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cause_n	death_n	die_v	life_n	5,110	5	5.0778	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16282	The manners, lauues, and customes of all nations collected out of the best vvriters by Ioannes Boemus ... ; with many other things of the same argument, gathered out of the historie of Nicholas Damascen ; the like also out of the history of America, or Brasill, written by Iohn Lerius ; the faith, religion and manners of the Aethiopians, and the deploration of the people of Lappia, compiled by Damianus a ̀Goes ; with a short discourse of the Aethiopians, taken out of Ioseph Scaliger his seuenth booke de emendatione temporum ; written in Latin, and now newly translated into English, by Ed. Aston.; Omnium gentium mores, leges, et ritus. English. 1611	Boemus, Joannes, ca. 1485-1535.; Góis, Damião de, 1502-1574.; Nicolaus, of Damascus.; Léry, Jean de, 1534-1611. Histoire d'un voyage fait en la terre du Brésil.; Scaliger, Joseph Juste, 1540-1609. De emendatione temporum.; Aston, Edward, b. 1573 or 4.	1611 (1611)	STC 3198.5; ESTC S102777	343,933	572

at any time their footing fayle them yet will they claspe theyr hands about the twiggs and so saue and defend them-selues from falling and though by some mischance they should fall yet receiue they no hurt by reason of the lightnesse of theyr bodyes These people goe alwayes naked and haue theyr wiues and children in common They fight one against another onely for places to liue in being weaponed with staues and domineere and exult greatly ouer those they vanquish They die for the most part by famine whem their sight faileth they are depriued of that sence wherewith they sought their food In an other part of the region dwell those Aethiopians which bee called Cyneci they bee few in number but of a different life from all the rest for they inhabit the wood-land and desolate countrie wherein be but few fountaines of water and they sleepe vpon the tops of trees for feare of wilde beasts Euery morning they goe downe armed to the riuer sides and their hide themselues in trees amongst the leaues and in the heate of the day when the Beefes and Libbards and diuers other kindes of wilde beasts goe downe to the riuers to drinke and that they bee full and heauie with water these Aethiopians descen'd from the trees and fall vppon them and kill them with staues baked at the fire and with stones and dartes and then deuide them amongst their companies and eate them By which cunning deuise they deuoure many of those beasts and sometimes though but seldome they are foyled and slaine themselues And if at any time their cunning faile them and that they want beasts to eate they take the hides of such beasts as they haue eaten before and plucking of the haires laie the hides in steepe and then drie them before a soft fire and so deuiding to euery one a share satisfie themselues with that Their young boyes vnder the age of foureteene yeeres practise throwings at markes and they giue meate to those onely which touch the marke and therefore beeing forced thereto by famine they become most excellent and fine darters The people called Acridophagi border vpon the desert the men bee something shorter or lower of stature then other Aethiopians beeing leane and marueilous blacke In the spring time the West and South-west windes blow an infinite number of slies called Locustes out of the deserts into their Country which bee exceeding great but the collour of their wings is foule and lothsome These Aethiopians as their custome is gather out of places there-abouts great store of wood and other sorts of fuell and laie it in a great large valley and when at their wonted time as it were a whole cloude of Locusts bee carried by the windes ouer the valley they set fire on the fuell and with smoke stiphle and smother to death the Locusts which flie ouer it so as they fal downe vnto the earth in such aboundance as are sufficient to serue the whole countrie for victualls and these beeing sprinckled with salt which that country plentifully yeeldeth they preserue for a long space beeing a meate very pleasant vnto they taste And so these Locusts bee their continuall sustenance at all seasons for they neither keepe cattell nor eate fish beeing farre remote from the sea nor haue any other maintenance whereof to liue They bee nimble of body swift of foote and shorte of life so as they which liue the longest exceede not aboue fortie yeeres their end is not onely miserable but also incredible for when old age creepeth and commeth vppon them there doth certaine lice with winges of a horrible and vglie shape ingendring in their bodies knaw out and deuour their bellies guts and intralls and in a small time their whole bodies and he which hath the disease doth so itch is so allured to scrach as he receiueth thereby at one and the same time both pleasure and paine and when the corruption cometh forth and the lyce appeare he is so stirred with the bitternesse and anguish of the disease as hee teareth his owne flesh in peeces with his nayles with great wayling and lamentation for so great is the number of those vermine issuing out of the wounds heape vppon heape running as it were out of a vessell full of holes as they cannot be ouercome and by this meanes they die a very miserable death the cause whereof is ether the meate they liue vpon or the vnholesomenesse of the aire Vpon the vtmost parts of Affricke towards the South dwell a people which the Greekes cal Cinnamimi but of their neighbouring Barbarians they bee called wild or vplandish people These haue very great beards and for the defence of their liues breed vp great number of Mastiues and wild dogs for from the Summer troppicke to the middle of winter an infinite number of Indian Beefes come into their country the cause of their comming is vncertaine whether it bee that they fly from other wild beasts which pursue them or for the want of feeding or that they doe it by instinct of nature all which are wonderfull but the true cause is vnknowne from these the people defend them-selues with their dogges their owne forces being insufficient to withstand them and kill many of them some whereof they eate fresh and some others they powder vp for their prouision afterwards and with these dogges they take many other beasts in like sort The last people and the vtmost towards the South bee the Ichthiophagi which inhabite in the gulph of Arabia vpon the frontiers of the Trogloditae these carry the shape of men but liue like beasts they be very barbarous and go naked all their liues long vsing both wiues and daughters common like beasts they be neither touched with any feeling of pleasure or griefe other then what is naturall Neido the discerne any difference betwixt good and bad honesty and dishonesty Their habitations are in rockes and hills not farre from the sea wherein they haue deepe dennes and holes the passages in and out being naturally very hard and crooked The entrances into these holes as if nature had framed them for their vse the Inhabitants damme vp with a heape of great stones wherewith they take fishes as it were with nets for the flowing of the sea which hapneth euery day twise about three of the cloke and nine of the Cloke surrownding the borders neere vnto the shore the water increasing very high and couering all places carrieth into the continent an innumerable company of diuers sorts of fishes which seeking abroad for sustenance at the ebbing of the sea are by those stones stayd vpon dry land those doe the inhabitants make hast to gather vp and taking them lay them vpon the rockes against the noone Sunne till they be scorched with the heate thereof and when one side is scorched inough they turne the other when they bee thus broyled against the Sunne they take all the meate from the bones and put it into a

my owne part hath hitherto best contented my selfe and I trust hath beene most acceptable to God From the which if either ambition of high estate offered to mee in marriage by the pleasure and appointment of my Prince whereof I haue some records in this presence as you our Treasurer well knew or if the eschewing the danger of mine enemies or the avoyding of the perrill of death whose messinger or rather a continuall watch-man the Princes indignation was no little time daily before mine eyes by whose meanes although I know or iustly may suspect yet I will not now vtter or if the whole cause were in my sister her selfe I will not now burthen her therewith because I will not charge the dead if any of these I say could haue drawne or diswaded mee from this kinde of life I had not now remained in this estate wherein you see mee but so constant haue I alwaies continued in this determination although my youth and wordes may seeme to some hardly to agree together yet is it most certaine and true that at this day I doe stand free from any other meaning that either I haue had in times past or haue at this present with which trade of life I am so throughly acquainted that I trust in God who hath hitherto therein preserued and led mee by the hand will not of his goodnesse suffer mee to goe alone For the other part the manner of your petition I doe well like and take it in verie good part because that it is simple and contayneth no lymitation of place or person if it had beene otherwise I must needs haue misliked it verie much and thought it in you a verie great presumption beeing vnfitting and altogither vnmeete for