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
wonder what Deuill carried the Religion of Mahomet thither For from Derbent which is vpon the extreme borders of Persia it is aboue thirtie dayes Iourney to passe ouerthwart the Desart and so to ascend by the banke of Etilia into the foresaid Countrey of Bulgaria All which way there is no Citie but onely certayne Cottages neere vnto that place where Etilia falleth into the Sea Those Bulgarians are most wicked Saracens more earnestly professing the damnable Religion of Mahomet then any other Nation whatsoeuer Moreouer when I first beheld the Court of Baatu I was astonied at the sight thereof for his Houses or Tents seemed as though they had beene some huge and mightie Citie stretching out a great way in length the people ranging vp and downe about it for the space of some three or foure leagues And euen as the people of Israel knew euery man on which side of the Tabernacle to pitch his Tent euen so euery one of them knoweth right well towards what side of the Court hee ought to place his house when he takes it from off the Cart. Whereupon the Court is called in their Language Horda which signifieth the midst because the Gouernour or Chieftaine among them dwels alwayes in the middest of his people except onely that directly towards the South no subiect or inferiour person placeth himselfe because towards that Region the Court gates are set open but vnto the right hand and the left hand they extend themselues as farre as they will according to the conueniencie of places so that they place not their houses directly opposite against the Court. At our arriuall wee were conducted vnto a Saracen who prouided not for vs any victuals at all The day following we were brought vnto the Court and Baatu had caused a large Tent to bee erected because his house or ordinary Tent could not contayne so many men and women as were assembled Our Guide admonished vs not to speake till Baatu had giuen vs commandement so to doe and that then we should speake our minds briefly Then Baatu demanded whether your Maiestie had sent Ambassadors vnto him or no I answered that your Maiestie had sent Messengers to Ken-Can and that you would not haue sent Messengers vnto him or Letters vnto Sartach had not your Highnesse beene perswaded that they were become Christians because you sent not vnto them for any feare but onely for congratulation and courtesies sake in regard that you heard they were conuerted to Christianitie Then led he vs vnto his Pauilion and we were charged not to touch the cords of the Tent which they account in stead of the threshold of the house There we stood in our habit bare-footed and bare-headed and were a great and strange spectacle in their eyes For indeed Frier Iohn de Plano Carpini had beene there before my comming howbeit because he was the Popes Messenger he changed his habit that hee might not be contemned Then wee were brought into the very midst of the Tent neither required they of vs to doe any reuerence by bowing our knees as they vse to doe of other Messengers Wee stood therefore before him for the space wherein a man might haue rehearsed the Psalme Miserere mei Deus and there was great silence kept of all men Baatu himselfe sate vpon a seat long and broad like vnto a Bed gilt all ouer with three staires to ascend thereunto and one of his Ladies sate beside him The men there assembled sate downe scattering some on the right hand of the said Lady and some on the left Those places on the one side which the women filled not vp for there were only the Wiues of Baatu were supplyed by the men Also at the very entrance of the Tent stood a bench furnished with Cosmos and with stately great cups of Siluer and Gold being richly set with Precious Stones Baatu beheld vs earnestly and wee him and he seemed to me to resemble in personage Monsieur Iohn de Beaumont whose soule resteth in peace And he had a fresh ruddie colour in his countenance At length hee commanded vs to speake Then our Guide gaue vs direction that we should bow our knees and speake Wherevpon I bowed one knee as vnto a man then he signified that I should kneele vpon both knees and I did so being loth to contend about such circumstances And againe hee commanded me to speake Then I thinking of Prayer vnto God because I kneeled on both my knees beganne to pray on this wise Sir we beseech the Lord from whom all good things doe proceed and who hath giuen you these earthly benefits that it would please him hereafter to make you partaker of his heauenly blessings because the former without these are but vaine and improfitable And I added further Be it knowne vnto you of a certaintie that you shall not obtayne the ioyes of Heauen vnlesse you become a Christian for God saith Whosoeuer beleeueth and is baptized shal be saued but he that beleeueth not shal be condemned At this word he modestly smiled but the other Moals began to clap their hands and to deride vs. And of my silly Interpreter of whom especially I should haue receiued comfort in time of need was himselfe abashed and vtterly dasht out of countenance Then after silence made I said vnto him I came vnto your Sonne because we heard that he was become a Christian and I brought vnto him Letters on the behalfe of my Souereigne Lord the King of France and your Sonne sent me hither vnto you The cause of my comming therefore is best knowne vnto your selfe Then he caused me to rise vp And he enquired your Maiesties Name and my name and the name of mine Associate and Interpreter and caused them all to be put downe in writing He demanded likewise because hee had beene informed that you were departed out of your owne Countries with an Armie against whom you waged warre I answered against the Saracens who had defiled the House of God at Ierusalem He asked also whether your Highnesse had euer before that time sent any Messengers vnto him or no To you Sir said I neuer Then caused he vs to sit downe and gaue vs of his Milke to drinke which they account to be a great fauour especially when any man is admitted to drinke Cosmos with him in his owne house And as I sate looking downe vpon the ground he commanded me to lift vp my countenance being desirous as yet to take more diligent view of vs or else perhaps for a kind of Superstitious obseruation For they esteeme it a signe of ill lucke or a prognostication of euill vnto them when any man sits in their presence holding downe his head as if he were sad especially when hee leanes his cheeke or chin vpon his hand Then we departed forth and immediately after came our Guide vnto vs and conducting vs vnto our Lodging said vnto mee Your Master the King requesteth that you
But concerning their manners and superstitions of the disposition and stature of their bodies of their Countrie and manner of fighting c. he protested the particulars following to be true namely that they were aboue all men couetous hastie deceitfull and mercilesse notwithstanding by reason of the rigour and extremitie of punishments to be inflicted vpon them by their superiours they are restrained from brawlings and from mutuall strife and contention The ancient founders and fathers of their tribes they call by the name of Gods and at certaine set times they doe celebrate solemne Feasts vnto them many of them being particular and but foure onely generall They thinke that all things are created for themselues alone They esteeme it none offence to exercise cruelty against rebels They be hardy and strong in the breast leane and pale-faced rough and huffe-shouldred hauing flat and short noses long and sharpe chinnes their vpper jawes are low and declining their teeth long and thin their eye-browes extending from their fore-heads downe to their noses their eyes inconstant and blacke their countenances writhen and terrible their extreame ioynts strong with bones and sinewes hauing thicke and great thighes and short legs and yet being equall vnto vs in stature for that length which is wanting in their legs is supplyed in the vpper partes of their bodies Their Countrey in old time was a land vtterly desert and waste situated farre beyond Chaldea from whence they haue expelled Lyons Beares and such like vntamed beasts with their bowes and other engines Of the hides of beastes being tanned they vse to shape for themselues light but yet impenetrable armour They ride fast bound vnto their Horses which are not very great in stature but exceedingly strong and maintained with little prouender They vse to fight constantly and valiantly with Iauelins maces battle-axes and swords But especially they are excellent Archers and cunning warriers with their bowes Their backs are sleightly armed that they may not flee They withdraw not themselues from the combate till they see the chiefe Standerd of their Generall giue backe Vanquished they aske no fauour and vanquishing they shew no compassion They all persist in their purpose of subduing the whole world vnder their owne subiection as if they were but one man and yet they are moe then millions in number They haue 60000. Courriers who being sent before vpon light Horses to prepare a place for the Armie to incampe in will in the space of one night gallop three dayes iourney And suddenly diffusing themselues ouer an whole Prouince and surprising all the people thereof vnarmed vnprouided dispersed they make such horrible slaughters that the King or Prince of the land inuaded cannot finde people sufficient to wage battell against them and to withstand them They delude all people and Princes of regions in time of peace pretending that for a cause which indeed is no cause Sometimes they say that they will make a voyage to Collen to fetch home the three wise Kings into their owne Countrey sometimes to punish the auarice and pride of the Romans who oppressed them in times past sometimes to conquer barbarous and Northern nations sometimes to moderate the furie of the Germans with their owne meeke mildnesse sometimes to learne warlike feates and stratagems of the French sometimes for the finding out of fertile ground to suffice their huge multitudes sometimes againe in deriâ—â—on they say that they intend to goe on Pilgrimage to Saint Iames of Galicia In regard of which sleights and collusions certaine vndiscreet Gouernours concluding a league with them haue granted them free passage thorow their Territories which leagues notwithstanding being violated were an occasion of ruyne and destruction vnto the foresaid Gouernours c. To the Reader I Found this Booke translated by Master Hakluyt out of the Latine But where the blind leade the blind both fall as here the corrupt Latine could not but yeeld a corruption of truth in English Ramusio Secretarie to the Decemviri in Venice found a better Copie and published the same whence you haue the worke in manner new so renewed that I haue found the Prouerbe true that it is better to pull downe an old house and to build it anew then to repaire it as I also should haue done had I knowne that which in the euent I found The Latine is Latten compared to Ramusios Gold And hee which hath the Latine hath but Marco Polos Carkasse or not so much but a few bones yea sometime stones rather then bones things diuers auerse aduerse peruerted in manner disioynted in manner beyond beliefe I haue seene some Authors maymed but neuer any so mangled and so mingled so present and so absent as this vulgar Latine of Marco Polo not so like himselfe as the three Polos were at their returne to Venice where none knew them as in the Discourse yee shall find Much are wee beholden to Ramusio for restoring this Pole and Load-starre of Asia out of that mirie poole or puddle in which he lay drowned And O that it were possible to doe as much for our Countriman Mandeuill who next this if next was the greatest Asian Traueller that euer the World had hauing falne amongst theeues neither Priest nor Leuite can know him neither haue we hope of a Samaritan to releeue him In this I haue indeuoured to giue in what I giue the truth but haue abridged some things to preuent prolixitie and tautologie in this so voluminous a Worke leauing out nothing of substance but what elsewhere is to be found in this Worke and seeking rather the sense then a stricter verball following our Authours words and sentence As for the Chapters I find them diuersly by diuers expressed and therefore haue followed our owne method CHAP. IIII. The first Booke of MARCVS PAVLVS VENETVS or of Master MARCO POLO a Gentleman of Venice his Voyages §. I. The Voyages of Master M. NICOLO and M. MAFFIO from Constantinople to the Great CAN and their comming home to VENICE their second Voyage with the Authour and returne IN the time of Baldwin Emperour of Constantinople where vsually remayned a Magistrate of Venice called Messer lo Dose in the yeare of our Lord 1250. Master Nicolo Polo Father of Master Marco and M. Maffio his Brother Noble Honourable and Wisemen of Venice beeing at Constantinople with store of Merchandize kept many Accounts together At last they determined to goe into the Great or Euxine Sea to see if they could increase their stocke and buying many faire and rich Iewels They departed from Constantinople and sayled by the said Sea to a Port called Soldadia from whence they trauelled after by Land to the Court of a great Lord of the Tartars called Barcha who resided in the Cities of Bolgara and Assara and was reputed one of the most liberal and courteous Princes that euer had beene amongst the Tartars He was very well pleased with their comming and did them great honour They hauing made shew
desired him to thinke of deliuering the Holy Land out of the hands of the Pagans wherein he promised all his best endeauour and wished the King to send messengers to the Pope and to other Princes of Christendome for their assistance So Abaga hauing ordered the affaires of Turkie returned to the Kingdome of Corazen where hee had left his familie Bendecar the Soldan of Egypt after he had receiued such damage by the Tartars was poisoned died in Damascus whereof the Christians of those parts were very glad And the Saracens very sorrowfull for they had not his like after as they themselues commonly reported For his sonne called Melechahic succeeded him who was soone driuen out of his Dominion by one called Elsi who violently vsurping made himselfe Soldan 36. The time appointed being come when Abaga was to begin his warre against the Soldan of Egypt hee appointed his brother Mangodanior to goe to the Kingdome of Syria with thirtie thousand men being Tartars and couragiously to ouercome the Soldan if he came in battell against him or otherwise to take in the Castles and Holds of the Countrey and deliuer them to the Christians if the Soldan should shun the fight When Mangodanior with his Armie setting forward was come neere the Confines of Armenia hee sent for the King of Armenia who came presently vnto him with a goodly companie of Horse so that they entred the Kingdome of Syria and went spoyling and forraging till they came to the Citie Aman now called Camella which is seated in the midst of Syria Before this Citie lieth a faire great Playne where the Soldan of Egypt had assembled his Power intending to fight with the Tartarians And there the Saracen on the one side with the Christians and Tartars on the other side fought a great battell The King of Armenia with the Christians ruled and commanded the right wing of the Armie which inuaded the Soldans left wing manfully and put them to flight and pursued them three dayes iourney euen to the Citie Aman. Another part of the Soldans Armie was also routed by Amalech a Tartarian Captaine who pursued them also three dayes iourney to a Citie called Turara When they thought the Soldans Power vtterly ouerthrowne Mangodanior who neuer had seene the conflicts of warre before being afraid without any reasonable cause of certaine Saracens called Beduini withdrew himselfe out of the field hauing the better forsaking the King of Armenia and his Captaine which had preuayled against his enemies When the Soldan which thought he had lost all saw the field cleere and all abandoned he got vpon a little hill with foure armed men and stood there The King of Armenia returning from the pursuit and missing Mangodanior in the field was much astonied and imagining which way hee should be gone followed after him But Amalech returning from the enemies whom he had pursued abode two dayes expecting his Lord supposing that he had followed after him as he ought for the further subduing of his enemies and the Countrey which they had ouercome till at last hauing heard of his retrait leauing his victorie hee made speed after him whom hee found on the banke of the Riuer Euphrates staying for him And then the Tartars returned to their owne Prouince But the King of Armenia sustained much losse and hard aduenture in his returne for the Horses of the Christians of the Kingdome of Armenia were so wearied and spent with the length of the way and want of Fodder that they were not able to trauell so that the Christians going scatteringly by vnvsuall wayes were often found out and slayne without mercy by the Saracens inhabiting those parts Insomuch that the greatest part of the Armie was lost and in a manner all the Nobility And this misaduenture of Mangodanior happened in the yeere of our Lord 1282. When Abaga vnderstood the successe hereof he assembled all his people and when hee was readie to set forward with all his power against the Saracens a certaine Saracen the sonne of the Deuill came to the Kingdome of Persia and preuayled by giuing great gifts to sâ—me that serued neere about Abaga in such sort that both he and his brother Mangodanior were poysoned both in one day and died both within eight dayes after The trueth whereof was afterwards disclosed by the mischieuous Malefactors themselues And so died Abaga Can in the yeere of our Lord 1282. 37. After the death of Abaga Can the Tartars assembled themselues and ordayned ouer them a brother of his called Tangodor who had ouergone the rest of his brethren In his youth he had receiued the Sacrament of Baptisme and was baptised by the name of Nicholas But being come to riper yeeres and keeping companie with Saracens whom hee loued hee became a wicked Saracen and renouncing Christian Religion would be called Mahomet Can and laboured by all meanes to turne all the Tartarians to that irreligious Sect of Mahomet the sonne of Iniquitie in such sort that those that hee could not compell by violence hee aâ—lured by preferments and rewards insomuch that in his time many of the Tartarians became professed Saracens as at this day appeareth This Child of perdition commanded the Churches of the Christians to be destroyed and forbade them to vse any of their religious Rites or Ceremonies Hee caused the doctrine of Mahomet to bee publikely preached the Christians to bee banished and their Churches in the Citie of Tauris vtterly to bee destroyed Hee sent Messengers also to the Soldan of Egypt and concluded a Peace and a League with him promising that all the Christians within his Dominion should become Saracens or else lose their heads which gaue the Saracens cause of much reioycing and made the Christians very sad Hee sent moreouer to the King of Armenia in Georgia and to the other Christian Princes of those parts to come vnto him without delay But they resolued rather to die in battell then to obey his commandement for other remedie they could finde none And the Christians being now in such anguish and bitternesse of heart that they rather desired to die then to liue euen God which neuer refuseth them that put their trust in him sent consolation to them all For a Brother of this Mahomet with a Nephew of his also called Argon opposing themselues and rebelling against him for his euill deeds did signifie to Cobila Can the great Emperour of the Tartarians how he had forsaken the steps of his Ancestors and was become a wicked Saracen labouring with all his might to bring the rest of Tartars to be Saracens also Which when Cobila Can vnderstood he was much displeased thereat insomuch that he sent and required Mahomet to reforme his euill wayes for otherwise he would proceed against him Which message replenished him with wrath and indignation insomuch that he being perswaded there was none that durst gainsay his proceedings but his Brother and his Nephew
them to winne for I assure my selfe that when they shall perceiue your Souldiers to bee passed they will lose their courage and you may easily winne the passage for to fauour those men of yours which shall bee passed ouer with mee And for to shew vnto you the affection and fidelitie of that I speake I will deliuer into your hands an onely Sonne I haue and two little Daughters with my Wife I haue also one Brother who I am assured will follow mee to doe you seruice The Prince hauing heard this Lord speake receiued great ioy thereof hoping that his affaires should happily succeede and this hee kept very secret for euen the Prince of Thanais knew not the meanes that this Lord had seeing there was onely present the Prince and an Interpreter and the Prince after hee had thus spoken vnto him gratifying him with all hee could possibly this Lord retyred himselfe accompanyed with the Prince of Thanais who conducted him backe againe with all the honour that might bee So the Emperour returned from thence into his quarter and the next day after hee had imparted the whole vnto Odmar and heard Calibes concerning that which hee had learned of the departing of the King of China and of his preparation which was great This enterprise seeming hard vnto him after due reuerence yeelded vnto the Prince hee spake vnto him in this manner Know my Lord that I am your Slaue for to obey you but seeing you require mee to giue you an account of all that I know of the estate of the Kingdome of China for that I haue remayned these six moneths vpon the borders by your commandement to hinder them from passing the same whereby they might hurt your enterprises I can affirme vnto you that the King of China who raigneth at this present is of great reputation and hath increased the limits of his Kingdome more then any of his Predecessors His strength consisteth in this Wall opposed against vs the which hee hath caused to bee made by reason of the ordinarie roades of our Nation I am of opinion that there bee betweene fiftie and threescore thousand men at the guard of that Wall men for the most part trayned vp in the Garrisons of the King of China and his best Souldiers and I know no good meanes to force this Wall without great hazard and much losse of your men I haue vnderstood that towards the Lake Hogeen you may finde more easie entrance into the Kingdome after euery one had declared his opinion hee said that hee hoped the great God the Vnitie of whom hee would maintayne against such Idolaters and his iust right should answere the reasons which doe contradict his purpose and the valiant arme of his Souldiers shall quite ouerthrow whatsoeuer opposeth it selfe against the same and concealed from his Souldiers that which hee held as assured to execute it to the end the honour of a happy conducting might be ascribed vnto him onely Now our Prince hauing satisfied euery one of the Kings and Lords that did accompany him hee appointed the meeting place for his Armie to bee at a certayne place where hee meant to choose fiftie thousand fighting men and deliuer them vnto the commandement of the Prince of Thanais vnto whom he ioyned the Lord Axalla a Genuois for that hee knew him to bee discreete for to accompanie him commanding him to giue credite vnto him for his experience and fidelitie The day appointed being come the Lord with his brother came to the Emperor hauing viewed the place againe and found it to bee forceable and fit to passe assuring the Prince once againe of the happy successe of their enterprise and the Prince beeing assembled with them to conferre together resolued in the end that his person with all the army should approach vnto the walles directly ouer against Quaguifou in which meane space the fiftie thousand men should march forwards vnto the place appointed and where they were assured to passe conducted by the Chinois Lord vnder the charge of the Prince of Thanais and Axalla The Emperour hauing not failed to deliuer vnto them the best souldiers of his armie and hauing set downe the order by them to bee obserued hee willed that the Lord Axalla should leade twentie thousand of them and should march the first the rest led by the Prince of Thanais and that euery one should haue one of those Lords to guide them that by their meanes the enterprise might bee more safely directed So hauing marched ten leagues they arriued at the passage the which was won not finding any man there to resist them and hauing taken a light repast they beganne to march forward other ten leagues which yet remained where the Chinois were who suspected no such thing hauing onely an eye vnto them which marched for to force their walles assuring themselues to haue the mastry considering their aduantage But it fell out much otherwise for euen at the very same time the Chinois did perceiue the Princes armie to approach vnto their wall as soone did they discry Axalla with twenty thousand men who aduanced forward being followed by the Prince of Thanais with thirtie thousand souldiers chosen out of the whole army who without any communication set vpon the Chinois which came presently vnto them hauing left a certaine number of their Campe for the guard of the wall but they were presently won by the footmen led this day by Odmar who passed ouer so as the Chinois were cut off betweene our Armies When Axalla began the battaile he ouerthrew them in a manner all the Prince of Thanais not hazarding himself therein there was great riches gotten this day the King of China his Cousin whom he called King was taken prisoner There was a great quantity of gold amongst them as well on their armes as on their horse and furniture they shewed no great stoutnesse The newes heereof being come vnto the King of China who at that present time was at Quantou brought vnto him great astonishment for that hee iudged it a thing that could not possibly come to passe you might haue seene euery one filled with fright teares and cries bewailing the losse of their friends The King gathering together souldiers from all parts as the custome is of these people caused all the Priestes and such as had the charge of holy things to come vnto him and after exhortations vsed he as their head commanded them to offer sacrifice vnto their Gods of whom the Sunne is the principall commanding in heauen whom they hold opinion to bee the chiefest cause of their being accounting it immortall and impassible mouing it selfe onely for the benefit of liuing creatures this did hee command to bee obserued through out all his Cities and the second thing was that euery one able to beare armes should mount on horsebacke and come vnto the King at Paguinfou whither hee doubted that we would go because it was one of the
halfe part were passed which was fiftie thousand men good Odmar finding them in very ill order and nothing at all aduertised of the Enemies nearnesse gaue the charge and vtterly ouerthrew them there remayned dead vpon the ground some fiftie thousand men but it was not without great fight strengthened with the fauour of water and a great Marish wherein they were encamped Notwithstanding our Foot-men hauing wonne the banke of the Riuer beganne also to winne the Boats and to seuer them by the meanes of a great Boat the which we with diligence caused to runne downe beeing full of artificiall fire so as at the same very time that they which were within the Boate did draw neere they retyred out of the same hauing first kindled the fire within the Boate the which with a great force rushed against the Bridge of Boats and ouerthrew it and where it was resisted did burne This did greatly astonish them that were passed to see their returne cut off The Kings Brother was not yet passed vnto the other-side of the water and he which first had gone ouer was the King of Cauchina who was slayne at the first charge fighting very valiantly in the fore-front The Kings Brother did see his men slayne and drowned and could not remedie the same This second ouerthrow was of no small importance although it was but the third part of the Kings Brothers Army and that there remayned vnto him as yet a hundred thousand fighting men but there was no great hope that he durst present himselfe before our Army The newes hereof being reported at Quantioufou they desired to make tryall of the Emperours clemency Axalla dispatched one of his faithfull friends of his Countrey vnto the Prince to carry vnto him these good newes which was more welcome vnto the Prince then the ouerthrow he had giuen vnto the Enemy and agreed vnto all that Axalla demanded referring all vnto his sufficiencie and fidelitie The Kings Brother hauing sent to demand safety for to treate the Prince granted so much vnto them for such as would come vnto him In this meane-time Quantoufou yeelded it selfe into the hands of Axalla who caused the Garrison to come out of the same receiued the Inhabitants into the Princes protection and they which would might remayne therein vnarmed and he entred thereinto with the joy of all the Inhabitants who did determine to receiue the Emperour into the same with all the magnificence that might be He caused thirty thousand men of War to enter thereinto vnto whom was money deliuered for to maintayne them there vntill such time as all the Foot-men should receiue pay for three monethes due vnto them whereof the Inhabitants of Quantoufou did furnish the Prince to the summe of eight hundred thousand Tentins the which do amount vnto foure hundred and fifty thousand crownes or therabout The Prince at this present sent me vnto Axalla whom I found feasting of his Captaines and souldiers staying for the commandement that I brought vnto him the which was to remaine within Quantoufou and to cause all his footmen to set forward directly vnto him the which was done by the Prince to the end it should strike a greater terror into the minds of the enemies who seeing all his footmen arriued he supposed they wold nothing doubt Quantoufou being taken but that he would march forward insomuch as he hoped this would greatly aduance his Affaires considering the estate they were in I returned from Quantoufou vnto the Emperour hauing seene a beautifull and great Citie well fortified and wonderfully peopled and round about it there was a fruitfull Countrey Thus the Embassadors being arriued who were of the Kings chiefest Vassals Tamerlan receiued them with all humanitie causing his greatnesse to appeare vnto them and therewithall the agilitie of his Horsemen to make them see with their eyes that it would be the destruction of the Chinois name if he proceeded any further So hauing saluted the Emperour with all reuerence they vttered their Embassage vnto him which was that the Kings Brother had sent them vnto him to treat for two causes the one was for the liberty of their King the other for preseruation of their Countrey The Prince hauing heard them answered them that they had reason to trust vnto his mildnesse and seeing at this present they desired it he would yeeld thereunto Thereupon the Prince rose vp and caused to be said vnto them that they should deliuer their offers in writing and that present answere should bee made thereunto Thus went they out of the Princes presence with great joy and as it were assured of Peace and to recouer their former prosperities The conditions which they offered were to leaue Paguinfou and all the Countrey beyond it with all the Fortresses of the Mountaynes that they would pay all the charges of his Army since the day of answere made vnto his Embassadors that they would giue two Millions of Gold for their King This being presented vnto the Lord hee made answere thereunto which was that he would keepe that which hee had conquered within the Countrey which was his owne justly seeing his armes had giuen it vnto him that hee would haue the Riuer where he was now encamped to be his Frontier stretched vnto Hochioy Tahaucezug Cauchio Lulun euen vnto Poschio bordering vpon the Sea that the King of China should pay vnto him yearely three hundred thousand Crownes the which should bee deliuered at Paguinfou for acknowledgement of submission vnto the Empire as well for his Successors as himselfe that they should pay fiue hundred thousand Crownes in ready money for the charge of the Army that the King of China should be deliuered and all the Chinois Prisoners should pay ransom vnto particular men that took them except those which carryed the name of Kings who should pay one hundred thousand Crownes for peace with his Armes that no Chinois should bee kept as slaue nor sold for such hereafter beeing vnder the Princes obedience that Traffique and Entercourse of Merchants should be free betweene both the Nations that the King of China should deliuer his Brother as Prisoner and two Kings named with twelue principall men of the Countrey for assurance of the peace They accepted of such conditions of peace as pleased the Conquerour hoping that time would bring againe vnto them their ancient liberty and that for a time it behooued them to beare with patience the yoke of their bondage Now the Prince had sent two thousand Horse to fetch the King of China to the end that being at liberty he might sweare to the peace solemnly the which he hauing performed at Quantoufou whither the Prince caused him for to come he brought with him vnto Paguin all the pledges and amongst the rest the Kings eldest Sonne and his Brother The King beeing departed for to performe his promise according to the Treaty by him confirmed he was receiued and as it were worshipped within his Countrey with all the
