they call him who hath the Office of entertayning Ambassadours In the euening Coiat commanded vs to come vnto him Then our Guide began to enquire what wee would present him withall and was exceedingly offended when hee saw that wee had nothing ready to present We stood before him and he sate maiestically hauing musick and dancing in his presence Then I spake vnto him in the words before recited telling him for what purpose I was come vnto his Lord and requesting so much fauour at his hands as to bring our Letters vnto the sight of his Lord I excused my selfe also that I was a Monke not hauing nor receiuing nor vsing any gold or siluer or any other precious thing saue onely our Bookes and the Vestments wherein wee serued God and that this was the cause why I brought no present vnto him nor vnto his Lord. For I that had abandoned mine owne goods could not be a transporter of things for other men Then he answered very courteously that being a Monke and so doing I did well for so I should oâ—serue my vow neither did himselfe stand in need of ought that we had but rather was ready to bestow vpon vs such things as we our selues stood in need of and hee caused vs to sit downe and to drinke of his Milke And presently after hee requested vs to say our deuotions for him and wee did so Hee enquired also who was the greatest Prince among the Francks And I said the Emperour if he could enioy his owne Dominions in quiet No quoth hee but the King of France For hee had heard of your Hignesse by Lord Baldwine of Henault I found there also one of the Knights of the Temple who had beene in Cyprus and had made report of all things which he saw there Then returned we vnto our Lodging And on the morrow we sent him a flaggon of Muscadell Wine which had lasted verie well in so long a Iourney and a boxe full of Bisket which was most acceptable vnto him And hee kept our Seruants with him for that Euening The next morning hee commanded mee to come vnto the Court and to bring the Kings Letters and my Vestments and Bookes with mee because his Lord was desirous to see them Which we did accordingly lading one Cart with our Bookes and Vestments and another with Bisket Wine and Fruits Then hee caused all our Bookes and Vestments to bee layd forth And there stood round about vs many Tartars Christians and Saracens on Horse-backe At the sight whereof hee demanded whether I would bestow all those things vpon his Lord or no Which saying made mee to tremble and grieued mee full sore Howbeit dissembling our griefe as well as we could we shaped him this Answere Sir our humble request is that our Lord your Master would vouchsafe to accept our Bread Wine and Fruits not as a Present because it is too meane but as a Benediction least we should come with an emptie hand before him And hee shall see the Letters of my Souereigne Lord the King and by them hee shall vnderstand for what cause we are come vnto him and then both our selues and all that wee haue shall stand to his courtesie for our Vestments bee holy and it is vnlawfull for any but Priests to touch them Then he commanded vs to inuest our selues in the said Garments that we might goe before his Lord and we did so Then I my selfe putting on our most precious Ornaments tooke in mine armes a very faire Cushion and the Bible which your Maiestie gaue mee and a most beautifull Psalter which the Queenes Grace bestowed vpon mee wherein there were goodly Pictures Mine Associate tooke a Missall and a Crosse and the Clerke hauing put on his Surplice tooke a Censer in his hand And so we came vnto the presence of his Lord and they lifted vp the Felt hanging before his doore that hee might behold vs. Then they caused the Clerke and the Interpreter thrice to bow the knee but of vs they required no such submission And they diligently admonished vs to take heed that in going in and in comming out wee touched not the threshold of the house and requested vs to sing a Benediction for him Then we entred in singing Salue Regina And within the entrance of the doore stood a bench with Cosmos and drinking cups thereupon And all his Wiues were there assembled Also the Moals or rich Tartars thrusting in with vs pressed vs sore Then Coiat carryed vnto his Lord the Censer with Incense which hee beheld very diligently holding it in his hand Afterward he carryed the Psalter vnto him which he looked earnestly vpon and his Wife also that sate beside him After that he carryed the Bible then Sartach asked if the Gospell were contayned therein Yea said I and all the holy Scriptures besides He tooke the Crosse also in his hand and demanded concerning the Image whether it were the Image of Christ or no I said it was The Nestorians and the Armenians doe neuer make the figure of Christ vpon their Crosses Wherefore either they seeme not to thinke well of his Passion or else they are ashamed of it Then hee caused them that stood about vs to stand aside that hee might more fully behold our Ornaments Afterward I deliuered vnto him your Maiesties Letters with the Translation thereof into the Arabicke and Syriacke Languages For I caused them to bee translated at Acon into the Character and Dialect of both the said Tongues And there were certayne Armenian Priests which had skill in the Turkish and Arabian Languages The aforesaid Knight also of the Order of the Temple had knowledge in the Syriake Turkish and Arabian Tongues Then wee departed forth and put off our Vestments and there came vnto vs certayne Scribes together with the foresaid Coiat and caused our Letters to bee interpreted Which Letters being heard hee caused our Bread Wine and Fruits to bee receiued And hee permitted vs also to carrie our Vestments and Bookes vnto our owne Lodging This was done vpon the Feast of S. Peter ad vincula THe next morning betimes came vnto vs a certayne Priest who was brother vnto Coiat requesting to haue our boxe of Chrisme because Sartach as he said was desirous to see it and so we gaue it him About Euenty de Coiat sent for vs saying My Lord your King wrote good words vnto my Lord and Master Sartach Howbeit there are certayne matters of difficultie in them concerning which he dare not determine ought without the aduice and counsell of his Father And therefore of necessitie you must depart vnto his Father leauing behind you the two Carts which you brought hither yesterday with Vestments and Bookes in my custodie because my Lord is desirous to take more diligent view thereof I presently suspecting what mischiefe might ensue by his couetousnesse said vnto him Sir we will not onely leaue those with you but the two other Carts also which we haue in
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
it and aske of God that he do that for you which is contained in this written Prayer because with his owne mouth he taught it his friends and I hope he will saue you I could not doe any thing else because it was very dangerous to speake the words of doctrine by such an Interpreter nay almost impossible because he was ignorant AFter this wee entred into that plaine where the Court of Ken-Cham was which was wont to be the Countrey of the Naymans who were the peculiar Subiects of Presbyter Iohn but at that time I saw not that Court but in my returne Yet heere I declare vnto you what befell his Ancestry his Soone and Wiues Ken-Cham being dead Baatu desired that Mangu should be Chan. But I could vnderstand in certaintie of the death of Ken. Frier Andrew said that he dyed by a certaine medicine giuen him and it was suspected that Baatu caused it to be made Yet I heard otherwise for he summoned Baatu to come and doe him homage And Baatu tooke his iourney speedily with great preparation but he and his Seruants were much afraid and sent one of his Brothers before called Stichin who when he came to Ken and should waite vpon his Cup contention arising betweene them they slue one another The Widow of Stichin kept vs a whole day to goe into her house and blesse her that is pray for her Therefore Ken being dead Mangu was chosen by the consent of Baatu And was then chosen when Frier Andrew was there Ken had a certaine Brother called Siremon who by the counsell of Kens Wife and her Vassals went with great preparation towards Mangu as if he meant to doe him homage and yet in truth he purposed to kill him and destroy his whole Court. And when he was neere Mangu within one or two daies iourney one of his Wagons remained broken in the way While the Wagoner laboured to mend it in the meane space came one of the Seruants of Mangu who helped him he was so inquisitiue of their iourney that the Wagoner reuealed vnto him what Siremon purposed to doe Then turning out of the way as if hee little regarding it went vnto the herd of Horses and tooke the best Horse hee could choose and posting night and day came speedily to the Court of Mangu reporting vnto him what he had heard Then Mangu quickly assembling all his subiects caused foure rings of Armed men to compasse his Court that none might goe in or out the rest he sent against Siremon who tooke him not suspecting his purpose had beene discouered and brought him to the Court with all his followers Who when Mangu lay the matter to his charge strait-way confessed it Then he and his eldest Sonne Ken Chan were slaine and three hundred of the Nobilitie of the Tartars with them The Noble Women also were sent for who were all beaten with burning fire-brands to make them confesse and hauing confessed were put to death His youngest sonne Ken who could not be capable or guiltie of the conspiracy was left aliue And his Fathers Palace was left vnto him with all belonging vnto it as well Men as Chattels and we passed by it in our returne Nor durst my Guides turne in vnto it neither going nor comming For the Lady of the Nations sate there in heauinesse and there was none to comfort her THen went wee vp againe into the high Countries going alwaies towards the North. At length on Saint Stephens day we entred into a great Plaine like the Sea where there was not so much as a Mole-hill And the next day on the feast of S. Iohn the Euangelist we came vnto the Palace of that great Lord. But when we were neere it within fiue daies iourney our Host where we lay would haue directed vs a way farre about so that wee should yet trauaile more then fifteene daies And this was the reason as I vnderstood that wee might goe by Onam Kerule their proper Countrey where the Court of Chingis-Chan is Others said that he did it for this purpose that he might make the way longer and might shew his power the more For so they are wont to deale with men comming from Countries not subiect to them And our Guide obtained with great difficultie that we might go the right way For they held vs vpon this from the morning till three of the clocke In that way also the Secretarie whom we expected at Cailac told me that it was contained in the Letters which Baatu sent to Mangu-Chan that wee required an Army and ayde of Sartach against the Saracens Then I began to wonder much and to be greatly troubled for I knew the Tenor of the Letters and that no mention therof was made therein saue that yee aduised him to be a friend to all Christians and should exalt the Crosse and be an enemy to all the enemies of the Crosse and because also the Interpreters were Armenians of the greater Armenia who greatly hated the Saracens lest perhaps they had interpreted any thing in euill part to make the Saracens more odious and hatefull at their pleasure I therefore held my peace not speaking a word with them or against them for I feared to gainsay the words of Baatu least I should incurre some false accusation without reasonable cause We came therefore the foresaid day vnto the said Court. Our Guide had a great house appointed him and we three a little Cottage wherein wee could scarse lay our stuffe make our beds and haue a little fire Many came to visit our Guide and brought him drinke made of Rice in long strait mouthed bottles in the which I could discerne no difference from the best Antissiodorensian Wine saue that it had not the sent of Wine We were called and straightly examined vpon what businesse we came I answered that we heard of Sartach that he was a Christian we came therefore vnto him the French King sent him a Packet by vs he sent vs to Baatu his Father his Father hath sent vs hither hee should haue written the cause wherevpon they demanded whether we would make peace with them I answered he hath sent Letters vnto Sarâ—ach as a Christian and if he had knowne he were not a Christian hee would neuer haue sent him Letters to treate of peace I say he hath done you no wrong if he had done any why should you warre vpon him or his people he willingly as a iust man would reforme himselfe and desire peace If yee without cause will make warre with him or his Nation we hope that God who is iust will helpe them And they wondred alwayes repeating why came yee seeing yee came not to make peace For they are now so puffed vp with pride that they thinke the whole World should desire to make peace with them And truly if I might bee suffered I would preach Warre against them to the vttermost of my power throughout the whole World But I would
at length he begins to raue and causeth himselfe to be bound Then the Deuill comes in the darke and giues him flesh to eate and makes him answer On a certaine time as Master William told me a certaine Hungarian hid himselfe with them and the Deuill being vpon the house cryed that hee could not come in because a certaine Christian was with them He hearing this fled with haste because they began to search for him These things and many other doe they which were too long to report AFter the Feast of Penticost they began to make ready their Letters which they meant to send vnto you In the meane while he returned to Caracarum and held a great Solemnity iust about the fifteenth of Iune and hee desired that all the Embassadours should be present The last day also he sent for vs but I went to the Church to Baptise three Children of a certaine poore Dutch-man whom we found there Master William was chiefe Butler at that Feast because he made the Tree which powred foorth drinke And all the Poore and Rich sung and daunced and clapped their hands before Chan. Then he began to make an Oration vnto them saying I haue sent my Brethren farre off and haue sent them into danger into forraigne Nations Now it shall appeare what yee will doe when I shall send you that our Common-wealth may be inlarged Euery day in those foure dayes hee changed garments which hee gaue them all of one colour euery day from the shooes euen to the tyre of the head At that time I saw the Embassadour of the Calipha of Baldach who caused himselfe to bee carried vpon a Horse-litter betweene two Mules to the Court of whom some said that he made peace with them so that they should giue him ten thousand Horse for his Army Others said that Mangu said hee would not make Peace vnlesse they would destroy all their Munition And the Embassadour answered when you will plucke off your Horse hoofes we will destroy our Munition I saw also there the Embassadours of a certaine Soldan of India who brought with him eight Leopards and ten Hare-hounds taught to sit vpon the Horse buttockes as Leopards doe When I inquired of India which way it lay from that place they shewed me towards the West And those Embassadours returned with me almost for three Weekes together alwayes westward I saw also the Embassadors of the Soldan of Turkie who brought him rich presents And hee answered as I heard he needed neither Gold nor Siluer but men wherefore he required them to prouide him an Army In the feast of Saint Iohn he held a great Drinking and I caused one hundred and fiue Carts and ninety Horses to be numbred all laden with Cowes milke And in the feast of the Apostles S. Peter and S. Paul in like manner At length the Letters being dispatched which he sendeth to you they called me and interpreted them the tenor whereof I writ as I could vnderstand them by my Interpreter which is this The commandement of the eternall God is this There is but one Eternall God in Heauen vpon Earth let there be but one Lord Chingis Chan Temingu Tingij That is to say the sound of Yron They call Chingis the sound of Yron because hee was a Smith and puffed vp with pride they call him now the Sonne of God This is the word which is spoken to you Whatsoeuer Moals wee are whatsoeuer Naymans whatsoeuer Merkets