you to require them that may commaunde or those to appoint whose partes are to desire or such to binde and limit whose duties are to obey or to take vpon you to drawe my loue to your likings or to frame my will to your fantasie For a guerdon constrained and a guift freely giuen can neuer agree together Neuerthelesse if any one of you bee in suspect that whensoeuer it may please God to incline my heart to another kinde of life you may well assure your selues my meaning or resolution is not to doe or determine any thing wherewith the Realme may or shall haue iust cause to bee discontented or complaine of imposed iniurie And therefore put that cleane out of your heads and remooue such doubtfull thoughts for I doe assure you what credit my assurance may haue with you I cannot tell but what credit it shall deserue to haue the sequell shall declare I will neuer in that matter conclude any thing that shal be preiudiciall to the Realme for the benefit weale good and safetie whereof I will neuer shunne to spend my life And whomsoeuer my chance shal be to light vpon I trust he shal be such as shal be as carefull for the Realme and you I will not say as my selfe because I cannot so certainelie determine of any other but at the leastwise by my good will and desire hee shal be such as shal be as carefull for the preseruation of the Realme and you as my selfe And albeit it might please Almightie GOD to continue mee still in this minde to liue out of the estate of marriage yet is it not to bee feared but hee will so worke in my heart and in your wisdomes as good prouision by his helpe may bee made in conuenient whereby the Realme shall not remaine and stand destitute of an heire to succeed mee that may bee a fit Gouernour and peraduenture more beneficiall to the Realme and generality then such off-spring as may come of mee For though I bee neuer so carefull of your well doings and minde euer so to bee yet may issue growe out of kinde and become perhaps vngratious And in the end this shal be for mee verie sufficient that a marble stone shall declare that a maiden Queene hauing raigned and ruled such a long time liued and died a virgine And heere I end and take your comming vnto mee in good part and giue vnto you all eft-somes my hearty thankes more yet for your zeale and good meaning then for your petition And thus farre Stowe THIS good Queene ELIZABETH was the last of the Royall issue of King Henry the eight shee died without any issue her selfe and left the Kingdome vnto Iames King of Scotland and next heire to the crowne of England King Iames the first of that name since the Conquest by the death of Queene Elizabeth vnited the two famous Kingdomes of England and Scotland which had beene long deuided the crowne of England rightfully and linially descending vnto him from Margueret eldest daughter to Henry the seuenth and Elizabeth wife of the sayd Henry eldest daughter to Edward the fourth which Margueret was maried to Iames the fourth King of Scotland who had issue Iames the fifth father vnto Mary the last Queene of Scots who was mother vnto Iames the sixth King of Scotland and of great Britan France and Ireland the first To omit Ireland an Island vnder our Kings dominion the people wherof of late yeeres haue growne to more ciuility by conuersing with other nations and to speake something more in perticular of this Island as now it is wee may deuide the whole Island of Britanny into three partes that is to say England Wales and Scotland Scotland the North of this Island hauing for a long time beene a Kingdome of it selfe seuered and distinct from England is now by this happy vnion as I said before made one againe with England and both of them gouerned by one King and Monarch This Country in respect of England is very barren and mountanous and the Inhabitants especially the vulgar sort farre more rude and barbarous their language in effect is all one with the English the Northerne Scots excepted which speake and liue after the Irish fashion nor is their any difference in their religion but all causes and controuersies bee there determined by the ciuill law as in most other Countries for with our common lawes of England they are little acquainted Wales an other part of this Island and the proper habitation of the Britans expelled thither out of England by the Englishmen was gouerned by Princes of their owne bloud vntil the raigne of Henry the third who slue Lhewellen ap Griffith the last Prince of the British race vnited that Prouince vnto the Kingdome of England and forced the Inhabitants to sweare fealty and alleagiance vnto Edward of Carnaruan his eldest sonne whom hee made Prince of Wales After the decease of Edward the first this title of Prince of Wales lay dormant during all the raigne of Edward the Second and was againe reuiued by Edward the Third who created his sonne Edward surnamed the Blacke Prince Duke of Cornwall Earle of Chester and Prince of Wales and euer since hath this title beene duely conferred vnto the

vessels or glasse vessels and kept them in their houses for the space of a yeare during which time they reuerenced them very religiously offering vnto them the first fruits of their increase Some say that thee that did most excell others in comlinesse of body skill in breeding cattell strength and riches him they elected for their King And that they had an ancient lawe that the Priests of Memphis might when they pleased depriue the King of his life by sending vnto him the messenger that caryed the signe of death and ordaine an other to raigne in his steed They beleeued that there was one immortall God and that hee was maker of the world and gouernor of all things any other God they esteemed mortall who was their vncertaine King as is said And hee that best deserued of their citty him next vnto their King they reuerenced as God And such was the state of Aethiopia at the beginning and for a long continuance these their customes and manners of their nation But at this day as Marcus Antonius Sabellicus out of whose history wee haue taken most matters which wee treate of both in this and the bookes following saith that hee had intelligence from some that were borne in those countries that the King of Aethiopia whome wee call Pretoian or Presbiter Ioan or Ioan and they Gyam which in their language signifieth mighty is so potent a Prince that hee is sayd to haue vnder him as his vassalls three-score and two Kings And that all their great Bishops and states of all those kingdomes are wholy guided by him at whose hands the order of Priesthood is obtained which authority was by the Pope of Rome giuen and annexed to the Maiesty of their Kings and yet hee himselfe is no Priest nor neuer entred into any holy orders There be a great number of Archbishops and euery one of them who euer hath the least hath twenty Bishops vnder his iurisdiction The Princes and other Bishops of great dignity when they goe abroad haue carried before them a crosse and a golden vessell filled with earth that the sight of the one may put them in minde of their mortality and the other of our Sauiours passion Their Priests are suffered to mary for procreations sake but if they bury one wife it is vtterly vnlawfull for them to mary an other Their Temples are very large and farre richer then ours and for the most part builded vp to the topp arch-wise They haue many religious houses and families of holy orders as Antonians Dominicks Calaguritans Augustines and Macarians who be all arrayed by permission of their Archbishops with apparell of one coulour Next vnto Almighty God and his Mother the blessed Virgin Mary Saint Thomas surnamed Didimus is chiefly honoured in that country They hold an opinion that their great King whom they call Gyam was ingendred of King Dauid and that the race of that one family hath continued euer since hee is not black as most of the Aethiopians are but rather white The citty Garama is now the Kings seate which consisteth not of Bulwarkes and houses with strong wals but of tents or tabernacles made of fine flaxe or silke imbrodered with purple and placed in decent and seemely order The King according to his custome liueth for the most part abroade not contayning himselfe within the circuite of the Citty aboue two daies together ether because they account it absurde and effeminate or that they are prohibited by some lawe They haue in redinesse vpon any little occasion tenne hundred thousand men well instructed in feates of armes fiue hundred Elephants besides an infinit number of Horses and Camels There be also throughout the whole kingdome certaine stipendary families the issue whereof haue a gentle incision made in their skinne and bee marked with a hot iron with the signe of the Crosse In warres they vse bowes speares cotes of male and helmets the order of Priesthood is in greatest dignity next vnto whome are the sages or wizards whom they call Balsamati and Tenquati They esteeme much also of innocency and honesty accounting them the first step to wisdome the Nobility are the third in honor and dignity and the stipendary the last the Iudges discerne of causes of life and death but referre the decree to the Praefect of the citty who is called Licomagia who alwaies representes the person of the King written lawes they haue none but iudge according to equity and right If any man bee convicted of adultery hee shall pay for his punishment the fortith part of his goods but the adulteresse shal receiue a domesticall reuenge