Wolues and Sheepe if they be poore the richer with Sables and Marterns of great price They weare black Bonets sharpe like a Sugar-loafe the men rather small then great wearing beards as we doe specially a certayne time of the yeere Their houses are of stone like ours with two or three lofts slope-roofed and diuersly painted and they haue one street onely of painters The great men for magnificence make a great Loft or Pageant and thereon erect two Tents of silke embroydered with gold siluer pearles and jewels and there stand with their friends This they cause to bee carried by fortie or fiftie Slaues and so goe thorow the Citie in solace The Gentlemen are carried on a simple Pageant by foure or six men without other furniture There Temples are made like our Churches so great that they may contayne foure or fiue thousand persons and haue in them two Statues of a Man and a Woman each fortie foot long all of one peece stretched on the ground and all gilded They haue excellent stone cutters They bring quarry stones two or three moneths iourney on shod Carts of fortie wheeles very high drawne by fiue or six hundred Horses and Mules There are also small Images with six or seuen heads and ten hands all holding diuers things one a Serpent another a Bird a third a Flower c. There are some Monasteries in which liue men of holy life immured within their houses that they cannot goe out whiles they liue and haue victuals euery day brought them There are innumerable like our Friars which goe vp and downe the Citie They haue a custome when one of their kindred dyes to clothe themselues in white many dayes made of Cotton their garments are made long to the ground with wide sleeues They vse Printing of their Books which he thought somewhat like those I shewed him at M. Thomas Giuntos printing house Their Citie is fortified with a thick wall within filled with earth able to carry fâ—ure Carts abrest with Towres and Artillery as thick as those of the great Turke The Ditch is wide and drie but they can make it runne with water at their pleasure They haue a kind of very great Oxen with long thin and with hayre The Cataians and Idolaters are forbidden to goe out of their Countries to goe on merchandise thorow the World Beyond the Desart aboue Corassam to Samarcand and till the Idolatrous Cities the 〈◊〉 rule which are Tartars Musulmans wearing greene sharpe Turbants of felt so making a difference betwixt them and the Persians which weare them red and betwixt them two for diuersitie of opinions in Religion are continual warres and disagreement about their Confines Bocara and Samarcand are two Cities of these Green-heads each a Signorie of it selfe They haue three particular sciences Chimia in the same sense as here Limia to make and cause loue and Simia to make men see that which is not The moneys which they haue are not Coyned but euery Gentleman and Merchant makes thin rods of gold and siluer as is before said of Campion and Succuir In the market place of Campion are euery day many Mountebankes which haue that science of Simia which compassed with a great multitude present strange sights as to cause a man to cut off his arme or thrust himselfe thorow with a sword and seeme to bee all bloudy with other like CHAP. X. A Treatise of China and the adioyning Regions written by GASPAR DA CRVZ a Dominican Friar and dedicated to SEBASTIAN King of Portugall here abbreuiated §. I. Of Camboia and the Bramenes there the cause of his going to China Of China and the neighbouring Regions I Being in Malaca building an house of my Order and preaching was informed that in the Kingdome of Camboia which is subiect to the King of Siam and lyeth toward the parts of China and doth confine with Champa whence commeth the most precious Calambach was great oportunitie to preach the Gospell and to reape some fruit Hauing leaue of my Prelate I tooke the iourney in hand And after the passing many troubles and hunger in the iourney with dangers and sicknesses I came a land and after I had reasonably informed my selfe by a third person conuersing with the People and with the Fathers euen before I knew it I found all to the contrary of that which they had told and that all were deceits of the simple Laytie which of light matters were mooued to presume of the people that which was not in them And besides this I found many hinderances for the obtayning of my desires and intent for first the King is a Bramene and the Bramenes are his principall men and his fauourites and most familiar because they are Witches for they are much giuen to bee pleased with witchcrafts and they doe nothing without consulting the Witches and Bramenes that are in the Kingdome for by this meanes they thriue by the Deuill And so the first thing that the King asked me was if I were a Witch The Bramenes doe worship among others one God which they call Probar missur which they said made the Heauens and the Earth and another God which they call Pralocussar this also hauing obtayned power of another which they call Praissur for to giue this licence to Probar missur and I shewed them that not onely he had not made the Heauen and the Earth but that hee had beene a very wicked man and a great sinner wherefore these Priests said that they would worship him no more hauing worshipped him thitherto with their God Praput prasar metri whereupon the hatred of the Bramenes increased towards me and from thence forward I had disfauours of the King which was mooued for the zeale of his God and the God of his Bramenes There met about these matters the Priests of the Idols and all of their troupe which goe for Priests and hold themselues for religious men and in their conuersation and life they are separated from all other people which to my thinking is the third part of the people of the Land the King thereof setting an hundred thousand men in the field This religious people or that holds it selfe for such are exceedingly proud and vaine and aliue they are worshipped for gods in sort that the inferiour among them doe worship the superiour like gods praying vnto them and prostrating themselues before them and so the common people haue a great confidence in them with a great reuerence and worship in sort that there is no person that dare contradict them in any thing and their wordes among them are held for so sacred that in no wise they will endure to be gainsayed Insomuch that it hapned sometimes whiles I was preaching many round about me hearing me very well and satisfying themselues of that which I said vnto them if there came any of these Priests and said this is good
before whom are brought all matters of the inferiour Townes throughout the whole Realme Diuers other Louteas haue the managing of Iustice and receiuing of Rents bound to yeeld an account thereof vnto the greater Officers Other doe see that there be no euill rule kept in the Citie each one as it behoueth him Generally all these doe imprison Malefactors cause them to be whipped and racked hoysing them vp and downe by the armes with a cord a thing very vsuall there and accounted no shame These Louteas doe vse great diligence in the apprehending of the Theeues so that it is a wonder to see a Thiefe escape away in any Towne Citie or Village Vpon the Sea neere vnto the shoare many are taken and looke euen as they are taken so be they first whipped and afterward laid in Prison where shortly after they all dye for hunger and cold At that time when we were in Prison there dyed of them aboue threescore and ten Their whips be certaine pieces of Canes cleft in the middle in such sort that they seeme rather plaine then sharpe He that is to bee whipped lyeth groueling on the ground Vpon his thighes the Hangman layeth on blowes mightily with these Canes that the standers by tremble at their crueltie Tenne stripes draw a great deale of bloud twentie or thirtie spoyle the flesh altogether fiftie or threescore will require long time to be healed and if they come to the number of one hundred then are they incurable The Louteas obserue moreouer this when any man is brought before them to bee examined they aske him openly in the hearing of as many as be present be the offence neuer so great Thus did they also behaue themselus with vs. For this cause amongst them can there be no false witnes as daily amongst vs it falleth out This good commeth thereof that many being alwayes about the Iudge to heare the Euidence and beare witnesse the Processe cannot be falsified as it hapneth sometimes with vs. The Moores Gentiles and Iewes haue all their sundry Oathes the Moores doe sweare by their Mossafos the Brachmans by their Fili the rest likewise by the things they doe worship The Chineans though they be wont to sweare by Heauen by the Moone by the Sunne and by all their Idols in judgement neuerthelesse they sweare not at all If for some offence an Oath be vsed of any one by and by with the least euidence hee is tormented so be the Witnesses he bringeth if they tell not the truth or doe in any point disagree except they bee men of worship and credit who are beleeued without any farther matter the rest are made to confesse the truth by force of Torments and Whips Besides this order obserued of them in Examinations they doe feare so much their King and he where he maketh his abode keepeth them so low that they dare not once stirre Againe these Louteas as great as they bee notwithstanding the multitude of Notaries they haue not trusting any others doe write all great Processes and matters of importance themselues Moreouer one vertue they haue worthy of great praise and that is being men so well regarded and accounted of as though they were Princes they bee patient aboue measure in giuing audience Wee poore strangers brought before them might say what we would as all to be Lyes and Falaces that they did write nor did we stand before them with the vsuall Ceremonies of that Countrey yet did they beare with vs so patiently that they caused vs to wonder knowing specially how little any Aduocate or Iudge is wont in our Countrey to beare with vs. For wheresoeuer in any Towne of Christendome should bee accused vnknowne men as we were I know not what end the very Innocents cause would haue but wee in a Heathen Countrey hauing our great Enemies two of the chiefest men in a whole Towne wanting an Interpreter ignorant of that Countrey Language did in the end see our great Aduersaries cast into Prison for our sake and depriued of their Offices and Honour for not doing Iustice yea not to escape death for as the rumour goeth they shall bee beheaded Somewhat is now to be said of the Lawes that I haue beene able to know in this Countrey and first no Theft or Murther is at any time pardoned Adulterers are put in Prison and the fact once proued condemned to dye the womans Husband must accuse them this order is kept with men and women found in that fault but Theeues and Murtherers are imprisoned as I haue said where they shortly dye for hunger and cold If any one haply escape by bribing the Iaylor to giue him meate his Processe goeth farther and commeth to the Court where hee is condemned to dye Sentence being giuen the Prisoner is brought in publike with a terrible band of men that lay him in Irons hand and foot with a board at his necke one handfull broad in length reaching downe to his knees cleft in two parts and with a hole one handfull downe-ward in the Table fit for his necke the which they enclose vp therein nayling the board fast together one handfull of the board standeth vp behind in the necke the sentence and cause wherefore the fellon was condemned to dye is written in that part of the Table that standeth before This Ceremonie ended he is laid in a great Prison in the company of some other condemned persons the which are found by the King as long as they doe liue The board aforesaid so made tormenteth the Prisoners very much keeping them both from the rest and eke letting them to eate commodiously their hands being manicled in Irons vnder that board so that in fine there is no remedie but death In the chiefe Cities of euery shire as we haue beforesaid there be foure principall Houses in each of them a Prisoner but in one of them where the Taissu maketh his abode there a greater and a more principall Prison then in any of the rest and although in euery Citie there be many neuerthelesse in three of them remayne onely such as bee condemned to dye Their death is much prolonged for that ordinarily there is no execution done but once a yeere though many dye for hunger and cold as we haue seene in this Prison Execution is done in this manner The Chian to wit the high Commissioner or Lord Chiefe Iustice at the yeares end goeth to the head Citie where hee heareth againe the causes of such as bee condemned Many times he deliuereth some of them declaring that board to haue beene wrongfully put about their neckes the visitation ended he chooseth out seuen or eight not many more or lesse of the greatest Malefactors the which to feare and keepe in awe the people are brought into a great Market place where all the great Louteas meete together and after many Ceremonies and Superstitions as the vse of the Countrey is are beheaded This is done once a yeare who
not one of these hath as long as hee liueth any charge or gouernment at all They giue themselues to eating and drinking and bee for the most part burley men of bodie insomuch that espying any one of them whom wee had not seene before wee might know him to bee the Kings Cousin They bee neuerthelesse very pleasant courteous and fayre conditioned neither did wee finde all the time we were in that Citie so much honour and good entertainment any where as at their hands They bid vs to their houses to eate and drinke and when they found vs not or wee were not willing to goe with them they bid our seruants and slaues causing them to sit downe with the first Notwithstanding the good lodging these Gentlemen haue so commodious that they want nothing yet are they in this bondage that during life they neuer goe abroad The cause as I did vnderstand wherefore the King so vseth his Cousins is that none of them at any time may rebell against him and thus bee shutteth them vp in three or foure other Cities Most of them can play on the Lute and to make that kinde of pastime peculiar vnto them onely all other in the Cities where they doe liue bee forbidden that Instrument the Curtizans and blinde folke onely excepted who bee Musicians and can play This King furthermore for the greater securitie of his Realme and the auoyding of tumults letteth not one in all his Countrey to bee called Lord except hee be of his bloud Many great Estates and Gouernours there be that during their office are lodged Lord-like and doe beare the port of mightie Princes but they bee so many times displaced and other placed anew that they haue not the while to become corrupt True it is that during their Office they be well prouided for as afterward also lodged at the Kings charges and in pension as long as they liue payed them monethly in the Cities where they dwell by certaine officers appointed for that purpose The King then is a Lord onely not one besides him as you haue seene except it bee such as be of his bloud A Nephew likewise of the King the Kings Sisters sonne lyeth continually within the walls of the Citie in a strong Palace built Castle-wise euen as his others Cousins doe remayning alwayes within doores serued by Eunuches neuer dealing with any matters Their festiuall dayes new Moones and full Moones the Magistrates make great banquets and so doe such as bee of the Kings bloud The King his Nephew hath name Vanfuli his Palace is walled about the wall is not high but foure square and in circuit nothing inferiour to the walls of Goa the out-side is painted red in euery square a Gate and ouer each gate a Tower made of timber excellently well wrought before the principall Gate of the foure that openeth into the high-street no Loutea bee he neuer so great may passe on horsebacke or carried in his seate Amidst this quadrangle standeth the Palace where that Gentleman lyeth doubtlesse worth the sight although wee came not in to see it By report the roofes of the towers and house are glased greene the greater part of the Quadrangle set with sauage Trees as Oakes Chesnuts Cypresse Pine-apples Cedars and other such like that wee doe want after the manner of a Wood wherein are kept Stagges Oxen and other beasts for that Lord his recreation neuer going abroad as I haue said One preheminence this Citie hath aboue the rest where wee haue beene and it of right as we doe thinke that besides the multitude of Market-places wherein all things are to bee sold through euery streete continually are cryed all things necessarie as Flesh of all sorts fresh-Fish Hearbes Oyle Vineger Meale Rice In summa all things so plentifully that many houses need no seruants euerie thing being brought to their doores Most part of the Merchants remayne in the Suburbs for that the Cities are shut vp euery night as I haue sayd The Merchants therefore the better to attend their businesse doe choose rather to make their abode without in the Suburbs then within the Citie I haue seene in this Riuer a pretie kinde of Fishing not to bee omitted in my opinion and therefore will I set it downe The King hath in many riuers good store of Barges full of Sea-crowes that breed are fed and doe dye therein in certaine Cages allowed monethly a certaine prouision of Rice These Barges the King bestoweth vpon his greatest Magistrates giuing to some two to some three of them as hee thinketh good to Fish therewithall after this manner At the houre appointed to Fish all the Barges are brought together in a circle where the Riuer is shallow and the Crowes tyed together vnder the wings are let leape downe into the water some vnder some aboue worth the looking vpon each one as hee hath filled his bagge goeth to his owne Barge and emptieth it which done hee returneth to fish againe Thus hauing taken good store of Fish they set the Crowes at libertie and doe suffer them to fish for their owne pleasure There were in that Citie where I was twentie Barges at the least of these aforesaid Crowes I went almost euery day to see them yet could I neuer bee throughly satisfied to see so strange a kinde of Fishing ⸪ PEREGRINATIONS VOYAGES DISCOVERIES OF CHINA TARTARIA RVSSIA AND OTHER THE NORTH AND EAST PARTS OF THE WORLD By English-men and others THE SECOND BOOKE CHAP. I. The beginning of English Discoueries towards the North and North-east by Sir HVGH WILLOVGHBY RICHARD CHANCELLOR and others of the Muscouie Trade as also Voyages by Russia ouer the Caspian Sea and thorow diuers Regions of Tartaria §. I. The first Voyage for Discouerie with three ships set forth vnder the charge of Sir HVGH WILLOVGHBY Knight in which he died and Moscouia was discouered by Captaine CHANCELLOR IN the yeere of our Lord 1553. the seuenth of the Raigne of King Edward the sixth of famous memorie Sebastian Cabota was Gouernour of the Mysterie and Companie of the Merchants Aduenturers for the discouerie of Regions Dominions Ilands and places vnknowne Certaine instructions were agreed on by him and the said Companie subscribed by Master Cabota the ninth of May the Kings Letters also procured vnto remote Princes in diuers languages and a fleet of three Ships set forth at that time vnder the command of Sir Hugh Willoughby Knight Captaine generall which went in the Bona Esperanza Admirall a ship of an hundred and twenty tunnes hauing with her a Pinnace and a Boat William Gefferson was Master of the said ship The Edward Bonauenture was of an hundred and sixty tunnes and had with her a Pinnace and a Boat in which went Richard Chancellor Captaine and Pilot Maior of the fleet and Stephen Burrough Master The Bona Confidentia of ninety tunnes had with her a Pinnace and a Boat of which Cornelius Durfoorth was Master The Captaines and Masters were sworne to doe
Mare Caspium and on the North side there is a base Towne the which hath also a Bricke wall about it and so it ioyneth with the Castle wall The Emperour lieth in the Castle wherein are nine faire Churches and therein are Religious men Also there is a Metropolitan with diuers Bishops I will not stand in description of their buildings nor of the strength thereof because we haue better in all points in England They be well furnished with Ordnance of all sorts The Emperours or Dukes house neither in building nor in the outward shew nor yet within the house is so sumptuous as I haue seene It is very lowe built in eight square much like the old building of England with small windowes and so in other points Now to declare my comming before his Maiestie After I had remayned twelue dayes the Secretarie which hath the hearing of strangers did send for mee aduertising me that the Dukes pleasure was to haue me to come before his Maiestie with the King my Masters Letters whereof I was right glad and so I gaue mine attendance And when the Duke was in his place appointed the Interpreter came for mee into the outer Chamber where sate one hundred or moe Gentlemen all in cloth of Gold very sumptuous and from thence I came into the Counsell-chamber where sate the Duke himselfe with his Nobles which were a faire companie they sate round about the Chamber on high yet so that he himselfe sate much higher then any of his Nobles in a Chaire gilt and in a long garment of beaten Gold with an Imperiall Crowne vpon his head and a Staffe of Crystall and Gold in his right hand and his other hand halfe leâ—ning on his Chaire The Chancellour stood vp with the Secretarie before the Duke After my dutie done and my Letter deliuered he bade me welcome and enquired of mee the health of the King my Master and I answered that he was in good health at my departure from his Court and that my trust was that he was now in the same Vpon the which he bade me to dinner The Chancellor presented my Present vnto his Grace bare-headed for before they were all couered and when his Grace had receiued my Letter I was required to depart for I had charge not to speake to the Duke but when he spake to mee So I departed vnto the Secretaries Chamber where I remayned two houres and then I was sent for againe vnto another Palace which is called The golden Palace but I saw no cause why it should be so called for I haue seene many fairer then it in all points and so I came into the Hall which was small and not great as is the Kings Maiesties of England and the Table was couered with a Table-cloth and the Marshall sate at the end of the Table with a little white rod in his hand which Boord was full of vessell of Gold and on the other side of the Hall did stand a faire Cupboord of Plate From thence I came into the dining Chamber where the Duke himselfe sate at his Table without Cloth of estate in a Gowne of Siluer with a Crowne Imperiall vpon his head he sate in a Chaire somewhat high there sate none neere him by a great way There were long tables set round about the chamber which were full set with such as the Duke had at dinner they were all in white Also the places where the tables stood were higher by two steps then the rest of the house In the middest of the chamber stood a Table or Cupboord to set Plate on which stood full of Cups of Gold and amongst all the rest there stood foure maruellous great Pots or Crudences as they call them of Gold and Siluer I thinke they were a good yard and a halfe high By the Cupboard stood two Gentlemen with Napkins on their shoulders and in their hands each of them had a Cup of Gold set with Pearles and Precious Stones which were the Dukes owne drinking Cups when hee was disposed hee drunke them off at a draught And for his seruice at meate it came in without order yet it was very rich seruice for all were serued in Gold not onely be himselfe but also all the rest of vs and it was very massie the Cups also were of Gold and very massie The number that dined there that day was two hundred persons and all were serued in Golden Vessell The Gentlemen that wayted were all in Cloth of Gold and they serued him with their Caps on their heads Before the seruice came in the Duke sent to euery man a great shiuer of Bread and the Bearer called the party so sent to by his name aloude and said Iohn Basiliuich Emperour of Russia and great Duke of Moscouia doth reward thee with Bread then must all men stand vp and doe at all times when those words are spoken And then last of all hee giueth the Marshall Bread whereof he eateth before the Dukes Grace and so doth reuerence and departeth Then commeth the Dukes seruice of the Swans all in pieces and euery one in a seuerall dish the which the Duke sendeth as he did the Bread and the Bearer saith the same words as hee said before And as I said before the seruice of his meate is in no order but commeth in Dish by Dish and then after that the Duke sendeth drinke with the like saying as before is told Also before Dinner he changed his Crowne and in Dinner time two Crownes so that I saw three seuerall Crownes vpon his head in one day And thus when his seruice was all come in hee gaue to euery one of his Gentlemen Wayters meate with his owne hand and so likewise drinke His intent thereby is as I haue heard that euery man shall know perfectly his seruants Thus when Dinner is done hee calleth his Nobles before him name by name that it is wonder to heare how he could name them hauing so many as hee hath Thus when Dinner was done I departed to my Lodging which was an houre within night I will leaue this and speake no more of him nor his Houshold but I will somewhat declare of his Land and people with their nature and power in the Warres This Duke is Lord and Emperour of many Countries and his power is maruellous great For hee is able to bring into the field two or three hundred thousand men he neuer goeth into the field himselfe with vnder two hundred thousand men And when hee goeth himselfe hee furnisheth his Borders all with men of Warre which are no small number He leaueth on the Borders of Liefland fortie thousand men and vpon the borders of Letto sixtie thousand men and toward the Nagayan Tartars sixtie thousand which is wonder to heare of yet doth hee neuer take to his Warres neither Husbandman nor Merchant All his men are Horse-men hee vseth no Foot-men but such as goe with the Ordnance and Labourers which are thirtie
