Moscovie will suffer any of their subjects to travell out of their Dominions nor any stranger to enter in unlesse he come as an Ambassadour neither in this case is it lawfull for him to converse freely or to range at pleasure They live under divers Princes the principall whereof are those that weare greene on their Turbants These as aforesaid inhabit Shamercand and are at continuall enmity with the Persians Next are those of Bochan Mahumetans then those of Mogor of whom you shall heare hereafter and lastly those of Kataia whereof wee now intreat Never was there any Nation upon the face of the earth that enjoyed a larger Empery than they doe or have undertaken haughtier exploits and I would that they had had some who might have recommended by writing their doings to the World M. Paul Venetus writeth that this people once inhabited Ciurga and Barge Provinces situated upon the Scythicke Ocean without Citie Castle or House wandering like the Arabians from place to place according to the season of the yeare They as before acknowledged Un-cham whom some interpret Prester Iohn for their Soveraigne Lord to whom they gave the tenth of their cartell In processe of time they multiplied to such numbers and Un-cham being jealous of their neighbour-hood began to lessen their numbers and forces by sending them now hither now thither upon most long and desperate voyages as occasion offered Which when they perceived they assembled themselves resolving to leave their naturall soile and to remove so farre from the borders of Vn-cham that never after hee should have cause to suspect them this they performed After certaine yeares they elected amongst them a King called Changis to whom for the greatnesse of his glory and victories they added the Sir-name and Great This Changis departing from his owne Territories in the yeare of our Lord 1162. with a most fearefull Armie subdued partly by force and partly by the terrour of his name nine Provinces At last being denied the daughter of Un-cham in mariage he made warre upon him and overcomming him in battell cast him out of his Kingdome After the death of Changis his successours afflicted Europe In the yeare 1212. they drove the Polesochi from the bankes of the Euxine Sea In the yeare 1228. they spoiled Russia In the yeare 1241. they razed Kiovia the chiefe Citie of the Rutheni and Batu their Captaine wasted Polonia Silesia Moravia and Hungarie Innocent the fourth amazed with the tempest of these invasions in the yeare 1242. sent certaine Friers of the orders of Dominicke and Francis to the Court of this Great Cham to intreat a peace for Christendome The circuit of this Empire in the times above spoken of stretched from the uttermost bounds of Asia to Armenia and from Bengala to Volga yea their incursions pierced to Nilus and Danubius The Macedonian and Roman Empires were never so large But because they were rather Runnagates than men of warre wanting politicke government and military discipline sometime ruling one Province sometime another they rather wrought spoile and terrour to the conquered Nations than feare of bondage or subjection and at last seated themselves beyond the Mountaine Caucasus After it became divided into many Principalities yet so that the Title and Majestie of the Empire remained alwayes to the Cham who as wee said before tooke the originall of this name from the Great Changis The Region for the most part is very populous full of Townes rich and civill which you may the rather beleeve first for that the Tartars choosing this for their Countrey beautified it with the spoiles of Asia China and that part of Europe which they harried and were never wonne or taken from thence againe to this day next for that the Provinces are most commodiously situated for Trafficke and Negotiation partly by reason of their admirable Plaines and huge Lakes Amongst which are Cazaia whose waters are salt Guian Dangu Xandu and Catacora and partly by reason of their large Rivers which with a long course doe run by the Provinces of Curato Polisango Zaiton and Mecon Paulus Venetus calleth it Quion A great helpe hereunto likewise is the variety of fruits and the abundance of Graine Rice Wooll Silke Hempe Rhubarbe Muske and excellent fine Chamlets Paul writeth that it affordeth Ginger Cinamon and Cloves which I can hardly beleeve In many Rivers are found graines of gold Their coine is not all of one value In Kataia a coine is currant made of the blacke rinde of a certaine tree growing betweene the body and the barke this rinde being smoothed rounded and tempered with a gummie substance is stamped with the Image of the Great Cham. In the Kingdoms of Caâ—acan and Carazan certaine sea-fish shels are currant which some men terme Porcelline This kinde of money is frequent in many places of India and Aethiope By this meanes the Princes get to themselves all the Gold and Silver of the Provinces which they cause to be molten and laid up in most safe places without ever taking any thing from thence againe In like sort Prestâ—r Iohn is thought to be Lord of inestimable Treasure while he maketh graines of Salt and Pepper to passe for currant Coine amongst his subjects They brew an excellent beverage of Rice and Spice which sooner procureth drunkennesse than Wine As the Arabians so they delight in sowre milke or Cosmus a kinde of churned sowre Mares-milke very forcible to turne the braine His force consisteth first as we told you in situation in spacious Territorie in goodly Cities in plenty of provision and in rich Revenues for amongst other things hee taketh the tenths of Wooll Silke Hempe Graine Cattell and is absolute Lord of all but the chiefe sinews of his State consisteth in his armed troopes These live alway in the field 4. or 5. miles remote from the Cities Over and above their Salarie they are allowed to make profit of their Cattell Milke and Wooll When he goeth to warre according to the custome of the Romans hee mustreth part of the Souldiery which lyeth dispersed thorow the Provinces For the most part all the Nations of the Tartars except the Varcheni who are not subject to the Great Cham fight on horseback Their Weapons are the Bow and Arrow with which they fight very desperately They are very swift their Tents are made of woven Wooll under which they keepe in foule weather Their chiefest meat is milke dried in the Sunne after the Butter is squeezed out yea the bloud of their horses if famine enforce them They fight not pell-mell with their enemies but sometime on the front sometime on the flanke after the Parthian manner overwhelming them as it were with a showre of arrowes Whosoever carrieth himselfe valiantly standeth assured of reward and is graced with honour immunities and gifts Twelve thousand horsemen are appointed for the guard of this Prince and it is said that of this kinde of force he is able to levie a greater power than any other
They be good foot and better than their neighbours as we may say now adayes of the English and Swissers And in another place where he opineth of the manner of service he saith My opinion is that in battels Archers are the weight that turnes the balance And of Archers the English are the flower where he likewise discourseth how dangerous a thing it is to abide a battell except your foot be much the better which in my opinion was no little cause why the French King fought not with the Cardinall in the yeare 97 before Amiens because the enemies foot were holden in number eighteene thousand though I hardly thinke they were so many A number full as great as the French and the souldier farre better they being all French except some three thousand English and Swissers and theirs the choice men of all his Garrisons and experienced souldiers in those Low-Countries For true it is that the Kings Gens d'armes were two for one and holden also much the better men as well because there was in a manner all the Nobilitie and flower of France as also that they had the advantage in the manner of weapon for that the French serveth with the Pistoll and the Spaniard still holds him to his Launce But I make no question that the consideration of the oddes on foot was not the chiefe cause why there was no battell that day for wee had a goodly faire field and plaine as might bee possible as also large a singular advantage for him which is strongest in Horse So had wee the wind and Sunne in our backes which are holden no small helpes But this was the reason the King thought it no policie to play all his Rest at once where hee might have lost more at one Game than he had got in eight yeares he had no reason but to make the Card that was now going a Bridge of Gold as the Proverbe is considering that by this meanes he should gaine the Towne of Amiens re-assure other Cities that then stood wavering and recover his reputation in the world which by the losse of that Towne was much disputed It now remaineth I speake of his Expence which chiefly consisteth in these two things before spoken of namely his Court and his Forces wherein it is very hard to relate an exact proportion considering not only the variety and difference of Writers but also the uncertaintie of the number of Pensionaries or provisioned And lastly the change and alteration of their allowance not continuing alwaies the same Howbeit that which is most commonly reported and seemeth neerest the truth is this The maintenance of five Regiments of foot at six crowns the moneth commeth to foure hundred sixty eight thousand crownes the yeare besides the pension of five Collonels at two thousand crownes apeece thirtie Captaines at one thousand pension a man as many Lieutenants at five hundred and Ensigns at three hundred apeece which is in all seventie foure thousand which added to the first summe makes the whole charge of these Regiments yearely to amount to the summe of five hundred fortie two thousand crownes This proportion differeth not much from that of Bodin where he saith The King might maintaine in ordinary twentie thousand foot at the rate of three million and five hundred thousand Livres which if you reduce to crownes and to one number of six thousand foot commeth to a lesse rate than that other namely to foure hundred eight thousand three hundred thirty three crownes but I thinke that former is neerer the truth For the allowance of his Gens d'armes which are reckoning at six thousand as is before said though in truth there bee but foure for he payeth thus many I follow the proportion of them that say that 51750. crownes is the ordinary allowance for one company of an hundred yearely for where are six thousand men at Armes in the field are eighteene thousand Horse in all After this rate then of the hundred before set down the whole Gens d'armery amounteth to 3105000. crownes For the expence of his Court you shall heare it to be thus rated The Table of the King and those of the Gentlemen of the Chamber at 112000. crownes for his pettie pleasures a thousand crownes a day in all 165000. But this was a proportion for the last King who was a great giver For the great and little Stable 190000. For the Constable 24000. For the Gran Maistre great Master 20000. For the Marshals of France 18000. apeece when they were but foure for now it is a Title only without either pension or command save only in the foure chiefe For the Admirall 15000. For the Grana Veneur great Hunt 16000. For the Governours of his Provinces in all 188000. For the Gentlemen of his Chamber their pension 1200. crowns a peece in all six hundred thousand For the Captains of his Guards on Horse two thousand apeece For their Lieutenants eight hundred For two thousand Swisses of his Guard ten crowns a moneth 24840. For all other domesticall Officers one hundred thousand For Heraults six thousand For Marshals of lodgings and Fourriers 4600. For Prevost Marshals of Provinces a thousand apeece in all twentie foure thousand For twenty foure hundred Archers to attend these Prevosts in the execution of their Office seven hundred and twenty thousand crownes For his Ambassadours in divers Countries two hundred and fiftie thousand For his Officers of Finances Treasurers Receivers Controllers and such other like Offices thorow France an infinite and incredible summe As also for such numbers of horse and foot as the Cabinet setteth downe besides these Gens d'armes and Regiments which ye heare provided for and in the Kings pay But yee must observe that of all these Court-charges and others here before mentioned except those of his forces yee are not to make any ground as of a truth they being only the supposed charges set downe by the said Author who for his errours in other matters hath also lost his credit in this To speake either particularly of the Court-expences or generally what they be certaine I cannot not having heard any thing thereof but only that it is supposed the charge of the Kings House is five hundred crownes a day It now remaineth to speake of his Entrade or Revenue for a Prince cannot have peace without warre nor warre without men nor men without money nor money without meanes nor are there any meanes but these Domaine Conquests Gifts of his friends Pension of his Confederates Trafficke Impositions upon Merchandize brought in or carried out Impositions upon Subjects And yet one other which the Kings of France have lately invented to helpe when all other failed which is Sales of Offices more dangerous and prejudiciall to the State than any other Of these eight meanes I will give you particular observations and then conclude what is generally holden to bee the whole Revenue of the Crowne of France by all these meanes First the Domaine is