by her husband for he shall punish her whome it doth most concerne The husbands assigne dowers for their wiues requiring noe portion with them There women are attired with gold wherof that country doth much abound pearles also and silke both men and women weare garments downe to the feete with sleeues and not open in any place all colours are alike vnto them except blacke which is there vsed onely for mourning garments They bewaile the dead for the space of forty dayes The second courses in their greatest banquets consist of raw flesh which beeing finely minced into small peeces and strawed ouer with sweete spices they feed vpon most hungerly wollen cloath they haue none insteed wherof they are clothed either with silke or flax they vse not all one language but diuers and distinguished by diuers names They exercise them-selues eyther in husbandry or about cattle they haue euery yeare two haruests two summers All the people of Lybia from this Aethiopia or India to the vtmost part of the west honour the impiety of Mahomet and liue in the same kinde of religion that those Barbarians practise which are now in Aegipt and bee called Moores as it is thought of their wandring or straying abroad for that country of Libia also was no lesse hatefull than the Sarasins in those accursed times wherein was the greatest alteration in humaine matters the manners of people loue of deuotion and names of all Nations being for the most part changed Of Aegipt and the ancient customes of that country CAP. 5. EGipt a region in Affricke or as some will haue it next adioyning to Affricke was so called of Aegiptus the brother of Danaus King of Argyues before which time it was called Aeria This country as Plinie in his first booke witnesseth ioyneth Eastward to the red sea and to Palaestyne vpon the West it hath Cyrene and the residue of Affricke and extendeth from the South to Aethiopia and from the North to the Aegyptian sea The most famous citties of that country were Thebes Abydos Alexandria Babilon and Memphis now called Damiata and the great citty Cayrus or Alcir which is the Soldans seate In Egypt as Plato reporteth it doth neuer raine but the riuer of Nylus ouer-flowing the whole land once euery yeare after the summer Solstice maketh the whole

was kild without any fault of his owne These beasts be kept with great cost and charge within the circuit of their Temples by men of no small account eating fine flower and porredge made of Oate-meale which in their banquets are mingled with milke They giue them Geese also dayly both sodde and broylde and catch birds for those which eate raw flesh To conclude they bee all nourished with maruelous great charge and diligence and their deaths as much bewayled of the people as the deaths of their owne Sonnes yea and their funeralls are farre more sumptuous than their ability can afford in so much as when Ptolomaeus Lagus was gouernour of Aegypt an oxe dying for age in the City of Memphis hee which had the charge of keeping him bestowed a great summe of mony vpon his buriall which was giuen to him to defray that charge besides fifty talents of siluer which he borowed of Ptolomy These things which we haue spoken of perhaps will seeme strange to some but no lesse strange will it seeme to any that shall consider the ceremonies of the Aegiptians in the buriall of thé dead for when one dyeth there all his neere friends and kinsfolkes defile and spoyle their heads with earth and goe round about the Citty wayling vntill the dead body be buryed in which Interim they nether wash themselues nor drinke wine nor eate any meate but that which is very vile and grosse nor yet weare any good apparrell They haue three formes or kinds of buriall for some be buried sumptuously some indifferently and some basely In the first manner of buryall is spent and layd out one talent of siluer in the second twentie minae and some small cost is bestowed in the last Those which haue charge of the funeralls which course of life decendeth from their auncestors as by Inheritance bring the funerall expences in writing to the houshoulders demanding at what rate they will haue the funeralls performed and the bargaine being made and concluded betwixt them the body is deliuered vnto them to be buried at the charge agreed vpon And then the Gramarian for so he is called the body being laid in the ground marketh and assigneth out a place about the flanck how farre from the left part the incisition must bee made after that hee which is called the breaker vp or vnboweler openeth his side with a sharp Aethiopian stone so wide as by the law is permitted which done he instantly runneth away as fast as he can all the standers by following after cursing him and throwing stones at him for they esteemed those men worthy of hate which had mangled or misused the body of their friend but those which haue charge and ouersight of the body which they cal Salitores they account worthy of honour and estimation this done they carry the dead corpes into the Temple before the Priests who standing by the dead body on of them plucketh out of the hole or wound in his side all the entralls except the kidneyes and heart al which an other washeth away with red wine compounded with odoriferous spices and perfumes after that they annoynt the whole body first with iuyce of Cedar tree and other pretious oyntments for thirty daies space and more and then they rub it ouer with mirhe and cinamon and other like stuffe wherby it is not only preserued the longer but yeeldeth a sweet sauour also the body being thus dressed they deliuer it to the dead mans kinsfolke euery part of him yea the heaires of his browes and eie lidds being so preserued as the forme of his body remaineth whole as though he were not dead but a sleepe before the body be interred the funerall day is declared to the Iudges and the dead mans friends saying that vpon that day the dead body is to passe ouer the fens the Iudges being aboue forty in number assemble them selues together and sit vpon a round scaffold beyond the poole then is there a shippe prouided for that purpose and brought thither by those to whome the charge is committed and before the body bee laid in the coffin euery one hath liberty that will to accuse the party deceased and if hee bee proued to bee an euillliuer the iudges proceed to sentence wherby they adiudge that his body shall bee depriued of Sepulture and if any one accuse him vniustly hee shall bee seuerely punished but if no one accuse him or that it is euident that hee was accused falsely and of malice his kindred leauing off their mourning fall to praysing him yet speaking nothing of his stock and parentage as the Greekes are accustomed to doe for the Aegiptians account them-selues all noble alike but beginning at his child-hood they recite his bringing vp and education the beginning of his life and learning and from that ascending to his mans estate they remember his religion and deuotion towards the gods his Iustice his Continency and all his other vertues and then inuocating the infernall gods they beseech them to place him amongst the Saints to which request all the multitude make answer extolling the dead-mans worth and renowne as if he should liue for euer below amongst the blessed which done each one buryeth his friends in his owne proper sepulcher and those which want sepulchers bury them in the strongest walls of their house setting the chest wherein the body lyeth on the one end But those which are forbidden buryall eyther for vsury or some other offence are buryed at home without a coffin whom his posterity growing of better ability and satisfying for his misdeeds doe afterwards bury very solemnly The Aegyptians custome is to giue the bodyes of their dead parents as pawnes to theyr creditors and those children that redeeme them not shall bee disgraced and want sepulture them-selues one may iustly maruell to see how the authors of all these ordinances did not onely prouide for things profitable for mans life but also regarded those things which appertained to the honour and buryall of dead bodies in so much that by this meanes mens liues were disposed as much as might be to good manners The Greekes which by their fained fables and Poeticall fictions farre exceeding truth deliuered many things of the rewards of the godly and punishment of the wicked could not with all their writings draw men to vertue but were rather derided and contemned themselues But with the Aegiptians due punishment being rendred to the wicked and commendation to the iust not in shew but in substance they did euery day admonish both the good and the bad what things were profitable for them for they saw before their eyes that to euery one according to his deeds was giuen a remembrance of his merits or demerits which was a cause that all men immitated the best course of life and stroue to doe well for those are not to bee esteemed the best lawes whereby men become rich but whereby they prooue honest and wise And thus much of the Aegiptians and