most slaine by Panians men Coia Acem which before was not knowne seeing his Moores ready to try the waters courtesie to escape those fiery enemies armed in Buffe with Plates fringed with Gold cryed out aloud that he might be heard La â—lah illâ—llah Muhamed roçolalah what shall you Muslemans and iust men of the Law of Mahomet suffer your selues to be conquered of so fâ—eble a Nation as are these Dogges which haue no more heart then white Hens and bearded women to them to them the Booke of Flowres hath giuen promise from our Prophet to you and me to bathe our selues in the bloud of these Cafres without Law With these cursed words the Deuill so animated them that it was fearefull to see how they ranne on our Swords Faria on the other side heartned his in the name of Christ crucified and with a zealous feruour reached Coia Acem such a blow with a two hand Sword on his Head-piece of Maile that he sunke to the ground and with another blow cut off his legges Whereupon his men with such furie assayled Faria not caring for thirtie Portugals which stood about him that they gaue him two wounds which put such spirit into our men that in little space eight and fortie of the Enemies lay dead vpon Coia Acem and the rest they slue all but fiue whom they tooke and bound the Boyes cutting the others in quarters and throwing them into the water with Coia Acem and the King of Bintans chiefe Caciz or Priest the shedder and the drinker of Portugall bloud as he stiled himselfe in the beginning of his Writings for which hee was of that cursed Sect much honoured Of the Enemies were slaine three hundred and eightie of ours fortie two eight of which were Portugals Faria searched the Iland and found a Village therein of fortie or fiftie houses which Coia Acem had sacked slaying some of the Inhabitants Not farre off was a great house seeming a Temple full of sicke and wounded men ninetie sixe in number which the Pyrat had there in cure whom he burned setting the house on fire in diuers places those that sought to escape being receiued on Pikes and Launces The Iunke which they had taken from the Portugals sixe and twentie dayes before Faria gaue to Mem Taborda and Antonio Anriquez in Almes for remission of his sinnes taking their Oath to take no more but their owne He tooke speciall care of the wounded and caused the slaues to be set free After all this there remayned of cleere gaines one hundred and thirtie thousand Taeis in Siluer of Iapan and other goods which that Pyrat had taken along that Coast from Sumbor to Fucheo §. II. ANTONIO FARIA his taking of Nouda a Citie in China triumph at Liampoo strange Voyage to Calempluy miserable shipwracke FAria hauing recouered his sicke men set sayle for Liampoo and beeing comne to the point of Micuy in sixe and twentie degrees by a storme he was driuen vpon a Rock in the darke night and was forced to cast out all the goods and cut all their Masts ouer-board and with much adoe we escaped with their helpe two and twentie drowned by ouer-hastinesse to the Iunke of Mem Taborda The second day after came two Portugals from Quiay Panians Iunke and plained to vs their almost like misfortune one gust hauing taken away three men and cast them a stones cast into the Sea and the losse of the small Iunke with fiftie persons most of which were Christians and seuen Portugals One of the Lanteas came and told of their disaduenture the other Lantea lost only thirteene men escaping which the Countrey people carryed Captiues to Nouday so that two Iunkes and a Lantea with aboue one hundred persons were lost and in Munition and other goods aboue two hundred thousand Cruzados the Captayne and Souldiers hauing nothing left but that on their backes The Coast of China is subiect to these strokes more then other Countries so that none can sayle thereon one yeare without disasters except at the full and change they betake them to their Ports which are many and good without barred entries except Laman and Sumbor Faria went and anchored before Nouday and sent some to sound and to take some of the people to enquire of his men who brought a Barke with eight men and two women one of whom hauing first sworne by the Sea that it below and the winds aboue should pursue him if heâ— brake his Faith and the beautie of the starres whose eyes beheld all wrong as the Chinese requested told him that he taking them to be Sea Rouers and Robbers had taken them and cast them in Irons Faria writ to the Mandarin by two of those Chinois with a Present worth two hundred Duckets to returne his men which returned the next day with an Answere written that himselfe should come and demand Iustice at his feet and he would doe as hee saw cause Hee wrote againe offering two thousand Taeis for their Redemption signifying that hee was a Portugall Merchant which came to trade at Liampoo and payd Customes without any Robbery and that the King of Portugall his Lord was in true amitie with his Brother the King of China and in Malaca his subjects vsed the Chinois justly This calling the King of Portugall the King of Chinas Brother he tooke so hainously that he caused the China Messengers to be whipped and their eares cut and sent them backe with a railing Answere written to Faria which had so proudly blasphemed calling his King the Brother of the Sonne of the Sunne the Lion crowned with incredible power in the Throne of the Vniuerse vnder whose feet all Crownes of all that gouerne the Earth are placed with all their Seniories as all Writers affirme in their Histories For this Heresie he burned his Writing with his Picture as he would doe to himselfe charging him presently to set sayle and be gone Faria enraged resolued to assault the Towne hauing three hundred men seuentie of them Portugals with the company of Quiay Panian for that feat Hauing therefore taken foure Barkes the next morning betimes with them three Iunkes and a Lorcha or Lantea he went vp the Riuer and had sixe fathomes water and an halfe anchoring by the wals And striking sayle without salutation of Artillery we put off our Flagge of contract after the China custome to fulfill all complements of peace sending new offers of loue and further satisfaction for the Prisoners But the Mandarine full of indignation hardly vsed the Messengers on the wall in sight of the Armada whereupon Faria desperate of doing any good that way leauing order with the Iunkes continually to shoot at the Enemie where they were thickest he with his company landed without contradiction and marched to the Towne When we were comne within little more then a Calieuer shot of the Ditch without the wall there issued by two gates one thousand or twelue hundred about one hundred of
that vnto that time it remained dispeopled and full of wilde Swine of the brood that remained there at such time as they were slaine and carried away as you haue heard This Iland and the rest adjoyning thereunto which are very many haue very excellent and sure Ports and Hauens with great store of fish These Ilands endured vntill they came vnto a little Gulfe which is fiue and fortie leagues ouer and is sayled in one day and at the end thereof is the Port of Cabite which is neere vnto Manilla So when that winde and weather serued their turne they departed from the Iland of Ancon and sailed till they came vnto another Iland called Plon where they vnderstood by a ship that was there a fishing how that the Rouer Limahon was escaped in certaine Barkes which he caused to bee made very secretly within his Fort of such Timber and Boards as remained of his ships that were burnt the which was brought in by night by his Souldiers on that side of the Fort which was next vnto the Riuer and were not discouered by the Castillas which were put there with all care and diligence to keepe the mouth that come in to helpe them And towards the Land there whereas he might escape they were without all suspection they were so strong and did not mistrust that any such thing should be put in vre as afterwards did fall out the which was executed with so great policie and craft that when they came to vnderstand it the Rouer was cleane gone and in safeguard calking his Barkes at the Iland of Tocaotican the better for to escape and saue himselfe and they said that it was but eight dayes past that he fled With this newes they all receiued great alteration but in especiall Omoncon and Sinsay After they had remained three weeks in that Harbour detayned with a mighty North-wind that neuer calmed night nor day in all that time The eleuenth day of October two houres before day they set sayle and went to Sea Sixteene leagues from the Port sailing towards the South they discouered a mightie Iland very high Land which was called Tangarruan and was of three score leagues about all inhabited with people like vnto those of the Ilands Philippinas Vpon Sunday in the morning being the seuenteenth day of October they discouered the Iland of Manilla of them greatly desired they sayled towards the Iland that they so long desired to see and came thither the twentie eight day of October as aforesaid So that from the Port of Tansuso which is the first Port of China till they came vnto the Iland of Manilla they were fiue and fortie dayes and is not in all ful two hundred leagues which may be made with reasonable weather in ten dayes at the most I could haue here added two other Voyages of Franciscans to China the one by Peter de Alfaro and other three of his Order 1579. the other 1582. by Ignatio c. both written at large by Mendoza But I hasten to our Iesuites exacter Relations Only I will conclude this Storie with Alfaros returne from China to the Philippinas and his Relation of their Witch-crafts vsed in a Tempest then happening after that two Letters mentioning English ships on that Coast. But it so fell out as they were going alongst the Coast of the Iland for to enter into the Port of Manilla and being within fiue leagues of the entry thereof vpon a sudden there arose the North-wind with so great furie and caused so great a Sea that they found themselues in a great deale more danger then in the other storme past in such sort that they sponed before the winde with their fore-sayle halfe Mast high shaking it selfe all to pieces and in euery minute of an houre readie to be drowned The Chinois for that they are Superstitious and Witches beganne to inuocate and call vpon the Deuill for to bring them out of that trouble which is a thing commonly vsed amongst them at all times when they find themselues in the like perplexitie also they doe request of him to shew them what they should do to bring themselues out of trouble But when the Spaniards vnderstood their dealings they did disturbe them that they should not perseuer in their Lots and Inuocations and beganne to conjure the Deuils which was the occasion that they would not answere vnto the Inuocation of the Chinois who did call them after diuers manners yet they heard a Deuill say that they should not blame them because they did not answere vnto their demand for they could not doe it for that they were disturbed by the conjuration of those Spanish Fathers which they carried with them in their ship So presently when the night was come God was so pleased that the storme ceased and became in few houres very calme although it endured but a while for as they began to set sayle to nauigate towards the Port and almost at the point to enter into the same a new storme seized on them and with so great force that they were constrayned to returne vnto the Sea for feare to bee broken in pieces vpon the shoare The Chinos began anew to inuocate the Deuils by writing which is a way that they neuer let but doe answere them as they did at this instant and were not disturbed by the coniurations of the Fathers yet notwithstanding they lyed in their answer for that they said that within three dayes they should be within the Citie of Manilla and after it was more then foure dayes In conclusion hauing by the fauour of almightie God ouercome all their trauels by the Sea and the necessitie of the lacke of water and victuals they arriued at the desired Port the second day of February Anno 1580. whereas they were receiued by the Gouernour and of all the rest with great ioy c. Two Letters taken out of BARTOLOME LEONARDO DE ARGENSOLA his Treatise called Conquista de las Islas Malucas Printed at Madrid 1609. pagg. 336.337 mentioning the comming of two English ships to China which seeme to bee two ships of the fleet of BENIAMIN WOOD The former written by the Visitor of Chincheo in China vnto the Gouernor of the Philippinas Don PEDRO DE ACVNNA TO the grand Captaine of Luzon Because wee haue vnderstood that the Chineses which went to trade and trafficke into the Kingdome of Luzon haue beene slaine by the Spaniards wee haue made inquisition of the cause of these slaughters and haue besought the King to doe iustice on him that hath beene the cause of so great mischiefe to procure a remedie for the time to come and that the Merchants may liue in peace and safety In the yeeres past before I came hither to be Visitour a certaine Sangley called Tioneg with three Mandarines or Iudges hauing the Kings Passe came to Cabit in Luzon to seeke Gold and Siluer which was all lyes because he found neither Gold
nor Siluer And therefore I besought the King that he would punish this deceiuer Tioneg that the good iustice that is vsed in China might be knowne In the time of the former Vice-roy and Capado Tioneg and his companion Yanlion deliuered this vntruth I afterward besought the King that hee would cause all the Papers of the cause of Tioneg to be coppied out and that he would send for the said Tioneg with his processes before himselfe And I my selfe saw the said Papers and caused it to appeare that all was but lyes which the said Tioneg had said I wrote vnto the King saying That by reason of the lyes which Tioneg had made the Castillians suspected that wee sought to make warre vpon them and that therefore they had slayne aboue thirtie thousand Chineses in Luzon The King did that which I besought him And so he chastised the said Yanlion commanding him to bee put to death And hee commanded Tionegs head to be cut off and to be put in a Cage The people of China which were slayne in Luzon were in no fault And I with others negotiated this businesse with the King that I might know his pleasure in this affaire and in another matter which was this That there came two English ships to these coasts of Chincheo a thing very dangerous for China That the King might consider what was to bee done in these two matters of so great importance Likewise wee wrote vnto the King that he would command the two Sangleys to be punished which shewed the Hauen to the Englishmen And after wee had written these things aforesaid to the King he answered vs thâ—t wee should learne wherefore the English ships came vnto China whether they came to robbe or no That they should dispatch from thence a Messenger immediatly to Luzon and that they should signifie to them of Luzon that they should not giue credite to the base and lying people of China And that forthwith they should put to death those two Sangleyes which shewed the Hauen to the Englishmen And touching the rest that wee wrote vnto him wee should doe as wee thought best After wee had receiued this order the Vice-roy the Capado and I sent this message to the Gouernour of Luzon That his Lordship might know the greatnesse of the King of China Seeing hee is so mightie that hee gouerneth all that the Moone and Sunne doe shine vpon And also that the Gouernour of Luzon may know the great wisedome wherewith this mighty Kingdome is gouerned Which Kingdome this long while none durst attempt to offend And albeit the Iaponians haue pretended to disquiet Corea which is vnder the Gouernment of China yet they could not obtayne their purpose but they were driuen out of it And Corea hath remayned in great peace and safety as at this day they of Luzon doe well vnderstand The Answer of Don PEDRO DE ACANNA Gouernour of the Philippinas to the Visitour of Chincheo in China THe Gouernour answered these Letters by the same Messengers that brought them vsing termes full of courtesie and authoritie Hee rehearsed the rebellion of the Sangleyes from the beginning Hee iustified the defense of the Spaniards and the punishment that was executed vpon the Offenders Hee said that no Common-wealth can be gouerned without chastising the bad nor without rewarding the good And therefore that he did not repent him of that execution because it was done for repressing of them that thought to destroy vs. That the Visitour should bee Iudge what hee would doe if the like case should happen in China That the griefe that he had was that he could not saue certaine Sangleyes Merchants Anhayes which died among the offenders But that this was vnpossible to be remedied because the furie of warre doth not giue leaue to kill some and to saue others especially being not knowne of the Souldiers in the heate of battell That vsing mercy to those that remayned aliue condemned them to rowe in the Galleyes which is the punishment which is ordayned among the Castillians for those that haue deserued death Yet if it seeme in China that it ought to be moderated hee would grant them libertie But let it be considered said Don Pedro that this may be a cause that in not chastising so great an offence they may hereafter fall againe into the same A thing that would shut vp all accesse vnto fauour That the goods of the Chineses that were slayne are in safe custodie And that it may be seene that no other affection moueth mee then that of iustice I will shortly send them to be deliuered to the right Heires or vnto such persons as of right they belong vnto None other respect moueth mee to any of these things but that of reason Whereas you tell mee That if I will not set at libertie those prisoners licence will be granted in China to the kinsfolke of those which died in the Rebellion to come with an Armie to Manila it breedeth no feare in mee For I hold the Chineses to be so wise that they will not be moued to such things vpon so weake a ground especially none occasion thereof being giuen them on our part And in case they should be of another minde wee Spaniards are a People which know very well how to defend our Right Religion and Territories And let not the Chineses thinke that they are Lords of all the World as they would haue vs thinke For wee Castillians which haue measured the World with spannes know perfectly the Countreyes of China Wherefore they shall doe well to take knowledge that the King of Spaine hath continuall warres with as mighty Kings as theirs is and doth suppresse them and putteth them to great troubles And it is no new case that when our enemies thinke that they haue vanquished vs they finde vs marching and destroying the Confines of their Land and not to cease vntill wee haue cast them out of their Thrones and taken their Scepters from them I would be much grieued with the change of the commerce But I beleeue also that the Chineses would not willingly lose it since that thereby they obtayne so great profit carrying to their Kingdome our Siluer which neuer faileth in trucke of their merchandise which are slight things and soone worne out The ships of the Englishmen which arriued on the coast of China it was determined not to receiue because they be no Spaniards but rather their enemies and Pirats Wherefore if they come to Manila they shall be punished Finally bâ—causâ— wee Spaniards doe alwaies iustifie our causes and doe boast our selues that it cannot bee said in the world that wee vsurpe other mens possessions nor inuade our friends that shall be fulfilled which is here promised And from hence forward let them know in China that wee neuer doe any thing for feare nor for threats of our enemies Don Pedro concludeth offering continuance of amitie by new bonds of peace with the Kingdomes of
in the Citie there to stay vntill some message came from the King either good or bad We remoued with great pleasure for the desire that we had to say Masse whereof wee were depriued many moneths After we were come on shoare we set vp our Altar whereon we said Masse euery day preparing our selues for that which might betide vs. This Eunuch could not bee disswaded from that which couetousnesse had perswaded him to wit that we had brought some precious thing with vs. And seeing it seemed vnto him that he could not get vs by another way to giue that which hee desired and wee had not hee became shamelesse and two dayes before his departure he came with a great companie to our house as though it had beene to visite vs in friendship we thinking nothing of any such thing and when he was come in he began to speake vnto vs and put vs in great feare asking vs how wee durst come so farre into the Kingdome without leaue of the King and that other Eunuchs had aduertised him from the Court that wee had many other things and that wee would not shew them nor giue them to the King While he was thus talking and dealing hee commanded his men to seize vpon all our stuffe which we had in foure or fiue Hampers and to lay them all out vpon a banke which with great celeritie aboue an hundred Officers which came with him performed and in two words they vndid and opened all and with his owne hands he opened as many papers as he found to seeke that which he desired and seeing he could finde nothing that hee looked for he tooke that which hee found which was an Image of our Ladie being one of the two small ones which wee had reserued that which hee left was better without comparison and very excellent on which also hee had cast his eye hee tooke also certaine Glasses and other small things of small importance because there were no better but that which grieued vs much was that he tooke from vs a Crosse of very good and great Reliques and a Case of Reliques likewise and the Chalice wherein we said Masse which because it was of Siluer and gilt which that yeere they had sent vs of Almes from Maaco did please him and when we prayed him not to touch it because it was a thing consecrated to God which the Kings of our Countrey durst not presume to touch hee made a iest of it and the more it was told him that hee should not touch it hee handled it the more with scorne saying that though wee told him he might not touch it yet we saw he held it in his hands without any difficulty or danger By the intercession of a Mandarine that fauoured vs he gaue vs the Chalice againe but wee could neuer get the Reliques againe out of his fingers as wee desired for of all things else hee would depart with none As he and those that ayded him so willingly were searching with much curiositie and euery one catched what he could because all things lay tumbled on the ground at last they met with a Case wherein was a carued Crucifixe which was mine He began to looke vpon our Lord Iesus Christ being bloudy and wounded being a very faire and pleasant sight to our eyes and heart but very strange foule and offensiue to his sight He vsed certaine gestures not saying any word vntill he was astonished and turned his head and asked what it was Wee told him that that was the true God which made Heauen and Earth whom all the World ought to worship who died for our sinnes and to giue vs life and afterward rose againe by his owne power and ascended into Heauen He would not heare many reasons for it seemed vnto him that we were deceiued in worshipping a God that in his eyes was dead againe he looked wistly vpon it and the finall conclusion that hee made was that that which hee suspected was true that wee were very lewde fellowes because wee had the shape of a man misused with so great inhumanitie nayled on a Crosse and all besprinkled with blood as that was and that it was nothing else but some witchcraft to kill the King And though in this second point hee was deceiued yet in the first he had great reason though hee knew not wherefore since our sinnes and euill deeds made Christ to be vsed on that sort That which the Eunuch said in our house he vttered also abroad in so much that certaine graue Mandarines which fauoured vs retired themselues from vs and sent vs word that from henceforth wee should leaue that crucifixed man and that seeing now wee remayned in China we should wholly conforme our selues vnto them for as long as we kept it they durst not speake in fauour of vs because the report went that it was a deuice to kill the King But our China Boy which was a Christian before he brought vs the message answered before the Mandarine saying That this was the true God wherefore not onely wee but himselfe that was a Chinois would rather die then denye him one jot whereat the Mandarine was amazed seeing him speake resolutely of dying a thing so much abhorred of the Chinois euen to speake of it and so he sent vs a moderate message bidding vs to hide that Figure that no bodie should see it for the report that went of it The Eunuch gaue out many threatnings against vs saying that whether the King receiued the Present or not the least displeasure that hee would doe vs was to thrust vs out of the Kingdome as wicked fellowes writing a Petition to the King against vs Besides this we remayned thrust into an exceeding bad and naughty house in the greatest force of the Winter alwaies with many Souldiers within and without doores the gates being shut with hanging Lockes without suffering our Boy to goe forth to buy any thing without two Souldiers to goe with him In which kinde of liuing though still with some remission of the rigour that we were kept in at the first wee continued aboue two moneths and an halfe without any kinde of comfort or rest at any time of the day to say Masse At the end of which time the Eunuch returned to the same place Wee verily thought that our comming out of that place should not be such as it was at the least we thought we should be thrust into a perpetuall Trunke or Prison or in some worse place as the fame went and the good will which the Eunuch shewed vs. §. II. The King sends for them is delighted with their Clockes and Pictures they are shut vp after take a house are admired for learning Christianitie of China AS the cause of our trouble was the Kings not dispatching of our businesse and our conceiuing that hee misliked of our comming so all was ended by his remembring by chance to aske where the strangers
spoken of the situation and heigth of China I will note for their sakes which would bee glad to learne and also it may serue to mend two notable errours which our newest Maps haue The one is That they make China a third part bigger then it is placing this Citie of Paquin in fifty degrees being in very deed but in forty onely as we saw which twice tooke the heigth thereof with a very good Astrolabe And the limits and end of this Kingdome which are three dayes iourney or lesse distant from this City of Paquin are at the most but two degrees more And so those great walls so famous in our Europe are in two and forty degrees and this is the greatest heigth of the Kingdome of China The second errour is that our Maps make a Kingdome aboue China which they call Catayo whereas indeed it is none other but this selfe same Kingdome of China and the Citie of Cambalu which they put for the head thereof is this Citie of Paquin wherein wee are Wee finde this here to be true very plainely by occasion of certaine newes which lately were spred ouer diuers parts by the way of Mogor which gaue out many things and great matters of Catayo which seemed to be so peculiar and proper to this Kingdome of China that they made vs doubt that it was not a seuerall Kingdome After wee were come to this Citie of Paquin wee met with two Cafilas or Carauans one of Moores of certaine small Kingdomes bordering vpon China another of Turkes with their Turbants of the Countries of Mogâ—r and of the great Ismael Sophi for with this very name they call him and of other parts which had knowledge by fame of Spaine Italie Venice India and Portugall These Turkes and Moores are wont to come hither euery fiue yeeres by Land in the name of their King to acknowledge and pay Tribute to the King of China for which purpose they counterfeit certaine Letters wherewith they easily deceiue the Chinois which thinke and hold that all the Kings of the World doe acknowledge obedience vnto theirs But the trueth is that they come to vse their trafficke and merchandise and therefore the Chinois admit them willingly howbeit many now doe know that their paying of Tribute is a fayned thing In which their trafficke they speed very well For the King doth maintayne them very plentifully from the time that they come into his Kingdome vntill their departure and they tooke all their Chists of them whereof this yeere they brought a thousand The King tooke of them at an easie price a great part of the merchandise which they brought and afterward hee gaue them rewards The thing of greatest bulke of merchandise are a kinde of stones which themselues call Iasper stones which is white yet somewhat duskish so that it enclineth to grey which seemeth to bee that Iasper which so often times in the holy Scriptures is called Precious stone It commeth in pieces vnhewen but whole like peeble stones which stone for many ornaments the Chinois esteeme much especially the King and they buy euery pound of the best at eightie Duckets and of that which is worse at fiftie or sixtie Duckets whereby they gaine greatly I haue seene these stones of other colours in our Countrey but not of this which the Chinois esteeme When these men come to this Citie of Paquin they put them into a great house which there is for this purpose wherein wee were two moneths and suffer them not to come forth Wee asked these men certaine questions and one was this of Catayo enquiring of them How they called this Kingdome of China in their Countrey They answered Catayo and that in all the Countries of Mogor Persia and other parts it had none other name and that they knew none other Kingdome that was called so Wee asked them how they called this Citie of Paquin They said Cambalu which as I haue said is that which our men set downe for the head Citie of Catayo Whereby it appeareth that there can no doubt bee made but that wee are heere resident in the Countrey which must bee Catayo if there were no fault in the Maps and wee know that there is no such Countrey nor Cities but a few contemptible Moores and Gentiles Wee vnderstood also of their Ciuet or Muske whereof they brought some which is as it were the maw or stomacke of a Beast somewhat bigger then a Cat which they kill to cut away this maw They breed wilde in the field and in a Countrey very neere to China though not of this Kingdome I had read when I departed out of Spaine a Booke which is printed of the things of China which writeth of this Ciuet and of other things which I haue seene with mine eyes it reporteth many errours by halfe informations which hee which wrote it should haue beene better informed in although in many things hee tell the trueth They brought also great store of very good Rhubarbe which heere wee bought of them of the choice at ten Marauedis the pound it is a wilde root like vnto Nauewes whereof they say the fields are full These men say That there is a Sea of sand which our Maps doe place in Arabia neere vnto China which diuideth it from Mogor and other Kingdomes And this should seeme to bee the cause why these Kings which heare great fame of this Kingdome of the greatnesse thereof and of the weakenesse of the people doe not seeke to inuade the same being not very farre off because it would bee very difficult to passe ouer the same sandie Sea with a great Armie The Chinois diuide this Kingdome into thirteene Prouinces and two Courts which are as it were two Prouinces Euery one of them haue their Metropolitane Citie and euery Citie her diuision of so many Townes It is knowne very particularly by Chinish Bookes which are written of this argument how many Cities Townes and places there are in all the Kingdome how many houses euery one hath and commonly what numbers of people what euery Countrey seuerally yeeldeth and how much Tribute it payeth to the King and many other things but I doe not set it downe here because I could not get those Bookes these few dayes past to take a view thereof At some other time God granting mee life I will doe it more at large Onely I say in generall that all the way which wee trauelled wee met with so many Cities Townes and Villages that to beleeue their greatnesse it was necessarie to see them For your Worship will hardly beleeue that wee spent two or three houres in sayling still by the walls of one Citie After which there still followed many Townes and Villages one within sight of another And after this manner all this way continueth euen to Paquin Yea the Villages are very great and full of people and of much trafficke For though wee giue them this
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