whatsoeuer Musulman wheresoeuer eares may heare whethersoeuer Horse may goe there cause it to bee heard and vnderstood since they haue heard my commandement and would not beleeue it and would leuy an Army against vs yee shall heare and see that they shall be as hauing Eyes and not seeing and when they would hold any thing they shall be without hands and when they would walke they shall be without feet This is the commandement of the Eternall God by the vertue of the Eternall God by the great world of the Moall The cōmandement of Mangu Chan is giuen to the French King King Lodouick and all other Lords and Priests and to the great world of the Frankes that they vnderstand my wordes and the commaundement of the Eternall God made to Chingis Chan. Nor from Chingis Chan nor others after him came this commandement vnto you A certaine man called Dauid came vnto you as an Embassadour of the Moalls but he was a lyar and with him you sent your Embassadours to Chen-chan After Chen-chan was dead your Embassadours came to his Court Charmis his wife sent you Cloth called Nasic But to know matters appertayning to Warre and Peace and to settle the great World in quiet and to see to doe good That wicked woman more vile then a Dog how could shee know how to doe it Those two Monkes which came from you vnto Sartach Sartach sent them to Baatu but Baatu because Mangu Chan is the greatest ouer the World of the Moalls sent them vnto vs. But now that the great World and the Priests and the Monkes might liue in peace and enioy their goods that the commandement of God might be heard among you wee would haue sent our Embassadours of Moall with your Priests but they answered that betweene vs and you there was a warlike Nation and many bad men and troublesome wayes so as they feared they could not bring our Embassadours safe vnto you but if we would deliuer them our Letters contayning our commandement to King Lodowick they would carrie them For this cause wee sent not our Embassadours with them But wee haue sent the commandement of the eternall God by your said Priests It is the commandement of the eternall God which wee haue giuen you to vnderstand And when you shall heare and beleeue it if yee will obey vs send your Embassadours vnto vs so shall wee be certified whether yee will haue peace with vs or warre When by the power of the eternall God the whole World shall be in vnitie ioy and peace from the rising of the Sunne to the going downe of the same then shall it appeare what wee will doe When yee shall heare and vnderstand the commandement of the eternall God and will not hearken to it nor beleeue it saying our Countrey is farre off our Hills are strong our Sea is great and in this confidence shall leuie an Armie against vs to know what wee can doe Hee which made that which was hard easie and that which was farre off neere the eternall God himselfe knowes it And they called vs your Embassadors in the Letters Then I said vnto them call vs not Embassadors for I said well to Chan that wee are not the Embassadors of King Lodowicke Then they went vnto him and told him But when they returned they said vnto me that he held it much for our good and that he commanded them to write as I should direct them Then I told them they should leaue out the name of Embassadour
trade betwixt the Countries of Cathay and Boghar and when the way is cleare it is nine moneths iourney To speake of the said Countrey of Cathay and of such newes as I haue heard thereof I haue thought it best to reserue it to our meeting I hauing made my solace at Boghar in the winter time and hauing learned by much inquisition the trade thereof as also of all the other Countries thereto adioyning and the time of the yeere being come for all Carauans to depart and also the King being gone to the warres and newes come that hee was fled and I aduertised by the Metropolitan himselfe that I should depart because the Towne was like to bee besieged I thought it good and meete to take my iourney some way and determined to haue gone from thence into Persia and to haue seene the trade of that Countrey although I had informed my selfe sufficiently therof as well at Astracan as at Boghar and perceiued well the trades not to be much vnlike the trades of Tartaria but when I should haue taken my iourney that way it was let by diuers occasions the one was the great warres that did newly begin betwixt the Sophie and the Kings of Tartaria whereby the wayes were destroyed and there was a Carauan destroyed with rouers and theeues which came out of India and Persia by safe conduct and about ten dayes iourney from Boghar they were robbed and a great part slaine Also the Metropolitan of Boghar who is greater then the King tooke the Emperours letters of Russia from me without which I should haue beene taken Slaue in euery place also all such wares as I had receiued in barter for Cloath and as I tooke perforce of the King and other his Nobles in payment of money due vnto me were not vendible in Persia for which causes and diuers others I was constrained to come backe againe to Mare Caspium the same way I went so that the eight of March 1559. wee departed out of the said Citie of Boghar being a Carauan of sixe hundred Camels and if wee had not departed when we did I and my companie had beene in danger to haue lost life and goods For ten dayes after our departure the King of Samarcand came with an armie and besieged the said Citie of Boghar the King being absent and gone to the warres against another Prince his kinsman as the like chanceth in those Countries once in two or three yeeres For it is maruell if a King raigne there aboue three or foure yeeres to the great destruction of the Countrey and Merchants The fiue and twentieth of March we came to the foresaid Towne of Vrgence and escaped the danger of foure hundred rouers which lay in wayte for vs backe againe being the most of them of kindred to that companie of theeues which wee met with going foorth as we perceiued by foure spyes which were taken There were in my companie and committed to my charge two Ambassadors the one from the King of Boghar the other from the King of Balke and were sent vnto the Emperour of Russia And after hauing tarried at Vrgence and the Castle of Sellysure eight dayes for the assembling and making ready our Carauan the second of Aprill wee departed from thence hauing foure moe Ambassadours in our companie sent from the King of Vrgence and other Sultans his brethren vnto the Emperour of Russia with answer of such Letters as I brought them and the same Ambassadours were also committed vnto my charge by the said Kings and Princes to whom I promised most faithfully and swore by our Law that they should bee well vsed in Rusland and suffered to depart from thence againe in safetie according as the Emperour had written also in his letters for they somewhat doubted because there had none gone out of Tartaria into Russia of long time before The three and twentieth of Aprill wee arriued at the Mare Caspium againe where we found our Barke which wee came in but neither Anchor Cable Cocke nor Sayle neuerthelesse we brought Hempe with vs and spun a Cable our selues with the rest of our tackling and made vs a sayle of cloath of Cotton-wooll and rigged our Barke as well as wee could but boate or anchor we had none In the meane time being deuising to make an anchor of wood of a Cart-wheele there arriued a Barke which came from Astracan with Tartars and Russes which had two Anchors with whom I agreed for the one and thus being in a readinesse wee set sayle and departed I and the two Iohnsons being Master and Mariners our selues hauing in our Barke the said sixe Ambassadours and twentie fiue Russes which had beene Slaues a long time in Tartaria nor euer had before my comming libertie or meanes to get home and these Slaues serued to row when need was Thus sayling sometimes along the coast and sometimes out of sight of land The thirteenth day of May hauing a contrary winde we came to an anchor being three leagues from the shoare and there arose a sore storme which continued fortie foure houres and our cable being of our owne spinning brake and lost our anchor and being off a lee shoare and hauing no boate to helpe vs wee hoysed our sayle and bare roomer with the said shoare looking for present death but as God prouided for vs we ranne into a creeke full of Oze and so saued our selues with our Barke and liued in great discomfort for a time For although wee should haue escaped with our liues the danger of the sea yet if our barke had perished we knew we should haue been either destroyed or taken slaues by the people of that Countrey who liue wildly in the field like beasts without house or habitation Thus when the storme was seased wee went out of the creeke againe and hauing set the land with our Compasse and taken certayn markes of the same during the time of the tempest whilest we rid at our anchor wee went directly to the place where we rid with our Barke againe and found our anchor which we lost whereat the Tartars much maruelled how we did it While wee were in the creeke we made an anchor of wood of Cart wheeles which we had in our Barke which we threw away when we had found our Iron anchor againe Within two dayes after there arose another great storme at the North-east and we lay a trie being driuen farre into the sea and had much adoe to keepe our Barke from sinking the billow was so great but at the last hauing faire weather wee tooke the Sunne and knowing how the Land lay from vs we fell with the Riuer Yaik according to our desire whereof the Tartars were very glad fearing that wee should haue beene driuen to the coast of Persia whose people were vnto them great enemies Note that during the time of our Nauigation we set vp the red Crosse of Saint George in our flagges for honour of the
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
abroad in the Towne it was also carryed to the Princes Court in the Hage at which time the Lord Chancellour of Denmarke Ambassadour for the sayd King was then at Dinner with Prince Maurice for the which cause we were presently fetcht thither by the Scout and two of the Burgers of the Towne and there in the presence of those Ambassadours and the Burger-masters wee made rehearsall of our Iourney both forwards and backwards I thought good to adde hither for Barents or Barentsons sake certaine Notes which I haue found the one Translated the other Written by him amongst Master Hakluyts Paper This was Written by William Barentson in a loose Paper which was lent mee by the Reuerend Peter Plantius in Amsterdam March the seuen and twentieth 1609. THe foure and twentieth of August Stilo nouo 1595. wee spake with the Samoieds and asked them how the Land and Sea did lye to the East of Way-gates They sayd after fiue dayes iourney going North-east wee should come to a great Sea going South-east This Sea to the East of Way-gates they sayd was called Marmoria that is to say A calme Sea And they of Ward-house haue told vs the same I asked them if at any time of the yeere it was frozen ouer They sayd it was And that sometimes they passed it with Sleds And the first of September 1595. Stilo nouo the Russes of the Lodie or Barke affirmed the same saying that the Sea is sometimes so Frozen that the Lodies or Barkes going sometimes to Gielhsidi from Pechora are forced there to Winter which Gielhsidi was wonne from the Tartars three yeeres past For the Ebbe and Flood there I can finde none but with the Winde so runneth the streame The third of September Stilo nouo the winde was South-west and then I found the water higher then with the winde at North or North-east Mine opinion is grounded on Experience That if there bee a passage it is small or else the Sea could not rise with a Southerly Winde And for the better proofe to know if there were a Flood and Ebbe the ninth of September Stilo nouo I went on shoare on the South end of the States Iland where the Crosse standeth and layd a Stone on the brinke of the Water to proue whether there were a Tide and went round about the Iland to shoote at a Hare and returning I found the Stone as I left it and the Water neither higher nor lower which prooueth as afore that there is no Flood nor Ebbe CHAP. VI. A Treatise of IVER BOTY a Gronlander translated out of the Norsh Language into High Dutch in the yeere 1560. And after out of High Dutch into Low Dutch by WILLIAM BARENTSON of Amsterdam who was chiefe Pilot aforesaid The same Copie in High Dutch is in the hands of IODOCVS HONDIVS which I haue seene And this was translated out of Low Dutch by Master WILLIAM STERE Marchant in the yeere 1608. for the vse of me HENRIE HVDSON WILLIAM BARENTSONS Booke is in the hands of Master PETER PLANTIVS who lent the same vnto me INprimis it is reported by men of Wisedome and Vnderstanding borne in Gronland That from Stad in Norway to the East part of Island called Horn-nesse is seuen dayes sayling right West Item men shall know that betweene Island and Gronland lyeth a Riffe called Gombornse-skare There were they wont to haue there passage for Gronland But as they report there is Ice vpon the same Riffe come out of the long North Bottome so that we cannot vse the same old Passage as they thinke Item from Long-nesse on the East side of Island to the abouesaid Horn-nesse is two dayes sayle to the Brimstone Mount Item if you goe from Bergen in Norway the course is right West till you bee South of Rokenesse in Island and distant from it thirteene miles or leagues And with this course you shall come vnder that high Land that lyeth in the East part of Groneland and is called Swafster A day before you come there you shall haue sight of a high Mount called Huit-sarke and betweene Whitsarke and Groneland lyeth a Head-land called Hernoldus Hooke and thereby lyeth an Hauen where the Norway Merchants Ships were wont to come and it is called Sound Hauen Item if a man will sayle from Island to Gronland hee shall set his course to Snofnesse which is by West Rokenesse thirteene miles or leagues right West one day and nights sayling and after South-west to shun the Ice that lyeth on Gombornse-skare and after that one day and night North-west So shall hee with this course fall right with the abouesayd Swafster which is high Land vnder which lyeth the aforesayd Head-land called Hornoldus Hooke and the Sound Hauen Item the Easter Dorpe of Groneland lyeth East from Hernoldus hooke but neere it and is called Skagen Ford and is a great Village Item from Skagen Ford East lyeth a Hauen called Beare Ford it is not dwelt in Iâ— the mouth thereof lyeth a Riffe so that great Ships cannot harbour in it Item there ir great abundance of Whales and there is a great Fishing for the killing of them there but not without the Bishops consent which keepeth the same for the benefit of the Cathedrall Church In the Hauen is a great Swalth and when the Tide doth runne out all the Whales doe runne into the sayd Swalth Item East of Beare Ford lyeth another Hauen câ—lled Allabong Sound and it is at the mouth narrow but farther in very wide The length whereof is such that the end thereof is not yet knowne There runneth no Streame It lyeth full of little Iles. Fowle and Oxen are there common and it is playne Land on both sides growne ouer with greene Grasse Item East from the Icie Mountayne lyeth an Hauen called Fendebother so named because in Saint Olafes time there was a Ship cast away as the speach hath beene in Groneland In which Ship was drowned one of Saint Olafes men with others and those that were saued did burie those that were drowned and on their Graues did set great stone Crosses which wee see at this day Item somwhat more East toward the Icie Mountayne lyeth a high Land called Corse Hought vpon which they Hunt white Beares but not wiâ—hout the Bishops leaue for it belongeth to the Cathedrall Church And from thence more Easterly men see nothing but Ice and Snow both by land and water Now wee shall returne againe to Hernoldus Hooke where we first began to come to the first Towne that lyeth on the East side of Hernoldus Hooke called Skagen Ford and so we will write the Names of all that lye on the West-side of the Ford or Sound Item West from Hernoldus Hooke lyeth a Dorpe called Kodosford and it is well built and as you sayle into the Sound you shall see on the right hand a great Sea and a Marsh and into this Sea runneth
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.
