shadowed it selfe vnder the wing protection of the said Sigismund In the daies of Henrie of Aniow Iohn prince of Moldauia euen he that with an vndaunted spirit and famous victorie held war against the Turke was shamefully forsaken of them contrary to the couenants of confederacy betweene him and Sigismund Augustus concluded Yet must we needes confesse that such as is the courage valour and reputation of the prince such is the resolution alacritie and forces of the Polands of themselues populous valiant and couragious Stephen Bathor gaue good testimonie heereof in whose time Polonia not onely maintained the honor and glory of a kingdome sufficient to defend it selfe from forraine armes but also to make conquests of great matters from most potent enimies And seeing we haue spoken of celeritie a vertue most necessarie for euerie state it shall not be amisse to speake of the causes of this celeritie which as is aforesaid are two viz. the reputation of the prince which giueth it life and store of coine which preserues it in action for we haue seene in most mightie armies the body by the slownes of the head to haue spent the time most idly and very famous victories for want of money to giue continuall motion to the armie to haue brought forth small or no effects Besides the disposition of the soldier is a great helpe hereunto for no man can truly praise the Germane and Bohemian footemen for celeritie but this commendation without doubt is proper to the Italian Spaniard and Frenchmen not onely for that they are of better constitution of body but for that which in warre is all in all they are better contented to liue with a little though they want coine they are not discouraged neither waxe sicke with fruites if flesh be wanting and happen what may they longer and better can indure hardnes and scarcitie Their riding light armed is of more execution then armed at all peeces and their argoletiers more seruiceable then lanciers for which cause the French also in their late broiles haue giuen ouer their lances wherin of old did consist the glory of their armes and betaken themselues to the pistoll But to what aduantage they haue thus done let another dispute for I say not that a light armed man is absolutely to be preferred before a man at armes in chances of warre but onely affirme that he is more actiue and more readie yea the goodnes of the horse is of great consequence For the Flanders horse farre excelleth the Frieslander and Germane the Hungarie horse the Polonian the Turkie horse the Genet the Barbarie horse is more speedie then any of the rest Betweene both is the courser of Naples who though he be not so swift as the Spanish genet yet he is better able to indure trauell and to beare the waight of armour not becomming ouerâ—low therewith To speake truth experience manifesteth the Germane horse by reason of their slow pace to worke small effect either to pursue the fleeing enimie or swiftly to flie from their executing aduersarie for if the Wallachian Hungarian Polish Turkish Moorish or Barbarie horsemen should breake the Germans they are not able to flie and if it happen the German to ouerthrow them they are as vnable speedily to pursue for they charge slowly retire heauily So in fights at sea ships of burden are of small seruice because if winde want they can neither be mooued nor turned the great Galleons are somwhat better yet performe little more but the best of all is the galley for his swiftnes And for proofe hereof we haue seene the nauy of the Christians consisting of great ships to haue spent the better part of sommer and warlike season in preparations onely and on the contrarie the Turkish fleete soone furnished and speedily put to sea of such aduantage is spare diet and needfull prouision to the Turkish affaires and so discommodious is gluttonie to the proceedings of the Christians for wine and other delicates onely are as troublesome to the Christians as the whole prouision for a campe to the Turkish armie Therefore let no man maruell if they march in all their iorneies excellently well furnished with ordinance shot gunpowder and all necessaries for at land they haue their carriages laden onely with prouision at sea their ships and not with wine pullets and such needlesse vanities At a word they go to the warre to fight and not to fill their bellies The great Duke of Moscouia THE great Duke of Moscouia is Lord of a most large territorie and within the limits of his iurisdiction are contayned many regions Northward his scepter stretcheth to the north Ocean from the Bay of Granico to the riuer of Ob on the south all alongst the riuer Volga to the Caspian sea westward it reacheth to the borders of Liuonia and almost to the riuer Boristhenes and eastward to Volga Some write that it containeth in length three thousand miles in bredth 1500. wherein are contained fifteene Dukedomes sixteene prouinces and two kingdomes They were once subiect to the Tartars whose Prince Roydo in the yeere 1140. conquered all Moscouie but Iohn the first great Duke incouraged by their ciuill dissentions denied them tribute In processe of time when Ammetes the last successor of Roydo who died at Vilua had ouercome the Tartars