wee all thinke it necessarie to eate after this fashion and to vse their customes to obtayne more free accesse vnto them and to winne them to Christ. There is a Turke heere a dweller in this Citie which aboue fortie yeeres agoe brought one or two Lions to the Father of this King who partly because hee knoweth no Learning nor Sciences and partly because hee sought not to apply himselfe to the habite customes and manner of China there is none that will deale with him nor come neere his house And through the grace which God hath giuen vs and because they see vs apply our selues to their Apparell Fashion and Courtesies all the grauest Mandarins come home to our house to visite vs and doe vs the fauour to hold vs publikely for their Friends which they vse not to doe to their owne Countrey-men of our qualitie and condition praysed bee our Lord alwayes Amen I will not omit to declare the great pleasure wherewith these learned Chinois heare the great consent of the things and ceremonies of our holy Faith in Europe and that wee haue Bishops and as we call them heere Mandarins and superiours in Spirituall things and aboue all they reioyce exceedingly to heare of our Pope that being so great a personage they preferre a Learned and Holy man by way of Election and not by Succession and likewise the obedience and subjection which other Kings doe yeeld vnto him and that there haue beene many as wee told them who being chosen Popes refuse it in good earnest and by no meanes will accept the same and that we haue all things which concerne the Law of God and good manners set downe in writing with all other Bookes concerning him or his Ministers And although that which I haue spoken hitherto of our high Priest is a thing very apparent and true and wee deliuered it for such and they so vnderstand it yet oftentimes they haue giuen vs occasions of laughter The first was That when wee told them that some refused so great an Office straight-way they aske where you say that they refuse it is it not euident that their excuse will not bee accepted As who should say if they would accept of it who is there that would make an excuse And thus they say because they doe so themselues for when great Offices are bestowed vpon them eftsoone they offer vp a Petition making a thousand excuses to the King not to receiue them and they desiâ—e nothing lesse neither can any thing happen so grieuous vnto them as to accept their excuse But vsually they be not admitted though sometimes they bee to their great griefe of heart as I my selfe haue seene But to excuse themselues or to refuse with some danger is the vse so common that they will not fayle to doe so for if they should not doe so it were more certayne that they should goe without the Office The second thing that made vs more to laugh is that many of them tell vs that if wee would returne into our Countrey without doubt they would make vs Popes The reason though not openly which they yeeld is that wee haue a great aduantage aboue other men of our Countrey to wit that wee haue seene and studied and vnderstand their Bookes because that they onely in their opinion can make a man perfect and generally seene in all things Such is the high conceit and reputation which they hold of their Bookes §. VII Of their Women Of the Tartars Conquest Acts and Expulsion The greatnesse of the King and neighbouring States Of the Queenes Eunuches I Will conclude this Letter with two points the one concerning the Women whereof I haue little to say and the last is of the King and of his Palaces and Seruices Euery man as I said before may keepe as many Wiues as hee will and so they doe which is the cause of many tumults quarrels and disorders in their houses among their wiues and among the Sonnes of diuers Mothers and therefore when wee tell them that in our Countrey no man marryeth but one Wife they neuer are satisfied in praising it in words though neuerthelesse they doe not follow it nor put it in practise And the discontentment which the Women haue among themselues and with their Husbands for this occasion is like to prooue a great encouragement vnto them to make them desirous to receiue our holy Faith and to perswade their Husbands to embrace the same seeing that it doth not permit any more but one lawfull Wife onely Of their other Conuersation Customes and other things wee know nothing neither is any thing to bee learned for they keepe house all their life time and goe out of doores exceeding seldome to visite either their Mother or Sisters or nearest kinswomen for they goe not to any else no not in thought And therefore as they haue no conuersation but alwayes to keepe home I can speake nothing of their behauiour Their Apparell seemeth vnto mee honest and comely for sometimes I haue seene the Wiues of Officers and of the poore people for many of them doe goe abroad In some parts of the Countrey wee haue met many women vpon the high way in short garments like to the men of our Countrey without any difference saue on their heads and their feete for all the rest is all one kinde of Apparell but these are the common people onely One of the greatest ornaments that the Women haue is to haue verie little feete and they are so little that they goe verie badly and alway they seeme to goe as though they would fall I could not know the cause nor the Chinois themselues know not the originall occasion why this is counted for a beautie albeit some say it began not for a comelinesse but onely with a purpose to cut off all occasion from them of going abroad The Chinois haue beene very carefull in their Histories and therefore they haue histories of their Kings of aboue foure thousand yeeres And if credit bee to be giuen to that which their Bookes report touching those times and is gathered by diuers of their Histories There are many more yeeres from the Flood to our dayes whereof they also haue some knowledge in their Bookes then the most followed and allowed Calculation among vs which trâ—ate of that matter doe allow of for they say it is sixe thousand yeeres at the least They say that they haue continued Histories But I leaue this because I haue not well conferred the truth and foundation of the Chinish histories At the least it is certaine that they haue knowledge of their matters and certaine Kings within a little after the Flood whensoeuer it was They had many ancient Kings which were verie good men which it may bee were saued in the law of Nature because the heroicall workes of Vertue which they report of them were great and there is no record that they worshipped Idols but
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
that at Nanquin also where no King hath of long time resided The gates to the South both inner and outward are three the King only going in and out at the middle which otherwise is shut others at the other gates on the right and left hand Their computation of time is onely by the Kings Raigne Sometimes the King bestoweth a Title on the Parents of the principall Magistrates by a certaine writing made by the Kings Philosophers in the Kings name esteemed wonderfully acquired with any cost and kept in the familie as a thing sacred The like opinion is of other Titles giuen to Widowes expressed in two or three Characters giuen to Widowes which to their old age haue refused second marriages or to old Men which haue liued an hundred yeeres and in like cases They set these Titles ouer their doores Magistrates also doe the like to their friends To good Magistrates Arches are erected at publike cost of Marble by Citizens also to some of their Citizens which haue attayned any notable dignitie The most precious Artifices thorow all the Kingdome are yeerely sent to the King to Pequin with great costs The Magistrates of the Kings Citie goe abroad with lesse pompe on horsebacke and few of the principall in Seats and those carried but by foure Porters all in reuerence of the King Foure times in the yeere once a quarter all the Court Magistrates assemble at the Sepulchres of the antient Kings and Queenes and make there their offerings giuing the principall honour to Humvu They prepare to this solemnitie certaine dayes fasting at home and surceasing of sâ—its Next to the King they honour their Magistrates both in formes of words and visitations to which none aspire but Magistrates and they which haue beene depriued lose not all honour in this kind but sometimes come forth in their habits and are respected by their Citie Magistrates If one bee preferred to another dignity which hath well executed his Office they honour him with publike gifts and reserue his Boots in a publike Chist with Verses in his praise To some they erect Temples also and Altars with Images and some are deputed to keepe lights there burning and odours at publike Rent charge perpetually with huge Censers of Bell-metall as they doe to their Idols Yet doe they distinguish betwixt this and Diuine worship of their Gods asking many things whereas these Rites are onely memorials though many of the vulgar confound them together Cities are full of such Temples by friends often erected to vnworthie men to which at certaine times they goe and performe kneeling and bowing Rites and offer Meats Their Bookes are full of precepts for obseruing Parents with due honour and in outward shew no Nation performes so much They will not sit ouer against them but on the side speake to them with great reuerence they sustaine their poorer Parents with their labour in best manner they are able and in nothing are more curious then their funerals The mourning colour is white and all their habite from the Shooes to the Cap of a strange and miserable fashion The cause of three yeeres mourning for Parents is because so long they carried them in armes with so much labour of education for others as they please a yeere or three moneths as they are in neerenesse For the King they mourne three yeeres thorow all the Kingdome and for the Lawfull Queene Their funerall Rites are written in a Booke which they consult on that occasion all the parcels of the habite there pictured When a man of ranke is dead the Sonne or next Kinsman sends Libels to the friends within three or foure dayes all the Roome is white with an Altar in the midst on which they place the Coffin and Image of the dead Thither all the friends come in mourning one after another offer Odors and two Wax-candles on the Altar whiles they burne making foure bendings and kneelings hauing first censed against the Image The Sonnes stand at the side and the women behinde couered with a Curtaine mourning the while the Priests also burne Papers and Silkes with certaine rites to minister Clothes to the deceassed They abstayne from wonted Beds sleeping on Straw-beds on the ground neere the Corps from flesh and other daintier food Wine Bathes companie with their Wiues Bankets not going out for certaine moneths remitting by degrees as the three yeeres expire On the funerall day the friends are by another Libell inuited to which they goe in Procession forme in mourning many Statues of Men Women Elephants Tigres Lions of Paper all going before diuersified in colour and gilding which are all burnt before the Graue a long ranke of Idoll Priests Prayers and Players on diuers Instruments obseruing diuers rites in the way huge Bell-censers also carried on mens shoulders after which followes the Herse vnder a huge carued Canopie adorned with Silkes carried with forty or fifty men Next the children on foot with staues and then the women enclosed within a white gestatory Curtaine that they may not be seene followed by women of the kindred in mourning Seats The Graues are all in the Suburbs If the Sonnes bee absent the Funerall pompe is deferred till their comming They bring if it may bee the decâ—assed in another Countrey to lie by his friends The Graues are adorned with Epitaphs in Marble magnificently Thither on certaine dayes yeerely the kindred resort to cense and offer and make a funerall banquet Their Marriages and Spousals are with many rites done in their youth the Contracts compounded by the Parents without their consent they obserue equalitie in yeeres and degree in the lawfull Wife In their Concubines lust beauty price beare sway The poorer also buy their Wiues and when they list sell them The King and his kindred respect onely beauty Magistrates appointed to make the choise One is his lawfull Wife the King and his Heire hauing nine other Wiues a little inferiour and after them sixe and thirty which are also called Wiues his Concubines are more Those which bring forth Sonnes are more gracious especially the Mother of the eldest This is also familiar to other families thorow the Kingdome Their first Wife sits at Table others except in the Royall families are as Hand-maids and may not sit but stand in presence of either of them their Children also calling that lawfull Wife their Mother and for her though not the true Parent obserue trienniall mourning In Marriages they are curious not to take any of the same sur-name of which sur-names there are not a thousand in all that vast Kingdome Nor may any man frame a new sur-name but must haue one antient of the Fathers side except he be adopted into another familie They respect no affinity or consanguinity in a differing sur-name and so marrie with the Mothers kindred almost in any degree The Wife brings no portion and although when shee first goeth to her
other base Offices The Captayne 's onely haue some authoritie Their armes are worthlesse for offence or defence and onely make a shew the Captayne 's being also subject to the Magistrates whippings Their Alchimisticall vanitie and study of long Life with precepts and huge bookes of both I omit The founders forsooth of these Sciences haue gone body and soule to Heauen The making of Siluer hath made many spend their siluer wits and credit cheated by professing Artists and the great Magistrates few in Pequin free are taken vp with the other Study some shortning their life to make it longer They write of one of their Kings which had procured such a potion of immortalitie whom a friend of his was not able to disswade from that conceit enraged by his sudden snatching drinking his prepared potion which he seeking by death to reuenge the other answered how can I be killed if this draught cause immortalitie and if I may then haue I freed thee of this errour Touching the China Sects I read in their Bookes that the Chinois from the beginning worshipped one God which they call the King of Heauen or by another Name Heauen and Earth Beneath this Deitie they worshipped diuers tutelare Spirits of Mountaynes Riuers and of the foure parts of the world In all actions they held Reason to bee obeyed which light of Reason they confessed they had from Heauen Of that supreame Deitie and his administring Spirits they neuer had such monstrous conceits as the Romans Greekes Aegyptians whence the Iesuites hope that many of them in the law of Nature were saued Their Sects are reckoned three The first of the Learned the second of Sciequia the third Laucu One of these is professed by all which vse their Characters That of the Learned is most proper to China and most ancient and all their Learned learne it in the course of their studies Confutius is the Prince therof This Sect hath no Idols worships one God beleeuing all things to bee conserued by his prouidence They worship in inferiour sort the Spirits The best of them teach nothing of the Creation rewards and punishments they confine in this life to a mans selfe or his posteritie Of the immortalitie of the Soule they seeme to make no doubt for they speake of the deceased liuing in Heauen but of Hell they make no mention The later Learned deny both with the soules immortalitie yet some say that the soules of good men are corroborated with vertue and made able to hold out others dying with the body The principall opinion seemeth borrowed of the Idoll Sect fiue hundred yeeres agoe which holds that this whole Vniuerse consists of one matter and that the Creatures are as so many members of this huge body so that euery one may attayne to the similitude of God being one with him which we confute out of their owne ancient Authors Though the Literate acknowledge one supreame Deitie yet they erect no Temple to him nor any other place proper to his Worship nor any Priests persons or rites peculiar nor haue precepts thereof nor any which prescribeth or punisheth defect of Holies nor any which priuately or publikely recite or sing ought to him Yea they affirme that the Office of Sacrificing to the King of Heauen and his worship belongs to the King and if any should take on him that Office hee should vsurpe the Kings and be thereby a Traytor For this purpose the King hath two stately Temples in both Royall Cities one dedicated to the Heauen the other to the Earth in which sometime hee vsed to Sacrifice but now in his place certayne Magistrates haue succeeded which there sacrifice many Oxen and Sheepe with many Rites To the Spirits of Mountaynes Riuers and of the foure Regions of the world onely the chiefe Magistrates Sacrifice nor are the people admitted thereto The precpts of this Law are contayned in the Tetrabiblion and fiue Bookes of Doctrines nor are any other Bookes allowed but onely some Commentaries thereon Nothing in this Sect is more of note then their yeerely Obits or parentations to their deceased Parents common to all from the King to the meanest obseruing their dead Ancestrie as if they were liuing Neither yet doe they suppose that they eate of the meate which is set them or need it but they haue no better meane to expresse their loue The Literate haue a costly Temple to Confutius in euery Citie by Law appointed in that place where the Schoole is and adjoyning to the Magistrates Palace which is set ouer the Bachelors or Graduates of the first degree In a principall place of that Temple his Image is erected or else his Name in golden Cubitall letters written in a curious Table Hither the Magistrates assemble euery New-moone and Full also the Bachelors with wonted kneelings Odours and Wax-lights to acknowledge their Master On his Birth-day and on other set times they offer festiuall Dishes thankefully confessing his learned workes whence they haue attayned their Degrees and Offices but pray not to him nor looke for ought from him but as is obserued of their dead Parents Other Temples also are seene of the same Sect to the Tutelare Spirits of each Citie and to the Magistracie of each Tribunall wherein they solemnly binde themselues by solemne Oathes to obserue Law and Iustice when they first enter into their Office In these they offer Dishes and Odours but in differing Worship for in these they acknowledge there is a Diuine power to punish the perjurious and reward the good The scope of this Literate Sect is the peace and good of the Common-wealth and of Families and of each persons their precepts agreeing with Nature and Christianitie Fiue Relations or Societies are obserued by them comprehending all duties of humanitie of Father and Child of Husband and Wife of Master and Seruant of elder and younger Brethren of Fellowes and Equals They condemne Single life permit Polygamie and in their Bookes largely explaine that precept of Charitie to doe to another as a man would be done to They deny this to bee a Sect but a certayne Acadamie instituted for the gouernment of the Common-wealth and because it prescribes not nor prohibiteth any thing touching the Life to come many adjoyne the other two Sects to this The second Sect is called Siequia or Omitose and by the Iaponians Sciacca and Amidabu Both haue the same Characters and the same Totoqui or Law It came to the Chinois from the West brought from the Kingdome of Thienscio or Scinto now called Indostan betwixt Indus and Ganges about the yeere of Christ 65. It is written that the King of China warned in a Dreame sent Legats thither which brought Bookes and Interpreters from thence the Authors of them being dead And therefore I see not how truely the Iaponians affirme that Sciacca and Amidaba pierced thither and were Natiue of Siam The Authors of this Sect haue taken
King and fiue thousand others standing for their Doctorship of which about three hundred onely are chosen Wearyed with his Ecclesiasticall Fasts also and labour of building a Church hee fell sicke and dyed May 11. 1610. hauing much propagated the Gospell by his writings and furthered it by his Mathematickes For all Sects haue beene there more encreased by Writing then Preaching Hee dyed leauing much sorrow to his friends and care also in that China scrupulositie how and where to interre him It was the counsell of their friends to put vp a Petition to the King whereupon they resolued and Pantogia by Doctor Leos helpe thus Petitioned in behalfe of Ricius his Corps I Iames Pantogia subiect of the Kingdomes of the great West Offer a Supplication in behalfe of another Forrainer now deceased I humbly beseech your great Clemencie for a place of Buriall that your Royall beneficence may extend to all euen Strangers of remotest Regions I Iames Pantogia am a Stranger of a most remote Kingdome but mooued with the vertue and fame of your most Noble Kingdome haue in three yeeres sayle with much trouble passed hither aboue sixe thousand leagues In the eight and twentieth yeere of Vanlie for so as wee they account their yeeres by the Kings raigne in the twelfth Moone I with Matthew Ricius came into your Court where wee presented some gifts and haue since beene sustayned at the Kings charge The nine and twentieth yeere of Vanlie in the first Moone we Petitioned your Maiestie for a place of residence and haue many yeeres enioyed the Royall bountie In the eight and thirtieth yeere of Vanlie the eighteenth day of the third Moone Ricius dyed I a Client of the Kingdome of the great West remaine a fit subiect of pitie The returne into our Countrey is long c. And I now after so many yeares stay suppose that wee may bee numbred to the people which followeth your Royall Chariot that your Clemencie like that of Yao may not contayne it selfe in the Kingdome of China alone c. So proceeds he to set foorth the good parts of Ricius and with a long supplication to begge a place of Buryall some Field or part of a Temple and hee with his fellowes should obserue their wonted Prayers to the Lord of Heauen for thousands of yeeres to him and his Mother This Libell was written with peculiar forme Characters Seales many Rites herein necessarily obserued Before any bee offered to the King it must bee viewed of some Magistrate and they got this to bee allowed by one which is Master of Requests which sent it presently to the King They must also haue many Copies thereof to shew to those Magistrates to whom it appertaines which they did one of them affirming That Ricius deserued a Temple also with his Image to bee there set vp This message hee sent them by another for when they fauour a cause they shew great strangenesse The King commonly answers the third day except hee mislike for then he suppresseth and sends it to the Magistrate that had presented it who shewes which of the sixe is the peculiar Court which iudgeth of these things This being sent to the Rituall Tribunall Their answer is sent to the King within a Moneth which there is a short space and repeating the Petition verbatim and the Kings command to the peculiar Office answers what the Law sayth in that case and concludes the Petition to bee agreeing to Iustice and earnestly pleades and sues for confirmation The King sends this answers to the Colao which subscribed his approbation which being sent againe to the King hee subscribed with his owne hand Xi that is Fiat or bee it done which the third day after was deliuered them The Iesuites hauing so speedie and prosperous successe bethought of gratifying their friends which had furthered this designe with Dyals especially to the Colao which vsed Pantogia very kindly and writ to the Gouernour of Pequin to looke out a place fitting Three or foure were offered to their choyse one of which much pleased them It was aboue a quarter of a myle from one of the Citie gates built by an Eunuch who now was condemned for some crime and left his Palace which hee had heere builded with the expence of aboue foureteene thousand Duckats which in China is a great summe in that cheapnesse of all things farre beyond European computation should fall into the hands of spoylers the goods of Eunuches in this Kingdome vsually becomming his which first can catch them hee consecrated his Palace and made it a Temple maintayning therein one Priest Such Palaces many of the Magistrates haue neere to the Cities as retyring places and Tusculanes for their Muses The portraiture of this whole House with the Garden and other appurtenances Trigautius hath set foorth in Picture being after the China building with the doore Southwards and so running a great length into the North with foure great Halls one beyond another in the middle parts and on each side Chambers and other Roomes beyond all the Garden the pillars of Timber bearing vp the roofe the walls and pauement of Bricke The outmost of these Halls was conuerted into a Temple or Idoll-Chappell in which was a great Altar of Stone and Bricke cunningly fretted paynted red a colour forbidden to priuate Houses and vpon the middest thereof sate a huge Monster of Earth gilded from top to toe of massie quantitie The Chinois call it Ti cam the God as they fable of the Earth Treasures as Pluto in the Poets In his hand was a Scepter on his head a Crowne not vnlike those vsed by our Kings On each side stood foure ministers of the same matter on both sides of the Roome two great Tables and on each of them fiue Kings or great Officers of Hell On both the wals were painted the same Officers or Iudges sitting on their seuerall Tribunals giuing sentence on wicked men euery one according to the condition of his Court. Before them stood many Deuils more terribly formed then with vs. The paines of Hell also were so deciphered that could not but strike terrour to the beholders some rosted in yron Beds some fryed in scalding Oyle some cut in pieces or diuided in the middle or torne of Dogges or otherwise tortured The first those Iudges examined the faults which they said hee saw in a certayne Glasse Those which hee found guiltie were sent to the other Iudges according to the qualitie of the crimes One of these was Iudge in Cases of Transmigration which sent the soules of cruell men into Tygres of vncleane persons into Swine and the like or if their crimes were smaller into the poorer sort There was a great Ballance in one of the Scales a man laden with sinnes in the other one of their Hypocriticall Prayer-bookes which counterpoysed the other Scale and freed the Sinner There ranne through the midst of Hell a discoloured Riuer which carried away many For
per suas literas intimaâ—it vobis mandamus quatenus si cundem Regem vel ipsius Nauigium per mare coâ—tiguum terrae nostra tranâ—irâ— contingat vel in Terram nostram vel in feâ—da nostra alicubi applicarâ— ipsum suos benignè honorificè recipiatis permittentes eosdem in terra nostra a victualia 〈◊〉 sibi pâ—r forum legitimum de sibi necessarijs prouidere Actum apud Sanctum Germanum in Laia A. D. 1248. When the King of Norway had read this for hee is a discreet and modest and well learned man hee reioyced much and was gratefull to the bearer respecting him with Royall and bountifull gifts Thus writeth Matthew Paris of himselfe and his employment The cause of his going into Norway he further relateth that King Cnuto or Canutus hauing founded a famous Monastery of Saint Bennet of Holm in Norway of which title and order hee had founded another in England it happened that the said Abbie with the appurtenances was almost ruined by an impious Abbat who forsaking his Order and stealing away priuily the Seale of the Chapiter either sold or by forged writings fraudulently engaged almost all the possessions thereof wherein hee had the Sacrist the keeper of the Seale his copartner both in this fugitiue apostacie and treacherie Heereupon the Archbishop of Nidrosia in whose Diocesse the said Abbie was situate seised the same and the appurtenances into his hands alledging that the Monkes had only the habite but were altogether ignorant of Monastike order and Saint Bennets rule some of them also theeues and fugitiues The Monkes appealed to the Pope which caused the Archbishop to suspend his proceedings and the Prior recouering somewhat and gathering together a summe of money went to the Roman Court where the Abbat had beene a little before and intangled by writings the said house in fiue hundred markes which caused the Prior to returne frustrate and full of griefe But in his way hearing that the said Abbat was dead in the Abby of Saint Alban in Selio in Norway he and the Couent made choice of an Abbat and this Prior with another Monke and three hundred markes in mony together with the Kings letter being sent to Matthew Paris to take paines for their freedome it was procured happily that the temporalties of the said house were freed from the Caursines the Popes Vsurers then residing at London within one yeeres space But their Spiritualities were much maimed they by bribes purchasing delayes lest the Archbishop should take possession of the Iland which wholly belonged to the Abby and of it also expelling the Monkes Now the Cardinall Bishop of Sabine then comming Legate into Norway the Monkes sought to him for succour and hee counselled them to go and petition the Pope to prouide them of an Instructor and Reformer and he would write in their behalfe The Abbat therefore and Prior went with Letters from the King and Legate to the Pope who gaue them leaue to chuse any man of whatsoeuer Region or Monasterie to be their Instructer They answered the next day that all the World had not Monkes of that Order liuing in more composed order then England nor England any comparable by report to Saint Albans of which House they desired Matthew to be their Reformer of whose wisdome and faithfulnes they had had experience a man also almost familiar and friendly to their King and able by his meanes to order the rebellious and vnruly Hereupon the Pope gaue them this Briefe to the Abbat of Saint Albans Innocentius c. Dilecto Filio Abbati Sancti Albani in Anglia Ordinis S. Benedicti c. Cum sicut ex parte dilecti filij Abbatis Monasterij de Holâ—s Ordinis S. Benedicti Nistorsiensis Diocesis fuit propositum coram nobis idem Monasterium propter Pradecessorum suorum negligentiam sit in his quae ad Monasticum Ordinem pertinent deformatum nec inueniator in illis partibus aliquis qui statuta obseruantias eiusdem Ordinis bene sciat Nos ad supplicationem eiusdem Abbatis discretionem tuam rogamus attentius hortamur per Apostolica tibi scripta mandantes quatenus dilectum filium Fratrem Mattheum Monachum tuum qui dicitur probeta vitae ac religionis expertae ad idem Monasterium vt dictum Abbatem Monachos suos in regularibus disciplinis statutis quae ad eundem ordinem pertinent informet instruat transmittere pro diuina Apostolicae sedis ac nostra reuerentia non postponas Datum Lugduni c. Hereto the Abbat obeying and Matthew to his Abbat the businesse luckily succeeded and Monkerie both in that of Holâ—s and other Norwegian Monasteries was reformed I might here shew the great stirres which in the first Ages after the Conquest the Norwegians haue caused in Ireland Wales Man Anglesey the Hebrides and Orcades as also of Harald whom the Conquerour slue his two sonnes and daughter fleeing to Sueno King of Denmarke who gaue the daughter in Marriage to Ieruslaus or Waldemarus King of Russia and of Nicolas de Lynna a Franciscan Frier and Mathematician of Oxford before mentioned of whom Iacobus Cuoyen saith in his Iournall that he learned of a Priest who had descended of those which King Arthur had left to people the Ilands of Norway Anno 1364. that in the yeere 1360. the said Frier had comne into those Ilands and proceeding further by Art Magicke had described those Aâ—â—ike parts as the Map presents with foure Whirl-pooles or In-draughts Yea as Master Dee addeth at the Northerne Ilands the Record whereof at his returne he gaue to the King of England the Booke being called Inuentio fortunata or fortunae contayning a description from fiftie foure degrees to the Pole I might also adde out of Thâ—mas of Walsingham the Trauels of Henrie Earle of Darbie afterwards Henrie the Fourth King of England into Prussia and Lettow or Lithuania where by his helpe especially was taken Vilna the chiefe Citie Skâ—rgalle the King of Lettow hauing fled thither for refuge his Colours being first aduanced on the walls foure thousand slaine of which the King of Polands Brother and three thousand captiued Also I might adde the Voyage of Thomas of Woodstocke Duke of Glocester sonne to King Edward the Third along the Coasts of Denmarke Norway and Scotland Other Letters likewise of King Edward the Second to Haquin or Hacon King of Norway in behalfe of English Merchants there arrested with Entercourses betwixt the English and the Dutch Knights in Liefland But hauing only briefe mentions of these and them or the most of them recorded by Master Hakluyts industrie before I doe here but Index-wise referre the Reader thither I rather choose to giue new things and rare and such may seeme these Notes which Anno 1605. I writ from the mouth of Master George Barkeley HONDIVS his Map of the Arctike Pole or Northerne World POLUS ARCTICUS cum vicinis regionibus CHAP.