number of three hundred men of which I the Relator of this was one were put into one ship belonging to Sweden and came from thence for vs. We were assaulted with a great tempest and were tossed so long that all our victuals were almost spent the miserie of which threw vs into more desperate feares now were wee assaulted by double deaths Famine and Shipwrack what course to take for our reliefe no man presently knew Continue without foode it was impossible and as impossible was iâ— for vs to recouer the Land in any short time without the assured destruction of vs all At this season our Commanders were these Lieutenant Benson Lieutenant Walton who was Prouost Martiall of the field and an Ancient of the Colonels companie The common Souldiers vowed and resolued to compell the Mariners seeing the present miseries and no hopes promising better to set vs all on shoare vpon the first Land that could be discouered Our Commanders did what they could by disâ—wasion to alter this generall resolution because they feared it would bee the losse of the greatest part of our Companies if they came once to bee scattered and besides they knew that it would redound to their dishonour and shame if they should not discharge the trust imposed vpon them by our Captaines which trust was to conduct vs and land vs before whilest our Chieftaines remayned a while behinde in England to take vp the rest of our Companies Yet all this notwithstanding Land being discouered there was no eloquence in the world able to keep vs aboord our ship but euery man swore if the Master of the ship would not set vs on the shoare the sailes should be taken into our owne hands and what was resolued vpon touching present landing should in despite of danger be effected Vpon this the Master of the ship and the Mariners told vs that if we put to land in that place we should all either perish for want of victuals which were not to bee had in that Countrie or else should haue our throats cut by the people Wee resolued rather to trie our bad fortunes on the land and to famish there if that kind of death must needes attend vpon vs then to perish on the Seas which we knew could affoord vs no such mercy and on shoare wee went as fast as possibly we could When our Officers saw that there was no remedie nor force to detayne vs aboord they then disheartned vs no longer but to our great comforts told it that the Master of the ship which thing hee himselfe likewise openly confessed knew both the Land and Gouernour thereof as indeed we proued afterwards he did and therefore desired they all our companies not to misse-behaue themselues toward the people for that it was an Iland called Iuthland vnder the Dominion of the King of Denmarke but subiect to the command of a Lord who vnder the King as his Substitute was the Gouernour And that we might be the better drawne to a ciuill behauiour towards the Inhabitants our Officers further told vs that they would repaire to the Lord Gouernour of the Countrie and acquaint him with the cause of our vnexpected landing there vpon which we all promised to offer no violence to the people neither was that promise violated because we found the Inhabitants tractable and as quiet towards vs as we to them yet the greater numbers of them ran away with feare at the first sight of vs because as afterward they reported it could not bee remembred by any of them that they euer either beheld themselues or euer heard any of their ancestors report that any strange people had landed in those places and parts of the Iland for they thought it impossible as they told vs that any ship should ride so neâ—ee the shoare as ours did by reason of the dangerous Sands Our Officers so soone as they were at land went to the Gouernour of the Iland whilest the Souldiers who stayed behind them ran to the houses of the Ilanders of purpose to talke with the people and at their hands to buy victuals for a present reliefe but when wee came among them they could neither vnderstand vs nor we them so that the Market was spoiled and wee could get nothing for our money yet by such signes as wee could make they vnderstood our wants pitied them and bestowed vpon vs freely a little of such things as they had In the end a happy meanes of our reliefe was found out by a Souldier amongst vs who was a Dane by birth but his education hauiâ—g beene in England no man knew him to be other then an English man This Dane made vse of 〈◊〉 owne natiue language to the good both of himselfe and vs certifying the people who the rather beleeued him because he spake in their knowne tongue of the cause that compelled vs to land vpon their Coast and that we intended no mischiefe violence or money to which report of his they giuing credit stood in lesse feare of vs then before and thereupon furnished vs with all such necessaries as the Countrie affoorded to sustaine our wants The foode which wee bought of them was onely fish and a kinde of course bread exceeding cheape Of which foode there was such plentie that for the value of three pence wee had as much fish as twentie men could eate at a meale and yet none of the worst sorts of fish but euen of the very best and daintiest as Mackrels and Lobsters and such like In which our trading with the poore simple people we found them so ignorant that many yea most of them regarded not whether you gaue them a Counter or a Shilling for the bigger the piece was the more fish they would giue for it but besides fish wee could get no other sustenance from them or at least could not vnderstand that they had any other But obserue what happened in the meane time that we were thus in traffique with the Ilanders for victuals our Officers as before is said being gone to the Lord Gouernour who lay about twelue English miles from the Sea side the Master of our ship on a sudden hoysed vp sailes and away he went leauing one of his owne men at shoare who accompanied our Officers as their guide through the Iland The cause of the ships departure did so much the more amaze vs by reason it was so vnexpected and the reason thereof vnknowne to vs But wee imagined the Master of the ship and Mariners feaâ—ed to receiue vs into the Vessell againe because some of our men at their being at Sea threatned the Saylers and offered them abuses before they could be brought to set vs on land On the next day following the Lord Gouernour of the Iland came to vs bringing our Officers along with him yet not being so confident of vs but that for auoyding of any dangers that might happen he came strongly guarded with a troupe of Horse-men well armed And vpon his
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
Bamba where he kept himselfe in the Mountaines by reason of the rough and difficult accesse and there the Successors Inguas remayned vntill Amaro who was taken and executed in the market place of Cusco to the Indians incredible griefe and sorrow seeing iustice done vpon him publiquely whom they held for their Lord. After which time they imprisoned others of the Linage of these Inguas I haue knowne Don Charles grand-child to Guaynacapa and sonne to Polo who was baptized and alwayes fauoured the Spaniards against Mangocapa his brother when the Marquesse of Canette gouerned in this Country Sarritopaingua went from Vilcabamba and came vpon assurance to the Citie of Kings where there was giuen to him the Valley of Yucay and other things to whom succeeded a daughter of his Behold the succession which is knowne at this day of that great and rich Familie of the Inguas whose raigne continued aboue three hundred yeeres wherein they reckon eleuen Successors vntill it was wholly extinguished In the other Linage of Vrincusco which as we haue said before had his beginning likewise from the first Mangocapa they reckon eight Successors in this sort To Mangocapa succeeded Cinchoraca to him Capac Yupangui to him Lluqui Yupangui to him Mayraca paest Tarcogumam vnto whom succeeded his sonne whom they name not to this sonne succeeded Don Iean Tambo Maytapanaça This sufficeth for the originall and succession of the Inguas that gouerned the Land of Peru with that that I haue spoken of their Lawes Gouernment and manner of Life ALthough you may see by the Historie written of the Kingdome succession and beginning of the Mexicans their manner of Commonweale and Gouernment yet will I speake briefly what I shall thinke fit in generall to bee most obserued whereof I wâ—ll discourse more amply in the Historie The first point whereby wee may iudge the Mexican gouernment to bee very politike is the order they had and kept inuiolable in the election of their King for since their first called Acamapach vnto their last which was Moteçuma the second of that name there came none to the Crowne by right of succession but by a lawfull Nomination and Election This election in the beginning was by the voice of the Commons although the chiefe men managed it Since in the time of Iscoalt the fourth King by the aduise and order of a wise and valiant man called Tlacael there were foure certaine Electors appointed which with two Lords or Kings subiect to the Mexican the one of Tescuco and the other of Tucuba had power to make this election They did commonly choose young men for their Kings because they went alwayes to the warres and this was in a manner the chiefe cause why they desired them so They had a speciall regard that they should bee fit for the warres and take delight and glorie therein After the election they made two kindes of feasts the one in taking possession of the Royall Estate for the which they went to the Temple making great ceremonies and sacrifices vpon the Harth called Diuine where there was a continuall fire before the Altar of the Idoll and after some Rhetoricians practised therein made many Orations and Speeches The other feast and the most solemne was at his Coronation for the which hee must first ouercome in battell and bring a certaine number of Captiues which they must sacrifice to their gods hee entred in triumph with great pompe making him a solemne reception aswell they of the Temple who went all in procession sounding on sundrie sorts of instruments giuing Incense and singing like secular men as also the Courtiers who came forth with their deuises to receiue the vâ—ctorious King The Crowne or royall Ensigne was before like a Myter and behinde it was cut so as it was not round for the forepart was higher and did rise like a point The King of Tescuco had the priuilege to crown the King of Mexico In the beginning when the Mexicans were but poore and weake the Kings were very moderate in their expenses and in their Court but as they increased in power they increased likewise in pompe and state vntill they came to the greatnesse of Moteçuma who if he had had no other thing but his house of Beasts and Birds it had beene a proud thing the like whereof hath not beene seene for there was in this house all sorts of fish birds of Xacamamas and beasts as in an other Noahs Arke for Sea fish there were Pooles of salt-water and for Riuer fish Lakes of fresh-water birds that doe prey were fed and likewise wilde beasts in great abundance there were very many Indians imployed for the keeping of these beasts and when he found an impossibilitie to nourish any sort of fish fowle or wilde beast he caused the Image or likenesse to be made richly cut in precious stones siluer or gold in marble or in stone and for all sorts of entertainments he had his seuerall Houses and Palaces some of pleasure others of sorrow and mourning and others to treat of the affaires of the Realme There was in this Palace many Chambers according to the qualitie of the Noble men that serued him with a strange order and distinction THe Mexicans haue beene very curious to diuide the degrees and dignities amongst the noble men and Lords that they might distinguish them to whom they were to giue the greatest honor The dignitie of these foure Electors was the greatest and most honorable next to the King and they were chosen presently after the Kings election They were commonly brothers or very neere Kinsmen to the King and were called Tlacohecalcalt which signifies Prince of darts the which they cast being a kinde of armes they vse much The next dignitie to this were those they doe call Tlacatecati which is to say Circumcisers or Cutters of men The third dignitie were of those which they called Ezuahuacalt which signifies A shedder of bloud All the which Titles and Dignities were exercised by men of warre There was another a fourth intituled Tlilancalqui which is as much to say as Lord of the blacke house or of darknesse by reason of certaine Inke wherewith the Priests anointed themselues and did serue in their Idolatries All these foure Dignities were of the great Counsell without whose aduise the King might not doe any thing of importance and the King being dead they were to choose another in his place out of one of those foure Dignities Besides these there were other Counsels and Audiences and some say there were as many as in Spaine and that there were diuers Seates and Iurisdictions with their Counsellors and Iudges of the Court and others that were vnder them as Corrigidors chiefe Iudges Captaines of Iustice Lieutenants and others which were yet inferior to these with a very goodly order All which depended on the foure first Princes that assisted the King These foure onely had authoritie and power to condemne