Precopenses the great Duke adioyned to his Empire Permia Veatia and Iugria prouinces subiect to Ammetes From this time the forces of the great Duke increasing Basilius Casan and Iohn the second conquered the prouinces of Citrahan which are called kingdomes To confesse truth the great Dukes haue mightily enlarged their bounds and haue taken the great Duchies of Seuerin and Smoloncke Bielchese Prescouia Nouogrod Iaroslaue Roscouia some from the Polands some from other prouinces they possessed part of Liuonia and made their armes feareful to their neighbours The chiefe citie of the kingdome is Mosco where the Patriarch resideth Roscouia and Nouogrode are the seats of the Archbishops Cortisa Resania Columna Susdelia Casan Vologda Tueria and Smolonck are Bishopricks Plescouia Porcouia Staritia Sloboda Ieroslaue Volodomer from whence the kings seat was translated to the citie Mosco by Iohn the second Mosayco Saint Nicholas Sugana Vstiud Cargapolia The Emperor abideth in the citie Mosco which taketh his name of the riuer Mosco rising fourescore ten miles higher into the countrey The citie hath beene greater then now it is was nine miles compasse but since that in the yeere 1570. it was sacked and burnt by the Tartars Precopie it contayneth not aboue fiue miles According to Posseâ—inus a writer of good iudgement and industrie there are housed in this citie thirtie thousand people besides oxen and other cattell Nouograde hath the name of Great and yet the same author alloweth it not aboue twentie thousand inhabitants as likewise Smolonck and Plescouia This seemeth most incredible to me if it be true as some write that Plescouia when king Stephen of Poland besieged it had within it
because it hath few mountaines and is enuironed on euerie side with the sea the aire is verie milde and temperate euen there yea much more temperate then France which is farther distant from the Pole as you may perceiue by the vines wich neuer ripen in England and yet yeeld most perfect wines in France Likewise it happeneth verie often that the northren or western winde rising from the sea bringeth springtide in the winter season decking the fields with flowers and the gardens with herbes that the inhabitants of Turon Poictou and the Isle of France enioy as forward a sommer as those of Prouince or Lago di Garda The whole lande of France is fertill and fruitfull and euerie where plentifull of all good things And as the Apennine spreading almost ouer the fourth part of Italy for the most part is barren yeeldeth small store of fruit so on the cōtrary in the mountaines of Auuergne being but few stand many good townes and rich places where cloathing is exercised and from whence a good part of the kingdome is serued with flesh butter and excellent cheese the rest of the kingdome almost is plaine heere and there garnished with fruitfull hils and greene valleies in euerie place plentie doth as it were contend with varietie fertilitie with delicacie commodiousnes of situation with beautious cities Herein without all controuersie Italie giueth place to France for although some one corner thereof affoordeth exquisite pleasure and delightfull situation as Riuiera di Salo Campania the territorie of Croton Tarentum and some other cities of Calabria yet these are singular and few in Italy common and frequent in France especially in Burgundie Brie the Isle of France Turon Aniou Zantoin and Languedo◠in each of which prouinces it should seeme that nature her selfe hath diuided and as it were dedicated by allotment some places to Ceres some to Bacchus some to Pomona and some to Pallas But there is nothing in France more worthie the noting then the number and pleasure of the nauigable riuers whereof some as it were gird in the whole realme as Sagona Rhodanus Mosell Some others cut thorough the middle as Sequano Loire Garonne Into these three riuers fall so many other riuers some from the vttermost bounds some from the inmost parts of the realme that it maketh the whole countrey commodious for trafique and exchange of each others wants insomuch that by this facilitie of carriage entercourse of merchandize all things may be saide to be in common to the inhabitants of this kingdome In Aniou onely are fortie riuers great and small whereupon Katherin de Medicis was woont to say that this kingdome contayned more riuers then all Europe beside Truely this was a Hyperbolicall speech yet not much more then truth for the goodnes of the soile and easie transporting of commodities is the cause that there are so many cities and so many townes and those most commonly seated vpon the bankes of the riuers And although it haue many goodly hauens yet the vpland townes are fairer and richer then those that stand neerer the sea which argueth that their wealth is their owne and not brought from forreine countries for there the sea townes excell the land townes where more benefit and prouision is reaped by the sea then by the land as Genua Venice Ragusi but where the state and prosperitie of cities dependeth wholy vpon the land there the vplandish townes far surpasse the sea townes as Millaine and many other in Flanders Germanie and Hungarie All this notwithstanding although like