distresses and labours of warre but by night they never goe upon any service By it selfe alone this Nation hath done nothing of reckoning but accompanied with others it hath made good assaies of its owne valour alwayes boasting of the taking of the French King of the victories of Germany of the enterprise of the Tercers and of the happy fight at the Curzolary without once remembring their contrary successes of Goletta Algiers and England Of ordinary revenues from Italy it receiveth foure millions of gold Much of that of Naples is pawned the which the Kingdome of Sicilie doth yearly supply by sending thither ordinarily foure thousand crownes and the Councell of Spaine taking order for the rest These States in Italy are defended from the forces of bordering Princes partly by nature of site and partly by the aid of strong Forts ordinarily maintaining in the presidiarie places ten thousand Spanish foot-men 1200. men at Armes three hundred light-horse and thirty six Gallies for guard of the Sea-coasts Of sixteene are of Genoa twentie five of Naples twelve of Sicilie and three of Savoy This is the appointed number but you shall seldome see it so strong For notwithstanding this Armada the coasts are badly secured as it appeared by the late yeares example in the dammages done by the Turkish Navie upon Puglia and Calabria amounting as it is reported to the summe of more than a million and a halfe of gold He serveth himselfe also when occasion requireth with the Gallies of Malta with the Popes which are eighteene and sometimes also with those of the great Duke of Tuscan And all these charges are nothing neere defrayed by the foure millions of revenue so that Italy stands the Spaniard in much more than hee gets by it The witty Boccalini brings in Lorenzo Medices weighing the Estates of Europe and when the Spaniards saw the revenue of Spaine alone to weigh within a few millions as much as France with great chearefulnesse they gate on their spectacles and would needs cast their dominions of Italie into the scale but perceiving the beame to turne contrary to their expectation all ashamed they tooke them out againe and durst not put in their dominions in Africa and the Low-Countries The mindes of these his Italian subjects are exceedingly exasperated through the insolencie of their government their intolerable charges and the burthen of infinite taxations which are continually imposed upon them finding out daily one meanes or other to raise new summes of money The Neapolitans are most doubted for revolt by reason of the instability of that people alwayes desirous of change and novelties Millaine is also suspected by reason of the dammage which they undergoe by lodging of souldiers at discretion being growne to a custome with the small desolation of divers families The Indies are divided into Orientall and Occidentall the King pretending to be sole Lord both of the one and the other The Orientall not only are indangered by the English Navies which in time of warre doe continually trouble them but in hazard also if not to be lost yet to be forced to share quiet and peaceable Trafficke both to the English and Netherland Merchants The King maintaineth there for custodie of those Countries many ships of Warre having also distributed eight thousand foot-men for the ordinary safegard of the Forts The West-Indies exceeding rich and abounding with gold and silver are divided into two parts Peru and New Spaine These Countries are full of Mines in which is found great store of gold keeping therein the Indians continually at worke living very barely and undergoing the punishment of their ignorance and pusilanimity in suffering themselves to be easily overcome and so basely subjected The King hath the fifth part of all extracted from the Mines These Indies in the time of Charles the fifth yeâ—â—ded no more than five hundred thousand crownes of gold by yeare but they now yeeld an exceeding commodity to this King for in some yeares past comprehending the Buls of the Crosse and other confiscations in those parts he hath received from thence ten millions of gold yea fifteene and seventeene millions many yeares since that His Highnesse Ministers doe still procure some new gaine in those parts and the people still continue their Navigation thither with more gaine upon their returne than one hundred for another The Merchants carry thither Wines Woollen-cloth and other merchandize of these parts and bring from thence in lieu thereof over and besides divers sorts of Spices a great quantitie of Goldiâ— by extraction of which the fruitfulnesse of the Mines is no whit diminished but it seemeth that they doe rather daily more and more increase and multiply in such sort that the Countrey-men in tilling the ground doe finde great-store thereof together with the clods of earth when they dig it up and in my time there was discovered a Mine of Quicksilver which will yeeld exceeding profit and incredible gaine True it is that all these profits have their interest but they arise not to above twenty in the hundred laid out by reason of Convoyes for security of the Fleet. For there is alwayes maintained strong guards in the Isle of Iava apt by reason of the situation to give the Empire of all these parts to him that can make himselfe once Master thereof The souldiers which hee sent into these parts have for their pay two crownes a moneth in such sort that the Land-souldiers the guarders of the Forts and the Gallies which he maintaineth for this purpose is a speciall cause that his Majestie expendeth in interests and charges amongst the Indies more by a great deale than a million and a halfe of gold Which maketh me nothing to wonder that although this King by reason of his abundance of Treasure and many other infinite riches brought yearely from the Indies should seeme to be richer than other Princes and his state much more wealthy and aboundant yet in truth the great Turke not having any mines of gold is more mightier and farre wealthier And so in true interpretation is France England and Netherland as late experience the touch-stone of ambiguities hath fully discovered Whereupon it must needs follow that this Crowne is either much hindred by ingagement in war want of home-bred necessities or by uncertaine returnes of its Fleets subject every yeare to the casualties of Seas currents and surprisals If these be not the causes of so many crosses as our eyes have lately discovered then surely his neighbouring Princes must be thought to be Lords of a valianter people than are his Spanish For say they it appeareth by record from time to time kept in the Citie of Sivil that in threescore and fourteene yeares space there have come into Spaine two hundred and threescore millions of gold Of all which summe there remaineth now in Spaine by conjecture in ready money and plate wherewith this Nation is much delighted about six and fifty millions Five and twenty the
and their valour the battell fought at Lepanto to the utter rowting of the Turkish Navie is a sufficient Testimony Besides these they maintaine six thousand men at Armes well mannaged and appointed the like whereof is not to be found in all Italy besides Touching their sea-forces they have on the firme Land ten thousand men inrolled to serve at the Ore And of these kind of Men all Dalmatia and Sclavonia doth yeeld them what numbers they will besides and that at a reasonable hand The City of Venice alone armeth upon occasion fifty Gallies and Candy forty What their whole power and forces every way may amount unto they shewed in the Warre of Ferrara wherein they had on foot two severall Armies one about Ferrara the other on the Confines of Millan They had at the same time besides two severall Navies the one upon the Po the other upon the sea to observe the proceedings of Naples and all this without associats In the warre against Lewis the twelfth King of France their Armie was composed of two thousand men at armes three thousand light-horse and thirty thousand foot In the yeare 1570. they armed forth one hundred and fiftie lesser Gallies eleven great Gallies one Gallion and twenty five tall ships alâ—eit that number by occasion of Pestilence happening in the Navie was reduced to one hundred and twenty and seven lesser Gallies and fourteene ships the other Vessels remaining untoucht like as had befalne them before in the yeere 36. when as they had the name onely to make one part of three but indeed they made a full halfe of all the Christian forces besides But because there is nothing that can give more certaine conjecture of the power of any State than to have sustained and gone through with great and perillous warres it will not be unpleasant to set downe some of their most important actions which in that kind they have supported Anciently they had warre with the Kings of France and in that warre they discomfited Pepin sonne to Charlemagne They warred afterward with the King of Hungarie and tooke from them the Townes which they now hold in Dalmatia and Sclavonie They fell at debate with the Emperours of Constantinople and gat from them the Cities of Salonich and of Moria One the most dangerous warre that they ever had was that which they managed with the Genois and yet at length such was the issue thereof that howsoever having lost to the Enemy Chiozza and were neere driven to their utter desolation yet was the Enemy so far off from gaining an intire victory upon them that in the pursuit thereof he most of all destroied himselfe insomuch that having for maintenance of that warre engaged the Revenues of the State of Saint Georgo so by little and little through feeblenesse growing upon them they were compelled to throw the City within the armes and protection sometimes of France and sometimes of Millan so that to this day they could never recover their pristinat fortunes Then had they to doe with the Visconti Princes of Millan who were at that time dreadfull thorow Italie yet by that warre the Venetian not only gained profit but honour also They opposed themselves against all the Princes of Italie in the prosecution of Ferrara and that with such successe that in fine they annexed to their owne Dominion all the Polesine of Raviso And after they had irritated the Princes of Italie these letted not to draw upon themselves a warre undertaken by all the Potentates of Christendome combined against them in the confederation concluded at Cambray which warre as it was the most haplesse and despairefull that ever they managed through the miscarriages of their Armies at Carravaggio at Brescia and at Vicenza yet in the end they remained Lords still of their owne and of being conquered at last remained with Conquest They have for many ages together waged warre with the Turke especially with Amurath the second Mahomet the second with Bajazeth and with Selim the second They maintained a sixteene yeares warres with Mahomet the second even him which had the fortune to have subdued two Empires Constantinople and Trapisond to have destroyed twelve Kingdomes and to have sacked two hundred Cities Which warre they finished although not altogether to their profit They held warres for seven yeares without intermission with all the Princes of Christendome and went away winners neither in all these occasions were they destitute either of men or money In our memorie they warred with Selim the second and in that warre they disbursed above twelve millions of money The like excessive summes they spent in their warres with Michael Emperour of Constantinople in the enterprize of Ferrara and in the warre undertaken of the confederacie at Cambray All which so inestimable summes notwithstanding at this day whether they were parcels of their owne treasure or lones of money from others they have re-imbursed or extinguished The Princes that border and confine upon the Venetian are these the Turke the King of Spaine the Pope and the house of Austria As touching the Turke whose State and power hath been so regarded in the worlds opinion hee seemeth at this time rather to be impaired than otherwise Whereof one great signe is his protraction of the warre in Hungarie these many yeeres with Armies of much better qualitie than any his Predecessors were wont to lead or send thither Whereupon it hath happened that not onely his forces have oftentimes beene broken and discomfited but also the Prince himselfe hath hardly escaped from being taken or slaughtered if on our parts there had beene either better Chiefes to temporize with him or more agreement in those Heads to assaile him Notwithstanding hee hath there lost the Townes of â—ilâ—ch Lippa Rab and Strigonium places of great consideration He hath also the second time lost Invarine These losses doe more than countervaile the winning of Agria from us being a fortresse of many knowne imperfections for site and building besides the withdrawing of â—ranâ—lvania and Valachia from his subjection with the alienation of many rich Provinces in Asia The State of these presents considered the Venetian for that part of dominion that confineth upon the Turke had never more cause to thinke himselfe better secured from violence especially having all Maritime Townes both by Sea and Land gallantly fortified which strength is also the greater by the facility the Sea affordeth to succour his owne and to distresse his enemie Touching the King of Spaine upon whom they doe border as well in the Adriatique as in Lombardie it is now more than threescore yeares that there hath beene any variance at all befallen them Neither in truth can it turne the Venetian to any great gaine to have warre with so powerfull a King nor the King of Spaine to make warre in Italy where by putting things in uprore and tumult hee might perhaps hazzard some part of his owne For that Warre as Emanuel Duke of Savoy was