huntings Court and Counsell His Citie Cambalu and glorious Palace pag. 81. § 6. The Cans prouisions for Embassadours and for Posts against Dearth for High-wayes for the Poore in Cambalu for Astrologers Tartars Wine Fuell Religion Opinions Behauiour Court-neatnesse Polos proceeding from Cambalu westward Of Pulisangan Gouza Tainfu Pianfu Thaigin Cacianfu Quenzaufu Sindinfu Thebeth Caindu Caraian Carachan Cardandan and Vociam pag. 87. § 7. Of the Prouince of Mien and Bengala how they were conquered to the Can Of Cangigu Amu Tholoman Cintigui and some other parts of Cataio And of the Conquest of Mangi pag. 93. § 8. Of the Cities of Mangi now called China and the rarities thereof the many wonders of Quinsai the Palaces Pleasures Rites and Gouernment obserued by the Natiues and the Tartars pag. 96. § 9. The ships of India described the I le of Zipangu the Sea Chin and World of Ilands the two Iauas Zeilan and other Ilands with the rarities therein pag. 102. § 10. Of the firme Land of the Creater India pag. 104 CHAP. V. The Historie of Ayton or Anthonie the Armenian of Asia and specially touching the Tartars H. P pag. 108. § 1. Of the Kingdome of Cathay and diuers other Prouinces of Asia and of the first habitation of the Tartars and of Cangius or Cingis his beginnings ibid. § 2. Of Changius Can his second vision and conquests Of Hoccoâ—â— and his three sonnes expeditions of Gino Can of Mangu Can who was visited by the King of Armenia and â—aptâ—â—ed of the expedition of his brother Haloon pag. 112. § 3. Of Coâ—na Can the fift Emperour of the Tartarâ—ans Of the warre with Barcha and Tartarian quarrell with the Christians Haolaons death Acts of the Solâ—an of Egypt Of Abaya and other sonnes and successours of Haloon pag. 117. § 4. Of Argon the sonne of Abaga and 〈◊〉 his brother of Baâ—do and of the exploits of Casan against the Soldan of Egypt and others pag. 120. § 5. Casan dyeth Carbanda succeedeth his Apostasiâ— The Authors entrance into a Religious habit Of Tamor Can the sixt Emperour and of Chapar Hochtaâ— and Carbanda three other Tartarian Kings pag. 125. CHAP. VI. Trauels and Memorials of Sir Iohn Mandeuile pag. 128. CHAP. VII The Voyage of Nicolo di Conti a Venetian to the Indies Mangi Cambalu and Quinsai with some obseruations of those places pag. 158. CHAP. VIII Extracts of Alhacen his Arabike Historie of Tamerian touching his Martiall trauels done into French by Iean de Bec Abbat of Mortimer pag. 160. § 1. Tamerlans birth and person his Expedition against the Muscouite his marriage with the Cans daughter his ouer-throwing of Calix ibid. § 2. Cataio Cambalu Tamerlans Expedition into China entring the Wall conquering the King and disposing of the Countrey and returne to Cataio pag. 14◠§ 3. The differences betwixt Tamerian and Baiazet the Turke his returne to Samarcand and Expedition against Baiazet the battell and victorie his Caging of Baiazet and making him his foot-stoole pag. 155. § 4. Encrease of Samarcand Affaires of China Funerals of the Can comming to Quinza and description thereof His disposition of his estate and death pag. 160. CHAP. IX Reports of Chaggi Memet a Persian of Tabas in the Prouince of Châ—â—an touching his trauels and obseruations in the Countrey of the Great Can vnto M. G. Baptista Ramuâ—ic pag. 164. CHAP. X. A Treatise of China and the adioyning Regions written by Gaspar da Cruz a Dominicanâ—riar â—riar and dedicated to Sebastian King of Portugall here abbreuiated H. P. pag. 166. Of Camboia and the Bramenes there the cause of his going to China Of China and the neighbouring Regions ibid. § 2. Cantan described the publike and priuate buildings and gouernment The shipping and husbandrie of China their contempt of the idle and prouision for impotent poore pag. 170. § 3. Of their mechaâ—ix all Trades Merchandises and Moneyes their prouisions of flesh and fish the Persons and attyre of Men and Women their Feasts pag. 176. § 4. Of their Loâ—thias Mandarines or Magistrates their creation priuiledges maintenance of Prisons and Tortures of the King and of Embassadours pag. 183. § 5. Of the Portugall commerce with the Chinois of the seuere Iustice executed vpon certaine Magistrates for wrongs done to the Portugals pag. 190. § 6. Of the Religion in China difficultie of bringing in Christianitie Terrible Earth-quakes and Tempests in China pag. 195. CHAP. XI The relation of Galeotto Perera a Gentleman men of good credit that lay prisoner in China pag. 199. The Contents of the Chapters and Paragraphs in the second Booke of the Second part of Purchas his PILGRIMS CHAP. I. THe beginning of English Discoueries towards the North and North-east by Sir Hugh Willoughby Richard Chancellor and others of the Muscouie Trade as also Voyages by Russia ouer the Caspian Sea and thorow diuers Regions of Tartaria pag. 211. § 1. The first voyage for discouerie with three ships set forth vnder the charge of Sir Hugh Willoughby Knight in which he dyed and Muscouia was discouered by Captaine Chancellor ibid. Some additions for better knowledge of this Voyage taken by Clement Adams Schoole-master to the Queenes Henshmen from the mouth of Captaine Chancellor pag. 218. The Copie of the Duke of Moscouie and Emperour of Russia his Letters sent to King Edward the Sixth by the hands of Richard Chancellor pag. 221. § 2. The first voyage made by Master Anthonie Ienkinson from the Citie of London toward the Land of Russia begun the twelfth of May in the yeere 1557. pag. 222. § 3. Notes taken out of another mans Relation of the same voyage touching the Russian Rites pag. 226. § 4. The voyage of Master Anthony Ienkinson made from the Citie of Mosco in Russia to the Citie of Boghar in Bactria in the yeere 1558. written by himselfe to the Merchants of London of the Moscouie Companie pag. 231. § 5. Aduertisements and reports of the sixt voyage into the parts of Persia and Media gathered out of sundrie Letters written by Christopher Borough and more especially a voyage ouer the Caspian Sea and their shipwracke and miseries there endured by the Ice pag. 243. A Letter of Master Henrie Lane to the worshipfull Master William Sanderson contayning a briefe discourse of that which passed in the North-east discouerie for the space of three and thirtie yeeres pag. 249. CHAP. II. Obseruations of China Tartaria and other Easterne parts of the World taken out of Fernam Mendez Pinto his Peregrination pag. 2â—2 § 1. Mendez his many miserable aduentures his strange Expedition with Antonio de Faria diuers Coasts visited Pirats tamed miseries sâ—ffered glorie recouered pag. 252. § 2. Antonio Faria his taking of Nouda a Citie in China triumph at Liampoo strange voyage to Calempluy miserable shipwrack pag. 258 § 3. Their shipwrack in which Faria and most of them were drowned the miserable wandrings of the rest to Nanquin their imprisonment sentence and appeale to Pequin rarities obserued in those places and wayes of the
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
of their Iewels and seeing they pleased him freely bestowed them on him He loth to be exceeded in liberalitie caused twice the value to bee giuen them and besides great and rich gifts Hauing stayed one yeare in the Countrey of the said Prince whiles they thought to returne to Venice there suddenly arose Warre betwixt the said Barcha and another named Alau Lord of the Easterne Tartars These Armies fighting together Alau had the Victorie and the Armie of Barcha receiued a great ouerthrow By reason whereof the wayes beeing not secure they were not able to returne that way which they came And hauing consulted how to returne to Constantinople they were aduised to goe so farre to the East that they might compasse the Realme of Barcha by vnknowne wayes and so they came to a Citie called Ouchacha which is in the Confines of the Kingdome of this Lord of the Tartars on the West and passing further they went ouer Tigris one of the foure Riuers of Paradise and after that a Desart of seuenteene dayes Iourney without Citie Castle or Fort finding only Tartars which liue in the fields in certayne Tents with their beasts Beeing past the Desart they came to a good Citie called Bocara the name also of the Prouince in the Region of Persia which was subiect to a King called Barach in which place they stayed three yeares before they could goe forward or backward by reason of great warres betwixt the Tartars At that time a certayne Wiseman was sent Ambassador from the said Prince Alau to the Great Can who is the greatest King of all the Tartars residing in the Confines of the Earth betwixt the North-east and the East called Cublai Can who being comne to Bocara and finding there the said two brethren which had now well learned the Tartarian Language he reioyced aboue measure and perswadeth these Westerne men or Latines to goe with him to the presence of the Great Emperour of the Tartars knowing that hee should gratifie him in this and the men notwithstanding should be entertayned with great honour and rewarded with large gifts especially seeing through the manifold conference had with them he now perceiued their pleasing behauiour Those men therefore considering that they could not easily returne home without danger consulting together ioyne with the said Ambassadour and iourney with him to the Emperour of the Tartars hauing certayne other Christians in their Company whom they brought with them from Venice and departing towards the North-east and the North were a whole yeare in going to the Court of the said chiefe King of the Tartars The cause of their long time in this Iourney was the Snowes and Riuer Waters much increased so that they were forced in their trauell to stay the wasting of the Snow and decreasing of the flouds Being therefore brought before the presence of the Great Can they were most courteously receiued of him He questioned them concerning many things as of the Countries of the West the Romane Emperour and other Kings and Princes how they carried themselues in Gouernment and in Warlike affaires how Peace Iustice and Concord continued among them also what manner of life and customes were obserued with the Latines and especially of the Pope of the Christians of the things of the Church and the Religion of the Christian Faith And M. Nicolo and M. Maffeo as Wisemen told him the truth alway speaking well to him and orderly in the Tartarian Tongue Insomuch that hee often commanded they should bee brought to his presence and they were very acceptable in his sight Hauing well vnderstood the Affaires of the Latines and resting satisfied with their answers the Great Can intending to send them his Ambassadours to the Pope first consulted with his Barons and then calling to him the two Brethren desired them for his loue to goe to the Pope of the Romans with one of his Barons called Chogatall to pray him to send an hundred Wisemen and learned in the Christian Religion vnto him who might shew his Wisemen that the Faith of the Christians was to bee preferred before all other Sects and was the only way of saluation and that the Gods of the Tartars were Deuils and that they and others the people of the East were deceiued in the worship of their Gods Hee gaue them also in charge to bring in their returne from Ierusalem of the Oyle of the Lampe which burneth before the Sepulchre of our Lord Iesus Christ to whom hee had great deuotion and held him to bee true God They therefore yeelding due reuerence to the Great Can promise that they will faithfully execute the charge commited vnto them and present the Letters which they receiued from him written in the Tartarian to be deliuered to the Bishop of Rome He according to the custome of his Kingdome commanded a Golden Tablet to bee giuen them ingrauen and signed with the Kings marke carrying the which with them throughout his whole Empire in stead of a Passe-port they might bee euery-where safely conueyed through dangerous places by the Gouernours of Prouinces and Cities and receiue expenses from them and lastly how long soeuer they would stay in any place whatsoeuer they needed to them or theirs should be ministred vnto them Taking their leaue therefore of the Emperour they take their Iourney carrying the Letters and Golden Tablet with them And when they had rid twentie dayes Iourney the Baron aforesaid associated vnto them began to fall grieuously sicke Whereupon consulting and leauing him there they prosecute their intended Iourney beeing euery-where courteously receiued by reason of the Emperours Tablet Yet in very many places they were compelled to stay by occasion of the ouer-flowing of Riuers so that they spent three yeares before they came vnto the Port of the Citie of the Armenians named Giazza From Giazza they goe to Acre to wit in the yeere of our Lord 1269. in the moneth of Aprill But hauing entred into the Citie of Acre they heard that Pope Clement the fourth was lately dead and that no other was substituted in his place for the which they were not a little grieued At that time there was a certaine Legate of the Apostolicall Sea at Acre to wit Master Tibaldo de Vesconti di Piacenza to whom they declared all they had in commission from the Great Can and he aduised them to expect the Creation of a new Pope In the meane space therefore departing to Venice to visit their Friends purposing to remayne there vntill another Pope were created Master Nicolo found that his wife was dead whom at his departure hee had left great with child but had left a sonne named Marco who was now nineteene yeeres of age This is that Marco which ordayned this Booke who will manifest therein all those things which he hath seene Moreouer the Election of the Pope of Rome was deferred two yeeres They fearing the discontentment and disquieting of the Emperour of the Tartars who they knew expected
their men and they promised it to Cublai One morning whiles Naiam was sleeping negligently in his Tent hauing not so much as sent out any scouts to espie Cublai made shew of his Armie vpon a hill to Naiams Hee himselfe sate in a certaine Castle of wood full of Archers and Crosse-bow men borne by foure Elephants on the top whereof was the Royall Standard with the Images of the Sunne and Moone Hee deuided his Armie into three wings of which he sent that on the right hand and the other on the left against Naiams Armie To euery ten thousand Horse were assigned fiue hundred Foot with Lances taught to leape vp behind the horse-men if any occasion of flight happened and suddenly on aduantage to light and slay the enemies horses with their lances Caidu was not yet come The battel 's ioyned and made a cruell fight which continued from morning till noone and then was Naiam taken and brought before Cublai who commanded that he should be sewed betwixt two Carpets which should be tossed vp and downe till the breath were out of his bodie that so the Imperiall blood might not be exposed to the Sunne and the ayre The remainder of his people sware Obedience to Cublai which were foure Nations Ciorza Carli Barscol and Sitingui Naiam was secretly baptised and by profession a Christian but no follower of the workes of Faith and signed his principall Ensigne with the signe of the Crosse hauing with him infinite store of Christians which were all slaine The Iewes and Saracens that were in the Armie of Cublai began to vpbraid the Christians with this disaster of the Crosse who thereupon complained to Cublai Hee then sharply reprouing the Iewes and Saracens turning to the Christians saith Surely your God and his Crosse would not giue any ayde to Naiam but be not you therefore ashamed because God beeing good and iust ought not at all to defend Iniustice and Iniquitie Naiam was a Traytour to his Lord and contrary to all equitie raised rebellion and sought the helpe of your God in his mischieuous purpose But he as a good and vpright God would not fauour his Designes He returned after this with great triumph to Cambalu and stayed there till Easter On that day he called the Christians before him and kissed their Gospels and made his Barons doe the same The like hee doth in the great Feasts of Saracens Iewes and Ethnikes that Sogomamber