goodnes of soile be proper to the whole realme of France as likewise the situation of the riuers commodious yet Paris except whose largenes proceedeth from the kings court the parliaments and the vniuersitie the townes there for the most part are but small and meane beautifull commodious and verie populous Iohn Bodin writing a description thereof in the time of Henrie the second saith that there were seuen and twentie thousand villages hauing parish Churches not comprehending Burgundie among them In another description written in the raigne of Charles the ninth it is saide that the number of the inhabitants exceeded fifteene millions And as the cities and townes of France may boast of their riuers so the Castles and villages of the noblemen are no lesse fauoured with the pleasure and strength of lakes and marishes which although they may not be compared to the lakes of Italy and Swizerland yet are they so many and so full of excellent fish that the numbers of the one may equallize the largenes of the others The same may be spoken of woods that they are not so spacious as plentifull out of these woods in times past the greatest part of the kings reuenues did arise and the noblemen do make great profite by selling great quantities thereof for firewood but greater by sales of timber trees for for want of stone the greatest part of their buildings consist of timber In regard of the commodious situation of these riuers seruing so fitly for the transportation of vittailes from one place to another this kingdome is so abundantly furnished with all plentie of prouision that it is able to nourish any armie in the fielde how populous soeuer When Charles the fift entred France first by Prouince and afterward by Champaigne it maintained more then one hundred fiftie thousand soldiers besides garrisons In the raigne of Charles the ninth and in our times also there were maintained in this kingdome 20000. horse 30000. footemen strangers and of French 15000. horse and 100. thousand footemen neither did the kingdome for this feele want or scarcitie There are in France as a man may terme them fower loadstones to draw riches from forreine nations corne caried into Spaine and Portugall wines transported into England Flanders and the inhabitants of the Balticke sea and salt wherewith the whole kingdome the bordering nations are plentifully stored This salt is made in Prouince of the salt water of the Mediterranean sea and at Bayon in Zantoine where the heate of the sunne ceaseth his vertue of getting making and boiling salt of sea water not daining to yeeld so great a fauour any farther northward I said of sea water because further north there may be salt found also but is made either of some speciall spring water as in Lorraine or compound of some minerals mixt with fresh waters as in Poland England and Germanie or else it is taken foorth of some salt mines and such in times past were in Sweueland but they are now decaied The fourth loadstone is canuasse and linnen cloth whereof what profit ariseth a man will hardly beleeue vnlesse he hath seene what abundance thereof is carried into Spaine and Portugall to make sailes and cordage for the furnishing of shipping There growes also Woad Saffron and other merchandize of smaller value which though they equallize not the abouesaid commodities yet rise they to a round summe yea such as may enrich a kingdome By reason of
legions of Britannie were transported into the continent Holland and the bordering countries reuoked and immediately after the Sarracens finding the frontires of the Empire without garrisons passed ouer Danubius The Alani woon the streights of the Caspian hils the Persians indeuoured to get them a name and reputation the Gothes wandered throughout Moesia and Macedonia the Frenchmen entred Gallia But Constantine the Emperor restored it to the former glorie made an end of ciuill warre and tamed the barbarous and cruell nations and had he not committed two faults the Romane Empire might long haue flourished The first was the translating of the Imperiall seate from Rome to Constantinople which action weakened the West and ouerthrew the Empire For it is more cleere then day that as plants remooued out of their naturall soile and transported into regions contrarie in temperature and aire retaine small vigour of their naturall vertue So humane actions but especially cities and kingdomes loose their glorie and splendour by these great alterations And for this cause the Romane Senate would neuer consent that the people should leaue Rome and dwell at Veij a citie far more pleasant and commodious then Rome especially after the sacking thereof by the Frenchmen The seate of Constantinople is so pleasant so commodious and so fertile that it is hard to iudge whether humane wisedome or nature shewed most industrie in the situation thereof There is no citie vpon the face of the earth better serued by land and sea on one side lie the most beautifull meadowes on the other side the pleasant vallies here rise the fruitfull hillocks there floweth and refloweth the plentifull sea yeelding all sorts of needfull and delicate prouision to the inhabitants thereof He that did see it would say that