their strength no man were able to make match with them for they that dwell neere them should haue any rest of them But I thinke it is not Gods will For I may compare them to a young Horse that knoweth not his strength whom a little Child ruleth and guideth with a bridle for all his great strength for if he did neither Child nor man could rule him Their Warres are holden against the Crimme Tartarians and the Nagayans I will stand no longer in the rehearsall of their power and Warres For it were to tedious to the Reader But I will in part declare their Lawes and Punishments and the execution of Iustice. And first I will begin with the Commons of the Countrey which the Gentlemen haue rule on And that is that euery Gentleman hath Rule and Iustice vpon his owne Tenants And if it so fall out that two Gentlemens Seruants or Tenants doe disagree the two Gentlemen examine the matter and haue the parties before them and so giue the Sentence And yet cannot they make the end betwixt them of the Controuersie but eâ—ther of the Gentlemen must bring his Seruant or Tenant before the high Iudge or Iustice of that Countrey and there present them and declare the matter and case The Plaintiffe saith I require the Law which is granted then commeth an Officer and arresteth the partie Defendant and vseth him contrary to the Lawes of England For when they attach any man they heate him about the legs vntill such time as he findeth Sureties to answere the matter And if not his hands and necke are bound together and hee is led about the Towne and beaten about the legs with other extreme punishments till he come to his Answere And the Iustice demandeth if it bee for Debt and sayth Owest thou this man any such Debt He will perhaps say nay Then saith the Iudge Art thou able to deny it Let vs heare how By Oath saith the Defendant Then he commandeth to leaue beating him till further tryall be had Their order in one point is commendable They haue no man of Law to plead their Causes in any Court but euery man pleadeth his owne Cause and giueth Bill and Answere in writing contrary to the order in England The Complaint is in manner of a Supplication and made to the Dukes Grace and deliuered him into his owne hand requiring to haue Iustice as in his Complaint is alleaged The Duke giueth sentence himselfe vpon all matters in the Law Which is very commendable that such a Prince will take paines to see ministration of Iustice. Yet notwithstanding it is wonderfully abused and thereby the Duke is much deceiued But if it fall out that the Officers be espied in cloking the truth they haue most condigne punishment And if the Plaintiffe can nothing proue then the Defendant must take his Oath vpon the Crucifixe whether he be in the right or no. Then is demanded if the Plaintiffe bee any thing able further to make proofe if he be not then sometimes he will say I am able to proue it by my body and hands or by my Champions body so requiring the Campe. After the other hath his Oath it is granted as well to the one as to the other So when they goe to the field they sweare vpon the Crucifixe that they bee both in the right and that the one shall make the other to confesse the truth before they depart foorth of the field and so they goe both to the battell armed with such weapons as they vse in that Countrey they fight all on foot and seldome the parties themselues doe fight except they bee Gentlemen for they stand much vpon their reputation for they will not fight but with such as are come of as good an house as themselues So that if either partie require the combate it is granted vnto them and no Champion is to serue in their roome wherein is no deceit but otherwise by champions there is For although they take great oathes vpon them to doe the battell truely yet is the contrary often seene because the common Champions haue no other liuing And assoone as the one partie hath gotten the victorie hee demandeth the debt and the other is carryed to Prison and there is shamefully vsed till hee take order There is also another order in the Law that the plaintiffe may sweare in some causes of debt And if the partie defendant bee poore hee shall be set vnder the Crucifixe and the partie plaintiffe must sweare ouer his head and when hee hath taken his oath the Duke taketh the partie defendant home to his house and vseth him as his bond-man and putteth him to labour or letteth him for hire to any such as neede him vntill such time as his friends make prouision for his redemption or else hee remayneth in bondage all the dayes of his life Againe there are many that will sell themselues to Gentlemen or Merchants to bee their bond men to haue during their life meate drinke and cloath and at their comming to haue a piece of money yea and some will sell their wiues and children to be bawds and drudges to the buyer Also they haue a Law for Fellons and pickers contrary to the Lawes of England For by their Law they can hang no man for his first offence but may keepe him long in Prison and oftentimes beate him with whips and other punishment and there hee shall remaine vntill his friends bee able to bayle him If hee be a picker or a cut-purse as there bee very many the second time he is taken hee hath a piece of his Nose cut off and is burned in the fore-head and kept in prison till he finde sureties for his good behauiour And if hee be taken the third time he is hanged And at the first time hee is extreamely punished and not released except he haue very good friends or that some Gentleman require to haue him to the warres And in so doing hee shall enter into great bonds for him by which meanes the Countrey is brought into good quietnesse But they bee naturally giuen to great deceit except extreame beating did bridle them They bee naturally giuen to hard liuing as well in fare as in lodging I heard a Russian say that it was a great deale merrier liuing in Prison then foorth but for the great beating For they haue meate and drinke without any labour and get the charitie of well disposed people But being at libertie they get nothing The poore is very innumerable and liue most miserably for I haue seene them eate the pickle of Herring and other stinking Fish nor the Fish cannot bee so stinking nor rotten but they will eate it and praise it to bee more wholesome then other fish or fresh meate In mine opinion there bee no such people vnder the Sunne for their hardnesse of liuing Well I will leaue them in this point and will in part declare their Religion
the same power In the Prouinces of Nicaragua and the Rich Coast one in the Iland of Cuba one Gouernour and Captaine which is resident in the Citie of Saint Christopher of the Auana there are besides the Gouernours of the Iland of Saint Iohn of Porte-rico Venezuela Soconusco Yucatan Cozuâ—el and Tabasco which is all one gouernment with authoritie to commend the Indians His Maiestie prouideth also the gouernments of Honduras the Margarite Florida new Bisquie Dorado those of the new Realme of Lion and that of Pacanoras Ygualsango which are for terme of life and the same in the Prouinces of Choco Quixos the Cynamom Ilands of Salomon Sancta Cruz of the Hill and the last is that of the new Andalusia Likewise there are prouided by his Maiestie the Rulerships following The Cuzco the Citie of the Plate and the seate of the mynes of Potosi and the prouince of Chicuito the Andes of Cuzco the citie of Truxillo Arrequipa Saint Iames of Guayaquil Guamanga the citie of the Peace Chiquiabo Saint Iohn of the Frontier Lion of Guanuco Old Hauen Zamora the inhabiting of the mynes of the Zacatecas in new Galicia Cuenca Loxa Tunja the citie of Mexico the citie of the Kings the prouince of Nicoya Chiefe Iusticeships are those of the village of Saint Sauiour of the prouince of Guatemala the inward part of Hispaniola Nombre de Dios the village of Chuluteca prouince of the Chiapa Zapotlitan the village of Nata Sancta Marie of the victorie in Tabasco And the chiefe Bayliwickes are in the citie of Saint Dominicke in Mexico in Guadalajara Saint Iames of Guatemala Panama holy Faith of Bogota Saint Francis of Quito the citie of the Kings the Plata In the Cities recited in euery one is a chiefe Bayliefe which hath a voice in Councell as a Ruler and Deputies named for the vse of his Office and in euery Court is another chiefe Bayliefe with facultie to name other two Deputies For the gouernment of the goods Royall are prouided by his Maiestie with the opinion of the supreme Councell of the Indies many Officers Factors Treasurers Tellers and Ouer-seers which all doe giue assurance in Castile and in the Indies of good and faithfull administration and because this new Commonwealth doth augment so much it seemed behoofefull to the seruice of God and of the King to ennoble and authorize it more with placing two Vice-royes one in New Spaine another in the Kingdomes of Piru that in the Kings name they should gouerne and prouide the things belonging to the seruice of God and of the King and to the conuersion and instruction of the Indians sustayning continuing inhabiting and ennobling of the said Kingdomes which experience hath shewed that it hath beene conuenient to the which Vice-royes instructions are giuen very particular of that which is recited and that they may haue in protection the holy office of the Inquisition and with their strong arme to defend and protect it that this conformitie as a fast knot may be the pure and true preseruation of the spirituall and temporall Estate which is the best and truest estate and most according to the Euangelicall estate The Vice-royes are commanded also and likewise the Iudges not to haue houses proper nor to trafficke nor contract nor be serued of the Indians neither haue any Grangeries nor meddle in Armies nor Discoueries that they receiue no guifts nor presents of any person nor borrow mony nor any thing to eate nor pleade nor receiue arbitrements That no Lawyer may plead where his father father in law brother in law cousin or sonne is Iudge That no Vice-roy President Iustice Iudge of the criminall Cases Solicitor nor their children may marry in the Indies That no Gouernours Rulers nor their Deputies may buy Lands nor build Houses nor trafficke in their iurisdiction That they may not farme the Bayliwickes nor Iaylorships nor other offices That no Gouernour Ruler nor chiefe Bayliefe during the time of his office may marry in the bounds of his iurisdiction That no Iudge be prouided for a Ruler neither shall the said Iudges or Bayliefs haue any charge in which they are to make any absence from their offices neither shall any office of iustice be giuen to the sonnes sonne in law brothers in law nor fathers in law of Presidents Iustices nor Solicitors nor to the Officers of the Courts and of the goods Royal neither to seruants nor allied of theirs and the same is commanded the Vice-royes And that none of the abouesaid Ministers doe accept warrant for recoueries nor other things nor serue themselues of the Indians without paying them That no Aduocate Scriueneâ— nor Relator doe dwell in the house of Iudge nor Bayliefe nor the Suiters serue the Iudges That the Iudges of Panama doe not accompanie themselues with the Dealers nor giue leaue to their wiues to accompanie them And that no Iustices of all the Courts shall haue much communication with the Suiters Aduocates nor Atturneys neither in body of a Court to goe to Marriages Funerals nor Spousals except it be a very weighty matter neither visite any Neighbour for any cause That they doe not meddle in matters of the Commonwealth nor any Iustice nor other minister of the Court may haue two offices in it And besides these many other Ordinances and good Lawes which are all concerning administration of iustice ANd because these Catholike Kings haue left nothing which most wisely they haue not prouided for according to their dutie the first thing they command the Vice-royes and all the Ministers in generall and particular is the good vsage of the Indians and their preseruation and the accomplishing of the Orders which are made as touching this for to punish the Offenders with great rigour and as the Indians doe learne the Castillan policie and can complaine and know in what things they receiue wrong for their greater ease it is prouided that they giue no place that the ordinarie writings be made in the suites betweene or with the Indians neither make any delayes as it is wont to happen by the malice of some Aduocates and Atturneys but that summarily they be determined keeping their vses and customes not being manifestly iniust and that by all meanes possible they doe prouide the good and short dispatch of them And hauing notice that in the interpretation of the Indians languages there were some fraudes for to preuent all it was ordayned that euery interpretation be made by two Interpreters which shall not confer both together about that which is controuerted by the Indian and that before they be receiued to the vse of the office they shall take their oath to administer it faithfully and that they receiue no guifts of the Indians suiters nor of others That they doe assist at the Agreements Courts and visitations of the Prisons That in their houses they heare not the Indians but to carry them to the Court. That the Interpreters be not Solicitors not
and simpler diet not on rapine and flesh or fish-deuouring prey Thunders and all tempestuous stormes trouble not the higher aiery Regions but the lower and those next the baser earthy dregs the sediment and sinke of the World nor doth ancient Philosophie reckon Comets other then Meteors or falling Starres to be Starres indeed but excludes both from the heauenly Sphaeres Had Alexander followed this rule and sought Greatnesse in Goodnesse like him which is Optimus Maximus the Great God the great Good of the World and in himselfe rather then others in being Master of himselfe then Lord of large Territories he neither had sighed after the conquests of other Worlds which Fâ—olâ—sophie had created before he had seene the tâ—nth part of this nor had dyed by poyson in a forraine Countrie forced to content himselfe with possessing nay being possessed of a few feet of earth then had he beene in very deed now but in Title GREAT Alexander Great Goodnesse is the true and good Greatnesse I know not how fit a Preface this may seeme to the ensuing Russian Relation this I am sure that they which write of Iuan Vasilowich the Great Great Muscouite doe lay heauie aspersions on his Father and Grand-father but on himselfe supersuperlatiues of crueltie that I mention not other vices both for Matter and Forme These things are deliuered particularly in the Histories of Alexander Gwagninus Tilmannus Bredenbachius Paulus Oderbornius Reinoldus Heidensten and others in large Tractates written thereof purposely His merits of the English might procure a silence of his euils wee of all men being in regard of respect to our Nation vnworthy to speake that which hee if those Authours haue not beene malicious was worthy to heare if so dreadfull effects did not force an Historian that is the Register of the execution of Acts of Gods bountie and iustice decreed in the Court of Diuine Prouidence to looke to the direfull Cause in foregoing sinnes that after Ages may heare and feare I will touch a few of those which Gwagninus alone relates His owne brother being accused An. 1570. by Wiskonati is said without leaue granted to cleare himselfe to bee put to exquisite tortures first and after to death his wife stripped and set naked to the eyes of all and then by one on horse-backe drawne with a rope into the Riuer and drowned Iohn Piâ—trowich a man of principall command accused of treason presenting himselfe to him not admitted to make any purgation was set in Princely accoutrements on a Throne the Emperour standing bare-headed before him and bowing to him but soone after with a knife thrusting him to the heart the Attendants adding other Furies till his bowels fell out his body dragged forth his seruants slaine three hundred others in his Castle executed his Boiarens all gathered into one house and blowne vp with poulder their Wiues and Daughters rauished before his face by his followers and then cut in pieces and no liuing thing left in their houses or grounds the husbandmens wiues stripped naked as they were borne and driuen into a Wood where were Executioners purposely set to giue them their fatall entertainment His Chancellor Dubrowsti sitting at table with his two Sonnes were also vpon accusation without answere cut in pieces and the third sonne quartered aliue with foure wheeles each drawne a diuers way by fifteene men Miessoiedowyschly supreme Notarie displeasing him his wife was taken from him and after some weeks detayning was with her hand-maid hanged ouer her husbands doore and so continued a fortnight he being driuen to goe in and out by her all that time Another Notaries wife was rauished and then sent home and hanged ouer her husbands table whereat he was forced daily to eate In trauelling if he met any woman whose husband he liked not he caused her to stand with her nakednesse disclosed till all his retinue were passed Cutting out tongues cutting off hands and feet of his complayning Subiects and other diuersified tortures I omit as also the guarding his father in lawes doores with Beares tyed there that none might goe in or out hanging his seruants at his doores torturing him for treasure casting hundreds of men at once into the water vnder the Ice two thousand seuen hundred and seuentie thus and by other tortures executed at Nouogrâ—d An. 1569. besides women and the poorer persons which Famine forced did eate the bodies of the slaine and were after slaine themselues the Archbishop also set on a Mare with his feet tyed vnder the belly and made to play on Bag-pipes thorow the Citie the Monks spoyled and slaine Theodore Sirconij the Founder of twelue Monasteries tortured to shew his treasure and then slaine Wiazinsky his Secretarie by many dayes renewed tortures dying hee recreating himselfe with letting Beares loose in throngs of people Iohn Michalowich Wiskewati the Chancellor his eares lips and other members one after another cut off by piece-meale notwithstanding all protestations of his innocency aboue two hundred other Nobles at the same time variously executed one his Treasurer two other Secretaries the Treasurers wife set on a rope and forcibly dragged to and fro thereon by that torturing her naked flesh to learne her husbands treasures whereof soone after shee dyed in a Monasterie into which shee was thrust All these are but a little of that which Gwagninus alone hath written A taste and touch is too much of bloud and in such immanities He is also said in a famine to haue gathered many people in expectation of almes on a bridge and there guarded the bridge being cut to drowne them as the readiest way for cheapnesse of corne But I lothe such crudities His last crueltie was on himselfe dying with griefe as was thought for the death of his eldest sonne Iuan whom falsly accused he struck with a staffe wrought with Iron whereof he dyed in few dayes after Hee was a man accused for communicating in disposition with his father and as a ioyfull Spectator of his tragicall executions But if any delight to reade the terrible and bloudie Acts of Iuan Basilowich he may glut if not drowne himselfe in bloud in that Historie which Paul Oderborne hath written of his life and both there and in others take view of other his vniust Acts. I will not depose for their truth though I cannot disproue it aduersaries perhaps make the worst For my selfe I list not to take sinkes against him and would speake in his defence if I found not an vniuersall conspiracy of all Historie and Reports against him I honour his other good parts his wit his learning perhaps better then almost any other Russe in his time his exemplarie seuerity on vniust Magistrates his Martiall skill industrie fortune wherby he subdued the Kingdoms of Casan and Astracan which also the Turke sending from Constantinople an Armie of three hundred thousand to dispossesse him of A. 1569. besides his hopes and helpes from the Tartars few returned to tell their disasters and the