Can the God of the Idols Mahumet Moses or whosoeuer is greatest in heauen might helpe him Yet he made best shew of liking to the Christian Faith but pretended the ignorance of the Professors and the mightie acts of the Sorcerers to his not professing it Now for rewarding his Souldiers he hath twelue Barons or wise Counsellours which giue him notice of each Captaynes merit who raiseth them command of one hundred to a thousand and from one thousand to ten thousand and so forward giuing them Vessels of Plate and Tablets The Captayne of one hundred hath a Tablet of siluer and the Captayne of one thousand of Gold or siluer gilded the Captayne of ten thousand hath a Tablet of Gold with a Lions head on it the weight of the Tablets differ also according to the worth and weight of the dignitie On the said Tablet is written a command in this manner By the strength and power of the great God and by the Grace which he hath giuen to our Empire the name of Can be blessed and let them all dye and be destroyed which will not obey him All they which haue these Tablets haue priuiledges in writing of all things which they are to doe or demand And the Generals when they ride in publike they haue a cloth borne ouer their heads and when they sit sit on a Chaire of siluer Their Tablet is of three hundred Saggi fiftie ounces of Gold with the Images of the Sunne and Moone They whose Tablet haue a Gerfalcon may take with them for their guard the whole Armie of a great Commander Cublai is a comeley and faire man of a meane stature of a red and white face blacke and goodly eyes well fashioned nose and all the lineaments of his bodie consisting of a due proportion He hath foure wiues which he accounteth lawfull and the first-borne of them succeedeth him in the Kingdome And euery one of these is called Empresse and holdeth a peculiar Court and that Princely in a proper Palace hauing about three hundred chosen Hand-mayds and Mayd-seruant and many Eunuch seruants and at least ten thousand persons in their Family The King hath also many Concubines There is a certaine Nation of faire people Tartars called Vngut whether euery second yeare he sendeth Ambassadors to puruey the fairest Lasses for him of greatest esteeme for beautie which bring him foure or fiue hundred more or lesse as they see cause There are Praysers or Examiners appointed which take view of all their beauties examining Eyes Nose Mouth c. apart and set price on them at sixteene seuenteene eighteene nineteene twentie or more Carrats And they bring those of that rate which their Commission appoints These hee causeth to bee reuiewed by other Examiners and of so many chuseth perhaps thirtie for his Chamber of the chiefe which he puts to some of his Barons Wiues to see if they snore not in their sleepe if in smell or behauiour they be not offensiue Those which are approoued are by fiues diuided each fifth part wayting three dayes and nights in his Chamber by course the other in the next Lodgings preparing whatsoeuer these command them The lesse prized are put to Cookerie and other noble Officers And sometimes the Can bestowes them on Gentlemen with great portions The men of that Countrey esteeme it a grace and credit to haue Daughters worthy his liking and thinke themselues borne vnder an ill Planet if they haue not for his turne Cublai hath two and twentie Sonnes by his foure legitimate Wiues and the first-borne of his first Wife was called Cingis who should haue succeeded him in the Empire if hee had not dyed before his Father He left a Sonne named Temur a valiant man wife and exercised in Armes who is to succeed his Grand-father in the Empire in stead of his deceased Father But by his Hand-mayds and Mayd-seruants he hath fiue and twentie Sonnes all which are daily exercised in feats of Armes and are great Lords Seuen of his Sonnes by his Wiues are Kings of great Prouinces and maintayne their states with great reputation Three moneths of the yeere to wit December Ianuarie and Februarie Cublai remayneth ordinarily in Cambalu which is at the North-east border of Cataio and there on the South part by the new Citie is seated a great Palace First there is a square Wall each square being eight miles with a deep Ditch enuironing and a Gate in the middle of each after which is the space of a mile in circuit where Souldiers stand After this is
feast with him in that Hall There are not Tables for all to sit but the greatest part of the Souldiers and Barons eate on Carpets At all the doores stand two giantly fellowes with Cudgels to see that none touch the Threshold which if hee doe they take his garments away which he must redeeme with so many blowes as shall be appointed or else lose them They which serue the King sitting at the table all of them couer their mouthes with Silke least their breathing should by any meanes touch the Kings meat or drinke And when he hath minde to drinke the Damosell which giues it goeth back three paces and kneeles downe and then the Barons and all the people kneele and the Musicians sound their Instruments There is no cause why I should write any thing concerning the meats which are brought to the Table how daintie and delicate they are and with what magnificence and pompe they are serued in All the Tartars obserue this custome to celebrate the Birth day of their Lord most honourably The Festiuall birth day of Cublai is kept the twentie eight of September and this day hee accounteth more solemne then any of the whole yeare except the first of February wherein they begin their yeare The King therefore in his Birth day is cloathed with a most precious garment of Gold and about two thousand Barons and Souldiers are cloathed of the same colour of gold though of Silke stuffe and a girdle wrought with gold and siluer which is giuen them with a payre of shooes some weare Pearles and Gemmes of great price namely the Quiecitarie which are next to the Can and these garments are not worne but on their thirteene solemne Feasts according to the thirreene Moones of the yeare all then cloathed like Kings This custome is also obserued with the Tartars that on the birth day of great Cham all the Kings Princes and Nobles which are subiect to his Dominion should send presents vnto him as to their Emperour And they who desire to obtaine any place of Dignitie or office of him offer their requests vnto twelue Barons appointed for this purpose and what they decree is all one as if the Emperour himselfe had answered them All people also of what Faith or sect soeuer whether Christians or Iewes Saracens or Tartars and other Pagans are bound solemnly to call vpon their Gods for the life safetie and prosperitie of Great Can. On the day of the Kalends of February which is the beginning of the Tartars yeare great Can and all the Tartars wheresoeuer they are celebrate a very great and solemne Feast and all aswell men as women desire to bee cloathed in white Garments For they beleeue that the white garment is a token of good lucke Therefore that fortune might fauour them all the yeare they weare white in the beginning of the yeare Moreouer the Rulers of Cities and Gouernours of Prouinces mindfull of their dutie send vnto their Emperour on this day presents of Gold and Siluer Pearles and Precious stones many white Cloathes and other white things and many Horses of a white colour the rest of the Tartars at the beginning of the yeare send white presents one to another It is the custome of those which bring presents if they can of each to present nine times nine as if they send Horses to present nine nines that is eâ—ghtie one and so of Gold of Cloaths other things that somtimes he hath by this reckoning one hundred thousand Horses Also at this good lucke all the Elephants which the Emperour hath fiue thousand in number are brought vnto the Court couered with Tapistrie wherein the similitudes of diuers Beasts and Fowles are portrayed carrying vpon their shoulders two Chests full of golden and Siluer vessell Many Camels also are brought couered with faire Silken clothes which bring other things necessarie for the Court. And this day in the morning all the Kings Captaines Barons Souldiers Physicians Astrologers Falconers and the Gouernours of Prouinces and Armies and other Officers of the Emperour assemble in the great Hall before the King and they who happen to haue no place there for the multitude of men stand in another place where he may see them All being placed in their order and degree one ariseth as it were some Prelate and crieth out with a loude voyce Bow downe and adore And presently all doe reuerence bending downe their foreheads to the earth Then he sayth God preserue our Lord with long life and ioy and all answere God grant Then he sayth God encrease and aduance his Empire and preserue his Subiects in peace good-will and prosperitie and all answere God grant And this they doe foure times The adoration finished the said Prelate goeth to an Altar richly adorned on which is a red Table wherein is written the name of the Can and taking a Censer and putting odoriferous Spices therein they perfume the Table and the Altar with great reuerence in honour of great Can and so returne to their places After which are offered the gifts whereof we haue spoken and then the Tables are prepared and a most solemne Dinner held eating and drinking with great ioy with their wiues in manner before described And lastly a domesticall Lion is brought vnto the King which lying at his feet like a gentle Whelpe acknowledgeth his Lord. In those three moneths in which as we said before the Emperour remayneth in the Citie of Cambalu to wit in December Ianuarie and Februarie all the Hunters which the Emperour hath in all Prouinces round about the Prouince of Cathai apply themselues to hunting and offer all the greater wilde-beasts to wit Stags Beares Roe-buckes wilde Boares Deere and such like vnto their Gouernours who if they be distant from the Emperours Court lesse then thirtie dayes Iourney send such beasts taken by Waynes and Ships vnto the Emperour hauing first bowelled them But such as are fortie dayes iourney distant from his Court send onely the skinnes which are necessarie for the making of Armour Hee hath many Leopards and Wolues for hunting and many Lions also greater then those which are in Babylon in the haire whereof certaine little beames appeare of diuers colours to wit white blacke and red and they are accommodated to catch Boares Beares Stags Roe-buckâ—s wilde Asses and wilde Oxen and it is maruellous to see the Lions fiercenesse and dexteritie in the act Two Lions vse to bee carried in one Wagon when they goe to hunt and with them a Dog with which they are tamed and they carrie them on this fashion because of their furie and vnrulinesse and they must carrie them contrary to the wind for else the beasts would sent them and flee Hee hath many tame Eagles which are so fierce that they take Hares Roe-buckes Deere and Foxes among which some of them feare not with great violence â—o seize vpon Wolues and vexe them so sore that without labour and danger they
thing is remarkable that the Author and the next who in many Geographicall Notes agrees with him diuide Asia into two parts one called profound or deepe the other the greater and diuided in the midst by the Caspian Sea and Caucasus which our Armenian cals Cocas which Alexander passed not nor was euer well knowne to the Ancients who called all beyond that Hill Scythia as wee now call the most of it by a generall name Tartaria Strabo hath made like diuision of Asia into the inner and vtter Taurus being the Vmpire which Hill with diuers Appellations beginning at Pamphylia runnes Eastwards thorow the midst of Asia to the Indies that part to the North beeing called Asia within Taurus and that to the South Asia without Some ancient Geographers as Dionysius mentions extended Europe to the Caspian Sea which most of the Ancients thought to concurre with the Ocean as the Mediterranean Arabian and Persian doe Dionysius his Verses are worth obseruation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. They called it Taurus as there followes of the Bull-forme c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hereof we are the more curious to giue to the more curious a reason of our method in this Worke who in our former Tome haue first encompassed the shoares of Asia from the West to the East and then in the In-land parts haue in the eight and ninth Bookes principally as Voyages gaue leaue viewed Asia without Taurus and to the South of the Caspian but this Profound or Inner more vnknowne part we suruay here where we handle the Voyages and Discoueries of those parts of the World which the Ancients knew very little or not at all And indeed how little was Mangi Cataio or Tartaria knowne till the Tartars obtruded vpon the World a terrible knowledge of themselues in manner as Rubruquius and the former Friers with these Gentlemen Polo and Haiton describe Yea how were they by ignorance of following times buried againe till Portugall English and other moderne Voyages haue reuiued them as it were in a resurrection and that often in new names as if they had suffered that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so often here rehearsed and so much credited in many Religions of those Easterne Asians whence it comes that they are hardly knowne to be the same The Reader must pardon me or go to the Author himselfe if I haue here omitted some pieces of Haiton which you haue had in Polo and others before specially not so pertinent to our present Tartarian subiect The figures note the Chapters after the Latine from which Ramusios Diuision is much diuided and we therefore from both CHAP. V. The Historie of AYTON or ANTHONIE the Armenian of Asia and specially touching the Tartars §. I. Of the Kingdome of Cathay and diuers other Prouinces of Asia and of the first habitation of the Tartars and of CANGIVS or CINGIS his beginnings THe Kingdome of Cathay is the greatest that is to be found in the World and is replenished with people and infinite riches beeing situated on the shoare of the Ocean Sea In the which there are so many Ilands that their number can no wayes be knowne For neuer was there any man that could say he had seene all those Ilands But those of them which haue beene frequented are found to abound with innumerable wealth and treasures and that which is there most esteemed and deerest sould is Oyle of Oliues which the Kings and Commanders there cause to be kept with great diligence as a Souereigne Medicinable thing And moreouer in the Kingdome of Cathay are many maruellous and monstrous things which I forbeare to mention The Inhabitants of those parts are exceeding wise and subtill replenished with all kind of skill and cunning