here stroue Bacchus with Ceres Pomana with Flora magnificence with plentie who should be most bountifull to this citie After the sea hath made many gallant bayes and safe roades whereof Bospherus onely in the space of fiue and twenty miles yeeldeth thirtie it runneth by the citie and countrie with so quiet and gentle a streame that the great ships bringing corne from Siria and Egypt and the riches of Trapezond from Capha doe seldome miscarrie Here is euermore haruest which now and then faileth in Thrace and Asia Here sholes of fish frisking and playing hard vnder the wals of the citie swim in such woonderfull abundance that he which hath not seene it will hardly beleeue it but he may easily be perswaded hereof that considereth how in the winter time the fish flying the cold places ascend by Pontus Euxinus euen in the view of Constantinople towards Propontus then shunning the heate of summer returne againe by the same way which they went before At these two seasons of the yeere the inhabitants as well for their profit as delight store themselues with great quantities thereof At this day on the Northeast part of the citie on the other side of the water is the towne of Pera on the North part is the Arsenall where the gallies are built and doe remaine and on the South side is all the ordinance artillerie and houses of munition To speake in a word there is no place fitter seated for plentie of all things for weakning mens valors for corrupting vertue with vice then this great and most stately citie of Constantinople prooued by the sloth and delicacie of the greatest number of the Greeke Emperors and their armies For if the pleasures of Tarent and the soile of the Siberites were inchantments sufficient to make men effeminate and quite alter the nature of the inhabitants if the delights of Capua could soften and quench the fierce courages of Hannibal and his soldiers if Plato deemed the Cyrenians incapable of discipline by reason of their long prosperitie what may wee thinke of Constantinople for situation proud for buildings sumptuous especially of their temples for beautifull and commodious hauens pleasant and delightsome aboue any other citie through the whole world To conclude when nothing can be more dangerous to a state then innouations what could be more hurtfull I may say desperate to the Romane Empire then that great so daine and vnlooked for mutation That good wel meaning Emperor in this did neither more nor lesse then as a man endeuouring to adde a greater grace to his bodie should place his face on his knees and his hart on his heeles The second fault of Constantine was the diuision of the Empire to his children ann Dom. 341. By this diuision of one Empre he made three and withall a memorable diminution of his authoritie and force For when his sonnes fell to ciuill dissention they consumed one another so cruelly that the Empire resembled a bloodlesse yea liuelesse bodie And though sometime vnder some one prince it stood on foote againe yet it remained alwaies subiect to diuision and departed into two Empires the east and the west till the comming of Odoacer king of the Herules and Turingi into Italy with a mightie host by which inuasion Augustulus was brought to such a narrow pinch that for despaire he cast himselfe into the protection of the east Empire This happened in the yeere of our Lord 476. And about this time the Huns passed Danubius Alaricus king of the Gothes tooke Rome the Vandals first spoiled Andoluzia afterwards Africke the Alans woon Portugall the Gothes conquered the greater part of Spaine the Saxons Britaine the Burgundians Prouince Iustinian restored it somewhat to a better staie driuing the Vandals out of Africke and the Gothes out of Italy by his captaines anno 556. But this faire weather lasted not long For in the yeere 713. the armes and heresies of the Mahumetans began to vexe the east Empire and shortly after 〈◊〉 the Sarracens wasted Syria Aegypt the Archipelago Africke Sicill Spaine In the yeere 735. they vanquished Narbon Auignion Tolouse Burdeâ—â— and the bordering regions Thus by little and little went the westerne Empire to ruine As for the easterne it stood so weake and tottering that with all the force it had it was scarce able to defend Constantinople against the armes of the Sarracens much lesse to minister aide to the westerne prouinces But in the yeere of our Lord 800. Charles the great king of France obtained the title of the westerne Empire which Ado bishop of Vienna remembreth in these words Vpon the holy feast day of the natiuitle of our Lord assoone as the mightie king Charles had made an end of his praiers Leo the Pope set the Imperiall crowne vpon his head whereat all the people with one voice cried Câ—â—olâ— Augusto 〈◊〉 Deo coronatâ— magno pacifico Imperatori Romanorum vita â— victoria The westerne Empire was diuided from the easterne in this sort that Naples and Sipont eastward with Sicill should belong to the Greeke Empire Bononâ—a should remaine to the Lombards the Venetians were neuters the popedome free the rest Charles should possesse Bloudus saith that the Empresse Iren gaue the first