hath hitherto done nothing To rehearse therefore what hee is and how his time and Armes have beene imployed may against these calumnies serve for a reall Apologie This Gabriel Bethlen whom we call Bethlen Gabor now writing himselfe Prince of the Sacred Roman Empire Lord of some part of Hungaria Duke of Oppelen and Ratibor c. was about the yeare 1580. borne of an ancient Nobility in his owne inheritance of Iktar aforesaid His Fathers name was the Lord Wolfgang Bethlen his Mother was descended also of the house of Kornis a Noble and an Ancient Sept or Tribe of the Sicali which bee the eldest Inhabitants of Transilvania His childhood was rather addicted to Armes than to Letters his Tutor had much adoe in keeping him from his delight of riding the great horses c. But comming to more maturity and discretion he so well redeemed his time lost at schoole that he attained to so much perfection in the Latine tongue as he was able extempore to answer the Emperours Ambassadours Oration in that language Anno 1622. Being afterwards brought up in the Court of Stephan Bathori Prince of Transilvania whose house in those dayes was a very schoole of military knowledge and exercises he so approved himselfe to that judicious Prince as he first of all made him a Captaine and to be briefe he was by the next Prince Stephan Boczkai made Generall of his Armies This honour and his fortunate management of it obtained him a wife of the noble Family of the Caroli by whom he had divers children though now all deceased Prince Boczkai dying the next Prince Gabriel Bathori continued him likewise in his military honour aforesaid swearing him also of his Privie Councell But this double greatnesse made him envied of the Nobility and this following occasion rendred him hatefull to the Prince It fortuned that in the yeare 1611. this Gabriel Bathori most unjustly bereaved the Saxon Nation of their chiefe City of Hermansradt whereupon complaint is made to the great Turke abroad and at home that Nation makes choice of the favour and greatnesse of Bethlen Gabor to be their mediator to the Prince Youthfull Bathori hereupon suspects him to be too popular offers him both ill language and blowes to boot Bethlen avoiding the Court escapes to Buda and from thence to Constantinople where hee was faine to stay two whole yeares Meanes being made in the meane time for the Saxons they obtaine an Armie of the Turke and request him to appoint Bethlen Gabor for his and their Generall Thus in October 1613. is he called backe to redresse the wrongs offered by a hated Prince and to releeve the miseries of his owne Countrie So welcome he proves and so successefull that the States and Chiefes both of the Saxons and the Siculi run amaine to Clausenburgh in the chiefe Temple wherof they for three daies together hold a great Councell about the deposing of their Prince Whereupon Bathori making shew freely to relinquish that which he could not hold did with a loud voice in the hearing of our Author then 15. years old and a studient in the Towne grant a free election for himselfe professing in these very words That whatsoever Prince this Kingdome of Transilvania shall make choice of I saith he am ready also to acknowledge for my Prince upon condition that he exercises no tyranny upon the three Nations of the Siculi Saxons and Hungarians Upon this resignation is Gabriel Beâ—hlen elected and sworne Prince of Transilvania Gabriel Bathori a Prince neither lawfully elected nor lawfully governing retires himselfe to his Castle of Varadmum where he is shortly and treacherously murthered by his owne servants for which they are executed by Bethlen Gabor the yeare following He being thus setled first of all sets upon the reparations of the Castles and Forts of his Countrey re-edifies and inlarges Varadinum lately dismantled by the Turkes Thus spends he his two first yeares 1614. and 1615. The next yeare the Turke comes downe against Poland with 410000. men and the Polander meets him with 250000. Gabriel foreknowing that whosoever gained the victory might afterwards turne his Armes upon him goes with 25000. men into the neighbour Moldavia where the other two Armies lay incamped with this handfull of men he passes the River Nester puts himselfe betwixt both Armies mediates a peace effects it is storm'd at by the Turkes and much thanked by the Polander but ill requited afterward when in the yeare 1620. Bethlen was ingaged in his warres with the Emperour Returning home hee the same yeare 1616. being his third founds a College at Alba Iulia takes order for solemne and frequent disputations against the Arrian and Papists converts many of the first sort The next two 〈◊〉 â—e reviâ—es and betters the execution of good lawes reduces Justice and Civility and though the warres were 〈◊〉 and the Reformed Religion much afflicted in German◠〈◊〉 c. yet hee intends his owne Government and intermeddles 〈◊〉 but intercepting at length some intelligence of the publike designâ— of the Princes leaguers of the Romisâ— Religion which was utterly to root out the Reformed and perceiving the Iesuites and others more busie and pragmaticall at home and that the Emperours Armie pretended to be sent against the Turkes was now upon its march and very suspiciously advanced as farre as the frontiers of his Transilvania he thinks it time to take the alarum he armes and with a small company drawes neere to observe the motions of the Imperialists stands still upon the defensive and does no more Not long after is his aid solicited by the Ambassadours of Bohemia Moravia and Silesia his confederates miserably troubled by the Emperor for Religion For them he first peaceably mediates to Caesar and being neglected hee in the yeare 1620. leads out his Armie if not to releeve them yet to countenance their cause and to draw the Emperour to more moderate conditions In their quarrell and Religions he takes Presburg from the Imperialists October 13. 1620. Next yeare he passes the Danubie and to be short is fairely elected King of Hungarie and though hee had the Imperiall Crowne of Hungarie in his owne hands yet refused he to be crowned with it This temper of his preserved him for besides the treachery of his owne Popish subjects he had heard a suspitious word let fall by the Emperour of the Turks to this purpose Now saith he that Bethlen Gabor is King of Hungarie he must needs in the next place affect our Buda the ancient royall Citie to reigne in This word made him feare the Turks and foâ—beare his owne Coronation onely carrying the Crowne away with him Thus ended the yeare 1621. The next yeare the Emperour remanding the Crowne Bethlen assembles a Parliament at Cassaw where the Popish patty prevailes the Crowne is sent backe the title of King is laid downe in lieâ— of which he receives these conditions from the Emperour First he is acknowledged a soveraigne and independent Prince Secondly he is
especially if they were not naturally Spaniards first with an empty title and lastly being not otherwise able to pay or recompence them with a Spanish sico. A great and a maine advancer of a cause and enlarger of Empire is Religion or the pretence of it Religion is well called the soule of the State and is ever the prime thing to be looked into most bitter dissentions and hinderances of all great actions still proceeding from discontentments in Religion Anima est actus corporis sayes the Philosopher T is the soule that gives action and motion to the body and if the affections and passions of the soule bee composed to a well ordered and contented tranquillity and serenity there followes health strength and growth in all the limbs and members of the body The conscience is an active sparke and can easily man up all the powers of soule and body either for the maintenance or enlargement of it's libertie Bonum est sui communicativum Religion contrary to counsell desires ever to be made publike the spirituall man as well as the naturall ever having a desire generare sibi simile to beget others in his owne likenesse to compasse Sea and Land to make a Proselyte As therefore Princes have still accounted it a dangerous thing to arme Religion against themselves so have they most willingly accepted of the countenance of Religion No such encouragement could come to the Israelites or disheartning to the Philistines as when the Arke of God was in the host of Israel who is able to stand against these mighty gods say they Most surely is the kingdome of the Pope founded whose ground is layed in the conscience The Turke pretending to propagate his Religion with fire and sword we see how that hath advanced his conquests and what advantage hath the Spaniard more made use of in these late warres than a specious pretence of rooting out the Protestants and the re-establishing of the Catholike Religion by which secret he hath not onely staved off the popish Princes and Erectors of Germany not onely from defending the common libertie of their country but to enter that which they call the holy league with him whereby for zeale of enlarging their Religion they in the meane time weaken themselves that he at last picking a slight quarrell with them may swallow them up one after another having long before designed them Papists as well as Protestants to a common destruction for though the Spaniard pretends Religion yet he intends Monarchie This plot beginning to be discovered we see most of the Princes of Christendome drawing to a leaguer war that is to a cōfederacy of all Protestant Princes against all Popish who sees not that if the Romish religion prevailes the King of Spaines Monarchie must needs prove as Catholike that is universall as his religion and then will he prove the Catholike King indeed Now that the pretence of Religion may take the better 't is necessary that there be an union in it among all the subjects of the grand pretender or at least that those of the adverse opinion be so few and weake that they be not able to put an Armie into the field tolerations of Religion are most dangerous and surely should the King of England much exhaust his land forces to make a potent invasion upon the Spanish dominions the Iesuites would presently stirre up our Papists to call him backe againe for the stinting of a domestike rebellion for to be feared it is that though all our Recusants be the King of Englands subjects yet too many of them be the King of Spaines servants No sooner on the otherside did the French King this present yeare lead his Army over the Alpes into Italy but the Duke de Rohan thought it a fit opportunity for the Protestants to struggle for their liberty And therefore plainly as of all good causes Religion is the chiefe so in Religion there must be unitie and that makes it irresistable Finally as naturall bodies are best nourished by things of that nature and kinde whereof they consist even so that Empire which is gained or inlarged by Religion must ever be maintained by it T was therefore the old rule amongst the Conquerours to bring in their owne language lawes and religion among their new subjects The Romanes did this every where and the Norman did it in England The Spaniard indeed hath not much stood upon lawes and language but hath ever beene diligent for his Religion and though in the Palatinate he suffered some Protestant Ministers awhile to make the conquest the sweeter yet those being either dead or wearied out he never suffered another Protestant to succeed The diligence and fury of the Emperour for rooting out those of the Augustane confession in Bohemia c. may well confirme the truth of this observation The qualities of weapons and the order of discipline are important instruments of this martiall greatnesse Advantage of weapons is like good casting and strict discipline like skilfull playing both which must needs winne the game The Macedonians by their Pikes and the Romans by their Pyles the Parthians and English by their long bowes have still beene victorious The same thing doth engine and fortification The gunne hath brought all weapons to an equality that onely domineeres now Nothing resists it but the spade T is a weapon of terrible execution serviceable both by Sea and Land yet are not the slaughters made by the gunne any way comparable for numbers to those bloudy battels wonne by the sword The charges of this disables Princes from levying Armies equall for multitudes to the Ancient which now adayes beginne to be incredible Infinite were it to speake of the new invented engines and fire-workes and of the severall provisions to prevent them and whether after-ages shall invent a more terrible weapon than the gun is to us uncertaine which if it proves the Inventor gets incredible advantage Treasure is an advantage of great importance forasmuch as there is nothing more necessary in warres or of more use in peace By meanes hereof the Florentines became Lords of a great part of Tuscany they bought many Cities they freed themselves from the incursions of divers enemies they maintained the warres many yeares against the Pisans and against the prowesse of those peoples and the power of those Princes which did aid them and at the last brought that warre to good end By meanes hereof the Venetians made themselves Lords of a good part of Lumbardy and endured the forces of the King of Hungary the Arch-duke of Austria and of divers other Princes Whereby it appeareth that money worketh two notable effects to the augmentation and continuance of the greatnesse of kingdomes and estates The one to provide and gather forces and those being gotten to uphold and maintaine with supplies of Souldiers victuals munition and armes The other that it doth offer us opportunity if not to weaken and vanquish the enemy having gotten the
