necessary on your part and theirs to be obserued The first is that whereas heretofore when this manner of paiment in money onely which now is receiued was in vse through
bee kept fit to receiue greater numbers if it were thought fit to send them againe at any time Adding that if the Queene would be pleased to build a little Castle in euery one of the lesser Forts it would greatly lessen her Maiesties charge in the numbers of men and yet be sufficient perpetually to bridle the Irish. The nine and twentieth of Iuly the Lord Deputie being in Monaghan receiued letters from Sir George Carew Lord President of Mounster by the hands of Sir Samuel Bagnol whom the Lord Deputie had sent into Mounster to bring from thence fifteene hundred foote which accordingly hee had performed These letters aduertised certaine expectation of the Spaniards present inuading Mounster with great forces able to keepe the field without any support from the Irish Rebels which expectation was grounded vpon the confessions of many comming out of Spaine and by diuers letters sent from thence by the Irish but especially was confirmed by the arriuall of a Spanish ship at Ardea bringing a good proportion of munition to Oswillyuan Beare Captaine Tyrrell and other Rebels in Mounster together with a good summe of money to be distributed among them for their incouragement to hold out in rebellion till the Spanish succours should arriue And the Lord President signified his feare of a generall defection vpon the Spaniards first arriuall which hee gathered from the confidence of all the Rebels in that Prouince who hauing before sought for mercy in all humblenesse and with promise to merit it by seruice now since the Spanish ship arriued were growne proud calling the King of Spaine their King and their ceasing from rebellion to be the betraying of their King and of the Catholike cause yea sell nothing from this insolency though they had bin some times beaten by him many of their chiefe men killed and had lost the strong Castle of Dunboy And the twentieth of Iuly the Lord President aduertised new intelligences of Spanish forces in great numbers lying ready at the Groyne either to bee sent for Ireland or the Low Countries whereof 2000 being horse there was no probabilitie that they should bee sent by sea for the Low Countries since they might more conueniently bee raised in these parts Wherefore hee resolutely beleeuing they were intended for Ireland desired 〈◊〉 for speede of intelligences a running Post might againe be established betwene Corke and Dublin The Lord Deputie by this time had planted a Garrison in Monaghan wherein hee left for the present Sir Christopher S. Laurence with his 25 horse and 150 foote and vnder him Captaine Esmond with his foote one hundred fifty This Garrison lay fitly to secure the Pale from Northerne incursions and to prosecute those Rebels which were like to stand out longest This done his Lordship tooke burned and spoiled all the Ilands in those parts of greatest strength placing wards in some of them And finding Mac Mahown chiefe of Monaghan to stand vpod proud termes though otherwise making sute to bee receiued to mercy his Lordship spoiled and ransacked all that Countrie and by example thereof brought many Chiefes of adioyning Countries to submit to mercy with as good shew of dutie and obedience as could bee desired and more strict othes and pledges then had formerly been required So as now from the Bann to the Dartcy including all Tyrone and from thence to Dublin the whole Country was cleared and the chiefe Lords more assured then they were euer before His Lordship placed Connor Roe Mac Guyre to whom her Maiesty had lately giuen the Chiefery of Fermannagh in the principall house of Mac Mahown Chiefe of Monaghan lying within two miles of Fermannagh so as he might from thence easily plant and settle himselfe in his owne Country and so bee able to doe her Maiesty many good seruices in those parts This done his Lordship returned to the Newry meaning there for a short time to refresh his wearied forces The 29 of Iuly his Lordship and the Counsell with him made to the Lords in England a relation of the past seruices which for breuity I omit and wrote further as followeth Vpon such bruites as we heare of a new inuasion out of Spaine the L. President in a manner assuring vs that they will in that Prouince inuade presently with a strong Army of 15000 foot and 2000 horse we are much distracted what next to do for if we should draw that way to prouide to entertaine them wee should loose the aduantage of this prosecution and spend another yeere vnprofitably which wee grieue to thinke vpon and yet perhaps misse of their place of landing If we proceede as we yet intend to draw this warre to a speedy end which is that which we acknowledge we do more effect we shall bee the lesse able to make that defensiue stoppe to their inuasion that wee might if we attended that businesse onely We do therefore most humbly and earnestly desire to be directed from your Lordships who in likelihood best know the Spaniards intentions which of these courses we should most apply our selues vnto otherwise we are resolued whatsoeuer befall to prosecute the warre Northward with all earnestnesse out of the desire wee haue to draw the warre to an end and ease her Maiestie of that excessiue charge which to our exceeding griefe we obserue her to be at which we doubt not to effect to her great contentment and ease her Maiestie speedily of a great part of her charge if we be not interrupted by the Spaniard for besides the good hold we haue gotten of those that haue a ready submitted themselues which by all arguments of sound and sincere meaning in them we tooke to be better and more assured then any that was taken heretofore since her Maiestie and her Ancesters enioyed this Kingdome especially with the holds that we haue planted among them wee haue set downe such a plot for the prosecution of the rest vpon all hands at one instant so soone as wee take the field next which is agreed vpon the tenth of the next moneth till which time wee haue thought fit to refresh this Army ouertoiled wearied out with continuall working vpon the Forts that we haue made and with exceeding great marches which we were driuen to for lacke of meanes to carrie victuals with vs for a longer time as we are very confident we shall in short time ruine or subdue all these rebels For we haue left no man in all the North that is able to make any very great resistance or that hath not made meanes to bee receiued to mercy O Rourke onely excepted who hitherto hath been furthest off from feeling the furie of our prosecution Tyrone is alreadie beaten out of his Countrie and liues in a part of O Canes a place of incredible fastnesse where though it be impossible to doe him any great hurt so long as hee shall bee able to keepe any force about him the wales to him being vnaccessible with an Army yet by lying about him as we
meane to doe we shall in short time put him to his vttermost extremitie and if not light vpon his person yet force him to fhe the Kingdome In the meane time we can assure your Lordships thus much that from O Caues Country where now he liueth which is to the Northward of his owne Countrie of Tyrone we haue left none to giue vs opposition nor of late haue seene any but dead carcases meerely starued for want of meate of which kinde wee found many in diuers places as wee passed The forces which last wee drew out of Mounster being fifteene hundred foote aboue the Mounster Lyst which the Lord President desired to retaine there onely till hee had ended his businesse at Donboy are now vnder the command of Sir Samuel Bagnol presently vpon their arriuall to the borders directed by the Annely to prosecute O Rourke where most fitly he may ioyne with the forces of Connaght and shall bee met withall by those of Ballishannon commanded by Sir Henrie Folliot All those will helpe vs greatly to pen vp the Northerne Rebels on that side when wee next attempt them as by the tenth of August wee meane to doe from Loughfoyle and Carickfergus which Sir Arthur Chithester from thence is now very well enabled for by the meanes of the Garrisons we last planted at Tyrone and vpon Lough Sidney both being on that side of the Lough that lies next vpon Tirene And as those forces on Connaght side lie very fitly to assist vs for the speedie dispatch of the worke so are they very ready to intertaine the Spaniards if they should land in Connaght and not much vnfit for Mounster if they should arriue there Wee haue directed them therefore seuerally to applie and bend their endeauours to answere these sundrie occasions And this in our prouidence is the best course that we can thinke vpon for by the same if Spaniards come not wee shall goe on verie roundly with our businesse and wee hope by the grace of God performe it to your great contentment and if they come which is the worst they will be able to make some good defensiue warre till wee with the rest shall draw vnto them and then we cannot hope to doe any more vntill your Lordships supply vs royally out of England For if the Spaniard come so strong in horse and foote as is reported and as it must needs be thought he will finding the errour that the last time he committed it may not be expected at our hands with all the Forces wee can draw to head leauing some Forts guarded as we must needs doe to bridle and keepe in awe the Countrey and to keep our former labours from being vtterly ouerthrowne that wee shall be able of our selues to put them from any place that they haue a minde to hold but must rather giue them way till we be better furnished Wee are therefore humbly to desire your Lordships if the Spaniards arriue or if you expect them certainely then to thinke vpon vs fauourably and to supply our wants and that speedily especially men munition and victuals for this Kingdome will not be able to affoord vs any thing for such a warre as then wee must make which your Lordships cannot but know farre better then wee can expresse for as wee haue noted heretofore which we beseech you giue vs leaue still to remember you of it will not then be any longer the warre of Ireland but the warre of England in Ireland to the infinite danger and comber of them both though for our parts wee will most cheerefully vndergoe the toyle and hazard thereof as it becommeth vs. To conclude wee must acquaint your Lordships with a very great abuse crept in amongst the Ministers of the victuals which doth maruellously preiudice her Maiesties seruice here Wee can neuer know from any of them when the victuals arriue in any part whether it be part of an old contract or of a new nor indeed whether it be for her Maiesty or for themselues by that meanes we can neuer find how we are prouided for nor what we may further expect and that which worse is the Rebels get of the best victuall that is sent hither and yet wee cannot call the victualer to account thereof for he affirmes stiftely that he is warranted by your Lordships to sell it for his benefit and so as hee sell it to the subiect how ill affected soeuer it is no fault of his if the Rebell afterward get it It is in vaine for vs by our extreame toile to spoile the Rebels corne and wast their Countrey the best way yet found to bring them to obedience if they can get that English victuals for their money which we verily thinke was prouided for those that serue her Maiesty here and the best of it too when the poore souldier hath that which is not worth the eating Thus much wee haue of late discouered which wee leaue to your Lordships consideration not doubting but it will please you to prouide remedy and so c. The Victualers aboue mentioned had obtained of the Lords liberty to sell some victuals vpon pretence as it seemes that the same would grow musty and must either be sold or lost but they abused this liberty so farre as the best victuals were sold to the Irish Subiects and by them to those that were in actuall rebellion while they made bold to vtter their musty prouisions to the Queenes Army The seuenth of August the Lord Deputy wrote to Sir Arthur Chichester as likewise to Sir Henry Dockwrae to make all things in readines against his taking the field which he purposed to doe within three daies and his Lordship proiected with them in case Tyrone should goe into Fermanagh how to turne their faces vpon him that way or otherwise to draw into Cormacke mac Barons Countrey for since her Maiesty would not be induced to shew any mercy to Tyrone himselfe the onely way to end the warre was to force Cormacke either presently by feare of his Countries spoiling or in short time by planting a garrison at the Cloher to submit himselfe Some few daies after his Lordship receiued from her Maiesty this following Letter Elizabeth Regina RIght trusty and wellbeloued We greet you well Although We haue heard nothing from you directly since Our last dispatch yet We impute it to no neglect of yours hauing so great cause to iudge the best of your actions when euery dispatch from other parts of Our Kingdome reports of great honour in the successe of Our Army vnder you a matter specially appearing by those letters which We haue seene directed to our Treasurer at Warres in Ireland containing the discourse of your Marches and abiding in the heart of Tyrone and the recouery of that Iland and that Ordinance of Ours which had beene fouly lost before In which respect Wee value the same so much the more acceptably We haue also thought good at this time to adde this further that We are glad
doe with some greefe obserue in the recommending of many hither for Captaines places when some haue giuen ouer their charge here by which meanes I can neither lessen the Queeries charge as I would by cashing of their Companies nor preferre others thereunto whom I see daily to haue very well deserued it and by this meanes comes in both selling of Companies a thing which I would otherwise neuer suffer and the placing of such Captaines as those which we found here at the beginning of this warre whose insufficiency had almost lost this Kingdome I beseech you Sir conceiue that I haue iust cause to be greeued that must draw vpon my selfe the hatred of a great many that I should discharge in the great cash that I intend who will euer hold me the ouerthrow of them and all their fortunes especially if I be not able to bestow vpon some of the worthiest of them such other places in this Kingdome as haue fallen within the gift of my Predecessors here Although God is my witnes this doth nothing so much greeue mee as that I shall thereby bee disabled to serue her Maiesty as I would to make a speedy end of the warre that might be both safe and durable by leauing such in all places as I know to be best able to serue her and such as if they did not imploy their time in her continuall seruice might more iustly then any other with their presence importune her for rewards of their former seruices And so Sir c. At the same time the Lord Deputy wrote this following letter to her Maiestie May it please your Sacred Maiestie I Haue receiued to my inestimable comfort your gracious letters of the fifteenth of Iuly for none of my indeuours doe satisfie mee in doing you seruice vntill I finde them approued by your Maiestie and when I haue done all that I can the vttermost effects of my labours doe appeare so little to my owne zeale to doe more that I am often ashamed to present them vnto your faire and royall eyes which is the onely cause that I doe not more often presume to present your Maiestie with the account of my proceedings led on with a hope and restlesse desire to improue them vnto some such degree as might bee more worthy of your knowledge And whereas it pleaseth your Maiestie to restraine mee from hearkening vnto the Arch-Traytor Tyrone were it not in respect of my desire to cut off suddenly the chargeable thread of this warre there could nothing come more welcome vnto me then to bee his continuall Scourge and as by the fauour of God he is already brought to a verie low ebbe so vtterly to cut him off or cast him out of this Countrie And although I haue great reason to presume that if hee bee not assisted by any forraigne power the ruine of his estate is certaine yet how as a Vagabond Woodkerne hee may preserue his life and how long I know not and yet therein I humbly desire your Maiestie to beleeue that I will omit nothing that is possible to be compassed And for the caution your Maiesty doth vouchsafe to giue mee about taking in submitties to their aduantage and to the abuse of your mercy I beseech your Maiestie to thinke that in a matter of so great importance my affection will not suffer me to commit so grosse a fault against your seruice as to doe any thing for the which I am not able to giue you a very good account the which aboue all things I desire to doe at your owne royall feete and that your seruice here may giue me leaue to fill my eyes with their onely deare and desired obiect I beseech God confound all your enemies and vnfaithfull subiects and make my hand as happy as my heart is zealous to doe you seruice Your Maiesties truest seruant Mountioy The Fort of Enishlanghen aboue mentioned the inuesting whereof made the Lord Deputie deferte the taking of the felld was seated in the middest of a great Bogge and no way accessable but through thicke Woods very hardly passable It had about it two deepe Ditches both compassed with strong Pallisadoes a verie high and thicke rampeire of earth and timber and well flancked with Bulworkes For defence of the place fortie two Musketeres and some twentie sword-men were lodged in it But after that our Forces with very good industry had made their approches to the first ditch the besieged did yeeld the place to the Queene and themselues absolutely to her mercy So a ward of English was left in the Castle after the spoile thereof was taken wherein were great store of plate and the chiefe goods of the best men in the Countrie being all fled to Tyrone and the men there taken were brought bound to the Newry and presented vpon the nineteenth of August to the Lord Deputy The same day his Lordship wrote this letter following to Master Secretarie Cecyll SIR I haue lately written to you at large and I haue now no more matter of importance to trouble you with onely since my last we haue taken Enishlaghlen a place of great importance and the strongest that I haue heard of to bee held by any Rebell in Ireland Henrie Oneale the eldest sonne of Shane Oneale is broken out of prison as his brother did the like long before and because they doe cast themselues without all conditions into her Maiesties protection I cannot but vse them well but as things stand now I doe not see any great vse to be made of them and I feare I shall be more troubled with them then if they were still where they were To morrow by the grace of God I am againe going into the field as neere as I can vtterlie to waste the Countrie of Tyrone and to preuaile the Garrisons there of some Corne to keepe their horses in the Winter which being done I will leaue the Garrisons to take their effect which when they are well prouided and aswell placed will doe more then an Armie And Sir except things fall out much contrarie to that which wee haue good reason to expect I presume that if the Queene keepe these Garrisons strong and well prouided all this Winter shee may before the next Spring send into this Kingdome Sir Robert Gardner with some other good Common-wealths men with her pleasure how much and how euery man shall hold his land and what lawes shee will haue currant here and I am confident it will bee obeyed Neither is the reducing of this Prouince to bee too little regarded for ill inhabited as it was with no industrie and most part wasted I can assure you the Earle of Tyrone in the time of these warres did raise vpon Vlster aboue fourescore thousand pounds by the yeere and to fall from that excesse I thinke they might bee brought to yeeld the Queene willingly much more then euer she expected presently and in time more then I dare now promise And after this Winter I thinke she may
great Army is intended then that I meane to contest against the contrarie opinions which are here continually multiplied from thence of the great Armies the King of Spaine amasseth to hinder any preparations which may come from hence whereby that Kingdome may receiue any comfort First because I know the very bruite of Leuies here must needes giue helpe to your proceedings next because I know what a folly it is in cases which concerne a Kingdome to disswade any manner of supplies whereof the lacke may proue perillous especially in this State which is so exhausted by that warre of Ireland onely as it is an easie worke to diuert all actions of charge especially whensoeuer they may thinke to secure their opinions by maintaining those grounds to which I should incline to whose place it principally belongeth to giue best iudgement of forraigne intelligences I will onely therefore conclude with this I am sorry to finde my Soueraignes heart so great and magnanimous though I must confesse she hath very iust cause as not to be contented to haue made vertue of necessity and by her pardon of the greatest Rebell to haue dissolued the strength of the combination which being still vnited with mindes of dispaire will multiple still alienation whereof so potentan enemie as is the King of Spaine will euer make his benefit where I am of opinion that if hee were sure to bee pardoned and liue in any securitie with the qualitie of any greatnesse such is his wearinesse of his miserie and so of all the rest as hee would bee made one of the best instruments in that Kingdome But I haue now gone on too farre sauing that I am apt to take all occasions to exchange my thoughts with you by letters praying Almightie God so to blesse your endeuours as we may more enioy each others company for the good of her Maiesties Ieruice And so I commit you to Gods protection From the Court at Hisham this seuenth of August 1602 Your Lordships louing and assured friend to command Ro. Cecyll The Lord Deputie spent some fiue dayes about Tullough Oge where the Oneales were of old custome created and there he spoiled the Corne of all the Countrie and Tyrones owne Corne and brake downe the chaire wherein the Oneales were wont to be created being of stone planted in the open field Sir Henrie Dockwra onely with some horse with him did meete the Lord Deputy here vpon the thirtieth of August and brought with him Ocane a late Submittie hauing left the English foote at the Omy where in like sort were the most part of O Canes and young O Donnells horse and foote victualed at their owne charge and ready to attend any seruice the Lord Deputy should command them The same day his Lordship vnderstood that Sir Arthur Chichester was comming towards him by Killetro and that Randoll Mac Sorley had offered him to serue the Queene in that iourny with fiue hundred foote and fortie horse vpon his owne charge Whereupon the Lord Deputie resolued to march with the Army to Dunnamore and thence to the Agher and in the second daies march vpon the sixth of September his Lordship receiued letters from the Lord President of Mounster that foure and twentie Spanish ships were bruited to be arriued at Beere-hauen which newes though his L P kept secret yet the whole Countrie was presently ful of it and from al parts he receiued the like alarums insomuch as amongst the Irish it was constantly beleeued that some Spanish ships were arriued at Carlingford Notwithstanding his Lordship left a Garison at the Agher being a Castle seated in an Iland and he intrenched a large piece of ground for greater forces when Sir Henrie Dockwra should draw them thither vpon any seruice and from that Castle his Lordship brought away two brasse pieces Tyrone Brian Mac Art Mac Mahownd and Cormack Mac Barron were fled into the bottome of a great Fastnesse towards the end of Lough Erne whom his Lordship followed as farre as hee could possibly carry the Army yet came not within twelue miles of them besides they had a way from thence into Orurkes Country to which the Army could not passe Mac Guyre had lately left them and receiued the Queenes protection from Sir Henrie Foliott vpon condition to put in good pledges for his loialty and to giue Oconnor Roc Mac Guyre the land belonging to him and to build vp the Castle of Eniskellin which he lately brake downe deliuering the same built at his owne charge into the Queenes possession and Tyrone and his abouenamed confederaies were all poore and all the Rebels following them were not aboue sixe hundred foote and sixtie horse Vpon the seuenth of September his Lordship vnderstood by letters from Sir Oliuer Lambert that he was called back from the prosecution of Orurke by like newes of the Spaniards arriuall The same day his Lordship sent backe Sir Henrie Dockwra and directed him to draw most of his forces with as much victuals as he could put vp to the Omy and from thence to the Agher being twelue miles distant faire way there to be rendent and to make the warre till haruest were past being alwaies ready to follow his Lordships further directions vpon any landing of Spaniards Likewise the next day his Lordship sent backe Sir Arthur Chichester directing him to lie at Mountioy Garrison clearing the Country of Tyrone of all inhabitants and to spoile all the Corne which he could not preserue for the Garrisons and to desace al the Ilands formerly taken being ready to draw vpon the Rebels if they should make any head yet with aduile to bee likewise readie to answere any new directions if the Spaniards should arriue So his Lordship marched backe with his Army and vpon the ninth of September diuided all the waste land on the Southside of Blackwater towards the Newry betweene Hen. Mac Shane and Con Mac Shane sons to Shane O Neale only with leaue to liue there with their Creaghts and such followers as should come vnto them till her Maiesties pleasure were further knowne and inioyning them to sow their Corne for the next yeere vpon the Plaines Thus his Lordship bringing backe with him into the Pale fourteene Companies of foote and one hundred horse came to the Newrie the eleuenth of September and the next day in his and the Counsels letters to the Lords in England after the relation of the former seruices wrote as followeth We haue taken the best pledges we could of such as are become subiects al of them haue assisted vs with Cowes most of them with carriages with men and with their owne presence so as if forraigne forces doe not arriue we make no doubt of them nor to bring the rest to what termes shall bee fittest for her Maiesties Honour and profit Wee haue thought fit to suffer most of the Natiues of Tyrone the rest being put ouer the Riuer of the Bann to follow Henry and Gon Mac Shane and perchance many of them
trust True it is that we conceiue you haue cause to maruell that in so great distance of time so smal quantitie of so great a masse as was prouided hath arriued there which if it hath happened by contrariety of winds onely then must your Lordship be satisfied and wee excused But howsoeuer it be by the coppie of the Contracts 〈◊〉 vnto your Lordship by vs with the charge the victuals did amount vnto we doubt not but you rest thorowly satisfied of our care and leaue vs rather cause to suspect that our former letters written to your Lordship concerning the victualing causes haue not come to your hands or that the contents of them are out of your remembrance For in them namely that of the fourth of August last wee did not onely send your Lordship as formerly wee did of all the rest a coppie of the contract made by the victualers but did satisfie you in diuers things whereof we doe find you do complaine which by our former letters we deliuered and signified at large and we both remember well the things you noted the course we held for your satisfaction To which we ad nothing more but doe repeate vnto you that we then did say in that point that wee finde it a great fault in the Commissaries of the victuals there that they do neuer informe you of the arriuall of victuals in those parts nor vpon what contract they are prouided which would well become both the Commissarie and Surueior of the victuals for by many letters sent from him to vs we are particularly certified both of the victuals that arriue there and vpon what contract they are furnished Besides the victualers here doe protest that they doe prouide no victuals at all but for the vse of the Armie and to furnish the contracts so as what quantities soeuer are sent thither the same are to be taken for her Maiesties vse and to bee accounted to furnish the contracts vntill they bee compleate and then the ouerplus is to passe to serue the next contract For it may fall out that such victuals as are sent to one place may by contrarietie of winds arriue in another Prouince or Port which now as the Purueiours doe informe vs hath of late happened to one of their Barkes driuen into Corke and there staied by the Gouernour which should haue come to Galloway and so that Towne thereby disfurnished and those that are sent sooner from hence may arriue later and sometimes miscarry But the chiefest matter that doth breede scruple doubt and matter of abuse is that there are not appointed there in the vsuall Ports where there are Magizines as in Dublin Carlingford Corke Lymricke Carickfergus Loughfoyle and Galloway some sufficient persons who with the Maior and Officers of the Ports may ouer-see the vnlading of the victuals from time to time and take knowledge of the goodnesse of the victuals and the quantities of the same and to charge the Surueyors of the victuals to performe their duties likewise and to be enformed of the fame and certifie you thereof wherein or in any other sort if any abuse be committed by the Commissaries it is both the earnest request of the Vndertakers and our absolute desire and that which your Lordships place doth require to see some exemplary punishment inflicted vpon them for their euill carriage which may and ought to be reformed So as for an answere to that letter we must still referre you to our former letters namely those of the fourth of August last forasmuch as is to bee performed by vs here who see and heare with others eyes and eares in that place and not our owne And where wee doe vnderstand by your late letters also that the Commissaries and Agents for the Vndertakers doe refuse to take beèues at twentie shillings a piece the victualers here doe not onely deny the same to be done by their priuitie but earnestly beseech vs as often they haue done that they may haue them at that price and in our letters sent by Necowmen at their entreatie we did require that your Lordship would bee pleased to take order they might haue at reasonable rates such beeues as were taken from the enemie which sute they doe renew and doe assure vs they will bee glad to receiue them at that rate And forasmuch as many great and heauie accounts are to bee taken before either reckonings can bee cleared or faults clearely distinguished her Maiestie hath resolued immediatly after Christmas to send ouer some well chosen Commissioners both for integritie and experience in all things in this nature to examine and suruey the state of her Maiesties receipts and issues To whom as shee nothing doubteth but your Lordship whose zeale and care appeares so greatly in her Maiesties seruice will giue the best support which you can possibly afford them so her Maiestie requireth your Lordship now vpon conference with the Counsell there to appoint a day for all those inferiour persons who haue any thing to doe with the matters of accounts receipts and expence to come to Dublin to the intent that those which shall be sent ouer may not loose their time by attending their repaire from remote places nor your Lordship whose eyes and iudgement will giue great light to that Commission may bee otherwise distracted by any new iournies or prosecutions to which the growing on of the yeere may inuite you For the present desire you haue that some Commissioners should be sent ouer for the passing of some lands to the Submitties with such reseruations as are fittest for her Maiestie shee meaneth presently to send ouer authorite accordingly liking very well amongst othings that you intend to cut off all dependancy vpon the Irish Lords which is one very necessarie consideration Lastly because your L p and the Counsell may know that although it is not to be looked for at the hands of any Prince that they should vnnecessarily keepe Companies in pay for the reliefe of any Captaine yet because her Maiesty in her owne disposition intendeth nothing lesse then to neglect those seruitors of hers whom you shall testifie to haue deserued extraordinarily being like to suffer penury by this cashering shee hath willed vs to let you know that shee is pleased to continue to euery such Captaine and so many other Officers as you thinke necessary their ordinary pay whereby they may bee enabled to maintaine themselues there about you for many good purposes vntill some other occasion offer itselfe to imploy them elsewhere or some Company there fall within your gift to conferre it vpon them which being done that entertainement may cease And now that you perceiue her Maiesties resolution whereof shee hath much hastened the sending away vnto you in which respect wee cannot so particularly touch all things as we would wee must now conclude that howsoeuer her Maiesties pleasure is that those errours of subordinate Ministers in these matters of accompts and reckonings should be thus mentioned to your