exceedeth not 25. thousand dukets Only the dukes of Curland and Regimount exceede this meane For although they are feodaries of the kingdome acknowledge the king as their superior yet are they not as liuing members of the state they come not to the diets of the kingdome they haue not their voices in the election of the prince neither are they accounted as naturall Lords of the kingdome but for strangers as in truth they are the duke of Curlan being of the house of Ketleri and the duke of Regimount of the family of Brandenburge All Prussia did belong to the Dutch Knights who had their Great Master resident there who when he was not able to withstand the forces of the Polonians yeelded himselfe feodarie to king Cassimere afterwards when Albert of Brandenburge their Great Master became a Protestant he was created Duke of Prussia and the countrey diuided into two parts the one regall immediately holden of the crowne the other Ducall allotted to Albert and his successors to hold by fealtie In the kings partition stand Marieburge Torouia Gulma Varnia and Danske in the Duchie which yeeldeth 120. thousand ducats yeerely the chiefe towne is Regimont the Germans call it Conningsburgh and there the Duke keepeth his court The gouernment of Polonia representeth rather an Aristocracie then a kingdome because the nobility who haue great authoritie in the diets of the kingdome choose the king and at their pleasure limite him his authoritie They haue neither law nor statute nor forme of gouernment written but by custome from the death of one prince to the election of an other the supreme authoritie resteth in the Archbishop of Gesne who is president of the counsels appointeth the diets ruleth the Senate and proclaimeth the new elected king Before king Stephen erected new Bishops Palatines and Castellanes in Liuonia few other besides the Archbishop of Leopolis and his 13. Suffragans 28. Palatines and thirtie of the chiefest Castellanes were present at the election of the newe king In the time of their diets these men assemble in a place neere vnto the Senate house where they choose two marshals by whom but with a tribunelike authoritie they signifie vnto the councell what their requests are Not long since their authoritie and reputation grew so mightie that they now carie themselues as heads gouernors rather then officers ministers of the publike decrees of the estates There was one of the councel that after the maner of Clodius refused his Senators place to become one of these officers When a new king is to be chosen these men do more and more limit his authoritie not suffring it to stretch one iot farther then accustomed But although the crowne of Poland be at the disposition of the nobilitie yet was it neuer heard that they reiected or ouerslipped the kings successor or transferred the kingdome into any other line more then once when deposing Ladislaus whom notwithstanding they afterward restored they elected Weneslaus the Bohemian Likewise they haue alwaies a regard to the kings daughters as of Hedinge maried by them to Iagello and in our times of Anne giuen in mariage to king Stephen It was no smal cause of the aduancement of Sigismund the third to the crowne of Polonia that he was the sonne of Katherine sister to Sigismund the emperor and of the foresaid Anne And although the kingly authoritie be electiue yet after he is chosen his power is absolute in manie things as to call the diets to appoint the times and place at his pleasure to choose laie councellors and nominate the bishops and whom he will haue to be of the priuie councell he is absolute disposer of the reuenue of the crowne and Lord of those which hold of him immediate but ouer the tenants of the nobilitie he hath no iurisdiction he is absolute establisher of the decrees of the diets and soueraigne Iudge of the nobles in criminall causes it is in his power to reward and aduance whom pleaseth him to speake in a word such as is his valor dexteritie and wisedome such is his power authoritie and gouernment As the Polanders say the decrees of the king indure but three daies they conuerse with him not as cosins as in France but as brethren And as the king hath absolute authoritie ouer them which immediately hold of him so the nobilitie dispose absolutely of their vassals vpon euerie of whom they exercise more then kingly authoritie in manner as vpon slaues In establishing their kingdome they haue done one thing woorthie the noting which is that as the Romanes increased their names and dominion by communicating the lawes and honors of Italy and the citie of Rome to other cities yea whole prouinces so the kings of Polonia haue enlarged vnited and strengthened their estate by participating the priuileges of the Polish nobilitie to those prouinces which either they haue conquered by armes or otherwaies purchased gracing the nobles thereof with fauours equall to any bestowed on the Polish nobilitie By this equallyzing king Ladislaus strongly vnited Russia and Podalia to Poland Sigismund Augustus Lithuania Stephen Liuonia for equalitie in offices promotions knitteth affections in peace and warre The force of this kingdome as of others consisteth in graine coine footemen horsemen armour and munition Of graine we haue spoken alreadie