that of the Sunne is the best and the halfe Crowne Those of silver are the Livres or Franc which is two shillings sterling The quart d'escu which is one shilling six pence The Teston which is halfe a sous lesse The peece of ten sous which is one shilling sterling the halfe quart d'escu the halfe Teston and the peece of five sous that is six pence sterling Those of Brasse is the price of six Blanks which is three pence that of three blanks three halfe pence The sous of twelve deniers the liard of foure deniers the double of two and lastly the denier it selfe whereof ten make one penny sterling This baser and smaller kind of money hath not beene used in France but since the beginning of the civill warres The Teston is the best silver It remaineth I speake of the Administration and Execution of Iustice and of those places and persons where and by whom it is done I will therefore beginne with their assemblies as the highest and greatest Court of all which well resembleth the Parliament of England the Dyet of the Empire or the Councell of â—â—e Amphythrions in Greece There are three especiall causes of calling these Assemblies The first when the succession of the Crowne was doubtfull and in controversie or when it was to take order for the Regency during the Kings Captivity or Minority or when they had not the right use of their wits Hereof yee have examples Anno 1327. Saint Lewis an Infant and Charles the sixth An. Dom. 1380. a Lunaticke and 1484. Iohn a prisoner For all which occasions Assemblies were called to determine who should have the Regency of the Realme in the meane while The second cause is when there is question of reforming the Kingdome correcting the abuses of Officers and Magistrates or appeasing troubles and seditions The third cause is the want and necessitie of the King or Kingdome in which case the Estates are exhorted to give subsidies subventions aids and gratuities For in former times the Kings contenting themselves with their Domaine and impost of such wares as came in or went out of the land the two most ancient and most just grounds of Finances were not accustomed to levie and impose upon their Subjects any tax whatsoever without the consent of the three States thus assembled The next Soveraigne Court for so the French call it is the Court of Parliament The true Temple of French Iustice Seat of the King and his Peeres And as Haillan cals it the Buttresse of Equity This Court very much resembleth the Star-Chamber of England the Arcopage of Athens the Senate of Rome the Consiglio de' dieci of Venice There are no Lawes saith Haillan by which this Court is directed it judgeth according to equity and conscience and mitigateth the rigour of the Law Of these Courts of Parliament ye have eight in France That of Paris the most ancient and highest in preheminence which at first was ambulatory as they call it and ever followed the Kings Court whithersoever it went but since Philip le Bel it hath beene sedentary in this Citie That of Grenoble was erected Anno 1453. That of Tholouse Anno 1302. That of Bourdeaux Anno 1443. That of Dijon in the yeare 1476. That of Roven in the yeare 1501. That of Aix the same yeare And lastly that of Bretaigne at the yeare 1553. Anciently all Arch-Bishops and Bishops might sit and give voices in this Parliament of Paris but in Anno 1463. it was decreed that none but the Bishop of Paris and Abbot of Saint Denis might sit there except he be of the Bloud for all these are privileged The Presidents and Counsellors of the Court of Parliament of Paris may not depart the Towne without leave of the Court by the ordinance of Lewis the twelfth in the yeare 1499. The Senators ought alwayes to bee present because things are carried with more Majesty when the Court is full To this Parliament they appeale from all other subalterne Courts throughout the Realme as they doe in Venice to the Consiglio grande Neither can the King conclude any warre or peace without the advice and consent hereof or at least as Haillan saith he demandeth it for fashion sake sometime when the matters are already concluded The Parliament of Paris consisteth of seven Chambers the Grande câ—ambre and five others of Enquests and the Tournelles which is the chamber for the criminall causes as the other six bee for the civill It is called the Tournelles because the Iudges of the other Chambers sit there by turnes every three moneths the reason whereof Bodin giveth that it might not alter the naturall inclination of the Iudges and make them more cruell by being alwayes exercised in matter of condemnations and executions There be of this Court of Presidents Counsellors Chevalliers of honour Procureurs Advocates Clerks Sergeants and other Officers of all sorts not so few as two hundred Besides this Court there are also other Courts for the administration of Iustice in this Citie as the Chatellet of Paris with a Lieutenant civill and another criminall and the Hostel de Paris with a Prevost and other inferiour Officers which is as ye would say the Guild-Hall of the Citie So have ye throughout the Realme certaine places as all Cities in generall where there be Chatellets like our places of Assise and in them a Lieutenant civill and criminall to judge and determine all causes reall and personall and here many Lawyers and Procurers as our Counsellors at Law and Atturnies who plead before those Lieutenants and Prevosts and certaine Counsellors which are the Iudges in these Courts whereof the number is incredible in France Insomuch as you may well say of them as is said of Sienna There be more Readers than Auditors so here be more Pleaders than Clients This Chiquanery Petti-fogging multiplicitie of Pleaders came first from the Popes Court when his seat was at Avignon as my Author saith who in the same place cals these Advocates The Mice of the Palace The processes and suits in these Courts throughout France are innumerable wherein wee come nothing neere them and yet there is no want of these in England For I have heard of 340. Nisiprius between parties tried at one Assize in Norfolke as many I thinke as in halfe England besides But these are onely twice in the yeare that causes are tried at Assises in our Country whereas here they are tried every day in the yeare that is not festivall So that it is not much unlikely that here are as many Processes in seven yeares as have beene in England since the conquest There are besides these Courts of Chatellets in Cities the Courts also of Bailywicks and Sheriffalties who as Haillan saith keepe Courts in each Province and judge in all matters civill and criminall Here is also the Privie Councell or Councell of affaires of the Counsellors among which are his foure Secretaries he calleth certaine every morning at his rising to whom he
discipline they only of all Christendome have made best use thereof As the people to whose glory industry patience and fortitude and that in a good cause too much honour and commendation can never be attributed The States of the Low-Countries ALL the seventeene Provinces of Netherland were sometimes under one Lord but privileges being broken and warres arising the King of Spaine the naturall Lord of all these Low-Countries was in the treaty of peace Anno 1606. inforced to renounce all pretence of his owne right to these confederate Provinces Since when we may well handle them by themselves as an absolute and a free State of Government as the Spaniard himselfe acknowledged them The Provinces united are these Zeland Holland Vtrich Over-Isell Zutphen Groningen three quarters of Gelderland with some peeces of Brabant and Flanders This union was made Anno 1581. The Fleets and Forces of which Confederation are from the chiefe Province altogether called Hollanders The first of these is Zeland whose name given it by the Danes of Zeland in Scandia notifies its nature A land overflowed with the Sea Broken it is into seven Ilands whereof those three to the East beyond the River Scheld and next to Holland are Schowen Duvelant and Tolen the other foure be Walcheren Zuyd-beverlant Nort-beverlant and Wolferdijck 1. T'land van Schowen is seven of their miles about parted with a narrow fret from Nort-beverlant The chiefe towne is Zierickzee the ancientest of all Zeland built 849. The Port sometimes traded unto is now choaked with sand which they labour to cleare againe 2. Duveland so named of the Doves foure miles about hath some townes but no City 3. Tolen called so of the chiefe towne as that was of the Tolle there payed by the boats comming downe the Scheld 4. The chiefe of the seven is Walcheren ten miles compasse so named of the Walsh or Galles In the middle of it is Middleburgh the prime Citie of Zeland and a goodly Towne other Cities it hath as Vere Armuyden and Flushing all fortified 5. Zuyd-beverlant Nort-beverlant so named of the Bavarians The first is now ten miles about The Cities are Romerswael much endangered by the Sea and divided from the Island and Goesse or Tergoose a pretty and a rich towne 6. Nort-beverlant quite drowned in the yeare 1532. but one towne 7. Wolferdijck that is Wolfers-banke hath now but two Villages upon it Zeland hath ten Cities in all The land is good and excellently husbanded the water brackish Their gaines comes in by that which brought their losses the Sea Their wheat is very good some store they have the Cowes but more of Sheepe great store of Salt-houses they have for the refining of Salt of which they make great merchandize The Zelanders were converted to the faith by our Country-man Willebrord before Charles the greats time HOlland so named either quasi Holt-land that is the Wood-land which woods they say were destroyed by a mighty tempest Anno 860. the roots and truncks of which being often here found or quasi Hol-land Hollow and light land as it is indeed But most likely it is that the Danes also comming from Olandt in their owne Countrie gave name to this Province as they did to Zeland also The whole compasse is not above sixtie of their miles the breadth in most places is not above six houres travelling with a Wagon and in some places scarce a mile over The whole is divided into South-Holland Kinheymar West-Freesland Waterlandt and Goytland The chiefe Towne is Dort but the goodliest and richest is Amsterdam one of the greatest Townes of merchandize in the whole world they have almost twenty other Cities strong and elegant At Leyden there being a College and Vniversity Their banks mils and other workes for keeping out the Sea be most admirable vast and expensive Three of the foure Elements are there and in Zeland starke naught then Water brackish their Aire foggie their Fire smokish made of their Turses for which they are said to burne up their owne land before the day of Iudgement The men are rather bigge than strong some accuse them to love their penny better than they doe a stranger Their women are the incomparable huswives of the world and if you looke off their faces upon their linnen and houshold stuffe are very neat and cleanly At their Innes they have a kinde of open-heartednesse and you shall be sure to finde it in your reckoning Their land is passing good for Cowes they live much upon their butter and they bragge mightily of their cheeses As for flesh-meat I thinke that a Hawke in England eats more in a moneth than a rich Boore nay than a sufficient corporall Burger does in six weekes The industry of the people is wonderfull so many ditches have they made thorow the Country that there is not the most Iâ—land Boore but he can row from his owne doore to all the Cities of Holland and Zealand The Dutchman will drinke indeed but yet he still does his businesse he lookes still to the maine chance both in the City and Country by Sea and Land they thrive like the Iewes every where and wee have few such drunkards in England too many wee have apt enough to imitate their vice but too too few that will follow them in their vertue THis Duchie lies on the East of Holland and Brabanâ— touching also upon Cleve and Iuliers It hath two and twenty Cities and good Townes whereof Nimwegen Zutphon Ruremond and Arhneim are the chiefe Some peeâ—es the Spaniard here hath â— and the whole Country having heretofore beene infeâ—ted with the warres makes â— a little to come behinde his fellowes The land and people differ not much from those of Holland saving that towards Cleveland it is more mountainous the Champian is very rich pasturage for grazing THis touches Gelderland upon the South West-Freesland upon the North Westphalia upon the East and the Zuydersee on the West The chiefe Citie is Deventer others of the better sort be Campen Zwol Steinwick Oetmarse Oldenzeel Hesselâ—â— Vollenhoven c. This Countrey was of old inhabited by the Franks or Frenchmen of which there were two tribes the Ansuarii which gave name to the Hanse-townes whereof Deventer was first and the Salii which tooke name from the River Isala upon which Deventer stands and these gave name to the Salique Law which you see did rather concerne these Countries than France it selfe and was made by a barbarous people in an age as barbarous though this onely was pretended to barre women from the crowne of France and to hinder our Kings and occasion those warres and bloudsheds THe Bishopricke of Vtrecht hath Holland on the North and Gelderland on the West The circuit is but small yet hath it five pretty Cities whereof Vtrecht it selfe is large delicate and rich inhabited by most of the Gentry of Holland Much harassed hath it beene but now well recovered since it came into the union GRoningen