soules were incorruptible that onely the soules of the good did flitte and remoue into other bodies vntill the resurrection and last iudgement and that the soules of the wicked were detained and imprisoned in euerlasting dungeons and these were called Pharises because in their habits and liuings they differed from the common disposition of other men The Saduces denied fortune and destiny saying that God saw all thinges and that it was in the will of man to do either good or euill they denied that the soules after this life suffered eyther punishment or pleasure they denied also the resurrection of the dead supposing their soules and bodies to perish together nor did they hold that there were any Angels and yet they receiued the fiue bookes of Moses they were seuere without measure and nothing sociable amongst themselues for which seuerity they named themselues Saduces that is to say iust But the Esseians liued altogether a monasticall life vtterly despising wedlocke and the company of all women not because they thought it fitte by forbidding carnall copulation to destroy the succession of mankind but that they should beware of womens intemperance suppo sing no womā to be faithfull true to her husband They had all thinges in common oyntments and bathes they accounted a reproach and esteemed a deformity in their trimming to bee an ornament vnto them so as they were alwayes arrayed in white garments they had no certaine citty but dwellings in euery place They spake no prophane words before the sunne rising but praied for his rising and after that workt vnto the fift houre then washing their bodies in water they eate together with few words They accounted an oath as periury and allowed none to be of their sect vnder a yeares probation and after the first yeares tryall when they were admitted they tryed their manners other two yeares also in which time if they were found in any sinne they would driue them away from them that eating grasse like beasts they might repent till their deaths When ten of them sat together no one would speake if nine of them were vnwilling they would not spit in the middle nor on the right side They obserued their sabboth so religiously that vpon that day they would not so much as purge their bellyes They carryed with them a wodden Pickax where-with they digged a hoale in the earth in some secret place to ease them-selues in and couered themselues diligently with their long garments least they should doe iniury to the diuine lights for which cause also they filled the hole againe presently They were long of life by reason of the simplenesse of their dyet for they liued for the most part with Dates they had no vse of money and they adiudged that death the best which happened to a man for Iustice sake They hold that all soules were created from the beginning and incorporated for a time in mens bodies and that the good soules after they departed from the bodyes liued beyond the Ocean where ioy is reserued for them and that the euill soules are assigned boystrous and stormie places towards the East Some of them could foretell things to come and some vsed the company of wiues but very moderatly for they supposed that if they should altogether abstaine from women the whole stocke of humaine kinde would perish There dwell in Syria at this day Greekes which bee called Gryphoni Iacobites Nestorians and Sarasins and two people of the Christian Religion which bee the Syriani and the Marouini the Syrians sacrifice as the Greekes doe and were some times obedient to the Church of Rome but the Marouini agree with the Iacobites and vse the same language and writing the Arabians doe These sundry sorts of holy men inhabite the hill Libanus the Sarrasins dwell about Ierusalem they be valiant in warre and expert in husbandry The Syrians bee vnprofitable people and the Marouines most valiant men though they be few in number Of Media and of the manners of the Medes CHAP. 5. MEDIA a region in Asia is so called as Solinus reporteth of Medus the sonne of Medea and Aegeus King of Athens and the people thereof be called Medi But Iosephus is of opinion that they be called Medes of Medeus the sonne of Iaphet This Region according to Ptolomeus is bounded vpon the North with the Hyrcan sea vpon the West with the great Armenia and Assyria with Persia vpon the South and on the East with Hircania and Parthia Their chiefest exercise and which is almost peculiar to that nation is shooting and riding Their Kings in ancient time were of great authority their head attires their round caps and their garments with sleeues remooued with the Empire and gouernment vnto the Persians It was proper to the Median Kings to haue many wiues which custome was shortly put in practise amongst priuate men in so much as it was not lawfull to haue lesse then seuen wiues In like manner it was thought fitting for women to haue many husbands and to haue lesse then fiue they deemed a miserie The Medes make leagues and confirme friendship after the maner of the Greekes and also by striking their armes about the shoulder blade and then to lick vp each others bloud That part of Media which is towards the North is barren and therefore they make them a kinde of paste of Apples dryed and brused in morters bread of rosted Almonds and wine of the rootes of hearbes and liue for the most part vpon the flesh of wilde beasts Of Parthia and the manner of liuing of the Parthians CAP. 6. THe Parthians which were banished out of Scythia and obtained this country by deceit called it after their names Parthia It hath vpon the South Carmania on the North Hyrcania on the West Media and Aria on the East The countrie is full of woods and hills and very barren of fruites The people during the time the Medes and Assyrians possessed the Empire were accounted base and of no credit nor estimation but when the kindome of Media was translated to the Persians this people also as a barbarous nation without name was a prey vnto the vanquishers and lastly became subiect to the Macedonians but in tract of time they grew of such vertue and valour and were so prosperous and successfull in their designements that they gouerned not onely the countries neere adioyning but making warre against the Romaines which then were conquerors of all Countries ouerthrew them with great destruction and slaughter of their men Plinie reckoneth foureteene kingdomes vnder the gouernment of the Parthians Trogus attributeth vnto them the Empire of the East as if they had made diuision of the whole world with the Romaines This people after their reuolting from the Macedonian Empire were gouerned by Kings which were all called Arsaces of Arsax their first King next vnto the Maiestie of their Kings was the order and gouernment of the people out of which were elected both Captaines for

land such other commodities as the country affoordeth as colour medicines wooll or such like and somtimes cattel also It is not lawfull for the King to put any man to death for one onely cause nor for one Persian to commit any heynous offence against another of his owne family or kindered The Persians haue many wiues a peece and keepe diuerse concubines besides for increase of issue and the Kings reward those most liberally that haue begot most children in a yeare nor bee their children once brought into their fathers sight before they bee fiue yeares of age but all that while are brought vp with their mothers chiefly for this cause that if any of them in those yeares of education should miscarry and dye their losse should be no greefe or molestation to the father They celebrate their mariages all at one time of the yeare that is in the vernall Aequinoctium and the Brides-groome eateth nothing the first night he lieth with his wife but an Apple or the marrow of a Cammell The Persian children from the first yeare of their age to the foure and twentith practise nothing but riding shooting throwing the dart and chiefly to learne to speake the truth Their schoole-maisters are men of great continencie and seuerity and such as sometimes in rime some-times in prose rehearse vnto them for their instructions tales and histories containing the commendations of their gods and the deeds of worthy men They haue a place appointed them to practise in whether they are summoned by the sound of some winde instrument at vsuall houres and their teachers are often demanded and examined by others how their children do profit They practise running also choosing one of the Princes sonnes to be their Captaine and guide the field wherein they run their races is at the least thirty stadia in length and that they may the better indure both heate and cold they often exercise themselues in swimming and wading ouer great waters insomuch as they will eate their meate and go about their husbandry and other businesse with weapons in their hands and wet garments on their backs their meate is the gumme or turpentine that issueth out of Firre trees Acornes and wilde Peares but that which they vsually eat after their runing other exercises of their bodies is a kinde of heard bread and salt herbes called garden Cresses and flesh either broyled or boyled and their vsual drinke is water They hunt alwaies on horsbacke with darts bowes and slings In the fore-noone they either plant trees dig vp rootes make weapons or practise fishing their children be addorned with gold and many other dainties The stone Pyropus which is a kind of Carbuncle stone of a firy rednesse is with them in great estimation therefore they apply it not to any dead bodie nor yet the fire for the great honor reuerence they yeeld vnto it from the twentith yeere vnto the fiftith they be souldiours and follow the warres they haue no vse of pleading neither doe they buy or sell any thing They bee armed in the warres with a kinde of target in form of a wheele and besides their quiuer of arrowes they haue weapons called sangars and short swords caps with