In coine it is not verie rich for excepting Danske they haue neuer a mart towne woorthie estimation and the wares that are brought from Prussia Liuonia do not inrich the kingdome with ready money yea they do hardly suffice to barter with the English Flemmish for cloth silks wools or with the Spanish and Portugals for sugars spices fruits Maluesâ—ies For when the countrie is not giuen to traffike nor the cities to buy sell nor the people to labour and the nobilitie is very gallant prodigall in expences spending more then their reuenues in diet and apparell and the seasoning of their meates for the Polanders vse more spices then any other nation and their wine their silke and the greatest part of their woollen cloth is brought from forren nations how can the kingdome be rich in siluer For in transporting of rich ware and returning of little consisteth the wealth of euery kingdome gathering together by venting home-bred commodities the coine of forren countries and keeping it once brought in from passing abroad againe In this practise consisteth the wealth of Naples and Millan for Naples sendeth to sea great store of corne wine oile silke woad horses fruits and such like which bring in huge masses of forren coine Millan supplieth the want of other prouinces with corne rice clothes iron works and wares of all sorts and returneth little againe If the kingdome of Naples and Sicill were as well stored with artificiall workmanship as they are prouided with corne and wealth no other kingdome could compare with them To returne to Poland notwithstanding their riches are not so small as some thinke they are for the reuenues of
fiftie thousand footemen and seuen thousand horse Truly this is a great number and though they were not all Moscouites yet this reckoning asketh a great proportion of inhabitants for if the king thrust in 57. thousand fighting men it must needs be that the inhabitants were verie many moe Some will haue it that in times past the countrey was better replenished with people and that afterwards it became desolate for three causes the first the plague a new disease in Moscouie which gleaned away many thousand people the second the tyrannie of their Emperors who haue put infinite numbers to death especially of the nobilitie the third the incursions and robberies of the Tartars Precopie and Negaians which neuer cease vexing their bordering neighbours These Tartars harrie not onely the countrey but lead away captiue whole cities selling them to the Turks and other nations These inrodes haue laid waste many and far remooued prouinces The wisedome of a prince is not liuelier discerned then in his good foresight whether his enterprises are likely to prooue hurtfull or profitable to his estate and when he suffereth not himselfe to be carried away with the vaine hope of atcâ—ieuing some conquest which can neither continue to him sure nor certaine but rather draweth after it a continuall disquiet to his owne safetie For that prince that is led with such an ambitious humor to inlarge his estate doth but weaken himselfe in people and riches and in mine opinion is like the man that minding to raise the wals and roofe of his house higher taketh away the foundation of the building It is the greatest glorie well to keepe what wee haue got but those gettings which are made with future losse and diminution of our proper strength are contrarie to that Maxime And seeing these acquisitions are as it were incisions or graffings they ought to better not to impaire the estate of our affaires for as these incisions are vsed to make sower trees sweet or vnfruitful plants fruitfull So the enterprises of princes ought to be such as bring foorth assured honor and profit otherwise they are labours vnprofitable pulling downe more then they build and heaping to themselues more harme then honor more trouble then safety Of this kinde are those wars which are waged to conquer kingdomes farre distant hauing nothing neere vnto vs but are so disioined that they aske greater garrisons then reason or our abilities are able to affoord to defend them Therefore let the resolution of euery expedition be laid on three groundes first that the quarrell be iust secondly what hope and facilitie of conquest thirdly what gaine wil arise of victorie For warre vndertaken without hope of assured fruit is meere madnes and many great captaines haue enlarged the bounds of their empires but not increased their owne quiet and safeties No prince made longer iournies and greater expences then the Great Duke Iohn he vanquished the kingdome of Casan to Volga and Astrachan vpon the Caspian sea he subdued a great part of Liuonia But what honor what profit or what continuance of securitie gained he by these victories What was the end of this warre In these expeditions perished infinite numbers of men in iourneying in assaults with the sword with sicknes with hunger and other extremities When he had ouercome them he was forced to maintaine great garrisons yea to bring thither whole colonies and besides when men were so farre from their homes either busied in getting other mens goods or in keeping what they had got their wiues staied at home like widowes without issue