râ—ape the whole benefit of it For the Arch-duchesse wee know shee beares but the name of Governesse of his Provinces being her selfe otherwise wholly governed by Spanish Counsell and were the Kings younger brother but old enough to be Governour wee know that she must be thrust into a Monasterie However France seemeth now to rejoyce in a new alliance yet let the world not doubt but that out of ancient emulation which hath ever beene betweene these two Kingdomes being exasperated done against another by so many injuries so many wrongs and so many jarres and brawles new occasions of discontents will evermore arise For can the French thinke we ever forget their expulsions out of Italie their deprivation of Navarre or the intrusion of the late King upon the maine body of the Kingdome But fresh in memory and yet unrevenged as one this present yeare 1629. is the defeat of the French troopes sent into Italie in favour of the Duke of Mantoa nor does the Spaniard looke that the crosse mariages with the French the Kings marying one anothers sisters can make any attonement but lookes either that the French should invade Flanders or the Wallon Countries unto which hee hath so good and ancient pretencion or watch him some other good turne at his best opportunitie Betweene him and the Savoyard notwithstanding their neere alliance have there beene late warres the Spaniard depriving him of some Townes in Montferat and the Duke of Savoy in revenge on the other side distressing Genoa with an Armie which is under the Spaniards protection and the place from whence he borrowes his great summes of mony But these differences are so farre reconciled that contrary to all expectation the Savoyard in consideration of the restoring to him of those Townes in Montferat is now at this present turned on the Spaniards side hath levied an Armie in favour of him and blockt up the passages of his owne Countrey by which the French Armes should enter Italie to the aid of Mantoa But to be knowne it is that this Duke of Savoy is an old a subtill and an inconstant Prince jealous enough as all the States of Italie are of the Spaniards greatnesse and for his owne advantage will as readily turne to the French as he did now to the Spaniard With the King of 〈◊〉 he hath not any negotiation save good correspondencie And because betwixt these two Crownes there is not any pretencion of State or interest of Consines which are wont to be causes from whence discords arise and also for the most part evill intelligence among Princes As the Turke is Lord of a larger Sea-coast than the King so can he hardly compare with his Majesty either in furniture or mariners Along all the coast of Africke he hath not an harbour where he can build or keepe a couple of Gallies except Algier and Tripolie In the Euxine sea what place of name is there besides Capha and Trapezond What better report can we give to the coast of Asia More implements than a spacious Sea-coast are incident on either part to this businesse he must have plenty of Timber and Cordage he must be furnished with a people practised in Sea-affaires able to endure the labour and working of the waters delighting in traffike and navigation chearefull in tempests and rough weather which dare dwell as it were amongst perils and expose their lives to a thousand dangers and here in true judgement I take the King to exceed the Turke For the Turkish subjects as to the better part never saw Sea and those that have used it are not to bee compared to the Biskaines Catalonians Portugals and Genoâ—ais I adde this people for their good services and affections at all times to this Crowne To conclude in two things the King excelleth the Turke the first is that although the Turke can command more men yet the best and greater part of them being Christians he dare hardly trust the second that the Sea-coasts of the King are neerer conjoyned than those of the Turke and in that regard hath his forces sooner incorporated By this facilitie experience hath proved that the Easterne Navies have been often overthrowne by the Westerne the Southerne by the Northerne the Carthaginian by the Roman the Asian by the Grecian Octavius Caesar with the Navie of Italy defeated the Fleet of Aegypt and in our times the Armada of the Christians the Fleet of the Turke The Turkes themselves confesse that in Sea-fights the Christians excell and are unwilling to deale with those forces As often as Charles the fifth rigged forth his Navie it was so puissant that the Turke never durst leave the harbour In his journey of Algier he rigged five hundred vessels in his Tunis voyage 600. Andrew Dorie conducted 10 gallant an Armada into Greece that the Turke not daring to move out of his station the Christians tooke Patras and Coronna in Morea At this day they are at peace The Spaniard is doubtfull of the Turkish forces especially by Sea if he be not assisted by the league of Italie And againe the Turke is fearefull of him alone and of his associates For he knowes he is to deale with a Potentate of much estimation and well practised in the world and although of late there have fallen out betweene them certaine jarres and differences upon dammages done by the one and the other Prince reciprocally in each others dominions yet it is to be thought that these two so powerfull Princes will not easily bee brought to take Armes seeing they emulate each others greatnesse and contented with equall strife to bring all Christendome to their subjection pretending both one and the selfe-same end viz. Religion Besides it is sufficient for the Catholike King to have revenged his wrongs and for the Turke that he is no more molested by the Spanish Armadaes As the one hath a warlike and well armed Empire so hath the other an united and most rich Kingdome But herein the Turke hath the greater advantage that he spendeth but little in the warres in regard of that that not onely the King of Spaine disburseth but even all the Princes of the world For his souldiers receive for their pay those lands which he hath given them to hold for life with condition annexed alwayes to bee in readinesse to serve at an instant Certaine it is that the Turke being dreadfull to Christendome the Spaniard is the ablest to oppose him For which reason Andreas Hoia would needs perswade us that it were best for Christendome to chuse the Spaniard for their universall Monarch but Boccalini argues better that it had beene more convenient for Europe if the Moores had still beene Lords of Spaine Most sure it is that the Protestants yea all Christians in Hungaria live better under the Turke than under the house of Austria The Spaniards bee intolerable masters witnesse the poore Indians Hoia therefore vented this in an Oration at Doway to inflame our English fugitives
and all the Townes disfurnished both of defendants and Munition there wanted nothing in mans judgement to the gaining of that Kingdome but the speedy prosecution of that absolute victory But whether with the learned wee may beleeve that great Kingdomes have their periods or that Greatnesse in it selfe produceth carelesnesse whose true symptoms are pride effeminacy and corruption in Militarie Discipline most certaine it is that those Empires which formerly have fallen from their prime felicity have generally declined through the Alteration of their ancient Orders and pristinate vertues Nor can it otherwise bee but that as those Ordinances and Lawes which reason at first introduced and experience afterward approved doe settle and fortifie States so the manifest neglect of the same should make them weake againe and crazie Which being duly considered a Prince ought not in any thing to be more watchfull and vigorous than to keepe in life those Lawes by which his State at first became to bee exalted to that height wherein he found it at the decease of his Predecessor for let him be assured that the same are still and shall be the foundations and Basis of future prosperity Herein the Ottomans have by two meanes especially advanced their power have raised it to the height wherein we see it at this day The one was their personall presence and travelling to the wars the other theirmaking of great warres and fierce to effect but short Their perpetuall expeditions produced many profitable effects as first that it kept in awe and attendance the great Servitors of the State Secondly that the Ianizars were thereby the better inured to obedience patience and practice of their Armes with the discipline of the field Thirdly it caused their whole forces intirely to attend them For better understanding whereof it behoveth to know how that the Port or Court of the Great Turke was anciently wont to make twelve thousand Ianizars monthly paid and that without faile Now that number by occasion of the warres of Hungarie is much increased and their pay raised to five Aspers a day to some more in regard of desert Out of the number of these Ianizars are chosen two hundred whose Office is to runne by the stirrup of the Prince and three hundred Porters that receive twenty Aspers a day above their ordinary stipend The Cavalry ariseth to a farre greater number The Spahi are six thousand marshalled in two troopes whereof the one guardeth the right hand of the Prince the other the left in all marches Every one of these Spahi is bound to maintaine three or foure servants on Horsebacke for the warre and these servants either in valour or costlinesse of furniture doe in little or nothing give place to their Lords Their place of march is in reare of their Masters but in distinct troopes Besides these troops doe march two other squadrons consisting of a thousand horse apeece The one is made of certaine select stalled persons knowne for some one or other famous exploit Into which troope doe also entersome Ianizars and many servants as well belonging to the Prince himselfe as to other of his principall Ministers that have approved themselves by some notable endevour to be worthy and capable of that degree The other squadron is all of naturall Turks recommended to that honour for some superordinary skill at their weapon for horsemanship or some such like quality The souldiers of these two troopes are not tied to keepe above two servants mounted at the most So that these foure squadrons whereof we have spoken doe make in all as good as forty thousand horse all excellently furnished Besides these there are also neere 20 thousand men that are servants and attendants upon the supreme Officers of the State as Judges Treasurers Counsellors and Commanders Amongst which some there are that bring into the field two or three thousand apeece all well armed and in like livery being indeed tied for every five Aspers that they have of provision to finde one horse-man So that what for pompe and what for their owne safety in this occasion they doe set all their slaves being Renegadoes on horse-backe What shall I say of the infinite number of cariages of Mules and Camels accompanying this Equipage Of which sort Bajazet led into the field forty thousand and Selim in the enterprise of Aegypt one hundred and thirty thousand This was the ancient proportion Now all these forces whereof I have spoken from the Court doe accompany the Prince setting forward to the warres But if his Person move not then doe these also stay idle at home where the Ianizars for their too much ease doe often fall into mutinies and the great Bashaes busie themselves about nothing but to disgrace or overthrow one another through envie and ambition Which is well witnessed on the one side by the extreme rancors and partialities that boyle amongst them and sometime breaketh forth and on the other by their immoderate affection and swelling into titular dignities which of necessity cannot be avoided for that as trees which are lesse fruitfull doe thrust forth most leaves branches to cover therewith the defects of nature So doe men in whose minds desert and vertue is wanting seeke nothing so much as with outward vanity of apparell and shew of great descent to shadow their inward imperfections Through which abuse it is not possible to imagine unto what number the titularie Officers of that State are augmented The Bashawes which in the flourishing dayes of this Empire were only two one in Asia the other in Europe are now seven in Asia alone viz. of Natolia Caramania Amasia Anadule Damascus and Cairo who doe sucke from the Prinâ—es Coffers no lesse than an hundred and thirty thousand ducats yearely And this is sprung from nothing else but that upon opportunity of the Princes keeping at home the Ministers of the State especially such as lie farthest off have by little and little presumed to usurpe and arrogate to themselves more power and authority than was anciently belonging unto them Besides which the Prince by his personall intervention in all expeditions became by his experience better acquainted with the condition of his Armies made himselfe cunning in the causes that did envigour or corrupt his souldiers so that by cherishing of the one and redressing of the other the discipline of the field was made more firme every day than other And in truth it can seeme to no man lesse than a very miracle that in this house of the Ottomans should follow a continuall succession of twelve Princes together that have been all men of great action and extreme Warriers But since the successours of Soliman have disused themselves from the field and to be personally absent from the Warres it is wonderfull againe to see how much the power of that Empire is impaired The first that gave passage to this disorder was Soliman himselfe who howbeit he were a Prince of excellent courage and great sufficiencie