of their Iewels and seeing they pleased him freely bestowed them on him He loth to be exceeded in liberalitie caused twice the value to bee giuen them and besides great and rich gifts Hauing stayed one yeare in the Countrey of the said Prince whiles they thought to returne to Venice there suddenly arose Warre betwixt the said Barcha and another named Alau Lord of the Easterne Tartars These Armies fighting together Alau had the Victorie and the Armie of Barcha receiued a great ouerthrow By reason whereof the wayes beeing not secure they were not able to returne that way which they came And hauing consulted how to returne to Constantinople they were aduised to goe so farre to the East that they might compasse the Realme of Barcha by vnknowne wayes and so they came to a Citie called Ouchacha which is in the Confines of the Kingdome of this Lord of the Tartars on the West and passing further they went ouer Tigris one of the foure Riuers of Paradise and after that a Desart of seuenteene dayes Iourney without Citie Castle or Fort finding only Tartars which liue in the fields in certayne Tents with their beasts Beeing past the Desart they came to a good Citie called Bocara the name also of the Prouince in the Region of Persia which was subiect to a King called Barach in which place they stayed three yeares before they could goe forward or backward by reason of great warres betwixt the Tartars At that time a certayne Wiseman was sent Ambassador from the said Prince Alau to the Great Can who is the greatest King of all the Tartars residing in the Confines of the Earth betwixt the North-east and the East called Cublai Can who being comne to Bocara and finding there the said two brethren which had now well learned the Tartarian Language he reioyced aboue measure and perswadeth these Westerne men or Latines to goe with him to the presence of the Great Emperour of the Tartars knowing that hee should gratifie him in this and the men notwithstanding should be entertayned with great honour and rewarded with large gifts especially seeing through the manifold conference had with them he now perceiued their pleasing behauiour Those men therefore considering that they could not easily returne home without danger consulting together ioyne with the said Ambassadour and iourney with him to the Emperour of the Tartars hauing certayne other Christians in their Company whom they brought with them from Venice and departing towards the North-east and the North were a whole yeare in going to the Court of the said chiefe King of the Tartars The cause of their long time in this Iourney was the Snowes and Riuer Waters much increased so that they were forced in their trauell to stay the wasting of the Snow and decreasing of the flouds Being therefore brought before the presence of the Great Can they were most courteously receiued of him He questioned them concerning many things as of the Countries of the West the Romane Emperour and other Kings and Princes how they carried themselues in Gouernment and in Warlike affaires how Peace Iustice and Concord continued among them also what manner of life and customes were obserued with the Latines and especially of the Pope of the Christians of the things of the Church and the Religion of the Christian Faith And M. Nicolo and M. Maffeo as Wisemen told him the truth alway speaking well to him and orderly in the Tartarian Tongue Insomuch that hee often commanded they should bee brought to his presence and they were very acceptable in his sight Hauing well vnderstood the Affaires of the Latines and resting satisfied with their answers the Great Can intending to send them his Ambassadours to the Pope first consulted with his Barons and then calling to him the two Brethren desired them for his loue to goe to the Pope of the Romans with one of his Barons called Chogatall to pray him to send an hundred Wisemen and learned in the Christian Religion vnto him who might shew his Wisemen that the Faith of the Christians was to bee preferred before all other Sects and was the only way of saluation and that the Gods of the Tartars were Deuils and that they and others the people of the East were deceiued in the worship of their Gods Hee gaue them also in charge to bring in their returne from Ierusalem of the Oyle of the Lampe which burneth before the Sepulchre of our Lord Iesus Christ to whom hee had great deuotion and held him to bee true God They therefore yeelding due reuerence to the Great Can promise that they will faithfully execute the charge commited vnto them and present the Letters which they receiued from him written in the Tartarian to be deliuered to the Bishop of Rome He according to the custome of his Kingdome commanded a Golden Tablet to bee giuen them ingrauen and signed with the Kings marke carrying the which with them throughout his whole Empire in stead of a Passe-port they might bee euery-where safely conueyed through dangerous places by the Gouernours of Prouinces and Cities and receiue expenses from them and lastly how long soeuer they would stay in any place whatsoeuer they needed to them or theirs should be ministred vnto them Taking their leaue therefore of the Emperour they take their Iourney carrying the Letters and Golden Tablet with them And when they had rid twentie dayes Iourney the Baron aforesaid associated vnto them began to fall grieuously sicke Whereupon consulting and leauing him there they prosecute their intended Iourney beeing euery-where courteously receiued by reason of the Emperours Tablet Yet in very many places they were compelled to stay by occasion of the ouer-flowing of Riuers so that they spent three yeares before they came vnto the Port of the Citie of the Armenians named Giazza From Giazza they goe to Acre to wit in the yeere of our Lord 1269. in the moneth of Aprill But hauing entred into the Citie of Acre they heard that Pope Clement the fourth was lately dead and that no other was substituted in his place for the which they were not a little grieued At that time there was a certaine Legate of the Apostolicall Sea at Acre to wit Master Tibaldo de Vesconti di Piacenza to whom they declared all they had in commission from the Great Can and he aduised them to expect the Creation of a new Pope In the meane space therefore departing to Venice to visit their Friends purposing to remayne there vntill another Pope were created Master Nicolo found that his wife was dead whom at his departure hee had left great with child but had left a sonne named Marco who was now nineteene yeeres of age This is that Marco which ordayned this Booke who will manifest therein all those things which he hath seene Moreouer the Election of the Pope of Rome was deferred two yeeres They fearing the discontentment and disquieting of the Emperour of the Tartars who they knew expected
marrieth and at such time as he marrieth them they are lodged in some of the Cities that he best liketh where they are well prouided of all things necessarie for their maintenance as sonnes to the King But they neuer see the Kings face any more after they are married All the Embassadours that come to China with Embassages from Kings or Princss receiue of the King great rewards and fauours and they giue him Cap and signes of Lothia whereby he hath great priuiledges in the Countrey They may whip and punish the Chinaes themselues so that they touch not any Louthia small or great for to meddle with these would breed great inconueniences This was the cause that Fernando Perez of Adrade going for Embassadour to China that the Chinaes did rise against him and hee escaped with his hands on his head losing some ships because hauing done vnaccustomed Iustice in China and vpon the Chinaes and they forbearing him he would stretch his hand to the Louthias The goods of the Embassadour and of his is free from customes and to him and to his they giue lodgings to dwell in and all things necessarie while they are in the Countrie No man no not a Louthia may disturbe him in any thing nor any thing of his One Lothia would haue whipped one of Siam for hauing carried a message to the Prison to certaine Portugals that were in Prison One of the Officers said vnto him that was present that he was of Siam of the Embassage wherefore being satisfied therewith he let him goe in peace desiring him he would not doe so againe With the Chinaes being so great as at the beginning we said and declared the King hath such meanes and industrie in the gouernement thereof that euery moneth he knoweth all that passeth through all the Realme and he knoweth it in this manner All matters of Iustice and of Warre and all annuities with all that is worth the knowing in euery one of the Prouinces is referred by the Louthias and by other persons to the Ponchasi and the Ponchasi maketh a relation of all by writing to the Tutan The Tutan is bound to send a Post euery moneth to the Court which carrieth the information in writing to the King of all things that passed in that moneth They count their moneths by the Moones and they are to be dispatched in such sort that at the beginning of euery Moone the Posts from all the Prouinces are to bee at the Court that the first day of the Moone it may be presented to the King as relations of all things happened in euery Prouince And although some Prouinces are farre distant from the Court that the Posts cannot come within a moneth to the Court notwithstanding in such manner they agree that euery Moone the King is to haue the relation of euery Prouince though the one be of more time then another because of the one Prouince being farre and the other neere The manner of the Posts is as among vs they carrie a Horne which they winde when they come neere to any Towne that they may haue a Horse ready in euery Towne within a certaine distance They are bound when they heare the Horne to haue a Horse ready for him which is done with such diligence as all the other seruices of the Officers And where hee is to passe a Foord as soone as he windeth his Horne with great speed they carrie him a Boat as I saw once going to the Citie of Cantan in a Towne that was in the way called Caaman Sometimes it hapneth by the malice of some Louthias when they haue any interest in it to keepe some things concealed that the King knoweth not but woe to them if the King come to know it for they are grieuously punished as wee shall see in a case hereafter following Being in India and also in China I was enformed that sometimes the King of China doth send some men of great confidence disguised through diuers parts of China that they might see how his Officers did serue him And if there were any nouelties or changes whereof they made him not priuie or some things that were necessarie to prouide § V. Of the Portugall commerce with the Chinois of the seuere Iustice executed vpon certaine Magistrates for wrongs done to the Portugals BEcause we spake many times before of Portugals captiues in China it will bee a conuenient thing that the causes of their Captiuitie be knowne where many notable things will be shewed Yee are to know that from the yeere 1554. hitherto the businesses in China are done very quietly and without danger and since that time till this day there hath not one ship beene lost but by some mischance hauing lost in times past many Because as the Portugals and the Chinaes were almost at warres when the Armies came vpon them they weighed anchor and put for the Sea and lay in places vnsheltered from tempests whereby the stormes comming many were lost vpon the coast or vpon some shelues But from the yeere 1554. hitherto Lionell of Sosa borne in Algarue being chiefe Captaine and married in Chaull made a couenant with the Chinaes that they would pay their duties and that they should suffer them to doe their businesses in their Ports And since that time they doe them in Cantan which is the first part of China and thither the Chinaes doe resort with their Silkes and Muske which are the principall goods the Portugals doe buy in China There they haue sure Hauens where they are quiet without danger or any one disquieting them and so the Chinaes doe now make their merchandise well and now both great and small are glad with the trafficke of the Portugals and the fame of them runneth through all China Whereby some of the principall of the Court came to Cantan onely to see them hauing heard the fame of them Before the time aforesaid and after the rising which Fernando Perez of Andrade did cause the businesses were done with great trouble they suffered not a Portugall in the Countrey and for great hatred and loathing called them Facui that is to say Men of the Deuill Now they hold not commerce with them vnder the name of Portugals neither went this name to the Court when they agreed to pay customes but vnder the name of Fangin which is to say People of another Coast. Note also that the law in China is that no man of China doe sayle out of the Realme in paine of death Onely it is lawfull for him to sayle along the coast of the same China And yet along the coast nor from one place to another in China it selfe it is lawfull to goe without a certificate of the Louthias of the Countrey whence they depart in which is set downe whither they goe and wherefore and the markes of his person and his age If he carrieth not this certificate he is banished to the Frontiers The Merchant that carrieth goods carrieth a
the Mandarines which come this way aske vs why we stay amongst these Mangines that is Rusticks and Barbarians We must say they leaue the Barke and pierce to the pith and marrow of the Kingdome if we would see the China splendor and politie He writes for Labourers Bookes Images and Pictures for consolation of new Conuerts the Ethnicks worship that of the Virgin and call her Scin mu nian nian that is holy Mother and Queene of Queenes and ends with imploring the patronage and intercession of all the heauenly Quire specially of the blessed Virgin the Apostles the Angels guardians of China to obtaine of the holy Trinitie happy successe to their endeuours c. But wee will returne to our best acquainted in China Ricius whom we left newly arriued at Nanquin The case was now altered at Nanquin they went on foot without impediment to their lodging which was in a huge Monastery called Cinghensu in which is great resort of guests which there hire lodgings being built in the centre of the Citie The Iaponians were now beaten from Corai and Quabacondono was dead which had so terrified that vnwarlike Nation He heard that they had heard of his going to Pequin and that the Corai warre was the frustrating of his designes in that vnseasonable time The President was verie glad of his comming and exhorted him to buy a house there and sends two of his followers to looke out for one Scarsly had he and Chiutaiso gotten home to their lodging when the President followeth to visit them which hee did with the solemnest Rites And when they were set in the Hall the Abbot came to offer them the wonted potion kneeling to all three to the President hee was bound as supreme gouernour of Temples and the President inuited the Father to spend two or three daies in his house to see the Fire-workes which that full Moone the first of the yeere would bee to bee seene which strange deuices of lights that and the following nights which he did and beheld that which without wonder cannot be beholden the Nanquiners herein exceeding as may be thought the whole world When it was reported that the President had visited him all the Maiestie of Magistrates did the like yea some whom he had not visited The President of the Court of Criminall Causes and the President of the Treasury which is the second Tribunall came with rites gifts as also did others yea hee which a little after was the High Colao at Pequin which all vrged him to buy a house and he now went thorow all Streets and Palaces without gainesaying which he knew from a vision hee before had had thereof and procured a house which the President helped to furnish So much admiration and respect had the opinion of Europaean science acquired to him these being to the China wits baits for the Gospels fishing Now first did they heare that the Earth was round for they conceited the Heauen round and the Earth square that the Centre drew all heauie things to it that the Vniuerse was inhabited round that there were Antipodes that the Earths interposition caused the Moones eclipse some saying that the Moon opposite to the Sunne was dazled or amazed others that there was a hole in the Sunne against which the Moone opposed lost her light that the Sunne was greater then the Earth and that the Starres also this was out of measure paradoxicall the like was the soliditie of the Orbes and their number the fixed posture of the Starres the Planets wandrings the eleuation and depression of the Pole according to the various Climates and likewise the inequalitie of the daies without the Tropikes Geographicall Maps in plano and Globes Meridians Parallels Degrees the Line Tropikes Poles Zones Spheres Sun-dialls they had not at all vnderstood with other points of Europaean learning A Doctor of theirs confessed himselfe ashamed For said hee you may thinke of me as wee doe of the Tartars and barbarous out-lawes for you begin where wee end which hee spake of the studie of eloquence which takes vp our childhood their whole life They numbred fiue Elements Metall Wood Fire Water Earth one of which they said was procreated of the other the Aire they did not acknowledge for one because they see it not placing a vacuum or emptinesse where wee place the aire as incredible it was that the fierie Element was the highest and that Comets and Exhalations were there with fired Father Matthew writ a booke of the Elements in their language much applauded and often by them reprinted Diuers became his Schollars one sent from his Master in Hanlin Colledge in Pequin the chiefe place for China learning to be admitted into which is a great dignitie Hee was very wittie and without any Master attained the first booke of Euclide and exacted of Father Matthew Geometricall demonstrations And when hee added some things of Christianitie you need not saith he confute that Idolatrous Sect it is enough to teach the Mathematikes For these Bonzi would also be Philosophers and Mathematicians They said the Sunne hid himselfe by night behinde a Hill called Siumi rooted in the Sea foure and twentie miles deepe And for the eclipses they said that the God Holochan caused that of the Sun couering it with his right hand and that of the Moone with his left Not at Pequin alone but at Nanquin also is a Colledge of China Mathematicians of better building then Astrologicall Science They do nothing but bring their Almanacks to the rules of the ancients when they mis-reckoned they ascribed it to irregularitie of nature not theirs deuising some prodigious euent to follow These at first were afraide that Father Matthew would haue depriued them of their dignitie and freed of that feare they visited him friendly and he them where hee saw a strange sight There is an high Mountaine on the top whereof is an open Plaine or Floore fit to contemplate the Starres In this open space one euery night is appointed to watch and obserue if any Comets or other alterations be in the skie thereof to giue the King notice and what it portends In this place of cast mettall are Mathematicall Instruments admirable for their greatnesse and neatnesse the like whereof wee haue not seene in Europe They haue continued there in all chance and change of weather neere two hundred and fiftie yeeres without damage Of them were foure greater the one a huge Globe distinguished by degrees with Meridians and Parallels as great as three men can fadome it stood on a huge Cube of brasse likewise vpon his Axel-tree in the Cube was a little doore sufficient for it to passe when need was On the vtter superficies was nothing grauen neither Stars nor Regions whereby it appeares that it was either vnfinished or purposely so left that it might serue both for a Celestiall and a Terrestriall Globe The second was a huge