high crowns and on their breasts rough brest-plates ful of skales The Princes weare a kind of garment that is three double about their shoulders and cotes with sleeues hanging downe to their knees the out-side whereof is of diuers collours and the lyning white In the Sommer time the Persians be clothed in purple and in winter in changeable collours The head attires for their Priests or Magi be like vnto Bishops miters The common people bee clothed with two coates hanging downe to the middle of their legs and a great bundel of linnen cloath bound about their heads Their beds and pots be trimmed with gold siluer They consult of no serious matter but when they be halfe drunke esteeming that consultation to be more firme thē that which is with sobriety deliberatiō kinsmen equals salute one an other with a kisse the baser sort of people reuerence their betters by bowing their bodies vnto them They bury their dead bodies in the earth annoynting them first with wax but their Priests or wise-men they cast out without burial to be deuoured of birds their custome was also for sonnes to lie with their owne mothers and these in times past were the manners and customes of the Persians Herodotus also reciteth more of their maners very worthy of remembrance as that it was held a horrible and heynous offence to laugh or spit before the King That they scoffed at the Greekes who were of opinion that the gods tooke their original from men That whatsoeuer was vnlawful to be done was by them thought vnfitting to be spoken That it was a vile thing to bee in debt but to lie was most abhominable That they did not bury their dead bodies before they were pulled in peeces by dogges and which in the opinion of other nations was thought most absurde that parents being brought to pouertie might get money by being Pandars to their owne daughters which custome was alowed amongst the Babylonians also The Persians at this day being ouercome by the Sarrasins and infected with the madnesse of Mahomet liue altogether in darkenesse It was once a warlike nation and had for a long space the gouernment of the East but now for want of excercise in armes it fayleth much of his ancient glory Of India and of the monstrous and prodigious customes and manner of liuing of the people of India CAP. 8. INDIA a Country in the East and the vtmost bound of all Asia is so vast and large a country as it is thoght to be the third part of the whole world Pomponius writeth that it is as much in compasse by the sea shore as a ship will saile in forty daies and forty nights with a full winde It is called India of the riuer Inde where it finisheth his course vpon the West part and beginning at the meridionall sea stretcheth out vnto the vttermost part of the East extending Northward to the hill Caucasus It containeth sundry sorts of people and hath such great aboundance of Cities and walled townes therein as some are of opinion that there is no fewer then fiue thousand nor may it seeme strange that it hath so great numbers of people and Cities considering that the Indians of all other people neuer departed from their natiue soile The most famous riuers in that Country are Ganges Indus and Hypanis but the greatest of them is the riuer Ganges The Country by reason of the Westerne windes is most holsome they haue two haruests in the yeere and the wind bloweth Easterly all winter wine they haue none although there be that affirme that the Musican soile yeeldeth some wine in the South part of India is great store of Narde Cynamon Pepper and Sugar-cane as in Arabia and Aethiopia It produceth Ebon-trees

Porters Clerkes and Singers That amongst the Greekes were Captaines of thousands Captaines of hundreds Captaines of fifty Gouernours ouer ten and rulers ouer fiue and that besides these as wel amongst the Greeks as Latines there were diuers sorts of conuents and religious houses both for men and women as the Sadduces Esseyes and Pharisies amongst the Iewes the Salij Diales and Vestales amongst the Romanes All the holy Apostles as Peter and those which succeeded him in the chaire of Rome agreed established that the vniuersal Apostolike most holy and high Bishop of Rome should euer after be called the Pope that is to say the father of his countrie and that he should proceede and gouerne the Catholike Romane Church as the Emperour of Rome was Monarch ouer the whole world and that as the Consuls were next in office and authoritie to the Emperour and were euer two in number so should there bee foure Patriarkes in the Church of God that in degree and dignitie should be next vnto the Pope whereof one was seated at Constantinople another at Antioch the third at Alexandria and the fourth at Ierusalem That the Senators of Rome should be expressed by Cardinals that such Kings or Princes as gouerned three Dukedomes should be equalled with Primates that should gouerne theree Archbishops and that the Archb. or Metrapolitans shold be compared to Dukes that as the Dukes had Earles vnder them so should Bishops be vnder the Archbishops That Bishops likewise should be resembled vnto Eatles their Assistants and Suffragans vnto Praesidents and Provosts vnto Lieutenants Arch-priests should supply the place of Tribunes of the soldiers for Tribunes of the people were ordained Chancelors and Arch deacons were put in the place of Praetors for Centurions were placed Deanes parish Priests for Decurions and other Prelates and Ministers for Aduocates and Atturneys Deacons represented the Aediles sub-deacons the Quaternions Exorcists the Duumuiri hostiarii or dore-keepers the treasurers readers singers and Poets the Porters of the Court and Acolites and Priests Ministers the Secretaries Taper-bearers decreeing that all these sundry Orders of Church-officers should be called by one generall name Clerkes of the Greeke word Cleros a lotte or chance whereby at first they were elected out of the people for Gods part or portion of inheritance This done they ordained that seuen sorts of these Clerkes should be of more speciall name and note then the rest as hauing euery one his peculiar function habit and dignitie in the church and that they should be alreadie to attend vpon the altar when the Bishop of Rome doth sacrifice to wit the Pope himself Bish Priests Deacons Subd Priests and singing men The office of Bishops is to giue orders to veile virgins to consecrate Bishops to confirme children by imposition of hands to dedicate Temples to degrade Priests frō their functions and to put them in againe vpon their reformation to celebrate Councels to make Chrismes vnctiōs to hallow vestiments and Church vessels and to do any other things which meaner Priests may do as well as they as to cathechise and baptize to make and consecrate the Sacrament of the Altar and to communicate it to others to pronounce absolution to the penitent to restraine the stubborn and to preach and declare the Gospel of Christ The crownes of their heades must bee shauen round like the Nazareans and they ought neither to weare lockes nor long beards they are bound to perpetuall chastitie and they haue the command and preheminence ouer other priests their liuings and maintenance ought to be onely of first firuites tythes oblations nor may they meddle or busie themselues in worldly matters their apparell and conuersation should be decent comely honest and they are tyed onely to serue God and the Church and to occupy and employ themselues seriously in reading the holy Scriptures that thereby they may perfectly know al things which belong to Christian Religion wherin they are bound to instruct others There be diuers conuenticles and houses of religious persons both men women as Benedictines Friars preachers Franciscans Augustines Bernardines Antonians Ioannites Carthusians Praemonstratentians Carmelites Cistertians many others euery one of which Orders haue distinct habits and customes different one from another by the rules which they haue priuatly set downe and prescribed for themselues to liue vnder And all of these professe perpetuall chastity obedience and wilfull pouertie liue for the most part a solitary life for which cause they were called Monkes as men liuing a monasticall kind of life Some of these Orders haue for their heads and gouernors of their houses and societies Abbots some Prouosts and some Priors but the Bishops be onely subiect to the Bishop of Rome most of these Orders we are hoodes or cowles though not all of one colour and abstaine wholy from flesh Bishops when they offer vp the sacrifice of the Masse were cōmanded by that sacred Synod to bee attired in holy vestures which for their perfection are borrowed out of the law of Moses of these garments be 15. to wit the Sandals the Amice the long Albe that reacheth down to their anckles the Girdle the Stole the Maniple the purple Coate with wide sleeues the Gloues the Ring the Linnen garment called Castula the Napkin or Sudary the Pall or Cope the Myter the Crozier staffe a chaire standing nere the altar for him to sit in of these 15. church-ornaments six were made common as well to other inferiour Priests as to Bishops that is to say the Amice the long Albe the Girdle the Stole the Manuple the Castula besides these 15. sundry sorts of garments the Pope by the donation of the Emperor Constantine the Great weareth in the celebration of the Masse all the Robes vsed by the Emperors of Rome as the scarlet coate the short purple cloake the scepter and the triple Diadem and with these he is arrayed in the Vestry when he saith Masse vppon any sollemne festiuall dayes and from thence goeth to the Altar attended with a priest on his right side and a Deacon on his left before him goeth a sub-Deacon with a book in his hand shut two taper-bearers one with a censor burning incense when he approcheth nere to the Altar hee puts off his myter and kneeling down with his attendants vpon the lowest step pronounceth the Confitcor or publike confession of sinners and then ascending vp to the altar he openeth the booke and kisseth it and so proceedeth to the celebration of all the ceremonies belonging to that sacrifice the sub-deacon reading the Epistle and the deacon the Gospell Bishopps and all other eminent Priests bee likewise bound to prayse God euery day seuen times and to vse one certaine order and forme of prayer and not onely to do so themselues but to giue commandement to all inferior Priests whatsoeuer vnder their charge and iurisdiction to do the like as to say Euensong in the afternoone Compline in the