but with a tribune-like authority they signifie unto the Councell what their requests are Not long since their authority and reputation grew so mighty that they now carry themselves as heads and Governours rather than Officers Ministers of the publike decrees of the estates One of the Councell after the manner of Clodius refused his Senators place to become one of these Officers When a King is to be chosen these men doe more and more limit his authority not suffering it to stretch one jot farther than accustomed But although the Crowne of Poland bee at the disposition of the Nobility yet was it never heard that they rejected or overslipped the Kings successour or transferred the Kingdome into any other line more than once when deposing Ladislaus whom notwithstanding they afterward restored they elected Wenceslaus the Bohemian Likewise they have alwayes a regard to the Kings daughters as of Hedwiga married by them to Iagello and in our times of Anne given in marriage to King Stephen It was no small cause of the advancement of Sigismund the third to the Crowne of Polonia that hee was the sonne of Katherine sister to Sigismund the Emperour and of the foresaid Anne And although the Kingly authority bee elective yet after he is chosen his power is absolute in many things As to call the Diets to appoint the times and place at his pleasure to chuse Lay Counsellours and nominate the Bishops and whom he will have to be of the Privie Councell he is absolute disposer of the Revenue of the Crowne Lord of those which hold of him immediate but over the Tenants of the Nobility he hath no jurisdiction he is absolute establisher of the decrees of the Diets and Soveraigne Judge of the Nobles in criminall causes it is in his power to reward and advance whom pleaseth him to speake in a word such as is his valour dexterity and wisdome such is his power authority and government As the Polanders say the decrees of their King indure but three dayes and they converse not with him as Cosins as in France but as Brethren And as the King hath absolute authority over them which immediately hold of him so the Nobility dispose absolutely of their vassals on every of whom they exercise more than Kingly authority in manner as upon slaves In establishing their Kingdome they have done one thing worthy the noting which is that as the Romans increast their Name and Dominion by communicating the Lawes and Honours of Italy and the City of Rome to other Cities yea whole Provinces so the Kings of Polonia have inlarged united and strengthened their estate by participating the privileges of the Polish Nobility to those Provinces which either they have conquered by Armes or otherwise purchased gracing the Nobles thereof with favours equall to any bestowed on the Polish Nation By this equallizing King Ladislaus strongly united Russia and Podalia Sigismund Augustus Lituania Stephen Livonia for respect in offices and promotions knitteth affections in peace and warre The force of this Kingdome as of others consisteth in graine Coine Foot-men Horse-men Armour and Munition Of graine we have spoken already In coine it is not very rich for excepting Danske they have never a Mart-Towne worthy estimation and the warres that are brought from Prussia and Livonia doe not enrich the Kingdome with ready money yea they doe hardly suffice to barter with the English and Flemish for Cloth Silks or Woolls or with the Spanish Portuguize and other Merchants for Sugars Spices Fruits and Malueseies For when the Countrey is not given to traffike nor the Cities to buy and sell nor the people to labour and the Nobility is very gallant prodigall in expences spending more than their Revenues in diet and apparell and the seasoning of their Viands for the Polanders use more Spices than any other Nation and their Wine their Silke the greatest part of their Woollen Cloth is brought from forren Nations how can the Kingdome be rich in Silver For in transporting of much ware and returning of little consisteth the wealth of every dominion gathering together by venting home-bred commodities the come of forren Nations and keeping it once brought in from passing abroad In this practice consisteth the wealth of Naples and Millan for Naples sendeth to Sea great store of Corne Wine Oyle Silke Woad Horses Fruits and such like commodities which bring in huge masses of forren coine Millan supplieth the want of other Provinces with Corne Rice Cloths Iron-workes wares of all sorts and returneth little againe If the Kingdome of Sicil were as well stored with manual workmanship as it is provided with Corne Sugar-canes and Silke no other Kingdome could compare with it To returne to Poland notwithstanding their riches are not so small as some say they are for the Revenues of the Crowne raised of the Mines of Salt and Silver amount yearely to 600000. Ducats True it is that Sigismund Augustus pawned part of these Revenues and King Henry a moneth before his flight to binde some part of the Nobility unto him sold unto them more than three hundred thousand Ducats of yearely rent It is lawfull for the King by sales of escheats falling to the Crowne to purchase livings for himselfe and of the said Revenues to retaine great portions to his proper use and to spare his owne expences for when the King with his Court â—bideth in Lituania the Lituanians defray the charge the like is done in most places of Poland He that weigheth with himselfe that the ordinary Revenues of Scotland Naples or Sardinia exceed not yearely one hundred thousand Ducats nor the Kingdome of Arragon to yeeld above one hundred thousand crownes every three yeares cannot lightly esteeme of the Revenues of this Kingdome yet the King might raise his Revenues to a higher reckoning if he were lesse bountifull to his Palatines and Castellanes For most commonly he bestoweth on them two parts and three parts yea now and then the whole profits arising in their governments But in the time of warre yet by the decree of the assemblies of the Kingdome the King doth lay grievous impositions and taxes on the people which are either levied of the Provinces or of the excise of victuall and these tallages have amounted to such a reckoning that therewith King Stephen sustained the burthen of a most heavie three yeares warre against the great Duke of Moscovie yea the Gentlemen for defence of the Kingdome are bound to serve at their owne charges These serve on Horse some armed as our men at armes some more light some like the Tartars And those they terme Cossaches or Adventurers trained up to steale to depopulate waste and to turne all things up-side downe These Gentlemen serve in the field gallantly furnished attired in Cassocks and Hose shining with Gold and Silver and a thousand other colours they adorne themselves with plumes and feathers of Eagles with the skinnes of Leopards and Beares and with many Banners and
actions and while time passeth the neighbouring Nations provide if not infest for their owne safety yea most commonly by losse of time proceedeth the losse of victories opportunity Hee that hath overcome his enemie standeth oftentimes in feare of his friend yea of such as have been fellowes and partners with him in all his fortunes so that to secure himselfe of these and such like casualties hee is constrained even in the course of victory to found the retreit and surcease his projects Againe continuall victory maketh leaders insolent souldiers mutinous refusing to passe forward at the command of their Generall as it hapned to Alexander and Lucullus Great enterprises even brought to their wished end enrich the purses of certaine private men but leave the Princes Coffers empty who neverthelesse must be at the charge to maintaine continuall companies and keepe them in continuall pay without which course the casher'd souldier is ever ready to follow any faction whensoever it shall be offered Moreover this numberlesse Army which Marhumedius led against the King of Cambaia did not onely waste the Regions where thorow it passed and encamped but likewise by devouring all things that the face of the earth yeelded bereaved it selfe of the meanes which Nature in measure had afforded to every creature to maintaine liâ—e by and so it often hapneth that those Armies which in apprehension seeme invincible for their hugenesse are most commonly overthrowne by famine the fore-runner of pestilence For proofe hereof we have seene the invadations of Attila Tamerlane and those barbarous Nations stand on foot but a little space whereas the Grecians Macedonians Carthaginians Romans Spaniards and English have done great matters with meane Armies For things that are moderate last and dure as small Rivers which what they cannot doe in one yeare in two or more they finally accomplish whereas immoderate and violent are like to torrents making more noise and fury than hurt or hinderance violently comming and violently againe carrying themselves away Therefore against such mighty impressions the surest safety is to draw the warre out at length and onely to stand upon the defensive for let such Armies rest assured that they cannot so long hold out but they will waver either for want of provision scarcity of coine infection of the aire or infirmities of their owne bodies The other thing is that prosperity blindeth the winner making him carelesse adversitie ripeneth the loser and maketh him wary and industrious so fortune changing her copie the affaires of the winner decline the good successe of the loser groweth every day better than other Besides conquests are not perfected but by processe of time old age creepeth upon the person of Princes and how fit a crasie body a vigorous spirit nummed with old age is for the consummation of a conquered estate the lives of Iulius Caesar and Charles the fifth may stand for examples Lastly to answer those who unlesse they be eye-witnesses will never be answered let them know that nothing so much hindereth the invasive ambition of this Prince as the Nature of places For Caucasus stretcheth it selfe into a thousand branches in those parts incompasseth whole Kingdomes with some parcels thereof by some it runneth by the sides to others it is more defensive than any artificiall rampire sometime it wholly shutteth up passages sometime it maketh them inaccessible These difficulties are more iujurious to the Mogor than to any other Prince because the strength and sinewes of his forces consist in horse which as they are of great consequence in Campania so amongst hils and rocks they are of small service Of this quality are the frontiers of Persia and the Kingdome of Sablestan on every side hem'd in with that part of Caucasus which the â—râ—cians call Paropamise Segestan is likewise so invironed that the River Il-mento were it not for searching out infinite windings and turnings thorow naturall vallies could hardly finde passage to pay his tribute to the famous Ganges In Cambaia it selfe when the Mogors are of such fearfull puissance live the Resbuti not dreading them one whit by reason of the strength of the Mountaines These Resbuti are the remainder of the Gentiles that betooke themselves to the mountaines betweene Cambaia and Diu when the Mahumetans first entred these Countries and since that day by strong hand they have preserved their libertie infesting often the plaine Countrie with their incursions Other Provinces there are utterly barren not onely wanting water but all necessaries else of this kinde is Dolcinda upon the skirts of Cambaia through which it is impossible to lead an Army To these discommodities you may adde the losse of time which Princes being Lords of ample and spacious dominions are constrained to make in their voyages For the better part of Summer