without necessity to continue her charge seeing wee doe thorowly conceiue how greeuous it is vnto her estate and that wee may not be precisely tied to an establishment that shall conclude the payments of the Treasurer since it hath euer beene thought fit to be otherwise till the comming ouer of the Earle of Essex and some such extraordinary occasion may fall out that it will bee dangerous to attend your Lordships resolutions and when it will be safe to diminish the Army here that there may be some course thought of by some other employment to disburthen this Countrey of the idle Sword-men in whom I find an inclination apt enough to be carried elsewhere either by some of this Countrey of best reputation among them or in Companies as now they stand vnder English Captaines who may be reinforced with the greatest part of Irish. That it may be left to our discretion to make passages and bridges into Countries otherwise vnaccessible and to build little piles of stone in such garrisons as shall be thought fittest to be continuall bridles vpon the people by the commodity of which wee may at any time draw the greatest part of the Army together to make a head against any part that shall first breake out and yet reserue the places onely with a ward to put in greater Forces as occasion shall require which I am perswaded will proue great pledges vppon this Countrey that vpon any vrgent cause the Queene may safely draw the greatest part of her Army here out of the Kingdome to be emploied at least for a time elsewhere wherein I beseech your Lordships to consider what a strength so many experienced Captaines and Souldiers would be to any Army of new men erected in England against an inuasion or sent abroad in any offensiue warre but vntill these places be built I cannot conceiue how her Maiesty with any safety can make any great diminution of her Army Lastly I doe humbly desire your Lordships to receiue the further explanation of my meaning and confirmation of the reasons that doe induce me vnto these propositions from the Lord President of Mounster who as he hath beene a very worthy actor in the reducement and defence of this Kingdome so doe I thinke him to be best able to giue you through accompt of the present estate future prouidence for the preseruation thereof wherein it may please your L p. to require his opinion of the hazard this Kingdome is like to runne if it should by any mighty power be inuaded how hard it will be for vs in any measure to prouide for the present defence if any such be intended withall to goe on with the suppression of these that are left in Rebellion so that wee must either aduenture the new kindling of this fire that is almost extinguished or intending onely that leaue the other to exceeding perill And thus hauing remembred to your Lordships the most materiall Points as I conceiue that are fittest for the present to bee considered of I doe humbly recommend my selfe and them to your Lordships fauour From her Maiesties Castle of Dublin this sixe and twentieth of Februarie 1602. At the same time the Lord Deputy wrote to the Lords in England about his priuate affaires wherein he signified that al manner of prouisions necessarie for the maintenance of an houshold were of late especially bought at such excessiue rates aswell in regard of the famine growing daily greater in Ireland by the continuall spoile of the Countrie and the Armies cutting downe of the Rebels Corne for these last two yeeres as also in regard of the disualuation of the mixed coyne now currant after the taking away of exchange whereof each shilling had no more then two pence halfe-penny siluer in it and that the prices of the said prouisions daily so increased as soure times the entertainement allowed him by her Maiesty for his maintenance would not answere his ordinarie expences except it would please their Lordships to allow him exchange for the most part of his entertainement that thereby he might be inabled to make his prouisions out of England In the beginning of March the Lord Deputie vnderstood that Brian Mac Art had secretly stolen into Killoltagh with some fiue hundred men vnder his leading as hee had lately done the like but was soone driuen out againe by Sir Arthur Chichester Whereupon his Lordship sent Sir Richard Moryson from Dublyn vp to his Garrison in Lecayle and gaue him his Lordships guard and three other Companies of Foote to leade with him that he might assist Sir Arthur Chichester in the prosecution of this Rebell who was soone driuen out of Killoltagh by those forces Now because I haue often made mention formerly of our destroying the Rebels Corne and vsing al meanes to famish them let me by two or three examples shew the miserable estate to which the Rebels were thereby brought Sir Arthur Chichester Sir Richard Moryson and the other Commanders of the Forces sent against Brian Mac Art aforesaid in their returne homeward saw a most horrible spectacle of three children whereof the eldest was not aboue ten yeeres old all eating and knawing with their teeth the entrals of their dead mother vpon whose flesh they had fed twenty dayes past and hauing eaten all from the feete vpward to the bare bones rosting it continually by a slow fire were now come to the eating of her said entralls in like sort roasted yet not diuided from the body being as yet raw Former mention hath been made in the Lord Deputies letters of carcases scattered in many places all dead of famine And no doubt the famine was so great as the rebell souldiers taking all the common people had to feede vpon and hardly liuing thereupon so as they besides fed not onely on Hawkes Kytes and vnsauourie birds of prey but on Horseflesh and other things vnfit for mans feeding the common sort of the Rebels were driuen to vnspeakeable extremities beyond the record of most Histories that euer I did reade in that kind the ample relating whereof were an infinite taske yet wil I not passe it ouer without adding some few instances Captaine Treuor many honest Gentlemen lying in the Newry can witnes that some old women of those parts vsed to make a fier in the fields diuers little children driuing out the cattel in the cold mornings and comming thither to warme them were by them surprised killed and eaten which at last was discouered by a great girle breaking from them by strength of her body and Captaine Trenor sending out souldiers to know the truth they found the childrens skulles and bones and apprehended the old women who were executed for the fact The Captaines of Carickfergus and the adiacent Garrisons of the Northerne parts can witnesse that vpon the making of peace and receiuing the rebels to mercy it was a common practise among the common sort of them I meane such as were not Sword-men to thrust long needles into
Lawes and obedience due to his Maiesty The foure twentieth day his Lordship was aduertised that the Citizens of Lymrick had with their Priests entred into all the Churches of the City and there erecting Altars had vsed the Rites of the Romish Church The 25. day his Lordship wrote this letter to the Citizens of Waterford YOur letters of the three and twentieth of this instant came this day to my hands And hauing duely considered the contents of the same I find that they returne a double excuse of the courses you haue vsed first for your delay of time to proclaime the Kings most Excellent Maiesty according to such directions as was sent vnto you from the Earle of Ormond by a Counsellor of this State And the next for such disorders as were reported to bee committed by the publike breach of his Highnesse Lawes in matters of Religion To the which We returne you this answer following First albeit We would haue wished that you had had a more carefull regard to haue performed such directions as you receiued from to Noble a Peere of this Realme by so reuerent a messenger as you might assure your selues in such a matter durst not abuse you his Highnesse sole and vndoubted right concurring also with your owne knowledge and consciences yet We will not condemne you for that omission of the time seeing afterwards you did obey our directions in that behalfe and gaue so publike a testimony of your ioyful allowance and consent to his Maiesties Right and lawfull title proclaimed amongst you But as in this part you haue giuen vnto vs a kinde of contentment so in the last point Wee cannot forbeare to let you vnderstand the Iust mislike We doe conceiue that you being Citizens of wisdome and good experience and the Lawes of the Realme continuing in force would be drawne either by your Priests or any like practises to commit any publike breach of the Lawes and the rather because out of that vnspotted duty which you professe you haue euer carried to the Crowne you would not in reason conceiue that the example of your offence in such a cause and in so great and populous a City could not but in it selfe be very dangerous in these disordered times wherein examples doe carry men astray which in discharge of Our duty to the Kings Highnesse Wee may not suffer And therefore haue resolued to make Our speedy repaire vnto those parts for none other purpose but to establish his Maiesties Lawes that no publike nor contemptious breach be made of them wherein We wish you had bin more wary contenting your selues with the long and fauourable tolleration you enioyed during the late Queens raigne rather then in this sort to haue prescribed Lawes to your selues whereby in wisdome you may perceiue how much you haue preiudiced the very obtaining of your owne desire by the courses you haue taken as we are credibly informed And yet because it may be that the reports of your behauiour haue beene made more hainous then there is cause Wee are well pleased to suspend Our giuing credit to such particular informations vntill vpon due examination the truth may appeare wherein We hope and shall be glad that you can acquit your selues so of these imputations now laid vpon you or otherwise that you conforme your selues now at last in such sort to the obedience you owe to his Maiesty and his Lawes as We be not inforced to take seuere notice of your contrary actions The same day his Lordship was aduertised from the Mayor of Galloway that howsoeuer he found no seditious inclination in the Citizens yet to preuent disorders in these mutinous times the Gouernor of the Fort had giuen him some of his souldiers to assist his authority whom he to that purpose had placed in the strongest Castles of the City The same day his Lordship receiued letters from the Mayor of Corke signifying that the thirteenth day of this moneth he had published in the City the Proclamation of the King with the greatest solemnity he could and complaining that the Souldiers in the Kings Fort offered many abuses to the Towne with offer from the Corporation to vndertake the safe keeping of that Fort for his Maiesty The 26 day his Lordship wrote to the Soueraigne of Wexford that whereas they excused their erecting of popish rites by the report they heard of his Maiesties being a Roman Catholike he could not but maruell at their simplicity to be seduced by lying Priests to such an opinion since it was apparant to the World that his Maiesty professed the true religion of the Gospell and euer with carefull sincerity maintained it in his Kingdome of Scotland charging him and those of Wexford vpon their Wexford to his Maiesty to desist from the disordered course they had taken in celebrating publikely the idolatrous Masse least hee at his comming vp into those parts should haue cause seuerely to punish their contempt shewed to his Maiesty and the lawes of his Kingdome The same day his Lordship was aduertised from the Commissioners of Mounst r that the Citizens of Corke grew daily more and more insolent defacing places of scripture written on the wals of the Church to the end they might wash and paint ouer the old Pictures and that one tearmed a Legat from the Pope with many Priests had gone in solemne procession hallowing the Church and singing Masse therein publikely the Townes-men hauing placed guards of armed men set at the Church dore and at the Porch yea burying their dead with all Papisticall Ceremonies and taking the Sacrament in like sort to spend their liues and goods in desence of the Romish Religion and thereupon taking boldnes to offer wrong to the English and to practice the getting of the Kings Fort into their hands yea refusing to sell any thing to the English for the new mixed money and not suffering the Kings victuals to be issued out of the store till they had assurance that the Souldiers should be sent out of the liberties of Corke The 27 day his Lordship wrote to the Soueraigne of Clemmell commending him and the rest of that City that they had proclaimed the King with great ioy and gladnesse but charging them vpon their vttermost perill to cease from the publike exercise of the Romish Religion which they of themselues had mutinously established The same day his Lordship wrote this following letter to the Soueraigne of Kilkenny AFter my hearty commendations I haue receiued your Letters of the 25 and 26 of this moneth and am glad to vnderstand thereby that you are somewhat conformable to my directions being willing to haue cause to interpret your actions to the best but though I meane not to search into your consciences yet I must needs take knowledge of the publike breach of his Maiesties Lawes and whereas you let me vnderstand that the Inhabitants are willing to withdraw themselues for their spirituall exercise to priuacy contented onely with the vse of the ruinous Abbey
quarter of the Countrie was appointed for Father Mulrony to take the charge thereof to be assembled to the rescue of Waterford 8. Whether they knew Father Leinaghs haunt likewise so of Father Ractor and the rest whose names they are not to seeke of themselues 9. Whether they haue or can tell certainlie that any intended yet to draw these Rescues to Corke or any other head to preuent the Army 10. Whether themselues are sworne to liue and die in the quarrell or what Noble men or Lawyers are sworne also 11 Whether they be able themselues to deliuer any of these seducers to the Lord Deputy yea or no by what reason they should not if they denie it being conuersant with them daily 12. Whether they knew any messengers gone for Spaine or else-where to procure helpe to those confederates who are gone when they went and what they bee or from whence and what was their message or how charges were collected for them From Waterford his Lordship by small iournies in regard of the impediments by the slacknesse and failing of supplies of Garrons and Beeues from the Countrey marched to the Citie of Corke and comming thither vpon the tenth of May was without any contradiction receiued into the Towne with all the forces he brought with him though Sir Charles Willmott had inuested the Towne and at the same time with the forces of the Mounster List lay before it The eleuenth day his Lordship to make it apparant to them and all the World how willing he was to giue them gentle audience in their iust complaints first admitted them to speake what they could of any offence they had receiued or iustly suspected before they were called in any question for their owne disorders But their accusations for the most part were such as if they had been proued which was not done the proofe as lesse important being deferred to a more conuenient time yet imported rather imputation of want of discretion in rash speeches then any iust pretext for their proceeding and therefore were laied a part as impertinent to the maine cause then to be handled And for the rest of their more selected accusations they were iudged to haue in them no important excuse for their seditious carriage but were such for the greater part as his Lordship was forced to iustifie without calling the aduerse partie to his answere as being done either by his Lordships directions or out of dutie imposed vpon the Commissioners of this Prouince by vertue of the place of authority committed to their charge Thus the Townesmen laboured to diuert their publike offences by a colourable excuse of priuat spleene and some grudges against one of the Commissioners And in regard the Earle of Ormond came that night to Corke the Lord Deputy being desirous not onely to haue his Lordship but as many of the Nobilitie and men of the best ranke as he could to be witnesses of their hainous offences and of the milde proceedings against them did deferre till next day the receiuing of the Townesmens answeres in iustification of their owne actions At which time many breaches of his Maiesties Lawes and their duties were obiected against them First in the publike erection of the Romish Religion against the Lawes and the abolishing that profession which was allowed by the same Secondly in their maintaining these actions by force and armed men Thirdly in their attempt to demolish the Kings Fort at the South Gate of the City Fourthly in staying the issue of the Kings munition and victuals with the seazing of them into their owne hands and the imprisoning of the Kings Officers and Ministers to whose charge they were committed Lastly in bearing Armes and doing all actes of Hostilitie against his Maiesties forces wherein their insolent proceedings were so farre followed as they had killed a graue and learned Preacher walking vpon the Hilles adioyning to their walles and had battered Shandon Castle wherein lay the Lady Carew wife to the Lord President then absent in England After due examination taken of all these points his Lord P resolued as he had formerly done at Waterford to leaue the censure to his Maiesties pleasure that hee vpon view thereof might vse his Royall mercy or iustice in remitting or punishing and reforming the same Onely his Lordship tooke notice of some few of the principall offenders and ringleaders whose offences were apparant and seuered from the common action and them his Lordship commanded to be hanged for example and terror to others Some his Lordship left in prison to be tried by course of Law as Master Meade the Recorder who was a most principall offender but hee might as well haue forgiuen him for no man that knew Ireland did imagine that an Irish Iurie would condemne him The chiefe Citizens of Corke tooke the aboue mentioned oath of Alleageance to his Maiesty abiuring all dependancy vpon any forraigne Potentate From Corke his L P wrote to the Earle of Tyrone to meete him at Dublyn in readidinesse to beare him company into England This done his Lordship lest a strong garrison of souldiers in the Towne of Corke and so vpon the fifteenth of May matched towards Lymrick and the Citizens thereof hauing proceeded to no further disorder then the publike celebration of Masse were soone reduced to order and willingly tooke the oath of alleageance with abiuration of dependancy vpon any forraigne Potentate as the other Cities had done The sixteenth of May his Lordship receiued letters from the Earle of Tyrone whereby he gaue him many thankes that he had procnred out of England authoritie to proceede with him according to the instructions he had formerly from the late Queene promising to bee readie at Dublyn to attend his Lordship into England and touching a complaint of Shane O Neales sonnes for some cowes his men had taken from them promising to make restitution And because he thought many complaints would be made against his people by reason of their pouerty he besought his Lordship not to giue credit to them till he might repaire to his Lordship to satisfie him protesting that he would be ready at all times to come vnto his Lordship and to doe all duties of a faithfull subiect The Lord Deputy hauing giuen order to fortifie the Castle of Lymrick and hauing from thence written to the Maior of Corke to assist the Commissioners in building the Fort at their South Gate tooke his iourney towards Dublyn the nineteenth of May and came to Cashell the twentieth of May where he reformed the Towne as hee had done the rest and tooke the like oth of Alleageance from the Townesmen There he vnderstood that a Priest commanding all the people had tied a Goldsmith of our Religion to a tree threatning to burne him and his hereticall bookes at which time he burnt some of our bookes which he so termed but that vpon a Townesmans admonition the Priest set the said Goldsmith free after he had stood so bound to a tree some six houres
dispensation on their side Therefore let the Papists feare to giue their followers leaue to heare vs in our Schooles or Churches lest they be chained with the force of truth And let vs securely permit our men to passe into the heart of Italy so they be first of ripe yeeres and well instructed Vpon my word they run no other danger then the escaping the snares of the Inquisition of which discretion I shall speake at large in the foure and twentieth Precept of Dissimulation in the next Chapter If any man obiect that some of our young Schollers haue passed into their Seminaries beyond the Seas let him consider that they were not seduced abroad but first infected at home in their parents houses and our Vniuersities which mischiefe Parents and Magistrates ought to preuent by keeping the suspected at home for the rest there is no danger But behold when I thought to haue finished my taske carpers consumed with enuie who barke at trauellers as dogs at the Moone and thinking to gaine reputation by other mens disgrace they are not ashamed to say that vagabond Caine was the first Traueller Old Writers I confesse sometimes vse the word of Perigrination for banishment but God be praised here is no question made of banished or cursed men driuen out from the sight of God They which spend the greater part of their yeeres in forraigne places as it were in voluntary banishment may more instly bee compared to Caine and are not vnlike to rude Stage players who to the offence of the beholders spend more time in putting on their apparrell then in acting their Comedy for life is compared to a stage and our Parents and Kins-men expecting our proofe to the beholders Therefore it is fit to restraine this course within due limits to which the Romans as Suetonius writes prescribed perhaps too strictly three yeeres In the last place they that detract from Trauellers to the end they may choke vs with our owne disdaine if not with arguments send out their spyes in their last skirmish to cast this Dart at vs. After so many dangers and troubles how many of you after your returne are preferred in the Common-wealth To what purpose doe you tire your selues in attaining so many vertues Is it to exercise them leaning on a plowmans or shepheards staffe I should enter a most spacious field of common griefe if I should search the causes why in our age great part of the Counsellours of States and Peeres of Realmes rather desire to haue dull and slothfull companions then those that are wise and ambitious and so in like sort rather base and expert ready seruants then those thot are free and learned Knowledge puffeth vp and I remember of late a learned Physician who being sent for by a great Lord and he being offended at his long stay freely and boldly answered that knowledge could not dance attendance Hence is our calamity to omit the more curious search of this euill whose first encounter astonisheth me though I am not ignorant of the cause but let him that cast this Dart tell me whether this ill be uot common to all men of vertue and if it be so he must at least confesse with the Poet Solamen miser is socios habuisse doloris Partners in griefe doe solace giue And let all rare men in any kind of vertue when they are despised or neglected comfort themselues with this Phylosophicall precept of Aristotle that vertue is desired for it selfe not for any thing else So I say the fruit of trauell is trauell it selfe Hauing thus retorted our enemies weapons vpon their owne breasts because the common sort is more moued with examples then arguments it remaines that in the last place I should adorne the triumph of this vertuous industry with some few and speciall examples Many have beene found who haue passed into remote parts of the World onely to gaine health farre greater is the number of them who as the Poet saith Pauperiem fugiunt vltra Garamant as Indos Who further runne to shunne base pouerty Then Garamants and Indians doely And greatest is the number of them who following the standard of ambition haue pierced to the very gates of hell with sound of Drummes and Trumpets To conclude as diligent Merchants gather precious wares into one storehouse so Phylophers haue from the first ages of the World passed by flockes into forraigne parts to gaine knowledge as the Egyptians into Chaldea the Greekes into Egypt and the Romans into Greece Pythagorus walked sarre and neere not onely to learne but also in diuers places to get Disciples whom he might teach for the Poet saith well Scire tuum nihil est nisi te scire hoc sciat alter To know auaileth thee no whit If no man know thou knowest it To be briefe if wee will credit old monuments which I confesse to suspect hee came in person and sowed the precepts of his Phylosophy euen among the Britaines deuided from all the World Plato hath written some-what too seuerely against Trauellers perhaps like Alexander the Great who was angry with his Master Aristotle because hee had published the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which hee had read vnto him thereby leauing him nothing wherein he might excell others so Plato hauing gotten the name of Diuine by his very trauels would forbid or limit the same to others that he might shine among the Phylosophers Velut inter stellas Luna minores As the bright Moone among the lesser starres It is most certaine that hee was not onely industrious but euen curious in this course so as he sayled into Sicily the entrance of which Iland was vpon paine of death forbidden to strangers onely that he might see the burning of the Mountaine AEtna Apelles by drawing of a most subtile lyne at Rhodes was made knowne to Protogenes Homer being blind yet ceased not to trauell In our Age they which are renowned at home for any Art are not content therewith except they may passe into forraigne Courts to make knowne their skill The most ancient Lawgiuers got the experience by which they had rule in their Cities not by secure study at home but by aduenturous trauels abroad as the Poet saith Ingenium mala saepe mouent Aduersities doe often whet our wits Moyses Orpheus Draco Solon Mines Rhadamanthus Licurgus and almost all the Consuls of Rome themselues had beene in forraigne parts and granted ample priuiledges to strangers Among Physicians we read that Esculapius and Hypocrates trauelled and that Galene was at Smyrna Corinth Alexandria in Palestine at Lemnos Ciprus and at Rome and Auicenna boasteth that he had passed through the whole World I know that many in our Vniuersities become learned Physicians but no doubt they would haue beene more learned if they had passed into forraigne parts One Land yeeldeth not all things A man shall hardly learne at home the diuers natures of hearbes and other things or the diuers dispositions of one and the same body according to
bee an vnwary stranger wanting friends and when they haue done a murther they flie without any impediment to the confines of neighbour Princes liuing there as banished men for a time vpon roberies till they can obtaine pardon which escape a stranger cannot so easily make But if they haue a quarrell with Italians vsing like practises it is a thing most ridiculous to see with what proud bragging they thus walke armed and guarded and with what warinesse and foolish tumult the contrary parts thus walke about the Citie keeping as farre the one from the other as is possible till by-the intercession of friends or authority of the Magistrate they be made friends which must be done with infinite cerimonies and cautions of honour no way blemished but by themselues Whereas a stranger in Italy may not without licence from the Magistrate weare a sword in their Cities no nor so much as a dagger either in the Cities or high-waies of the Popes State How much lesse will it bee permitted to any stranger thus to arme himselfe if hee would since wee are of opinion that it were better once to dye then alwaies to feare death euen in our priuate chambers and to be continually so loded with iron Armes as a man can hardly walke or breath Therefore a stranger must be very wary not to haue a quarrell and if any be thrust vpon him he must be no lesse wary to shun the danger by leauing the place or City in Italy Neither would I aduise a stranger to sight for his money if hee be assaulted by theeues called Banditi in Italy except the way from Rome to Naples where hee hath a guard of souldiers to ioyne with since they are men of desperate fortune and when they assaile the passenger haue not only their bodies armed as aforesaid but carry Muskets and haue ready meanes of escape euer lying vpon the confines of Princes But in my opinion he shall doe better to carry letters of credit for receiuing money in great Cities as hee passeth and willingly to yeeld them that which hee hath about him especially since they vse not to kill any not resisting being content with the spoile of them Yet in generall for Italy I remember not that euer I liued in any place where fewer wrongs and causes of quarrell are offered then there for they haue a Prouerb Portarispetto a tuttie no' hauer ' paur a dinessuno Giue good respect to all Feare neither great nor small So as the Italians offer mutuall honour more then is due and nothing is more easie then to abstaine from words of reproch which a ciuill man should hate aswell in respect of himselfe as others The chiefe cause of quarrels there is either making loue to other mens priuate concubines or the keeping of a priuate concubine to a mans selfe For it is prouerbially said Chi Asini caccia e donne mena Non è mai senzaguai pena Who driues an Asse and leades a Whore Hath toile and sorrow euermore And the stranger who will intangle himselfe in this mischiefe seemes worthy to beare the punishment since there is plenty of grasse in the open fields though a man neuer breake into inclosed pastures As in Italy so in Germany Bohemia the Low-Countries and Denmark the Magistrate neuer pardons any murther nor man-slaughter vpon hot bloud nor him that killes in single combat vpon those termes which some call honourable neither is there any way to scape punishment but by flight And this is common to all these Nations that onely the Officers of Iustice either stop or lay hands vpon a Murtherer or any offender against the Lawes And this makes great respect of persons for a poore man hauing killed one that hath rich friends shall bee pursued with light horses while either not at all or slowly they follow others and giue way to their escaping Let a stranger consider how difficult his flight will be in a strange Country and how hotly he is like to be pursued The Germans are apt to quarrell and sometimes they fight after their fashion which is a slash or two with the edge of the sword and if one of their fingers bee hurt they straight shake hands and go to the Tauerne to drinke but to stab or make a thrust is vulgarly called cin schelemstucke that is the act of a villaine and the very iudges esteeme it a most abominable act It is ridiculous that hee which is wounded neuer so flightly though it be at the first incounter straight shakes his aduersary by the hand and both returne againe to the Citie where he that is hurt payes the Wine to the other 〈◊〉 new or renewed league of friendship In Germany Bohemia and Denmarke no man wil part a quarrel nor put himself betweene them that are at variance Neither will they doe it in disputations that I may mingle iest with cusnest where the argument is seldome or neuer taken vp by the Moderator for in truth they are not so fierce in any of these kinds but that they can compose the matter themselues The little danger in their manner of fighting makes their quarrels very frequent In these places as euery where it belieues a Traueller with his best iudgement to shun quarrels and if he must needs aduenture his body yet to forecast meanes of escape after victory Besides the lye and such words as we account most disgracefull with many in Germany are made familiar speech and clounish rudenes esteemed for the neighbor vertue For the Cochmen when they are drunke will easily giue ill words especially to a stranger and they will not stay a minute for him either in the Inne if he be not ready to take Coach or by the way if he haue any necessary cause to light Herewith thou being incensed thinkest him worthy to be strucken but the Magistrate thinks not so and will rather beare with him his partakers if they tumultiously reuenge thy wrong Who would not with silence and fained deafenes slip his necke out of such base and dangerous brawles A stranger needes not feare theeues in Germany for they are most rare but if any such assault him let him defend himselfe the best hee can for they alwaies kill those whom they rob either out of their nature apt to insult vpon the conquered or because their punishments are most cruell by the Law neither is there any pardon for capitall crimes The Sweitzers for the most part Souldiers and stiffe drinkers yet seldome or neuer haue any quarrels because the Lawes impose great penalties vpon those that offer iniury and the seuere Magistrate neuer spareth them there being through all Cities and Villages with most wise and religious carefulnes officers appointed who particularly intend the execution of this iustice Theenes or murtherers are very seldome or neuer heard of among them aswell for the seueritie of the Law and the serious execution thereof as because they are industrious at home and to shun pouerty are more inclined