twy-light Mattins in the morning and their houres at the first third sixt and ninth houre of the day and that all this if it be possible should be done in the Church humbly kneeling or standing before the Altar with their faces towards the East The Lords prayer and the Apostles Creed were then vsed to be sayd as they are now at this day Saint Hierome at the instance of Pope Damasus distributed and digested the Psalmes by the dayes assigning to euery houre his proper Psalmes and their number as nine at nocturns vpon holy dayes and 12. vpon working daies for the laudes at Mattins fiue fiue at euen-song and at all other houres three and it was chiefly he that disposed and set in order the Gospels Epistles all other things which as yet be read out of the old new Testament sauing only the hymnes Damasus diuiding the Quire of singing men into two parts appointed them to sing in course the Anthemes written by S. Ambrose Bishop of Millaine added Gloria Patri to the end of euery Antheme The Toletan Agathon Councels allowed the lessons hymnes which be read before euery houre The prayers grails tracts alleluias offertories communions in the Masse anthems versicles tropes and other things sung and read to the honor of God in the office of the Masse as well for the day as night were penned by S. Gregory Gelasius Ambros and diuers others of the holy Fathers not all at once but at diuers times The Masse for so is that sacrifice called was celebrated at the first in that simple furniture and plaine manner as it is now vsed vpon Easter Eue. Pope Celestinus added the Priests manner of entrance to the altar the Gloria in excelsis was annexed by Telesphorus the hymne which begins et in terra was composed by Hillarie Bishop of Poictiers and was afterwards by Symachus ordained to be sung The salutations taken out of the booke of Ruth which the priest pronounceth 7. times in the Masse by saying Dominus vobiscum were appointed by Clement Anacletus Gelasius disposed the rest to the offertory in the Order they be now vsed except the Sequentiae which are said after the Masse and these Nicholas added the Apostles Creed which Damasus annexed vnto them out of the Constantinopolitan councell The Sermon which is preached to the people by the priest or deacon standing in a pulpit vppon holy-daies was rather vsed by tradition after the examples of Nehemias or Esdras then instituted by any other in which Sermon the people that be present at Masse bee admonished to communicate as in duty they are bound and that they should imbrace mutual loue that they should be purged from their sins not be polluted with vices when they receiue the Sacrament of the altar and for that cause he concludeth his Sermon with the publike confession of sinners he declareth moreouer vnto them the contents of the old and new Testament and putteth them in mind of the ten Commandements the twelue Articles of our beleefe the seuen Sacraments of the Church the liues and Martyrdomes of Saints the holy-dayes and fasting daies instituted and ordained by the Church the vices and vertues and all other things necessarie for a Christian to know Pope Gregory added the Offertory to the Masse and Leo the Prefaces Gelasius and Sixtus the greater and lesser Canons and Gregory the Lords prayer out of the Gospell of Saint Mathew Martial Saint Peters Disciple instituted that Bishoppes should giue the benediction and Innocentius that inferior Priests should offer the Pax Agnus Dei was adioyned by Sergius the Communion by Gregorie and the Conclusion in these wordes Ite missa est Benedicamus Domino or Deo gratias was inuented by Pope Leo. The twelue Articles of our Faith which the holy Apostles haue commanded euery one not onely to acknowledge but most constantly to beleeue be these following The first that there is one God in Trinitie the Father Almightie Maker of heauen and earth the second That Iesus Christ is his onely begotten Sonne our Lord the third that he was conceiued of the holy Ghost borne of the Virgin Mary the fourth that he suffered vnder Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried the fift that he descended into hell and the third day rose againe from the dead the sixt that he ascended into heauen and that there hee sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty the seuenth that he shall come againe in glorie to iudge both the quicke and the dead the eight that there is a holy Ghost the ninth that there is a holy Catholike Church the tenth that there is a Communion of Saints and remission of sinnes the eleuenth that there is a resurrection of the flesh and the twelfth that there is an eternall life after death in another world The tenne Commandements which were written with the finger of God and deliuered by the hands of his seruant Moses to the people of Israel and which he willed vs to obserue and keepe be these following The first to beleeue that there is one God the second not to take the name of God in vaine the third to keepe holy the Sabbath day the fourth to honour our fathers and betters the fift to do no murther the sixt not to commit adulterie the seuenth not to steale the eighth not to beare false witnesse the ninth not to couet other mens goods and the tenth not to desire another mans wife nor any thing that is his The seuen Sacraments of the Church which bee included in the last fiue Articles of our faith and which the holy Fathers haue commanded vs to beleeue be these following First Baptisme and this Sacrament heretofore as it was established by a canonicall sanction was not ministred vnto any vnlesse vpon very vrgent necessitie but vnto such as were afore-hand well instructed in the faith and sufficiently catechised and examined thereof seuen sundrie times to wit vpon certaine dayes in Lent and vppon the vigils of Easter and Penticost beeing the vsuall times for consecration in all Parishes But this Sacrament beeing aboue all the rest most necessarie vnto saluation and least any one should depart out of this life without the benefit thereof it was ordained that as soon as an infant was borne he should haue God-fathers procured for him to be his witnesses or sureties and that then the child beeing brought by his God-fathers before the church doore the Priest standing there for the purpose should demand of the child before he dippe him in the holy Font whether he will forsake the Diuell and all his pompes and whether he stedfastly beleeue all the Articles of the Christian faith and the God-fathers affirming on his behalfe the Priest bloweth three times in the Infants face and when he hath exorcized and catechized him he doth these seuen things in order vnto the child first he putteth hallowed salt into his mouth secondly hee annointeth his eyes eares and

come into the Senate or Councell house and many were so deeply touched with that indignitie as they would violently procure their owne deaths rather then indure such disgrace Their Kings were elected for their worth and Nobility and their power and authority was not altogether free but limitted and restrained the worthiest souldiers and men of greatest valour and such as could effect more by their good examples then by all their force and authority were ordained leaders and conductors of their armies There was none had power to chastice beat or punish an other but the Priests only for they held that reuengment belonged only vnto the gods whose ministers the Priests were They would pourtray the Images of their gods and carry them with them into the warres as a speciall incouragement to fight And their friends and kinsfolke likewise were placed neere vnto the battell that in their presence they might either atchieue a glorious victory or end their dayes with honor and their parents wiues and children were eye-witnesses of their valor and prowesse and euer as any of them that fought were wounded they were brought vnto their mothers and wiues and other friends that were lookers on who were euer readie and willing to heale and cure them and to supply the soldiers with victualles exciting and encouraging them to fight manfully through which exhortations as some haue written the battell hath renewed and begunne a fresh when the souldiers were almost spent and wearied out for they esteemed their women to be of great sanctitie and prouidence and therefore their Councels were not to be contemned nor their aduises despised Vppon certaine dayes they vsed to sacrifice men vnto Mercurie