is spent before they can arrive at their Rendevous with their horses halfe dead through travell and the Armie halfe in halfe in number and courage diminished yea Winter overtaketh them commodious for their enemies and disadvantagious for them for they must lie in the field and open aire among mire and frosts their enemies under a warme roofe and wholesome harbour Whereupon wise Princes which have beene to make long Land-journies thorow divers Provinces of divers natures for feare of such like discommodities have thought it best to provide shipping and to use the opportunity of Rivers or Sea as did Caesar Germanicus in the warre of Germanie after he perceived that in the protracting of time which was requisite for the marching of his Armie the greater part of his men and horses were idle consumed by infirmities labours and the length of journeyes But the Mogor is utterly destitute to this advantage upon one side he hath no Haven on another the Portugals are his jealous neighbours who with two Castles of great strength at Diu Damain have shut up the whole gulfe of the Cambaian sea Finally the puissance of their neighbours hath beene as great a controler to their furious invasions as any other naturall cause viz. the King of Barma who is nothing inferiour in power and riches for he is Lord of so many Kingdomes and of so fierce and warlike a people and can bring such swarmes into the field that he iâ— fearelesse of any of his Tartarian neighbours And as the Mogor ruleth farre and wide betweene Ganges and Indus so doth this King betweene Ganges and Siam As the one deviseth to offend so by little and little the other waxeth wife to defend For by nature man is more prone to provide for his owne safety than ready by wrong to oppresse others being alwayes more carefull to conserve than forward to destroy It cannot be expressed how full of subtilty shifts devices and industry man is to defend him and his for hee useth for his owne safeguard not that onely which is properly defensive but even that also which humane wisdome hath invented or Nature created any way offensive Neither ever was there any instrument invented for
Virgins to be deflowred of Idols abominable their exorcismes damnable and the varietie of senselesse profanations most contemptible It is not so spacious but it is as fertill for it yeeldeth not only what is fitting for humane life but whatsoever the delicate and esseminate appetite of man may lust after Many Plants yeeld fruit twice or thrice a yeare and that not only by the temperature of the ayre but by the number of the rivers and plentie of waters which doe both cause trafficke thorow every corner of the Region and so water it on all sides that it resembleth a most pleasant and delectable garden-plot Of this plentie there are three causes one the prodigall expences of the King in digging of trenches thorowout the whole Land sometime cutting thorow rockie Mountaines sometime damming up deepe valleyes to make them levell with high mountaines and to draine the waters of Lakes and Marishes the other for that the whole Region is situated under the temperate Zone and in no place either by nature or mans industrie wanteth moisture so that all creatures taking nourishment of heat and moisture must needs here wonderously prosper In no place Plants may take larger scope to spread their branches nor Cattell larger walkes to wander in than in this Country The last reason is for that the idle are neither severely punished nor altogether tolerated but every one is forced to doe somewhat no foot of land is left unhusbanded nor dramme of stuffe cast away unwrought Among other things note-worthy this one is of great consideration that in Cantan they maintaine foure thousand blind people to grinde corne and Rice every childe is set about somewhat according to his yeares and strength those only who are truly impotent in their limbs and have no friends living to succour them are provided for in Hospitals That none may excuse themselves in saying hee can doe nothing every one is bound to learne his fathers occupation which is the reason that the children borne as it were tradesmen learne their fathers occupations before they perceive it by continuall practice becomming in time most artificiall mechanickes He that cannot live at Land seeketh his maintenance at Sea for that is no lesse inhabited than the Land yea infinite housholds live on the Rivers in Boats without comming to Land for a long season Some whereof live by ferrying over people some by transporting passengers and their merchandize others keepe shops others vessels of lodging for their Merchants and Travellers Whatsoever is needfull for cloathing for food or nourishment delight or ease of a civill life is to be found in the middest of great Rivers Many likewise nourish all sorts of Poultrie especially Duckes in their vessels To hatch the egges and to nourish the young ones they use not the dams as we doe but an artificiall heat in a manner as they doe in Aegypt especially at Cair All night he keepeth them in his Boat and at morning sendeth them to feed in the fields sowed with Rice where all day long having fed on the weeds to the great good of the husbandman they returne toward evening to their Cages at the sound of a little Bell or Cimball Many live by carrying Fish both salt and fresh into the high Countries for in the Spring when the Rivers rise through thawes and landstouds so incomparable quantities of sea-fish doe abound in the havens and creekes that the fishermen depart rather wearied than wanting This fish the Skippers buy for a small matter of the fishermen and keeping them alive in certaine vessels made for the purpose they transport them into Provinces farre remote from the Sea There they are sold and preserved in Pooles and Stewes neere Cities and great Townes to serve the Markets and Tables of the richer Chinois all the yeare long Because it is forbidden any inhabitant to passe out of the Land without leave and therewith neither but for a certaine time limited it must needs be that by the daily increase of people the Country is even pestered with inhabitation It hath beene observed among themselves that for every five that have died seven have beene borne The Climate is so temperate and the aire so wholsome that in mans memory any universall pestilence hath not beene knowne to infest the Country Notwithstanding left any man should thinke this people to enjoy all sweets without some mixture of sowre you must note that their earth-quakes are more dreadfull unto them than any pestilence to us for whole Cities have beene swallowed and Provinces made desart by this punishment These casualties choke up the course of ancient Chanels and make new where were never any before they lay Mountaines levell with the ground and make havocke of the people In the yeare 1555. a deluge breaking out of the bowels of the earth devoured an hundred and fourescore miles of firme land with the Townes and Villages standing thereupon those which escaped the floud lightning and fire from Heaven destroyed There are said to be in China one hundred and fifty Cities two hundred thirty five great Townes one thousand one hundred fifty foure Castles and foure thousand two hundred Boroughs without walls wherein souldiers are quartered of Villages and Hamlets some of them containing a thousand housholds the number is infinite for the Country is so covered with habitation that all China seemeth but as one Towne They have two Metropolitan Cities Nanquin and Panquin In Nanquin toward the North the King keepeth his Court under the jurisdiction of the one are seven Provinces under the other eight Both of them are so spacious that it is a daies journey for a horseman to ride from one end to the other Of the number of the Inhabitants no certainty can bee produced but according to manuscript relations and the report of travellers it is said that the Kingdome containeth threescore and ten millions of living soules This is an admirable report and not to bee beleeved if it be compared with the Provinces of Christendome but surely something above conceit is to be credited to those spacious populous and barbarous Nations Let us set the largenesse of their Provinces the circuit of their Cities their plenty and abundance of all things and in all places either in prospering by nature or mans industry with their number and inhabitation and we shall finde a Country like enough to afford such a reckoning with places cities and dwellings able to containe them and nourishment sufficient to maintaine them Italy exceedeth not nine millions Germany excluding the Swizzers and Netherlands not ten and with the foresaid Provinces not above fifteene which number peradventure France may reach unto Spaine is farre inferiour to Italie Sicilie hath but one million and three hundred thousand England three millions and Belgia as many if by the continuance of the warre in those Countries that number be not much decayed The Italians conceit marvellous highly of themselves thinking no Province upon the face of the earth for wealth and
is not onely fast locked but sealed and may not be opened before the seale at morning bee throughly viewed To speake truth their souldiers horsemen and footmen by land or sea are more famous for their numbers their gallant furniture and plenty of provision than for strength and courage For the Inhabitants partly by their effeminate and wanton kinde of life partly by their forme of government whereby they are made vile and base have little valour or manhood left them They use no forren souldiers except those whom they take in war these they send into the in-land Countries where being marked to distinguish them from other they serve more like slaves than souldiers yet have they pay with rewards for their good service and punishment for their cowardize true motives to make men valorous The rest which are not inrolled are not suffered to keepe weapons in their houses Their Sea-forces are nothing inferiour to their Land-forces for besides their ordinary Fleets lying upon the Coasts for the safety of the Sea-townes by reason of the abundance of navigable Rivers and so huge a Sea-tract full of Havens Creeks and Islands it is thought that with case they are able to assemble from five hundred to a thousand such great Ships which they call Giunchi we Iunks To thinke that treasure cannot bee wanting to levie so great a number of Ships Souldiers and Marriners many men affirme that the Kings revenues amount to an hundred and twenty millions of gold which value although it may seeme impossible to him that shall make an estimate of the States of Europe with the Kingdome of China yet may it finde place of beleefe if he doe but call to minde First the nature and circuit of the Empire being little lesse than all Europe Next the populousnesse of the Inhabitants accompanied with inestimable riches Then the diversity of Mines of Gold Silver Iron and other sorts of Metall the unspeakable quantity of Merchandize passing from hand to hand by so many navigable Rivers so many armes and in-lets of the Sea their upland Cities and maritime Townes their Tolls Customes Subsidies and lastly their rich wares brought into Europe Hee taketh the tenth of all things which the earth yeeldeth as Barley Rice Olives Wine Cotton Wooll Flax Silke all kinds of Metall Fruits Cattel Sugar Hony Rubarbe Camphire Ginger Wood Muske and all sorts of Perfumes The custome only of Salt in the City Canto which is not of the greatest nor of the best trafficke yeeldeth 180000. Crownes yearely the tenth of Rice of one small Towne and the adjacent Territory yeeldeth more than 100000. Crownes By these you may conjecture of the rest He leaveth his subjects nothing save food clothing He hath under him no Earles Lords or Nobles of any degree no nor private persons indowed with great wealth Wherefore since this Empire is so huge and all the profits thereof are in his hands how can the former assertion of so great and yearely a revenue to men of reason seeme any thing admirable at all There are two things moreover which adde great credit to this reckoning one is that all his impositions are not paid in Coine but some in hay some in Rice Corne Provender Silke Cotton Wooll and such like necessaries the other is that the King of 120. millions which he receiveth disburseth againe three parts thereof And so since it goeth round from the King to the people it ought to seeme no wonder if the people be able to spare it againe for the Princes use at the yeares end For as waters doe ebbe as deepe as they flow so impositions easily levied suffice for the expences of the State and the people receive againe by those expences as much as they layed out in the beginning of the yeare This King feareth no neighbour but the great Cham of Tartaria all the rest acknowledge vassalage Against this enemy the ancient Kings built that admirable wall so much renowned amongst the wonders of the Ortem Towards the Sea hee bordereth upon the Iaponians and Castilians The distance betweene Iapan and China is divers From Goto one of the Islands of Iapan to the City Liampo is threescore leagues from Canian 297. The Islanders of Iapan doe often spoile the Sea-coasts of China by their incursions descending on land and harrying the Countrey more like Pyrates than men of Warre For in regard that Iapan