Aequator that the Arctick Circle diuides it in the middest that is to say sixtie fiue degrees and a halfe The Ilands called Ebudae are obiect to the North part of this Iland But whether that be of these which Ptolemie and ancient Writers call Thule or rather Iseland that great Iland I dare neither affirme nor altogether denie because there is no Iland found where Ptolemie set Thule Now the later Writers make another manner of longitude about Scotland and the bordering Ilands then Ptolemie euer thought HONDIVS his Map of ISLAND ISLAND In these whirle-pooles and darknesse this Fleet one onely Ship excepted perished They that were preserued after many long labours and perils sayling through the Tartarian Sea came into a very hote Countrey and entring into a large Bay they went on shoare vpon the next Land And when the Inhabitants had hid themselues in secret places by reason of the great heate and scorching of the Sunne they saw Gold and other precious things set heere and there without a guard And when they had carryed away asmuch as they would and hasted to the Ship they saw some pursue them with Dogs of strange bignesse One who was hindred and laden with a prey that hee could not escape was torne in peeces of the Dogges The rest after long sayling shunning these Whirle-pooles arriued in Muscouia thence by the Balticke Sea returning vnto Breme they brought backe these tidings to Alebrand the Bishop with part of the prey Much about this time the Noruegians by example of the Heluetians in Iulius Caesars time are supposed to haue come out of Norway who then long time possessed that part of France which now also is call Normandie And when they had performed great attempts by Sea and Land against the Britaines they did not onely scoure the Sea by hostile incursions but also expelled the Saracens who at that time came into Italy and sought to seat themselues in Calabria and Apulia After they brought Colonies Northward into Hitland Ferow and Island which way they learned of the Bremians by meanes of the Nobilitie of Frisia aforesaid And euen the very proprietie of their speech doth testifie that they came out of Norway for the pronunciation of the Iselanders doth agree with the antient Inhabitants of Norway For vpon the Sea coast of Norway especially where the famous Hauen and Citie of Bergen is by reason of the resort and familiaritie with the Germaines and Danes the Language is changed Of the Iselanders Religion IN the yeere of Christ 1398. Woldemarus the second of that name gouerned the Danish Kingdome whereunto Norway was added whose posteritie held it vntill Ericus Duke of Pomerania and Christopher Banar Vnto this Waldemarus all the Arctoian Colonies obeyed so that now vnder that Woldemarus the Iselanders were first instructed in the Christian Religion when before they had worshipped strange Gods And when almost all Christian people in that lamentable darkenesse and title of a Church as it were by Witchcraft deceiued were detayned in most deepe bonds of superstition it could not bee but they who were furthest remoued from the societie of Learned men and dwelling vnder an vnciuill and barbarous Climate should fall into most foule Idolatrie when sometimes as hereafter shall bee declared they had Deuils to serue them as familiar as domesticall seruants But after Luther began to bee knowne Christianus the King of Denmarke procured purer Doctrine to himselfe and purged the Churches in the Kingdome of Denmarke Norway and all the Ilands subiect vnto him sending Ministers into Iseland to sow the seede of the Gospell there Hee sent a Printer also out of Denmarke to set forth the Bible the common places of Philip Melancthon the Workes of Vrbanus Regius and others in the vulgar Tongue to the Pastors who were ignorant of the Latine as at that time almost all of them were And also sent for fit and apt young men out of Iseland whom hee maintayned in the Haffâ—ian Vniuersitie at his owne costs and gaue them charge ouer Churches and Schooles King Woldemare as soone as they should professe Christian Religion in Iseland ordayned them two Bishops one in Scalholden in the East part and another in Hollen in the West whose Successours at this day retayne nothing but a shadow and a bare Title for they haue no other reuenues but Butter and Fish But when that reformation whereof I spake was made by King Christian in the Churches of Iseland one of the Bishops in Scalholden conspiring with the people reiects the Doctrine of the Gospell and making a rebellion they kill the Kings Lieutenant The yeere following which was 1535. the King sent a Noble man of the Order of Knighthood one Paul Hitfelt whom I saw an old man in Denmarke furnished with a Fleet Souldiers and Munition into the Iland The seditious being slaine hee renueth the reformation of the Doctrine of the Gospell and returneth into Denmarke leauing a certayne Noble man to take charge of the Church and Iland The greatest man in Iseland at that time was one Tadde Bonde Hee after the Kings Armie was departed conspiring with the principall men whom by his Authoritie hee drew to take his part reuolted from his Allegiance and perswaded the rest of the Ilanders to follow They meete together in a place called Waloe and conspiring to rebell and cast off the Kings subiection they impart their counsels together and Tadde had his possâ—ssions not in one place and many retayners and for these causes hee thought they could not easily bee suppressed The Bishop who dwelt in the East had a speciall care to acquaint the Kings Lieutenant with all that was done for the Lieutenant was absent in the West part of that Iland and the Bishop hated Tadde a long time For in that first Rebellion hee had falsly accused him to the Lieutenant as guiltie and author of the Rebellion This accusation onely brought great and extreame calamitie vpon him The Lieutenant being certified what was done hee perswadeth by fit instruments some of the Complices of the faction to continue in their Allegiance propounding rewards and punishments Then many of them when they saw the greatnesse of the danger leauing him came humbly to the Lieutenant and begge pardon and obtayne it Tadde therefore is adiudged an Enemie both of the King and of his Countrey they promise therefore by an Oath and giuing of their Faith that they will pursue him Then hee through feare of the danger with a few of his Domestickes which hee had gathered together kept himselfe at the foote of Hekelueld but being circumuented they were all slaine and hee taken They that tooke him brought him to the Bishop to commit him to Prison but hee refused to receiue him Therefore they draw him to another certaine man of those who had the chiefe place in Iustice neither would hee receiue him fearing the hatred of the people There was at that time there a certayne Iselander Ionas by name a
to sweepe the snowe away where he should passe and were said to bee slaues which I verily beleeue because certainly they were his Subiects Then came the Prince richly apparelled with two Tartar Princes standing before on his sled and two young Dukes behind with two hundred sleds following him The eight of Februarie the Emperor sent vs sleds to ride abroad and this day the rather that we might behold a reported victorie against the reputed Rebell Demetrie c. So we the Kings Gentlemen did behold three hundred poore Prisoners seuenteene Ensignes and eleuen Drums brought in with more glorie then victorie About this time returned Peter Basman one of the Generals who had performed very honourable seruice and certainly he was the man of greatest hope and expectation in the whole Empire who was brought into the Mosco with all the Counsell Nobles Gentlemen and Merchants a grace neuer performed before to any Subiect But not without suspition of some extraordinarie secret herein and â—â—â—ides particular fauours bountifull rewards and a promise he should neuer goe againe vntill the Emperor himselfe went he was being but a young man made a Priuie Counsellor Forth with one thing I will you shall obserue the Emperors fauour and his then noble Spirit he making diuers times sute as was thought because they were in great danger to goe againe to the warres once prostrated himselfe to obtayne his desire but falling downe too humbly hee could not easily rise againe whereby the Emperor vnderstanding of his many and great wounds was said to weepe rising himselfe vp to raise and helpe him vp but extraordinarie Causes haue the like Effects as hereafter you shall vnderstand We were lodged in the same house where the young Prince Iohn of Denmarke brother to that King and our now Queene of England did lodge who would haue married the young Princesse Oucksinia the Emperors only daughter but that he vnhappily there died but not in any of those lodgings for it is a custome there that where a Prince dyes especially a stranger not of long time after to let any other lodge there Now the Ambassador vnderstanding of the conuenience of his passage downe by sled-way also fearing as wise men had cause what the issue of these warres would be knowing the state here vsed in any sutes bethought himselfe aduisedly that it was high time being the middest of Februarie to desire a second audience for his sooner dispatch which he forthwith requested and wrote a letter to that purpose vnto the Lord Chancellor Vpon the tenth of March the Ambassador with the Kings Gentlemen all richly apparelled and all his followers decently attending very honourably as before and with the like recourse of beholders and guard of Gunners but that they were said to bee Citizens by reason of their warres but in like apparell was attended to the Court being receiued with the former grace or more he ascended the Presence the Emperour and Prince holding their wonted state onely changing their Vestments with the season but for the riches nothing inferior So soone as the Ambassador and the Kings Gentlemen were come opposite to his Throne hee commanded seates that they might sit downe then with a Maiestick countenance representing rather constraint then former cheerfulnesse he declared that He his Sonne and Councell had considered his Maiesties Letter the Maiestie of King Iames of England as also on whatsoeuer else was desired and in token of his ioyfull receiued amâ—tie with the renowmed King of England as with his Predecessor he had wrote his Princely Letters to that purpose Herewith the Chancellor from the Emperour deliuered the Ambassadors his Highnesse Letters to his excellent Maiestie Withall vnderstanding by the Chancellor hee had some farther matter to intreat of then in his Briefe to his Maiestie was remembred therefore hee had appointed foure principall Councellors to consult with him of his Requests which was done After the Ambassador yeelding courteous thanks for his Maiesties fauour his Lordship attended by many Nobles proceeded to the Councell Chamber whither presently after came foure Councellors and the Emperours Tolmach who after salutations we withdrew to the next chamber where wee passed away an houre in discourse among many young Nobles hauing the Ambassadors Interpreter In the end after three or foure goings and returnes of the Chancellor from the Emperour wee went againe before him where after hee had commanded vs to sit downe as before by the mouth of the Chancellor was openly deliuered a Briefe of the whole Embassie and that dayes particular desire according to the Ambassadors request confirmed Also in good and pleasing language was declared the great desire that the Emperour had for the continuance of peace and amitie with the renowmed Iames King of England as with the late Queene Elizabeth withall that in due time all accidents well ended he would send an honourable Ambassador for further affaires as likewise to congratulate with our King of his happinesse in so plausible comming to his Right and Inheritance Likewise a Granâ— of a new Priuiledge for the Companie which he said should be vnder the golden Seale c. Which ceremonious speech ended the Emperor called for the Ambassador and the Kings Gentlemen to kisse his hand and the Princes which done with the Emperors nod or bowing to vs as likewise the Princes desiring the remembrance of his and the Princes commendations to his Maiestie the Prince and Queene of England we were dismissed but not before the Emperor said he would send home to vs. Thus we tooke our last leaue of the Emperors Court being more graciously and especially entertayned then before or then euer any would take knowledge Ambassadors were vsed withall we are honorably attended home and a Duke of great account named Knas Euan Euaâ—â—owich Courlâ—teâ— was attended with many of the Emperors seruants within our Gates following him a dinner sent from the Emperor by some two hundred persons consisting of three hundred seuerall dishes of Fish for it was now Lent of such strangenesse greatnesse and goodnesse for their number as it were not to bee beleeued by any report but by a mans owne eye-sight with infinite store of Meades and Beere in massie plate c. The eighteenth of March the Emperor sent by Vassilly â—râ—gâ—râ—wich Tâ—lâ—pnoâ—e the Roll wherein was the Demands of the Ambassador and the particulars of the whole negotiation as there at large appeares The nineteenth his Maiestie sent 〈◊〉 Mâ—nshoy Buldâ—coâ—e vnder Treasurer a royall Present to the Ambassador of many particulars also to each of the Kings Gentlemen being rewarded he departed The twentieth of March being honourably accompanyed with thousands of Gallants of each side the streets all along as we passed the Ambassador departed from the Citie of Mosco with the whole numbers of horse-men still becking vs till we came a shore mile on this side the Citie where we made a stand and after some complement betweene the Ambassador and his
nor stand for him as one himselfe nor any other Prince for him shall not practise or seeke any thing against the King of Sweden Those Lands and Castles which belongeth to the Kingdome of Sweden of old or those which now the Emperours Maiesty hath yeelded to the Kings Maiesty by this conclusion of peace he shall not seeke to get them vnder him or haue possession of them In like manner the Kings Maiesty of Sweden shall not stand against the Emperours Maiesty c. to assist the King of Poland and Lettow and all the Dominions of Poland and Lettow neyther with men nor treasure and not to be with him as one Neyther shall the Kings Maiesty by himselfe or other Princes and Gouernours seeke any practise against the Emperours Maiestie and his Lands and Castles which belong to the Emperour of Russia hee shall by no meanes seeke to get vnder him or possesse the same It is also agreed and concluded betweene vs that those Ambassadours which the Emperours Maiesty shall send to the Kings Maiesty and the Kings Maiesty to the Emperours Maiesty for the confirmation of this conclusion of peace shall haue full authority to conferre betweene the Emperours Maiesty and the Kings Maiesty of Swethland for a vnion and ioynt assistance against Sigismond King of Poland and the Crowne of Poland and the great Dukedome of Lettow in such manner as shall be thought fit and requisite by both the Princes 33. And for more certaine and firme assurance that all this here hath bin concluded and agreed on betweene vs the above said Emperours Maiestie and Kings Maiesties great ample and powerfull Ambassadours by the mediation and intercession of the great Lord King Iames his Maiesties great Ambassadour in his presence this conclusion is made established and finished and shall by our great Lord and great Duke M.F. of all Russia Sam. and by his successours and hereafter being great Lords Emperours and great Dukes be kept faithfully firmely and vnmoueable and shall be followed in all points and finished without all falshood or deceipt and our great Lords Emperours and great Dukes c. by his commandment wee his great Commissioners Ocholuech and Namestincke of Susdall Knese Dannyll Euanowich Mezetskey I the Emperours Maiesties Dwarenni and Namestincke of Shatskey Olexsey Euanowich Zuzen I the Emperours Maiesties Duke Michcola Meketesin Nouokseno I the Emperours Maiesties Duke Dobrenia Semenou haue confirmed this conclusion of peace with the kissing of the Crosse and thereunto set our hands and Seales also the Kings Maiesties of great Brittaines great Ambassadour Sir Iohn Merricke Knight Gentleman of his Maiesties priuie Chamber for the more witnessing of the same that this is also concluded here betweene vs hath firmed with his owne hand and Seale both these obligations and a confirmation which wee the Emperours Maiesties ample Ambassadours haue giuen to the Kings Maiesties great Commissioners and against that we haue taken the like writing of confirmation from the Kings Maiesties great Ambassadours Written at Stalbo in the yeare from the creation of the World 7125. the seuen and twentieth day of February HAuing here presented the fruits of his Maiesties mediation betwixt the Muscouite and Sweden I thought good also to adde this other testimonie of Bâ—ati Pacifici in the peaceable fruits of his endeuours betwixt the said King of Sweden and the King of Denmarke after bloudy warres betwixt them in which the English voluntaries were so great a part of whom if I mistake not foure thousand serued the Daâ—e vnder the command of the right honorable the Lord Willoughby The Articles of agreement betwixt them are these six concluded January 16. 1613. translated out of the Dutch Copie Printed at Copenhagen first and after at Hamburge 1. That the King of Sweden shall haue againe the Citie of Calmar with all that belongeth vnto it excepting Artillery which shall be restored to the King of Denmarke or to be sold for his profit 2. That the King of Denmarke shall haue Elsborch and Orland with all the forces and strength of Arensborch in pawne for the space of twelue yeares ensuing for the sum of fifteene Tâ—n of Gold the which sum of money the King of Sweden shall pay vnto the King of Denmark within the foresaid twelue yeares at certaine times in consideration of his charges during the said warres 3. That the Nauigation and passages by Seas and Land to Norway shall be vsed free without any hinderance of those of Sweden 4. That Lapland shall be free without giuing of any contribution 5. That the King of Denmarke shall haue Grone-land free without paying of any contribution vnto the King of Sweden 6. That the King of Denmarke shall beare the three Crownes without any gaine-saying or contradiction of the King of Sweden which was the first and principall cause of these aforesaid bloudy and vnneighbourly warres and continuall irruptions Both Kings subscribing hereto CHAP. XI A relation of two Russe Cossacks trauailes out of Siberia to Catay and other Countries adioyning thereunto Also a Copie of the last Patent from the Muscouite A Copie of a Letter written to the Emperour from his Gouernours out of Siberia TO our Lord Emperour and great Duke Michaile Fedrâ—wich of all Russia your Maiesties Vassals Euan Kâ—â—rakiâ— and Euan Kâ—bâ—â—litiâ— doe knocke their heads c. Lord this present 7127. yeere or 1619 we writ vnto your Maiestie by a Cozack of Tobolsko Clement Oboshkin that there were come to Tobolsko Ambassadours out of the Dominions of Catay and from the King of Altine with the people of Tobolsko Euashâ—â— Petlin and Andrashko Madiegene And with them together doe go to you great Lord Ambassadours out of the Dominions of Labin and the Altine Char from Skiâ—gia with presents the which we dispatcht to your Maiestie with Burnash Nikâ—â—â—â—e the sixt of Iuly and before them wee dispatcht to your Maiestie Euashkâ— Pettlin and Patoy Kizall by whom we sent vnto your Maiestie a Letter from Tambur King of Cathay and a Copie of the King Altines Letter translated with a Card and description of the places which way Euashkâ— Petlin Andrushko Madigene passed from the Castle of Tomao into the Dominions of Catay as also in what other Dominions they were The Letter it selfe which came from Altine Char Labatharshan doth carrie to your Maiestie but as for the Letter out of Catay there is none in Tobolsko to translate it The Copie of the Altine Chars or golden Kings Letter to the Emperour of Russia TO the Lord Emperour and great Duke The golden King receiued your Letter In former times Lord it came to my hearing that your Princely good Ambassadours did seeke a way or passage to come to me since which time it is now thirteene yeeres but then the people of 〈◊〉 Tubâ—ntâ— Maâ—tà ra black Kolmaks did not suffer your Princely good Ambassadors to come to me but did rob and spoile them Now since ten of your Maiesties people are come to me
The Pinnasse called the Cat was of twentie tunnes had twelue men Bredaransies Foord is most Northerly Cunninghams Foord is next in sixtie seuen degrees and odde minutes The Foord wherein they saw the Towne ten leagues vp the same is two leagues to the South of Cunninghams Foord The Kings Foord is in sixtie sixe degrees and an halfe William Huntris of Stowborow in Yorke-shire is Master Hall his man and is allowed thirtie pound by the yeere of the King of Denmarke for his skill in Nauigation I haue also Master Halls Voyage of the next yeere 1607. to Groenland from Denmarke written and with representations of Land-sights curiously delineated by Iosias Hubert of Hull but the Danes enuious perhaps that the glory of the Discouery would be attributed to the English Pilot after the Land saluted 〈◊〉 and in fine forced the ship to returne for Island For which cause I haue here omitted the whole CHAP. XVI The Voyage of Master IOHN KNIGHT which had beene at Groenland once before 1605. Captaine of a Pinnasse of the King of Denmarke for the Discouery of the North-west Passage begun the eighteenth of Aprill 1606. I Set sayle from Grauesend in a Barke of fortie tunnes called the Hope-well well victualled and manned at the cost of the Worshipfull Companies of Moscouie and the East Indie Merchants for the Discouerie of the North-west Passage the eighteenth of Aprill 1606. and arriued the sixe and twentieth of the same moneth in the I le of Orkney in a Sound called Pentlefrith Heere wee were stayed with contrary winds at West and North-west and with much storme and foule weather aboue a fortnight In which meane space I entertained two men of this Countrey which are both lustie fellowes at Sea and Land and are well acquainted with all the Harbours of these North parts of Scotland These men brought vs into a very good Harbour called Saint Margarites Hope where we had the Sea open to vs for all winds that are good for vs to proceed on our Voyage In this Countrey we found little worthy of Relation For it is poore and hath no wood growing vpon it Their Corne is Barley and Oates Their fire is Turffe their houses are low and vnseemely without and as homely within Vpon Munday the twelfth of May I set sayle from Saint Margarites Sound or Hope in Orkney at nine of the clocke in the morning our course being West and by South and at eight of the clocke at night the Hill called Hoyce did beare West Southerly eleuen or twelue leagues and the Stacke South and by East Easterly three leagues and an halfe the winde beeing at East South-east This day was for the most part calme and sometimes wee had a fresh gale of winde our course was West and by South halfe a point Southerly This day I passed by two small Ilands The one of them is called the Clete and the other the Run They are distant foure leagues the one from the other The course betweene them is South-west and North-east The Southermost is called the Clete and is the lesser of the twaine it is distant from the North-east part of Lewis called the Bling-head seuen leagues and the course betwixt them is North-west and South-east Also this Bling-head is distant from the Farrâ— Headpunc of the Hieland of Scotland West and by North halfe a point Westerly and is distant seuenteene leagues Also the course betweene Bling-head and the North-west part of Lewis is West and by South halfe a point Westerly and faire low Land without Wood. There is good riding all along the shoare the winde beeing off the Land and in some places are very good Harbours for all winds From eight to twelue at night we ran sixe leagues West South-west This morning we had a fresh gale of wind at East North-east our course was South-west and by West two houres fiue leagues From two to ten South-west and by South 20. leagues From ten to twelue West South-west sixe leagues The latitude at noone was 58. degrees 27. minutes From Wednesday at noone till Thursday at noone was for the most part raine and fogge the wind at North-east and by East our course was West halfe a point Southerly our latitude at noone being Thursday 58. degrees 23. minutes From Thursday at noone till Friday at noone being the sixteenth our way was West Southerly about twentie leagues the latitude at noone was 58. degrees 19. minutes This night the wind was sometimes variable betweene the South and by West and South-east with faire weather the Magneticall Declination 18. degrees the height of the Pole was 58. degrees 10. minutes Also in the morning the Sunne beeing tenne degrees aboue the Horizon was distant from the East to the North-wards of the East twentie two degrees From Friday at noone vntill midnight was little wind Southerly and sometimes calme and from midnight till twelue at noone the next day a stiffe gale of wind at East North-east This foure and twentie houres I judged our way to be made good West something Southerly thirtie leagues The latitude at noone was 58. degrees 10. minutes Also the sunne did rise fiftie degrees to the Northward of the East From Saturday at noone being the seuenteenth till Sunday at noone being the eighteenth our course was West and by South a stiffe gale of wind fiftie leagues being close weather we made no obseruation of latitude From Sunday at noone till Munday at noone I steered away West and West and by South hauing a storme at East and by North our course was West and Southerly fiftie leagâ—â—s From Munday at noone till midnight our course was West and Southerly and from that time till noone West and by North and West among I iudged wee sayled fortie leagues these foure and twentie houres being for the most part foggie The latitude at noone was 57. degrees 50. minutes From Tuesday at noone till noone on Wednesday our course was West and by North fortie fiue leagues being foggie weather without obseruation Here wee had a current which I iudge setteth to the Northwards From Wednesday at noone till Thursday at noone being the two and twentieth our course was West and by North fiftie leagues with much fogge and close weather and much winde at North-east and by East From Thursday at noone till midnight our course was West and by North. Then the winde came to the North wee tooke in our mayne course and I spooned away with our fore-saile till Friday the winde being at North North-east I iudged our way West South-west the twelue houres that I spooned about fifteene leagues the other twelue houres West Northerly fiue and twentie leagues This three and twentieth day wee saw many Gulles and much Rock-weed From Friday at noone till Saturday at noone I iudged our way to bee made South-west and by West but it proued West and by South rather Westerly twentie leagues by reason of a current that I