and the inward parts of the realme remained emptie as a hart void of blood wanting his necessarie nutriment whilest the inhabitants were wasted on the skirtes of the kingdome And therefore when it was inuaded by king Stephen of Poland these farre and remote forces were wanting to make resistance and through this ouersight â—e lost againe Pozouia and other peeces of good reckoning yea and inforced to leaue the whole possession of Liuonia to the Polander To returne to our purpose Moscouie for the most part is couered with woods lakes these woods are the branches of Hercinia spreading it selfe through all the North and perhaps more in this prouince then in any other Here grow the goodliest and tallest trees of the world through which for their thicknes the brightnes of the sunne beams can hardly pearce An vnspeakable quaÌ„tity of rosin pitch distilleth out of these trees and here is the neuer-wasting fountaine of waxe and honie For without any industrie of man the bees themselues build their hiues in the barks and hollownes of trees Here is all plentie of cattell and wilde beasts beares martins beastes called in Latine Zibellini and woolues whose skins be are high prices Of the timber of these trees are squared all necessaries as well for buildings as all other vses the wals of their cities are framed of beames cut fowersquare fastened together filling the chinkes and vacant places with earth Of these beames likewise they build platformes of such height and thicknes that they be are the weight of great Ordinance how massie soeuer they are subiect to fire but not easily shaken with the furie of batterie Some men maintaine great disputation whether fortresses built of stone chalke or earth be of greatest validitie For the last these be their reasons they are sooner built with lesse charge and make best resistance when a breach is made they are easiest repaired and any part thereof if chance occasion or necessitie require lightlier changed But all these reasons notwithstanding in my minde fortresses built of stone carrie the credit for seeing there are fower meanes to ruinate a fortresse Ordinance mining fire and digging peraduenture the stone wall may auaile as much in resisting as the earthen in receiuing and deadding the bullet but against mining fire the spade and pickaxe without comparison the stone worke excelleth and to raise platforms on the inside of the wall is all you can inuent either defensiue or praise woorthie to a fortresse built of timber and earth For waters Moscouie is the mother of riuers and lakes witnes Dunie Boristhenes Volga Desna Onega Moscua Volisca and the famous Tanais the lakes of Ina vpon which standeth the great Nouograde Voloppo and many others The abundance of these waters do make the aire colder then is requisite for the increase of cattle or growth of plants and although cold is thought more wholesome then heate yet are their cattle of small growth thereby and many times their fruits come not to ripening the earth drowned with the waters for the most part becommeth light and sandie and then either with too great drouth or too much moisture it destroieth the fruit Winter lasteth nine moneths litle more or lesse yet the soile bringeth foorth plenty of graine feeding for cattle and by consequence abundance of cattle â—ame and wilde It bringeth foorth apples nuts and filberds other kinds of fruits they scarcely know Of fish
these actions and while time passeth the neighbouring nations prouide if not infest for their owne safetie yea most commonly by losse of time proceedeth the losse of victorious opportunitie He that hath ouercome his enimie standeth oftentimes in feare of his friend yea of such as haue bin fellowes partners with him in all his fortunes so that to secure himselfe of these such like infinite casualties he is constrained euen in the course of victory to sound the retraict surcease his designements Againe continuall victory make leaders insolent soldiers mutinous refusing to passe forward at the command of their generall as it happened to Alexander Lucullus Great enterprises euen brought to their wished ende enrich the purses of certaine priuate men but leaue the Princes cofers emptie who neuerthelesse must be at the charge to maintaine continuall companies and keepe them in continuall pay without which course the cashed soldier is euer readie to follow any faction whensoeuer it shall be offered Moreouer this numberlesse armie which Marhumedius led against the king of Cambaia did not only waste the regions where through it passed and encamped but likewise by deuouring all things that the face of the earth yeelded bereaued itselfe of the meanes which nature in measure affoorded to euerie one to maintaine his life and so it often happeneth that those armies which in apprehension seeme inuincible for their hugenes are most commonly ouerthrowen by famine the forerunner of pestilence For proofe hereof we haue seene the inundations of Attila Tamerlan and those barbarous nations stand on foote but a little space whereas the Grecians Macedonians Carthaginians Romanes Spaniards and English haue done great matters with meane armies For things that are moderate last and indure