grieuous punishment besides the losing of their Offices for that was certayn neuerthelesse there were many men of courage which wrote vnto him among whom there was one very renowned The letter which he wrote to the King began thus That although hee were assured that he were to be hanged and that the Fire were kindled to burne him yet hee would reprehend his vices and lewdnesses and the euill example that hee gaue to all his Kingdome And so hee did and spake verie freely and put him in great feare And it seemeth that for his sinceritie and courage the King had some regard of him and though hee punished him yet it was verie moderately There fell out another accident in this kinde within these few yeeres which because it is notable I will heere set it downe This King hath many women besides his lawfull wife which among themselues keepe the order of first and second Hee hath no Sonnes by his lawfull Wife but he hath one which is the eldest of the third or fourth and others yonger of the second The Eldest by the custome or lawes of the Kingdome is the lawfull inheritour although he bee of the fourth wife but hee bare more affection to the other and to her Sonne and desired by her perswasion to aduance him to bee Prince and would not haue aduanced the lawfull Heire The time being passed to performe the same many Mandarins lost their Offices for reprehending him of this disorder and for seeking to make him aduance the Eldest But the principall Mandarins of the Court perceiuing that hee proceeded on and would not doe that which they requested and which was reason consulted together and published a Proclamation which commanded all the Mandarins which are in the Court which are aboue some thousands that vnder paine of losing their Office they should all meete at such a day and such an houre in such a place of the Kings Palaces When they were all assembled at the day appointed with their Ensignes of Mandarins they put vp a Petition vnto the King saying That since so often they had aduised him of a thing so Iust and that hee made none account of them not seeking to aduance the true Prince that hee should seeke those that would serue him that all of them would there giue ouer their Ensignes of Mandarins and would no longer serue It seemeth the King was afraid of so great a resolution of the chiefest men of his Kingdome And so hee commanded an Eunuch to goe foorth vnto them and answer them that they should resume their Offices in Gods name and that hee would fulfill their request Finally they did effect so much that they caused him to doe that which was reason and so this yeere 1602. hee aduanced the true Prince of whom hereafter I will speake somewhat §. VI. Of the Gouernment of China Of the Mandarins the China Complements and manifold nicities NOw I haue touched the state of the Mandarins it offereth it selfe to speake of the manner of Gouernment in particular But I confesse vnto your Worship that the multitude of Offices which they haue is so great a frame that I was not able to vnderstand it to reduce it into order Onely I will say in generall that they haue many good things belonging vnto Gouernment but not the execution finally it is a Gouernment of Gentiles with a thousand faults There are no great store of Lawes but commonly they decide Controuersies of their owne heads and make Lawes in their Iurisdiction after their pleasure euery one diuerse And heere your Worship may imagine that the Gouernment in the practise cannot bee very iust since euery one that can tell how to make a good theame or exercise are not sufficient to bee Law-makers And it is very ordinarie among them to direct all things to their owne profit whereby of necessitie they commit many absurdities and wrongs and take all that they can get Bribes are vsuall and men vse these more then any thing else And though one of them know this fault in another they all dissemble as being in the same fault that others may winke at them And though they seeke to hide it one from another yet it is like the secret of Anchuelus The Mandarins are many in all Cities but very extraordinarie in the Courts of Nanquin and Paquin For in this Citie of Paquin besides the Mandarins of Armes whereof no great account is made and are more in number then the rest and besides those which alwayes repaire thither vpon the businesses of all the Prouinces Those that properly belong to this Citie and Court are aboue two thousand and fiue hundred who all or the most part heare Causes ordinarily twice a day so that wee cannot imagine what businesses occupie so many Mandarins nor what is the Iurisdiction of euerie one The most principall which are in all the Kingdome and heere are sixe Presidents of sixe Councels being the chiefest of the Kingdome There is one which is the greatest to whom belongeth the gouernment of all the Mandarins of the Kingdome to aduance them to higher Offices that doe deserue it and as much as they deserue to chastise and to degrade those which badly performe their Office which because it is a place so great and honourable the Chinois call him The Mandarin of Heauen who proposeth all these things to the King as to promote to aduance to disgrade the Mandarins and the King confirmeth them So that all the Mandarins how small soeuer they bee that are in all the Kingdome are appointed by the King The second hath the charge of all things belonging vnto Ceremonies as well humane of Courtesies and ceremonies in all royall Acts as in making the King the Prince and in marrying of them c. And all that which belongeth to the worship of the Sacrifices of the Dead and others which the Kings offer to Heauen and Earth There is another chiefe of the Councell of Warre another of the Kings Treasure which taketh the account of the Kings rents another Councell is of the Workes as of the Kings houses prouision for all things necessarie for the Walls of the Cities c. There is another of Chastisement whereunto causes criminall and sentences of Death doe belong Aboue these sixe there is onely one Degree which are absolutely the greatest before whom whatsouer the King doth in any thing is consulted of Although it bee true that these be rich and opulent in the conceit of the Chinois yet none of them in any thing may compare with any of the meanest Lord of title of our Countrey The wages which they haue of the King is small the attendance which they haue is of base people and of small countenance yet they are much respected and obeyed And the common people kneeleth vnto them as to the Mandarins The common chastisement which all the Mandarins doe giue is to whip them with peeces
Daughters Those assisting Captaynes he honoured with a plate of Iron like a Charger in which are engrauen those their exploits for deliuerance of the Kingdome which being shewne to the King is priuiledged with pardon of any penaltie though mortall three times except for Treason which forfeiteth presently all Priuiledges Euery time it obtaynes any pardon it is engrauen in the Plate The Sonnes in Law and Fathers in Law of the King and some which haue extraordinarily merited of the State enjoy like Honours and Reuenues with the same diminution of time as before He also ordained that all Magistracie and Gouernment should belong to those Licentiates and Doctors whereto neyther the fauour of the King or other Magistrates are necessary but their owne merits except where corruption frustrates Law All Magistrates are called Quonfu and for honours sake they are stiled Lau ye or Lau sie that is Lord or Father The Portugals call them Mandarins These haue some representation of Aristocratie in that Gouernment for though they doe nothing but first petitioning the King hee also determines nothing without their sollicitation And if a priuate man petitions which is seldome because Officers are appointed to examine Petitions before the King sees them the King if hee will grant it sends it to the Tribunall proper for that businesse to aduise him what is fit to bee done I haue found for certaine that the King cannot giue Money or Magistracie to any except hee bee solicited by some Magistrate I meane this of publike Reuenues which doubtlesse doe exceed one hundred and fiftie Millions yearely are not brought into the Palace Treasurie nor may the King spend them at his pleasure but all whether Money or Rice and other things in kinde are layed vp in the publike Treasuries and Store-houses in all the Kingdome Thence the expenses of the King his Wiues Children Eunuches Family and of all his Kindred are in Royall sort disbursed but according to the ancient Lawes neither more nor lesse Thence the Stipends of Magistrates and Souldiers and all Officers thorow the Kingdome are paid the publike Buildings the Kings Palace Cities Walls Towres Fortresses and all prouision of War are thence sustayned which cause new Tributes sometimes to be imposed this huge Reuenue notwithstanding Of Magistrates are two sorts one of the Court which rule there and thence rule the Kingdome and other Prouinciall which gouerne particular Cities or Prouinces Of both sorts are fiue or six Bookes to be sold euery where printed twice each moneth at Pequin as by their course of printing you haue seene is easie contayning nothing else but the name Countrey and degree of the Magistrates and therefore printed so often because of the exaltings shiftings setting lower death of Parents which suspends three yeares to mourning in priuate their owne deaths or depriuations Of the Court Tribunals are reckoned sixe the first Li pu Pu is asmuch as Tribunall or Court and Li as Magistrates to which it belongeth to name the chiefe Magistrates of the Kingdome bringing vp from the lower to the higher according to the Lawes prescribed or if they deserue it abasing or quite depriuing them For those Licentiates and Doctors continually ascend except their owne faults deject them wherein a depriuation makes for euer vncapable The second is called Ho-pu that is the Exchequer Court or that of the Treasury which exacts and disburseth the Kings Reuenues The third is the Li-pu or Court of Rites which ordereth the publike Sacrifices Temples Priests Kings Marriages Schooles Examinations Festiuall Dayes common Gratulations to the King Titles giuen to the wel-deseruing Physicians Colledges of Mathematicians entertayning and sending Embassages with their Rites Presents Letters the King holding it abasing to his Majesty to write to any The fourth is the Pimpu or Military Court which rewards the meriting and takes from the sluggish Souldier ordereth their Musters and giues Military degrees The fifth is Cumpu which hath care of the publike Buildings Palaces for the King or his Kindred and the Magistrates Shippes for publike burthens or Armadas Bridges Walls of Cities and all like prouisions The sixth Court is Himpu which inquireth into Criminall Causes and sentenceth them also all the publike Prisons are subject hereto All the affaires of the Kingdom depend on these Courts which therefore haue Magistrates and Notaries in euery City and Prouince to admonish them faithully of all things the multitude and order facilitating this so weighty a Designe For first in euery Court is a Lord Chiefe Iustice or President called Ciam Ciu who hath two Assistants one sitting at his right hand the other at his left called Cilam their dignity in the Royall Cities is accounted principall After these euery Tribunall hath diuers Offices each of which hath diuers Colleagues besides Notaries Courtiers Apparitors and other Seruants Besides these Tribunals there is another the greatest in the Court and Kingdome they call them Colaos which are three or foure sometimes sixe which haue no peculiar businesses but take care of the whole Re-publike and are the Kings Priuy-Counsell in all Affaires These are daily admitted into the Kings Palace and there abide whole dayes and answere as they see cause to the Petitions which are put vp to the King who was wont to define matters with these Colai in publike and shewing their answere to the King hee alters or approoueth the same and sets his hand thereto for the execution Besides these Orders of Magistrates and others not mentioned as like to our owne there are two sorts not vsuall with vs the one Choli the other called Zauli In each of these Orders are aboue sixty choice Philosophers men approued for their wisdome and courage before experienced These two Rankes are vsed by the King in Court or Prouince businesses of greater weight with great and Royall power which causeth to them great respect and veneration These by Libell admonish the King if any thing be done contrary to the Lawes in any parts of the Kingdome not sparing any of the Magistrates nor the Kings House nor the King himselfe to the wonder of other Nations And although the King sometimes bee touched to the quicke and toucheth them to the quicke againe yet cease they not still to rip the sore till it be cured Other Magistrates may doe it yea any priuate man but these mens Libels or Petitions are of most worth as proceeding from their peculiar Office The Copies of them and of the Kings answers are printed by many so that the Court and State Affaires flye thorow the Kingdome and are by some written in Bookes and those of most moment transcribed into the Annals of the Kingdome Of late when the King would for loue of a second Sonne haue excluded the eldest so many by Libels reprehended the King that he in anger depriued or abased one hundred of the Magistrates They yet ceased not but one day went together into
the Kings Palace and offered vp their Magistracies if he persisted to breake the Law Lately also when the chiefe of the Colai did not obserue the Law in two moneths space about one hundred Libels were put vp notwithstanding they knew him a great Fauourite and hee dyed within a while after as was thought of griefe There are also besides Magistrates not a few Colledges instituted for diuers purposes but the most eminent is that called Han lin Yuen into which none are chosen but choice Doctors after due Examinations They which liue in that Royall Colledge meddle not with Gouernment yet are of higher dignitie then the Gouernours Their Office is to order the Kings Writing to make Annals of the Kingdome to write Lawes and Statutes Of these are chosen the Masters of the Kings and Princes They wholly addict themselues to their studies and in the Colledge haue their degrees of honours which they attayne by writing Thence they are preferred to great dignities but not out of the Court. Neither is any chosen to bee a Colao but out of this Colledge They gaine much also by Writings for their Friends Epitaphs Inscriptions and the like which all seeke to haue of them their name giuing credit and reputation of Elegance These are the chiefe for Examinations of Licentiates and Doctors who hold them for Masters and send them Presents All these Pequin Magistrates are found also at Nanquin but obscured by the Kings absence Hum vu had fixed his Seat at Nanquin but after his death Yun lo one of his Nephewes who in the Northerne Prouinces defended with an Armie those Borders against the Tartars perceiuing Hum-vâ—â— Sonne but weake thought to depriue him of the Kingdome which hee effected by helpe of the Northerne Prouinces and with force fraud and largesse obtayned his Vncles Throne And because he was strongest in the North parts and most feare was from the Tartars there he there fixed his Residence where the Tartar Kings had wonted to abide and called that Citie Pequin that is the Northerne Court as Nanquin signifieth the Southerne leauing to this the former Offices and Immunities The Gouernment of the other thirteene Prouinces depends on two Magistrates the one Pucinsu the other Naganzasu the former judging Ciuill Causes the later Criminall both residing with great Pompe in the Mother Citie of the Prouince In both Courts are diuers Colleagues and they also chiefe Magistrates called Tauli which gouerning other Cities often reside in them The Prouinces are all distributed into diuers Regions which they call Fu each of which hath a peculiar Gouernour called Cifu These Regions are subdiuided into Ceu and Hien that is the greater or more eminent Townes and those which are more vulgar which are not lesse then our Cities if you except our greatest These haue their speciall Gouernours called Ciceu and Cihien The Gouernours of Cities and Regions haue their foure Assistants and Colleagues as Auditors and Iudges to helpe them As for the opinion of some that thinke those only to bee Cities which are called Fu and Ceu and Hien to bee Townes it is an errour for the City wherein the Gouernour of the Region resides is also called Hien and hath its peculiar Gouernour called Cihien and Assistants and the Cifu hath no more power there then in other places of his Iurisdiction which is the first Appeale to him as Superiour from the Cihien or Ciceu The second Appeale is to the Pucimfu and Naganzosu and their Colleagues in the Metropolitane Cities which Cities likewise haue their Cihien and Cifu aswell as the Subordinate all in incredible Symmetrie And because the whole Prouinciall Gouernment hath reference to Pequin therefore in euery Prouince besides these are other two superiour to them sent from the Royall Citie the one fixing his Residence in the Prouince called Tutam which may bee compared to our Vice-roy hauing command ouer other Magistrates and in Martiall affaires the other is yeerely sent from the Court and is called Cia-yuen as a Commissioner or Visitor which reuiewes all the Causes of the Prouince the Cities also and Castles inquireth of the Magistrates and punisheth some of the meaner sort acquainting the King touching the rest how euery one demeaneth himselfe and he onely executeth Capitall punishments Besides these are many others in Cities Townes and Villages and beside them many which haue command of Souldiers especially in the Confines and on the Coasts in supinest Peace watching and warding in Ports Walls Bridges Castles as in the hottest Warres with Musters and Martiall exercises All the Magistrates of the Kingdome are reduced to nine Orders whether you respect the Philosophicall or Militarie Senate to all which out of the Treasury is proportionably distributed monethly pay Money or Rice yet little answerable to that their Magnificence the highest Order not hauing one thousand Duckets yeerely and equall to all of the same ranke the supreame in matters of Warre hauing as much as the supreame in the literate Order if you looke to that which the Law alloweth But much more accrueth extraordinarie then this fee or stipend besides what any mans industrie couetise fortune bribing addeth by which they oft attayne to great wealth All the Magistrates vse the same Caps both Mercuriall and Martiall of blacke Cloath with two Eares or wings of Ouall figure which may easily fall off which being a disgrace causeth the more modestie and steadinesse in carriage of their heads They all weare like Vest and like blacke leather Bootes of peculiar fashion also a Girdle wider then the body about foure fingers broad adorned with circular and square Figures On the breast and backe they weare two square Cloathes Embroidered in which and the Girdles is great varietie according to their diuers Degrees by which the skilfull know their ranke and place The cloathes intimate it by the figures of Flowers Fowles Beasts the girdles by the matter of Wood Horne Sweet wood Gold or Siluer and the best of all of that Iasper before mentioned called Tu ce brought from Cascar Their shadowes or Sumbreros by their Colours and numbers intimate like difference They haue other Ornaments Banners Chaynes Censors Guards with Cryes to make way that in most frequent streetes no man appeareth more or lesse according to the Magistrates Dignitie The Chinois hauing plentie of all things care not for subduing the neighbour-Nations better keeping their owne lesse caring for others Countries then our Europeans their Chronicles of foure thousand yeeres not mentioning any care of enlarging their Empire And if any China impressions or foot-prints bee it is from men voluntarily going to other Countries not from the Kings ambition sending them It is also remarkeable that Philosopers beare all the sway the Souldiers and Captaynes being subject to them and sometimes beaten of them as Schoole-boyes by their Master euen in Militarie matters the King more vsing the aduise of Philosohpers then Captaynes whereupon