Spanish inhabiters For in the most places of these Indies the Countrie men paie not and where the tithes are wanting it is supplied out of the goods royall and touching the tithes and first fruits that are to be paied many ordinances and rates are made according to the stile of these Kingdomes that the men of each Colony it is iust it should follow her customes And though the Kings of Castile and of Lyon are Lords of the tithes by Apostolike concession might take them to himselfe supplying where it wanteth with that which in other places doth exceede he leaueth them to the Prelates Churches prouiding of his own goods Royall with the liberality of so Catholik Priâ—ces to all the necessities of the poore Churches giuing to euery one that is built anew the greatest part of that which is spent in the building with a Chaliz a Bell and a painted Table That the distribution of that which proceedeth of the tithes and of that which is bestowed out of the goods Royall in maintenance of the Prelates Dignities and Canons of the Cathedrall Churches and Benefices Cures and persons that are occupied in the diuine Seruice and instructing of the Indians may be fruitfully imploied according to the holy intention of the Kings the supreme Counsell hath made good ordinances First that all the said persons be of an approued life and customes especially those that doe meddle in the Doctrines being first examined touching learning and after in the language of the Indians for it would little auaile that the Disciples should not vnderstand the Maister and that these do continually reside and that no Curate or Teacher may haue two Benefices and that those which shall from these parts passe to the Indies be more approued it is commanded that no Priest doe passe without licence of his Prelate and of the King and that if any be there found without it presently they should send him to Spaine And that the manner how the Royall Patronage is gouerned may better be vnderstood seeing it appertaineth to this Crowne because that it hath discouered and acquired that New World and hath also built and endowed out of the goods Royall so many Churches Monasteries as by the Apostolike concession that for no cause the said patronage nor any part of it either by custome or prescription or other title may be separated from it it is ordained what care the Vice-roies Counsels Gouernors Rulers are to haue in it and what penalties the transgressors should incur First that no Cathedrall or Parish Church Monasterie Hospitall nor votiue Church should be founded without consent of the King That when in the Cathedrall Churches there are not foure Beneficed men resident prouided by royall presentation canonicall prouision of the Prelate because the other Prebends be voide or absent for more then eight moneths though for a lawfull cause The said Prelate till such time as the King doth present may chuse to the accomplishing of the foure Clarks besides those that are prouided and resident of the most sufficient of those that shall offer themselues without that the said prouision be in Titulo to be remoueable at pleasure that they haue no seate in the Qâ—ire nor voice in Counsell That no Prelate may make canonicall institution nor giue possession of any Prebend or Benefice without presentation Royall in such a case that without delay they make the prouision and command to resort with the fruits That in all the dignities Prebends the learned be preferred before the vnlearned and those which haue serued in the Cathedral Churches of Castile and haue more exercise of the seruice of the Quire before them that haue not serued in them That at the least there be presented for euery Cathedrall Church a graduate Lawyer a Diuine for the Pulpet with the obligation that in these Kingdoms the doctoral Canons Magistrates haue another learned Diuine to read the sacred Scripture and another Lawyer or Diuine for the Cannonship of Pennance according to the sacred Counsell of Trent That all the other Benefices Cures and simples secular and regulars and the Ecclesiasticall Offices that shall be voide or prouided anew That they may be made with lesse delay and the Royall patronage may be preserued it is commanded that they be made in the forme following That any of the abouesaid Benefices or Offices being voide the Prelate shall command to make edicts with a competent tearme and of those that shall offer themselues hauing examined them and being informed of their behauior shall name of the best and the Vice-roy or Gouernor of the Prouince shal chuse one and remit the election to the Prelate that he make the prouision Collation and Cannonicall institution by way of recommendation and not in a perpetuall title so that when the King doth make the presentation and in it shal be expressed that the collation be made in a perpetuall title the Canonicall institution shall be in title and not in recommendation and the presented by the King be alwayes preferred before the presented by his Ministers That in the repartitions and Towns of the Indians and other places where they haue no benefice to elect or means to place one to administer the Sacraments the Prelates shall procure there be one to teach the Doctrine making an edict and hauing informed himselfe of his sufficiency and goodnes he shall send the nomination to the Ministers Royal that they do present him one of the two nominated and if there be but one that and in the vertue of such a presentation the Prelate shall make the prouision giuing him the instruction how he is to teach and commanding him to giue notice of the fruits That in the presentations of all the dignities offices and benefices the best deseruing and that most exercised in the conuersion of the Indians and the administration of the Sacraments shall be prouided which those that best speak the language of the Indians shall be preferred before the other That he which shall come or send to request his Maiestie to present him to some dignitie office or benefice shall appeare before the Ministers of the Prouince and declaring his petition he shall giue information of his kindred learning customes sufficiency and the Minister shall make another of his office and with his opinion to send it and that the pretendant do bring also an approbation from his Prelate for without these diligences those that come shall not be admitted That none may obtaine two Benefices or dignities in one or in sundry Churches That the presented not appearing before the time contained in the presentation before the Prelate it shall be voide and they may not make him a Cannonicall institution BEsides that which is rehearsed it is prouided that they doe not permit any Prebendary in the Cathedrall Churches to enioy the rents of it except it be seruing being resident and that the
was in the Citie of Saint Dominicke in the Iland Hispaniola with one President a learned man though now because of the warre he is a Souldiour with title of Captaine Generall and foure Iustices that beare rods like an Alcalde and deale in ciuill and criminall matters in a degree of apeale and in the instance in matter of Court and the Gouernment is onely commended to the President which now is in Don Antonio Ossorio and the limits thereof The second Court was established in the Citie of Mexico in New Spaine the first President which was Nunyo of Guzman had no authoritie for he was placed but for a season with the second Court the Bishop D. Sebastian Ramirez for he was so in the Court of Hispanyola he had the Gouernment of the Kingdomes and the supreame authoritie and hee left that established that which belonged vnto it and vnto iustice as at this present it is The President of this Court is the Vice-roy which now is the Earle of Monterrey there are eight Iustices which doe iudge in ciuill matters and in the appeale of the cases of gouernment which the Vice-roy establisheth There are three Iustâ—ces of criminall cases which beare rods and deale in criminal cases and two Atturnies one of ciuill another of criminall causes and hee prouideth the Rulers charges that are not reserued to the King and the other Officers anâ— helpes of cost in releases and vacacions in the limits of this Court of Mexico and in that Counsell of new Galicia The third Court was that of Panama in Terra firme for this name was giuen to it because it was the first place where from the Ilands the Castillanes went to inhabit and as their common speech was to say that they went and came from the Firme Land though other Prouinces were found in the firme land of that Orbe this Prouince continued this name loosing that of Castilla del Oro wherewith the Kings commanded it should be called and when the affaires of Peru grew greater in the yeare 1542. It was thought good that this Court should be remoued to the Citie of The Kings where the Vice-roy which now is Doâ— Lewis of Velasco hath at his charge the gouernment of these limits and that of the Courts of the Charcas and Quito There is in this Court of the Kings eight Iustices three Iustices of Court and two Atturneys in the same order as in Mexico and the Vice-roy is resident in the Citie of the Kings and is the President of this Court and shall be in the other two when he is present in them and doth diuide all the repartitions of Indians that are voide in the bounds of them The fourth Court was established in the Prouince of the Confines and seeming it was needlesse it was dissolued and the yeare 1570. it was established againe in the Citie of Saint Iames of the Kingdome of Guatemala in it is one President which is the Doctor Criaâ—â— of Castile foure Iustices with rods and one Attorney They sit on ciuill and criminall cases in appeales and in the first instance in matters of Court the President onely hath the Gouernment and assigneth the Indians prouideth the Rulerships and other Offices temporall The fift Court was established in the Citie of Sancta Fe de Bogata in the new Kingdome of Granada with one President which now is the Doctor Francisco de Sande foure Iustices with rods and one Atturney with the same authority that the former The sixt was established in the Citie of Guadalaiara of the new Kingdome of Gallâ—cia with one Regent three chiefe Iustices which dispatched a great while without Seale and the matters increasing the Seale was giuen and a Register and a President was placed which now is Doctor Sanctiago de Vera and three Iustices with rods one Atturney and the Viceroy of New Spain hath the Gouernment The seuenth Court was placed in the Citie of Saiâ—t Francis of Quito of the Prouince of Piru where there was also a Regent chiefe Iustices without Seale and afterward the Court was established with a President which now is the Licentiat Miguel de Vuarar with three Iustices with rods one Atturny with the same faculty of Guadalaiara the gouernment the rest remaining to the Vice-roy of Piru as abouesaid The eight Court was in the Citie of the Plate in the Prouince of the Charcas with a Regent and chiefe Iustices after there was placed a President foure Iustices with rods Atturney Seale and Register and now is President the Licentiat Cepeda with reseruation of the prouiding the charges and the rest to the Vice-roy of Piru The ninth Court is that which was established againe in the Citie of Panama with a President of Sword and Cloake because of the matters of warre which is now Don Alonso de Sotomayor with the title of Captaine Generall of Terra firme there are three Iustices with roddes which doe deale in Appeales of ciuill and criminall cases and at first instance in matters of Court and it hath onely the Gouernment In the Citie of Saint Iames of the Prouince of Chile was placed the tenth Court and because it seemed needelesse it was dissolued and a Gouernour was prouided which dependeth on the Viceroy of Piru In the Citie of the Philippinas called Manila was a Court and it was dissolued because it seemed needelesse a few yeares since it was established againe with a Captaine Generall which is Don Peter of Acunya which is President and foure Iustices and one Atturney with the same authoritie that the other Courts For the Catholike Kings of Castile with the aduise of the supreme Councell of the Indies doe alwayes prouide with a sincere and iust minde that which is conuenient for the preseruation and augmenting of the spirituall and temporall things of those parts without any spare of expences or labor and euery Court hath according to the vse of these Kingdomes Secretaries Relators Sergeants Porters and the Officers which are necessarie THe harmonie and agreement of this great Monarchie is such that to euery Minister hath beene giuen the authoritie that as well by reason of estate as for the reputation of iustice hath seemed to be conuenient reseruing to the supreme Maiestie that which hath beene iudged to be necessarie to his authoritie For to the Vice-royes and Presidents that they may haue to reward the well-deseruing and they be more respected there are Offices assigned which they may prouide and matters wherein they may gratifie and to the prouiding of the Person Royall haue remayned with consultation of the supreme Councell of the Indies the offices following For the Kingdome of Chile a Gouernour and a learned Iustice with facultie to incommend or authorise the Indians another for Tucuman with the same facultie another for the Prouinces of the Riuer of Plate for Popayan Sancta Martha Cartagena and Veragua with their Gouernour in euery one with
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
them I caused two graues to be opened wherein was nothing found but a vessell full of the graine of Maiz and a bundle of Iucca as I haue said And demanding the cause hereof of the King and the other Indians they answered that they that were 〈◊〉 there were the labourers of the ground and men skilfull in sowing of seedes and makiâ—â— of bread and seruants to the Kings father and to the end that their soules should not dye â—ith their bodies they slue themselues at the death of the King their Master to liue with 〈◊〉 heauen and to the intent that they might serue him there in the same office they reserue that Maiz and Iucca to sowe it in heauen Whereunto I answered them in this manner 〈◊〉 how your Tuyra deceiueth you and how all that he teacheth you is false You see how 〈◊〉 so long a time since they are dead they haue not yet taken away this Maiz and Iucca which is now purified and worth nothing and not like to be sowen in heauen To this the King replied saying In that they haue not taken it away nor sowen it in heauen the cause is that they chanced â— finde enough there by reason whereof they had no neede of this To this errour many thing were said which seemed of little force to remoue him from his false opinion and especially any â—uch as at that age are occupied of the Diuell whom they paint of the selfe same forme and 〈◊〉 as he appeared vnto them in diuers shapes and formes They make also Images of Gold Coâ—per and Wood to the same similitudes in terrible shapes and so variable as the Painters are aâ—â—â—stomed to paint them at the feete of Saint Michael the Archangell or in any other place 〈◊〉 they paint them of most torrible portrature Likewise when the diuell greatly intendeth 〈…〉 them he threatneth to send them great tempests which they call Furacanas or 〈◊〉 and are so vehement that they ouerthrow many houses and great trees And I haue seenâ— Mountaines full of many and great trees that for the space of three quarters of a league the â—â—â—ntaine hath beene subuerted and the tree ouerthrowne and plucked out of the earth with 〈…〉 The gulfe of Vraba is distant from the Equinoctiall line from an hundrâ—â— and twentie to a hundred and thirty leagues and three quarters of a league after that accompt of seuenteen leagues and a halfe for euerie degree from Pole to Pole thus for a little more or lesse goeth all the coast By reason wherof in the Citie of Sancta Maria Antiqua in Dariena and in all that course of the foresaid gulfe of Vraba at all times of the yeere the daies and nights are in manner of equall length and if there be any difference betweene them by reason of this small distance from the Equinoctiall it is so little that in foure and twentie houres making a naturall day it cannot be perceiued but by the iudgement of speculatiue men and such as vnderstand the sphere From hence the North Starre is seene verie low Of diuers particular things as Wormes Serpents Beasts Foules Trees c. I Will first speake of certaine little and troublesome Beasts which may seeme to be engendred of nature to molest and vexe men to shew them and giue them to vnderstand how small and vile a thing may offend disquiet them to the end that they may remember the principall end for the which they were created that is to know their maker In manie parts of the firme Land by the which as wel the Christians as the Indians do trauaile there are such marishes waters in the way that they are faine to go without breeches among the hearbes weeds by reason wher of certain small beasts or wormes which they call Garapates much like vnto Ticks cleaue fast to their legs These worms are as little as the pouder of beaten Salt cleaue so fast that they can by no meanes be taken away except the place be nointed with oyle after that the legs be nointed a while with oyle or the other parts where these little Tickes are fastened they scrape the place with a Knife so take them away But the Indians which haue no oyle smoake them and burne them with fire and abide great paines in taking them away by this means Of other little Beasts which trouble men and are engendred in their heads or other parts of their bodies I say that the Christian men which trauaile into these parts haue them but seldome times and that not past one or two and this also very seldome For passing by the line of the Diameter where the compasse maketh difference of sailing by the winde called Greco that is North-east and Magistral that is South-west which is in the course of the Ilands of Azori they saile but a little way following our voiage by the West but that all the Lice which the Christians carrie with them or are engendred in their heads or other places of their bodies die and vtterly consume by little and little and are not engendred in India except in the heads of little children in those parts as well among the children of the Christians which are borne there as also among the naturall Indians who haue them commonly in their heads and sometimes in other parts of their bodies and especially they of the Prouince of Cuena which is a region containing more then a hundred leagues in length and embraseth the one and the other coast of the North Sea and of the East When these Indians are infected with this filthinesse they dresse and cleanse one another And they that exercise this are for the most part women who eate all that they take and haue herein such dexterity by reason of their exercise that our men cannot lightly attaine thereunto There is also another thing greatly to be considered and this is how the Christian men being there cleane from this filthinesse of India as well in their heads as the rest of their bodies yet when they returne to come againe into Europe and begin to arriue in that place of the Ocean Sea where we said before that these Lice died and forsooke them sodainely in their repassing by the same clime as though these Lice had tarried for them in that place they can by no meanes auoide them for the space of certaine daies although they change their shirts two or three times in a day These Lice are at the first as little as Nits and grow by little and little vntill they be of the bignesse that they are in Spaine This haue I oftentimes proued hauing now foure times passed the Ocean Sea by this voiage Beside these wormes and vermin wherof we haue spoken there is another little mischieuous worm which we may number among the kindes of Fleas this Pestilence the Indians call Nigua and is much lesse then a Flea it pearceth the flesh of a man and so
distant from the greater Some iudged it to bee a Whale with her young one which others denyed saying a Whale had no armes To my iudgement each arme might be fiue and twentie foote long and as bigge as a Butt or Pipe the head fourteene or fifteene foote high and much more in breadth and the rest of the body larger That of her which appeared aboue water was aboue fiue times the height of a meane man which make fiue and twentie paces Lorenzo Martino Canon of the Church of Golden Castile Sancio di Tudela c. were with me and we were all afraid when shee came neere our small Caruell Shee seemed to disport her selfe at a tempest approching which suddenly arose much to our purpose from the West and brought vs in few dayes to Panama In Hispaniola and the neighbouring Ilands is a strange bird of prey as bigge as a great Gauia and much like it shee preyeth on the Land on birds c. and on fish in the Water shee is footed like water-fowles and goeth like a Goose but hath talons like Hawkes and fastens therewith on the fishes which shee eates so taken either in the Water or on the Rocks or as shee flyeth in the Aire holding it betweene her feete The Christians call them Astori di acqua What scath the Ants did in Hispaniola is before mentioned in the yeere 1519. and the next following and the Citie of Saint Domingo was almost dishabited by this great Armie of little creatures as in Spaine a Citie was dispeopled by Conies and which lately happened to the I le Porto Santo in Thessalia which almost fell out to the English Colonie in Bermuda to another Citie by Rats to the Atariotae by Frogges to the Miâ—ntines by Fleas to Amicle in Italie by Serpents and to another part thereof by Sparrowes to diuers places of Africa often by Locusts so can the Great God arme the least creatures to the destruction of proud vainglorious men And this miserie so perplexed the Spaniards that they sought as strange a remedie as was the disease which was to chuse some Saint for their Patron against the Antes Alexander Giraldine the Bishop hauing sung a solemne and Pontificall Masse after the Consecration and Eleuation of the Sacrament and deuout Prayers made by him and the people opened a Booke in which was a Catalogue of the Saints by lot to chuse some he or she Saint whom God should please to appoint their Aduocate against that Calamitie And the Lot fell vpon Saint Saturnine whose Feast is on the nine and twentieth of Nouember after which the Ant-damage became more tolerable and by little and little diminished by Gods mercie and intercession of that Saint I note it the rather because the Bishop and that Saint were both Romanes and as that Martyr had made mute the Idols in Toledo as is written in the Historie of his Martyrdome so now was Idolatry and I pray what was this destroyed in Hispaniola Hee might haue said exchanged a pitifull case that when God hath sâ—nt his owne Sonne made of a woman made vnder the Law c. Who hath dyed for our yea that Martyrs sinnes risen for our Iustification ascended on high to giue gifts to men and is there and therefore set downe at Gods right hand to make intercession for vs sinners to take possession for vs mortals to accomplish as our Amen all the promises of this life and that which is to come whether against Ants or Deuils and in him it hath pleased the Father that all fulnesse should dwell yea beyond and it pleased in him dwelleth the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily and we are compleate in him and he is all in all yesterday to day the same for euer which hath loued vs and giuen himselfe for vs which is loue which hath inuited vs Come to me all ye that labour which hath incited vs by all attractiues that after all this men Christian men should goe cast Lots for an Intercessor and neglecting Christ dreame of Romane carnall phancies or runne mad with Romish superstitious phrensies wherein if the bodie be deliuered as happened to the lusting Israelites with their Quaile-store the burthen is made double to the soule when God heareth in his anger Such Cisternes doe they digge which forsake the Fountaine of liuing waters euen broken Cisternes which can hold no waters the best of Saints like the wise Virgins hauing no more Oile then will suffice their owne Lampes and that also receiued out of anothers fulnesse of whose fulnesse wee all haue receiued grace for grace said a principall Saint There are Caterpillers which shine in the night fiftie or a hundred paces off only from that part of the bodie whence the legges issue others only haue their head shining I haue seene some a spanne long very fearefull but for any thing I haue heard harmelesse Flies are lesse but more hurtfull then in Spaine but these in kindes and colours are so diuersified that it is impossible to write them and so may be said of other small creatures in those parts In his sixteenth Booke he declareth the Conquest of the I le Borichen or Saint Iohn and the quarrels betwixt the Spaniards the learning of some breeding such dissentions that not without cause saith our Author in Golden Castile and in other parts the King forbad Law-learned men and Proctors should passe thither as men infectious by sowing strife where they ought not In this I le the people and other things are as before is said of Hispaniola there are more Birds in Saint Iohn rich Mineralls of Gold certaine Battes which the people eate and Lignum Sanctum groweth there more excellent then the Guaiacan for the French Disease and others In his seuenteenth Booke he writeth of Cuba The people and other things are much like to Hispaniola In their Mariages all the guests of the Bridegroomes ranke as Caciques if hee bee a Cacique or Principall or Plebeians as he is lye with the Spouse before he himselfe may doe it after which she with her fist bent comes crying with a loud voyce Manicato Manicato that is forced and full of force as glorying in her shame They are in vices like those of Hispaniola and will be no better Christians then other Indians whatsoeuer Peter Martyr writeth from Encises Relations For I haue seene more Indians then they both and by experience of those Nations know that none or very few of them are Christians of their owne will and accord and when any are baptized being of age he doth it more for some by-purpose then for zeale of the faith for there remaines to him nothing but the name which also soone after he forgets Perhaps there are some faithfull but I beleeue they are very rare The Creatures and Plants of Spaine prosper well there as doe the naturall which are the same which are in Hispaniola The people were exhausted when they first went
rich feather They set the Royall Crowne vpon his head and anointed him as they haue beene accustomed to do to all their Kings with an Ointment they call Diâ—me being the same vnction wherewith they did anoint their Idoll Presently an Orator made an eloquent speech exhorting him to arme himselfe with courage and free them from the trauels slauerie and miserie they suffered being oppressed by the Azcapuzalcos which done all did him homage This King was not married and his Counsell held opinion that it was good to marry him with the Daughter of the King of Azcapuzalco to haue him a friend by this alliance and to obtaine some diminution of their heauie burthen of Tributes imposed vpon them and yet they feared lest he should disdaine to giue them his Daughter by reason they were his Vassals yet the King of Azcapuzalco yeelded thereunto hauing humbly required him who with courteous words gaue them his Daughter called Ayâ—nchiguall whom they led with great pompe and ioy to Mexico and performed the Ceremonie and Solemnitie of Marriage which was to tie a corner of the mans Cloake to a part of the womans Veile in signe of the band of Marriage This Queene brought forth a sonne of whose name they demanded aduice of the King of Azcapuzalco and casting Lots as they had accustomed being greatly giuen to Southsayings especially vpon the names of their children hee would haue his Grand-childe called Chimalpopoca which signifies A Target casting smoke The Queene his Daughter seeing the contentment the King of Azcupazalco had of his Grand-childe tooke occasion to intreate him to relieue the Mexicans of the heauie burthen of their Tributes seeing hee had now a Grand-childe Mexican the which the King willingly yeelded vnto by the aduice of his Counsell granting for the Tribute which they paid to bring yeerely a couple of Duckes and some fish in signe of subiection and that they dwelt in his Land The Mexicans by this meanes remained much eased and content but it lasted little For the Queene their Protectrix died soone after and the yeere following likewise Vâ—tzilouitli the King of Mexico died leauing his sonne Chimalpopâ—ca tenne yeeres old he reigned thirteene yeeres and died thirtie yeeres old or little more He was held for a good King and carefull in the seruice of his Gods whose Images hee held Kings to be and that the honour done to their God was done to the King who was his Image For this cause the Kings haue been so affectionate to the seruice of their Gods This King was carefull to winne the loue of his neighbours and to trafficke with them whereby hee augmented his Citie exercising his men in Warrelike actions in the Lake disposing them to that which he pretended as you shall see presently The Mexicans for successor to their deceased King did choose his sonne Chimalpopoca by common consent although he were a child of ten yeeres old being of opinion that it was alwayes necessary to keepe the fauour of the King of Azcapuzalco making his Grand-childe King They then set him in his Throne giuing him the Ensignes of warre with a Bow and Arrowes in one hand and a Sword with Rasors which they commonly vse in the right signifying thereby as they doe say that they pretended by Armes to fed them selues at libertie The Mexicans had great want of water that of the Lake being very thicke and muddie and therefore ill to drinke so as they caused their infant King to desire of his Grand-father the King of Azcapuzalco the water of the Mountaine of Chapultepâ—c which is from Mexico a league as is said before which they easily obtained and by their industrie made an Aquaduct of faggoes weeds and flagges by the which they brought water to their Citie But because the City was built within the Lake and the Aquaduct did crosse it it did breake forth in many places so as they could not enioy the water as they desired and had great scarcitie whereupon whether they did expresly seeke it to quarrel with the Tapanecans or that they were moued vpon small occasion in the end they sent a resolute Ambassage to the King Azcapuzalco saying they could not vse the water which he had graciously granted them and thereâ—ore they required him to prouide them wood lime and stone and to send his Workmen that by their meanes they might make a Pipe of stone and lime that should not breake This message nothing pleased the King and much lesse his subiects seeming to be too presumptuous a message and purposely insolent for Vassals to their Lord. The chiefe of the Counsell disdayning thereat said It was too bold that not content with permission to liue in anothers Land and to haue water giuen them but they would haue them goe to serue them what a matter was that And whereon presumed this fugitiue Nation shut vp in the mud They would let them know how fit they were to worke and to abate their pride in taking from them their Land and their liues In these tearmes and choller they left the King whom they did somewhat suspect by reason of his Grand-childe and consulted againe anew what they were to doe where they resolued and make a generall Proclamation that no Tapanecan should haue any commerce or traffique with any Mexican that they should not goe to their Citie nor receiue any into theirs vpon paine of death Whereby we may vnderstand that the King did not absolutely command ouer his people and that hee gouerned more like a Consull or a Duke then a King although since with their power the command of Kings increased growing absolute Tyrants as you shall see in the last Kings The King of Azcapuzalco seeing the resolution of his subiects which was to kill the Mexicans intreated them first to steale away the young King his Grand-childe and afterwards doe what they pleased to the Mexicans All in a manner yeelded hereunto to giue the King contentment and for pittie they had of the childe but two of the chiefest were much opposite inferring that it was bad counsell for that Chimalpopoca although hee were of their bloud yet was it but by the Mothers side and that the Fathers was to be preferred and therefore they concluded that the first they must kill was Chimalpopoca King of Mexico protesting so to doe The King of Azcapuzalco was so troubled with this contradiction and the resolution they had taken that soone after for very griefe he fell sicke and dyed By whose death the Tapanecans finishing their consultation committed a notable Treason for one night the young King of Mexico sleeping without guard or feare of any thing they of Azcapuzalco entred his Palace and slue him suddenly returning vnseene The morning being come when the Nobles went to salute the King as they were accustomed they found him slaine with great and cruell wounds then they cryed out and filled all their Citie with teares and transported with choller they presently fell to