his peace or to speake how little then doth it become him to be so talkatiue as he would hier one to heare him My selfe haue heard many who had scarce seene the Lyone of the Tower and the Beares of Parish-Garden as I may well say in comparison of their small iourneys and experience with other mens so ingrosse all the talke of the Table in relating their aduentures as if they had passed the pillars of Hercules nothing could be asked which they could not resolue of their owne knowledge hauing well learned the precept of Ouid to Louiers Et quae nescieris vt bene nota refer What thou know'st not boldly relate as if thou knew'st thereof the state And this they did with great applause of the ignorant and no lesse derision of experienced men who in their discourse had often found them lyers and well knew that as many hastning out at one gate passe more slowly so vessels full of good liquor sound not so much as the emptie and they who vnderstand much are not so free in imparting it And these be the men who haue branded Trauellers with the tytle of Lyers but a wise man ought to distinguish such sponges from praise-worthie Trauellers For in all arts professions and courses of life some take vpon them the skill and facultie of the best who are commonly most ignorant and impotent therein and it were great iniustice to ascribe the weaken effe of the one to any defect in the other or in the art and course it selfe Therefore Nauita de ventis de Taur is narret Arator Let Marriners of the winds force And Plowmen of their Buls discourse but I would haue a Traueller after his returne like an Orator or Poet so well instructed in all subiects of discourse as nothing should be altogether strange to him yet so discreete also as hee should not but vpon some faire occasion speake of those things whereof he could discourse most eloquently and iudicially And since stale Harlots by this art make their putrified wares saleable how much more shall Trauellers whose discourse more pleaseth in the stomack then in the mouth make the very stones and insensible creatures to daunce and hang vpon their mouthes as they are said to haue been moued by the eloquence and musick of Vlysses and Orpheus CHAP. III. Of the opinions of old Writers and some Prouerbs which I obserued in firraigne parts by reading or discourse to be vsed either of Trauellert themselues or of diuers Nations and Prouinces OLD Writers affirme that the Northerne men in respect of their heate kept in by the cold are generally greater eaters then Southerne men Thus they proue it Because all men haue a better stomacke in Winter then in Summer because Northerne men passing towards the South daily leese their appetite and because both men and beasts of the South are more leane then those of the North. This opinion is of it selfe true but the arguments for proofe admit some exceptions for the Turkes towards the South be fatter generally then our men of the North not that they eate more but that they are Eunuches and giuen to idlenesse I say therefore that the opinion is generally true but by many accidents proues false namely in places which suffer not the extremity of cold in the North or of heate in the South and comparing barren Pastures in the North with fertile pastures in the South and vpon like accidents hindting the true effects The fortitude of the minde and the strength of the body for the same reason they attribute to Northerne men and shew by Histories that hereupon they were euer Conquerours as the Medes against the Assirians the Assirians against the Chaldeans the Greekes against the Persians the Parthians against the Greekes the Romans against the Carthaginians the Gothes aginst the Romans the Turkes against the Arabians the Tartars against the Turkes the English against the French euen in France though the French called in by the English could neuer conquer them Lastly they conclude that the Scythians are most valiant and the best Souldiers of the World The truth is that the Romans were ouerrunne by barbarous people of the North yet not for their want of valour but by their dissention and the vastnesse of their Empire falling with his owne weight yet the same Romans subdued and long held in subiection many Nations of the North as France the Low-Countries and Britanny And no doubt the hope of spoile not valour or strength made the barbarous people ouerrunne the Romans who might haue beene quiet from them if they had been poore No man will fish with a golden hooke for a halfe penny fish Againe the riches of the Romans made them effeminate which likewise incouraged the barbarous people to assaile them But it were fitter to say that wisdome and wit rather then heate or cold make men to be valiant For no man contemnes death or hath due respect of honour but hee with whom reason preuailes more then nature Nature hath his force as the Eagle begets not a Doue but reason rather then nature is the cause that when common Souldiers runne away yet Gentlemen chuse rather to dye then escape by flight Not so much because they are borne of a Noble race as because they will not be a reproach to themselues and their race Not because Gentlemen dye with lesse paine then the common sort but because they better vnderstand that the soule is immortall that he dies in a good cause who fights for his Country and that an honorable death is to be preferred before a disgracefull life In all great Empires valour and learning flourished together and decayed together with the ruines of the Empires following their decay as in those of the Assirians Persians Medes and the Empires more knowne to vs by Histories of the Greekes and Romanes Therefore howsoeuer strength and an innated boldnesse are propagated and come by Nature yet true fortitude is not found in the North nor in the South nor proceedes from nature but where learning flourisheth and cowardise is reputed basenesse and where the word of God teaching the immortality of the soule and the vanities of mortall life most raigneth there men are most valiant Also they affirme that the Southerne men are more wittie and more wise then Northerne because the barbarous Gothes and Northerne people when they got great victories yet could not make true vse of them but lost Prouinces for want of wit and wisedome in as short a time as they got them by their valour and strength Surely variable fortune did exercise and tosse part of the Gothes and vandales yet other part of the Gothes and the Longobards subdued the plaine Country of Italy and these setled a long lasting Kingdome calling it Lombardie And though Hannibal were a Southerne man yet of him after the field woone by him at Canna it was first said Hannibal thou knowest how to ouercome but thou knowest not how to make
tyrannicall forme of gouernment and to their ignorance of Religion as also of liberall and manuall Arts not to the situation of the Prouinces I confesse that in generall Southerne men are now more frugall in diet and apparrell then Northerne But the Iewes and Southerne men are and euer haue beene great vsurers extortioners and amassers of treasure so as they must also be reputed couetous And as the Italians are most frugall so haue the Romanes in their riches beene monsters for Luxurie So as rhe clime cannot be the cause But indeede riches are cause of Pride and Luxurie as the examples of all times and nations doe teach And the same riches are cause of couetousnesse according to the Poet. Crescit amor nummi quantum ipsa pecunia crescit As money growes so groweth auatice Prodigality at this day not for the climes sake but for some other cauies may iustly be imputed to Northerne men yet this vice dispersing treasure vitiously is not so great a vice as that of rapine and couetousnesse hiding those treasures and burying them from vse Olde Writers taxe Southerne men most for Iealousie No doubt the most sharpe sights are sometimes dimmed and so for what cause so euer it must be confessed that the sharpe witted Southerne men are to this day madly iealous alwayes tormenting themselues with this restlesse passion and vsing their wiues like slaues yet no whit more freed thereby from fatall hornes though to preserue their wiues chastitie they permit the Stewes and that because they liue among men who no lesse vexe themselues in finding meanes to enioy these forbidden Loues then the other are vexed in the courses to preuent their enioying thereof and because their wiues so watched thinke themselues to bewray simplicity and ignorant folly if they omit any occasion of offending this way though it were with neuer so base a man Hauing taxed the wittie Southerne men with iealousie yet they in generall conclude that Northerne men are most suspitious and that vpon a contrary cause namely the defect of wit No doubt they who are most guilty of their owne defects take in worst part the whisperings priuate laughters of those that are in their company Yea I wil say of experience that I found the Italians nothing nice to shew their strong Forts to me and other strangers and that in Northerne parts the same were not to be seene by strangers or at least with great difficulty By which and like arguments casie to be brought I am induced to thinke that want of true iudgement is the cause of suspition but not the sole nor yet the chiefe cause thereof To omit many other causes sometimes an ill conscience makes men suspitious as we reade that our tyrant Richard the third vpon the least shadow or shaking of a leafe had his hand vpon his dagger Againe the best and wisest men are iustly suspitious when they liue among wicked men or haue necessarie affaires with them Therefore let Southerne men consider whether they vse not more to wound their owne consciences with guiltinesse of wicked deedes then Northerne men vse to doe and whether they be not more iustly to be accused of treacheries poysonings and like high crimes then the other For no doubt the iealous Southerne men by guiltinesse of these crimes in spite of their wit and wisedome shall become in all kinds most suspitious Olde Writers affirme that Southerne men are more prone to madnesse then the Northerne and they report that infinite numbers of mad men are found in Affrique where many Almes-houses are built onely to receiue the sicke of this kinde and that the South parts of Spayne doe abound with distracted men And this is agreeable to nature and the Rules of naturall Philosophie For howsoeuer the situation of places cannot properly be the cause of any vertue or vice yet it is probable that it may cause diseases or health Bodine against the iudgement of Hipocrates proueth that Northerne men are more venerious then Southerne First because our bodies haue greater inward heate in Winter then in Sommer and so in Winter are more apt for the act of generation the same reason being of a Northerne and Southerne bodie as of Winter and Sommer I should thinke that the hot and dry Southerne men are most prone to venery but that the colde and moist Northerne Men are most potent therein Againe Aristotle saith that they who ride most are most venerious which Bodine also obiecteth against Hipocrates who falsely holds that the Northerne mens riding makes them lesse fruitfull in generation It is most certaine by our and all mens experience that great part of Asia and especially the Southerne Prouinces lie at this day waste or little inhabited though Poligamy be permitted among them I meane the hauing of many wiues for one man and that all Europe on the contrary is wonderfully populous and especially in the most Northerne parts though no man hath more then one wife allowed him By this one argument it is most manifest that the Northerne men are most potent for generation And it is no lesse manifest that Southerne men haue more desire by the multitude of their wiues their libidinous vsing the loue of boyes and all mens consent so generall as it needs no further proofe yea men of experience say that Northerne men only trauelling towards the South are more and more troubled with this restlesse desire Bodine disputes that Southerne men are longer liued then Northerne contrary to the opinion of Pliny First because Elephants who as Aristotle saith haue the longest liues of all other are onely found in the South I remember that the Turkes at this day repute them old weomen or past the age of loue who are come to the age of 25 yeeres and that my selfe did see few or no men in Asia who had gray beards and it any had grey hayres it was not for the number of their yeeres but because they grow old sooner then Northern men I cannot so well speake of other Nations where I liued a short time and as a stranger but I remember that in Benerly a Towne of Holdernes in England there liued in our age one Iemings a Carpenter whom the men of those parts report to haue liued 120 yeeres and that he married a young woman some few yeeres before his death by whom being of good fame he had foure children and that his eldest sonne by his first wife then liuing was 100 yeeres old or thereabouts but was so decrepite as he was rather taken for the father then the sonne And lest I should seeme by one Swallow to make summer as the Prouerbe is the men of Hereford-shire can witnes that such examples are not rare in England where in the raigne of King Iames they made a morris-dance of fifteene persons all borne in the same County or within the compasse of 24 miles who made 1500 yeeres betweene them some being little lesse then 100 yeers old and
very deepe and couers all the ground for nine moneths of the yeere yet notwithstanding the vallyes and discents of them lying open to the South Sunne and taking life from the heate thereof are very fruitfull Lastly in generall through all Germany the aboundance of Lakes and Mountaines doth increase this cold of the aire in diuers places except they bee something defended from the same by Woods adioyning and in some places as namely at Heidelberg where the Cities are almost fully inclosed with Mountaines the cold windes in Winter doe more ragingly breake in on that side the Mountaines lve open the more they are restrained and resisted on the other sides As likewise by accident the Sunne beames in Summer reflecting against those Mountaines though in a cold Region are so violently hot as the Cities at that time are much annoyed with multitudes of flies which not onely vex men but so trouble the horses as they are forced to couer them with cloathes from this annoyance The foresaid intemperatenesse of cold pressing great part of Germany in stead of fier they vse hot stoues for remedie thereof which are certaine chambers or roomes hauing an earthen ouen cast into them which may be heated with a little quantity of wood so as it will make them hot who come out of the cold and incline them to swetting if they come neare the ouen And as well to keepe out cold as to retaine the heate they keepe the dores and windowes closely shut so as they vsing not only to receiue Gentlemen into these stoues but euen to permit rammish clownes to stand by the ouen till their wet clothes be dried and themselues sweat yea to indure their little children to sit vpon their close stooles and ease themselues within this close and hot stoue let the Reader pardon my rude speech as I bore with the bad smell it must needes be that these ill smelles neuer purged by the admitting of any fresh ayre should dull the braine and almost choke the spirits of those who frequent the stoues When my selfe first entred into one of them this vnwonted heate did so winde about my legges as if a Snake had twined about them and made my head dull and heauy but after I had vsed them custome became another nature for I neuer inioyed my health in any place better then there This intemperatenesse of cold is the cause that a Lawrell tree is hardly to be found in Germany and that in the lower parts towards Lubeck they keepe Rosemary within the house in eartherne pitchers filled with earth as other where men preserue the choice fruits of the South yet can they not keep this Rosemary when it prospers best aboue three yeeres from withering For this cause also they haue no Italian fruits in Germany onely at Prage I did see some few Orange trees preserued in pitchers full of earth by setting them fourth in the heate of the Summer dayes and after drawing them into houses where they were cherished by artificiall heate And the like fruits I did see at Heidelberg in the Pallatine Electors Garden growing open in Summer but in winter a house being built ouer them with an ouen like a stoue and yet these trees yeelded not any ripe fruit when as at London and many parts of England more Northerly then those parts of Germany we haue Muske Mellons and plenty of Abricots growing in Gardens which for quantitie and goodnesse are not much inferiour to the fruits in Italy Also this cold is the cause that in Misen where they plant vines and in the highest parts of Germany on this side the Alpes where they make wine thereof the Grapes and the wine are exceeding sower Onely the wines vpon Neccar and those vpon the West side of the Rheine are in their kinds good but harsh and of little heate in the stomacke The cherries called Zawerkersen are reasonable great but sower And the other kind called Wildkersen is little and sweete but hath a blacke iuyce vnpleasing to the taste They haue little store of peares or apples and those they haue are little and of small pleasantnesse onely the Muskadel peare is very delicate especially when it is dried And the Germans make good vse of those fruits they haue not so much for pleasure when they are greene as for furnishing the table in Winter For their Peares and Apples they pare them and drie them vnder the Ouen of the stoue and then dresse them very fauorly with Cynamon and Butter In like sort they long preserue their cheries drie without sugar and the greater part of their cheries they boyle in a brasse cauldron full of holes in the bottome out of which the iuce falles into another vessell which being kept growes like marmalade and makes a delicate sauce for all roasted meates and will last very long as they vse it The Italians haue a Prouerb Dio da i panni secondo i freddi that is God giues cloathes according to the colds as to the cold Muscouites hee hath giuen futtes to the English wooll for cloth to the French diuers light stuffes and to Southerlie people stoore of silkes that all Nations abounding in some things and wanting others might be taught that they haue neede of one anothers helpe and so be stirred vp to mutuall loue which God hath thus planted betweene mankind by mutuall trafficke For this must be vnderstood not onely of clother but also of all other things necessary for human life Germany doth abound with many things necessary for life and many commodities to be transported For great Cities and Cities within land of which Germany hath store those argue plenty of commodities to bee transported and these plenty of foode to nourish much people And since that paradox of Cicero is most true that small causes of expence rather then great reuenues make men rich surely by this reason the Germans should bee most rich They neuer play at Dice seldome at Cardes and that for small wagers They seldome feast and sparingly needing no sumptuary Law es to restraine the number or costlinesse of dishes or sawces They are apparrelled with homely stuffes and weare their clothes to the vttermost of their lasting their houshold stuffe is poore in gifts they are most sparing and onely are prodigall in expences for drinking with which a man may sooner burst then spend his patrimony They haue Corne sufficient for their vse and the Merchants in the Cities vpon the sea coast export Corne into Spaine aswell of their owne as especially of that they buy at Dantzke They want not Cattle of all kinds but they are commonlie leane and little so are their horses many in number and little in stature onely in Bohemia they haue goodly horses or at least great and heauy like those in Freeseland but I remember not to haue seene much cattle or great heards thereof in the fields of any Towne the reason whereof may be gathered out of the following discourse of the Germans
diet Their sheepe are very little bearing a course wooll and commonly blacke which they export not but make course cloath thereof for the poorer sort the Gentlemen and for the most part the Citizens wearing English cloath The libertie of hunting commonly reserued to Princes and absolute Lords and they haue great store of red Deare feeding in open Woods which the Princes kill by hundreds at a time and send them to their Castlas to be salted vsing them in stead of beefe for the feeding of their families They haue no fallow Deare except some wild kinds vpon the Alpes They haue great store of fresh fish in Lakes Ponds and Riuers among which the Lakes of Sweitzerland are most commended At Hamburg they catch such plentie of Sallmons as it is a common report that the seruants made couenant with their Masters not to bee fed therewith more then two meales in the weeke and from thence great plentie of Sturgeon is exported Either the cold driues away birds or else they labour not to take them for I did seldome see them ferued at the table but onely Sparrowes and some few little birds In all their Riuers I did neuer see any Swannes yet they say that at Lubeck and about priuate Castles of Gentlemen they haue some few They say that they haue some mines of Gold but surely they abound with mines of Siluer aboue all Europe and all mettals where so euer found are by a Law of the Golden Bull appropriated to the Emperour and to the Electors in their seuerall dominions Also they abound with copper and brasse where with they couer many Churches but within forty yeeres past the English haue brought them Leade which they vse to that and other purposes Also they haue great plenty of Iron and they haue Fountaines yeelding most white Salt in Cities farre within the land which Cities are commonly called Halla Austria beyond the Danow yeelds excellent Saffron and at Iudiburg in Styria growes store of Spica Celtica as the Latin Herbalists call it In the season of the yeere yellow Amber is plentifully gathered vpon the Sea coast of Prusfia and Pomerania The Germans export into forraigne parts and there sell many curious and well prised workes of manuall Art And it is worth the consideration that the Citizens of Nurnberg dwelling in a sandy and baeren soile by their industrie and more specially by their skill in these manuall Arts liue plentifully and attaine great riches while on the contrary the inhabitants of Alsatia the most fruitfull Prouince of all Germany neglecting these Arts and content to enioy the fatnesse of their soyle in slothfull rest are the poorest of all other Germans Moreouer the vpper part of Germany abounds with Woods of Firre which tree as the Lawrell is greene all Winter and it hath many Okes also vpon the Alpes and not else where and lower Germany especially towards the Baltick Sea aboundeth with Woods of Oke They conuey great store of wood from the Alpes into the lower parts by the Riuer Rheine cutting downe whole trees and when they are marked casting them one by one into the Riuer to be carried downe with the violent streame thereof or otherwise binding many together to floate downe with men standing vpon them to guide them And at many Cities and Villages they haue seruants which know the trees by the markes and gather them vp in places where they may best be sold. The Cities that are one the Sea-coast on the North side of Germany haue very great ships but more fit for taking in great burthen then for sayling or fighting which the Netherlanders more commonly fraught with their commodities then the Germans themselues neither are the German Marriners much to bee commended The German Sea in good part and the Baltick Sea altogether are free from Pyrats which is the cause that their ships are little or not at all armed onely some few that trade into Spaine carry great Ordinance but are generally made large in the ribs rather fit for burthen then fight at Sea I neuer obserued them to haue any common prayers morning or euening as our English ships haue while they bee at Sea but the Marriners of their owne accord vse continually to sing Psalmes and they are punished by the purse who sweare or so much as once name the diuell from which they abhorre And herein they deserue to be praysed aboue the Holanders in whose ships a man shall heare no mention of God or his worship The said free Cities of Germany lying on the Sea-coast are called Hansen-stetten that is free Cities because they had of old in all neighbour Kingdoms great priuiledges of buying any wares as wel of strangers as Citizens and of selling or exchanging their own wares to either sort at pleasure and to bring in or carry out all commodities by their owne shippes with like immunities equall to Citizens in all the said Dominions and no lesse preiudiciall to them then aduantageous to themselues In England they were wont to dwell together at London in the house called the Stilyard and there to enioy these liberties which long since haue laine dead the Germans seldome bringing ought in their ships into England and the English hauing now long time found it more commodious to vse their owne shipping and iustly complaining that the English had not the like priuiledges in the said free Cities for which cause the priuiledges of the Germans were laid dead in England though not fully taken away Caesar witnesseth that the Schwaben inhabiting Suenia then containing great part of Germany admitted Merchants not to buy any thing themselues but onely to sell the spoyles they got in warre But Munster a German writes that these Sueuians or schwaben are now the onely forestallers of all things sold in faires or Markets and that for this cause they are excluded from buying any thing through Germany except it bee sold in their owne Townes of trafficke In generall the Germans doe applie themselues industriously to all trafficke by land which onely the free Cities on the Sea-coast exercise somewhat coldly by sea At home the Germans among themselues spend and export an vnspeakeable quantity of Beere with great gaine which yeelds great profit to priuate Citizens and to the Princes or publike Senate in free Cities there being no Merchandize of the World that more easily findes a buyer in Germany then this For the Germans trafficke with strangers I will omit small commodities which are often sold though in lesse quantitie yet with more gaine then greater and in this place I will onely speake of the commodities of greater moment aswell those that the Country affords as those that buy in forraigne parts to be transported in their owne ships The Germans export into Italy linnen clothes corne wax fetcht from Dantzk and those parts and coyned filuer of their owne which they also exchange vncoined with some quantity of gold Into England they export boards iron course linnen clothes and of that
the Bishoprick of Licge pertaines to it wherein the City of Liege is the Bishops seate and the territory thereof yeelds a little quantity of a small wine and hath Mines yeelding a little Iron some leade and brimstone and a very little quantity of good gold The Mountaines yeeld a black Alablaster with marble and other stones especially stony coales in great quantity which being there found at first are now called generally Liege Coales 11 The Dukedome of Gelderland was of old inhabited by the Menappij and Sieambri and aboundeth with excellent pastures and meadowes so as great Heards of Cattle brought thither out of Denmarke to be sold are for great part fatted there The chiefe City is Nimmengen the second Harduike a fortified City subiect to the vnited States and the third Arnheim also subiect to them 12 The Territory of West-Freessand is diuided as Holland with artificiall ditches and aboundeth with eocellent pastures for fatting of the greatest heards of Cattle and yeeldeth it selfe all kinds of cattle of extraordinary bignesse as Horses of Freesland vulgarly knowne It hath many Cities where of the chiefe are Lewerden Dockam Fronikar an Vniuersity and Harlingen not to speake of nine other Townes fortified with wals and ditcbes This Territory is subiect or associated to the vnited States 13 The Territory of Groningen made part of Freesland by Cosmagraphers is also subiect to the States and hath the name of the chiefe City strongly fortified and seated in a fenny soyle 14 The Territory of Vtrecht is also associated vnder the same vnited States whose chiefe and very pleasant City is called Vtrecht 15 The Territory of Transisole vulgarly called De land ouer Ysseli the Land beyond Yssell is also associated to the vnited States whereof the chiefe City is Deuentry which besieged by the States Army in the yeere 1591 was then subdued and it lies neerer to the Sea It hath another City called swoll The vnited Prouinces of Netherland through which onely I did passe haue a most intemperate Aire the Winter cold being excessiue and the Summers heat farre exceeding the ordinary heate of that clime The reason of the cold is that the Northerne winds of themselues ordinarily cold doe here in a long course on all sides glide vpon the German Sea thereby gathering farre greater cold and so rush into those plaine Prouinces no where stopped either by mountaines or woods there being no Mountaines scarce any hils no woods scarce any groues to hinder them from violent passage with their vttermost force Like reason may be giuen for the heate For the same open Plaine no way shaddowed from the beames of the Sunne by opposition of Woods or Mountaines must needs in Summer be subiect to the heate of the Sunne and winds from land Adde that in Winter the frequent Riuers Lakes and Pooles or standing waters in finitely increase the coldnesse of the aire These waters aswell running as standing are almost all Winter frosen ouer with a thicke ice so as they will beare some hundreths of young men and women sliding vpon them with pattins according to their custome Yea the Arme of the Sea called Zwidersea lying within land betweene Holland and Freseland though it be large and deepe hauing only two flats or shoales yet being compassed with Ilands and the Continent is many times in Winter so frosen ouer as Victualers erect Tents in the middest of it hauing Beere and Wine and fier made vpon iron furnaces to refresh such as passe vpon sledges or sliding vpon iron patterns from one shoare to the other This cold is the cause why their sheepe and cattell are kept in stables to bring forth their young And howsoeuer the same be done in Italy subiect to great heate yet it is not of necessitie as here but out of the too great tendernesse of the Italians towards the few cattle they haue And this is the cause that how soeuer they vse not hot stoaues as the Germans doe yet the Weomen as well at home as in the Churches to driue away cold put vnder them little pannes of fier couered with boxes of wood boared full of holes in the top And this sordid remedy they carry with them by the high way in waggons which the Danes or Mosconites vse not though oppressed with greater cold onely some of the more noble Weomen disliking this remedy choose rather to weare breeches to defend them from the cold In this distemper of Aire it cannot be expected that there should be plenty of flowers and summer fruites No doubt in regard of the fatnesse of the soile watered with frequent ditches and through the foresaid heat of the Summer they might haue plenty of flowers and fruits were it not impossible or very difficult to preserue them from perishing by the winters cold and were not the Inhabitants carelesse of such dainties though in later times as they haue admitted forraigne manners so luxury hath more power with them then formerly it had I haue oft seene one Apple sold for a blancke and those great Cherries which are brought into England grow not here but in Flaunders and the Territories within Land They haue abundance of Butter Cheese and Rootes and howsoeuer they haue not of their owne full sufficiency of other things to maintaine life yet they abound with the same brought from other parts Some prouinces as the Bishoprick of Vtrecht yeeld corne to be transported but in generall the vnited Prouinces of which only I discourse in this place haue not sufficient corne for their owne vse yet by traffick at Dantzke they furnish themselues many other nations therewith They haue little plenty of Riuer fish excepting onely Eales but in the Mosa as it fals from Dort to the sea they haue plenty of Salmons and other fish which fishing did of old yeeld great profit to the Prince and Merchants And for Sea fishes salted and dried they make great trafficke therewith My selfe lying for a passage in the Iland Fly did see great quantity of shell-fish sold at a very low rate Great heards of Oxen and Calues are yeerely brought into these parts out of the Dukedome of Holst vnited to the Kingdome of Denmarke in which parts they feed most on dry and salt meates and these Heards are fatted in the rich pastures of Gelderland and Freesland There is great abundance of Sea Fowles especially in West-Freesland and they want not land Fowles They carefully nourish Storkes as presaging happinesse to an Aristocraticall gouernement making them nests on the tops of publike houses and punishing any that driue them away or trouble them In which kind also they preserue Hernes making nests in those groues which are onely in few Cities They haue a race of heauy Horses and strong which they sell in sorraigne parts vsing onely their Mares to draw Waggons and for like vses at home The Prouinces on the Sea Coast as I formerly said burne their owne earth by the frequent digging whereof they say the Sea or lake