oppression of their Subiects being themselues of a Christian profession By this it appeareth how hard a matter it were to alter the state of the Russe Gouernment as now it standeth THe Emperours of Russia giue the name of Counsellour to diuers of their chiefe Nobilitie rather for honours sake then for any vse they make of them about their matters of State These are called Boiarens without any addition and may be called Counsellours at large For they are seldome or neuer called to any publike consultation They which are of his speciall and priuie Counsell indeed whom he vseth daily and ordinarily for all publike matters pertayning to the State haue the addition of Dumnoy and are named Dumnoy boiaren or Lords of the Counsell their Office or Sitting Boarstua dumâ—a Their names at this present are these in their order First Knez Feoder Ioanowich Methisloskey 2. Knez Iuan Michailowich Glinskoy 3. Knez Vasilie Iuanowich Suskoy Scopin These three are accounted to be of greater birth then wisedome taken in as may seeme for that end rather to furnish the place with their honours and presence then with their aduice or counsell 4. Knez Vasilie Iuanowich Suskoy thought to be more wise then the other of his name 5. Knez Feoder Michailowich 6. Knez Michata Romanowich Trowbetskoy 7. Knez Timophey Romanowich Trowbetskoy 8. Knez Andriew Gregoriwich Curakine 9. Knez Demetrie Iuanowich Forestine 10. Knez Feoder Iuanowich Forestine 11. Bodan Iuanowich Sabaroue 12. Knez Iuan Vasilowich 13. Knez Feoder Demetriwich Shestinoue 14. Knez Feoder Michailowich Troyconioue 15. Iuan Buterlyney 16. Demetrie Iuanowich Godonoe 17. Borrise Federowich Godonoe brother to the Empresse 18. Stephan Vasilowich Godonoe 19. Gregorie Vasilowich Godonoe 20. Iuan Vasilowich Godonoe 21. Feoder Sheremitoue 22. Andrew Petrowich Cleshenina 23. Ignatiâ— Petrowich Tatisloue 24. Romain Michailowich Peua 25. Demenshoy Iuanowich Cheremissen 26. Romain Vasilowich Alferioue 27. Andriew Shalcaloue 28. Vasilie Shalcaloue 29. Eleazar Wellusgin 30. Drezheen Penteleoue 31. Zapon Abramoue The foure last of these are called Dumnoy deiakey or Lord-Secretaries These are all of the Emperours priuie Counsell though but few of them are called to any consultation for that all matters are aduised and determined vpon by Borris Federowich Godonoe brother to the Empresse with some fiue or sixe more whom it pleaseth him to call If they come they are rather to heare then to giue counsell and doe so demeane themselues The matters occurrent which are of State done within the Realme are informed them at their â—ittings by the Lords of the foure Chetfirds or Tetrarchies Whereof mention is made in the Chapter concerning the Gouernment of their Prouinces Who bring in all such Letters as they receiue from the Dukes Dyacks Captaines and other Officers of the Citie and Castles pertayning to their seuerall Quarter or Chetfird with other aduertisements and informe the Counsell of them The like is done by the chiefe Officer of euery seuerall Office of Record who may come into the Counsell-chamber and informe them as occasion incident to his Office doth require Besides matters of State they consider of many priuate Causes informed by the way of supplication in very great numbers Whereof some they entertayne and determine as the Cause or meanes can procure fauour Some they send to the Offices whereto they pertayne by common course of Law Their ordinary dayes for their sitting are Mondayes Wednesdayes and Fridayes Their time of meeting is commonly seuen of the clocke in the morning If there bee any extraordinary occasion that requireth consultation on some other day they haue warning by the Clerke of of the Counsell called Dorofey Bushew who receiueth order from the Roserad or High Constable of the Realme to call them together at the time appointed FOr the receiuing of Customes and other Rents belonging to the Crowne there are appointed diuers Vnder-officers which deliuer ouer the same into the head Treasurie The first is the Office of Dwoertsoua or Steward of the houshold The second is the Office of the Chetfirds which I comprehend vnder one though it be diuided into foure seuerall parts as was said before The third is called Bulsha Prechode or the great Income As touching the first which is the Office of the Steward it receiueth all the Rents of the Emperours Inheritance or Crowne-land which they call Vochin The Vochin or Crown-land contayneth in it sixe and thirtie Townes with the Territories or Hundreds belonging vnto them Whereof the chiefe that yeeld the greatest Rents are these Alexandrisca Corelska Otfer Slobodey Danielska Moisalskoy Chara Sametska Strararouse Bransoue c. The Inhabitants or Tenants of these and the other Townes pay some Rent money some other Rent duties called Obrâ—key as certaine Chetfirds or measures of Graine Wheat Rye Barley Oats c. or of other victuall as Oxen Sheepe Swannes Geese Hares Hennes wilde Fowle Fish Hay Wood Honey c. Some are bound to sowe for the Emperours prouision certaine acres of ground and to make the Corne ready for his vse hauing for it an allowance of certaine acres of ground for their owne proper vse This prouision for the houshold specially of Graine serued in by the Tenants is a great deale more then is spent in his house or in other allowance serued out in liuery or for the Emperours honour called Schalouaney for which vse there is bestowed very much both in Graine and other Victuall This surplus of prouision is sold by the Steward to the best hand and runneth into the Emperours Treasurie In the time of Iuan Vasilowich father to this Emperour who kept a more Princely and bountifull house then the Emperour now doth this ouerplus of Graine and other incomes into the Stewards Office yeelded to his Treasurie not past 60000. Rubbels yeerely but riseth now by good husbanding of the Steward Gregory Vasilowich Godonoe to 230000. Rubbels a yeere And this by the meanes of the Empresse and her kindred specially Borris Fedorowich Godonoe that account it all their owne that runneth into the Emperors Treasure Much of this surplusage that riseth out of the Rent prouision is employed to the payment of the wages of his houshold Officers which are very many attending at home and purueying abroad The second Office of Receit is called the Chetfirds being diuided into foure seuerall parts as before was said hath foure head Officers which besides the ordering and gouernment of the Shires contayned within their seuerall Chetfirds haue this also as a part of their Office to receiue the Tagla and Podat belonging to the Emperour that riseth out of the foure Chetfirds or Quarters The Tagla is a yeerly Rent or Imposition raised vpon euery Wiâ—e or measure of Graine that groweth within the Land gathered by sworne men and brought into the Office The Wite contayneth sixtie Chetfirds Euery Chetfird is three Bushels English or little lesse The Podat is an ordinary Rent of money imposed vpon euery Soake or Hundred within the whole
Russia as was sayd before as Waxe Tallow Hides Flax Hempe c. grow and goe abroad in farre lesse plentie then they were wont to doe because the people being oppressed and spoyled of their gettings are discouraged from their labours Yet this one thing is much to bee noted that in all this oppression there were three brethren Merchants of late that traded together with one Stocke in common that were found to bee worth 300000. Rubbels in money besides Lands Cattels and other Commodities Which may partly be imputed to their dwellings farre off from the eye of the Court viz. in Wichida one thousand miles from Mosko and more The same are sayd by those that knew them to haue set on worke all the yeere long ten thousand men in making of Salt carriages by Cart and Boat hewing of Wood and such like besides fiue thousand Bond-slaues at the least to inhabite and till their Land They had also their Physitians Surgeons Apothecaries and all manner of Artificers of Doutches and others belonging vnto them They are sayd to haue payed to the Emperour for Custome to the summe of three and twentie thousand Rubbels a yeere for which cause they were suffered to enioy their Trade besides the maintayning of certayne Garrisons on the borders of Siberia which were neare vnto them Wherein the Emperour was content to vse their purse till such time as they had got ground in Siberia and made it habitable by burning and cutting downe Woods from Wichida to Perm aboue one thousand verst and then tooke it all away from them perforce But this in the end being enuyed and disdayned as a matter not standing with their policie to haue any so great specially a Mousick the Emperour began first to pull from them by pieces sometimes twentie thousand Rubbels at a time sometime more till in the end their Sonnes that now are are well eased of their Stocke and haue but small part of their Fathers substance the rest being drawne all into the Emperours treasurie Their names were Iacone Gregorie and Simon the Sonnes of Oâ—â—ka For the qualitie of their people otherwise though there seemeth to bee in there some aptnesse to receiue any Art as appeareth by the naturall wits in the men and very children yet they excell in no kinde of common Art much lesse in any learning or literall kinde of knowledge which they are kept from of purpose as they are also from all military practice that they may bee fitter for the seruile condition wherein now they are and haue neither reason nor valour to attempt innouation For this purpose also they are kept from trauelling that they may learne nothing nor see the fashions of other Countries abroad You shall seldome see a Russe a traueller except hee bee with some Embassadour or that hee make an escape out of his Countrey Which hardly he can doe by reason of the borders that are watched so narrowly and the punishment for any such attempt which is death if hee bee taken and all his goods confiscate Onely they learne to write and to read and that very few of them Neither doe they suffer any stranger willingly to come into their Realme out of any ciuill Countrie for the same cause farther then necessitie of vttering their commodities and taking in of forreine doth enforce them to doe And therefore this yeere 1589. they consulted about the remouing of all Merchants strangers to the border Townes to abide and haue their residencie there and to bee more wary in admitting other strangers heereafter into the Inland parts of the Realme For the same purpose also they are kept within the bounds of their degree by the Lawes of their Countrey so that the sonne of a Mousick Artificer or Husbandman is euer a Mousick Artificer c. and hath no meanes to aspire any higher except hauing learned to write and reade hee attayne to the preferment of a Priest or Dyack Their Language is all one with the Slauonian which is thought to haue beene deriued from the Russe Tongue rather then the Russe from the Slauonian For the People called Sclaui are knowne to haue had their beginning out of Sarmatia and to haue tearmed themselues of their Conquest Sclauos that is Famous or Glorious of the word Sclaua which in the Russe and Slauonian Tongue signifieth as much as Glorie or Fame Though afterwards being subdued and trod vpon by diuers Nations the Italians their Neighbours haue turned the word to a contrary signification and terme euery Seruant or Peasant by the name of Sclaue as did the Romanes by the Getes and Syrians for the same reason The Russe Character or Letter is no other then the Greekâ— somewhat distorted Concerning their Trades Diet apparell and such like it is to be noted in a seuerall Chapter of their priuate behauiour This order that bindeth euery man to keepe his ranke and seuerall degree wherein his fore-fathers liued before him is more meet to keepe the Subiects in a seruile subiection and so apt for this and like Commonwealths then to aduance any vertue or to breed any rare or excellent qualitie in Nobilitie or Commons as hauing no further reward nor preferment whereunto they may bend their endeauours and employ themselues to aduance their estate but rather procuring more danger to themselues the more they excell in any noble oâ— principall qualitie THeir Courts of Ciuill Iustice for matters of Contract and other of like sort are of three kinds the one being subiect vnto the other by way of appeale The lowest Court that seemeth to be appointed for some ease to the Subiects is the Office of the Gubnoy Starust that signifieth an Alderman and of the Sotskoy Starust or Bayliffe of the Soake or Hundred whereof I spake before in the ordering of the Prouinces These may end matters among their neighbours within their Soake or seuerall Hundred where they are appointed vnder the Dukes and Dyacks of the Prouinces to whom the parties may remoue their matter if they cannot be agreed by the said Gubnoy or Sotskoy Starust The second is kept in the head Townes of euery Prouince or Shire by the said Dukes and Dyacks that are Deputies to the foure Lords of the Chetfirds as before was said From these Courts they may appeale and remoue their Suits to the chiefe Court that is kept at the Mosko where are resident the Officers of the foure Chetfirds These are the chiefe Iustices or Iudges euery of them in all Ciuill matters that grow within their seuerall Chetfird or Quarter and may be either commenced originally before them or prosecuted out of the inferiour Courts of the Shires by way of appeale Their commencing and proceeding in Ciuill actions is on this manner First the Plaintife putteth vp his Supplication wherein he declareth the effect of his Cause or wrong done vnto him Whereupon is granted vnto him a Wepis or Warrant which he deliuereth to the Prastaue or Sergeant to doe the arrest vpon
Archbishop of Larissa who is now in England and pretendeth the same cause of their banishment by the Turke to wit their not admitting of the Popes new Kalender for the alteration of the yeere Which how vnlikely it is may appeare by these Circumstances First because there is no such affection nor friendly respect betwixt the Pope and the Turke as that hee should banish a Subject for not obeying the Popes ordinance specially in a matter of some sequel for the alteration of Times within his owne Countries Secondly for that hee maketh no such scruple in deducting of times and keeping of a just and precise account from the Incarnation of Christ whom hee doth not acknowledge otherwise then I noted before Thirdly for that the sayd Patriarch is now at Naples in Italy where it may be ghessed he would not haue gone within the Popes reach and so neere to his nose if hee had beene banished for opposing himselfe against the Popes Decree This office of Patriarchship now translated to Mosko beareth a superiour Authoritie ouer all the Churches not onely of Russia and other the Emperours Dominions but thorow out all the Churches of Christendome that were before vnder the Patriarch of Constantinople or Sio or at least the Russe Patriarch imagineth himselfe to haue the same authoritie Hee hath vnder him as his proper Diocesse the Prouince of Mosko besides other peculiars His Court or Office is kept at the Mosko Before the creation of this new Patriarch they had but one Metropolite that was called the Metropolite of Mosko Now for more state to their Church and new Patriarch they haue two Metropolites the one of Nouogrod velica the other of Rostoue Their office is to receiue of the Patriarch such Ecclesiasticall orders as hee thinketh good and to deliuer the charge of them ouer to the Archbishops besides the ordering of their owne Diocesse Their Archbishops are foure of Smolenso Cazon Vobsko and Vologda The parts of their office is all one with the Metropolites saue that they haue an vnder Iurisdiction as Suffraganes to the Metropolites Superiors to the Bishops The next are the Vladikeis or Bishops that are but sixe in all of Crutitska of Rezan of Otfer and Torshock of Collomenska of Volodemer of Susdalla These haue euery one a very large Diocesse as diuiding the rest of the whole Countrey among them The matters pertayning to the Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction of the Metropolites Archbishops and Bishops are the same in a manner that are vsed by the Clergie in other parts of Christendome For besides their authoritie ouer the Clergie and ordering such matters as are meere Ecclesiasticall their jurisdiction extendeth to all Testamentarie causes matters of Marriage and Diuorcements some Pleas of iniuries c. To which purpose also they haue their Officials or Commissaries which they call Boiaren Vladitskey that are Lay-men of the degree of Dukes or Gentlemen that keepe their Courts and execute their Iurisdiction Which besides their other oppressions ouer the common people raigne ouer the Priests as the