Mexico Although the chiefe Citie of the Tapanecanes was that of Azcapuzalco yet had they others with their priuate Lords as Tucuba and Cuyoacan These seeing the storme passed would gladly that they of Azcapuzalco had renewed the warre against the Mexicans and seeing them danted as a Nation wholly broken and defeated they of Cuyoacan resolued to make warre by themselues to the which they laboured to draw the other neighbour Nations who would not stirre nor quarrell with the Mexicans In the meane time the hatred and malice increasing they of Cuyoacan began to ill intreate the women that went to their Markets mocking at them and doing the like to the men ouer whom they had power for which cause the King of Mexico defended that none of his should goe to Cuyoacan and that they should receiue none of them into Mexico the which made them of Cuyoacan resolue wholly to warre but first they would prouoke them by some shamefull scorne which was that hauing inuited them to one of their solemne Feasts after they had made them a goodly Banquet and feasted them with a great daunce after their manner then sent them for their fruite womens apparell forcing them to put it on and so to returne home like women to their Citie reproaching them that they were cowards and effeminate and that they durst not take armes being sufficiently prouoked Those of Mexico say that for reuenge they did vnto them a foule scorne laying at the gates of their Citie of Cuyoacan certaine things which smoaked by meanes whereof many women were deliuered before their time and many fell sicke In the end all came to open war and there was a battaile fought wherein they imploied all their forces in the which Tlacaellec by his courage and policie in warre obtained the victorie For hauing left King Izcoalt in fight with them of Cuyoacan he put himselfe in ambush with some of the most valiant Souldiers and so turning about charged them behinde and forced them to retire into their Citie But seeing their intent was to flie into a Temple which was very strong he with three other valiant Souldiors pursued them eagarly and got before them seising on the Temple and firing it so as he forced them to flie to the fields where he made a great slaughter of the vanquished pursuing them two leagues into the Countrie vnto a little hill where the vanquished casting away their weapons and their armes a crosse yeelded to the Mexicans and with many teares craued pardon of their ouerweening folly in vsing them like women offering to be their slaues so as in the end the Mexicanes did pardon them Of this victory the Mexicans did carry away very rich spoiles of Garments Armes Gold Siluer Iewels and rich feathers with a great number of Captiues In this Battaile there were three of the principals of Culhuacan that came to aide the Mexicans to win honour the which were remarkeable aboue all And since being knowne to Tlacaellec and hauing made proofe of their fidelity he gaue them Mexican deuises and had them alwayes by his side where they fought in all places very valiantly It was apparant that the whole victory was due to the Generall and to these three for among so many captiues taken two third parts were wonne by these foure which was easily knowne by a policie they vsed for taking a Captiue they presently cut off a little of his haire and gaue it to others so as it appeared that those which had their haire cut amonnted to that number whereby they wonne great reputation and fame of valiant men They were honoured as Conquerours giuing them good portions of the spoiles and Lands as the Mexicans haue alwaies vsed to doe which gaue occasion to those that did fight to become famous and to win reputation by Armes The Nation of the Tapanecans being subdued the Mexicans had occasion to doe the like to the Suchimilcos who as it hath beene said were the first of the seuen Caues or linages that peopled this Land The Mexicans sought not the occasion although they might presume as Conquerours to extend their limits but the Suchimilcos did moue them to their owne ruine as it happens to men of small iudgement that haue no foresight who not preuenting the mischiefe they imagined fall into it The Suchimilcos held opinion that the Mexicans by reason of their victories past should attempt to subdue them and consulted hereon among themselues Some among them thought it good to acknowledge them for superiours and to applaud their good fortune but the contrary was allowed and they went out to giue them battaile which Izcoalt the King of Mexico vnderstanding he sent his Generall Tlacaellec against them with his armie the battaile was fought in the same field that diuides their limits which two Armies were equall in men and armes but very diuers in their order and manner of fighting for that the Suchimilcos charged all together on a heape confusedly and Tlacaellec diuided his men into squadrons with a goodly order so as he presently brake his enemies forcing them to retire into their Citie into the which they entred following them to the Temple whither they fled which they fired and forcing them to flye to the Mountaines in the end they brought them to this point that they yeelded with their arme acrosse The Generall Tlacaellec returning in great triumph the Priests went forth to receiue him with their musicke of Flutes and giuing incense The chiefe Captaines vsed other Ceremonies and shewes of ioy as they had beene accustomed to doe and the King with all the troupe went to the Temple to giue thankes to their false god The day following the King Izcoalt went vnto the Citie of Suchimilco causing himselfe to be sworne King of the Suchimilcos and for their comfort he promised to doe them good In token whereof he commanded them to make a great Cawsey stretching from Mezico to Suchimilco which is foure leagues to the end there might be more commerce and trafficke among them Which the Suchimilcos performed and in short time the Mexican gouernment seemed so good vnto them as they held themselues happy to haue changed their King and Common-weale Some neighbours pricked forward by enuie or feare to their ruines were not yet made wise by others miseries Cuitlauaca was a Citie within the Lake which though the name and dwelling be changed continueth yet They were actiue to swim in the Lake and therefore they thought they might much indomage and annoy the Mexicans by water which the King vnderstanding he resolued to send his Armie presently to fight against them But Tlacaellec little esteeming this warre holding it dishonorable to lead an Armie against them made offer to conquer them with the children onely which he performed in this manner he went vnto the Temple and drew out of the Couent such children as he thought fittest for the action from tenne to eighteene yeares of age who knew how to
guide their Boates or Canoes teaching them certaine pollicies The order they held in this warre was that he went to Cuitlauaca with his children where by his pollicie he pressed the enemy in such sort that he made them to flye and as he followed them the Lord of Cuitlauaca met him and yeelded vnto him himselfe his Citie and his people and by this meanes he stayed the pursuite The children returned with much spoyle and many Captiues for their Sacrifices being solemnely receiued with a great Procession Musicke and Perfumes and they went to worship their gods in taking of the earth which they did eate and drawing bloud from the forepart of their legs with the Priests Lancets with other superstitions which they were accustomed to vse in the like solemnities The children were much honored and encouraged and the King imbraced and kissed them and his kinsmen and allies accompanied them The bruite of this victory ranne throughout all the Countrie how that Tlacaellec had subdued the Citie of Cuitlauaca with children the news and consideration whereof opened the eyes of those of Tescuco a chiefe and very cunning Nation for their manner of life So as the King of Tescuco was first of opinion that they should subiect themselues to the King of Mexico and inuite him thereunto with his Citie Therefore by the aduise of this Counsell they sent Ambassadours good Orators with honorable presents to offer themselues vnto the Mexicans as their Subiects desiring peace and amity which was graciously accepted but by the aduise of Tlacaellec he vsed a Ceremony for the effecting thereof which was that those of Tescuco should come forth armed against the Mexicans where they should fight and presently yeelde which was an act and ceremony of warre without any effusion of bloud on either side Thus the King of Mexico became soueraigne Lord of Tescuco but he tooke not their King from them but made him of his Priuie Counsell so as they haue alwaies maintained themselues in this manner vntill the time of Moteçuma the second during whose raigne the Spaniards entred Hauing subdued the Land and Citie of Tescuco Mexico remained Lady and Mistris of all the Lands and Cities about the Lake where it is built Izcoalt hauing enioyed this prosperitie and raigned twelue yeares dyed leauing the Realme which had beene giuen him much augmented by the valour and counsell of his Nephew Tlacaellec Forasmuch as the election of the new King belonged to foure chiefe Electors and to the King of Tescuco and the King of Tacubu by especiall priuiledge Tlacaellec assembled these six personages as he that had the soueraigne authority and hauing propounded the matter vnto them they made choise of Moteçuma the first of that name Nephew to the same Tlacaellec His election was very pleasing vnto them all by reason whereof they made most solemne feasts and more stately then the former Presently after his election they conducted him to the Temple with a great traine where before the diuine harth as they call it where there is continuall fiâ—e they set him in his royall throane putting vpon him his royall ornaments Being there the King drew bloud from his eares and legs with a Griffons talons which was the Sacrifice wherein the diuell delâ—ghted to be honoured The Priests Ancients and Captaines made their Orations all congratuling his election They were accustomed in their elections to make great Feasts and Dances where they wasted many lights In this Kings time the custome was brought in that the King should goe in person to make warre in some Prouince and bring Captiues to solemnize the feast of his Coronation and for the solemne Sacrifices of that day For this cause King Moteçuma went into the Prouince of Chalco who had declared themselues his enemies from whence hauing fought valiantly he brought a great number of Captiues whereof he did make a notable Sacrifice the day of his Coronation although at that time he did not subdue all the Prouince of Chalco being a verie warlike Nation Manie came to this Coronation from diuers Prouinces as wâ—â—l neere as farre off to see the feast at the which all commers were verie bountifully enâ—ertained and clad especially the poore to whom they gaue new garments For this cause they â—rougâ—t that day into the Citie the Kings tributes with a goodly order which consâ—sted in Sâ—uffes to make Garments of all sorts in Cacao Gold Siluer rich Feathers great burthens of Cotton Cucumbers sundrie sorts of Pâ—â—sâ—s many kindes of Sea fish and of the fresh water great store of Fruits and Venison without number not reckoning an infinite number of Presents which other Kings and Lords sent to the new King All this Tribute marched in order according to the Prouinces and before them the Stewards and receiuers with diuers markes and Ensignes in very goodly order so as it was one of the goodliest things of the feast to see the entrie of the Tribute The King being crowned he imploied himselfe in the conquest of many Prouinces and for that he was both valiant and vertuous he still increased more and more vsing in all his affaires the counsell and industrie of his Generall Tlacaellec whom he did alwaies loue and esteeme very much as he had good reason The warre wherein he was most troubled and of greatest difficultie was that of the Prouince of Chalco wherein there happened great matters whereof one was very remarkeable which was that they of Chalcas had taken a brother of Moteçumaes in the warres whom they resolued to choose for their King asking him verie curteously if he would accept of this charge He answered after much importunitie still persisting therein that if they ment plainely to choose him for their King they should plant in the Market-place a Tree or very high stake on the top whereof they should make a little scaffold and meanes to mount vnto it The Chalcas supposing it had beene some ceremonie to make himselfe more apparant presently effected it then assembling all his Mexicans about the stake he went to the top with a garland of flowers in his hand speaking to his men in this manner O valiant Mexicans these men will choose me for their King but the gods will not permit that to be a King I should commit any treason against my Countrie but contrariwise I will that you learne by me that it behooueth vs rather to indure death then to aide our enemies Saying these words he cast himselfe downe and was broken in a thousand peeces at which spectacle the Chalcas had so great horror and despite that presently they fell vpon the Mexicans and slew them all with their Lances as men whom they held too proud and inexorable saying they had diuellish hearts It chanced the night following they heard two Owles making a mournfull cry which they did interpret as an vnfortunate signe and a presage of their neere destruction as it succeeded for King Moteçuma went against them in person
led to the King who presently caused him to bee strangled and then then did he put his resolution in practice forcing a channell whereby the water might passe to Mexico whereby he brought a great current of water into the Lake which they brought with great Ceremonies and Superstitions hauing Priests casting Incense along the bankes others sacrificed Qâ—ailes and with the bloud of them sprinkled the channell bankes others sounding of Cornets accompanied the water with their Musicke One of the chiefe went attired in a habit like to their Goddesse of the water and all saluted her saying that she was welcome All which things are painted in the Annalls of Mexico which Booke is now at Rome in the holy Library or Vatican where a Father of our Company that was come from Mexico did see it and other Histories the which he did expound to the Keeper of his Holinesse Library taking great delight to vnderstand this Booke which before hee could neuer comprehend Finally the water was brought to Mexico but it came in such abundance that it had wel-neere drowned the Citie as was foretold and in effect it did ruine a great part thereof but it was presently preuented by the industry of Autzol who caused an issue to bee made to draw forth the water by meanes whereof hee repayned the buildings that were fallen with an exquisite worke being before but poore Cottages Thus he left the Citie inuironed with water like another Venice and very well built he reigned eleuen yeeres and ended with the last and greatest Successor of all the Mexicans §. III. Of the Election of great MOTEZVMA the last King of Mexico his pompe and manner of gouernment prodigious fore-warnings of his ruine and the Spanish Conquest WHen the Spaniards entred New Spaine being in the yeere of our Lord 151â— Moteçuma second of that name was the last King of the Mexicans I say the last although they of Mexico after his death chose another King yea in the life of the same Moteçuma whom they declared an enemy to his Countrey as wee shall see hereafter But he that succeeded him and he that fell into the hands of the Marquesse de Valle had but the names and titles of Kings for that the Kingdome was in a manner all yeelded to the Spaniards so as with reason we account Moteçuma for the last King and so hee came to the period of the Mexicans power and greatnesse which is admirable beeing happened among Barbarians For this cause and for that this was the season that God had chosen to reueale vnto them the knowledge of his Gospell and the Kingdome of Iesus Christ I will relate more as large the Acts of Moteçuma then of the rest Before he came to be King hee was by disposition very graue and stayed and spake little so as when he gaue his opinion in the priuy Counsell whereas he assisted his speeches and discourses made euery one to admire him so as euen then he was feared and respected He retyred himselfe vsually into a Chappell appointed for him in the Temple of Vitzliputzli where they said their Idoll spake vnto him and for this cause hee was held very religious and deuout For these perfections then being most noble and of great courage his elâ—ction was short and easie as a man vpon whom all mens eyes were fixed as worthy of such a charge Hauing intelligence of this election he hid himselfe in this Chappell of the Temple whether it were by judgement apprehending so heauy and hard a burthen as to gouerne such a people or rather as I beleeue through hypocrisie to shew that hee desired not Empery In the end they found him leading him to the place of Councell whither they accompanied him with all possible joy he marched with such a grauity as they all said the name of Moteçuma agreed very well with his nature which is as much to say as an angry Lord. The Electors did him great reuerence giuing him notice that hee was chosen King from thence hee was led before the hearth of their Gods to giue Incense where he offered Sacrifices in drawing bloud from his eares and the calues of his legs according to their custome They attyred him with the Royall ornaments and pierced the gristle of his nosthrils hanging thereat a rich Emerald a barbarous and troublous custome but the desire of rule made all paine light and easie Being seated in his Throne hee gaue audience to the Orations and Speeches that were made vnto him which according vnto their custome were eloquent and artificiall The first was pronounced by the King of Tescuco which being preserued for that it was lately deliuered and very worthy to bee heard I will set it downe word by word and thus hee said The concordance and vnitie of voyces vpon thy election is a sufficient testimonie most noble young man of the happinesse the Realme shall receiue as well deseruing to be commanded by thee as also for the generall applause which all doe shew by meanes thereof Wherein they haue great reason for the Empire of Mexico doth alreadie so farre extend it selfe that to gouerne a World as it is and to beare so heauie a burthen it requires no lesse dexteritie and courage then that which is resident in thy firme and valiant heart nor of lesse wisdome and iudgement then thine I see and know plainly that the mightie God loueth this Citie seeing hee hath giuen vnderstanding to choose what was fit For who will not beleeue that a Prince who before his Reigne had pierced the â—ine Vaults of Heauen should not likewise now obtaine those things that are earthly to relieue his people aiding himselfe with his best iudgement being thereunto bound by the dutie and charge of a King Who will likewise beleeue that the great courage which thou hast alwayes valiantly shewed in matters of importance should now faile thee in matters of greatest need Who will not perswade himselfe but the Mexican Empire is come to the height of their Souereigntie seeing the Lord of things created hath imparted so great graces vnto thee that with thy looke onely thou breedest admiration in them that behold thee Reioyce then O happie Land to whom the Creator hath giuen a Prince as a firme Pillar to support thee which shall bee thy Father and thy defence by whom thou shalt be succoured at need who will bee more thâ—n a brother to his subiects for his pietie and clemenciâ— Thou hast a King who in regard of his estate is not inclined to delights or will lye stretched out vpon his bed occupied in pleasures and vices but contrariwise in the middest of his sweet and pleasant sleep he will suddenly wake for the câ—re he must haue ouer thee and will not feele the taste of the most sauourie 〈◊〉 hauing his spirits transported with the imagination of thy good Tell me then O happie Realme if I haue not reason to say that thou oughtest reioyce
other things which they reuerence much They serue as Conjurers to tell what hath passed in the farthest parts before any newes can come As it hath chanced since the Spaniards arriued there that in the distance of two or three hundred leagues they haue knowne the Mutinies Battailes Rebellions and Deaths both of Tyrants and of those of the Kings partie and of priuate men the which haue beene knowne the same day they chanced or the day after a thing impossible by the course of nature To worke this diuination they shut themselues into a house and became drunke vntill they lost their senses a day after they answered to that which was demanded Some affirme they vse certaine Vnctions The Indians say that the old women doe commonly vse this office of witchcraft and specially those of one Prouince which they call Coaillo and of another Towne called Manchey and of the Prouince of Guarochiri They likewise shew what is become of things stollen and lost There are of these kindes of Sorcerers in all parts to whom commonly doe come the Anaconas and Cyua which serue the Spaniards and when they haue lost any thing of their Masters or when they desire to know the successe of things past or to come as when they goe to the Spaniards Cities for their priuate affaires or for the publike they demand if their voyage shall bee prosperous if they shall be sick if they shall die or returne sate if they shall obtaine that which they pretend and the Witches or Conjurers answer Yea or No hauing first spoken with the Deuill in an obscure place so as these Anaconas do well heare the sound of the voyce but they see not to whom these Conjurers speake neither doe they vnderstand what they say They make a thousand ceremonies and sacrifices to this effect with the which they mocke the Deuill and grow exceeding drunke for the doing whereof they particularly vse an herb called Villea the jâ—yce whereof they mingle with their Chica or take it in some other sort THe Indians had an infinite number of other ceremonies and customes which resembled to the ancient Law of Moses and some to those which the Moores vse and some approched neere to the Law of the Gospell as their Bathes or Opacuna as they call them they did wash themselues in water to clense them from their sinnes The Mexicans had also amongst them a kinde of Baptisme the which they did with ceremonie cutting the eares and members of young children new borne counterfaiting in some sort the Circumcision of the Iewes This ceremonie was done principally to the sonnes of Kings and Noblemen presently vpon their birth the Priests did wash them and did put a little Sword in the right hand and in the left a Target And to the Children of the vulgar sort they put the markes of their offices and to their Daughters instruments to spin knit and labour This ceremonie continued foure dayes being made before some Idoll They contracted marriage after their manner whereof the Licenciate Pollo hath written a whole Treatise and I will speake somewhat thereon hereafter In other things their customes and ceremonies haue some shew of reason The Mexicans were married by the hands of their Priests in this sort The Bridegroome and the Bride stood together before the Priest who tooke them by the hands asking them if they would marry then hauing vnderstood their wills he tooke a corner of the vaile wherewith the woman had her head couered and a corner of the mans gowne the which he tyed together on a knot and so led them thus tyed to the Bridegroomes house where there was a harth kindled and then he caused the wife to goe seuen times about the harth and so the married couple sate downe together and thus was the marriage contracted The Mexicans were very jealous of the integritie of their wiues so as if they found they were not as they ought to bee the which they knew either by signes or dishonest wordes they presently gaue notice thereof to their fathers and kinsfolks of their wiues to their great shame and dishonor for that they had not kept good guard ouer them When they went to the house they made an Inuentorie of all the man and wife brought together of prouisions for the house of land of jewels and ornaments which Inuentories euery father kept for if it chanced they made any diuorce as it was common amongst them when they agree not they diuided their goods according to the portion that euery one brought euery one hauing libertie in such a case to marry whom they pleased and they gaue the Daughters to the Wife and the Sonnes to the Husband It was defended vpon paine of death not to marry againe together the which they obserued very strictly And although it seeme that many of their ceremonies agree with ours yet differ they much for the great abomination they mingle therewithall It is common and generall to haue vsually one of these three things either Crueltie Filthinesse or Slouth for all their ceremonies were cruell and hurtfull as to kill men and to spill bloud or filthy and beastly as to eate and drinke to the name of their Idols and also to pisse in the honour of them carrying them vpon their shoulders to anoint and besmeare themselues filthily and to doe a thousand sorts of villanies which were at the least vaine ridiculous and idle and more like the actions of children then of men Whereas the temporall power was greatest there superstition hath most increased as we see in the Realmes of Mexico and Cusco where it is incredible to see the number of Idols they had for within the Citie of Mexico there were aboue three hundred Mango Ingua Yupangui amongst the Kings of Cusco was he that most augmented the seruice of their Idols inuenting a thousand kindes of sacrifices feasts and ceremonies The like did King Iscoalt in Mexico who was the fourth King There was also a great number of superstitions and sacrifices in other Nations of the Indians as in the Prouince of Guatimala at the Ilands in the new Kingdome in the Prouince of Chille and others that were like Commonwealths and Comminalties But it was nothing in respect of Mexico and Cusco where Satan was as in Rome or in his Ierusalem The Inguas Lords of Peru had two kindes of Feasts Some were ordinarie which fell out in certayne moneths of the yeere and others extraordinarie which were for certayne causes of importance as when they did crowne a new King when they beganne some warre of importance when they had any great need of water or drought or other like things For the ordinary Feasts wee must vnderstand that euery moneth of the yeere they made Feasts and diuers Sacrifices and although all of them had this alike that they offered a hundred sheepe yet in colour and in forme they are very diuers In the first moneth which they call Rayme which is the moneth
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
Paulus Venetus c. 68.40 Chiai Catai an Herbe excellent for the Goâ—t c 165.10 Chiamonay or Cunebetee a Lake 254.1 Chiapa Prouince in the West Indies the Scite Commodities Arts of the Inhabiting Indians latitude of the Citie 879.1 Chiautaiso baptised 406.30 Chica drinke good for the Stone 953.60 Chichimecas Sauages of the West Indies their Fashions 876.40 Chierman the Kinâ—dome where 71.1 The Commodities there ibid. Chile Kingdome in the West Indies the bounds more Southerly towards the Aequinoctiall then Peru the true Scitâ— Extent of the Gouernment how much inhabited temper warlikenesse of the people the seuerall Spanish Colonies in it their latitudes and distances from other places 898. Bishoprickes Monasteries other townes and their latitudes and first peopling the name taken from Castro which was called Chiluc the Lakes Ilands Mynes Ports c. and their latitudes 899. The distances of Nauigation betwixt it and Panama 860.1 Chile Kingdome neere the temperature of Spaine a rich soyle a poore people 938.30 Chille Kingdome see Chile Child of Cathaya who affirmed the transmigration of Soules 42.10 Children dedicated to Deuils on their birth-day 75.40 Children exposed how prouided for 276.1 Children sold cheape in China 367 Children sold or kild in China 396 Childrens disposition ghessed at 420.30 The three Children in the Ouen the memory celebrated in Russia and when 456.10 Children how baptised named dedicated to the Church or wars in Mexico 1103. How corrected instructed ibid. How exercised at seuerall Ages 1104. c. Chimia Limia and Simia three Sciences what and where professed 166.1 China is in Asia 856.20 China a perilous Coast 258.30 When safest sayling there ibid. China what part of it the Tartars held 140.10 The Chinois had recouered held it forty yeares 149.20 China admirable for all prouisions 257.20 China the way to it by land through Russia 546 China calls it selfe Tame or Tamiâ— and the people Tangis 152.60 Described ibid. China knowne by that name to their Neighbours 167.30 They call themselues Tangin and their Countrey Tâ—me ibid. China a part of Scythia 167.40 Their Dominion of olde ibid. They are no Trauellers 168. 190.20 Hath store of shipping 173.30 The Chinois Prouerbe of that ibid. The naturall riches 173.50 Their manner of Sea-fights 174.1 Their Oares or Lioslios 174.10 Bancones Lanteas or small ships and Gallies 174.10 They dwell in their ships ibid. Poore men liue well there ibid. Their ships of guard for Merchants 175.1 10 Chinois are delicate liuers and yet industrious people 175.10 They hate Idlenesse and their Priests for being so 175.30 The tribute they pay ibid. Their Countrey well husbanded ibid. Their most artificiall Ploughes and Pumps for their shippes 176 10. Their Puppet playes ibid. Their prouision for impotent persons ibid. Trades 176.50 c. Rich men carried in Chaires 177 10. Reuenues of the King 177 50. Measures ibid. c. They loue Porke exceedingly 178.30 They haue two or three Haruests of Rice in a yeare ibid. Their Victualling houses 178.50 179.1 China most excellently full of Riuers and waters 179.10 China subiect to yearely tempests of wind 197.50 Hath thirteene â—hires 199.1 The Kingdome is fiue monethes post ouer 199.10 Streets lurge and straite 200.1 The Gouerment by Officers 183 200. Opinions of the Soules departed and of Reward after death 201.50 Their Lawes 203.10 Execution of Iustice 203.30 Curious of Newes and Nouelties 204.40 China Infinitely peopled 266.60 267 10. Hath diuers Siluer Mynes how such a world of people is maintayned 270.10 Yeilds two or three Haruests in a yeare 270 40. 365. Reason of the great trading 271.20 The admirablest place in the World 271.40 The distance of the Townes 294.60 Wonderfully tilled ibid. The High-wayes broad there 295.20 Castles none in China 295.40 Their Houses but low and why ibid. Earthquakes frequent ibid. The cheapâ—sse in China 302.60 How far from the Philippinaes 308.40 It is Cathay 342.314 40. They differ onely in name 314 50.315.10 T is great Catay 404 He that stayes there nine yeares may not returne to his Countrey 315.10 The least mother Citie in China bigger then Lisbone 319 40. The Prouinces haue peculiar Languages 320.20 They mourne three yeares for their dead 327.40 Their high-wayes much trauelled 330 60. Their trauell by Litters on mens shoulders very cheape 330. And so for Boat hire 331.39 Commoditie of their Riuers 336.20 Heate and cold much there 341 30 Greatnes of one of the 15. Prouinces 342.30 Their North parts best 344 China foure square 360.50 The true situation and quantity ibid. The exact description of it ibid. 361 c. 380.50 The two errours of our Maps of China 361.50 All one of with Cataye 361.50 362.20 Why the Neighbour-Kings cannot inuade China 362 40. How diuided from Mogot 362.40 The diuision and Chorographicall Bookes ibid. The greatnesse of their Cities and Villages 362.363 The trauell there is most by water 363.50 The cause of the plenty 363.40 The cheapnesse of their commodities 365.10 20 China needs no forreigne traffique 365.1 Europaean Commodities deare there 367.1.374.30 The gouernment 372.1 10. Halfe the time thâ—re spent in complements 374.50 The ancient names of China 380.20 The King changeth it at pleasure ibid. The greatest Kingdome of the World 380.50 T is vnder the temperate Zâ—â—e ibid. 381.20 The number of Cities and people 281 1 10. Exceedingly fortified by nature ibid. The naturall commodities of it ibid. Their innumerable shipping ibid. Why the Countrey is so cold 382.1 Their Metals Glâ—sse Paper Spices c. 382. Their Artizans not comparable to ours ibid. 383.10 Their writing and Learning c. 384. The Language subiect to Aequinocations ibid. Most confused ibid. Seuerall Languages spoken in China 402.30 Extreame difficulty of their Language 403.50 Particular descriptions of places and things in China see page 402.40 c. The Authours suspition of a Kingdome to the North of China 404. Christians not suffered to lye in their Cities a nights 411.1 China King He writes vpon plates of Gold 326 60. Kings of China where buried 260.30 275.20 Hospitall for Pilgrims that come to visit their tombes 261.50 Wonderfull wall about their buriall place 262.1 360. Hermitages in it ibid. The habit of the Hermites there and his admirable answeres to Faria ibid. Altars there much reuerenced 263.1 Rifled by Faria the Portugall 262. 263. Faria drowned 263.50 His Palace described 342. His closenesse 357 King of Chinaes Armes 266.10 275.10 296.1 319.50 352.20 392.40 Beginning of the Kingdome of China 267.50 The King is sworne to reside at Pequin 275.1 His reuenues how bestowed 276.30 364.30 His house of entertainment in euery Citie 292.30 Hee holds himselfe Lord of the World 309.50 This pride retorted by the Spaniards 310.20 He cares not to enlarge his Dominion 390 20.315.1 His noblenesse 315 20. Hee is gulled by counterfeit Ambassages ibid. 362 China vnited into a Monarchie when 376.20 The reuenue and expenses of the