the title of Great Duke and is a most large Prouince fenny and woody so as in Summer there is no passage into it but in winter when the Fenns are frozen Merchants trade with the inhabitants Vilna is the Metropolitan city and seate of the Bishop It hath very few Townes and the Villages are commonly distant 20 German miles one from the other They haue plenty of hony wax a kind of beast like an oxe called Alce wilde beasts and rich furres but they scarce know the vse of mony 6 Volhinia is the most fertile prouince of that Kingdom and fullest of faire townes and Castles 7 Russia or Reutenia hath many Townes whereof the most knowne is Leopolis vulgarly Leimpurg and it is famous for swift and good horses not to speake of the rich furres and other commodities 8 Lastly Podolia aboundeth with excellent Pastures but hath few Cities or Townes In general Poland is subiect to as great cold as the lower part of Germany lying vnder the same Parallel and the Countries as they lie more Northerly so they suffer more cold for the coast of the Baltike Sea the more it lyes towards the East the more it still bends to the North besides that the plainenes of the Countrie and the frequency of Lakes and Fennes doe more increase the cold They vse stoues heated with earthen ouens for remedy against cold as the Germans doe The reuenews of the King and Gentlemen are moderate scarce sufficient to maintaine a plentiful table and to exchange with Merchants for Wines and Spices which they much vse especially in dressing of fish and for forraigne Stuffes and Clothes of Silke and Wooll Poland aboundeth with beasts aswell wild as tame and yeeldeth excellent horses not great but quicke and stirring Neither doe the Gentlemen more delight in any thing then in their horses so as they hang gold chaines and lewels at their eares and paint them halfe ouer with exquisite colours but in that vncomely that they are not naturall for horses as the Carnatian colour and their hinder parts they adorne with rich Furres and skinnes of Lions and Leopards and the like aswell to terrifie their enemies as to adorne and beautifie their horses Poland likewise aboundeth with Flesh Whitemeate Birds fresh-water-Fish it being farre within land and al kind of Pulse as Pease and the like It hath some but very few mines of Gold and Siluer towards the Carpatian Mountaines of Hungary and of Iron and Brimstone It abounds with Hony which they find in hollow trees and caues of the earth besides the Husbandmans hiues It yeelds great quantity of Wax Flax Linnen clothes made thereof Hempe Pich of both kinds Mafts for shippes Beares and Timber rich Furres Salt digged out of pits Amber Soape-ashes and all kinde of Graine especially Rye which hath made Daniske famous for relieuing all Nations therewith in time of dearth No maruell then if Merchants bring vnto them Silkes of Italy Cloth of England Wine of Spaine and the very Spices of India with most remote commodities since they not onely sell them at what price they list but also bring from thence such precious foresaid commodities Poland is all farre within land excepting Borussia vulgarly Prussen which with immunities is subiect to this Kingdome though I haue described it among the Prouinces of Germany because the people are Germans in language and manners And the very inhabitants of Borussia haue but few ships vsing strangers to export their commodities Poland aboundeth with the foresaid most necessary commodities and the people liue content with their owne yet are they not rich because they want the foresaid forraigne commodities farre brought and so deare And they haue so little Gold and Siluer as despising all in respect of it they sell all commodities at a most low rate especially those which are for daily foode and vnfit to be exported And in truth my selfe hauing in Poland and Ireland found a strange cheapenesse of all such necessaries in respect they want and so more esteeme Siluer This obseruation makes me of an opinion much contrary to the vulgar that there is no more certaine signe of a fluorishing and rich commonwealth then the deare price of these things excepting the yeeres of famine nor any greater argument of a poore and weake State then the cheape price of them and it makes me confident to conclude that old wiues snared with papisticall superstition doe foolishly attribute the late deare prices to the change of Religion in our time while they ignorantly extoll former times wherein twenty foure Eggs were sold for a penny for in our Age our Kings haue more royall Tributes our Nobles farre greater reuenews our Merchants much greater wealth then euer our progenitors had and this is the cause that all things for diet and appartell and our very wanton desires are sold at much higher prices then in former ages because our riches make vs not able to want any thing to serue our appetite at what price soeuer it is set Againe for Italy it hath no great store of flesh birds fish and like things for food in regard of the populousnesse thereof yet the Inhabitants holding it no disgrace to be sparing in diet and modest in apparell so it be clenly in regard of this generall temperance and that the Nobility disdaineth not to weaue silkes and trade for them being the sinew of that Countrey howsoeuer all things are sold there at most deare prices yet no Princes considering things to be considered no Gentlemen no Merchants of the vniuersall World haue greater treasures and wealth then those of Italy I haue said that Poland doth abound with all kinds of flesh whitmeates fresh-water fish and all things necessary for foode and that it yeelds no Wine which the Inhabitants seldome drinke but in place thereof they vse Beere which they of Dantzk brew very strong and good and they make a drinke of Hony which they esteeme almost as much as wine and the best composition thereof is made in the Prouince of Masjouia They haue such store of Butter as I haue seene them anoint Cart wheeles therewith but it is more white and lesse sauoury then ours This Kingdome hath few Cities and if a stranger will for a time soiourne in any of them he shall easily find a German or Netherlander to be his Host who will entertaine him more commodiously then any of that Nation though perhaps at extraordinary rates as my selfe found abiding with a Netherlander at Crakaw The Innes in the chiefe Cities affoord conuenient beds and plenty of flesh and fresh-water fish And these fish they dresse with pepper and spice more then enough for which kinde of Cookery the Polonians are praised aboue the Germans or any other Nation yet the spite being farre brought and deerely sold makes the sawce farre more costly then the fish it selfe There is scarce any Gentleman who hath not the skill and doth not vse to dresse fish for his owne eating In
of them haue not seene the Villages and Cities within ten miles of their dwellings Hence it is that great part of the Italians haue nothing to boast of but their naturall wit while our Nations beyond their Alpes besides naturall gifts haue wisdome gained by experience Italy is most populous so as Gentlemens Palaces Lands belonging to them are commonly confined within some few inclosures The Castles Cities Villages and Pallaces are most frequent whence it is that the Land being narrow and not well capable of so much people they plant and sow in the very ditches of the high wayes in the furrowes of Land vpon the wals and ditches of Cities and Castles yea to the very dores of priuate houses fitting each least corner as well to profit as beauty Onely Lombardy hath large and open fields with pastufes to feed Sheepe and Cowes and with plenty of whitmeats For they haue delicate Butter which is not otherwhere to be found except in the valey of Pisa or of the Riuer Arno all other places vsing Oyle in stead of it Neere Parma and Piacenza it yeelds excellent Cheese much prized of very Princes in forraigne parts whether great quantity thereof is transported and greater extracted into other parts of Italy Lombardy also affoords sheepe to Toscany and other parts of Italy as Sicily doth Corne whereby of old it deserued to be called the Garner of Rome Italy hath great store of Goates the milke whereof is so nutritiue as they giue it to the weakest bodies for a restoratiue Great Heards of cattle are brought into Italy out of Hungary and from diuers Countries of the Alpes but the Hungarian Oxen growing leane with driuing farre and finding in Italy no Pastures wherein they may be fatted this makes Italians basely to esteeme of Beefe Out of Lombardy the Italians haue few or no Catle all Italy being like a most pleasant Garden and hauing few Pastures And this makes the Italians so tender towards the few Cattle they haue as for feare of cold forsooth in that hot Clime they leade them into stables when they are to bring forth their young In the plaine Countrey of Lombardy they vse Horses and especially Mares of an exceeding little race to ride vpon and for bearing of burthens and Oxen to draw Carts and sometimes Caroches vulgarly Carozzi but in the Mountaines and hilly Countries they vse Asses and Mules seldome Horses to ride vpon and for burthens In the Roman territory I haue seene mauy Beasts called Buffols like Oxen but greater and more deformed hauing great hornes with foule nostrels cast vp into the Ayre It is a slow and dull Beast yet being prouoked hath malice enough and the backe thereof is commonly bare of haire and euer almost galled They eate not the flesh thereof but trade with the hides as with those of Oxen and this beast is held commodious for Husbandry and patient of labour They haue no race of Horses for beauty or seruice but onely in the Kingdome of Naples Asses are commonly sold for 10 crownes a peece and a Mule for 50 or 60 gold crownes which Beasts are onely vsed in all Italy excepting onely Lombardy Of the Mule I obserued that he will goe vnder a heauy burthen from day-breake in Summer to darke night without any bating or rest by the way onely his meate is tied in a net before his mouth so as he eates while he goes and his pace is slow and when his burthen is taken off at night he tumbles and rubs his backe in the dust to coole it and is thereby more refreshed from wearinesse then a Horse can be with lying halfe the night otherwise he lies not downe in the stable scarcely once in sixe moneths A Mule is begotten betweene a Horse 〈◊〉 a shee Asse but a Mule mounting a she Mule an Asse or any beast whatsoeuer doth neuer in gender of them and the heate of his seed is yeelded for cause thereof Narrow Italy cannot beare red or fallow Deare onely the woods of Toscany yeeld some few wild Boares which are preserued for the great Dukes game otherwise a few wild beasts might soone make great spoile in so rich and well tilled fields as be these of Italy The hils and mountaines thereof lying vpon the South Sunne are in generall most fertile or fruitfull of all other such are the fields and hils or the Neapolitane territory such are the mountaines and hils of Liguria lying vpon the Tyrrhene Sea such is the territory about the Lake of Gardo vulgarly Il lago di Gardo lying at the feete of the South-side of the Alpes The fields of Lombardy are lesse happy in yeelding fruites but giue excellent pasture and corne where the Husbandman makes vse of the very furrowes betweene the Akers for as in the Aker he soweth Corne so in the furrowes he plants Elme Trees the loppings whereof serue him to burne and likewise plants Vines which shoote vp in height vpon the bodies of those trees but these vines yeeld but a small wine by reason they grow so high and in a plaine Country In the vpper part of Italy they plant in one and the same field Oliue and Almond trees and vnder them sow Corne and in the furrowes plant Vines which shoote vp resting vppon short stakes and yeeld strong wine of diuers sorts because they grow not high and the ground being hilly hath more benefit from the Sunne beating vpon it The soyle of Toscany being hilly and stony seemed to me at the first sight to be barren but after I found it not onely to yeeld fruites plentifully but also good increase of Corne as of one measure sowed commonly eight or ten measures often fourteene and sometimes twenty fiue neither doe they giue the ground rest by laying it fallow as we doe but each second yeere they sow part of it with Beanes and Pulse yeelding plentifull increase and then burying the stubble to rot in the ground make it thereby fat to beare wheate againe My selfe obserued that at the foot of the South-side of the Alpes they gather Wheate and Rie in the moneth of Iune and then sow the same fields with lighter kinds of Graine which they gather in the moneth of October yet by reason of the multitude of the people and the narrownesse of the Land the Italians not onely carry not any grane into forraigne parts but also the Merchants bringing grane to them are cherished by the Princes with faire words and rewards that they may come againe more specially by the Duke of Florence who takes care to prouide for his Countrey not onely grane from Sicily and all other parts but also sheepe out of Lombardy which he diuides among his Subiects at what price he list taking this charge vpon him to see that his people want not victuals as wel for the publike good as his owne great gaine Italy yeelds plenty of Oranges which Tree is most pleasant to behold yeelding fruit three times each yeere and bearing at one
this day so they may haue the benefit of the Law by receiuing the stipend and the value of their diet for the Voyage care not for the experience and rather desire to stay at home then trouble the ship any further And for this cause the Venetians altogether vse Greekes aswell for common Marriners as for Officers and Masters of their ships And these Greekes as I haue often found by experience except they can see the shoare which by reason of the narrownesse of the Sea and frequent Iles may often be seene are often in doubt sometimes ignorant where they are and the least storme arrising make such a noise and confusion as they bewray their ignorance and want of courage Our English ships comming forth of the Harbour of Venice together with a Venetian ship will saile into Syria and returne backe againe before the Venetian ship can come thither Whereof two reasons may be giuen One that the English Marriners are paide by the voyage not by the dayes or moneths of absence contrarily the Greekes are paide by the Italians after the dayes of absence not after the voyage The other reason is that not onely the Italian ships are huge and great and slow of saile but also the Masters vpon the first change of wind or foreseeing of ill weather either for feare or because they are paid by the day not by the voyage presently put into some Hauen whence commonly they cannot come forth but with one or very few windes whereas the English on the contrary haue not onlie nimble swift ships but themselues are so expert and bold as in regard their losse Is the greater the longer they are from home they either saile if the winde be any whit fauorable or lye at hull if the winde be full contrary and so are reedy to take the first blast of winde seruing their turne Concerning the diuers kinds of diet in diuers Italian Cities I haue before related these things prouerbially said The Neapolitans are magnificall spending more sugar then bread The Florentines are of spare diet but wonderfull clenlinesse Those of Lucca keepe golden mediocritic in all things The Tyberine Peares and Martioline cheeses are great dainties Those of Genoa are of most spare diet and no clenlines The Mantuans feede on base beanes The Ferrarians are in hospitall The Padoans sup with halfe a penniworth of fish The Venetians liue sparingly The Siennesi magnifically and their dainties are Goates flesh and fresh cheese The Milanesi liue plentifully and prouoke appetite with sharpe sawces The Nouocomenses eat without end and drinke stoutly Those of Piemont diet after the French manner and those of Ancona basely And these things may perhaps be truly said if the Italian Cities be compared one with the other but many things may seeme lesse aptly said if generally they be compared with the Cities of forraigne parts The Italians generally compared with English or French are most sparing in their diet Generally they require small preparation or furniture of their table they eate neately and modestly but as they are not like the Spaniards who are said to eate sparingly at their owne cost largely at other mens tables so howsoeuer they are not so great flesh-eaters as the Northerne men yet if the bread bee weighed which one of them eates at a meale with a great Charger full of hearbes and a little oyle mixed therein beleeue mee they haue no cause to accuse Northerne men for great eaters They seldome make feasts but if they make any then out of their innated pride disdaining to be surpassed by any they make them sumptnous and that much more then ours alwaies making the comparison equal of one degree against the other And this is most certaine that they infinitely passe vs in the expences about their Gardens in fitting places for birding in drawing water to them and adorning the Conduits head with Imagry in Chapels and other buildings of which things some yeeld them fruite the other last perpetually for they bestow their money in stable things to serue their posteritie where as our greatest expences end in the casting out of excrements which makes me lesse commend our expences in great prouisions of meate as well at feasts as daily diet And giue me leaue to hold this paradox or opinion against that of the common sort that the English were neuer more idle neuer more ignorant in manuall Arts neuer more factious in following the parties of Princes or their Landlords neuer more base as I may say trencher slaues then in that age wherein great men keept open houses for all commers and goers And that in our age wherein we haue better learned each man to liue of his owne and great men keepe not such troopes of idle seruants not onely the English are become very industrious and skilfull in manuall Artes but also the tyranny of Lords and Gentlemen is abated wherby they nourished priuate dissentions and ciuill Warres with the destruction of the common people Neither am I moued with the vulgar opinion preferring old times to ours because it is apparant that the Cloysters of Monkes who spoiled all that they might bee beneficiall to few and Gentlemens houses who nourished a rabble of seruants in idlenesse and in robbing by the high waies lying open to all idle people for meate and drinke were cause of greater ill then good to the Common-wealth Yet I would not bee so vnderstood as if I would haue the poore shut cut of dores for I rather desire that greater workes of charitie should be exercised towards them to which wee should bee more inabled by honest frugalitie then by foolish prodigalitie I call it foolish and thinke the vulgar sort of prodigals worthy of all ignominy who with huge expences keepe many kennels of dogs and casts of hawkes and entertaine great numbers of strangers sometimes not knowne by name often scoffing at the entertainer alwaies ingratefull and so not only vse them to liue vnlawfully without labour or sweate of their browes but also in the meane time themselues will haue a brother for their Buttler and are so niggardly towards their kinsmen yea children and wiues as they prouide not necessaries for them and haue no care of their aduancement education and meanes to liue but preferre vaine-glory before these religious cares How much better were it for these prodigall men to lay aside some good part of their reuenue to nourish learned men to procure good Preachers for their companions and guides to relieue vertuous men in their wants and to spend the same to like noble and princely ends But I returne to my purpose A stranger may liue in Italy with lesse expence then in Germany where he must beare the charge of his consorts excessiue drinking And if any obiect the dearth of victuals and wickednesse of Hosts in Italy he shal find that this is his owne want not any ill of the Country and when he hath experience to do his owne affaires there he will be of
stadia distant towards the North lye the three famous Pyramides Three dayes iourney towards the East in a Garden called Matarta being well fortified of old grew and still growes the hearb Balsamum sweating Balsam out of the boughes and being cut with a knife yeelding the more precious Opobalsamum and at this day the same is found euen at Caiero in the Gardens of the richer sort They say also that Corrall is found in the Red Sea I had almost omitted the Citie Arsinoe also called the Citie of the Crocodiles because the Crocodile was there worshipped Nilus falles into the Mediterranean Sea in seuen great Armes which haue the names of the adiacent Townes namely Heracleoticum or canopicum Boluiticum Sebamticum Patinicum Mendesium Caniticum and Pelusiacum the first and the last whereof are one hundred and seuenty miles distant one from the other The Nilus doth yeerely ouerflow and thereby giues incredible fertility to the ground and the snow melting vpon the Mountaines of Luna or the constellation of the Moone and Mercury are thought to bee causes of this ouerflowing And the same happening to bee greater or lesse then vsuall or comming later or sooner then vsuall is a signe of dearth to them whereof Pliny saith that Egypt in twelue cubites height of the floud feeleth famine atthirteene cubites is hungry but that fourteene makes them merry fifteene safe and sixteene brings plenty and dainties It is strange that all other Riuers eating and consuming their bankes Nilus rather increaseth them by bringing with it a mud that couers the sand and doth as it were dung the fields to make them more fertill In sixty dayes after the floud the fields are cleare of water The floud increaseth from the Summer Solstice to the Suns entring into Libra and after the water retires into his owne bed About the twelfth of October they sow their fields and in May following reape their haruest Egypt with the Prouinces belonging to it hath long been subdued by the Turkes 6 Lybia hath diuers Prouinces Biledurgeret that is the Region of Dates is inhabited by the black Getuli From thence towards the Riuer Niger lye the Deserts of Lybia waste and full of Lyons Pardes and other fierce and venemous beasts whereof came the fictions of Medusa and Persues The inhabitants of Atsanaga are of a colour betweene tawny and blacke At the Promontory called the white Cape is the Citie called Argen where the Arabians and Portugalls trade together At the Promontory called the greene Cape the Riuer Niger falles into the Atlantick Ocean and the inhabitants are called Nigrite This tract containes many Kingdomes namely Senige Gambrey Tambot Guangara where the Garamantes dwelt of old two Kingdoms of Nubia and other Kingdomes which I omit as subiect to their Kings or to Pretz Ian and so not belonging to our purpose 7 AEthiopia is diuided by Nilus into inward and outward Inwad AEthiopia is diuided by old Writers into AEthiopia properly so called Trogloditica and Barbaria and in the middes thereof is the Iland Meroe made by Nilus in which was a City called Meroe the seate of the old Kings after called Saba whence was the queene which came to Salomon and the Eunuch of Queene Candaces whom Philip baptized The Troglodites liue in caues of the earth and their kingdom is at this day called Adel. Barbaria extends eight degrees beyond the AEquator from the promontory called Capo di 〈◊〉 to the Gulfe of Barbary and was so called of old The outward AEthiopia is called AEgisimba by Ptolomy and containes the Kingdome of Amatzen and of Vangue seated vnder the AEquinoctiall line All AEthiopia and part of Libia are said to bee subiect to Pretz Ian therefore I say no more of them nor of the Kingdomes vnder the Mountaines of Luna as pertaining not to my purpose 8 Onely of the many Prouinces vnder the Mountaines of Luna beyond the Equinoctiall line I will adde that the inhabitants of Capo dibuona speranza the cape of good hope are exceeding blacke and nothing different from the AEthiopians and Lybians though they haue a greater latitude by thirtie degrees towards the South equall to the latitude of the farthest part of Spaine and liue vnder the temperate Zone 9 The greatest Iland of Affrick called Madagascar by the inhabitants and Saint Laurence by the Spaniards is of the Mahometan Religion and is said to abound with the medicinall wood Santalum with Amber and Elephants The Canary Ilands called of old the fortunate Ilands are sixe or more as some write in number whereof Canaria the greatest gaue the name to the rest which are subiect to the King of Spaine as are likewise the Hesperides little Ilands seated ouer against the greene Cape The Turkish Emperour hath to my knowledge no other I le of Affricke vnder him The Turkish Empire being so vast and containing great part of Europe Asia and Affrick the temper of the aire can not bee otherwise described then by particular parts thereof But out of the description of this Empire in the iournall of the first Part and by comparing the particular Prouinces with others of the same longitude and latitude and by the fruits and exported commodities here to be mentioned the temper of the ayre may bee knowne or at least coniectured more easily To this purpose I will onely adde that I landing in Palestine about the end of May found their wheate haruest almost inned and in the Hauen of Ioppa bought about a thousand Abricots for sixe Aspers And the yeere following when I sailed from Constantinople towards Italy that about the middst of March I did eate pease and other pulse in the Greeke Ilands Lastly in Palestine Cyprus and those parts partly I vnderstood by others partly I found by experience that it seldome raines and that about September and October onely and not often at that time but so violently for the time as if it would beate downe the very houses falling as it were by palefulls at once and that the fields are watred with night dewes at the fall whereof no man stirres out of dores but with his head well couered for danger of sicknesse all men vsing to keepe in the house till the dew be dried while in the meane time by day the heate is so excessiue as a man can hardly indure his apparrell though it be of linnen or silke if it hang not loose but be close about him The fertilitie of the soyle generally through this Empire is exceeding great and the goodnesse and varietie of the fruits equalleth and in some places passeth Italy The wines of Greete of Mount Libanus and especially of Palormo in Natolia are exceeding rich and good Yet haue the Turkes lesse plenty of all things then Europe for they very sparingly and onely to serue necessity either set plant or sow great part of the people being wasted with warres and they that remaine hauing not free fruition of their owne goods in the great tyranny vnder which they liue aswell
and raised vp with wier shewing their necks and breasts naked But now both more commonly and especially in winter weare thicke ruffes Gentlewomen and Citizens wiues when they goe out of dores weare vpon their faces little Maskes of silk lined with fine leather which they alwaies vnpin and shew their face to any that salutes them And they vse a strange badge of pride to weare little looking glasses at their girdles Commonly they go in the streets leaning vpon a mans arme They weare very light gownes commonly blacke and hanging loose at the backe and vnder it an vpper-body close at the breast with a kirtle of a mixed or light colour and of some light stuffe laid with many gardes in which sort the women generally are attired They weare sleeues to their gownes borne out with whalebones and of a differing colour from the gowne which besides hath other loose hanging sleeues cast backward and aswel the vpperbodies as the kirtles differ from the gowne in colour and stuffe And they say that the sleeues borne vp with whale-bones were first inuented to auoid mens familiar touching of their armes For it was related vnto me I know not how credibly that by Phisitians aduice the French make issues in their armes for better health as the Italians vse to make them vnder the knees couered with a close garter of brasse In France as well men as women vse richly to bee adorned with Iewels The men weare rings of Diamonds and broad Iewels in their hats placed vpon the roote of their feathers The Ladies weare their Iewels commonly at the brest or vpon the left arme and many other waies for who can containe the mutable French in one and the same fashion and they commonly weare chaines of Pearle yea the very wiues of Merchants weare rings of Diamonds but most commonly chaines of bugell and like toyes of black colour The Gentlemen haue no plate of siluer but some spoones and a salt much lesse haue they any plate of gold But the great Lords or Princes eate in siluer dishes and vse basons and ewers of siluer and no other kind of plate vsing alwaies to drinke in glasses and each seuerall man to haue a glasse by himselfe Caesar reports that the old Britans were apparrelled in skinnes and wore long haire with the beard all shauen but the vpper lippe Now the English in their apparrell are become more light then the lightest French and more sumptuous then the proudest Persians More light I say then the French because with singular inconstancy they haue in this one age worne out all the fashions of France and all the Nations of Europe and tired their owne inuentions which are no lesse buisie in finding out new and ridiculous fashions then in scraping vp money for such idle expences yea the Taylors and Shopkeepers daily inuent fantasticall fashions for hats and like new fashions and names for stuffes Some may thinke that I play the Poet in relating wonderfull but incredible things but men of experience know that I write with historicall truth That the English by Gods goodnesse abounding at home with great variety of things to be worne are not onely not content therewith and not onely seeke new garments from the furthest East but are besides so light and vaine as they suffer themselues to be abused by the English Merchants who nourishing this generall folly of their Countrymen to their own gaine daily in forraigne parts cause such new colours and stuffe to be made as their Masters send painted out of England to them teaching strangers to serue our lightnesse with such inuentions as themselues neuer knew before For this cause the English of greater modesty in apparrell are forced to cast off garments before they be worne since it is the law of nature that euery man may eate after his owne appetite but must weare his apparrell after the vulgar fashion except he will looke like an old picture in cloth of Arras I haue heard a pleasant fable that Iupiter sent a shower wherein whosoeuer was wet became a foole and that all the people were wet in this shower excepting one Philosopher who kept his study but in the euening comming forth into the market place and finding that all the people mocked him as a foole who was onely wise was forced to pray for another like shower that he might become a foole and so liue quietly among fooles rather then beare the enuy of his wisedome This happens to many wise men in our age who wearing apparrell of old and good fashion are by others so mocked for proud and obstinate fooles till at last they are forced to be foolish with the fooles of their time The English I say are more sumptuous then the Persians because despising the golden meane they affect all extreamities For either they will be attired in plaine cloth and light stuffes alwayes prouided that euery day without difference their hats be of Beuer their shirts and bands of the finest linnen their daggers and swords guilded their garters and shooe roses of silke with gold or siluer lace their stockings of silke wrought in the seames with silke or gold and their cloakes in Summer of silke in Winter at least all lined with veluet or else they daily weare sumptuous doublets and breeches of silke or veluet or cloth of gold or siluer so laid ouer with lace of gold or silke as the stuffes though of themselues rich can hardly be seene The English and French haue one peculiar fashion which I neuer obserued in any other part namely to weare scabbards and sheaths of veluet vpon their rapiers and daggers For in France very Notaries vse them in the Cities and ride vpon their footecloaths or in Coaches both hired and in England men of meane sort vse them In the time of Queene Elizabeth the Courtiers delighted much in darke colours both simple and mixt and did often weare plaine blacke stuffes yet that being a braue time of warre they together with our Commanders many times wore light colours richly laced and embrodered but the better sort of Gentlemen then esteemed simple light colours to be lesse comely as red and yellow onely white excepted which was then much worne in Court Now in this time of King Iames his Reigne those simple light colours haue beene much vsed If I should begin to set downe the variety of fashions and forraign stuffes brought into England in these times I might seeme to number the starres of Heauen and sands of the Sea I will onely adde that the English in great excesse affect the wearing of Iewels and Diamond Rings scorning to weare plaine gold rings or chaines of gold the men seldome or neuer wearing any chaines and the better sort of women commonly wearing rich chaines of pearle or else the light chaines of France and all these Iewels must be oriental and precious it being disgracefull to weare any that are counterfet In like manner among the better sort of Gentlemen and Merchants