Dukes and Dyacks doe ouer the poore people within their Precincts As for the Archbishop or Bishop himselfe hee beareth no sway in deciding those causes that are brought into his Court. But if hee would moderate any matter he must doe it by intreatie with his Gentleman Officiall The reason is because these Boiarskey or Gentlemen officials are not appointed by the Bishops but by the Emperour himselfe or his Councell and are to giue account of their doings to none but to them If the Bishop can intreat at his admission to haue the choice of his owne Officiall it is accounted for a speciall great fauour But to speake it as it is the Clergie of Russia aswell concerning their Lands and reuenues as their Authoritie and Iurisdiction are altogether ordered and ouer-ruled by the Emperour and his Councell and haue so much and no more of both as their pleasure doth permit them They haue also there Assistants or seuerall Counsels as they call them of certayne Priests that are of that Diocesse residing within their Cathedrall Cities to the number of foure and twentie a piece These aduise with them about the speciall and necessarie matters belonging to their charge Concerning their Rents and Reuenues to maintayne their dignities it is somewhat large The Patriarchs yeerely rents out of his Lands besides other fees is about 3000. Rubbels or Marcks The Metropolites and Archbishops about 2500. The Bishops some 1000. some 800. some 500. c. They haue had some of them as I haue heard say ten or twelue thousand Rubbels a yeere as had the Metropolite of Neuogrod Their Habit or Apparell when they shew themselues in their Pontificalibus after their solemness manner is a Mitre on their heads after the Popish fashion set with Pearle and Precious Stone a Coape on their backes commonly of Cloth of Gold embroydered with Pearle and a Crosiers Staffe in their hands layed ouer all with Plate of Siluer double gilt with a Crosse or Sheepherds Crooke at the vpper end of it Their ordinary habit otherwise when they ride or goe abroad is a Hood on their heads of blacke colour that hangeth downe their backes and standeth out like a Bon-grace before Their vpper Garment which they call Reis is a Gowne or Mantell of blacke Damaske with many Lists or Gards of white Sattin layed vpon it euery Gard about two fingers broad and their Crosiers staffe carried before them Themselues follow after blessing the people with their two fore-fingers with a maruellous grace The Election and appointing of the Bishops and the rest pertayneth wholy to the Emperour himselfe They are chosen euer out of the Monasteries so that there is no Bishop Archbishop nor Metropolite but hath beene a Monke or Frier before And by that reason they are and must all bee vnmarried men for their Vow of Chastitie when they were first shorne When the Emperour hath appointed whom he thinketh good hee is inuested in the Cathedrall Church of his Diocesse with many Ceremonies much after the manner of the Popish Inauguration They haue also their Deanes and their Arch-deacons As for preaching the Word of God or any teaching or exhorting such as are vnder them they neither vse it nor haue any skill of it the whole Clergie being vtterly vnlearned both for other knowledge and in the Word of God Onely their manner is twice euery yeere viz. the first of September which is the first day of their yeere and on Saint Iohn Baptists day to make an ordinary speech to the people euery Metropolite Arch-bishop and Bishop in his Catherall Church to this or like effect That if any bee in malice towards his Neighbour hee shall leaue off his malice if any haue thought of Treason or Rebellion against his Prince hee beware of such practice if hee haue not kept his Fasts and Vowes nor done his other Duties to the Holy Church hee shall
abroad in the Towne it was also carryed to the Princes Court in the Hage at which time the Lord Chancellour of Denmarke Ambassadour for the sayd King was then at Dinner with Prince Maurice for the which cause we were presently fetcht thither by the Scout and two of the Burgers of the Towne and there in the presence of those Ambassadours and the Burger-masters wee made rehearsall of our Iourney both forwards and backwards I thought good to adde hither for Barents or Barentsons sake certaine Notes which I haue found the one Translated the other Written by him amongst Master Hakluyts Paper This was Written by William Barentson in a loose Paper which was lent mee by the Reuerend Peter Plantius in Amsterdam March the seuen and twentieth 1609. THe foure and twentieth of August Stilo nouo 1595. wee spake with the Samoieds and asked them how the Land and Sea did lye to the East of Way-gates They sayd after fiue dayes iourney going North-east wee should come to a great Sea going South-east This Sea to the East of Way-gates they sayd was called Marmoria that is to say A calme Sea And they of Ward-house haue told vs the same I asked them if at any time of the yeere it was frozen ouer They sayd it was And that sometimes they passed it with Sleds And the first of September 1595. Stilo nouo the Russes of the Lodie or Barke affirmed the same saying that the Sea is sometimes so Frozen that the Lodies or Barkes going sometimes to Gielhsidi from Pechora are forced there to Winter which Gielhsidi was wonne from the Tartars three yeeres past For the Ebbe and Flood there I can finde none but with the Winde so runneth the streame The third of September Stilo nouo the winde was South-west and then I found the water higher then with the winde at North or North-east Mine opinion is grounded on Experience That if there bee a passage it is small or else the Sea could not rise with a Southerly Winde And for the better proofe to know if there were a Flood and Ebbe the ninth of September Stilo nouo I went on shoare on the South end of the States Iland where the Crosse standeth and layd a Stone on the brinke of the Water to proue whether there were a Tide and went round about the Iland to shoote at a Hare and returning I found the Stone as I left it and the Water neither higher nor lower which prooueth as afore that there is no Flood nor Ebbe CHAP. VI. A Treatise of IVER BOTY a Gronlander translated out of the Norsh Language into High Dutch in the yeere 1560. And after out of High Dutch into Low Dutch by WILLIAM BARENTSON of Amsterdam who was chiefe Pilot aforesaid The same Copie in High Dutch is in the hands of IODOCVS HONDIVS which I haue seene And this was translated out of Low Dutch by Master WILLIAM STERE Marchant in the yeere 1608. for the vse of me HENRIE HVDSON WILLIAM BARENTSONS Booke is in the hands of Master PETER PLANTIVS who lent the same vnto me INprimis it is reported by men of Wisedome and Vnderstanding borne in Gronland That from Stad in Norway to the East part of Island called Horn-nesse is seuen dayes sayling right West Item men shall know that betweene Island and Gronland lyeth a Riffe called Gombornse-skare There were they wont to haue there passage for Gronland But as they report there is Ice vpon the same Riffe come out of the long North Bottome so that we cannot vse the same old Passage as they thinke Item from Long-nesse on the East side of Island to the abouesaid Horn-nesse is two dayes sayle to the Brimstone Mount Item if you goe from Bergen in Norway the course is right West till you bee South of Rokenesse in Island and distant from it thirteene miles or leagues And with this course you shall come vnder that high Land that lyeth in the East part of Groneland and is called Swafster A day before you come there you shall haue sight of a high Mount called Huit-sarke and betweene Whitsarke and Groneland lyeth a Head-land called Hernoldus Hooke and thereby lyeth an Hauen where the Norway Merchants Ships were wont to come and it is called Sound Hauen Item if a man will sayle from Island to Gronland hee shall set his course to Snofnesse which is by West Rokenesse thirteene miles or leagues right West one day and nights sayling and after South-west to shun the Ice that lyeth on Gombornse-skare and after that one day and night North-west So shall hee with this course fall right with the abouesayd Swafster which is high Land vnder which lyeth the aforesayd Head-land called Hornoldus Hooke and the Sound Hauen Item the Easter Dorpe of Groneland lyeth East from Hernoldus hooke but neere it and is called Skagen Ford and is a great Village Item from Skagen Ford East lyeth a Hauen called Beare Ford it is not dwelt in Iâ— the mouth thereof lyeth a Riffe so that great Ships cannot harbour in it Item there ir great abundance of Whales and there is a great Fishing for the killing of them there but not without the Bishops consent which keepeth the same for the benefit of the Cathedrall Church In the Hauen is a great Swalth and when the Tide doth runne out all the Whales doe runne into the sayd Swalth Item East of Beare Ford lyeth another Hauen câ—lled Allabong Sound and it is at the mouth narrow but farther in very wide The length whereof is such that the end thereof is not yet knowne There runneth no Streame It lyeth full of little Iles. Fowle and Oxen are there common and it is playne Land on both sides growne ouer with greene Grasse Item East from the Icie Mountayne lyeth an Hauen called Fendebother so named because in Saint Olafes time there was a Ship cast away as the speach hath beene in Groneland In which Ship was drowned one of Saint Olafes men with others and those that were saued did burie those that were drowned and on their Graues did set great stone Crosses which wee see at this day Item somwhat more East toward the Icie Mountayne lyeth a high Land called Corse Hought vpon which they Hunt white Beares but not wiâ—hout the Bishops leaue for it belongeth to the Cathedrall Church And from thence more Easterly men see nothing but Ice and Snow both by land and water Now wee shall returne againe to Hernoldus Hooke where we first began to come to the first Towne that lyeth on the East side of Hernoldus Hooke called Skagen Ford and so we will write the Names of all that lye on the West-side of the Ford or Sound Item West from Hernoldus Hooke lyeth a Dorpe called Kodosford and it is well built and as you sayle into the Sound you shall see on the right hand a great Sea and a Marsh and into this Sea runneth
Cities but liued together in Companies and peaceably and gouerned by some of the ancientest among them that they were lothsome in their feeding and liued on the flesh of such beasts as they tooke that they had no knowledge of Corne or Bread were cunning and skilfull Archers making their Bowes of a gentle and flexible kind of Wood and that their Arrowes were headed with sharpened stones or fish bones with those they killed wilde beasts which are exceeding plentifull in those places that they sowed also with bones of fishes seruing them for Needles their thred being made of the sinewes of certaine small beasts and so they sew together the Furres wherewith they cloath themselues the Furrie side in Summer turned outward and in Winter inward That they couered their Houses with the Skins of Elkes and such like beasts little esteemed among them Finally these Messengers of Oneeko searched curiously into euery matter and returned home stored with costly Furres Now when as Oneeko vnderstood by their report that which he so much longed to know he together with certayne others of his Friends continued his Trafficke into those Countreyes for diuers yeeres together by meanes whereof the Oneekos grew very mightie and bought great Possessions in all parts Those that dwelled neere vnto them beeing ignorant from whence all this wealth arose greatly wondred at it For the Oneekos builded Churches in some of their Villages Yea afterward they erected in the Towne of Osoil vpon the Wichida where at that time they dwelt an exceeding faire Church which was raysed from the very foundations of hewen stone Finally they knew no end of their goods Now among the Russes it goeth for a common Prouerbe that Hee which hath no friends in Court is scarce to be accounted in the number of the liuing For most commonly it happeneth that they that excell others in any thing are presently enuyed and falsly accused in the Princes Court where if they haue not a friend to succour them they are forth-with without hearing the cause oppressed yea and vtterly ruined For which cause the Oneekos beeing growne to much wealth as is said got into the fauour of one of the greatest in the Court which was Borisodanoua Brother to the Wife of the Emperour Pheodor Euanowich then reigning to whom also he succeeded in the Empire Vnto this Boris the Oneekos determined to reueale the whole matter who first presenting him with gifts after the custome of the Countrey prayed him to grant them hearing in a matter which they had to deliuer for the benefit of the whole Empire Boris presently liftning to this Petition receiued them with extraordinary kindnesse and after they had declared vnto him the situation of the Countreyes of Samoiedia and Siberia then what they had seene and obserued therein and how great Riches might thence arise vnto the Empire of Moscouia Boris presently grew into an ardent desire to set forward this businesse entertayning them as his Children and gracing them to the vttermost of his power procuring them from the Emperour a most ample Priuiledge by which it was ordayned That they should for euer enjoy the Lands which they possessed and might dispose of them vnto their Heires at their pleasure And farther if it happened they were abiding in the Citie of Moscua he tooke them into his owne Sled which among the Moscouites is the greatest kind of honour especially being offered by principall Noblemen such as then was Boris a man of the greatest power and in whom the chiefe authoritie of the Empire rested Boris pondering these things attentiuely signified the whole matter to the Emperour to whom it was very pleasing And not sleeping about the matter employed therein certayne Captaynes and Gentlemen of small abilitie of his owne followers commanding them to prepare themselues to goe to that Iourney in company of such as the Oneekos should appoint vnto them and that they should apparell themselues gallantly and like vnto Ambassadors adding further certayne Souldiers and Presents of small value to be distributed among the people to which they should come enioyning them further to note diligently all Passages Riuers High-wayes Woods and what else they should meete with in their trauell as also to commit to memorie the names of them that at their returne they might make a faithfull and true report thereof adding further that they should intreat the people with all courtesie and that they should seeke out some conuenient place for building of Castles and Fortresses and that in any case if it were possible they should bring backe with them into Moscouia some of the Inhabitants of those Countryes These Messengers being sufficiently furnished with all things necessary for the Iourney namely Apparell Weapons Money and Presents departing from the Moscua not long after came to the Riuer Wichida and to the Oneekos who also sent some of their owne people with them Assoone as they were arriued into those parts they began to performe what was giuen them in charge shewing freely all tokens of courtesie vnto the barbarous people and carefully obseruing who were of greatest authoritie among them to whom they vsed reuerence and gaue gifts such as were of small and almost no value to themselues but which seemed so precious vnto the other that when the Moscouites were comming a farre off towards them they would stay for them with great dancings and clapping of their hands and cast themselues downe at the feet of the Giuers being so gallantly attyred accounting them altogether as Gods The Moscouites vsing the Samoieds for their Interpretors which had continued certayne yeeres in the Villages of Moscouia to learne their Language began to discourse with the Barbarians concerning their Emperour of Moscouie whom they wonderfully extolled and made him little lesse then an Earthly God enterlacing other things with all whereby those people were stirred vp to wish that they might behold these things with their eyes These their desires were pleasing to the Moscouites who signified that they were likewise well contented therewithall Adding that they would leaue certayne pledges among them which during the Samoieds abode in Moscouia might learne their Language And by this meanes they drew vnto their purpose the good will of many of the people on the West-side of Obi who of their owne accord subjected themselues to the authoritie of the Moscouites and suffered them to lay a Taxation vpon them promising yeerely of euery head not excepting the Boyes that were but yet learning to handle the Bow two skinnes of Sables which to themselues were of no value but esteemed of the Moscouites as precious as Iewels These they promised to deliuer to such a Treasurer as the Emperoâ—r should ordayne Neither did they faile to performe the same After this the Messengers passed ouer the Riuer Obi and trauelled beyond it almost two hundred leagues toward the East and North-east hauing seene by the way many wild beasts of strong shapes most cleere Fountaynes