The variation of the Compasse 10. deg 40. min. Zere Iland The English suffer shipwracke The Armenian Village The latitude of Derbent 41. degrees 52. minutes The variation of the Compasse Nezauoo The particulars of their returne are omitted A strange accident of prouision for their reliefe Trauell vpon the Ice Chetera Babbas The English ship cut in pieces with Ice December Assaulted by Tartars Their returne to Astracan The breaking vp of the Ice Anno 1553. Master William Burrough was thâ—n young and with his brother in this first voyage Newnox is from the road of S. Nicholas Westward 35. miles Note Anno 1554. Anno 1555. The King and Queenes letters Entertainment by the Duke Master Killingworths beard of a maruellous length Anno 1556. the disastrous voyage Serchthrift Stephen Borough Anno 1557. Boghar voyage Muscouie trade long vnfortunate 1560. The first trade to the Narue 1560. Alcock slaine in Persia. Banister dyed in Media Edwards dyed at Astracan Note for numbers if great care bee not had how easily how dangerously mistaken * So it seemes by those words of his fol. 122. Aind a que confesso que me falta o milhor que be saber engenho para dar a entender o clima a Altura dâ—s graos c. False graduations a common thing in Maps of East and West Indies Valignanus a great Iesuite wrote a booke with that title * See of Gama tom 1. pag. 26. Straight of Mecca or the Red Sea Portugall Fortresse in Socatora before the Arabs Conquest A Martyr of Mahomet Martyrem non poena sed causa Xael or Iaâ—l insurrection Bralapisaon Tosa Span Lossa A strange answere Pullo Cambim Catimparù Lake Pinator Quitiruan Xincaleu 22. Millions Duckets Gold mines iron minds Rocke of Diamonds Similau a Pirate taken Tinacoreu or Taurlachim or Varella Truck for gold Pilaucacem Bird-wonder Cunebetee or Chiammay Pullo Champeiloo * Gauias Quiay Taiam a Pirate Thomas Mastangue his aduentures Pearle-fishers Guamboy and other Coast Cities of China Sonne of the Sunne title of the King of China Aynam or Hainam a great Iland S. from China Tanauquir Xicaulem another Pyrate A Renegado China Robber Mutipinan Benan Quangepaaru Hinimilau an Ethnike-Christianâ—Moore Pyrate Quangiparu â—lha dâ—s ladrones Miserable wracke and their fortnights miseries Reliefe almost miraculous * Milhano Wonderfull prouision Admirable escape Quoaman Comhay New Moone Tempests in China Guintoo Pullo Quirim Quiay Panian a China Pyrate Chincheo Goto Newes of Coia Acem Lailoo Opima spolia Coia Acem slaine The Caciz hatred of Christians Faria wracked the second time Violent wind Nouday China perillous Coast. Nouday assaulted Thomas Perez The Mandarine slaine Prisoners loosed The Towne sacked Comolem Ilands Premata Gundel a Pirate Another sea-fight Panians Iunke and another sunke Farias victorie 120000 Cruzados Buncalon Liampoo a Portugall Towne on the coast of China seuen leagues from Liampoo Ciuill warres in â—hina Fabulous â—umour Quouasy Farias triumph Calempluy Currents in in the Bay of Nanquin Angitur Nanganfu Sileupaquim Bay of Nanquin Buxipalem Strange Fishes Calnidan Moscumbia Alimania * A leste à lessueste Paatebenam Botinafau Gangitanou Giants Their wilde dance A Corge is 20. Sileupamor Tanamadel The wonderfull wall Statues 360. Hermitages Steples-pinacles He goeth on land Iesus made a patron of theeues He enters an Hermitage The speech betwixt Faria and an Hermit Absolons vowes Compleat hypocrisie The Hermitages Hermits attendants as Lay brethren Papall power They are discouered Xalingau Conxinacau Faria drowned and â—oth the Barkes wrâ—cked Foure other drowned An Hospitall * Malaca is said to stand in the Kingdome of Siam though now not yeelding subiection Siley iacau Suzanganee Strange oath Xiangulee hard vsage Chautir Taypor Nanquim Talagrepos The Iesuites place this Citie in 32. and in other places they likewise disagree in their calculation The reason I suppose is that Pâ—nto neuer obserued the height by Instâ—ument nor perhaps had skill thereby this he confesseth cap 105. pag. 222. but followed the Maps which at his returne he saw which haue placed Nanquin in that height falsly as I conceiue to keepe others from the true knowledge of these parts a thing vsuall in the old Maps of the East and West parts of the World and sometimes they did graduate places falsly of ignorance Nanquin described See of it in Pantoia Their iourney by water from Nanquin to Pequin * This gilding perhaps is but a kind of earth which the Chinois haue looking like gold Pocasser The Tartar Prisoner A pensile Palace 360. Pillars to the 360. dayes of the yeere Queens siluer Chappell and the riches and 〈…〉 The Iesuits say his armes are golden Dragons Monstrous statues Xinligau Leuquinau God of Sea fish Silke-loomes Huge pastures Iunquileu Alboquerque See tom 1. lib. 2. pag. 32. The Spanish hath the Palsy and it seemes a kind of Palsie gotten by stroke or blasting of the Aire Two monstrous statues and their deuotions Frequenâ—ie of China people Sampitay See Maff. l. 6. these Portugall Rebels had possessed Tamus and raised a Fort in the Iland whence followed that out rage to Perez after foure moneths trauell from Canton to the Court Lopez Soarez which sent Peirez to China went Vice-roy A. 1515. China Christians and Christianitie Loquimpau Mynes of Tuxenguim * 1000. Picoes is a Million of Taeis Pacan and Nacau China Chronicles and Legends Beginning of th◠〈…〉 Legend of Pequim No stranger may enter China The wall of China Seis brasas dalto quarenta palmos de largo Vâ—ion todas chanfradas ao picao Fiue Riuers interrupting the wall Wall-forts Thus in Spaine Malefactors aâ— sentenced to the Gallies or Garrisons of Oran Penon c Huge Prison Chaens of the wall Mindoo The customes 300000. Cruzados 3840. Hammer-men A Pico is 1000. Taeis Bigaypotim China ruled ouer India Cohilouzaa A Christian martyred Lucena hath this storie A Crosse. Mat. Escandel an Hungarian Earthquake The China Pluto Iunquilâ—nau Sem colares nem algemas How such infinite numbers liue Sugar-houses Infinite prouisions and store houses Pastures of beasts Dogs for meat Moueable Cities on the water Beauties and glories of this Riuer-Citie Bridges and high-wayes admirable Filâ—hy charity The Authors opinion Pequim Their hard vsage Their Cause heard The Fiscall set on worke it seemes by the Iudge which had senâ—enced them punished Tribunal and pompe Quansy works The Kings almâ—s Description of Paquim or as the Chinois call it Pequim Aquesendoo a Booke written of Pequin 1600. houses for Deputies 24000. sepulchers Hospitals 500. 24000. Bargemen 14000. Purueyors Curtesan street 100000. Landerers 1300. Monasteries * By letting the houses to other men 360. Gates and Castles 3800. Temples Foure chiefe Sects 120. Riuerets 1800. Bridges 120. Market-places 160. Shambles Prison of the exiled to the Tartarian wall almost eight leagues compasse * Or 18. to 45. Multitudes of Prisoners and men employed in the wall * Before hee sayd 200000. Huge Faires Another admirable Fabrike * Terreyro and so after Fire-blowers of Hell
of a Biscay ship The fourth and fifth Whales killed The sixt whale killed Three hundred Morses Biscainers enuie The seuenth Whale killed The eight Whale killed The ninth and tenth Whales killed The eleuenth twelfth and thirteenth Whales killed Ascension day Greenland attayned in eighteene dayes A ship of Saint Iohn de Luz Eight Spaniards on the coast The Generall was Captaine Beniamin Ioseph after slaine in fight with a Carrike Dutch ship No night the 23. of May. Diuers strangers Lat. 78. deg 24. minut Ship of Biscay Snowe Greene harbour Low sound His Maiesties Armes and a Crosse set vp at Low-nesse Snowe Thomas Bonner English man Master and Pilot. 76. deg 55. min. declination 67. deg 30. min. Variation 12. deg 14. min. Abundance of Ice An Iland in 72 degrees on the Coast of Groinland Three and twentie whales killed A man slaine Latitude 78. deg 7. min. Note A South South west Moone maketh a full Sea here A Biscayn ship of 700. tuns Many rockes full of Fowle Lisets Ilands Eighteene Whales killed Three Whales killed by the English Eight thirtie Whales killed August 1. Latitude 77. degrees 40. minutes Variation 13. degrees 11. minutes Latitude 79. degrees 14. minutes This was Maâ— Cudners ship of London Latitude 79. degrees 8. minutes Sunnes refraction Note M. Cudner of London William Gourdon Variation 1. degree 5. min. Rost Ilands or Rosten 68. dâ—g no min. Thâ— variâ—tion 4 degrees 8. minutes East Variation 5. dâ—g 3. minutes East The lying of the land about Scoutsnesse We went forth to Sea We met with Ice in 75. deg 10. minutes Eleuen Sayles fast in the Ice M. Th. Sherwin Iune We goe cleere off the Ice Wee met with the Mary An-Sarah We came to the Fore land We proceeded to the Northwards Maudlen Sound Hackluyts Head-land We anchoreâ— in Maudlen Sound I went forth in a shallop We set sayle out of Maudlen Sound and followed the Ice Prince Charles Iland in 78. degrees 40. minutes Wee stood againe for shoare Eleuen Holland ships We anchored in Sir T. Smiths Bay We went forth of Sir T. Smiths Bay We were driuen backe againe into Crosse-road We set sayle out of Crosse-road One shallop to the Northward The other into Maudlen Sound The Kings Armes set vp in Trinitie Harbour Trinitie Harbor is vnder the parallel of 79. degrees 34. minutes We came to an anchor in Faire Hauen No Whales were yet come in The shallop returned from the Northwards Cape Barrèn Saddle Iland A Storme Iulie The Whales began now to come in Two Whales escaped We came forth of Faire hauen We met with Ice and stood to the Northwards Our Shallop came to vs. We returned towards Faire hauen We intended to discouer in Shallops I went forth in the one Shallop Master Baffin came to me in the other Shallop Red-beach Wee hailed our Shallop vpon the Ice We returned to our Shallop We were vnder saile and came to an anchor againe We killed a Whale August We went to the Northwards with our Shallops We got to the shoare of Red Beach with out Shallops We walked ouer Red-beach The Kings armes are set vp at Wiches Sound We passed ouer Wiches Sound We found Beach Finâ— We met with the Hartsease Shallop Note The end of Sir Thomas Smiths Inlet discouered We returned towards our Ship A storme began when we were amongst Ice We get forth of the Ice We came aboord our ship The Holland Discouerers go homewards Our Ship went forth to Sea We met with Ice eight leagues from the Shore We plyed off and on the Ice two dayes Wee anchored againe in the North Harbor I went to the Eastwards in a shallop Ice was newly frozen in Red-cliffe Sound I intended to go once to Point Desire A great snow began I could not passe for Ice The originall cause of Ice at Sea I went backe againe to Red-beach I returned towards our ship Point Welcome The Kings Armes are set vp againe at Point Welcome I went into Red cliffe Sound Point Deceit I came aboord our ship A Whale lay sunken fourteene dayes The Hartseasâ— anchored by vs. Warme weather in the end of August We set sayle to the Eastward The Thomasinâ— returnes for England We stood to the westwards Wee met with Ice We left the Ice and came for England A storme beganne A Corpo Santo It is often seen at the end of stormes Hackluyts Headland Perill and escape Note Errour of Grouland Fogges High Hill Drift wood Note Sir T. Smiths Iland Mount Hackluyt Hudsons Hold-with-hope questioned as before also Ships of the King of Denmarke Terrible Disaster Flemmings Peter Goodford drowned Cold and heate strangely variable Tobacco lighted by the Sun at midnight Gods mercy to England whiles warres haue infested thâ— rest of the World A. Thuan-bister l. 135. Iam. 3. Exod. 1. Al. Gwagninâ— descript Mosc George brother to the Emperor done to death Hee addes principal Nobles here omitted * 700. women at one time 378. prisoners at another 500. Matrons and Virgins of noble bloud exposed to be rauished by the Tartars in his sight at another time c. * A Secretarie cutting off his priuities he died presently which the Emperour construing to be done purposely caused him there instantly to eate whâ—t he had cut off * Or Theodor Sir Ierom Horsey The death of Iuan Vasiliwich 1584. April 18. Lord Boris adopted as the Emperors third sonne The day of Pheodor his coronation Iohn de Wale Chare Sibersky Prince of Siberia taken prisoner brought to Mosco Sophet Keri Alli King of the Crims arriuall at Mosco The new Emperor Pheodore Iuanowich his Lâ—tters and Requests to the Queene Master Horseys voyage from Mosco to England ouer land 1586. Thuan. hist. lib. 120. Diuorce vrged D. Fl. S.I.H. Boris his plot Thuan. hist. lib. 135. sec. Demetrius slain some tell that one pretended his colâ—er stood awry in mending it cut his throate * It was in the Northern parts at Duglets * Some write that he caused diuers places in Mosco to be fiâ—red and then afterwards out of his owne cost repaired them D. Flet. Death of Theodore The Empresse succeedeth Russians vse of fortie dayes mourning for an Emperours death The Queene turneth Nun. Boris his willing vnwillingnesse Boris his speech Boris Emperor His Wife Son Daughter Tartars Russian New yeere Boris crowned His policies P. Basman * Where the censorious bitternesse also seemeth too much to insult on Bâ—ris his dâ—sasters Tedious Title Strange request His audience P. Basman Emperours glorie Princes splendour Pollaxes Counsell and Nobilitie Plate Dining roomâ— Change of Rayment Two hundred Nobles guests Three hundred noble Seruitors Garlike and Onions Drinkes Meads Memory of Q. Elizabeth Gifts Newes of Demetrius Princes pomp Peter Basman Oucsinia the Princesse Second audience Citizens Souldiers Golden Seale Great dinner Ambassadors departure Sled-passage Emperor Boriâ— his death New christened Emperors person His respect to his sonne * Because he had done more for him then might lawfully be commanded
and towne are condemned to be destroyed And so the Executioners by the commandement of the Lords of Mexico are giuing him to vnderstand of the said condemnation in token whereof they marke him with the signes that â—hey set on his head and the Target that they present him with because he should not be ignorant of 〈◊〉 â—â—struction And the pictures of men with mortall wounds doe signifie that they were Merchants and Occupiers of Mexico which came with things to the Countrie and Towne of the said Casique and the seruants of the Casique assaulted them on the high-way killing them and taking away the merchandise they carried which was the occasion of the destruction of the Towne 3 In the third partition The foure Officers or Ambassadors of the Lords of Mexico doe signifie that they haue warned the said Casique contayned in the second partition before this as is abouesaid at the returning of the Executioners towards Mexico there came out to the high-way certaine seruants of the said Casique to misse-vse them shooting arrowes at them in token of war A Huiznahuatlan officer and executioner as a Sergeant B Executioner C Casique D Executioner E The wife of the Casique imprisoned with a yoke of Iron about her necke F The sonne of the Casique taken prisoner with a yoke of Iron G The seruant of the Casique H The merchant I a bundell of merchandise K The merchant L The seruant of the Casique M Executioner N Executioner O Casique P An Executioner or Ambassador of the Lord of Mexico Q An Executioner or Ambassador of the Lord of Mexico R a seruant of the Casique S An Executioner or Ambassador of the Lord of Mexico T An Executioner or Ambassador of the Lord of Mexico V a seruant of the Casique W a seruant of the Casique which shooteth at the Ambassadors of the Lords of Mexico for more occasion of warre 1 THe Tequichna signifieth Spies sent to the Towne of the Casique by the Lord of Mexico that in the night time they might goe and walke it secretly vnknowne to their enemies to aduertise and giue warning vnto the Souldiers where they should enter with the battaile And so the Tequichna goe round about the Towne Houses Market place and Church at the time that they of the Towne are asleepe and at rest for to finde a place where they may giue the onset with the lesse trouble and resistance 2 A deâ—lâ—ration of the pictures in the second partition The Mexican that is pictured and at his shouâ—d â—s a Target and Darts doth signifie the Mexicans being mooued to destroy a certaine Towne by warres because they had rebelled against the Lordship of Mexico And the other three that are pictured and set ouer against the Mexicans are seruants of the Casique which doe signifie that the whole Towne of the Casique being afraid of the warres and destruction that the Mexicans would bring vpon them they come to Mexico to entreat a peace submitting themselues for seruants of Mexico and protesting to acknowledge the Lordship by meanes whereof they receiue them in friendship and for their seruants laying aside that which was determined by their counsell The foure valiant men pictured and intituled with their Speares in their hands and made readie for the warres and the deuices of Armour that they haue on doe signifie that they are Captaines of the Mexicans armies A Tequihna B Tequihna C Tianguas a Marquet place Dâ—equihna â—equihna FE houses F Tequihna G a Temple H Tequihna I Tequihna K Tâ—quihna L Tequihna â— This parâ—ition 〈…〉 is the towne of the Casique afore-contayned MNO these three are seruaâ—â—s of the Casique P Mexicans Q a Target and Darts R Captaine Tlacatecatl S Captaine Tlacochcalcatl T Captaine 〈◊〉 V Captaine Ticocyahudcatl 1 HE that is set and at his backe a woman spinning signifieth that it is his wife new married and because he had taken the state of matrimonie vpon him hauing been a Messenger with the rest that are pictured before him which are fiue named Tetpuchtly which are Messengers likewise The married man giueth them a reason why hee leaueth the charge of a Messenger by reason of his marriage and that hee will rest and leaue off his seruice past And to please them more and that they should grant his request hee maketh them a banquet in giuing them well to eate and drinke and moreouer the present that bee giueth them is a handfull of perfumes a copper Hatchet and two Mantels as by the pictures of these things are intituled And by this solemnitie the married man is free from the said Office 2 In the second partition Hee that is set downe and intituled doth signifie the Lord of Mexico that when any Messenger Telpuchtly pictured in the partition before this had giuen a good account of his office and hauing taken vpon them the state of marriage the Lords of Mexico from that they were but Messengers did promote them to a beâ—ter title and degree in so much that he made them Tequihna which is signified by the pictures and titles of Tequihna with their Speares and Fannes giuing them authoritie to bee his Ambassadors and Officers in the warres which they held for an office of great honour 3 The Alcaldes doe signifie Iustices appointed by the Lords of Mexico that they should heare matters aswell Ciuill as Criminall And the pictures of men and women which are before them are Pleaders and Suitors which doe aske iustice And the foure pictures that are intituled Teeth that are behinde the Alcaldes are principall young men that ioyne with the Alcaldes in their audience to learne and instruct themselues in matters of iudgement and afterwards to succeede in the Offices of the Alcaldes From these Alcaldes there was an appellation before the counsell Chamber of Moteçuma as hereafter is pictured AAAAA The Telpuchtly or yong men which are officers or messengers B Two mantels C a handful of perfumes D Tamales or bread E a copper hatchet F a boyled hen G Xicara with Cacao to drinke H Telpuchtly maried I The wife of the maried Telpuchtly K The Lord of Mexico L Tequihna N Tequibna OOO Tectly P Tectly Mixcoatlaylotlac a Iustice like an Alcalde Q Ezguagacatl Alcalde R Acatlyacapanecatl Alcalde S Tequixquinahuacatl Alcalde T These sixe pictures three of men and three of women are pleaders and suitors which aske Iustice of the Alcaldes THe fashion of the Counsell Chambers of the Lord or King of Mexico and of his Royall Houses and Courts and the steps where they entred in and the Throne and Seate of Moteçuma and in the spaces of euery thing is declared and intituled what they signifie and so in this declaration it is not repeated But that in one Counsell Chamber when that by way of offence they were agrieued and hauing a iust cause not being sentenced and determined by the Alcaldes then by degree of appellation they appealed from the Alcaldes before the Counsell And if it were
a matter of importance they appealed from the Counsell Chamber before Moteçuma the King himselfe where the matter was concluded In the Chamber that is intituled The Counsell Chamber of warre were prouided Captaines and Armies for the warres as was appointed by Moteçuma A The Throne and Maiestie of Moteçuma where he sate on Court-dayes and on iudgement B Moteçuma C a house where the Lords of Tâ—nayâ—ca Chienauhtla and Colhuacan were lodged that were friends and confederates of Moteçuma D a house where the chiefe Lords of Tezcucoytacuba were lodged that were Moteçuma his friends EFG The Court of the royall houses of Moteçuma HK These lines that goe vpward are the steps to the Courts of the royall houses of Moteçuma I The counsell chamber of warre K The counsell chamber of Moteçuma L These foure are as Auditors of the counsell of Moteçuma wise men M Pleaders and Sutors that in the degree and appellation from the Alcaldes doe present themselues and appeare before the Auditors of the counsell of Moteçuma THe father and the sonne that sit against each other face to face signifie that the father giueth his sonne good counsell that he be not vicious laying before him for example that those which come to vertue come afterwards in credit with the Lords and Casiques In that they giue them honest offices and doe vse them to be their Messengers and they doe admit Musicians and Singers vnto their feasts and weddings for the credit they beare 2 The pictured in the house where they meane to talke and prouide for publike affaires and the Steward that sitteth therein doth signifie that there are before him weeping because it hath happened vnto them to be occupied in bodily labour that the Coas and Guacales doe represent And the Steward is giuing them good counsell and exhorting them to flee idlenesse is the cause that they come to be Theeues and players at the Ball and players at Patol after the manner of Dice from which Games doe spring theft for to satisfie and fulfill such vices 3 The Carpenter Lapidane Painter Gold-smith and garnisher of feathers signifie that those Artificers teach their sonnes their occupation from their childhood that when they are men they might follow their Trade and spend their time in things of vertue giuing them counsell that of idlenesse commeth euill vices and so euill tongues tale-bearing drunkennesse and theeuerie and many other euill vices A a Messenger BCD The father counselleth his sonne to apply himselfe to all vertue E One hauing a ghest entertayneth a Musician FGI a house where they meâ—t for publike affaires H The Petlacalcatl KM Coa and Guacal LN Touthes O a vagabond P a player at the ball Q a Thiefe R a player at Patol or Dice after their manner S a Carpenter T The Carpenters sonne V a Lapidarie W The Lapidaries sonne X a Painter Y The Painters sonne Z a Gold-smith The Gold-smiths sonne Aa An ill tongued man and tale-bearer Bb An artificer that garnisheth with feathers Cc The artificers sonne Dd a drunkard Ee a drunkard and thiefe the last worke like a halter seemes to signifie the euill ends which such come to The particular punishments follow in the next picture A These two Pictures signifie that the young men that were drunke with Wine dyed for that according to the Law B A young man that was drunke C A young woman if shee were drunke with Wine was killed heere according to the Lawes of Mexico D A Thiefe they stoned him to death according to the Lawes of the Lords of Mexico E These two Pictures layed and couered with clothes doe shew that if any man had carnall dealing with a married woman they stoned them both to death according to the Lawes of the Lords of Mexico F An old man of threescore and tenne yeeres hath licence to drinke Wine and to bee drunke aswell publikely as secretly because he is so old and hath Sonnes and Nephewes at which yeeres Wine and drunkennesse was not forbidden them G An old woman wife to the old man aboue pistured had priuiledge to bee drunke as well as her Husband because shee had children and childrens children and to all those of the like age drunkennesse was not forbidden them CHAP. VIII Conquest of Mexico and New Spaine by HERNANDO CORTES HErnando Cortes was borne at Medellin in Andulozia a Prouince of Spaine Anno 1485. When he was nineteene yeeres old he sayled to the Iland of Saint Domingo where Ouando the Gouernour kindly entertayned him He went to the conquest of Cuba in the yeere 1511. as Clerke to the Treasurer vnder the conduct of Iames Velasques who gaue vnto him the Indians of Manicorao where hee was the first that brought vp Kine Sheepe and Mares and had heards and flockes of them and with his Indians he gathered great quantitie of Gold so that in short time he was able to put in two thousand Castlins for his stocke with Andres de Duero a Merchant At this time Christopher Morante had sent Anno 1517. Francis Hernandes de Cordoua who first discouered Xucatan whence he brought nothing except the relation of the Country but stripes whereupon Iames Velasques in the yeere 1518. sent his Kinsman Iohn de Grijalua with two hundred Spaniards in foure ships he traded in the Riuer of Tauasco and for trifles returned much Gold and curious workes of feathers Idols of Gold a whole harnesse or furniture for an armed man of Gold thin beaten Eagles Lions and other pourtratures found in Gold c. But while Grijalua deferred his returne Velasques agreed with Cortes to bee his partner in the Discouery which he gladly accepted and procured licence from the Gouernours in Domingo and prepared for the Voyage Velasques afterward vsed all meanes to breake off in so much that Cortes was forced to engage all his owne stocke and credit with his friends in the Expedition and with fiue hundred and fiftie Spaniards in eleuen ships set saile the tenth of February 1519. and arriued at the Iland of Acusamil The Inhabitants at first fled but by the kind entertainment of some that were taken they returned and receiued him and his with all kind offices They told him of certayne bearded men in Yucatan whither Cortes sent and one of them Geronimo de Aguilar came vnto him who told him that by shipwracke at Iamaica their Caruell being lost twentie of them wandred in the Boat without sayle water or bread thirteene or fourteene dayes in which space the violence of the current had cast them on shoare in a Prouince called Maija where as they trauelled seuen dyed with famine and their Captayne Valdinia and other foure were sacrificed to be Idols by the Cacike or Lord of the Counâ—rey and eaten in a solemne Banquet and he with sixe other were put into a Coope or Cage to bee fatned for another Sacrifice But breaking Prison they escaped to another Cacike enemy to the former where all the rest dyed but himselfe and Gonsalo