Prouince till Mauritius Elector of Saxony obtained helpe of the King of France Henry the second who came with a great Army to the confines of the Empire professing himselfe the Champion of the Germane liberty At which time Mauritius besieging Magdeburg with the Emperours army receiued that City into the protection of the Empire and of himselfe and lest he might seeme to deale persidiously with the Emperour if he should assaile him with forces vnder his owne pay dismissed the whole Army yet so as himselfe presently entertained in his owne pay the greatest part thereof willing to serue him And with these forces he so speedily came to Insprucke where the Emperour then lay as his sudden repaire made the Emperour hastily flie out of the Empire into Italy Thus Mauritius caused the captiue Princes of the reformed religion to be set at liberty gaue peace to the reformed religion and restored liberty to the oppressed Empire And how soeuer he cunningly had aduanced himselfe and his posterity by the deiection of his owne kinsemen suffering for the reformed religion and for the liberty of the Empire yet he repaired the publike losses of his Religion and of his Countrey But they who more iudicially obserued the affaires of this age confesse that nothing hath more kept the house of Austria from subduing the West then those of the same House For the foresaid confident proceeding of Mauritius was caused by the distrusts and iealousies betweene Charles the fifth and his brother Ferdinand springing from the following cause namely that Charles the elder brother to the end that he might keepe the Empire in his own Family had caused his brother Ferdinand at Colen in the yeere 1531 to be chosen King of the Romans so they call him that is chosen in the Emperours life to succeed him hoping that when his sonne Philip should come to age his brother for some increase of his patrimony would be induced to surrender his right in the Empire But Ferdinand at this time hauing had large offers made him to resigne the same could not be induced to doe that wrong to his children And because he suspected that Charles the Emperor might force him thereunto he is said to haue gladly borne the aduerse fortune of his said brother and all troubles rising against him yea if men of experience may be beleeued to haue himselfe encouraged Mauritius to the foresaid attempt Therefore Charles failing of his hope and for age and wearinesse of the World retiring himselfe to a priuate life in a Monastery of Spaine in the yeere 1558 his brother Ferdinand tooke possession of the Empire which remaineth to this day in his posterity the Electors alwayes vsing to respect the right of blood in choosing the new Emperour And vnder their poore estate and vnwarlike mindes the Empire at this day languisheth like a sparke lapped in ashes And the Popes held for Gods vpon earth haue no more feared the Emperors authority but rather supported it against the reformed religion and the inuasions of the Turks the Emperors alwayes acknowledging this vnprofitable seruant of their Progenitors for their Benefactor and spirituall Father The Emperour Rodolphus at this time liuing is of the House of Austria whose pedegree I will set downe The first Family of the House of Austria gaue many Emperours to Germany but that was extinguished in Conradine the sonne of Fredericke few yeeres before Rodolphus of Habspurg came to the Empire who is the roote of this second Family of Austria Rodulphus of Habsburg of the House of Austria was chosen Emperour in the yeere 1273. Albert the first Heire of the Dukedomes of Austria Stiria and Carniola after his Father had subdued the Kingdome of Bohemia ioyned it to the Empire was chosen Emperour and dyed in the yeare 1308. Rodulphus Duke of Austria died in the yeare 1308. Fredericke made Duke of Suenia and Morania by the Emperours gift dyed in the yeare 1330. Leopold Duke of Austria Albert the second Count of Tyroll by the Marriage of his Sonne to the Niece of the King of Bohemia died in the yeare 1359. Albert the third Duke of Austria died in the yeare 1395. Albert the fifth Emperour and by marriage of the Daughter of the Emperour Sigismond made King of Hungaria and of Bohemia died in the yeare 1439. Fredericke the third Emperour died in the yeare 1493. Maximilian the first Emperour after the death of Mathias King of Hungary recouered that Kingdome which he had vsurped then retaining to himselfe the right of succession yeelded it to Ladrslaus and marrying the daughter of Charles Duke of Burgundy made that Dukedome and all the Prouinces of Netherland hereditary to the House of Austria He died in the yeare 1519. Philip marrying the Daughter of Ferdinand King of Spaine became Heire to those Kingdomes and died young before his Father in the yeare 1506. Charles the fifth Emperor died in the yeere 1558. By his Wife Isabella daughter to the King of Portugall Philip King of Spaine This is the first Family of the Archdukes of Austria to this day reigning in Spaine Philip King of Spaine borne of Anne of Austria in the yeare 1578. Two sisters Catherin-borne of Isabella of Valoss wife to the Duke of Sanoy and Isabella Clara Eugenia wife to arch-Duke Albert and borne of Anne of Austria By Anne of Austria Iames died of nine yeares of age Ferdinand died a child Charles Dentatus by Marie of Portugall by his Fathers permission put to death by the Inquisition anno 1568. Ferdinand died an Infant Two Sisters Mary wife to the Emperour Maximilian the second and Ione wife to the King of Fortugall By Ione his concubine Don Iuan Victor of the Turks in naual fight dying an 1578. Ione wife to the Duke of Florence Marie wife to the Duke of Parma Foure Daughters Elinora married to Francis the first King of France died ann 1558. Isabel wife to the King of Denmarke died ann 1525. Mary wife to the King of Hungary after gouerning Netherland died ann 1558. Catherine wife to the King of Portingall Ferdinand Emperour after the vnhappy death of Lodonicus King of Hungary in a battell against the Turks in the yeare 1526 by the right of his wife sister and heire to 〈◊〉 the said contract made by Maximilian I Emperor was crowned King of Hungary and also by his said wiues right K. of Bohemia died anno 1564. Maximilian the second Emperor maried to Mary sister to Philip King of Spaine died anno 1576. This is the second Family of the Arch-Dukes of Austria to this day succeeding in the Empire of Germany Ferdinand died a childe in the yeare 1552. Rodulp 2 of that name and the eighth Emperour of this Family chosen King of the Romans 1575 Emperour 1576. succeeding King of Hungarie 1572 King of Bohemia 1575. Hee was at this time Emperor and liued vnmarried 3. Sonne Ernestus gouerned Netherland and died vnmarried 4. Matthew vnmarried 5. Maximilian vnmarried 6. Albert surrendered his
Cities subiect to them least they should thereby be prouoked to make leagues with the free Cities and so make themselues free And this cause alone makes the Princes lesse able to giue strong helpes to the Emperour if they were willing to doe it Againe the free Cities feare the ambition of the neighbouring Princes For as most of the Cities of old subiect to the Emperour or to particular Princes got their freedome in ciuill warres by assisting one of the parties or else by priuiledges granted by fauour or bought for money or else by open force of armes so they thinke it likely that the Princes vpon the change of the state of things will omit no fit occasion to bring them againe into subiection And the said Princes doe not onely feare the said free Cities for combyning with their Subiects but haue also mutuall iealousies among themselues as well for inheritance as for the difference of Religion Lastly all and each of these states feare the power of the Emperour least hee should breake the absolute power they haue in their owne territories or least hee should by force of armes make them more obedient to himselfe or least hee should oppresse them in the cause of Religion either of his owne motion or by the instigation of the Pope Hence it is that hee who dares not make warre vpon the Emperour yet dares denie to helpe him and he that dares not deny helpe yet dares either fayle in performance or by delayes make it vnprofitable Besides that by nature the decrees and counsels of many heads are carried with lesse secrecy and are seldome executed with conuenient speed and that for which many care each one neglects as Piato faith disputing against community Also the Emperours power is many other wayes weakened First that the Germans in the very warre against the Turkes slowly grant or plainely refuse any contributions or subsidies and would little reioyce that the Emperour should haue a great victory against the Turkes partly least hee should turne his Forces vpon the absolute Princes or Cities of Germany partly least the Emperour then being as they openly professed should spend the money contributed in his priuate lusts not in the publike affayres and lastly because the charge of the Warre should be common but the profit of the Conquest should onely be to the aduancement of the House of Austria For which causes the Princes and Cities vsed to denie contributions of money towards the Turkish warres and rather chose to send and maintaine bands of Souldiers in Hungary vnder their owne pay for a set time And these bands were so commonly sent without order or mutuall consent and so slowly as when some of the bands came to the Army other bands hauing serued out the appointed time desired leaue to returne home Thus they seldome met together to attempt any braue enterprise while part of the forces was expected the occasions of good aduentures were lost Secondly the Emperour is more weake because the meetings of Parliaments which they call Dytetaes require the expectance of some moneths besides the delayes of Counsels after the meeting and the contrariecy of opinions which must needes be great in mindes so ill vnited Thirdly because the Germans vnwisely thinke that the tyranny of the Turkes hanging ouer them yet is a lesse and more remoued euill then the iealousie of their priuate estates and feare to be oppressed in the cause of Religion Lastly because the Germans thinke it not equall to be at publike charge to recouer the priuate Cities of the House of Austria from the Turkes These things make the great power of Germany so weake that as the whole body pined away while the hands denied meate to the belly so not onely the Empire to the generall shame of Christians drawes the last breath vnder the Turkish tyranny while the disagreeing and sluggish Christian Princes denie helpe in this case to the House of Austria and oppose the weaker branch of that House to the most powerfull force of the Turkes but also it may iustly be feared lest other Kingdomes and the very name of Christians should be vtterly consumed in this fier daily creeping and increasing vpon vs which God in his mercy forbid Next to the said vassals to the Emperour a King a Palatine a Duke a Marquesse and three Archbishops the seuen Electors of old were instituted foure Dukes of the Empire namely the Dukes of Bauaria of Brunswicke of Sueuia and of Lorayne and foure Langraues and of each degree foure whereof some are at this day extinguished and many other haue since beene created by diuers Emperours In like sort of old were instituted foure Metropolitan Cities of the Empire namely Augsburg called of the Vandals for difference Aquisgranum vulgarly Ach Mentz and Lubecke Bishops sprirituall Princes were of old twenty seuen in number whereof some haue secular Dominions onely by habite distinguished from secular Princes but the Churchmen knowing no meane not content with tithes but scarce leauing that portion to the Laymen haue caused Princes first to make Lawes against inordinate guists to the Church and then by other vanities prouoked them to reforme this aboundance of their riches the impurity of their liues and the falshoods of their Doctrines so as at this day many Bishoprickes are in the hands of secular Princes within their owne Dominions vnder the title of Administrators In this sort to passe ouer the rest the eldest sonne of the Marquesse of Brandeburg was in his Fathers life time called the Administrator of Halla Not onely the Emperour but also many Princes of Germany as well secular as spirituall haue Kingly power in their owne Dominions and these absolute Princes are so many in number as a passenger in each dayes iourney shall obserue one or two changes of Prince Money and Religion Furthermore in free Cities here the Patritian Order there the common people and other where both with mixed power gouerne the City in such absolute freedome as most of the Cities haue regall rights of making peace or warre of coyning Monies and of like priuiledges But the Plebeans among them proue they neuer so rich cannot haue any higher degree and their gouernements are with such equity equality and moderation as no degree is subiect one to the other but all equally to the Law Of these Princes secular and spirituall and of the Deputies for free Cities meeting in Parliaments which they cal Ditetaes is the true Image of the Empire where they deliberate of great affaires and impose contributions from which onely the King of Bohemia is free by priuiledge granted from Charles the fourth Emperour and King of Bohemia as I haue formerly said The forme of the Commonwealth in the Empire is Aristocraticall ouer which the Emperour should bee as head appointing the meetings with the consent of the Princes and causing the Decrees to be put in execution But at this day the name of the Emperour is become a
meere title and his authoritie hath no sinews so as he can neither call them if they thinke not good to come nor decree any thing if they be vnwilling nor compell those that are refractory And the very Princes are not constant to their owne iudgement if you respect the iminent dangers from the Turks nor actiue in their owne motions concerning the publike cause but are diuersly distracted betweene feare to increase the suspected power of the Emperour by helping him or to stirre vp Ciuill warres to the ruine of the dis-vnited State by making open opposition to his authority In the meane time nothing is more frequent with them then boldly to refuse either appearance in the Emperours Court or obedience to any other of his commandements that are vnpleasing to them And giue me leaue to say that my selfe there obserued that a great Prince of Germany for good respect namelesse to whom the Emperour had ingaged certaine Cities for money borrowed of him when the Emperour lending the money by Ambassadors desired restitution of the townes not onely refused to restore the same but could not bee induced to appeare at Prage by his Substitute to compound this difference and it seemed more strange to mee that diuers other Ambassadours comming to the City the same time had all audience before those from the Emperour who staid long before they were admitted to speak with the said Prince The declining generositie of the Princes of Austria and the fearefull danger hanging ouer them from the Turkes nourish this confidence in the Princes of Germany and indeede the Turkish warre doth so imploy or rather bind the hands of the Princes of Austria as were they neuer so valiant yet they should be forced rather to suffer any thing from these Christian Princes then by opposing them to be deuoured by Infidels Neither can the priuate calamity of Germany and the publike misery of all Christians in this point be sufficiently bewailed I say the priuate calamitic of Germany because the members being most strong if they were vnited yet are without sinews thus disioyned and haue no common force though in each part they be strong I say the publike calamity of Christians because howsoeuer the priuate Princes of Germany be of great power yet the whole body of the Empire being weake the daily victories of the Turkes threaten destruction not onely to Germany but to the name of Christians The Dukes of Florence of Sauoy and of Mantua and all the Princes of Italy whom the Pope hath not drawne to be his vassals the Dukes of Lorayne of Burgundy with diuers Dukes and Earles of Netherland after a sort acknowledge the safe and farre remoued patronage of the Emperour but they neither come to the Parlaments about the affaires of the Empire as not pertaining to them nor contribute any money to vphold the dignitie thereof except perhaps sometimes in the common cause of the Turkish warre they lend the Emperour some mony which no doubt all other Christian Princes would no lesse doe who haue no bond of subiection The King of Denmark by a double bond of his Kingdome and of the Dukedome of Holst the King of Swetia the Cantons of the Sweitzers and the Grisons inhabiting the Snowy Alpes were of old members of the Empire but in time these Feathers pluckt from the Eagle haue growne into new bodies and at this day do not at all acknowledge the Emperour In Germany the Tolles and Taxes are frequent as the number of absolute Princes is great who impose them in their seuerall Territories vpon all passengers and kinds of Merchandize or very small packs Schollers of Vniuersities onely excepted who passe free for their persons and goods But aboue all other Princes the Elector of Saxony as shall bee shewed in his due place seemes best to haue learned the art of shearing his subiects so as he not onely imitates but is equall in this point to the Princes of Italy Boterus relates that the Emperour of his owne hereditary dominions hath the yeerely rent of two thousand fiue hundred thousand Crownes and besides exacts fiue hundred thousand Crownes ordinarily and as much more by extraordinary means Men of good credit haue affirmed to me that the Prouince of Silesia alone subiect to the Emperor as King of Bohemia yeelds him each quarter of the yeare 60000 gold Guldens or Crownes by which may bee coniectured what hee receiues of his other large Dominions Yet Silesia yeelds more then any one of the rest in respect that of the twelue Dukedoms therein contained eight are fallen to the Emperour for want of heires-maies The Bishop of Silesia is called the Golden Bishop and the same Prouince hath thirty Abbies being most rich in that and all other respects At Prage subiect to the Emperour as King of Bohemia I obserued that euery house paid him yeerely three Dollers but this burthen equally imposed on thatched houses and stately Pallaces seeming vnequally shared the Citizens agreed among themselues of a more equall diuision thereof so as I remember that my Hosts house purchased for three hundred Dollers paid yeerely to the Emperor nine Dollers besides other charges of maintaining poore Scholers of Watches and the like imposed vpon each Master of a Family in each seuerall parish for which he also paid two Dollers yeerely In the Dominions of the Emperour the Brewers of Beere for each brewing paid six dollers to the Emperour which tribute in one City of Prage was said to passe fiue hundred Dollers weekely Also the Emperour exacted of his subiects for each Tun of Wine drawne a Doller and tenne Grosh for each bushell of Corne bought in the Market not the priuate Corne of their owne spent in their houses one siluer Grosh These and like tributes were at first granted for certaine yeares by consent of the three Estates but Princes know well to impose exactions and know not how to depose them The Emperour giues a City to the Iewes for their dwelling at Prage who are admitted in no City of Germany excepting onely at Franckfort where they haue assigned to them a Streete for their dwelling of which Iewes vpon all occasions hee borrowes money and many waies sheares those bloud-suckers of Christians The Germans impose great taxes vpon all forraigne commodities brought into their Hauens and not onely vpon mens persons and vpon commodities laded on beasts to bee distracted from City to City but euen vpon small burthens to be carried on a mans shoulder as they passe through their Forts or Cities which they vse to build vpon their confines to that purpose and onely Scholers of Vniuersities are free from these frequent exactions for their bodies and goods Touching the reuenews of the Empire it selfe Boterus relates that it receiues yeerely seuen thousand thousand Crownes or gold Guldens and this reuenew is of small moment for such great affaires if hee containe all the Princes of Germany vnder this taxation since otherwise a communication of treasure cannot bee expected
from so disunited mindes as they haue He addes that the free Cities of the Empire yeeld a small yeerely tribute to the Emperour of fifteene thousand Guldens It is well nowne that those Cities of old custome maintained twenty thousand foote and foure thousand Horses for the Emperours Army when he went to be crowned at Rome but this custome by long discontinuance is vanished since the Emperours for many ages haue forborne this expedition The matter of greatest moment is the contribution which for the doubtfull affaires of the Empire hath been accustomed to be granted by the three Estates in Parliament And these such as they are yet are more easily or hardly obtained of that free Nation as the Emperour hath more or lesse reputation with them But that it may appeare that the Empire wants not treasure the sinew of war let vs gather by one particular example what may generally be iudged of this subsidie In the time of the Emperour Maximilian the first the following subsidie was granted in a Dyet or Parlament at Worms by consent of the Estates for the vse of the Common-wealth and especially for the warre against the Turkes which at that time much lesse pressed Germany then it doth in these our daies First it was decreed that for foure yeeres next following each person of any sex or quality howsoeuer possessing through long and broad Germany or being worth by all meanes 500 gold Guldens should yerely pay half a gold Gulden to this purpose and each one of lesse value should pay a quarter of a gold Gulden and all Iewes as well men as women and children should pay yearely by the Pole one gold gulden That Princes Barons for decency yet of their free will should contribute much more And that this collection should be made not onely in the priuate Dominions of the Emperour but in the priuat Teritories of al Princes and the mony first deliuered to the Superintendents or chiefe Ministers of Gods word and by them be conueied to seuen Treasurers residing at Franckfort the first appointed by the Emperour the second by the Electors the third by other Princes the fourth by the Prelates the fifth by the Earles and Barons the sixth by the Knights the seuenth by the free Cities all which were to take their oathes for the faithfull execution of this office After it was againe decreed in the Diet held at Nurnberg that for the Turkish warre each 40 inhabitants reckoning the husband wife and children for one person should maintaine one Footeman That men and maid seruants should giue the sixth part of their yeerely wages and each one hauing no wages should pay a shilling of Germany That spirituall persons men and women that is Nunnes as well as others should for each forty Guldens value pay one gold Gulden and in like sort the spirituall Orders of Knights and namely those of Saint Iohn and all Monasteries and Almes-houses and whatsoeuer spirituall communities should giue the like contribution excepting the foure Orders of Mendicant Friers of which each fiue Monasteries were to maintaine one Footeman That men and maid-seruants of Spirituall persons should pay as much as those of the Layety That no Elector or Prince should maintaine lesse then fiue hundred Horses and each Earle should maintaine one Horseman That Knights should contribute according to their estates That the Iewes should pay by the Pole one gold Gulden yearely the rich paying for the poore That all Preachers should in the Pulpit exhort men willingly to giue these contributions giuing hope that they shall be diminished according to the booties gotten by victories And that Bishops should make collection of this money and deliuer it ouer to the Counsellers of the States Twenty Noble men were at that time chosen to haue care of the Commonwealth for matters of peace and warre who in difficult accidents were to call vnto them the sixe Electors the King of Bohemia in the Emperours person not reckoned and certaine other Princes And this must alwaies be vnderstood that these collections are made in Germany with great seuerity or strictnesse where he that dissembles his full wealth shall be forced to repaire all the domage the Commonwealth hath sustained thereby and shall bee also deepely fined when the fraude is made knowne which at least will appeare at the death of each priuate man by his last will and testament So as these subsidies must needs be of great moment But the Germans in our daies though ready to be deuoured by the Iawes of the Turkish Tyrant yet for the aboue-named causes very vnwillingly grant these contributions yea for the very Turkish warre The Germans for the said mutuall iealosies at this day in the greatest Peace at home yet liue as in the time of a Ciuill warre at least in common feare of surprising so as almost in all Cities they haue victuals laid vp in Storehouses to beare a yeeres siege and besides this publike prouision all housholders are commanded to make their priuate prouisions before hand of dried fishes corne and like things to eate of fewell to burne and of all necessaries to exercise their manuall trades The Cities haue Watchmen continually dwelling with their families on the top of high Steeples and Towers who by sound of Trumpet and by hanging out flags of diuers colours one for horsemen another for footemen continually giue warning what people approach to the Towne and in what number and besides these Watchmen are inioyned to sound their Trumpets at certaine howers of the day and night The very recreations of the Citizens are no other then shooting in Pieces and Crosebowes at markes in publike houses and thus they exercise themselues on Holidaies and at all idle times shooting for wagers both priuate and publike and for like rewards and prises So as they must needes bee thereby much better trained vp for warre Yet their footemen in warre doe not so much vse the Piece as the Pike and their Horsemen contrarie to the custome of other Nations are generally armed with two short Pistols not at all with Lances To conclude if any man in this time of peace shoote ofa piece within the wals of a Citie he shall no lesse then in a Towne of Garrison bee drawne by the Serieants before the Magistrate be sure to pay a mulct for his error Caesar reports that the Schwaben or people of Sueuta a great Prouince in Germany most part of vpper Germany hauing been so called of old were most warlike yet at the first hearing so feared the Romans as some thought to leaue their dwellings some made their last wils and all mourned and were sad He reports also that the halfe part of this people was imployed and nourished in Armes and the other halfe gaue themselues to Husbandry and that so by yeerely course they were one yeere Husbandmen another yeere Souldiers That none of them had any priuate fields nor dwelt in one place more then a yeere Lastly that freedome