as small riuers which what they cannot doe in one yeere in two or more they finally accomplish whereas immoderate and violent are like vnto Torrents making more noise and furie then hurt or hinderance violently comming and violently carrying themselues away Therefore against such mightie impressions the surest safetie is to draw the warre out in length and onely to stand vpon the defensiue for let such armies rest assured that they cannot so long hold out but they will wauer either for want of prouision scarcitie of coine infection of the aire or infirmities of their owne bodies The other thing is that prosperitie blindeth the winner making him carelesse aduersitie ripeneth the looser and maketh him warie and industrious so fortune changing her copie the affaires of the winner decline and the good successe of the looser groweth euerie day better then other Besides conquests are not perfected but by processe of time and in processe of time old age creepeth vpon the persons of Princes and how fit a crasie bodie and a vigorous spirit nummed with olde age is for the consummation of a conquered estate the liues of Iulius Caesar and Charles the fift may stand for examples Lastly to answere those who vnlesse they be ere witnesses will neuer be answered let them know that nothing so much hindereth the inuasiue ambition of this prince as the nature of places For Caucasus stretching it selfe into a thousand branches in those parts incompasseth whole kingdomes with some parcels thereof by some it runneth by the sides to others it is more defensiue then any artificiall rampire sometime it wholy shutteth vp passages sometime it meaketh them inaccessible These difficulties are more iniurious to the Mogor then to any other Prince because the strength and sinewes of his forces consist in horse which as they are of great consequence in Campania so amongst hils and rocks they are of no seruice Of this qualitie are the frontires of Persia and the kingdome of Sablestan on euerie side heâ—d in with that part of Caucasus which the Grecians call Paropanise Segestan is likewise so inuironed that the riuer Il-mento were it not for searching out infinite windings and turnings through naturall vallies could hardly finde passage to pay his tribute to the famous Ganges In Cambaia it selfe where the Mogors are of such fearefull puissance liue the Resbuti not dreading them one whit by reason of the strength of the mountaines These Resbuti are the remainder of the Gentiles that betooke themselues to the mountaines betweene Cambaia and Diu when the Mahumetans first entred these countries and since that day by strong hand they haue preserued their libertie infesting verie often the plaine countrey with their incursions Other prouinces there are vtterly barren not onely wanting water but all necessaries else of this kinde is Dolcinda vpon the skirts of Cambaia thorough which it is impossible to lead an armie To these discommodities you may adde the losse of time which Princes being lords of ample and spacious dominions are constrained to make in their voiages For the better part of sommer is spent before they can arriue at their rendeuous with their horses halfe dead through trauell and the armie halfe in halfe in number and courage diminished yea winter ouertaketh them commodious for their enimies and disaduantagious for them For they must lie in the field and open aire amongst mire frosts their enimies vnder a warme roofe holesome harbour Whereupon wise princes which haue beene to make long land-iourneies through diuers prouinces of diuers natures for feare of such like discommodities haue thought it best to prouide shipping and to vse the oportunitie of riuers or sea as did Caesar Germanicus in the warre of Germanie after he perceiued that in the protracting of time which was requisite for the marching of his armie the greater part of his men and horses were idlie consumed by infirmities labour and the length of iourneies But the Mogor is vtterly destitute of this aduantage vpon one side he hath no hauen on an other the Portugals are his iealous neighbours who with two castles of great strength at Din and Damain haue shut vp the whole gulfe of the Cambaiaâ— sea Finally the puissance of their neighbours hath beene as great a controule to their furious inuasions as any other naturall cause viz. the king of Barma who is nothing inferior in power and riches for he is lord of so many kingdomes and so fierce and warlike a people and can bring such swarmes into the field that he is fearelesse of any his Tartarian neighbours And as the Mogor ruleth fare and wide betweene Ganges and Indus so doth this king betweene Ganges and Siam As the one deuiseth to offend so by little and little the other waxeth wise to defend For by nature man is more prone to procure his owne safety then ready by wrong to oppresse others being alwaies more carefull to conserue then forward to destroy It cannot be expressed how ful of subtiltie shifts deuises industrie man is to defend him and his for he vseth for his owne safegard not that only which is properly defeÌ„siue but euen that also which may be any way offensiue Neither euer was there any instrument inuented for