and beasts to Mars and Hercules and they were generally giuen to sorcerie and witch-craft Trifling and pettie causes were managed and decided by the Rulers and Magistrates of the citties but all great businesses and difficult affaires were handled by the whole body of the city in generall They would neuer begin any busines but when the Moone was either in the change or in the full and they reckened their computation not by the dayes but by the nights They came armed into the Councell-house to decide controuersies and to maintaine the right of causes and hee vppon whose side the sentence passed and was conmended had a Iaueling shaken and brandished against him which manner of sentence giuing they accounted to be most honorable and againe those whose causes were nought were condemned by the Iudges frownes and sterne lookes All traytors an● turne-coates and such as fled to the enemie were hanged Sluggards dastards and such infamous persons and those that had any noysome disease were laid vpon a hurdle and dragged till they were dead No Magistrate would execute any publike or priuate businesse but when he was armed there was great emulation amongst them about their diet and they were incredibly giuen to affectation for he carried the greatest credit and estimation amongst his friends and neighbours that was best attended and accompanied with young gallants when hee went abroad about any businesse If the Prince that was Generall or Leader of the armie departed out of the field without victorie he liued in discredite and infamie all his life time after for the Prince fighteth only for victorie and the other Noblemen for the safetie of the Prince They would oftentimes take occasion to make warres without cause giuen onely because they could not indure to liue quietly and peaceably For they held it a point of sloth and sluggishnesse to get their liuing by their labors if they might get it by warres though it cost them their liues if they had no warres the valiantest men of them all spent their times wholy in eating drinking and sleeping committing both houses and husbandrie to the care and guidance of old men and women So as it seemeth strange to see two such contrarie dispositions in one people to be both louers of idlenesse and yet enemies to peace and quietnesse Their dwellings were in villages and euery one in seuerall houses their apparell short cassockes or souldiers coates buttoned together with claspes or pinned with thornes and the richer sort were knowne and distinguished from others by their clothes for they wore their coates so close to their skins as you might plainely perceiue the perfect proportion of each lim and member and the selfe same fashion of apparell which serued men was worne by women likewise Most part of the Germaines which dwelt towards the East and North side of the countrie contented themselues with one wife a peece some few excepted which had many and the wife was not indowed by the husband but the husband by the wife nor was their dowers of such dainties as were onely fit to make them fine and gay but of such things as they had most vse of as yokes of oxen horses with their furniture shields swords Iauelings and such like The women were wonderful chast and modest and their lookes nothing want on to procure allurements they frequented no banquets nor common feasts so as though the nation were very populous there was few women found offending in adulterie but if any were thereof conuicted her owne husband would pull her headlong out of his house starke naked before her neighbours and friends and whip her round about the towne nor was there any place for pardon for such lasciuious strumpets no not their youth beautie nor riches could any whit priuiledge them or reconcile them to their husbands It was not tolerable for any one to scoffe at vice for thereby they thought they both corrupted others and were corrupted themselues And as euery woman had but one bodie and one life so should she haue but one husband nor ought she to haue any idle cogitation or wanton desire as if shee more regarded the act of matrimonie then her husbands loue so as more good was done by their manners and examples then in other places by wholesome strict lawes Yong men were not very prone to lust especially when their youthfull dayes drew to an end and maides were not married til they were of good yeares that they might bee more strong and able to beare children Murder was punished with a certaine number of cattell which the murtherer must giue to al the dead mans friends as a satisfaction for his death They were very desirous to diet together and to keepe good hospitalitie accounting it an vnhonest and vndecent part to forbid any one their houses or tables Rewards were willingly taken and giuen nor would they vpbraide any one with that they had giuen nor thinke themselues in any matter beholding for what they receiued They would spend whole nights and dayes in drinking and carowsing esteeming and accounting it a credit to be drunken and oftentimes after their gluttonie and gormandize they would brall and fall out one with another exchanging ill words and sometimes blowes whereof oftentimes insued mayming and murder They consulted of all serious

the sea for the exceeding desire shee hath to auaile man-kinde whereby she becommeth as I may say the lappe and bosome that openeth and offereth trafficke and trading into all countries so as shee is iustly termed of some the nurse of all other nations and elected by Gods diuine prouidence as parent and Princesse of all other Prouinces and such a one as should gather together vnder one head and gouernment all dispersed dominions and should asswage and mitigate the rage and rudenesse of many barbarous people and by the diuine helpe of learning and the Latine toung should vnite and bring to sociable conference all nations though neuer so different in life and language for to passe ouer many people and kingdomes which the Romaines haue wone and conquered with their armies and cloquence the Citty of Rome alone is as amply stored with examples of all vertues as the Grecians with all their eloquence are with precepts yea they themselues deuining as it were that their land should become the head and gouernor of all others when they surnamed one part therof great Greece In a word it was not without the diuine prouidence ordained that where that most wise and omnipotent God had reiected all other nations it pleased him to make that the chiefe Empire fortresse and defence of all people that should afterwards bee the seate throne and chaire of the head of Gods Church and the Christian religion The Italians differ much amongst themselues both in countenance and stature for in Cisalpine France and about the gulfe of Venice the people be of a pale complexion neat in their apparell and curious in their speach but the inhabitants of Hetruria Latium Campania Lucania and the Brutij be of a more browne and swartie complexion and their haire black in stature they be lower and withall very leane and in apparell and speech more plaine and simple The Piceni and those which dwell on the skirts of the Adriatticke sea vntill you come to great Greece haue much resemblance to the former but in Apulia Calabria and in the vppermost parts of Italy towards Greece their speach and behauiour doth little differ from the Greekes Throughout all Italy and in a manner throughout all Europe it is not lawfull for any man to haue more wiues than one and all diuorses betwixt man and wife had their originall from the Citty of Rome for there it was that Spurius Carbillus complaining of his wiues barrennesse was the first that euer was diuorsed from his wife The Cittizens heretofore consisted of three sorts of people that is to say slaues libertines which were such as were once slaues and were manumitted and made free freemen The freemen were likewise deuided into three orders or ranks to wit the Plebeians the Equestri and the Patritij the solemnizing of their sacrifices and sacred rites was committed to Priests and Flamins besides whom they had diuerse colleges and societies of religious persons wherof some did sacrifice to one God and some to an other The Dictator was most honored of all other officers and bore the greatest sway amongst them from whom no appeale was sufferable for he bearing a Kinglike gouernment they had no higher officer to whom they might appeale the dignity of the Dictator continued but halfe a yeare for the most part they came to that high office by degrees as being first Questors or Treasurers then Aediles or ouer-seeers after that Praetors or chiefe Iustices then were they made Consuls then Censors then they attained to the highest office of all which was Dictatorship But yet it did not alwaies necessarily follow that the Dictator had born all those offices before recited for he was oftentimes elected out of some inferior office for his valor worthinesse yet he had chiefest power and authority ouer all those ciuill gouernors as likwise ouer all officers that bore rule in the warres for in military affaires they had their degrees of gouernors aswell as in domesticall businesses for there the cōmon soldiors yeelded obedience to the Centurions the Centurions to the Tribunes the Tribunes to the Lieutenant the Lieutenants or deputies to the Consuls or vnto their Vice-presidents by them assigned to rule in their steeds and all these together with the Captaines and conductors of horsmen were