dayes to determine the generall causes of the Empire The fourth Court is the Burgraues right by which debts by specialty are recouered The Kingdome of Bohemia hath a prouinciall Law deriued from the Law of Saxony and for that cause there be few Students of the Ciuill Law but because the Emperour hath instituted three Chaunecries one for the Law of Saxony which Prouince lies vpon the North side of the Kingdome the second for the Law of Bohemia the third for the Ciuill Law in respect of the Emperours subiects of Austria lying on the South side o. Bohemia for this cause there be many Doctors of Ciuill Law and they also much esteemed in the Emperours Court. If a Bohemian haue a cause in any Court of the Germans he is tried by the Ciuill Law or by the Law of Saxony and if a German answer in the Court of the Bohemians he is tried by the prouinciall Law of Bohemia and the Defendant drawes the cause to his owne Court Morauia a Prouince incorporated to Bohemia vseth the Language and Law of that Kingdome In the old City of Prage howsoeuer almost all speake Dutch yet the Law is giuen in the Bohemian tongue by a statute lately made Silesia a Prouince incorporated to Bohemia hath the manners and language of Germany and Iustice is there administred by the Law of Bohemia deriued from the Law of Saxony but for the greater part by the Ciuill Law Generally in Germany if a cause be receiued into any Court and the defendant escape to another City the Magistrate of the place must send him backe to answer the Plaintife his accuser The causes of the Empire as I formerly said are handled in the Imperiall Chamber at Spire And therefore it will not be amisse to relate some Statutes made in the Imperial meetings which are collected into a Booke vulgarly called Reichs abscheidt that is the Epitome or abstract of the Kingdome but I will onely set downe breefly some of the cheefe statutes It was decreed in the yeere 1556 that no subiects of the Electors nor any Inhabitants or Earles of their Prouinces should appeale from them to this Court of the Imperiall Chamber The Emperour Fredericke the third in the yeere 1442 made these statutes That no Prince should by armes right himselfe against another before Iustice haue beene denied to him in this Imperiall Court. That the Iudge of the Chamber should be a Prince or Barron and of sixteene Assessors halfe should be Ciuill Lawyers and halfe of the Knightly Order That the greater part should carry the cause and the voices being equall the Iudges voyce should cast it That the Iudge should not be absent without leaue of the Assessors nor they without his leaue and that without some great cause more then foure of them should not be absent at one time That in absence they should haue no voyce That the cheef Iudge being sicke shall substitute a Prince in his place who shall first take his oath The Procters and Aduocates shall take no more of their Clients then the Iudges shal appoint and shall sweare to auoide slander and malice The Notaries shall execute the iudgements in the name of the Emperour Appeales shall be of no force except they be made in order to the next superiour Court and so ascending All that belong to this Chamber shall be free from all payments but not one of them shall either keepe an Inne or trade as a Merchant The Iudge shall deliuer ouer to the Senate of the City those that are guilty of death By the same decree all fees for writing and processes are set downe so as the Clyent swearing pouerty shall goe free so as hee sweare to pay the fees when he shall be able Further it was decreed that the seate of this Chamber or Court should not be changed but by the consent of the Imperial diot or Parliament That the Defendants hiding themselues the Princes or Citizens to whom they are subiect shall sweare vpon a set day that they are not priuy to any of their actions or else shall satisfie all damages That the Procters shall speake nothing but to the purpose and for ieasts or impertinent things in word or writing shal be punished by a mulct in money and by being put to silence in that cause By the Emperour Charles the fifth in the Diot at Augsburg the yeere 1518 two new Assessors were added and it was decreed that Charles as Emperour should appoint the cheefe Iudge two Assessors of the Law and two Gentlemen Assessors and as heire to his patrimony should appoint two learned Assessors That three Gentlemen Assessors should be named by the three secular electors three learned by the three spiritual Electors and three Gentlemen with three learned by the common consent of the six Communities For the Empire was deuided into sixe Communities vulgarly called Kreysen for the collection of tributes aad like duties as other Kingdomes are deuided into Counties and since that time in the yeere 1522 for the same purposes the Empire was deuided into ten Communities Further it was decreed that twenty two persons should with like equality be named yeerely to visit this Chamber or Court. That no appeale should be admitted into this Court vnder the value of fiftie Guldens and that the executions of iudgements should be done by the next Magistrates and they not willing or not daring to doe it should be referred to the Emperour At a Parliament in the yeere 1522 it was decreed That no stranger should be appointed cheefe Iudge That for absence the pensions should be abated after the rate of the time and be distributed among the present That the Iudges should sweare to take no guifts not to prolong causes and to doe right without respect of persons and that the Procters should take no fees but such as are set downe by statutes At the Parliament in the yeere 1555 it was decreed that no Assessors should be of any other Religion then of the Roman or the Confession of the Protestants made at Augsburg That one Assessor should not interrupt the speech of another nor should rise to conferre one with the other and that all speeches of anger should be punished and all be sworne to keep secret the Acts of the Councell That Aduocates should not be more then foure and twenty in number That any man should be admitted to speake for himselfe first swearing to auoide slander That this Chamber or Court should be yeerely visited vpon the first of May by the Archbishop of Mentz as substitute to the Emperour by three other each chosen by one of the Electors by two Princes one temporall the other spirituall and by one Counsellor chosen by each order namely one by the Earles and one by each free City to whom the complaints should be presented vpon the first of March That no man should forbid his subiects to appeale to this Court except they should willingly renounce the appeale but that all froward
appeales for vniust causes should be punished by paying charges and being fined and that no appeale should bee admitted vnder the value of fifty Guldens excepting those who haue priuiledge to appeale for lesse summes and that no appeale be made for corporal punishments That the Chamber should be held at Spire till it be otherwise decreed by Parliament but that in time of famine or plague they may for the time choose another place That two brothers should not be the one an Assessor the other a Procter That the Iudges shall meete three dayes in the weeke and eight of them at the least shall be present That execution of iudgement shall first be required by letters of the Court to which if the Defendant shal not yeeld obedience he shal be cited to appeare and shall be condemned in costs and the Plaintife shall be put in possession of his goods and the Defendant by the Popes priuiledge granted to this Court shall be excommunicated and then execution shall be desired from the Magistrate of the Community or in case the defendant be powerful it shall be desired from the Emperour himselfe Lastly that no appeale nor petition against the iudgement of the Chamber shall be admitted And thus much breefly written of the Imperiall Chamber or Court shall suffice Onely I will adde that appeales were of old granted to the Electors subiects and at this day in some cases and aboue a certaine value are granted to the subiects of Princes and Cities and that in difficult causes the Germans often referre them to beiudged by the Colledges of ciuill Lawyers in the Vniuersity but since Princes and Cities weekely hold Courts of iudgement so as execution is done before appeale can be made and since many Cities and Princes haue priuiledges against appeales granted to them from the Emperor these appeales are many times and by diuers meanes made voide In this Chamber the Emperour himselfe may be accused and many times a Gentleman or any man of inferior condition hauing difference with a Princes gaines the cause against him and the great differences of Princes wont to breake into warre vse quietly to be composed in this Court The cheefe Iudge if he be Earle or Barron hath two thousand Guldens yeerely by the statute made in the yeere 1548 and hath more if he be a Prince An Assessor if he be an Earle or Barron hath yeerely by the same statute seuen hundred Guldens if he be a Doctour of the Ciuill Law or a Gentleman he hath fiue hundred Guldens and each Aduocate in Exchequer causes hath yeerely three hundred Guldens and by a statute in the yeere 1557 they receiue for each Gulden 77 Creitzers for bettering of their pensions whereas formerly each Gulden was valued at sixteene Batzen or sixty foure Creitzers Touching capitall iudgements By the Ciuill Law in most heinous offences the affection is punished though it take no effect yet in common custome and after the forme of the Statutes of Italy he that hath a mind to kill is not punished except he doe kill The old Law of Saxony respects the fact not the will but of late the Electors of Saxony haue made a Statute which is yet in vigour that he that prouokes a man to fight or threatens death to him shall dye though hee neuer assaile him The Germans hold it reprochfull to apprehend any malefactor which is onely done by the Serieants of the Hangmans disgracefull Family My selfe obserued that a young man Kinsman to the Consul or Maior of a Citie hauing killed a Gentleman remained two howers in the Citie and then fled without any stop by the Serieants who notwithstanding did afterwards for fashion sake pursue him some few howers Yet I must needs confesse that the Germans are generally most seuere in Iustice sparing not the Inhabitants more then strangers yea in some cases fauouring strangers more then the Inhabitants as in debts which a stranger cannot stay to recouer by long processe My selfe hauing a sute for money at Lindaw my aduocate would by no meanes take any fee of me and the Iudge gaue mee right with great expedition In criminall offences they neuer haue any pardons from Court which are common in forraigne Kingdomes but the punishment is knowne by the fact so the malefactor be apprehended For all hope of safety is in flight yet I deny not that fauour is often done in the pursute For since onely the Serieants can apprehend there is no place where more malefactors escape by flight In the Citie of Lubeck most honoured for Iustice the common report was that the very Iudges and Senators had lately wincked at a Gentlemans breaking of prison and flight with his keeper whom being imprisoned for a murther they could neither execute without greatly offending the King of Denmark nor otherwise set free without scandall of Iustice. A man suspected of any crime or accused by one witnesse is drawne to torture yet is neuer condemned vpon any probability till himselfe confesse the fact which confession is easily extorted because most men had rather dye then indure torment So as many times innocent men haue been after knowne to haue perished by their owne confessions as with vs sometimes innocent men haue been knowne to dye being found guilty by a Iurie of twelue sworne men And because it cannot be that the iudgements of men should not often erre hence it is that the Ciuill Lawyers haue a strange yet good saying that a mischiefe is better then an inconueniency namely that it is better one innocent man should dye by triall then many nocent persons should escape for want of triall In Germany not onely men but women also being accused are put to torture And for diuers great crimes the Law iudgeth them to death with exquisite torments And because they can hardly bee indured with Christian patience lest the condemned should fall into despaire the very Preachers when they haue heard their confessions and setled their mindes in true faith by rare example of too great charitie permit and aduise that they be made drunken to stupifie their sences so as thus armed they come forth with more bold then holy mindes and lookes and seeme not to feele vnsufferable torments of death Neare Lindaw I did see a malefactor hanging in Iron chaines on the gallowes with a Mastiue Dogge hanging on each side by the heeles so as being starued they might eate the flesh of the malefactor before himselfe died by famine And at Franckford I did see the like spectacle of a Iew hanged aliue in chaines after the same manner The condemned in Germany lose not their goods but onely in case of Treason against their absolute Lords But in Bohemia the goods of the condemned fall to the Emperour as he is King of Bohemia in the Territories belonging to the King and to the Princes and Gentlemen in the Territories whereof they are absolute Lords as they are all in their owne lands In Germany Courtiers and Students of Vniuersities
a Prince or Prelate and take it againe of him in fee. But by the Law of Saxony except the Prince or any buyer whatsoeuer retaine the land a yeere and a day before he grants it backe in fee hee that gaue or sold it or his heire hath right to recouer the land By the Ciuill Law if the vassall haue lost his horse or armes in warre hee hath no remedy against the Lord because he is tied by duty to helpe him but by the Law of Saxony the Vassall is not tied to serue the Lord any longer except he repaire his losse and the Lord is tied to pay a certaine ransome for his captiue Vassall By the Ciuill Law the Lord or the Father of the Vassall being dead the Vassall is bound to aske inuestiture within a yeere and a moneth but by the Law of Saxony either of them being dead he must aske it without delay By the Ciuill Law the Vassall must serue the Lord at his owne charge but by the Law of Saxony he is onely tied to serue him sixe weekes and by custome the Lord must feede him and his horse or giue him a competent allowance By the Ciuil law the pupil is excused from the Lords seruice but by the law of Saxony the Tutor must serue in his place By the Ciuill law a Fee falling to a Monk belongs to the Monastery during his life but by the law of Saxony it returnes to the Lord. And touching the succession of Monks in any inheritance whatsoeuer though by the Ciuil law they are accounted dead yet the same law admits thē to succeed with the children of the intestate father but by the law of Saxony they are not capable of any inheritāce yet this Law seeming vniust to the Popes it was corrected so as their succession was giuen to the Monastery But in our age the Iudges haue pronounced a Monke himself to be capeable of inheritance notwithstanding the Papall Law giues his inheritance to the Monastery and that because the Monkish Vowes being against the word of God the persons of Monkes are free to take inheritance By the Ciuill Law the Vassall is bound to accompany his Lord when he goes with the King of the Romans to take the Crowne of the Empire at Rome but by the Law of Saxony he may redeeme this seruice with paying the tenth part of his yeerely rent and since the golden Bulla hath restrained this seruice to twenty thousand foote and foure thousand horse and the paiment of them hath since been equally diuided through Germany allowing a horseman twelue Guldens and a footeman foure Guldens By the Ciuill Law he forfeites his Fee who cuts downe fruitfull trees or puls vp vines but by the Law of Saxony it is free to the possessor to make the lands or houses of the Fee better or worse at his pleasure By the Ciuill Law if the Lord deny inuestiture it must be asked often and humbly but by the Law of Saxony if the Vassall aske it thrice and hath witnesses that the Lord denied his seruice afterwards so he haue good witnesses thereof hee and his heires shall possesse the Fee without any bond of seruice and his heire is not bound to aske inuestiture By the Ciuill Law if two Lords of one Vassall shall both at one time require his seruice he is bound to serue the most ancient Lord but by the Law of Saxony the person of the Vassall must serue the Lord that first calles him and he is to pay a summe of money as the tenth pound to the other By the aforesaid Lawes and daily practise it appeares that the Territories of Princes according to the old Feudatory Lawes either fall to the eldest son who giues his brothers yeerely Pensions or according to his inheritance recompenceth them with money or other lands or else are equally diuided among the brothers Yet some Fees are also feminine and fall to the daughters and their husbands and some may be giuen by testament but others as those of the Electors for want of heires males are in the Emperours power who with the consent of the Princes of the Empire commonly giues them to the husbands of the daughters or to the next heires by affinity if there be none of consanguinity I haue heard of credible men that the Dukedome of Austria first fals to the sons then to the cousens and for want of them to the daughters The Duke of Wineberg and the Duke of Coburg sonnes to Fredericke Duke of Saxony and Elector but depriued of his Electorship by the Emperor Charles the fifth for his Religion did equally diuide their fathers inheritance the Electorship being giuen away the inheritance wherof could not be diuided but I did obserue that the brother to that Duke of Coburgs son being vnmarried had no inheritance sub-diuided to him which was said should be done when he tooke a wife The Count Palatine of the Rheine not long before this time deceased did diuide all the inheritance with his brother Duke Casimere excepting the Palatinate which with the stile and dignitie of Elector belongs to the eldest sonne But they say that many times the Knights and chiefe men of the Prouince wil not for the publike good lest the Princes power should be weakened permit this diuision among their Princes but force the younger brother to take money or yeerely pension for the part of his inheritance and that this diuision is also many times forbidden by the dying fathers last Testament And they seeme to do this not without iust cause since the great number of children often oppresseth diuers principalities Thus 17 brothers al Princes of Anhalt for the title is common to al the yonger brothers with the eldest euen where the patrimony is not diuided diuiding their fathers estate betweene them were said to haue each of them ten thousand gold Guldens by the yeere and if all these brethren should haue children it was probable that the Principalitie could not beare so many heires I remember that I did see one of them at Dresden in the Court of Christian Elector and Duke of Saxony who receiued of him a pension to maintaine certaine horses and was one of his Courtiers The like happened in our time to the Counts of Mansfeild whereof twenty seuen liued at one time and some of them followed the warres of Netherland the reuenues of so narrow a County sufficing not to beare vp the dignitie of their birth howsoeuer it yeeldeth Mines of Siluer which were at that time pawned for money to the Fuggari of Augsburg I obserued that the younger sonnes of Protestant Princes whose Fees could not be diuided yea and the eldest sonne during his fathers life inioyed the reuenewes of Bishopricks as Administrators being so called besides money and pensions and some lands of inheritance and otherwise for better maintenance followed the warres In this sort when the Elector Christian Duke of Saxony died his three sonnes being yet vnder age inioyed three Bishopricks namely those
two hundred Dollers yeerely stipend and apparrell One chiefe and two inferiour Horse-leeches and Smiths foure Armourers to pollish the Armes for Tilting three Sadlers two Cutlers to pollish the Swords two Feathermakers and two Porters of the Stable had each of them one hundred Guldens yeerely stipend and apparell twice in the yeere Besides the Elector Christian had a Kingly Armoury or Arsonall for Artillery and Munitions of warre which they said had furniture for an Army of eighty thousand Men ouerseene by a Captaine or Master of the Ordinance his Liefetenant and three Captaines of the watch who had no small stipends besides fifty Gunners who had each of them sixe guldens by the moneth with yeerely apparrell But when I was at Dresden this Armory was much vnfurnished by aides newly sent into France to King Henry the fourth at the instance of his Ambassadour the Earle of Tarine These aides though sent with the consent of the foresaid Princes confederate yet were leuied as at the charge of the King of France and as voluntary men because the Princes are bound vpon paine to leese their fees and by the couenants of the peace giuen to the confession of Augsburg not to vndertake any waire without the Emperours knowledge which bonds are often broken the Princes of Germany administring all as absolute Princes onely with consent of their confederates But I passe ouer this and returne to the matter in hand The foresaid so many and so great stipends were most readily paid without delay out of the Exchequer called the Siluer Chamber monethly or yeerely as they did grow due And all the Pensioners aforesaid did keepe the horses in the city for which they had pay to which if you adde the 136 horses of the chiefe stable and the 200 kept by the D. in other stables you shal find that Dresden was neuer without a 1000 horses of seruice for any sudden euent And the number was not lesse of the horses which the Elector kept in his Castles not farre from the Citie so as he had euer as it were in a moment ready 2000 horses for all occasions This Christian Elector of Saxony was said to impose most heauy exactions vpon his subiects no lesse then the Italian Princes who place all their confidence in their treasure none at al in the loue of their subiects or then the Netherlanders who for feare to become slaues to the Spaniard beare vntollerable exactions The Country people about Dresden cried that they were no lesse oppressed then the Iewes in Egypt being daily forced to labour at their owne charge in fortifying the City And many complained that the Red Deare wilde Boares and like beasts destroied their fields for I said that the Duke was much delighted in hunting which is also forbidden to all euen the best Gentlemen no man daring so much as to driue the beasts out of their pasture and corne he that sets a Dog on them being subiect to great penalty and he that killes one of them being guilty of death But nothing did more cause the Duke to be maligned then that he had left the positions of Luther in religion and carefully endeuoured to establish those of Caluin as shal be shewed in due place His subiects were wont to pay for seuerall goods as a sheepe a cow and the like a yeerely tribute but of late it had been decreed by the 3 States that after the value of goods each man for 60 grosh should pay two fennings yeerely I meane as well moueable goods namely wares and ready money as houses lands and all vnmoueable goods and that not according to the yeerely value but yeerely according to the value at which they were or might be bought or sold. Neither could any man dissemble his wealth since that deceit will appeare at least vpon the last Will and Testament and once found vseth to be punished with repairing the losse and a great fine This tribut was at first granted only for 6 yeres but those ended the terme was renewed and so it continueth for euer And this tribute alone was said to yeeld yeerely 600000 guldens but the chiefe reuenue of the Elector was by the imposition vpon Beere which as I haue formerly said that people drinkes in great excesse And they said that this tribute also at first was imposed only for certaine yeeres But the Elector meaning nothing lesse then to ease them of this burthen of late there had bin a paper set by some merry lad vpon the Court gates containing these words in the Dutch tongue Ich woundschihm lang leben vnd kein gutten tag darneben vnd darnoch den hellisch fewr der hatt auffgehebt dab bearstewer Vndergeschreiben Das wort Gottes vnd das berestewer wheren in ewigkeit That is I wish long life may him befall And not one good day therewithall And Hell-fier after his life here Who first did raise this Taxe of Beare Post-script The Word of God and the Tax of Beare last for euer and euer The Brewers pay tribute according to the value of the brewing not according to the gaine they make namely some eighth part for one kind of Beare some fifth part for another kind in most places At Wittenberg I obserued that for one brewing of some 48 bushels of Mault worth some 48 guldens the Dukes Treasurer receiued 8 guldens This Treasurer doth foure times yeerely view the brewing vessels and number the Students of Wittenberg to preuent any defrauding of Tribute For howsoeuer in all these parts they drinke largely yet at Wittenberg in respect of the great number of Students and at Leipzig for the same cause and in respect of a great Faire this tribute growes to an higher rate then in other cities yet the Citie Torge though lesse in circuit then these only exceeds these and all other in yeelding this tribute because the beare therof is so famously good as it is in great quantitie transported to other Cities of these Prouinces where the better sort most commonly drink it and no other so as that Citie alone yeelds one yeere with another seuenteene thousand gold Guldens for tribute of Beare The same Citie makes yeerely seuen thousand wollen clothes each cloth thirty two elles long and worth some fourteene Dollers yet for each cloth they pay onely one siluer Grosh whereby it appeares that the tribute of cloth and like commodities is lightly esteemed as of lesse importance then the transcendent traffique of Beare Torge likewise yeerely paies to the Elector 500 Dollers for the fishing of a Lake neare the City which once in 3 yeeres was said to yeeld 5000 Dollars to the City One sole Prouince yet much inhabited and very fertill namely Misen was said one yeere with another to yeeld 1800000 Dollers for all tributes and halfe part thereof onely for Beare The Mines of Siluer are of great importance which by the Law belong to the Electors in their Prouinces not to the Emperour And this Elector hath many of these Mines-namely
those of Friburg those of Scheneberg those of Anneberg and those of the valey of Ioachim of al which I haue written at large in the Geographicall description And no doubt this Elector is potent in treasure so as how soeuer he be inferiour in dignity to the Elector Palatine yet he is most powerfull of all the Electors Among the walled Cities subiect to him not to speake of the Townes Castles and pleasant Villages Leipzig is next to Dresden to which it onely yeelds for the fortifications and the Electors Court Leipzig giues the Law to the vpper Territorie as Wittenburg doth to the lower and both are adorned by being Vniuersities but at Leipzig the Scabines sit Iudges of great Authoritie for the Law of Saxony being in number seuen namely three Senators of the City and foure Doctors of the Ciuill Law But Wittenberg hath not the right of the Sword to execute malefactors which the Elector Augustus they say translated to Leipzig because the Iudges obstinately denied him power to pardon malefactors or to moderate the Law So as when any man is capitally accused at Wittenberg the cause is first referred to the Scabines at Leipzig who finding him guilty giue power to the Senators of Wittenberg to pronounce sentence and doe execution Wittenberg is no faire City but a famous Vniuersitie and at this time had a great many of Students and it is not subiect to the Duke as inheritance from his progenitors but as he is Elector for to the Electorship it properly belongeth Besides the great tributes it pales for Beare it also yeelds yeerely to the Duke 1500 gold Guldens for the Bridge built ouer the Elue Here as in all other places Lime and Brick are sold in the Dukes name and to his vse As well Leipzig as Wittenberg in difficult cases aske counsell for the Ciuill Law of their owne and if need be of forraigne Vniuersities where the Doctors of the Ciuill Law in the name of the Faculty write downe their iudgement in the case propounded These Doctors are also Aduocates whereof there were twenty two at this time at Leipzig and because this profession is much esteemed the Germans willingly apply themselues to the study thereof The Count Palatine of the Rheine by old institution is cheefe among the temporall Electors and is of the same Family of which the Dukes of Bauaria descend The Pedegree of them both is deriued from the Emperour Charles the Great Otho the elder brother Palatine of Wirtelbach vpon the proscription of the Duke of Bauaria had that Dukedome conferred on him in fee by the Emperour in the yeere 1180. From his younger brother descend the Counts of Salmes now liuing But from the said Otho the elder brother are descended both the Palatines Electors and the Dukes of Bauaria now liuing Lodwicke Duke of Bauaria who died in the yeere 1231 receiued the Palatinate of the Rheine in fee from the Emperour Fredericke the second Otho the fourth succeeded him in the Dukedome of Bauaria and the Palatinate of the Rheine and was the first Elector of this Family who died in the yeere 1253. His sonne Lodwicke the seuere Elector Pallatine and Duke of Bauaria made Rodolphus of Habsburg Emperour who was the first Emperour of the House of Austria He married this Emperours Daughter died in the yeere 1294 leauing two sonnes who diuided the inheritance as followeth From this Rodulphus discend the Counts Palatines and Electors Rodulphus the elder Brother was Count Palatine of the Rheine Elector who died 1319. Rupert Palatine of the Rheine Elector founded the Vniuersitie in Heidelberg in the yeere 1346. Rupert Elector and Emperour died in the yeere 1410. Lodwick Count Palatine and Elector The Elector Frederike the second discending from him freed Vienna from the siege of the Turkes and died 1556. Otho Henrich his Nephew died 1559 without heires males and so the Electorship fell to the Duke of Zweybruck Stephen Duke of Zweybruck Frederike Palatine Iohn the first Iohn the second Frederike the third succeeded Otho Henrich in the Electorship and died 1576. Lodwick the fourth Elector Palatine married the daughter of the Langraue of Hessen and died 1583. Frederike the fourth Elector then Pupill to Iohn Casimire his Vncle. The first house of the Palatines and Electors in two branches Christian his sole Sister Iohn Casunire was Tutor to his Nephew and Elector in his nonage and married Elizabeth sister to Christian Duke of Saxony and died 1592. Dorethea his sole Daughter Elizabeth married to Iohn Frederike Duke of Saxony called of Coburg Susan Dorothy married to Iohn William Duke of Saxonie called of Wineberg Anna Maria maried to Phillip the 2 Langraue of Hessen Kunigunde Iacobe married to the Count of Nassawe Richard D. of Hunneseruck liuing when I wrote this The 2 brach of the first house Lodwick the blacke Alexander Lodwick Wolfgang D. of Sweybruck maried the Daughter to the Langraue of Hessen and died in the French warres 1569. Phillip Lodwick married the daughter to the Duke of Iulice Of three Daughters one married to Frederike William Duke of Saxony Wolfgang borne 1578. Augustus borne 1582. Iohn Frederike borne 1587. Iohn married to another Daughter of the Duke of Iulce Two Sonnes and two Daughters The second House of the Countes Palatines in foure branches then liuing the last branches being multiplied from Phillip Lodwick being then children Frederike married the Daughter of the Duke of Lignic Two Twins borne 1591. Otho Henrich married the Daughter to the Duke of Wirterberg He had both sons and daughters Eight Sisters partly dead partly liuing then Rupert Of Rupert is George borne of the Daughter to Gustanus King of Swetia who then was liuing He had 3 sonnes and diuers daughters A fifth branch of the second house of the Countes Palatines Thus of Rodulphus the eldest sonne to Lodwick the Seuere descend two houses in many branches of the Countes Palatines whereof the chiefe and first hath the Electorship And of Lodwick the Emperour the second sonne to Lodwick the Seuere descend the Dukes of Bauaria as followeth Lodwick the yonger Brother was D. of Bauaria and was made Emperor who died 1347. The Dukes of Bauaria Lodwick the Emperour had two sonnes Stephen Duke of Bauaria who died 1392. Frederike Duke of Bauaria died 1404. George the rich founded the Vniuersitie of Ingolstat and built the Colledge of Saint George and died 1503. Elizabeth his Daughter was maried to Rupert Count Palatine and to Rupert George by his last Will gaue the Dukedome of Bauaria but the Emperour Maximiuan would not confirme this gift as iniurious to the next heire in this pedegree whence rose the warre of Bauaria Iohn of Monach Duke of Bauaria died 1397. Albert the third refused to be chosen King of Bohemia and died 1460. Albert the fourth brought the Channons of 2 Monasteries to Monach and that of his owne authoritie for which he hardly escaped the proscription of the Empire and to him the Emperour adiudged the