insomuch that they disdaine the endeauours of all other Nations in all kind of Arts and Sciences saying that they only see with two Eyes the Latines but with one eye and that all other Nations are blind And albeit they are exceeding sharpe-sighted in the exercise of all bodily workes and labours yet is there not amongst them any knowledge of spirituall things the men of that Countrey are not bold or couragious but more fearefull of death then befitteth such as beare Armes yet are they very ingenious and haue oftner had victorie of their enemies by Sea then by Land the money vsed in those parts is of square peeces of Paper signed with the Kings signe according to which signe or marke the pieces are of greater or smaller value and if they begin by age to be wasted or worne out hee that bringeth them to the Kings Court shall haue new for them of Gold and other Metals they make Vessels and other ornaments Of this Kingdome of Cathay it is said that it is in the beginning of the World because the head thereof is in the East and there is not knowne any other Nation to inhabit more Easterly thereabouts on the West it confineth on the Kingdome of Tarsa on the North with the Desert of Belgian And on the South-side are the Ilands of the Ocean afore mentioned 2. In the Kingdom of Tarsa are three Prouinces whose Rulers are also called Kings the men of that Countrie are called Iogour they haue alwayes worshipped Idols and yet doe except the ten Kindreds of those Kings who by the guiding of a Starre came to worship the Natiuitie in Bethleem Iuda And there are yet found many great and noble among the Tartarians of that Race which hold firmely the Faith of Christ. But the rest which are Idolaters in those parts are of no estimation in matter of Armes yet are they of a piercing wit for the learning of all Arts and Sciences They haue peculiar Letters or Characters of their owne And almost all the Inhabitants of those parts abstayne from eating of flesh and drinking of Wine neither would they by any meanes bee brought to kill ought that hath life Their Cities are very pleasant and they haue great Temples in which they worship their Idols Corne groweth there abundantly and all good kind of Graine But they are without Wine and hold it a sinne to drinke it as doe also the Agarens This Kingdome of Tarsa on the East-side confineth with the Kingdome of Cathay as aforesaid on the West it bordereth on the Kingdome of Turquestan on the North on a certayne Desert and on the South-side it adioyneth to a very rich Prouince called Sym which is situate betweene the Kingdome of India and Cathaia and in that Prouince are found Diamonds 3. The Kingdome of Turquestan on the East side is confined with the Kingdome of Tarsa on the West side with the Kingdome of the Persians on the North side with the Kingdome of the Corasmians and on the South it reacheth out to the Desart of India In this Kingdome are but few good Cities but there are large Plaines and good feeding
Emperour of Asia namely the King of Georgia But the Kingdome of Albcas being mightie in people and strongly situated and fortified could neuer yet either by the Emperours of Asia or by the Tartarians bee subdued In this Kingdome of Georgia is a maruellous strange Wonder or Miracle which I durst not haue reported or beleeued if I had not seene it with my eyes But because I haue personally beene there and beene made the eye witnesse thereof I say that in those parts there is a Prouince or Countrey called Hamsem being in circuit about three dayes iourney whose whole extent is all couered ouer with such thicke and palpable darknesse that none can see any thing therein neither doe any dare to goe into that Land because they know not the way out againe Those that inhabit neere about it affirme that they haue often heard the sound of mens voices crying of Cockes crowing and the neighing of Horses in the Wood and by the course of a Riuer that runneth out from that place there appeare certaine signes that there are people inhabiting therein 11. The Kingdome of the Chaldaeans beginneth on the East-side from the Mountaynes of Media and reacheth out vnto Niniue The Inhabitants of Chaldaea are called Nestorians because they are followers of the Errour of Nestorius and they haue their peculiar Chaldaean Characters others there are amongst them that vse the Arabian Letters and are of the Sect of the seducer Mahomet 12. The Kingdome of Mesopotamia on the East-side beginneth at the great Citie Mosel called of the Ancients Seleucia which is seated neere the Riuer Tigris and stretcheth out vnto the Riuer Euphrates and the Citie of Robais or Edessa 13. When the Turkes had inuaded the Kingdome of Turkie and possessed themselues thereof they could not preuayle against the Citie of Trapezond nor the Territorie thereof because of their strong Castles and other Fortifications by reason whereof it remayned still vnder the gouernment of the Emperour of Constantinople who vsed yearely to send thither a Ruler or Gouernour as his Deputie there vntill at length one of them rebelling against him made himselfe King in such sort that he which now holdeth that Land is called Emperour of Trapezond The Inhabitants are Greekes In the Kingdome of Turkie are foure Nations inhabiting namely the Greekes Armenians and Iacobines or Iacobites which are Christians liuing on merchandise and manuring the Earth and the Turkes which are Saracens that haue inuaded that Land and gotten the Gouernment from the Greeks Some of them liue on merchandise and labouring of the ground inhabiting in Cities and Townes others keeping in the Woods and Fields both Winter and Summer being Shepherds and very good Bow-men 14. Cilicia at this day is called Armenia by reason that after the enemies of the Christian faith had gotten that Countrey and held it a long time from the Greekes the Armenians endeauoured themselues so well that they wonne it againe from the Pagans In so much that the King of Armenia by the grace of God ruleth ouer Cilicia at this day In the Kingdome of Syria are diuers Nations inhabiting namely Greekes Armenians Iacobites Nestorians and Saracens There are also other Christian Nations namely the Syrians and Maronines or Maronites 16. The Countrey in which the Tartarians first inhabited lieth beyond the great Mountaine Belgian mentioned in the Histories of Alexander And there they liued like brutish People without learning or Religion feeding herds of Beasts and going from place to place to seeke pasture And being not exercised in armes they were despised of other Nations and payed tribute to al. Of these in ancient time there were many Nations which by a common name were called Mogli who vpon their encrease were after diuided into seuen principall sorts esteemed more noble then the rest The first of these Nations was called Tatar from the name of that Prouince wherein they first inhabited The second was named Tangur The third Cunat The fourth Talair The fifth Sonich The sixth Monghi And the seuenth Tebeth And whiles these seuen Nations liued vnder the subiection of their Neighbours as is aboue said it happened that a poore old man being a Smith saw a Vision in his sleepe namely a man armed all in white Armour and mounted on a white Horse which calling him by his name said vnto him Changius It is the will and pleasure of the immortall God that thou be Lord and Ruler ouer these Nations of the Mogli and that by thee they bee deliuered from the Dominion of their Neighbours vnder which they haue long remayned and they shall rule ouer their Neighbours and receiue Tribute of them to whom they formerly paid Tribute Changius hearing this Word of God was replenished with exceeding ioy and made publikely knowne the Vision which he had seene But the Rulers and Commanders would not giue credite to the Vision but rather despised and mocked the old man But the night following they themselues saw the same Vision of the Horse-man armed in white who commanded them from the Immortall God that they should be obedient to Changius and cause all to obey his command Whereupon all the said Chieftaines and Gouernours of the seuen Nations of the Tartarians calling the people together made them to yeeld obedience and reuerence to Changius Then afterwards placing a Chaire for him in the midst of them and spreading a blacke Felt Carpet on the ground they set him thereon and then the seuen chiefe Rulers lifting him vp did place him in the Throne or Chaire of State with great triumph and acclamation calling him Can their first Emperour and doing him solemne reuerence with bowing their knees as to their Lord and Gouernour Now at this solemnitie of the Tartarians and at the simplicitie of their blacke Cloth vsed in the creating of their first Emperour none ought much to wonder either because haply they were not then furnished with any fairer loth of Sâ—ate or else were so rude and ignorant at that time that they knew no better or fairer fashion of Sâ—ate But at this men might rather maruell that the Tartarians hauing since that coâ—quered many Kingdomes and gotten infinite riches and namely commanding ouer the Dominions and wealth of Asia euen to the confines of Hungaria they will not yet leaue their ancient and accustomed manner but at the confirmation of euery Emperour obserue the like order in euery point whereof I can well be a witnesse hauing beene personally present at the ceremonie vsed at the Confirmation of one of their Emperours But to returne to our purpose Changius Can being thus made Emperour by common consent of all the Tartarians determined ere he attempted any thing to make triall whether they would all performe faithfull obedience to him to which end he made certaine Ordinances to be obserued of all The first was That all the Tartarians should beleeue and obey the Immortall God by whose will hee was promoted to the
to vndertake this Warre for the better assuring of his estate seeing the King of China had much gone beyond his ancient bounds He had in his Court a Christian whom he loued much and euery one greatly respected named Axalla a Genuois by birth brought vp from his youth about his person This man principally did stirre him vp vnto great Enterprizes and notwithstanding his Religion hee trusted him Now he had all Religion in reuerence so as it did worship one onely God Creator of all things He often said that the greatnesse of Diuinitie consisted in the sundry kindes of people which are vnder the Cope of Heauen who serued the same diuersly nourishing it selfe with diuersitie as the nature was diuers where it had printed his Image God remayning notwithstanding one in his Essence not receiuing therein any diuersitie This was the reason that mooued him to permit and grant the vse of all Religions within the Countreyes of his obedience alwayes prouided as I said before that they worshipped one onely God He determined to make Warre with the King of China who is called the Lord of the World and Childe of the Sunne which was no small Enterprize But before hee would begin the same hee sent vnto the said King of China for to demand right for some Countreyes which they call Hordas abiding places which this Prince of China had vsurped long before and euen the passages of a Riuer called Tachij which is beyond his limits which are Walls which are betweene the Kingdomes of the great Cham and of our Tamerlan builded of purpose by this King of China to defend him from the Roades of the Tartarians and forces of our Prince so as this was begun with the aduice of the great Cham and for his benefit as well as for the Princes Therefore to accomplish his Enterprize in the meane-time that he attended for the returne of his Embassadors he caused his forces to come forwards from all parts appointing vnto them for the place of meeting his owne at the Horda of Baschir where all his Armie assembled and other ayding troupes of the great Cham in the Deserts of Ergimul at a certayne day in which place he should joyne with all his Army The Army of the great Cham consisted of two hundred thousand fighting men wherein were all the braue men of his Court who were accustomed vnto the Wars the Emperour which then raigned and was old hauing greatly increased his limits and conquered a great Countrey so as these men were well trayned vp in the Wars and accustomed vnto trauell and paines Now then the Embassadors which were sent returne and informe the Prince of the will of this proud King of the World this King of China who was named so who puffed vp with vaine glorie was astonished how any durst denounce Warre against him making this proud Answere That Tamerlan should content himselfe that hee had left him that which hee might haue taken from him and that his Armes and Forces were of another sort then those of whom he published the victorie to bring thereby terrour vpon his Neighbours This Answere being heard our Prince marched directly vnto the Army and gaue order for the conueyance of victuals from all parts sent to hasten forward his Confederates emparted the Answere vnto the Emperour by Embassadours dispatched from him caused the boldnesse of the King of China to be published to make manifest vnto all the World the justnesse of his cause Before his departure he went to take leaue of his Father who endued with a singular and Fatherly affection said he should neuer see him againe and that he hastened vnto his last rest and hauing made solemne Prayers ouer the Prince his Sonne for his prosperitie kissing him a thousand times drew off his Imperiall Ring and gaue it vnto him not asking whether his Iourney tended and calling Odmar he bade him farewell recommending his faithfulnesse vnto his Son Then he departed and drew towards Samarcand where the Empresse his Wife remayned whom he carryed with him as is the custome of that Nation and after he had being Religious visited the Tombe of his Seruant Hally hee caused his soule three dayes to bee prayed for according to the Rites of his Law whereupon he presently departed hauing taken order for the well gouerning of his Kingdome in his absence committing the charge thereof vnto Samay a man well practised in Affaires and he who had the charge of our Prince in his youth So then he marched forward in the middest of his Army which consisted but of fiftie thousand Horse and one hundred thousand men on foot relying principally on the Forces of the great Cham his Vncle who aboue all desired this War he did not forget to giue in charge that the rest of his Forces should be readie vpon the first Commandement as soone as he should be ioyned with the forces of the great Cham and marching forwards he had stayed by the way by reason of some distemperature which had surprized him through changing of the Ayre as the Physicians affirmed But yet notwithstanding the forces which Catiles Captayne of the Army of the great Cham conducted went daily forwards Now the newes was spred into an infinite number of places of his distemperature yet did he not neglect to send vnto the great Cham and often aduertize him of the estate of his health to the end the same should not cause any alteration the which hee did fore-see by reason of his preferment vnto this Empire by the great Cham his Vncle and hee was in doubt of a certayne Lord named Calix who was discontented therewith and had not as yet neither gratified nor acknowledged him as all the other subiects had done Now concerning his delay it was by sundry diuersly interpreted some said that hee had bin aduertized of some vproare to be attempted when he should be farre seuered from thence and had passed ouer the Mountaynes of Pasanfu and that Calix stayed vpon nothing else insomuch as the Companies of the great Cham were gone forwards euen beyond the Mountaynes hauing passed the Riuer of Meau and were encamped at Bouprou the which Calix vnderstanding thought he should haue the meanes to worke his enterprize Thereupon hauing assembled great store of his most faithfull followers he tooke counsell with them that this was the meanes to ouerthrow the purposes of Zachetay who would reigne ouer and bring them vnder his Empire that seeing their Prince had bin so badly minded as to do the same of his own mind without calling of them which had interest in that election that now was the time to assure their libertie which was in doubt to be lost caused also a rumor to be spred of the sicknes of this Prince that the great Cham was old the greatest part of his forces far separated from him forthwith dispatching a Messenger vnto the great Cham their Prince to assure him that they bent not their forces