perspicuous by the rusticks for they wanted then altogether those Lawes Rites Letters and Manners But the Tartars being taught by the Turks humanitie and that false worship the more nobler now generally practise hospitality Law or Iustice is administred in the Towns or Cities of the Chan other Sultans among the Tartars after the Mahometane Law There are alwayes presbiterall Cadi or Iudges in the Villages Begi or Iustices who heare and decide particular iniuries but causes of life bloud theft which we call Criminall or of Land which we call Ciuill or Officiall the Chan himselfe decideth with his Counsellours In resoluing of which they need no Lawyer nor vse tricks of law calumnies excusations nor procrastinations The Tartars or Strangers of meane condition lay open themselues very freely their wrongs before the Iudges and Chan of whom they are alwayes heard and speedily discharged for at any time any may haue accesse to him When hee comes in publike men of the basest degree are not excluded but being seene of the Chan are examined to wit if they haue any suit that they relate it For they doe not onely performe great obedience to the Lawes they adore and venerate their Princes in Gods steed All spirituall Iudges after Mahomets Law are accounted among them for Saints men of all equitie and integritie fidelitie and opinion The Princes and Magistrates execute and dispatch whatsoeuer is bidden or commanded suddenly and faithfully with alacritie promptnesse and great feare They are far from controuersies criminations iustices vnnecessary and personall brawlings enuy hatred filthy excesse luxury and ambition in their victualls and array I abode their nine moneths neither heard I Criminall or Ciuill Act to haue happened among them or any composition by reason of enmitie In the Princes Court they weare not nor at home Swords neither Bowes nor any other weapon except Wayfarers and Trauellers to whom they are very courteous and friendly They are alwayes secure from Spoylers but except they keepe perpetuall watch they are lesse safe from High-way-theeues and Night-robbers who steale nothing from them but their Horses Although they haue a rich soyle yet very few Gentlemen or Plebeians prouide for the houshold estate for many neither till nor sow their ground they abound with Horses Camels Oxen Kine Sheepe and Flockes of all Cattle and thereof liue Yet the Gentlemen haue bread flesh meate distilled wine and Metheglin but the rusticks want bread but vse stampt Millet and macerated with milke and water which they vulgarly call Cassa for meate and for drinke they vse Mares milke and cheese They feed on Camels Horses and Oxen vnprofitable for burthen and kill them when they are about to dye sometimes eate sheeps flesh The Gentlemen dwell not in the Plaines but in the Villages of Taurica or the Peninsula They which are neere Woods liue in them although many doe not possesse proper Villages yet they haue peculiar Lands and Manors They vse the Vngarian Russian Moschouian Valachian or Moldauian slaues which they keepe and whereof they haue great plentie as beasts to euery worke Their houses are of Timber much after the Turkish fashion but the Greeke Christians who are in a few Townes labour and till their grounds as beasts The Tartars serue the Chan or Tartarian Nobles being hired at no price but onely that they may haue meate and apparell but the rest and the greatest part of them are alwayes idle In the Cities or Townes are very few Merchants but some few practise Mechanick crafts and some Merchants or Artificers are found there either Christian Slaues or Turkes Armenians Iewes Cercessians Petigorens which are Christians Phylistins or Cyngans men of obscure and lowest degree Those Tartars which liue in the Plaines beyond Perecopia or in the Peninsula haue no woods euery where digge Wells They vse in stead of Wood Beasts dung which their Bond-men gather in the Fields and dry in the Sunne and houses of the same forme whereof mention is made in the former description Those Tartars which are Slaues and Subiects of the Chans Sultans and other Noble-men are drudges and alwayes keepe and pasture their Lords innumerable Herds of Cattle and although they goe from place to place into the Plaines and Pastures in seuerall Streets Hamlets Townes or Villages by separated troupes or hords whereof they beare the Names and of their Masters so that men may easily find there those Tartars Slaues which they seeke to buy The Chan hath alwayes by the leagues and agreements an annuall Donatiue of the King of Polonia the great Dukedome of Lituania the Palatine of Moldauia and Cercasian and Nogaien Tartars The Legats Orators Messengers Truchmen of those Princes come to him yeerely whom sometimes he entertaines benignely and bountifully but sometimes receiues misuses and detaynes a great while after a more then brutish manner When therefore they come into Perecopia one of the Chans men meets them in the Summer in the Medow or Plaine where they rest vnder a Tent in the Winter they are opportunely and commodiously conuayed into the Village of Alma or Bacchasanium more safely bordering on the Towne of the Kings Palace But after they are lodged there they are saluted by the Counsellours or Seruants of the Court in the Chans name which procure them refreshing or victuals two oxen or one some sheep bread wine and barley not liberally but in a kind of hospitalitie and moderately sufficient for once But when they are called to the Chan hee heares them the Soldans Tuians Vlans Marzies chiefe Counsellours and many other Ministers of his Court and principall Tartars being present they are conducted onely by one man to the Chans gate but are brought in by two Counsellours When as therefore they are entred in they reuerence the Chan after the ancient custome of the Nation and hauing saluted him on bended knees declare their message and are admitted to eate with him They are honoured with cups and goblets gilded and embossed with gems filled with Mead or Methegline reached from the Chans hand after the order of that people in signe of clemencie and beneuolence which they drinke on bended knees And when they are dispatched the Chan inuites them againe to a Feast The Feast being ended they goe backe a little from the Palace doores and are rewarded with Silke Vests wouen with Gold as low as the anckles prepared after the guise of the Nation with one Horse or two not seldome with Captiues of their owne people And so attired with those Vests they returne againe to the Chan and render thankes to him for his hospitalitie and liberalitie and hauing saluted him depart from the Banket Sometimes a small prouision is procured for them by one of the Chans men in his Dominions when he takes his iourney and he is conuayed by him as farre as Boristhenes The Turkish Emperours haue made that authoritie constant to the Chan in Taurica or the
embracements And least the miserable cry of the children in horrible torment being heard might moone the bowels of the parents the Priests of Moloch filled the ayre and skie on euery side with the harsh sound of Trumpets and striking vp of Drummes so long as the sacrifice continued Whereupon also the place was named Tophet which signifieth a Drumme This Adricomus writeth And least any might thinke that the common people onely of the Iewes became thus blinde behold Kings Ahaz 2. King 16. 2. Paralip 28. Manasses there in the 21. and 33. where also the ancient custome of the Nations may bee alleaged But that crueltie and those sacrifices of Saturne seeme not to haue continued long with the Islanders and surely they were vsed no where else saue in the two places assigned Nor yet of all the Inhabitants of that Prouince where it was exercised For it is reported of Hiâ—rleifus the companion of â—ugulfus before mentioned that he altogether abhorred the worshipping of Idols And Helgo also surnamed Biola descended from the Barons of Norway an inhabitant of the Prouince of Rialarues fauoured the Ethnick Religion but a little for he receiued an Irish man a banished Christian into his neighbourhood one named Ornulfus with his families which came with him and did not onely receiue him but also permitted him to build a Church consecrated to Saint Columbe in the Village of Escuberg A yong man also of the same Prouince called Buo destroied that most accursed Temple of humane sacrifices with fire and burned all the Gods although afterward it was repaired by the Proprietors Moreouer Torchillus surnamed Mane it may bee because hee honoured the Moone called Mane and the rest of the Starres with more Religion then the rest a man of a very vpright life and famous among the Nobilitie of Island a little before the agonie of death caused himselfe to bee set forth ouer against the Sunne and openly admiring the workmanship of Heauen and the whole World commended his Soule departing when he was readie to die to that God who created the Sunne and the rest of the Starres He liued about the yeere of Christ 970. The same or the like may be reported of very many others while Ethnicisme yet continued As of Hallerus a certaine inhabitant of South Island who because hee followed not the worship of Idols was called Godlaus that is to say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as was also his sonne Helgo The publique Offices some of them are distinguished from hence others haue their originall from some other place Those which are taken from hence are a Reppagogie that I may deuise a word and the administration of Prouinces to wit as that partition into Reppes and Prouinces ended as it were in sundrie species but both had some kinde of gouernment ioyned with it For aswell the Reppagogi for so I may call the Masters of Reppes as the prouinciall Gouernours proclaimed Assemblies established Iudgements euery one in their Court and punished the guiltie whereby it is euident that they also vsed the Law of Appeale in forren Causes for in their own euen priuate men had libertie of Appeale so that I need not doubt that the Reppagogi also were comprehended vnder the Title of a Magistrate Who is defined by Bodinus to bee Hee that hath part of a publique gouernment Metho hist. cap. 16. I added saith he the word Publique that it might be distinguished from the gouernment of a Master or a Father If therefore any would desire a more perfect distinction of a Magistrate it should be such A Magistrate is inferior or superior The inferior is a Reppagogie or Gouernour of fiue men which fiue inhabitants chosen for gouernment of the Reppes vsed in euery Reppe whom we are here compelled to call Reppagogie and The fiue men they call them Hreppflior ar appointed first for their wisedome and integritie next for the possession of immoueable goods vnlesse concerning this latter it seeme good to doe otherwise by the common opinion Moreouer the Office of the Reppagogi is limited by the care of the Poore But that which the care of the Poore required euery one within the bounds of their Reppe endeuored to attaine by these two meanes First that they should prouide that none should bee suddenly brought to extreme pouertie as much surely as consisteth in mans pollicy Secondly how they might prouide for such as were become Beggars to be maintayned by the common aide And surely they attempted the first part of their office three manner of wayes first by making Lawes against such as through their owne fault speaking after the manner of men became beggars of which sort are those titul de exhaeredandis cap. 3. Parentibus mendicis natus ipse hâ—stiatim victum quaerendo educatus nisi morbo affectus hareditatem nullam adito c. that is to say So long as he liueth from doore to doore The 18. chapter of the same and the first three yeere next from the time of begging cap. 20. Least any vnder a feigned shew of vertue should deceiue and abuse the Lawes Also Altera lex de eiusmodi mendicis impunè castrandis etiamsi cum eorundem nece coniunctum foret titul de pupillis cap. 33. to wit Lest liuing from doore to doore they might beget children like vnto the parents which afterwards should be a burden to the Commonwealth Also a third Law De ijsdem mendicis non alendis titul de mendicis cap. 39.63 not repugnant to the commandement of the Apostle Hoe that laboureth not let him not eate 2. Thes. 3. and of not receiuing them so much as into their house cap. 45. of the same a grieuous penaltie being inflicted if any offended against this Law in the same place By which Decree what other thing I pray you is meant then the custome of the Athenians in times past among whom the Areopagitae inquired of the particular Citizens by what art euery one liued and prouided to haue them called in question who gaue themselues to filthy and slothfull idlenesse What other thing I say then what was meant by the Decree of the Massilienses who forbad them to enter their Citie who knew no arte whereby to sustaine their life and lest any should practise either vnprofitable or dishonest artes they gaue no place to Players counterfeit Iesters laughing Companions sawcy Scoffers and Iugglers To conclude What other thing then what the Decree of Solon meant who ordayned a Law that the children should owe no thanks nor fauour to their parents by whom they had beene instructed in no honest arte to get their liuing The ancient World had so great and vehement prouocations vnto Vertue euen with our Countrimen which in this last age ah too degenerate you may finde wanting with griefe all these Constitutions being taken away Wherefore the number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that I may vse the word of Paul is more abundantly increased that is to say of them
Empire Wee straightly command our Nobles in generall and all other our authorized peopl that according to this our Imperiall letters of priuiledge they suffer the foresaid Merchants to passe without all manner of hindrance or lets without taking any manner of customâ— of them for themselues or for their goods and into what place soeuer they shall come or 〈◊〉 with their Merchandize and shall not desire to buy nor sell with our people those our authorized 〈◊〉 shall freely let them passe without taking any manner of customes according to this our Imperiall gracious priuiledge And wheresoeuer the English Merchants shall happen to sell or barter â—ny of their 〈…〉 with our Merchants they are to barter and sell them in their owne house by grosse sale and not by 〈…〉 small measure and weight as by the yard pound and ounce that is to say their Cloath by whole Cloathes and Packs Damaske and Veluets by the Pocce and all other wares that are to be sold by weight accordingly Also the Wiâ—es by the great viz. by the Butt the Pipe the Hogshâ—â—d and by the Aâ—me and not by small measure as Veders or Pots And the said English Merchants are to sell and barter their owne Commodities themselues in our Empire But the Russe Merchants shall neither sell nor barter for them neither shall the English carry or transport to or from any place any Wares belonging to other Strangers by way of their owne goods And if the said English Merchants shall be desirous to sell any of their commodities at Cylmogro or vpon the Riuer of Dwina or at Vologda or Yeresâ—aue or other the Townes and Cities of our Empire they may sell at their plesures 〈◊〉 likewise at their owne choise and pleasure they may transport their goods into all or any part of our Dominions and hire Carriers Boats and men aâ— such price as they themselues can agree Also when the English Merchants themselues or any of their Factors doe trauell out of our Dominions into their owne or other forraigne Kingdomes and that wee shall be pleased to deliuer them of our Treasure they shall take it with them and sell and barter it for such commodities as wee shall thinke fit and necessarie for our vse and Treasury our Gouernours and all other our Officers in all our Cities and Dominions shall suffer them and their people freely to passe without taking any custome of them but when the English Merchants haue done their trafficke and are going from our Citie of Mosco they shall giue notice thereof vnto the Chancellour of our Office of Ambassadours Further when any English Merchants shall come with their Shippes and Vessels by Sea into our Dominions and that any misfortune happen vnto them by shipwracke 〈◊〉 any of our shoares or coasts our Gouernours and Officers shall cause search to be made for their goods and shall aide and helpe them faithfully therein and the goods gathered together shall be restored to the English Merchants who shall be at that time in our Kingdomes and if there shall be at that time none of the English Merchants or people in our Kingdomes the said goods shall be taken and laid vp in safety and deliâ—ered without delay to the English Merchants when they shall câ—me into our Countrey and shall challenge the same Further of our gracious goodnesse we gaue free leaue to the English Merchants and Company to keepe the house in Mosco by Saint Maxsime behinde the Market place and shall remaine after their old manner and therein shall haue one housekeeper a Russe or else one of their owne Seruants but no other Russe people the houses which the English Merchants haue in other places of our Dominions aâ— at Yereslaue Vologda Collm and at Saint Michaell Archangell they shall keepe and vse at their pleasure according to our former gracious fauour without paying any duetie rent taxe or any manner of custome whatsoeuer neither shall the people of the said Townes take any thing of them of theirs for any duetie whatsoeuer belonging to their houses and the said English Merchants shall enioy their said houses peaceably to themselues without the annoyance of any Stranger or other to lodge in them whether in time of their being there or in their absence And in their houses at Yereslaue Vologda Collmogro and Archangell they shall likewise haue a housekeeper of their owne people or of our Subiects a man or two of the meaner sort but so that those our people be no merchants Their Housekeeper being a Russe shall not vndertake to meddle or sell any of their wares without themselues be present and they the English Merchants by vertue of this our gracious Letters of priuiledge shall lay their wares and commodities in their owne houses and sell them to whom they please And it shall be lawfull for the said Merchants when they shall arriue at our Sea Port to lade and vnlade their Merchandizes as in times past at their pleasures and when they lade or vnlade their Shippes it shall be lawfull for them to hire any of our Subiects to helpe them and shall haue leaue to carry their goods to and fro with their owne Vessels and howse them in their owne Ware-houses onely they shall giue a note vnder their hand to our Gouernours Customers or sworne men what goods they bring in and Shippe out Whereby it may be knowne what goods commeth in and goeth out of our Kingdomes but in no wise our Officers shall open or vnpacke any of their Wares or Merchandize in any place wheresoeuer Also when the English Merchants shall Shippe or transport any of their Countrie Commodities from Saint Michaell Archangell to our royall Citie of Mosco or Russe Commodities into their owne Countrie our authorised Officers and Customers by vertue of this our Imperiall Letters of priuiledge shall suffer them to passe with their goods in and out without doing them any manner of hindrance And whensoeuer any of the said English Merchants or Factors shall haue occasion to send ouerland out of our Dominions any of their people or Seruants into their owne Countrie ouerland they shall freely passe by this our speciall command onely they are to take a passe letter from our Chancellour of the Office of Embassie And whosoeuer in any of our Cities shall haue any matter against the English Merchants by way of coâ—tention we command that none of our Gouernours nor other of our Officers doe iudge the English Merchants their Factors or people neither shall they send Officers for them except for matter of murther or theft and thâ—â— also not to be done but by manifest tâ—ken thereof but the English Merchants their Factors and people shall onely haue triall and be iudged in our Imperiall Citie of Mosco by vertue of this our gracious Letters of priuiledge before our Chancellour in this Office of Embassie and in no other place or Towne and he to heare their causes and to giue iustice betweene both parties according to