had numbred in the City twenty two thousand Artificers seruants and people of inferior rank and that the last subsidy imposed in time of warre was one Gold Gulden in the hundreth of euery mans mouable and vnmouable goods and one gold Gulden by the Pole for all such as had neither inheritance nor Art to liue vpon Augsburg is one of the Imperiall Citties vulgarly Ein Reichs statt and in the yeare 1364. the Senate consisted of two Patritian Consuls and of ten Merchants and seauen Artisans with power of Tribunes all yearly chosen The Emperor Charles the 4 gaue the City new priuillges confirmed the old because the Citizens swore obedience to his Sonne And the Emperor Sigismund confirmed and increased the same When the Emperour Charles the fifth held a Parliament in this Citty as many Parliaments haue beene held there the old honour was restored to the Patritians the Plebean Tribunes were taken away two Aduocates being set in their roomes Two Gentlemen Consuls at this day gouerne the City with six Iudges for criminall causes whereof three are Gentlemen two Citizens one Plebean These are chosen by the great Senate consisting of those three Orders but in causes of Religion the City is subiect to the iurisdictiō of the Bishop of Tilling This City hath many noble and rich Merchants whereof many haue priuiledges of Barrons and some of Earles and among them the chiefe Family is of the Fuggari famously knowne being at this time both boyes and men some thirty in number and the chiefe of them was Marke of the Fug gari who had married the Daughter to the Earle of Schwartzenburg and was much delighted in the gathering of antiquities with much curtesie vsing to shew the same to such passengers as tooke pleasure therein Three Cozens of this Family had great and large but dispersedly scattered possessions besides that they were rich in treasure for supply whereof the Emperour Charles the fifth and his sonne Phillip King of Spaine often made vse of them ingaging to them the impositions custome of Hauens for ready money and giuing them great priuiledges of trafficke In which kind the said King of Spaine so obliged them to him as the heart being alwaies where the treasure is hee made them no lesse obsequious to him then subiects so difficult a thing is it for couetous Merchants to preserue their liberty Great iealousies were betweene this City and the Duke of Bauaria whose territory extends to the very walles of the City And I remember at my last passage through Augsburg this Duke attempted to stop the course of water from the City whereupon the Citizens sent out Souldiers to beate backe the Dukes workemen but the controuersie was soone after appeased and came not to blowes They perpetually euen in time of peace keepe some fiue hundred Souldiers in the City who dwell in a streete by themselues and the City being seated vpon the mouth of the Alpes leading into Italy and the Citizens being diligent in trafficke it cannot be that it should not abound in riches Augsburg in the foresaid Parliament held there after Charles the fifth had ouercome the Protestant Princes was said to haue bought their peace of the Emperour with 3000 gold guldens I know not for what cause they are seuere towards strangers but I obserued that they haue a Law forbidding strangers to dwell in the City allowing them onely a short time of abode and during the same curiously obseruing what businesse they haue Strasburg is also a free City of the Empire and as the rest gouerned by a Senate yeerely chosen for howsoeuer it is one of the Cities leagued with the Cantons of Sweitzerland yet it is still numbered among the free Imperiall Cities And it is stately built and rich in treasure for so it must needes be since the ordinary tributes and taxes are so great as I haue heard the Citizens professe that they yeerely pay one doller in a thousand for the value of their mouable and also vnmoueable goods wherein the full value of Land not the yeerely rent is reckoned and that if any fraud be detected in the last Testament or otherwise the heire or the party offending if hee liue is deepely fined for the same While I passed through the City they had begun a warre with the Duke of Loraine about the choice of their Bishop which warre they had vnprouidently denounced before they had leuied Souldiers or made prouisions to make it so as their territories were exposed to many oppressions before they could gather troopes to defend them and offend the enemy And it was vulgarly reported that they could deliberate of nothing in counsell so secretly as it was not presently made knowne to the enemy The Imperiall City Franckfort is famous for the two yeerely Marts one at Midlent the other at the middest of September at which times all neighbour Princes keepe Horsemen to guard the Merchants passing that way to which Horsemen I remember that each passenger gaue 6 creitzers either of duty or in curtesie for his person Also this City is famous for another priuiledge contained in the Lawes of the golden Bulla namely that all Emperours must be chosen there and in case two Emperours be chosen the same Law defines that if one of them shall besiege the City and there expect his enemy halfe a moneth and if in that time he come not to breake the siege then it shall be free for the City to receiue the first as hauing the victory For of old custome the new chosen Emperours keepe their coronation Feast in this City with great magnificence which was lastly kept as they said by Maximilian the second at which time among other solemnities they roasted an Oxe in the middest of the field for the people and when the Marshal of the Court had cut a peece as for the Emperor the rest of the Oxe was in a moment rent in peeces by the common people I must make at least some mention of the Cities lying vpon the Sea of Germany towards the North whereof most are not onely called free because they are Imperiall Cities but by the same name though in diuers signification are called Hans steten that is Free Cities in respect of the priuiledges of trafficke granted to them of old in the neighbour Countries Among these Lubecke is the chiefe of the neighbor Cities ioined in league for common defence whither the Senators of all the other Cities come once in the yeere to consult of publike affaires The territory of the City reacheth not aboue a German mile but after some few miles distance there is a certaine Towne which belongs to Lubecke and Hamburg by common right being ingaged to them for money by the Duke of Lower Saxony of whom they after bought the rest of his Inheritance This Towne for sixe yeeres space was wont to be kept by those of Lubecke appointing the Gouernour and receiuing the rents which time ended those of
they could not fight with aduantage The thirteene Cantons haue that priuiledge that they deliberate and determine the affaires of the commonwealth in publike meetings by voices and gouerne by equall right the gouernments gotten iointly by them and haue equal part in all booties The greatest Senate is when all the Ambassadours that is chosen Burgesses of the cantons and Fellowes in league are called together which is seldom done but in the causes of making warre or peace onely the Ambassadors of the thirteene Cantons being commonly called to counsell Al Ambassadors haue equal right in giuing voices but two or more being sent from one Canton haue but one voice In causes concerning the gouernements belonging to seuen or eight or 12 Cantons onely the Ambassadours or Burgesses or States of those Cantons meet to whom the gouernement belongs and so the Burgesses of all other seuerally for things belonging to themselues but where the cause concernes the publike State the full Senate of all the Cantons is called to the meeting Since the late differences of Religion new and particular meetings haue beene instituted The Cantons of the Roman Religion Vria Suitia Vnderualdia Lucerna and Zug ioined in a more strict league doe often meete together when any man names the fiue Cantons simply they meane them not the hue old cantons howsoeuer naming the three seuen or eight Cantons they are taken according to the time of their entring into league And sometimes the Cantons of Frihurg and Solothurn being also of the Roman Religion come to the meetings of the said fiue Cantons Greatest part of the Citizens of Glarona and Apenzill are of the reformed Religion and the foure Cities chiefe of the Cantons namely Zurech Bern Bazill Schafhusen haue altogether cast off the Roman Religion haue particular meetings but not often yet when I passed through this Prouince I vnderstood that Glarona was altogether of the reformed Religion and that Apenzill was numbred among the Cantons of the Roman Religion The great Senate determines of warre peace leagues each hauing freedome to refuse any league likewise of making Lawes of sending receiuing answering Ambassadors of gouernments of distributing gainefull Offices of difficult causes referred to the Senate by Gouernors of appeales made from Gouernours to the Senate Ambassadours or Burgesses in place of Iudges are sent about the moneth of Iune to heare the causes of the Italian gouernments from whom they may appeale to the Senate and these appeales as all other are determined by the Senate in the meetings at Baden where also they deliberate of customes impositions the reuenues and if need be of punishing the Gouernours or displacing them in which case the Canton which sent that Gouernour appoints another The City Zurech chiefe of the Cantons hath the first place not by antiquity but dignity and of old custome hath the highest authority to call the Senate together signifying to each canton by letters the cause the time of each meeting yet if any canton thinke it for the publike good to haue an extraordinary meeting they write to Zurech to appoint the same or if the cause admit no delay they meet vncalled Most commonly the generall meetings are at Lucern Zurech Bremogart and Baden but more commonly in these daies almost continually they are at Baden in respect of the commodity of the houses and Innes the pleasant situation famous medicinall Baths and because it is seated in the center of Sweitzerland and is subiect to the 8 old cantons The cantons of the Roman religion commonly haue their particular meetings at Lucerna sometimes at Bockenried of the Vrij or Brame of the Suitij are called together by the canton of Lucern and the cantons of the reformed religion haue their particular meetings commonly at Arowike vnder Bern somtimes at Bazil are called together by the canton of Zurech Forrain Ambassadors require of Zurech to haue audience in the Senate but the peculiar meeings for French causes are called by the French Ambassador as often as he wil at Solothurn where he resideth or at Lucern other Ambassadors shold not be denied extraordinary meetings so they pay the expences as the French Ambassador doth The ful Senate yeerly meets about September at Baden about which time I said that Burgesses in place of Iudges are sent to heare the causes of the Italian gouernments And in this first meeting the greatest causes are not determined either because the Ambassadours or Burgesses or States haue not full power or for other causes but another meeting is there appointed and howsoeuer this Senate is onely called for publike causes yet those being ended they vse to heare priuate causes also Assoone as the said Burgesses or States at the appointed day come to the City the Burgesse of Zurech sends the Vice-gouernor of Baden to salute them to acquaint them with the time of meeting Then they sit downe in the Court first the Burgesses of Zurech in a place raised higher then the rest 2. Those of Bern Thirdly Those of Lucerna as chief though not in antiquity yet in dignity and after the rest according to the antiquity of their Cantons The Burgesse of Zurech first makes an Oration and propounds the causes vpon which they are to consult adding what his Canton hath commanded him in each particular and then the rest speake in order according to the directions giuen them at home The vnder Gouernour of Baden of what Canton soeuer he be askes and numbers the voices The peculiar meetings of particular Cantons and those for French affaires haue no set times Each Canton hath publike Magistrates vulgarly called Vmbgelten who administer the Impositions vpon wine and corne and gather them by their deputies They pay tribute only for that wine which is sold in Tauerns and for that corne which is exported or vsed by Bakers for otherwise the Citizens pay not for wine and corne brought iuto their priuate houses and spent therein And I haue obserued that they pay in some places the value of 24 measures tribute for a vessell of wine containing ninety six measures The salt which is brought in is onely sold by the Senate of each Citie or Canton and I vnderstood by discourse that the Citizens may not buy salt or take it of gift out of the Citie Particularly at Schafhusen the Customes are great especially for salt in respect that the water of the Rheine hath a great fall from a rocke so as all ships must be vnladed before they can passe by that Citie In generall the Sweitzers especially want wine corne and salt as may appeare by the couenants of their forraigne leagues and otherwise the tributes are small which can bee imposed vpon such a free Nation Concerning their Lawes I haue formerly said that the senerall Cantons are not bound one to the decrees of the other except they freely consent thereunto yet that they all haue one Common Councell and almost all
the causes are not determined after the ciuill but after the prouinciall law or according to that which seemes good and equall and by the statutes and customes of each Canton They haue no quirkes or obscurities to protract iudgement and they thinke it better sometimes to erre in a doubtfull cause then to follow the Lawyers iudging according to Law not equity and so making the suites perpetuall In the Gouernements all controuersies are determined by the Gouernours and Iudges of the place yet so as appeale is granted from them to the common Senate In priuate Cantons causes are iudged by the Senatours and Iudges of each Canton yet they haue some publike Iudgements namely when the Cantons haue any controuersie one with another or a priuate man with a Canton for which cases they haue many cautions in their Leagues and at this day they are determined after this manner Each part chuseth two Iudges of his owne Citizens who are absolued in that case from their oath giuen to their owne Canton and then they are sworne that they will consider of the controuersie according to that which seemes good and equall and that they will faithfully indeuour to compose it at least so as it shall bee decided by Law not by Armes And in the old leagues certaine places are appointed in which these Iudgements are handled The 7 Cantons commonly meete for them in the Monastery of the Heremites within their owne confines and so other leagues in other appointed places The Iudges and Burgesses of those Cantons with which those that haue controuersies haue more strict league determine these causes if the first arbiters cannot compose them and both parts are bound to rest in the iudgement of the greater part and if the Voices be equall on each part as many times it falleth out a new Iudge or Arbiter is chosen who doth not giue a new Iudgement of his owne but approueth one of the Iudgements giuen by the equall Voices of the said Burgesses And this Arbiter is chosen by those Burgesses and so he be a Citizen of any one Canton it is not required that he should be of either of the Cantons to whom the cause belongeth Thus if Bern be plaintiffe against the 3 Cantons 16 men are chosen by the Cantons out of which Bern chuseth one to be Arbiter but if the Cantons be plaintiffes against Bern they chuse an Arbiter out of the lesser Senate of Bern. Likewise in controuersies betweene Zurech and Bern the plaintiffe chuseth an Arbiter out of the Senate of the other Citie To conclude in all Iudgements publike and priuate they vse such integrity as this simplicitie of their Iudgements disallowed by subtill polititians happily succeeds in all occasions and so they retaine their old vertue is like euer so to succeede In most of the Cantons namely at Zurech Basil and Schafhusen no Bastard may beare publike office nor be a Senator or Iudge which Law is common to the Sweitzers with the Germans first instituted to restraine fornication and to preserue the dignity of marriage In some places he must haue been a Citizen ten yeres in other places twenty yeres who is chosen to be of the common Counsell and at Zurech no stranger is euer chosen to be a Senator or Iudge and by Common law no Homicide Adulterer or infamous person for any crime may be of the Senate In all the Cantons they are no lesse carefull to preuent domages by fier then to keepe out their enemies for which cause they hire watchmen to walke the streetes by night and Belmen to tell the howers and in some places as the Towne of Saint Gallus they haue nightly thirty two Watchmen and chuse Citizens to visit the chimnies and ouens that they be free from danger of fier In other Cantons they haue publike Officers who in any such chance see that all things be done in order and that no tumult be raised vpon such occasions to which end they appoint some to quench the fier and draw others in armes to defend the walles and the gates And at Zurech able young men are yeerely chosen to be ready for the quenching of any such casuall fier In Lucerna the Law of Retribution an arme for an arme a leg for a leg is in many cases obserued where he that killes a Citizen bee the cause neuer so iust as repelling force by force shal die if he be taken or be perpetually banished if he escape by flight yet when he hath satisfied the Kinsmen of him bee killed hee is permitted to returne from banishment And in all the Cantons where they dwell in Villages he that kills a man in his defence shal be banished and his owne Senate cannot permit his returne which can onely be obtained from the great and publike Senate And in the same Cantons no lands may be ingaged to any stranger neither may any stranger buy any possessions but onely a house and a Garden for herbes And if any man often offend in Drunkennes he is imprisoned and may drink no Wine for a yere till he haue procured pardon of the publike Senate which me thinks should easily be granted him by Iudges guilty of the same fault except they meane quarrels and like offences not simple drinking which I thinke probable because generally the Sweitzers drinke as stiffely as those of the vpper part of Germany In the same Cantons Matrimoniall causes are referred to the Consistory of the Bishop of Costnetz but all adulteries are punished by the Senate at home commonly with the losse of goods sometimes with a fine of ten pounds that is ten Dollers with them The publike Edicts are yeerely in these Cantons confirmed or abrogated by the Voices of the common people And in the Towne of Friburg and the Territory if a debter pay not his debt the Creditor sends certaine seruants and horses to the publike Inne the charge whereof is paid by the debter till he satisfie his Creditor Besides in any controuersie if sureties be thrise demanded of any man and he bring not in suerty or caution he is punished with banishment and the same punishment is inflicted on them who violate the command of keeping the peace and who without iust cause take part with either of them that are at variance In generall for the Gentry of the whole Prouince mention hath been and is after to be made that the same is extinguished so as it were in vaine to seeke for any Knightly order among these men who howsoeuer they be military men yet vniuersally are Cittizens or of common Plebean ranck They take to themselues coates of Armes deuised by themselues and tricked after their owne fancies yet not with open Helmets as Gentlemen beare them but with closed Helmets after the manner vsed by the Citizens in Germany And their Lawes of inheritance and the dowries of wiues doe come neerest to those of Germany the Ciuill law if I be not deceiued passing with them into Prouinciall lawes and customes by
which they are gouerned vpon the old and long continued vse of them In one particular example I obserued that the younger brother in the diuision of his fathers inheritance first chose his part and had libertie to buy the parts of his brethren if he would and not otherwise But I shall haue occasion to speake of the common lawes more at large in the discourse of the seuerall Common-wealths among them The leagues which the Sweitzers haue with forraine Princes doe manifestly shew that they professe Mercenary Armes no lesse yea much more then the Germans For whereas the Germans are hired for present seruice in time of warre these men besides that pay must haue ample pensions in time of peace as their league with France especially sheweth In this they differ that the Sweitzers onely send aides of foote but the Germans are hired both horse and foote And both these Nations haue one commendable property that after their seruice one or more yeeres in the warres peace being made they returne home nothing corrupted with military licentiousnesse and roundly fall to the Plough or any other their trade of life By the same leagues it appeares that they will not serue in any sea-fights nor in the defence or taking of forts neither will haue their forces diuided as if they reputed the strong bodies of their bands only fit to fight in a pitched field and to defend the great Ordinance and carriage Neither vse they to fortifie their owne Cities excepting few which of old were fortified and after receiued into the number of the Cantons bragging with the Lacedemonians that valiant brests are brazen walles In the time of Iulius Caesar we reade that this Nation being populous and weary of the barren soile wherein they dwelt resolued to seeke a new seate but were soone restrained and kept at home by the Armes of Caesar. From that time wee reade of no great warlike exploit done by them till they laid the first foundation of their Commonwealth by mutuall leagues The first perpetuall league made betweene the three first Cantons was in the yeere 1315 from which time the rest of the Sweitzers hauing long been subiect to the house of Austria began by parts to rebell against that house and to winne their liberty by the sword But all their warre was at home long continued against the said house and at last breaking out against the Duke of Burgundy vpon their confines till the yeer 1477 when in the third battaile the Duke of Burgundy was slaine and so that warre ended At which time only eight Cantons were vnited in perpetuall league the other fiue Cantons being after vnited at seuerall times from the yeere 1481 to the yeere 1513 when the 13 and last Canton was vnited to the rest in perpetuall league Touching their forraigne warres the first league they made for yeeres was in the yeere 1478 and the second in the yeere 1510 with two Popes The first perpetuall forraine league they made was with the Duke of Milan in the yeere 1466 wherin mention is made of former leagues with the Insubres but we reade no effects of warre produced by them And the first perpetuall league they had with France was in the yeere 1483 when Charles the eight made warre in Italy for the kingdome of Naples about which time the Sweitzers Armes began to be knowne in forraine parts Guicciardine the famous writer of those Italian warres among the Actions of the yeere 1500 saith that the Sweitzers hired by Lodwick Sforza Duke of Milan fought wel on his side at the taking of Nouara but after that their Captaines were corrupted to betray him by the Captaines of other Sweitzers seruing the French king whereupen they prouoked the multitude to Mutiny for pay but the Duke appeasing them by louing words by present pay in good part and promise of the rest vpon the coming of mony from Milan dayly expected that the Captaines of the Dukes Sweitzers conspired with the Sweitzers of the French king to make the French presently draw to Nouaria which done the Duke prepared to fight but the Captains of his Sweitzers answered him that without speciall authority from their Magistrates they would not fight against their Kinsmen and Countrimen on the French side and that so the Sweitzers seruing the Duke vpon their Captains instigation mingled themselues with the Switzers on the French side as if they had been both of one Army saying they would depart home And that the Duke could with no praiers nor promises moue their barbarous treachery to stand with him in this distresse nor so much as to conduct him to a safe place onely granting him to march in their bands on foote disguised like a Sweitzer in which disguise taken of force he with some of his chiefe friends were taken by the French mouing compassion of all men towards him and detestation of their treachery And this Author leaues it in doubt whether they were found out in this disguise by the French spies or rather visely betraied Semler a famous writer of the Sweitzers Nation thinks that souldiers in generall might be excused who being in a towne vnfortified and hauing other iust causes as disability to withstand the Enemy should make peace and returne home but granting this fact to be vnexcusable yet whether it were done by the Captaines or by the common souldiers or by both and that on both sides hee thinks it a great wrong to impute the same to the whole nation especially those Soldiers being leuied secretly and without leaue of the Magistrates The foresaid Author Guicciardine in the Actions of the yeere 1511 writes of the Sweitzers to this effect The Sweitzers of old called Heluetians inhabit the high places of the Mountaine Iura men fierce by nature clownes and by reason of the barren soile rather Crasiers then Ploughmen Of old they were subiect to the Princes of Austria but casting off their yoke haue long been free liuing after their owne Lawes and yeelding no signe of obedience to the Emperours or any other Princes diuided into thirteen Cantons wherof each is gouerned by their owne Magistrates Lawes customes The name of this so wilde and vnciuill Nation hath gotten honour by concord and the glory of Armes For being fierce by nature and trained in warlike discipline and keeping their Orders or rankes they haue not only with valour defended their Country but in forraine parts haue exercised Armes with high praise which no doubt had beene greater if they had fought to inlarge their owne Empire not for wages to inlarge the Empire of others if nobly they had propounded to themselues other ends then the gaine of mony by the loue wherof being made abiect they haue lost the occasion to become fearefull to all Italy for since they neuer come out of their confines but as mercenary men they haue had no publike fruit of their victory but by couetousnesse haue become intollerable in exactions where they ouercome and in
Inhabitants of the Country All Townes and Villages of this forme whereof I named sixe haue a President of their Counsels called Amman that is Amptman signifying a man of Office The Vrij are deuided into ten parts called Tenths by the vulgar name The Suitij are diuided into foure parts called quarters The Vnderualdij are parted with a wood of Oakes and thereby are diuided into the vpper and lower and the whole canton hath the name of the lower as dwelling vnder the wood and Stantium is their chiefe Village Zug for the Towne consists of two and for the county of three conuents or meetings Glarona consists of fifteene Tagwans signifying a daies tillage Apenzill as well towne as countrey consists of twelue Roden whereof the sixe inward were of old vnder the Abbot and the sixe outward were out of his territory either free or subiect to priuate Gentlemen Out of each of these conuents or parts the Senators of the whole canton are chosen in equall number being in most of them threescore in number besides those who hauing had publike honours remaine perpetuall Senators Zug hath forty fiue Senators that is nine of each conuent the towne being taken for two conuents Apenzill hath 144 Senators namely twelue for each conuent In weighty affaires for which it seemes not good to call the people together the Counsels of Senators in most places are doubled or trebled each Senator chusing one or two Assessors But onely citizens are capable of this dignity and it is much more difficult to obtaine freedome of being a citizen with these cantons then with the cities The highest power is in the generall meeting of the people to which all are admitted of foureteene or sixteene yeeres age and they meete in the middest of the territory or in the chiefe Village of the canton and there is first chosen the Amman in most places for two yeeres and out of all the people of what part or conuent soeuer he be but at Apenzill he must remoue his dwelling to the Towne where publike counsels vse to be held and there abide during his office And at Zug he is chosen out of the conuents by order course and for the time of his Office must dwell in the city Next to the Amman they chuse his Deputy called Statthalter then the Treasurer called Seckelmeister that is Master of the Purse then the Scribes or Clarkes and other Officers in order And this is peculiar to these Cantons in the seeking of any publike Office that they who seeke it are themselues present at the giuing of voices and themselues their Parents and children giue voices in their election which are giuen by lifting vp the hand from an high place and in case of doubt are numbered by the Pole The Senators are not chosen by the whole Assembly but each by the Inhabitants of his owne conuent or part Besides this publike meeting other meetings vse to be appointed vpon extraordinary occasions namely when Ambassadours are to be sent or any decree is to be made of league peace or warre Besides the two counsels of all the people and of chosen Senators most of the cantons haue a priuy counsell of few men Thus the Suitij haue a priuy counsell of one Senator and one Amman chosen of each conuent or part and this counsel gouernes the publike rents and expences They haue two courts of Iudgment one of nine men in which the Amman is President and that determines the weighty causes of inheritance of defamation and iniuries The other of seuen men in which the Ammans Deputy is President and that determines ciuill causes of debts and contracts The Vrij or canton of Vrania haue the same course where the Court of fifteene men in which the Amman is President determines ciuill controuersies of greatest moment and the court of seuen men in which the Ammans Deputy is President iudgeth of debts vnder the value of threescore pound The Vnderualdij haue one court of iudgement at Stantium and another at Sarna and each hath an Amman for President The towne or city of Zug besides the publike counsels of the Canton hath his proper Senate and Magistrates or Iudges In the canton of Glarona the indiciall court of nine men determines of inheritance defamation and iniuries And that of fiue men iudgeth debts but onely in the two moneths of May and September Iudgements are exercised by the Iudges yeerely chosen at the generall meeting of the Canton The Canton of Apenzill hath two Courts of Iudgement one of twenty foure men two of each conuent or part wherein fines are imposed and defamations and iniuries are iudged The other of twelue men called the sworne Court of Iudgement because it iudgeth of doubtfull controuersies and such as are tried vpon oath and this also obserues the breaches of Statutes and determine what causes are to be propounded before the Senate and this Office is perpetuall Of Consistories and Matrimoniall and Spirituall causes handled in other Courts I shall speake hereafter in the Chapter of Religion Capitall causes almost in all these Cantons are iudged by the Senate or publike Counsell and that commonly doubled the Amman of the Canton or his Deputy being President At Zug Assessors out of each Conuent or part are associated to the Senate and they sit in a publike place where all men may behold the Iudges and heare their sentences For the Courts of Iudgements in the prefectures or gouernements commonly a Deputy Gouernor and Assessors are chosen of the Inhabitants to ioyne with the Gouernour and they determine as well of ciuill as criminall causes and these Gouernours in some places are chosen for three yeeres Some Villages haue municipall rights vnder the Cantons and there they chuse Magistrates out of their owne Village yet they yerely craue this priuiledge at the publike meeting and it is granted them as a singular fauour And some of these Villages haue also their peculiar Banners and Ensignes but they beare them not where the great and common Banner of the Canton is displaied In the second place are the Cantons as formerly is shewed ouer which the Townes commaund not diuided into Tribes or Companies namely Bern Lucern Friburg and Solothurn in which it is forbidden by the Law that they should be diuided into Tribes But the Artisans haue their Colledges or Halles not for the chusing of Magistrates but for orders of the Art and these they call Geselscafften that is Societies or Fellowships not Tribes or Companies which are vulgarly called Zunfften In these Cantons the chiefe Magistrate is vulgarly called Schuldthessen that is set ouer debts whom I may call Consull and they haue two Counsels the greater and the lesse The greater at Bern hath the name of two hundred though they be more in number and the lesser is of twenty sixe men At Lucern the greater is of one hundred men and each halfe yeere eighteene gouerne the Common-wealth by courses At Bern when they chuse the Senate the