is divided into many Islands and into divers Seigniories ill agreeing amongst themselves though they excell the Chinois in armes and courage yet are they not of sufficient power to performe any action of moment against them Upon another Frontier lye the Spaniards of whom the Chinois not without good cause are very jealous because of the situation of the Philippinae commodiously seated for the invasion of China and the fame of the riches well knowne to the Spanish But the King of Spaine wisheth rather to plant Christianitie peaceably amongst them wherof there was once good hope that God had opened a passage For though the Chinois will suffer no stranger to enter within their Dominions yet certaine Jesuites zealous in the increasing of Christian Religion in a Territory so spacious as that is entred with great secrecie and danger and procuring the favour of certaine Governours obtained a privilege of naturalization specially Frier Michael Rogerius who in the yeare 1590. returned into Europe to advise what course were best to take in this businesse After whose departure intelligence was brought from two Friers which remained behinde that after divers persecutions they were then constrained to forsake the Citie wherein they sojourned and to make haste to sea-ward Nor plainly would the Chinois suffer the said Frier Rogerius to come into their Countrey as himselfe confessed to an English Gentleman of very good worth and curious understanding Mr. W.F. who purposely asked that question of him If any man of Europe hath beene in China it is Matthew Riccius the Jesuite The Portugals are likewise eye-sores unto them but by the report of their justice and the moderation which Ferdinand Andrada shewed in the government of the Island of Tamo and by the Traffick which they exercise in those seas they can better digest their neighbour-hood than that of the Spanish This was the first Portugal that arrived in the Citie of Cantan and set on land Thomas Perez Legier for Emanuel King of Portugal But other Captaines being there afterwards dis-embarked behaved themselves so lewdly that they occasioned the said Ambassadour to be taken for a Spie and cast into prison where hee died most miserably the residue were intreated as enemies At last it was permitted the Portugals for traffick sake to set a Factory in Macao where againe before they had strongly fortified their Colonie they were constrained to submit to the limitations of the Chinois to whom in short time for their strength wisdome friendship and alliance with the Castilians they became suspitious and therefore they doe daily more and more bridle
GElderland 202 Geneva 304 Gâ—noa 337 Groningen 203 Guatimala 631 Guiana 641 H HEbrides 121 Hispaniola 634 Holland 201 Hungarie 378 I IAmaica 633 Iapan 621 Ilands of England 129 India Asiatica or East-India 574 Ireland 68 Italy 317 Iudea 551 K KAthaia 498 L LOrrayne 428 Lybia 376 M MAlta 373 Man the I le 120 Manly Arts breed martiall valour 29 Mantua 362 Marishes their description and use 44 Mexico 630 Millaine 336 The Great Mogor 578 Moldavia 539 Mona 120 Monomotapaâ— 453 Moravia 278 Moscovia 463 Mountaines their description and use 42 N NAplâ—s Kingdome 330 Narsinga 613 Natolla 540 Navarre 194 Negroes Land 429 Netherlands 195 New Spaine 630 Nicaragua 632 Norwey 212 Nova Francia 636 Numidia 427 O OF Observation 1 Over-Isel 203 P PAlatinate 285 People of the North their constitutions complexions and natures 8. Of the South 12. Of the middle Region 15 Persia. 563 Peru. 637 Polâ—nd 409 Popes Estate 320 Prester Iohn 444 R REligion a great advancer of Monarchie 30 Rewards military the benefit of them 30 Rivers their use in preserving of Empire 41 Roman Empire 262 Russia 463 SAvoy 364 Sarmatia 463 Saxonie 287 Situation the aptnesse of it for Empire 35 Of the Situation of Nations 4 Scotland 114 Sea the commodities in inlarging Empire 29 Seigniories divers pettie ones easily overcome one by one by a common enemie 37 Siam 602 Sicily 369 Spaine 222 States of the Low-Countries 200 Swethland 213 Switzerland 309 T TArtaria 494 Tartars their manners and armes 485 Temperature the division of it 2 Terra australis 643 Transylvania 394 Travell instructions for it 46 Treasure the use in Warre 33 Turkes their originall and story 554 Turkie 505 Turcomania 545 Tuscanie 324 V VAlour the commendations of it 23. Military Valour how increased 27 Venice 339 Virginia 635 Vrbine 361 Vsage to the Wars the effects 27. Free Vsage of people a meanes to make Princes potent 28 Vtrecht 203 W WAlachia 539 Wales 117 Weapons their qualities and advantages 32 West-India 625 Wildernesses their descriptions 45 Wisdome the use of it in Warres 25 World and the greatest Princes in it and the means to inlarge Dominion 19 X Great Xeriff 433 FINIS * The States of the world * Petrus Bertius Numbers Valour Wisdome Rashnesse I Vse 2 〈◊〉 3 Manly arts 4 Military rewards 3 Religion 4 Weapons Treasure Situation Pettie Seigniories 1 The commodities of the Sea for the defending or inlarging of Empire 2 Rivers 3 Mountaines 4 Marishes 5 Wildernesses 6 Desarts 〈◊〉 Of Minde Of Religion Of Persons and Places Of Language Of Reading Of Conference Of the body Of Exercises Of outward necessaâ—ies Of Money Of Bookes Of Apparell Manners of Nations Nature of Soiles Of people Of the Spaniard Of the Italian The Frenchman The German Of the Pole laque Of the Netherlander and Dane The Muscovite The Grecian The Turke The Persian The Armenian The Tartar The Moore The Savoyen The Switzer Government The Situation of England Bishopricks Wealth Qualities of the English England compared with Russia and Aethiopia With Germanie With Italie With Spaine With France M Paris fol. 68â— The King The Court. The Nobility Courts of Iustice. The Gentry The Citizens The Husbandman or Yeoman compared Compared with the Turk With the Hungarian With the Italian With the Spaniard With the Frenchmen With the German With the Irishman Concerning traffike The disposition of Male-contents abroad What other Nations conceive of us Spaine The Emperor The Pole and Moscovite The Turke Italy Millan Mantua Venice The Florentine The Pope Nâ—ples Sicil. The situation of England Forces At land Neighbourhood France The Spanish The Netherlands The Archduke Scotland Pit coale or Sea-coale Wales Ilands belonging to the Crowne of Great Brittaine Camden and Gyraldus Provinces Commodities Rivers Havens and Ports Paris Vniversitie London compared with Paris For populousnesse For neat and cleane streets For Aire For River For Bridges For a Castle For places of Retreit For seats of Iustice and concourse of Merchants For Colleges for students of the Lawes For Churches For decent riding For unconfused intermixtures For a Maior For the Court. Castles Charges Governments Lawes Officers of Court Great Master Gentlemen of 〈…〉 Mastâ—r or Stewâ—â—d of the Kings House Great Provost of France Great Faulciner and Common Hunt Gentlemen of the Kings Guard His Forces His Infantery Officers of waâ—â—e Constable The Marshall Admirall Discipline His Expence His Revenue The Domaine Conquest Pension Trafficke Sale of Offices Riches A good note Officers of his Finances The Treasurer Generalities Elections Receivers Controlleâ—s His Coine The Clergie The Temporal livings of the Church The grosse errors of the Cabinet of France 〈…〉 â—ecâ—es of â—â—ance Their Apparel Their Exercises Shooting Tennis-play Dancing Musicke Their Language 1. In deliberation 2. In matter of Warre 3. Entertaining of friendship 4. In managing 〈◊〉 〈…〉 his wife 6. In aptnesse to scoffe Townes Nature of the soile Forces Holland Gâ—ldeâ—lanâ— Over-Isel Vtrecâ—â— Groningen The Richeâ— Their forces By Land â—y Sea Belgian Riches Forces at Land At Sea Gotâ—â—â—â— Finland Riches Coâ—per Forces at land Sea-forces Fortifications Borders His dominions in Europe In Africa Within the Streights Without the Streights Vnder the Aequinoctiall In Asia In the New-World Islands Continent The riches of these places Peru. 〈◊〉 Philipinae His greatnesse in Europe Division of his dominions Spaine The Estates of Italy The dominion of India The Low-Countries Italian Provinces under the Spaniard Revenues ordinary Extraordinary Orders of Knighthood Malecontents The Iewes The Portugals The Arragonou The Nobles Revenues from Italie The Italian humouâ—â— The Indies 〈◊〉 yeare 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 made of another Oâ— Flanders Councell Government Correspondencie With the Pope With the College of Cardinals With the Emperour With the Archduchesse With France With Savoy Polonia With 〈◊〉 Tuâ—ks Forces at land Humours of the Spaniards Their Cavalrie Borderers The Venetians The French The Persian In Barbarie In Tuscanie Parma Vrbine Genoa Malta Lucca Venice From him Forces These Galleons I suppose were but poore â—â—gats Borderers Situation Plentie Climate Soyle Commodities Rivers Cities 〈…〉 Temporall Princes Revenue Forces Forces by Sea Austrich Bohemia Moravia 〈◊〉 Swevia Saxonie Situation Borderers Anhault Mansfield Force Erdford Dresden Vniversities Wittenberg 〈…〉 Fertilitie Riches Commodities People Manners of the people Artizans Merchants Nobles Valour Conceit of the English Councell Revenues The Duke of Brunswicke Bavaria Wirtemberg Michelburg Hesse Baden Ansbach Situation Circuit Strength The Territories Fertilitie Handicrafts Revenue Government Behaviour Situation The Causes of their first Revolts Levying of souldiers Government Their Soveraigne Magistrate Situation Length and Breadth Natures and manners of the people Merchants Artificers Husbandmen Sharers The King of Spaine The Pope The Venetians Genoa Florence Sienna Lucca Ferrara Mantua Vrbine Parma The Bishop of Rome Marchia Romagna Riches The State of Rome The College of Cardinals Tuscan Pisa. Florence Manners of the Florentines Arezzo Sienna His forces at land At Sea His Revenues Naples House of Piety Calabria Compasse and conteinue Calabria superior Situation Caesaria Gallipolis Apulia The extent Capitanato Mansredonia Puglia and Abruzze Malsi Benevento Forces at Land At Sea Revenue Nobilitie Riches Calabria Genoa Mâ—ineâ—s of the 〈◊〉 Venice The increase thereof The description Murano The Glasse-houses Venice The site thereof and hardnesse to approach Division of the State of Venice Of the Continent Of the Island s of the Gulfe Of the Islands out of the Gulfe Riches Of the Sea The strength of the State Forces at land At Sea Of Neighbours The Turke The Spaniard The Emperor The Pope Lombardie Milan Brescia Bologna Verona Modena Mantua Number of Inhabitants Moderne Forces Nature of the people Sicil. Garrisons 〈◊〉 Revenues Forces by land By Sea Bounded Fertility Manners Riches Forces Neighbours 〈◊〉 of Hungarie Bounded Government Forces at land forces by water Fortification Plentie Mines Reasons why the Turke standeth at a stay in Hungarie Causes of greatnesse of Empires Causes of declination Riches Revenues Neighbours Forces Government Riches Revenues Government Forces Riches Forces Infantery Pioners The description of Africke Creatures proper to Africke Numidia Gualata Tombut Gago Borneo Gaoga Kings Court. Its privileges Plentie His manner of government Revenues Forces Fertilitie State Revenue Borderers King of Borno Turke King of Adel. The Slaves Greatnesse Elephants teeth Mines Salomons Oâ—hir Government Fertility Riches Cair Anciently called Gâ—â—es Riches Bounded Shires Situation Mosco The soyle and climate Of Waters Forme of government 〈…〉 Riches and commodities Of his Entrada or Revenue Their crueltie in punishing offenders Of his strength Borderers The Circassi The Nagayans The Chrim Tartars Tartaria The Pole The large extent of all Tartaria Their features Their fashions Their Riches The ancient division Their moderne division Tartaria minor The Precopenses Tartaria deserta Astrachan The Zagataâ—e Bounded Fertilitie Forces His Coronation Government His Countries Cities Their Government The Iemoglans or tribute-children Their preferments A Beglerbeg A Sanziake A Chause The Spachi and then distinctions The Ianizars and their distinguishments Their birth-place Their training Their allowance Their licentious liberty Some say forty thousand The Azapi properly belonging to the Gallies The Tartars Forces at Sea Administration of Iustice. Revenues ordinary besides Timariots Extraordinary The Timariots Report saith that this is againe reconquered by the Persian Administration of Justice Borderers The Persian The Portugals Prester John The Xeriffe The Polander The Austrian The Venetians The Spaniard Patriarches of Constantinople Of Alexandria Of Ierusalem Of Antioch Thrace Gallipolis Macedon Epyrus Achaia Peloponnesus Dalmatia Maesia superior Servia Bulgaria Valachia The reason of the desolation of these Countries Moldavia Pontus Bithynia Bursia Asia minor Caramania Cappadocia or Amasia Cilicia Armenia minor Arabia Deserta Arabia Potrea Arabia Felix Situation Nature of the people The Curdines Gurgistâ—n or Georgia in times past Iberia Situation * Now Caesaria Pâ—ilippi * Now Gibelin Iordan Asphaltites Forces Galilie Nazareth Samaria Iudea Ierusalem Mount Calvarie Valley of Ichosaphat Bethlem Gaza Jdumea Phoenicia Sydon Acon Beritus Cities Government Desarts Forces Riches Borderers The Mogor The Zagatai The Turke One Tomana maketh twenty French Crownes Government Arts. Forces at land Force at sea Treasure Borderers Riches Forces Government Borderers Aracan Macin