the Campe of the Battayle for to stay the slaughter and to ioyne together againe his men to the end the accustomed watch might bee kept whereof hee gaue the charge vnto Axalla to whom he gaue likewise commandement to keepe the King of China within the middest of his Souldiers hauing bin already dressed of a wound he had receiued in his right arme It was a strange thing to behold the Enemies Weapons and the diuersitie of streamers wherewith they were decked the which seemed vnto vs afar off as beautifull as the diuersity of colours plentifull But to say the truth the multitude was great which this King had notwithstanding there was much difference betweene their valour and ours and it is reported that hee had ranged in Battayle this very day three hundred and fifty thousand men whereof there were an hundred and fiftie thousand Horse-men the rest on foot the greatest part of them were rude and barbarous people which suffered themselues to bee slaine one vpon another not marking their aduantage nor hauing any Warlike knowledge as our men haue there were slaine of the Enemies some threescore thousand Now the next day after the buriall of the dead the Prince hauing giuen thankes vnto God for his victorie caused the wounded to bee cured and amongst the others Calibes who by reason of the vntemperatenesse of the Ayre rather then by the blow of the wound he had receiued found himselfe very ill yet would he not omit his dutie to command alwayes his Auant-gard the which was a great pleasure vnto the Prince for he alone had Commandement ouer the Emperours Forces beeing a Scythian and greatly beloued of his Nation The Prince dispatched away thirty thousand Horse in the pursuit of one of the King of Chinas Brothers who was fled away hauing ioyned together againe some twelue or fifteene thousand Horse The Prince sent to summon Pannihu the which did yeeld it selfe vnto him wherevpon our Army approached neere vnto it for to aduance our selues the further into the Countrey Now I forget to declare how the Prince hauing the next day caused his Tents to bee pitched most stately and his Guards ordered according to his greatnesse the principall of his Army being also neere his person for all the night hee had remayned continually on Horse-backe vntill about two of the clocke when as they brought him a Tart and his water for hee neuer dranke Wine and lay downe on a Carpet where hee passed the rest of the night I was neere vnto him and neuer left him but I neuer heard any vaunting or boasting to proceed out of his mouth Then hee sent a commandement vnto Axalla to bring vnto him the imprisoned King who beeing come the Emperour issued out of his Tents and went to receiue him This King of China came with a very proud and haughtie countenance and like a couragious man approaching neere vnto the Emperour hee demanded of Axalla by an Interpreter which was the Emperour and being shewed him hee spake fiercely vnto him after this manner The Gods whom I worship being prouoked against my Nation and people and conspired against my good fortune haue made mee at this day thy Prisoner but forasmuch as it is reported ouer all the World that Tamerlan maketh warre for the honour of his Nation thou shouldest be contented that thou hast wonne it this glory that the Lord of the World the Child of the Sunne is in thy power to receiue such Law as it shall please thee to prescribe him This hee said in a braue manner and without any other humbling of himselfe The Emperour on the other-side hauing saluted him very courteously led him into his Tent. He is surely a great Prince and which hath had two hundred famous Cities within his Kingdome There be many Mynes of Gold and Siluer much Muske and also of an Herbe which the Christians call Rhubarbe There bee in like manner within the Kingdome of China fifteene very large Prouinces the which haue Gouernours It is reported that hee hath threescore and tenne Kings wearing Crownes Tributaries vnto him We call this Region China the which they in their Language name Tame and the people Tangis the which we call Chinois This Kingdome doth abound in fish and in great numbers of wild-fowle by reason of the great abundance of running waters which doe ouerflow the Countrey the which is reasonable temperate they a-abound greatly in Silkes and the meanest are apparelled therewith hauing small quantitie of Wooll and not vsing the same they haue much Cotton and Linnen in stead thereof The men doe weare their haire long the women combe them they haue as many Wiues as they are able to maintayne Next vnto the King there is a Gouernour Generall whom they call Tutan the which was the Brother vnto the imprisoned King The Prince hauing assembled his counsell to to the end he might be aduised how he should vse his Prisoners and the rest of the Victory hee receiued newes by Odmar how that the Kings Brother was arriued at Quantou the which hee had fortified and that great store of forces did ioyne themselues vnto him This was the cause that the Prince hauing somewhat rested his forces commanded two thousand Parthian Horse to conuey the Prisoners vnto Paguinfou and from thence after they had made abode there to passe ouer the Mountaynes and to remayne at Burda a Citie of olde time faithfull vnto the Emperours of Schytia and there to keepe them faithfully The purpose and resolution of the Prince was that it behooued to assault Quantou and to shut vp if it were possible the Kings Brother within the same being one of the principall seates belonging vnto the King of China and a Citie greatly peopled and strong it was forty leagues from the place where the battayle was fought But Odmar being aduanced thither would not retyre before he had expresse Commandement from the Prince who hauing sent thither pitched his Tents round about the said Citie hauing summoned many small Cities the which yeelded themselues wholly vnto the Princes mercy making great lamentation for their King taken Notwithstanding the gentlenesse vsed by the Conquerour made them to take all their losses with patience and because it was also reported that he had vsed the King most friendly and all the Prisoners the Kings Brother had sent Embassadours to obtayne leaue for to know of the Kings health and for to see him the which the Prince did willingly suffer to the end this other should not declare himselfe King who would haue brought him more trouble then the other He attended for the euent of Quantou and had his eye vpon the successe of this siege Now the Kings Brother hauing receiued newes of the Affaires of the besieged he determined eyther to succour it or to fight a Battle and came straight vnto Porchio and made a bridge of Boats whereof there be great store in these same Countreyes Now being enformed when 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
certificate of the goods hee carrieth and how hee payed duties for them In euery Custome-house that is in euery Prouince hee payeth certaine duties and not paying them he loseth the goods and is banished to the frontier parts Notwithstanding the abouesaid lawes some Chinaes doe not leaue going out of China to trafficke but these neuer returne againe to China Of these some liue in Mallaca others in Siam others in Patane and so in diuers places of the South some of these that goe out without licence are scattered Whereby some of these which liue already out of China doe returne againe in their ships vnto China vnder the protection of some Portugall and when they are to dispatch the duties of their ships they take some Portugall their friend to whom they giue some bribe that he may dispatch it in his name and pay the duties Some Chinaes desiring to get their liuing doe goe very secretly in these ships of the Chinaes to trafficke abroad and returne very secretly that it bee not knowne no not to his kindred that it bee not spread abroad and they incurre the penalty that the like doe incurre This law was made because the King of China found that the much communication of the strangers might be the cause of some risings And because many Chinaes with an excuse of sayling abroad became theeues and robbed the Countries along the Sea coast and yet for all this diligence there are many Chinaes robbers along the Sea coast These Chinaes that liue out of China and doe goe thither with the Portugals since the offence of Fernando Perez of Andrada did direct the Portugals to begin to goe to traffick to Liampo for in those parts are no walled Cities nor Villages but many and great Townes along the coast of poore people which were very glad of the Portugals and sold them their prouision whereof they made their gayne In these Townes were these Merchants of China which came with the Portugals and because they were acquainted for their sake the Portugals were better entertayned And as these Chinaes which were among the Portugals and the Countrey Merchants in their buyings and sellings they reaped a great profit thereby The inferiour Louthias of the Sea coast receiued also great profit of this trafficke for they receiued great bribes of the one and of the other to giue them leaue to trafficke to carrie and recarrie their goods So that this trafficke was among them a long while concealed from the King and from the superiour Louthias of the Prouince After these matters had for some space beene done secretly in Liampoo the Portugals went by little and little forward and began to goe and make their merchandise to Chincheo and to the Ilands of Cantan And other Louthias permitted them already in euery place for the bribes sake whereby some Portugals came to trafficke beyond Namqui which is very farre from Cantan without the King being witting or hauing knowledge of this trafficke The matters fell out in such sort that the Portugals wintered in the Ilands of Liampoo Some Chinaes that were among the Portugals and some Portugals with them came to disorder themselues in such manner that they made great stealths and robberies and killed some of the people These euils encreased so much that the clamour of the iniured was so great that it came not onely to the superiour Louthias of the Prouince but also to the King Who commanded presently to make a very great Armada in the Prouince of Fuquen to driue the theeues from all the coast especially those that were about Liampoo and all the Merchants as well Portugals as Chinaes were reputed in this number of theeues Being ready they went forth along the coast of the Sea And because the windes serued them not for to goe for Liampoo they went to the coast of Chincheo where finding some shâ—pâ— of Portugals they began to fight with them and in no wise did they permit any wares to come to the Portugals who stayed many dayes there fighting sometimes to see if they could haue any remedie for to dispatch their businesses But seeing they had no remedy they determined to goe without it The Captaynes of the Armie knowing this sent a message to them very secretly by night that if they would that any goods should come to them that they should send them something The Portugals very glad with this message prepared a great and sumptuous present and sent it them by night because they were so aduised From thence-forward came many goods vnto them the Louthias making as though they tooke no heed thereof dissembling with the Merchants And so were the businesses ended that yeere which was the yeere 1548. The yeare following which was 1549. there was a straighter watch vpon the Coast by the Captaynes of the Armada and greater vigilancie in the Ports and entrances of China in such sort that neyther goods nor victuals came to the Portugals but for all the vigilancie and watching there was as the Ilands along the Coast are many for they all runne in a rew along the China the Armies could not haue so much vigilancie that some wares were not brought secretly to the Portugals But they were not so many that they could make vp the ships ladings and the vttering those goods which they had brought to China Wherefore leauing the goods which they had not vttered in two ships of China of such Chinaes as were alreadie dismembred from China and Traffique abroad vnder the shadow of the Portugals in the which they left thirtie Portugals in charge with the ships and with the goods that they might defend the ships and in some Port of China where best they could they should sell the goods that remayned in change for some Wares of China and hauing ordayned this they departed for India As the people of the Armie of the Chinaes saw the two ships remayne alone the other ships being gone they came vpon them being induced by some Merchants of the Countrey which discouered to them the great store of goods that remayned in those Vessels and the few Portugals that remayned to keepe them Then they layd an ambush for them dressing some Chinaes ashoare which being in armes made as though they would set vpon the ships to fight with them because they were close to the Land that the Portugals being prouoked should come out of the ships to fight with them so the ships might remaine without defence to them of the Armada which lay watching in an ambush did accordingly set vpon the two Vessels with great furie celeritie and slaying some Portugals that were in the ships and wounding others they tooke the ships The chiefe Captayn which is the Luthissi remayned so glorious that he vsed great crueltie on some Chinaes that hee tooke with the Portugals Hee laboured to perswade foure Portugals which had more apparance in their persons then the rest that they should say they were