subiect to the authority of the Dictator In warres that were lawfully begun souldiors might continue for the space of ten yeares if in all that time they neuer skirmished with the enimy nor were sommoned away to wage wars in other countries Besides this lawfull making of wars whereof I now speake there was an other sort of warfare called Causaria which was when the army for some reasonable cause was dismissed and the campe remooued This latter maner of warfare as it was not so honorable as the first yet did it carry with it no touch of ignominy nor disgrace because they were called thence for some speciall cause Seruius Tullius ordained that none should be soldiors but such as were betwixt the age of seuenteene yeares and eight and forty those which were men of peace went alwaies in gownes and the souldiors in short cassocks and coate armors When they intended to make battell against any country they would first send an herald or officer at armes to denounce warrs and being once entred into it they might not leaue it but for some lawfull cause All the citties of Italy were either confederats with Rome or such as were newly inhabited by those that came out of Rome and were called Colonia or Municipia which were such Citties as had liberties and priuiledges proper and peculiar to themselues of which sort some were made by plurality of voyces and some otherwise and those Cittie 's called Municipia were euer gouerned by their owne decrees but the Cittie 's called Coloniae were accounted as members of Rome and liued vnder the Romaine law In the citties or corporations called Municipia where there were Burgesses and Free denizens together their chiefest officers were called Decurions which were the same that Senators were at Rome The order of the Patritij were distinguished from the Equestri by their purple robes and the Equestri were knowne from the Plebeians by their gilden garments if he which had the chiefest authority and bore the prerogatiue royall amongst them had misdemeaned himselfe his cause was discerned by the whole body of the citty and the hearing and determining of all other capitall offences was committed to certaine Iudges elected by lots to that dignity out of that band of souldiers which were assistants to the Magistrates in matters of life and death for that yeare The deciding of all ciuill contentions belonged to the Praetor of the Centumuiri and so in like sort other crimes were committed to the consideration of other Magistrates And such generally were the manners and customes of all the people and citties of Italy which institutions and forme of gouernment they receiued

the Prouince of Celtica which is all that which is now the countrie of Lyons and from that againe vnto the Pyrenaean hils is the country of Aquitanica once called Armorica Augustus deuideth France into foure parts by adding to those three the Prouince of Lyons And Ammianus maketh many subdiuisions by distributing the country of Lions into two parts and Aquitanica into two parts Braccata Gallia which is also called Narbon was so called of a certaine fashion of mantles or breeches called Braccae which by them were much worne Gallia Belgica which adioyneth vnto Rhene speaketh for the most part the Almaine tongue and comprehendeth many prouinces as Heluetia Alsatia Lotharingia Luxenburg Burgundy Brabant Gelderland Holland Zeland all which may bee more rightly accounted part of Germany then of France but that the riuer of Rhene hath deuided it from Germany And surely I see no reason why hils riuers should limit bound Kingdoms but rather the language and gouernment and that each Country should extend as farre as his owne proper language is spoken The Romanes called the people of Gallia by one generall name Celtae after the name of their King and Gallatae of Galata his mothers name but they bee now called Franci and Gallia France of those people of Germanie so called by whom it was al subdued as Baptista Mantuanus writeth in his booke intituled Dionysius and Anthonius Sabellicus in his third booke of the tenth Aeneade The Dictator Caesar saith that the French men doe differ much amongst themselues both in language lawes and institutions and that many things be common to most of them as to bee factious which is a general aspertion not only vnto Citizens and Burgesses but in priuate families also for euery one as he excelleth others in wealth or wisdome contendeth to haue the souerainty and to aduance his owne faction coueting to haue all things done by his owne direction rather then by others though as wise wealthy as himself an other institution they haue very ancient and grounded vpon good reason that is that the common people should liue in security and not bee iniured by the nobility for but for that there is no country in the world wherein the clownes liue in greater contempt and slauery then in France for there was held little difference betwixt them and slaues being neuer called to any publike councel but oppressed with tributes or constrained to lend their money without security in so much as they were content to retaine to noble men and gentlemen yeelding themselues as slaues and bondmen vnto them only to bee freed from other mens extortions and wrongs There were two sorts of men that caried most estimation amongst them which were the Equites and the Druides some likewise did attribute as much honour to Poets and Prophets as vnto the Druides for that the Prophets bended their whole courses to finde out the causes of natural things the Poets wholy imployed themselues in praises and poems and all these were by Caesar called by the name of Druidae These Druidae had the charge and ouersight of al sacrifices both publike and priuate their function was also to expound and interpret their religion and to instruct and bring vp children and young men in learning and decipline for the assemblies and troupes of such youth were much accounted of to them was committed likewise the disciding of controuersies the bounding limitting of mens grounds power to punish offendors by death torments or otherwise and if either priuate person or Magistrate offred to withstand or gainsay any of their decrees or refused to stand to their awarde they would interdict and forbid him to come to their sacrifices which amongst that people was the greatest punishment that could bee inflicted The Druides shunned the communication and company of all men least they should bee polluted and no one could haue iustice or bee honoured and reuerenced according to his place dignity and deserts if any of these Druides were against it They had one that was the gouernor and Arch-priest ouer them who bore the chiefest sway as head of the whole order and euer as one of those prouosts or gouernors died an other was elected in his roome out of those Druides either by worthinesse of person or plurality of voices This councel or Senate of Druides assembled at one time of the yeere at Lyons which is about the middle of France and there they kept their Sessions for the hearing and determining of all controuersies that were brought before them from al parts of the Country which kinde of Iudgement and establishing of lawes and statutes was afterwards receiued amongst al the nobles commons of France the superstition beeing first brought out of Britany and by them called the Parliament of which I will speake more hereafter The Druides were exempted from the warres and had immunity from tribute and whosoeuer addicted himselfe to that kinde of profession must learne by heart thousands of verses yea so many as some of them spent twenty yeeres in conning verses without booke nor was it lawfull for them to commit any thing to writing that belonged to the knowledge of that science for that they auoided all meanes that might either bee a helpe vnto their memories or anywise concerne the authority of that discipline and also that their idle superstitious rites might not bee laide open to the common people and yet all other sorts of Gaules and themselues in all other matters both publike priuate vsed at that time the Greeke character The Druides beleeued and preached the immortality of the soule that after her departure out of one body shee remooued into an other by which means al feare of death being taken away they were more hardy and venturous to vndergo al dangers They would reason and dispute much of the stars and of their motion of the magnitude the worlde and sytuation of the earth and of the naturall causes of things and power of their prophane gods they held a position likewise that the world was eternall and that the elements of fire and water preuailed one against an other by turnes An other sort of religious persons and which were most deuoute of all others were those they called Equites and they when they fell into any dangerous disease or any other perill of their liues would offer for the recouery of their health or auoiding of imminent danger a humaine sacrifice which sacrifice must euer bee solemnized by the assistance of some one of the Druides Some others of that sect had great huge Images made hallow and couered with twigges into the concauity whereof they would put men aliue and then set fire about the Image vntill all were consumed away The punishment inflicted vpon theeues and offenders they esteemed most gratefull and acceptable to their gods and all those ancient Gaules held the god Mercury in great veneration as first founder and inuentor of all arts and misteries the