was sent to doe and that hee not being armed to resist the force of the Saluage people that might happen hee therefore set sayle and returned homewards againe towards Noua Spania where hee arriued at Acapulco Anno 1592. hoping to be rewarded greatly of the Viceroy for this seruice done in this said Voyage Also he said that after his comming to Mexico hee was greatly welcommed by the Viceroy and had great promises of great reward but that hauing sued there two yeares time and obtained nothing to his content the Viceroy told him that he should be rewarded in Spaine of the King himselfe very greatly and willed him therefore to goe into Spaine which Voyage hee did performe Also he said that when he was come into Spaine he was greatly welcommed there at the Kings Court in wordes after the Spanish manner but after long time of suite there also hee could not get any reward there neither to his content And that therefore at the length he stole away out of Spaine and came into Italie to goe home againe and liue among his owne Kindred and Countrimen he being very old Also he said that hee thought the cause of his ill reward had of the Spaniards to bee for that they did vnderstand very well that the English Nation had now giuen ouer all their voyages for discouerie of the North-west passage wherefore they need not feare them any more to come that way into the South Sea and therefore they needed not his seruice therein any more Also he said that in regard of this ill reward had of the Spaniards and vnderstanding of the noble minde of the Queene of England and of her warres maintayned so valiantly against the Spaniards and hoping that her Maiestie would doe him iustice for his goods lost by Captaine Candish he would bee content to goe into England and serue her Maiestie in that voyage for the discouerie perfectly of the North-west passage into the South Sea and would put his life into her Maiesties hands to performe the same if shee would furnish him with onely one ship of fortie 〈◊〉 burden and a Pinnasse and that he would performe it in thirtie dayes time from one end to the other of the Streights And he willed me so to write into England And vpon this conference had twise with the said Greeke Pilot I did write thereof accordingly into England vnto the right honourable the old Lord Treasurer Cecill and to Sir Walter Raleigh and to Master Richard Hakluyt that famous Cosmographer certifying them hereof by my Letters And in the behalfe of the said Greeke Pilot I prayed them to disburse one hundred pounds of money to bring him into England with my selfe for that my owne purse would not stretch so wide at that time And I had answere hereof by Letters of friends that this action was very well liked and greatly desired in England to bee effected but the money was not readie and therefore this action dyed at that time though the said Greeke Pilot perchance liueth still this day at home in his owne Countrie in Cefalonia towards the which place he went from me within a fortnight after this conference had at Venice And in the meane time while I followed my owne businesse in Venice being in Law suit against the Companie of Merchants of Turkie and Sir Iohn Spencer their Gouernour in London to recouer my pension due for my office of being their Consull at Aleppo in Turkie which they held from me wrongfully And when I was as I thought in a readinesse to returne home into England for that it pleased the Lords of her Maiesties honourable Priuie Counsell in England to looke into this Cause of my Law suit for my reliefe I thought that I should be able of my owne puâ—se to take with me into England the said Greeke Pilot. And therefore I wrote vnto him from Venice a Letter dated in Iuly 1596. which is copied here-vnder Al Mag co Sig or Capitan IVAN DE FVCA Piloto de Indias amigo mio char mo en Zefalonia MVy honrado Sennor fiendo yo para bueluerme en Inglatierra dentre de pocas mezes y accuerdandome de lo trattado entre my y V. M. en Venesia sobre el viagio de las Indias me ha parescido bien de scriuir esta carta à V. M. paraque si tengais animo de andar con migo puedais escribirme presto en que maniera quereis consertaros Y puedais embiarmi vuestra carta con esta nao Ingles que sta al Zante sino hallais otra coientura meier con el sobrescritto que diga en casa del Sennor Eleazar Hycman Mercader Ingles al tragetto de San Thomas en Venisia Y Dios guarde la persona de V. M. Fecha en Venesia al primer dia de Iulio 1596. annos Amigo de V. M. Michael Lok Ingles And I sent the said Letter from Venice to Zante in the ship Cherubin And shortly after I sent a copie thereof in the ship Mynyon And also a third copie thereof by Manea Orlando Patron de Naue Venetian And vnto my said Letters he wrote mee answere to Venice by one Letter which came not to my hands And also by another Letter which came to my hands which is copied here-vnder Al Ill mo Sig or MICHAL LOCH Ingles in casa del Sig or LASARO Merca. der Ingles al tragetto de San THOMAS en Venesia MVy Illustre Seg or la carta de V. M. receui à 20. dias del Mese di Settembre por loqual veo Loche V. M. me manda io tengho animo de complir Loche tengo promettido à V. M. y no solo yo mas tengo vinte hombres para lieuar con migo porche son hombres vaglientes y assi estoi esperando por otra carta che auise à V. M. parache me embiais los dinieros che tengo escritto à V. M. Porche bien saue V. M. como io vine pouer porche me glieuo Capitan Candis mas de sessanta mille ducados come V. M. bien sane embiandome lo dicho ire à seruir à V. M. con todos mis compagneros I no spero otra cossa mas de la voluntad è carta de V. M. I con tanto nostro Sig or Dios guarda la Illustre persona de V. M. muchos annos De Ceffalonia à 24. de Settembre del 1596. Amigo seruitor de V. M. Iuan Fuca. And the said Letter came to my hands in Venice the 16. day of Nouember 1596. but my Law suite with the Companie of Turkie was not yet ended by reason of Sir Iohn Spencers suite made in England at the Queenes Court to the contrarie seeking onely to haue his money discharged which I had attached in Venice for my said pension and thereby my owne purse was not yet readie for the Greeke Pilot. And neuerthelesse hoping that my said suite would haue shortly a good end I wrote another Letter to this Greeke
with wildernesse for euerie sort To these places the Lords of Mexico vsed to goe and sport themselues such and so many were the houses of Mutezuma wherein few Kings were equall with him He had daily attending vpon him in his priuate Guard sixe hundred Noblemen and Gentlemen and each of them three or foure seruants and some had twentie seruants or moe according to his estate and in this manner he had three thousand men attendant in his Court and some affirme more all the which were fed in his house of the meate that came from his table The seruing men alwaies abode below in the Court all the day and went not from thence till after Supper It is to be thought that his Guard was the greater because the strangers were there although in effect of truth it is most certaine that all the Lords that are vnder the Mexicall Empire as they say are thirtie persons of high estate who are able to make each of them a hundred thousand men There are three thousand Lords of Townes who haue many vassals These Noblemen did abide in Mexico certaine times of the yeare in the Court of Mutezuma and could not depart from thence without especiall licence of the Emperour leauing each of them a sonne or brother behinde them for securitie of rebellion and for this cause they had generally houses in the Citie such and so great was the Court of Mutezuma There is not in all the Dominions of Mutezuma any subiect that paieth not tribute vnto him The Noblemen pay their tribute in personall seruice The Husbandmen called Maceualtin with body and goods In this sort they are either Tenants or else heires to their possessions Those which are heires doe pay one third part of all their fruite and commoditie that they doe reape or bring vp as Dogges Hennes Foule Conies Gold Siluer Stones Salt Waxe Honie Mantels Feathers Cotten and a certaine fruite called Cacao that serueth for money and also to eate Also all kinde of Graine and Garden Hearbes and Fruites whereof they doe maintaine themselues The Tenants doe pay monethly or yearely as they can agree and because their tribute is great they are called slaues for when they may haue licence to eate Egges they thinke it a great fauour It was reported that they were taxed what they should eate and all the residue was taken from them They went verie poorely cloathed yea and the most of their treasure was an earthen Pot wherein they boiled their Hearbes a couple of Milstones to grinde their Corne and a Mat to lye vpon They did not onely paie this Rent and Tribute but also serued with their bodies at all times when the great King should command They were in such great subiection to their Prince that they durst not speake one word although their daughters should be taken from them to be vsed at pleasure All the aforesaid rents they brought to Mexico vpon their backes and in Boates I meane so much as was necessarie for the prouision of the House and Court of Mutezuma all the rest was spent among Souldiers and bartred for Gold Plate Precious stones and other rich Iewels esteemed of Princes all the which was brought to the Treasurie In Mexico was large and great Barnes and Houses to receiue and keepe the Corne for prouision of the Citie with Officers and vnderofficers who did receiue the same and kept account thereof in Bookes of painted figures And in euery Towne was a Receiuer who bare in his hand a rod or a bush of Feathers and those gaue vp their accounts in Mexico If any such had beene taken with deceit and falshood death was his reward yea and his kinred punished with penalties as of a linage of a traitour to his Prince The Husbandmen if they paid not well their Tribute were apprehended for the same and if they were found to be poore through sicknesse and infirmitie then they were borne withall but if they were found to be lazie and sloathfull they should be vsed accordingly but in conclusion if they paied it not at a day appointed then they should be sold for slaues to pay their debt or else be sacrificed There were many other Prouinces which paid a certaine portion and reknowledged seruice but this Tribute was more of honour then profit In this sort Mutezuma had more then suffitient to prouide his house and wars and to heape vp great store in his Treasury Moreouer he spent nothing in the building of his houses for of long time he had certaine Townes that paid no other Tribute but onely to worke and repaire continually his Houses at their owne proper cost and paid all kinde of workemen carrying vpon their backes or drawing in sleds Stone Lime Timber Water and all other necessaries for the worke Likewise they were bound to prouide all the firewood that should be spent in the Court which was a great thing and did amount to two hundred and thirty weight a day which was fiue hundred mens burdens and some dayes in the winter much more And for the Kings Chimneys they brought the barke of Oake trees which wes best esteemed for the light thereof for they were great Sorcerers Mutezuma had one hundred Cities with their Prouinces of whom he receiued Rents Tributes and Vâ—ssalage where he maintained Garrison of Souldiers and had Treasurers in each of them His dominion did extend from the North sea to the South sea and six hundred miles in longitude within the maine Land although in very deede there were some Townes as Tlaxcallon Mechuacan Panuco and Teocantepec which were his enemies and paid him neither Tribute nor Seruice but yet the Ransome was much when any of them was taken Also there were oâ—her Kings and Noblemen as of Texcuto and Tlacopan which were not in subiection vnto him but onely in homage and obedience for they were of his owne linage vnto whom Mutezuma married his Daughters Description of Mexico as it flourished in those times MExico at the time when Cortes entred was a Citie of sixtie thousand houses The Kings house and oâ—her Noblemens houses were great large and beautifull the other were small and meane without either doores or windowes and although they were small yet there dwelleth in some of them two three yea and ten persons by reason whereof the Citie was wonderfully replenished with people This Citie is built vpon the water euen in the same order as Venice is All the body of the Citie standeth in a great large Lake of water There are three sorts of streetes very broad and faire the one sort are onely water with many Bridges another sort of onely earth and the third of earth and water that is to say the one halfe earth to walke vpon and the other halfe for Boates to bring prouision of all sorts These streetes are kept alwayes cleane and the most part of the houses haue two doores the one towards the Cawsey and the other
large compassed round about with doores and is so great that a hundred thousand persons come thither to chop and change as a Citie most principall in all that Region Wherefore the resort is from farre parts vnto that place Euery occupation and kinde of merchandise hath his proper place appointed which no other may by any meanes occupie or disturbe Likewise pesterous wares haue their place accordingly that is to say stone timber lime bricke and all kinde of stuffe vnwrought being necessarie to build withall Also Mats both fine and course of sundrie workmanship also Coales Wood and all sorts of earthen vessell glased and painted very curiously Deere skinnes both raw and tanned in haire and without haire of many colours for Shoomakers Bucklers Targets Ierkins and lining of woodden Corselets also skinnes of other beasts and fowle in feathers readie dressed of all sorts the colours and strangenesse thereof was a thing to behold The richest merchandise was Salt and Mantels of cotton wooll of diuers colours both great and smal some for beds others for garments and clothing other for tapissarie to hang houses other cotten cloth for lining breeches shirts table clothes towels napkins and such like things There were also Mantels made of the leaues of the tree called Metl and of Palme tree and Cony haire which are well esteemed being very warme but the Couerlets made of feathers are the best they sell threed made of Cony haire pieces of linnen cloth made of cotton wooll also skaines of threed of all colours also it is strange to see the great store of fowle some wilde some tame some water fowle and other some of rapine All the brauerie of the Market is the place where gold and feathers ioyntly wrought is sold for any thing that is in request is there liuely wrought in gold and feathers and gallant colours The Indians are so expert and perfect in this science that they will worke or make a Butter-flie any wild Beast Trees Roses Flowers Herbs Rootes or any other thing so liuely that it is a thing maruellous to behold It hapneth many times that one of these workmen in a whole day will eate nothing onely to place one feather in his due perfection turning and tossing the feather to the light of the Sunne into the shade or darke place to see where is his most naturall perfection and till his worke be finished he will neither eate nor drinke There are few Nations of so much patience The Art or Science of Gold-smiths among them is the most curious and very good workmanship engrauen with tooles made of flint or in mold They will cast a platter in mold with eight corners and euery corner of seuerall metall that is to say the one of gold and the other of siluer without any kind of solder they will also found or cast a little caldron with loose handles hanging thereat as wee vse to cast a bell they will also cast in mold a fish of metall with one scale of siluer on his backe and another of gold they will make a Parret or Popinjay of metall that his tongue shall shake and his head mooue and his wings flutter they will cast an Ape in mold that both hands and feet shall stirre and hold a spindle in his hand seeming to spin yea and an Apple in his hand as though he would eate it Our Spaniards were not a little amazed at the sight of these things For our Gold-smiths are not to be compared vnto them They haue skill also of Amell worke and to set any precious stone But now as touching the Market there is to sell Gold Siluer Copper Leade Latton and Tin although there is but little of the three last metals mentioned There are pearles precious stones diuers and sundrie sorts of shells and bones spunges and other Pedlers ware which certainly are many and strange sorts yea and a thing to laugh at their Haberdash toyes and triffles There are also many kinde of Hearbs Roots and Seedes as well to bee eaten as for medicine for both men women and children haue great knowledge in hearbs for through pouertie and necessitie they seeke them for their sustenance and helpe of their infirmities and diseases They spend little among Physicians although there are some of that Art and many Apothecaries who doe bring into the market Ointments Sirrops Waters and other drugs fit for sicke persons they cure all diseases almost with hearbs yea as much as for to kill Lice they haue a proper hearbe for the purpose The seuerall kindes of meates to bee sold are without number as Snakes without head and taile little Dogs gelt Moll 's Rats long Wormes Lice yea and a kinde of earth for at one season in the yeere they haue Nets of maile with the which they rake vp a certaine dust that is bred vpon the water of the Lake of Mexico and that is kneaded together like vnto Oas of the Sea they gather much of this victuall and keepe it in heapes and make thereof Cakes like vnto brick-bats they sell not onely this ware in the Market but also send it abroad to other Faires and Markets afarre off they eate this meate with as good stomacks as wee eate cheese yea and they hold opinion that this skum or fatnesse of the water is the cause that such great number of fowle commeth to the Lake which in the winter season is infinite All the Sellers pay a certaine summe for their shops or standings to the King as a custome and they to bee preserued and defended from theeues and for that cause there goe certaine Sergeants or Officers vp and downe the Market to espie out malefactors In the middest of the Market standeth a house which may bee seene throughout the Faire and there sitteth twelue ancient men for Iudges to dispatch Law matters their buying and selling is to change one ware for another as thus one giueth a Hen for a bundell of Maiz other giue Mantels for Salt or money which is Cacao and this is their order to chop and change they haue measure and strike for all kinde of Corne and other earthen measures for Hony and Wine and if any Measure bee falsified they punish the offenders and breake their measures The Temple is called Teucalli that is to say Gods House Teutl signifieth God and Calli is a House a name very fit if that house had beene of the true God The Spaniards that vnderstand not the language doe pronounce and call those Temples Cues and the God Vitzilopuchtli Vchilobos There are in Mexico many Churches with Towres for their Parishes and Streets wherein are Chappels and Altars where the Images and Idols doe stand and those Chappels doe serue for buriall places of their Founders for others are buried in the ground about them or Church-yards All their Temples are of one fashion therefore it shall bee now sufficient to speake of the principall Church This Temple is square and doth