captiues At Friburg they haue a Court of Iustice called the Cities Court which iudgeth the citizens causes takes the examination of captiues and puts the accused to the racke or torment but after referres all to the Senate They haue another Court of Iustice for the countrey wherein the causes of subiects dwelling out of the city are determined In both Courts are two of the lesser Senate and eight Iudges of the greater Senate chosen for three yeeres and they meete thrice euery weeke and appeale is admitted from them to the lesser Senate Also twelue Iudges chosen out of both the Senates determine the appeales of the prefectures or gouernements meeting once euery moneth for that purpose and from them there is no appeale The Gouernours are chosen by both the Senates and hold that Office for fiue yeeres but giue accompt yeerely before the lesser Senate and they iudge capitall crimes in their gouernements but the Senate hath power to change mittigate or approue their sentence as they Iudge meete In the third place it remaines to speake of the third forme of gouernement in the three Cities distributed into tribes or companies namely Zurech Bazill Schafbusen wherein the state is diuided into two Orders of the noble and plebean They haue a peculiar society of those called noble which is vulgarly called Eingeselschafft and at Zurech Etn Constaffell but Bazill for the great number of them had two societies which had the chiefe authority the Consull being chosen of one and the tribune next in dignity chosen of the other till the nobility was remoued from gouernement or rather freely gaue it ouer For these Gentlemen first ioined with the House of Austria and were after banished with them till the yeere 1501 a perpetuall league was made with the House of Austria and the Gentlemen returned from banishment but hating the common people left the City to dwell in their Castles whereupon their authority was much diminished and that which remained they vtterly lost in the yeere 1529 when they left the City and opposed themselues to the reformation of religion decreed by the Senate yet the said two societies in name and their publike houses of the societies and the priuate houses in their possession remaine to them at this day but none of the Gentlemen are chosen into the Senate being excluded by the common consent of the Citizens from the gouernement of the Commonwealth which they willingly for sook so as the gentlemen haue really no peculiar society only some few of them dwelling continually in the City are numbered in the foure chiefe Tribes or companies of the Citizens and in them are chosen into the Senate as Citizens and these foure companies are called the companies of the Lords or Gentlemen At Zurech they haue a peculiar society of Gentlemen which hath this priuiledge that halfe as many more are chosen into the Senate out of it as out of any other tribe And in this very society of Gentlemen there is difference among themselues for the old Families haue a peculiar society and a priuate stoaue wherein they onely meete and many Citizens are ioined to the whole society who neither exercise any art nor trade of Merchandize and because Porters and the baser sort must be numbered in some tribe or company all these for occasions of warre are numbered in this society of the Gentlemen called Constaffel and vnder the same they serue in the warres yea and giue their voices in the choice of the Master of the society who is one of the Senate Also at Schafhusen the Gentlemen haue a peculiar society but in all these Cities the people is diuided into tribes or companies vulgarly called Zunft whereas the Gentlemens society is called Geselschafft or Constaffell At Basii there be 15 Tribes whereof 4 are called the tribes of the Lords or Gentlemen namely of the Merchants of the Goldsmiths of the Vintners of the Apoticaries and Silkemen the most populous of all other and the other eleuen are Plebean Tribes of all kinds of Artisans Zurech hath twelue Tribes for the Weauers of wollen cloth being few are numbred among the Dyers Schafhusen hath but eleuen Tribes wherein sometimes Artisans of diuers Arts are ioyned in one Tribe but each Art hath his peculiar Hall and these are called the diuided Tribes and they meete in their peculiar Halles when they consult of any thing concerning their priuate Art but they meete in the common Hall of the Tribe for causes touching the Common-wealth as the choise of Senators or Masters of each Tribe In the said Cities are two Counsels the greater when many meete in the name of the people to consult of weighty causes belonging to the Commonwealth and the lesser which daily sits in iudgement At Zurech the greater Counsell or Senate is of 200 men and the lesser of 50. At Basil the greater is of 244 the lesser of 64. At Schafhusen the greater is of 86 the lesser of 26 Senators To these ad two Consuls the Heads or Presidents of publike Counsels in each of these Cities And this is common to al these Cities that each Tribe hath two Masters chosen for half or a whole yeere which time ended others succeede in that place yet commonly he that was Master the last halfe yeere is chosen againe except there be some impediment The lesser Senate is diuided into new and old and that is called the old whereof the Senators haue serued halfe a yeere and these are not alwaies called to the meetings for some businesse only belongs to the new Senate At Zurech the two Senates are changed each halfe yeere and the old Senate at the halfe yeeres end chuseth the new But at Basil and Schafhusen they remaine in Office a whole yeere And the Masters of the Tribes are chosen by their owne Tribes and confirmed by the greater Senate but they are confirmed by the old Senate at Basil. The voices are openly taken at Zurech but secretly at Schafhusen for certaine men are set ouer the elections in whose eares they giue their Voyces softly whispering The lesser Counsell or Senate meetes commonly thrice or foure times each weeke The Consull is President of both Senates and is chosen by the greater Senate for halfe a yeere and in some places for a yeere The Tribunes are ioyned with the Consuls for Heads and Presidents of the Senates and at Basil nine other are ioyned to them who make the Counsell of thirteene to whom the more weighty affaires are referred to consider of them before they be propounded to the whole Senate Zurech hath a peculiar Counsell which may be called the Exchequer Court consisting of eight men chosen foure out of each Senate and to them all Exchequer accounts are referred Two Clerkes or Secretaries are present at publike Counsels with assistants ioyned to them if neede require and the Office of these Secretaries especially of the chiefe is honourable and gainefull and not easily conferred on any but a Patritian because they
must haue full knowledge of the Lawes Customes Priuiledges and all secrets of the Common-wealth Zurech hath two publike Courts of Iudgement or Iustice one of eight Iudges chosen out of the lesser Counsell or Senate who determine Ciuill causes Debts and the like and from them there is no appeale but themselues referre the most difficult matters to the Senate The other determines the causes of the Reuenue Basil hath two Courts of Iustice in the great Towne and a third in the lesser Towne The greater Court consists of ten Iudges who are partly taken out of the Senate partly out of the people and they determine Ciuill and Criminall causes but the Burgomaster or Maior is President for Ciuill causes and the Aduocate of the Empire for Criminall and three men called the Capitall Triumuiri of Senators degree pleade and proue inditements against malefactors But at Zurech and Schafhusen the new Senate iudgeth capitall causes yet the Consull or Burgomaster is not then President as at other times but the Aduocate of the Empire whom the Senate by speciall priuiledge chuseth yeerely out of their owne body And at Basil capitall Iudgements are giuen in a publike place but at Zurech in a close priuate Court with the doores shut and at Schafhusen the accusation and defence are made in open Court but all are excluded when the Senate giues iudgement The lesser Court of the great Towne at Basil doth onely determine small controuersies not exceeding the value of ten pounds The Court of Iustice in the lesser Towne of Basill hath his owne Burgomaster or Consull and determines all causes except criminall At Schafbusen the Cities Court of Iustice determines of debts contracts and the like but if the summe of the controuersie exceed the value of one hundred gold Guldens the Senate iudgoeth it And this Cities Court hath twenty Assessors namely one of each Tribe and eight other chosen by the Senate It hath another Court of Iustice for the Mulcts or Fines consisting of twelue men and the Aduocate of the Empire is President thereof and this Court imposeth Fines and iudgeth the criminall causes of lesse weight as small iniuries and vulgar reproches for the Senate determines of the greater Touching the Magistrates and Officers of these Cities the Consuls called Burgomasters are of chiefe dignity then the Tribunes then diuers Treasurers and Officers about the Reuenues and Tributes The next degree is of those Officers who haue the care of publike buildings and workes then those who haue the care of victuals as those who looke to the weight and goodnesse of bread and those who ouersee the shambles that no vnsound meate be sold and that all things be sold at a moderate price which they set downe and appoint how flesh shall be sold by the pound In like sort the ouerseers of the fish market and salted meates and butter and cheese Likewise the Officers who protect Orphanes and widowes who dispence publike aimes gouerning those houses and who ouersee weights and measures and the publike Schooles Some of the prefectures or gouernements belonging to the Cities are gouerned by the Senate of the City so as the Gouernours remaine Senators in the City and onely at-set daies goe to the Villages for administration of Iustice but the Senate onely iudgeth of capitall causes but to those Gouernements which be larger and farther distant they send Gouernours who iudge not onely ciuill but most capitall causes In priuiledges customes and peculiar Courts of Iudgement where the prefectures haue power to chuse Iudges among themselues the Gouernours alter nothing therein but onely sit as Presidents in their iudgements these their rights alwaies preserued Thus among other the City of Zurech hath two pleasant saire Townes subiect to it which are ruled by the Lawes of Zurech but haue their owne Magistrates and serue Zurech in warre but vnder their owne colours And this shall suffice touching the Common-wealths generall and particular of the Cantons Among the fellowes in league are the Abbot and Towne of Saint Gallus The Abbot is numbered among the Princes of the Empire but his power is much diminished in these daies yet he sets Gouernours ouer many places and his Ammans doe Iustice in his name Also he hath instituted an high Court of Iustice to which appeales are made from the lesser Courts and besides he hath Officers of all kinds after the manner of Princes The Towne as likewise that of Mulhuse and Roteuil is numbered among the Cities of the Empire and it as the other two hath the forme of a Common wealth formerly described sauing that this Towne of Saint Gallus hath some peculiar things It hath sixe Tribes whereof one is of Gentlemen It hath two Senates the greater and the lesser in which lesser Senate are foure and twenty Senators namely three Consuls nine Senators and twelue Masters of the Tribes for each Tribe hath three Masters chosen by the Tribes and confirmed by the lesser Counsell or Senate and one of them yeerely by course gouernes each Tribe being sixe in number the other two are of the Senate and make twelue And twice euery yeere is the choice made of the Senate and Magistrates The first of the three Consuls exerciseth that Office for the present yeere the second did exercise it the yeere besore and the third is Iudge of capitall crimes And the Consull is yeerely chosen by the whole assembly of the people The greater Senate consists of sixty sixe men This Towne hath also an inferiour Consull or as I may say a Deputy Consull The lesser Senate iudgeth ciuill causes The greater meeteth fiue times in the yeere and iudgeth of appeales and of taking new inhabitants and the like and extraordinarily it is called oftner as for iudging capital causes at which time the Aduocate of the Empire whō I said to be the third consul is President of the counsel The whole people is called together thrice in the yeere first when the Consuls are chosen 2. when oath is giuen to the newe Consul thirdly when the Ordination of Tributes is read before the people the Lawes deuided into three Parts are read before the pepole at these three meetings The first Court of Iustice is of fiue men which iudgeth of debts of wages or hires of victuals of iniuries and fines without appeale The court of Iustice for the City is of twelue men changed twice each yeere from it apeale is admitted to the lesser Senate so the cause be aboue the value of fiue pounds but if he that appeales lose the cause he paies a fine to the Iudges The common people of the towne and country liues by making woollen cloth whereupon strict Lawes are made for the same that the web vndressed be viewed by three skillfull men and be marked according to the goodnes and if it be faulty be rent in the middest through the breadth or be burnt where any great fault is found and that publikely besides a fine imposed vpon
at Hage yet so as they doe not take vpon them to determine difficult matters without some diffidence till they haue the consent of their particular Cities and Prouinces except they be made confident by the concurring of eminent men who can draw or leade the people to approue of their doings or in such cases as by long practice they fully know not vnpleasing to the people So wary are they notwithstanding the Prouinciall States from their Communities and the generall States at Hage from them haue most ample power and absolute commission in expresse words to doe any thing they iudge profitable for the Commonwealth And it is a remarkeable thing to obserue their Art when in difficult cases they desire to protract time or delude Agents how the generall States answere that they must first consult with the prouinciall States and they againe answere that they must first know the pleasure of their Communities before they can determine and each of them hath nothing more in his mouth then the consent of his superiours for so they call them Whereas if businesse were so to be dispatched no doubt great difficulty would arise in all particular actions In the Senate of the generall States besides the States themselues Count Maurice hath as I thinke a double voice yet I neuer obserued him to be present at their assemblies The Ambassadour of England hath likewise his voice and Count Solms as I heard because he married the widdow of Count Egmond and for his good deserts in the seruice of the vnited Prouinces hath for himselfe and his heires the like priuiledge Thus the Commonwealth in generall is Aristocraticall that is of the best Men saue that the people chuseth the great Senate which rules all Touching the Commonwealths of particular Cities Amsterdam is the chiefe City of Holland where the great Senate consists of thirty sixe chiefe Citizens whereof one dying another is chosen into his place and this Senate yeerely chuseth foure Consuls who iudge ciuill causes and haue power to appoint ten Iudges of criminall causes vulgarly called Skout though they be not of that Senate The other Cities are in like sort gouerned but according to the greatnesse of the City or Towne they haue greater or lesser number of Senators The Tributes Taxes and Customes of all kinds imposed by mutuall consent so great is the loue of liberty or freedome are very burthensome and they willingly beare them though for much lesse exactions imposed by the King of Spaine as they hold contrary to right and without consent of his Subiects they had the boldnesse to make warre against a Prince of such great power Yet in respect of the vnequal proportioning of all contributions they are somewhat at ods among themselues many times iarre so as it seemed no difficult thing to breake their concord had not the common Enemy the eminent danger of Spanish reuenge together with the sweetnesse of freedome once tasted forced them to constant vnity This I dare say that when they humbly offered themselues vassals to the Queene of England in the first infancy of their Common-wealth if her Maiesty or any other Prince whosoeuer vndertaking their protection had burthened them with halfe the exactions they now beare it is more then probable that they would thereby haue beene so exasperated as they would haue beene more ready to haue returned vnder the obedience of the King of Spaine whose anger they had highly prouoked then to endure the yoke of such a Protector For each Tunne of Beere which they largely swallow they pay into the Exchequer sixe Flemmish shillings each shilling being sixe stiuers I meane of Beere sold abroad for they pay onely foure shillings for such Beere as men brew for the vse of their priuate families which frugality few or none vse except perhaps some brew small Beere for their Families and indeed I doubt they would find small frugality in brewing other Beere for themselues if the Cellar lay open to their seruants And howsoeuer the Tunnes be of diuers prices according to the goodnesse of the Beere namely of two three foure fiue or sixe Guldens the Tunne though at Leyden onely the Brewers may not sell Beere of diuers prices for feare of fraud in mixing them yet there is no difference of the Tribute They haue excellent fat pastures whereof each Aker is worth forty pound or more to be purchased and they pay tribute for euery head of cattle feeding therein as two stiuers weekely for each Cow for the Paile the great number whereof may be coniectured by the plenty of cheese exported out of Holland and the infinite quantity of cheese and butter they spend at home being the most common food of all the people For Oxen Horses Sheepe and other Beasts sold in market the twelfth part at least of the price is paid for tribute and be they neuer so often by the yeere sold to and fro the new Masters still pay as much They pay fiue stiuers for euery bushel of their owne wheate which they vse to grind in publike Mils And since they giue tribute of halfe in halfe for foode and most necessary things commonly paying as much for tribute as the price of the thing sold the imposition must needs be thought greater laid vpon forraigne commodities seruing for pleasure pride and luxury besides that these tributes are ordinary and no doubt vpon any necessity of the Commonwealth would be increased French wines at Middleburg the Staple thereof and Rhenish wines at Dort the Staple thereof are sold by priuiledge without any imposition but in all other places men pay as much for the Impost as for the wine Onely in the Campe all things for food are sold without any imposition laid vpon them And some but very few eminent men haue the priuiledge to pay no imposition for like things of food Each Student in the Vniuertie hath eighty measures of wine vulgarly called Stoup allowed him free from imposition and for six barrels of Beere onely payes one Gulden and a quarter that is two shillings six pence English being altogether free from all other tributes which priuiledge the Citizens enioy in the name of the Students dieting with them and no doubt the Rector and professors of the Vniuersity haue greater immunity in these kinds One thing is hardly to be vnderstood how these Prouinces thus oppressed with tributes and making warre against a most powerfull King yet at this time in the heate of the warre which vseth to waste most flourishing Kingdomes and make Prouinces desolate had farre greater riches then any most peaceable Countrey of their neighbours or then euer themselues formerly attained in their greatest peace and prosperitie Whether it be for that according to the Poet Ingenium mala sape monent Aduersity oft whets the wit so as by warre they are growne more witty and industrious Or for that Flanders and Antwerp the famous City in former times so drew all trafficke and rich Merchants to them as
shirt till it be worne And these shirts in our memory before the last Rebellion were made of some twenty or thirty elles folded in wrinckles and coloured with saffron to auoid lowsinesse incident to the wearing of foule linnen And let no man wonder that they are lowsie for neuer any barbarous people were found in all kinds more slouenly then they are and nothing is more common among them then for the men to lie vpon the womens laps on greene hils till they kill their lice with a strange nimblenesse proper to that Nation Their said breeches are so close as they expose to full view not onely the noble but also the shamefull parts yea they stuffe their shirts about their priuy parts to expose them more to the view Their wiues liuing among the English are attired in a sluttish gowne to be fastned at the breast with a lace and in a more sluttish mantell and more sluttish linnen and their heads be couered after the Turkish manner with many elles of linnen onely the Turkish heads or Tulbents are round in the top but the attire of the Irish womens heads is more flat in the top and broader on the sides not much vnlike a cheese mot if it had a hole to put in the head For the rest in the remote parts where the English Lawes and manners are vnknowne the very cheefe of the Irish as well men as women goe naked in very Winter time onely hauing their priuy parts couered with a ragge of linnen and their bodies with a loose mantell so as it would turne a mans stomacke to see an old woman in the morning before breakefast This I speake of my owne experience yet remember that the foresaid Bohemian Barron comming out of Scotland to vs by the North parts of the wild Irish told me in great earnestnes when I attended him at the Lord Deputies command that he comming to the house of Ocane a great Lord among them was met at the doore with sixteene women all naked excepting their loose mantles whereof eight or ten were very faire and two seemed very Nimphs with which strange sight his eyes being dazelled they led him into the house and there sitting downe by the fier with crossed legges like Taylors and so low as could not but offend chast eyes desired him to set downe with them Soone after Ocane the Lord of the Countrie came in all naked excepting a loose mantle and shooes which he put off assoone as he came in and entertaining the Barron after his best manner in the Latin tongue desired him to put off his apparrel which he thought to be a burthen to him and to sit naked by the fier with this naked company But the Barron when he came to himselfe after some astonishment at this strange right professed that he was so inflamed therewith as for shame he durst not put off his apparrell These Rogues in Summer thus naked beare their armes girding their swords to them by a with in stead of a girdle To conclude men and women at night going to sleepe lie thus naked in a round circle about the fier with their feete towards it and as I formerly said treating of their diet they fold their heads and vpper partes in their woollen mantles first steeped in water to keepe them warme For they say that woollen cloth wetted preserues heate as linnen wetted preserues cold when the smoke of their bodies hath warmed the woollen cloth CHAP. III. Of the Germans and Bohemians Commonwealth vnder which title I containe an Historicall introduction the Princes pedegrees and Courts the present state of things the tributes and reuenews the military state for Horse Foote and Nauy the Courts of Iustice rare Lawes more specially the Lawes of inheritance and of womens Dowries the capitall Iudgements and the diuersitie of degrees in Family and Common-wealth COnstantine the great made Emperour about the yeere 306 remoued his seate from Rome to Constantinople and at his death deuided the Empire among his children And howsoeuer the Empire was after sometimes vnited in the person of one Prince for his reigne yet it could neuer bee againe established in one body but was most commonly deuided into the Easterne and Westerne Empires In the time of Augustulus Emperour of the West the remote Countries of the Empire recouered their liberty by the sword and barbarous Nations in great armies inuaded the Empire till they possessed Italy so as this Emperour was forced to depose his Imperiall dignity about the yeere 476. And thus the Westerne Empire ceased till Charles the great King of France about the yeere 774 subdued the Lombards and was at Rome saluted Emperour of the West by Pope Leo the third and the Princes of Italy From which time the Empires of the East and West of old deuided by inheritance among brothers and Kinsmen had no more any mutuall right of succession but began to bee seuerally gouerned Histories write that Charles the great King of France was descended of the Germans and that all Gallia Transalpina that is beyond the Alpes and vpper Germany as farre as Hungary were by a common name called France onely deuided into Easterne and Westerne France And the diuers Nations of Germany formerly gouerned by their Kings and Dukes were at this time first vnited vnder this Charles the great About the yeere 911. Conrade the first Ion to the Duke of Franconia a large Prouince of Germany was first out of the race of Charles the great saluted Emperour of the West by the Princes of Germany though Charles the Simple and others of the race of Charles the great still reigned France to the yeere 988 yet with lesse reputation then their progenitors had and troubled with many confusions Thus Germany deuiding it selfe from France drew to it selfe the Empire of the West whereof in our age it retaineth rather the shadow then the old glory Foure Dukes of Saxony succeeded Conrade in this Empire and in the time of Otho the third Duke of Saxony and Emperour contrary to the former custome whereby the Emperours succeeded by right of bloud or the last testament of the deceased Emperour or by the consent of the Princes of Germany the election of the Emperour was in the yeere 984 established hereditary to seuen Princes of Germany called Electors by a law made by the Emperour and the Pope From that time the Empire hath remained in Germany with free election yet so as they most commonly therein respected the right of bloud in which respect the house of Austria hath long continued in the possession of the Empire And the Emperours of Germany for many ages by this right gouerned Italy and receiued their Crowne at Rome till wearied and worne out by the treacheries of the Popes and forced to beare the publike burthen vpon their priuate reuenues they were made vnable to support their former dignity For these causes Rodulphus of Habsburg of the house of Austria chosen Emperour in the yeere 1273 first
laid aside all care of forraigne matters Then the riches of the Emperours daily decreasing and the riches of inferiour Princes no lesse increasing the Emperours in processe of time for great summes of money sold libertie and absolute power to the Princes and Dukes of Italy and Germany yea their very right of inuesting to the Princes of Italy Most of the Cities in Netherland and all the Cantons of the Sweitzers were of old subiect to the German Emperours till by the dissentions betweene them and the Popes they found meanes to gaine their liberties Of old nintie sixe greater Cities thus made free still acknowledged the Emperour in some sort but after many of them leagued with the Sweitzers and Netherlanders quite forsooke the Emperour many of the rest and many lesse Cities either pawned to Princes for money borrowed or giuen to Princes for their good seruice to the Emperors in their warres became subiect to diuers Princes by the Emperours consent so as at this day there bee onely sixty Cities all seated in Germany which are called Free and Imperiall Cities hauing absolute power within themselues and howsoeuer these in a sort acknowledge the Emperour their chiefe Lord yet they little or not at al feare or respect his weake power Hitherto the Roman Bishops not enduring a superiour Lord first cast the Emperours of the East out of Italy and after by al meanes weakened their power till Mahumet the second Emperour of the Turkes about the yeere 1453 swallowed that Empire within his foule iawes Hitherto the said Bishops that they might reigne alone sometimes bewitched the barbarous Kings which had destroyed the Empire of the West and then reigned in Italy for Religions sake to promote the Church of Rome and at other times oppressed them with open treacheries till they had conferred the Kingdome of Lombardy and the Empire of the West vpon Charles the Great King of France Hitherto the same Bishops for the same causes had troubled the Empire of the West with Ciuill dissentions till at last Italy as I said hauing bought liberty of the Emperours and the said German Emperours containing themselues at home for no Emperour after the said Rodulphus of Habsburg but onely Lodwick the Bauarian did euer leade any Army into Italy they now thought good to rage no more against this deiected Empire but rather to cherrish it conuerting themselues wholly to bring all Christian Kings vnder their yoke And now the Turkish Emperours began to threaten ruine to the German Empire and in very Germany the Popes stage where they had plaied their bloudy parts by continuall raising of ciuill warres the reformation of Religion began freshly to spring and to pull the borrowed plumes of the Popes Therefore the Emperours from that time to this our age haue been wholy busied in resisting the Turkes and composing the domesticall differences of Religion And from the same time forward the Court of Rome was continually distracted with the factions of France and Spaine till the Popes skilfull to vse the ambitious discussions of Princes to their owne profit and greatnesse made them all subiect to the Romane yoke And the Kings on the contrary laboured nothing more then to haue the Pope on their party at whose beck all Christendome was gouerned to which end they gaue large bribes to the Cardinals who had now assumed to themselues the election of the Popes To conclude the Popes to make their owne power transcendent kept the power of the Princes in equal ballance by sowing dissentions among them and fauouring now one now the other party till for scare of the reformed Religion now also springing in France they could no longer keepe this equality but were forced to forsake the Kings of France distracted with ciuill warres and to aduance the Kings of Spaine as protectors of the Church whose Clients at last got the power to gouerne all things in Rome at their pleasure And the Spaniard at this time distracted abroad with the French and English warres and besieged at home with the power of the Iesuites and religious men seemed lesse to bee feared by the Romans in that respect as likewise the Kings of Spaine doubted not to maintaine the awfull authority of the Popes which they knew must alwayes be fauourable to their designes as well for the protection which they gaue to the Roman Church against the reformed Religion as for that the massy gold of Spaine bore so great sway in the Colleage of the Cardinals that by strange successe the Popes lesse inclined to the Spanish faction were soone taken away by vntimely death To omit many other I will onely mention Pope Sixtus Quintus who liued happily in that Chaire so long as he fauoured Spaine but assoone as he was thought to decline from that faction and when he saw a white Mule presented him for the tribute of the Neapolitane Kingdome was said to weepe that so little a Mule should be giuen for so great a Kingdome he liued not long after but suddenly vanished away At Rome are two Images called Pasquin and Marphorius vpon which libels vse to be fixed And of late when the Pope by the mediation of the King of France had made peace with the Venetians contrary to the liking of the King of Spaine a white sheete of paper was fixed on Pasquin and another demanding what that paper ment was fixed on Marphorius and a third paper was fixed on Pasquin answering that the cleane paper was for the Pope to make his last Will and Testament as if he could not liue long hauing offended the Spanish faction Yet in our age the Kings of France after the ciuill warres appeased beganne to recouer their former power in the Roman Court but I leaue these things as somewhat straying from my purpose and returne to the affaires of Germany In the said Family of Austria the Westerne Empire hath growne old and weake by little and little from that time to this our age For howsoeuer the Emperor Charles the fifth of the said Family heire to eight and twenty Kingdomes in respect hee was borne at Gant in Netherland and so reputed a German was chosen Emperour in the yeere 1519 by the Electors reiecting the King of France Francis the first as a stranger and at that time the power of this Emperour seemed fearefull to the Italians at the first blush yet the Pope of Rome in the Triumuirall warre of England France Spaine did with such art support the weaker part and by contrary motions in one and the same cause so fauoured now one now the other side and so dispenced with the breaking of oathes on the part they tooke as while the power of these Kings was weakned by mutuall warres Italy in the meane time receiued small or no damage True it is that Charles the fifth by subtile art and open force had almost subdued Germany distracted by dissentions of religion had almost brought the free Empire into the forme of a subdued