bones and Iewels was gathered and laid vpon a rich Mantle the which was carried to the Temple gate where the Priests attended to blesse those deuellish relickes whereof they made a dough or paste and thereof an Image which was apparelled like a man with a visor on his face and all other sorts of Iewels that the deaâ— King was wont to weare so that it seemed a gallant I doll At the foote of the Temple staires they opened a graue ready made which was square large and two fadom deepe it was also hanged with new Mats round about and a farre bed therein in the which a religious man placed the Idol made of aâ—hes with his eyes toward the East part and hung round about the wals Targets of Gold and Siluer with Bowe and Arrowes and many gallant tuffes of Feathers with earthen vessels as Pots Dishes and Platters so that the graue was filled vp with houshold stuffe Chests couered with Leather Apparell Iewels Meate Drinke and Armor This done the graue was shut vp and made sure with beâ—mes boords and flored with earth on the top All those Gentlemen which had serued or touched any thing in the buriall washed themselues and went to dinner in the Court or yard of the Kings house without any table and hauing dined they wiped their hands vpon certaine locks of Cotten woll hanging downe their heads and not speaking any word except it were to aske for drinke This Ceremonie endured fiue dayes and in all that time no fire was permitted to be kindled in the Citie except in the Kings house and Temples nor yet any Corne was ground or Market kept nor none durst goe out of their houses shewing all the sorrow that might be possible for the death of their King In Mexico were twelue Iudges who were all Noblemen graue and well learned in the Mexican Lawes These men liued onely by the rents that properly appertaine to the maintenance of Iustice and in any cause iudged by them it was lawfull for the parties to appeale vnto other twelue Iudges who were of the Princes bloud and alwayes abode in the Court and were maintained at the Kings owne cost and charges The inferiour Iudges came ordinarily once euery moneth to consult with the higher And in euery fourescore dayes came the Iudges of euery Prouince within the Mexican Empire to consult with the Iudges of Mexico but all doubtfull causes were reserued to the King onely to passe by his order and determination The Painters serued for notaries to paint all the cases which were to be resolued but no suite passed aboue fourescore dayes without finall end and determination There were in that Citie twelue Sergeants whose office was to arrest and to call parties before the Iudges Their garments were painted Mantels whereby they were knowne a farre off The Prisons were vnder ground moist and darke the cause whereof was to put the people in feare to offend If any witnesse were called to take an oath the order was that he should touch the ground with one of his fingers and then to touch his tongue with the same which signified that he had sworne and promised to speake the troth with his tongue taking witnesse thereof of the earth which did maintaine him But some doe interprete the oath that if the paâ—tie sware not true that then he might come to such extremitie as to eate earth Sometime they name and call vpon the God of the crime whose cause the matter touched The Iudge that taketh bribes or gifts is forthwith put out of his office which was accounted a most vile aâ—d 〈◊〉 reproach The Indians did affirme that Necauâ—lpincintâ— did hang a Iudge in Tezâ—â—â—o for 〈…〉 sentence be himselfe knowing the contrary The Murtherer is executed without exception The woman with childe that wilfully casteth her creature suffereth death for the same The Theefe for the first offence was made a slaue and hanged for the second The Traitor to the King and Common-weale was put to death with extreame torments The Woman taken in Mans apparell died for the same and likewise the Man taken in Womans attire Euery one that challengeth another to fight except in the warres was condemned to dye In Tezcuco the sinne of Sodomie was punished with death and that Law was instituted by Necaualpincinth and Necaualcoio who were Iudges which abhorred that filthy sinne and therefore they deserued great praise for in other Prouinces that abhominable sinne was not punished although they haue in those places common Stewes as in Panuco The end of the fift Booke AN ALPHABETICALL TABLE OF THE PRINCIPALL THINGS CONTAINED IN THE FIVE BOOKES of the third Part of PVRCHAS his Pilgrims The first Number notes the Page the second Number directs you to the number noted in the back-margent of the Pages Right against which or betwixt that and the next number the note is to bee found Obserue that whereas many words may bee well written with I. or with Y. the Reader is to looke to both Obserue also that Name of Saints or Knights are not set vnder S. but in the Alphabet of their proper Names A ABaccu is the Caspian Sea 69.60 The largenesse of it 70.1 Abaseia or Habassia is India media 106.50 in Marg. Rich in Gold ibid. Abedalcuria 252.60 Abortion caused by an Herbe 991.40 Acapulco the Prouince and Port in the West Indies the Latitude 871.60 Acias or Akas so the Tartars call the Alanian Christians 10.10 Enemies to the Tartars 12.40 Achbaluch Mangi which in Tartars Language is the White Citie of the Mangi 90.1 Acornes as big as Apples 520 50 Accents the Chinois haue fiue seuerall 384.20 Accounts cast by graines of Corne 1053.50 Accord betweene Poles and Russes about chusing their Emperour 788.789 Acquaintance the Ceremony of beginning it 374 Acacron the Armenian Prophet 49.50 Acon the Citie Arabicke and Syriack vnderstood there 13.50 Adams Sepulcher in Zeilan 106.1 More of that Fable ibid. Adams-Apples grow in Persia 71.10 Adders of India their seuerall sorts and natures 976.1 Adem the Soldan of it discomfited 106.50 Admirals Iland 474.40 Sea horses there 512 Adoration the manner of it in Mexico 1027.30 1028.1 1046.60 Adoption practised in Russia 740.40 Adulterie punished with Death in Peru 1058.40 Adultresses Dowries giuen to poore Girles 276.10 Adulterie Witaldrie the punishment 182.40 Adulterers how punished in China 204.10 Aedgar the King his mightie Nauie 619.40 Emperour of the Ocean ibid. Aegeland and Halgeland discouered 212.1 Aequinoctiall vnder it moyst and raynie and why 918.40 Not so hoâ— as the Antients held it very cold in March causes of the temperature though the Sunne bee very hote the dayes and nights equall 920. No Calmes vnder the Lane 923.60.926 The Ayre vnder or neere it swifter then the Ayre about the Poles and why 925.30 Easterne and Westerne windes continuall vnder the Lino 925.40 See Torride Zone Aequinoctiall whither healthfull liuing vnder it 889.10 Aethiopian Patriarch 327.30
Fowle his fighting for Pâ—lchards 979.50 Coffins for buriall the Chinois curiositie about them 368.30.40 Coffin of Camphire preserues the Corpes 181. Cogno is Iconium in Armenia 69.40 Cohilouzaa a Citie in China ouerthrowne with an Earthquake for Martyring a Christian 269.50.60 270.1 Coia Acem the Pirat his Story 257 Coiat the Tartarian word for their Master of the Ceremonies 12.60 Coiganzan the Citie 96.20 Coilac a Citie of Merchants in Catay 20.50 Coyne of Russia with a Horseman and his Whip the occasion of it 419,10 Colla in Lapland 556.40 Colan the Tartarian name for an Asse 19.50 Colchis the extent Wâ—â—ddy and Mountainous called the Petigoren Prouince 636. Idolaters their Customes ibid. Cold extreame in the vttermost of the Torride Zone where it should be hoâ—e or temperate 896.40 Cold vnder some places of the Torride Zone 920.60 In the middle Region the cause 921.20 Cold neere the North Pole not so vehement as in 73. degrees 702.20 Cold extreame in Tartarie 27.1 Cold thickning the breath 415.1 And freezing men dead and cutting off their Noses Toes c. ibid. Cold raises blisters on mens faces 497.1 Cold inuincible where 497.60 When it began to relent in Noua Zembla 499. And increases againe ibid. 503.50 Cold of Russia the experiments of it 415.1 Cold stronger then Fire 496.20.498 It remedies stiflings ibid. Cold freezing the Cloathes on mens backes ibid. Cold stopping the breath 221.2 Cold preserues from Putrifaction 926.30 Cold in Noua Zembla makes the Beares and Foxes and Deere Snow-white Colgoiene Iland the latitude 533.50 Described 536.10 Colima the Prouince and Village in the West Indies the Latitude and distance from the Choacan 874.60 The Commodities 875.1 Collars worne in stead of Bands 459.40 Colledge in China 386.1 389.20 398. The credite of the Doctors therein ibid. Collins Cape in Greenland 571.10 Colmacke the Countrey 235.20 Colmans Point 592.30 Colmogro in Russia 214.10 223.50 Colours aboundance in Iapon and China 354.10 Coola the Towne 517.50 And Riuer 566.40 Colti what 102.10 Columbus his Proposition to our Henry the seuenth 807.20 c. Comanians are the Cumani 53.40 Whence they haue their name 114.30 Comanians where antiently seated 310. 12.50 Ouerrunne by the Tartars ibid. 114.30 Called Valanos and their Countrey Valania by the Dutch 11.1 Combats for tryall still in Muscouie 216.60 The Combatants sweare vpon the Crucifixe 722 Combustions about the Succession in Russia 420.30 Comedies of the Mexicans 1049.40 Birds Flyes Toades c. Personated in them 1049.50 Comedies in China 181.10 Comet seene by Day in Mexico 1020.60 Comet seen in Iapon Anno 15â—5 326.30 Comet 1577. seene seuen dayes sooner in Peru then in Spaine and why 925.10 It s motion Comhay a Port 256.40 Commencements in China 200.385.40.50 Their Commencement House 386.1 The manner of their Examination ibid. Common all is amongst Tartars 443.1 Common-wealth first to bee respected 443.1 Commodities of Pechora Siberia Permia Ougoria and among the Tingussies 522.40 Commodities exported out of China 365.10 Communion receiued but once a yeere in the Russian Church 452.1 Confession before it the Order first to giue both in a Spoone and then both kindes seuerally 452.10 Their mirth and fasting after it ibid. Comolen Ilandâ— 259.30 Comoron beautifull Women 242.50 Compasse made to goe false by Iron Nayles 514 Compasse the vse of it 241.50 Compasse varies not in Shotland Iles 567. Nor in Lofoote 581.50 See Variation Complements in China 391.20 373.20 Complement in Aethiopia 253.10 Composition betwixt Spaine and Portugall 330.10 Concha in China 100.10 Concombres aâ— Indian fruit the sorts and conditions 955.10 Concubines freely kept in Poland 629 Confession how extorted in Tartarie 25.30 Confession Sacramentall not known to the Nestorians or Armenians 38.20 Confession auricular imitated by the Deuill in his Idoll Ceremonies 1041.50 See Auricular Confession alowed vsed in Iapon a horrible Story of that 1042.30 Confutius the Prince of the Learned in China 347.40 Honoured with a Holiday Sacrifices Temple and Musicke ibid 397.30 His Age workes and Authoritie 384.50 385 Coniunction of the Moâ—â—e obserued in China 306.40 The superstitioâ—s vsed then ibid. 307 Conquerours are to prouoke the Enemy to fight suddenly but the Defendant is to protract time 148.60 Constellations 24. numbred in China 346.40 Contagion in Summer occasioned by milde Winters 637.1 Contomanni a people in Cataye 20.60 Contrarie causes producing the like effects 919.10 Controuersies ended by kissing the Crosse 434.10 The Order when both sweare ibid. Couersions of the Indians by the Spaniards what 1025.20 in Marg. Conuicted by Law are fined to the Emperour of Russia 429.30 How much 434.20 How afterwards vsed 434.30 Cookerie in Cathay 30.10 Copies of Patents kept in China 327.30 Copper Mines very hard in the West Indies 875.10 Copper workes 269.10 Copper vsed by the Indians for to make their Armour of 942.50 disused now Copper mixt with Gold in the Mine 943 Coquimbo Riuer in Chile the Latitude 899 Corai the Kingdome 324.20 Entred in hâ—stile manner by the Iaponians 325.30 They wanted Artillerie ibid. Coraâ—nie the Citie and Kingdome 109.30 Without Learning or Religion ibid. Corchu the Iland 308.1 Cardage of Reedes 97.20 Cordage of a Weede very strong it saweâ— Iron in peeces 9â—6 30 9951 10 Cordage of Wooll and Horse-haire in Tartarie 6.40 Cordi the Mountainous people of seuerall Religions 70.10 Coreâ— vnder the Chinois 309.60.377.10 Inuaded by the Iaponians ibid. Releiued by the Chinois against Iapon ibid. Quited by the China King ibid. Corela in Russia granted to the Sweden 795. c. Corelia the Countrey 443.40 Cormorant Fishing 363.60 411.30 The Fishermen pay a tribute for it 364.1 Cormorant Fishing in China 179.30 209 Corne flung on the new Married the meaning 454.50 Corne now growes in the cold parts of Russia 214 Corne buryed with the Indians to sowe in the next World 974.30 Corne and Wine why nâ—â—e in Noua Hispania 86.30 Corne on the ground the Indian Ceremonies for the growing of it 1045.40 Coronation of the Emperour of Russia the forme â—20 741. c. The exceeding Stâ—te of it ibid. Coronation of the Kings of Mexico 1006.10 His Charge ibid. 1009.20 His Oath fashion of his Crowne and Ensignes 1006.10 His Annoynting 1009.30 His Throne and Ensignes of Warre then giuen him ibid. 60. Orations made to him of his Charge 1006.1.1009.20.1011.20 Foure chiefe Electors 1014.40 He is led to the Temple to the continuall Fire before his Coronation ibid. The Feast and other Ceremonies ibid. They must goe to Warre before their Coronation to fetch in Prisoners to sacrifice to their God at the Inauguration 1006.1009.1017 20. The King offers Incense and drawes Blood of himselfe with a Griffâ—ns talon 1014. 1018.40 His Robes and Emerald hung in his Nostrils ibid. 1016.1 Maskes c. at their Coronation 1019.40 Coronation of the Inguas of Peru the Ceremonies 1055.1.10 Corpo Santo what oft seene at Sea 728.20 Corpus Christi Feast of the Papists imitated
equitie and right and where the truth cannot be found out by Law it shall be referred to oath and lot and on whom soeuer the lot fals to him shall the right be adiudged And if any of the English Merchants in any of our Citie within our Kingdomes doe complaine of any wrong offered them by our people for debts growing by trade or otherwise we command our Gouernours and all other our authorised people that they presently minister true iustice vnto them And for any wrong or other matter of controuersie that the English Merchant shall haue against any of our Subiects our Gouernours and other our authorised people vpon their complaint for all controuersies matters of debt excepted shall giue our Subiects so offending vpon suretie setting them time to appeare at Mosco to answere the same with the English Merchants face to face before our Chancellour in the Office of Embassy and in these matters our Chancellour shall truely examine the businesse and minister true iustice and what by examination cannot be found shall be referred as before to oath and lot the Iudges and Iustices through our Dominions shall take no kinde of duetie of the English Merchants for their matters of Law We will and command that those our Imperiall gracious Letters of priuiledge be strictly obserued in all points in all parts of our Dominions and by all our Subiects Gouernours Secretaries and other Officers without disobeying in any thing And whosoeuer shall not obey this our Princely and gracious Letters of priuildge but shall offer wrong to the English Merchants those our Subiects shall be with vs in our high displeasure Thâ—se our gracious Letters of priuiledges are sealed with our Imperiall Seale of Gold in our Princely Pallace of our Imperiall Citie of Mosco in the yeare from the Worlds creation 7129. in the moneth of May the eleuenth day Subscribed by our Imperiall Maiesties Chancellour of our Office of Embassy and our priuie Chancellour Euan Corbatouesin Gramotin BVt it is now high time to leaue Russia and all that Barbarous shoare of Samotees and Tartars onely we will borrow helpe of some Barbarians to shippe vs thence to Sea And although Finch Gourdon and others haue in the former Booke inserted so great light yet seeing Master Marsh hath entertained other guides we will take Sea by Ob and thence set forth on further discoueries CHAP. XII Notes concerning the discouery of the Riuer of Ob taken out of a Roll written in the Russian tongue which was attempted by the meanes of ANTONIE MARSH a chiefe Factor for the Moscouie Company of England 1584. with other notes of the North-east FIrst he wrote a Letter from the Citie of Mosco in the yeare 7092. after the Russe accompt which after our accompt was in the yeare 1584. vnto foure Russes that vsed to trade from Colmogro to Pechora and other parts Eastward whose answere was By writings receiued from thee as also by reports wee vnderstand thou wouldest haue vs seeke out the mouth of the Riuer Ob which we are content to doe and thou must giue therefore fiftie rubbles it is requisite to goe to seeke it out with two Cochimaes or companies and each Cochima must haue ten men and wee must goe by the Riuer Pechora vpwards in the Spring by the side of the Ice as the Ice swimmeth in the Riuer which will aske a fortnights time and then we must fall into Ouson Riuer and fall downe with the streame before we come to Ob a day and a night in the spring Then it will hold vs eight dayes to swimme downe the Riuer Ob before we come to the mouth therefore send vs a man that can write and assure thy selfe the mouth of Ob is deepe On the Russe side of Ob soiourne Samoeds called Vgorskai Sibierskie Samoeds and on the other side dwel another kinde of Samoeds called Monganet or Mongaseisky Samoeds We must passe by fiue Castles that stand on the Riuer of Ob. The name of the first is Tesuoi Gorodok which standeth vpon the mouth of the Riuer Padon The second small Castle is Nosoro-gorodock and it standeth hard vpon the side of Ob. The third is called Necheiour-goskoy The fourth is Charedmada The fift is Nadesneà a that is to say The Castle of comfort or trust and it standeth vpon the Riuer Ob lowermost of all the former Castles toward the Sea Heretofore your people haue bin at the said Riuer of Obs mouth with a Ship and there was made shipwracke and your people were slaine by the Samoeds which thought that they came to rob and subdue them The Trees that grow by the Riuer are Firres and a kinde of white soft and light Firre which we call Yell. The bankes on both sides are very high and the water not swift but still and deepe Fish there are in it as Sturgeons and Cheri and Pidle and Nelma a dainty fish like white Salmons and Moucoun and Sigi and Sterlidi but Salmons there are none Not farre distant from the maine at the mouth of Ob there is an Island whereon resort many wilde beasts as white Beares and the Morses and such like And the Samoeds tell vs that in the winter season they oftentimes finde there Morses teeth If you would haue vs trauell to seeke out the mouth of Ob by Sea we must goe by the Isles of Vaygats and Noua Zembla and by the Land of Matpheone that is by Matthewes Land And assure thy selfe that from Vaygats to the mouth of Ob by Sea is but a small matter to sayle Written at Pechora the yeare 7092. the twenty one of February Master MARSM also learned these distances of places and Ports from Caninos to Ob by Sea FRom Caninos to the Bay of Medemske which is somewhat to the East of the Riuer Pechora is seuen dayes sayling The Bay of Medemsky is ouer a day and a halfe sayling From Medemske Sanorost to Carareca is sixe dayes sayling From Carska Bay to the farthest side of the Riuer Ob is nine dayes sayling The Bay of Carska is from side to side a day and a nights sayling He learned another way by Noua Zembla and Matthuschan Y ar to Ob more North-eastward From Caninos to the Iland of Colgoieue is a day a nights sayling From Colgoieue to Noua Zembla are two dayes sayling There is a great Osera or Lake vpon Noua Zembla where wonderfull store of Geese and Swannes doe breede and in moulting time cast their feathers which is about Saint Peters day and the Russes of Colmogro repaire thither yearely and our English men venter thither with them seuerall shares in money they bring home great quantitie of Doune-Feathers dried Swannes and Geese Beares skinnes and Fish c. From Naromske Reâ—a or Riuer to Mattuschan Y ar is sixe dayes sayling From Mattuschan Y ar to the Peronologli Teâ—pla that is to say To the warme passage ouer-land compassing or sayling round