Kings of Malaca he perswaded them in the end because hee promised to vse them better then the rest and therewith he prouoked them And finding among the cloathes that hee tooke a Gowne and a Cap and asking of one of those Chinaes that were taken with the Portugals what habit that was they put in his head that it was the habit of the Kings of Malaca wherefore he commanded presently to make three Gownes by that patterne and three Caps and so he apparelled them all foure in one sort to make his fayning true and his victory more glorious To this was joyned the couetousnesse of the Luthissi to see if hee could detayne the many goods that hee had taken in ships And to doe this more safely not to be taken in a lye he did great executions vpon the Chinaes which he tooke with the Portugals and killing some of them determined to kill the rest These things comming to the eares of the Aitao which was his superior he disliked greatly that which hee had done and sent to him presently that hee should kill no more of those which remayned but that he should come to him presently bringing with him all the prize as well of the men that were yet aliue as of the goods The Luthissi ordering his Iourney for to goe to the Aitao as he was commanded he commanded foure Chaires to be giuen to them to whom hee had giuen title of Kings to be carried in them with more honour And the other Portugals were carried in Coopes with their heads out fast by the neckes betweene the boards that they could not pull them in but hauing some wounds in their heads they went bare headed to the Sunne and to the Dew and were carried on mens shoulders The Luthissi went with this Prize through the Countrey with great Majestie he carried before him foure Banners displayed on the which were written the names of the foure Kings of Malaca And when he entred into the Townes he entred with great noyse and Majestie with sound of Trumpets and with Cryers which went crying the great victorie the Luthisi naming him had gotten of the foure great Kings of Malaca And all the great men of the Townes went to receiue him with great Feasts and Honours all the Townes running to see the new Victorie When the Luthisi came with all his pompe and glory where the Aitao was after the giuing him particular account of all things passed and of his victory he manifested to him his pretence and agreed with him to diuide the goods betweene them both and that he should continue the fayning of the Kings of Malaca that both might receiue of the King Honours and Rewards This being set downe they both agreed that to keepe this in secret the Luthisi should go forward in that which he had begun to wit he should slay all 〈◊〉 Chinas that came there captiue And presently they commanded presently to put it in effect and so they slue ninetie and odde Chinas among whom were some young youths slaine They left notwithstanding three or foure youthes and one man that by them bringing them to their owne hand they might certifie the King all that they would that was to make of the Portugals Theeues and conceale the goods which they tooke certifying also by these that those foure were Kings of Malaca And the Portugals not hauing the Language of the Countrey neither had any person to intreate for or fauour them would perish and they being mightie would make their owne Tale good following the end by them intended And for this cause they slue not the Portugals but left them aliue for the greater triumph of the victorie These Lothias could not doe this so secretly but many of those which they slue had kindred in the Countrey which did grieue at the death of theirs Whereby as well by these as by some Louthias that were zealous of Iustice and would not giue consent in so great euils and fraudulent dealings this matter came to the Kings eares and hee was informed how the Portugals were Merchants which came to traffique with their Merchandize to China and they were no theeues and how they had falsly giuen the Title of Kings to foure of them to the end the King should shew great fauours and doe them great honours and how they had vsurped great store of goods and that for to conceale these euils they killed men and children without fault As soone as the King was informed of all aboue said hee dispatched present from the Court a Quinchay of whom we spake before that is to say plate of Gold And with him he sent other two men of great authoritie also of the which the one had beene Panchasi the other Anchasi these two as Inquisitors and Examiners of this matter Commanding and commending to the Chaen which that yeare went to visit the Prouince of Fuquen and to the Panchasi and Anchasi of the same Prouince their ayde and assistance to the Quinchay and the two Inquisitors in all things necessary for them in these businesses The two that came with the Quinchay as Inquisitors went presently to certayne great Houses which had in the middest a great Court and on the one side of the Court were certayne great and faire Lodgings and on the other side others in the same sort Each of the Inquisitors entred in one of these Houses aforesaid The Prisoners were presently brought and were presented to the one of them who for courtesie remitted them to the other that he should examine them first with many words of courtesie The other sent them againe with great thankfulnesse So they were sundry times carried from one to another each of them willing to giue the hand to the other of beginning first till that one of them yeelded and began And as the matter was of great import and much commended to them all that the guiltie and the accusers did speake these Officers did write with their owne hands The Portugals had for a great Enemy a China man and Pilot of one of the shippes that were taken and a China youth which was a Christian which from a childe was brought vp among the Portugals for they were both made of the part of the contrarie Louthias mooued by gifts and promises the Louthias being alreadie deposed of their Offices and held for guiltie for the which they were accused before the King But though they were thus handled they were so mightie and so fauoured that they could take from the Portugals a China youth that serued them for an Interpreter which vpon their Petition was againe deliuered them They examined them in this order the accused were first brought and examined by one of these Officers and they carried them to the other to bee examined againe And while the other was re-examining the accused the accusers were brought to him that examined first And as well the accused as the Accusers were all examined by both the Officers
sell. In like manner euery Artizan painteth out his craft the Market places be large great abundance of all things there be to be sold. The Citie standeth vpon water many streames runne through it the bankes pitched and so broad that they serue for streets to the Cities vse Ouer the streames are sundry Bridges both of Timber and Stone that being made leuell with the streets hinder not the passage of the Barges to and fro the Chanels are so deepe Where the streames come in and goe out of the Citie be certayne Arches in the Wall there goe in and out their Parai that is a kind of Barges they haue and this onely in the day time at night these Arches are closed vp with gates so doe they shut vp all the gates of the Citie These streames and Barges doe embellish much the Citie and make it as it were to seeme another Venice The buildings are euen well made high not lofted except it be some wherein Merchandize is laid It is a World to see how great these Cities are and the cause is for that the houses are built euen as I haue said and doe take a great deale of roome One thing we saw in this Citie that made vs all to wonder and is worthy to be noted Namely ouer a Porch at the comming into one of the afore-said foure Houses the which the King hath in euery share for his Gouernours as I haue before said standeth a Towre built vpon fortie Pillars each one whereof is but one stone each one fortie handfuls or spans long in breadth or compasse twelue as many of vs did measure them Besides this their greatnesse such in one piece that it might seeme impossible to worke them they bee moreouer couered and in colour length and breath so like that the one nothing differeth from the other Wee are wont to call this Countrey China and the people Chineans but as long as wee were Prisoners not hearing amongst them at any time that name I determined to learne how they were called and asked sometimes by them thereof for that they vnderstood vs not when wee called them Chineans I answered them that all the Inhabitants of India named them Chineans wherefore I prayed them that they would tell me for what occasion they are so called whither peraduenture any Citie of theirs bare that name Hereunto they alwayes answered me to haue no such name nor euer to haue had Then did I aske them what name the whole Countrey beareth and what they would answer being asked of other Nations what Countrey-men they were It was told me that of ancient time in this Countrey had beene many Kings and though presently it were all vnder one each Kingdome neuerthelesse enioyed that name it first had these Kingdomes are the Prouinces I spake of before In conclusion they sayd that the whole Countrey is called Tamen and the Inhabitants Tamegines so that this name China or Chineans is not heard of in that Countrey I doe thinke that the nearenesse of another Prouince thereabout called Cochinchina and the inhabitants thereof Cochinesses first discouered before that China was lying not farre from Malacca did giue occasion both to the one Nation and to the other of that name Chineans as also the whole Countrey to bee named China But their proper name is that aforesaid I haue heard moreouer that in the Citie Nanquim remayneth a Table of gold and in it written a Kings name as a memorie of that residence the Kings were wont to keepe there This table standeth in a great Palace couered alwayes except it bee in some of their festiuall dayes at what time they are wont to let it bee seene couered neuerthelesse as it is all the Nobilitie of the Citie goeth of dutie to doe it euery day reuerence The like is done in the head Cities of all the other Shires in the Palaces of the Ponchiassini wherein these aforesaid tables doe stand with the Kings name written in them although no reuerence bee done thereunto but in solemne Feasts I haue likewise vnderstood that the Citie Pachin where the King maketh his abode is so great that to goe from one side to the other besides the Suburbs which are greater then the Citie it selfe it requireth one whole day a horsebacke going hackney pace In the Suburbs bee many wealthy Merchants of all sorts They told me furthermore that it was Moted about and in the Motes great store of Fish whereof the King maketh great gaynes It was also told mee that the King of China had no King to wage battell withall besides the Tartars with whom hee had concluded a peace more then fourescore yeeres agoe There bee Hospitals in all their Cities alwayes full of people wee neuer saw any poore bodie beg We therefore asked the cause of this answered it was that in euery Citie there is a great circuit wherein bee many houses for poore people for Blinde Lame Old folke not able to trauell for age nor hauing any other meanes to liue These folke haue in the aforesaid houses euer plentie of Rice during their liues but nothing else Such as bee receiued into these houses come in after this manner When one is sicke blinde or lame hee maketh a supplication to the Ponchiassi and prouing that to bee true he writeth hee remaineth in the aforesaid great lodging as long as he liueth besides this they keepe in these places Swine and Hennes whereby the poore bee releeued without going a begging I sayd before that China was full of Riuers but now I minde to confirme the same anew for the farther wee went into the Countrey the greater we found the riuers Sometimes we were so farre off from the Sea that where wee came no Sea-fish had beene seene and Salt was there very deare of fresh-water Fish yet was there great abundance and that fish very good they keepe it good after this manner Where the Riuers doe meete and so passe into the Sea there lyeth great store of Boates specially where no salt-water commeth and that in March and Aprill These Boates are so many that it seemeth wonderfull neither serue they for other then to take small fish By the riuers sides they make leyres of fine and strong Nets that lye three handfuls vnder water and one aboue to keepe and nourish their Fish in vntill such time as other fishers doe come with Boates bringing for that purpose certaine great Chests lyned with paper able to hold water wherein they carrie their fish vp and downe the riuer euery day renewing the chest with fresh-water and selling their fish in euery Citie Towne and Village where they passe vnto the people as they need it most of them haue Net-leyres to keepe Fish in alwayes for their prouision Where the greater Boates cannot passe any farther forward they take lesser and because the whole Countrey is very well watred there is so great plentie of diuers sorts of Fish that it is
at our being there and his predecessour by the meanes of the said Metropolitan for hee betrayed him and in the night slew him in his chamber who was a Prince that loued all Christians well This Countrey of Boghar was somtime subiect to the Persians and doe now speake the Persian tongue but yet now it is a Kingdome of it selfe and hath most cruell warres continually with the said Persians about their Religion although they bee all Mahometists One occasion of their warres is for that the Persians will not cut the hayre of their vpper lips as the Bogharians and all other Tartars doe which they account great sinne and call them Caphars that is vnbeleeuers as they doe the Christians The King of Boghar hath no great power or riches his reuenues are but small and hee is most maintained by the Citie for he taketh the tenth penie of all things that are there sold as well by the Craftsmen as by the Merchants to the great impouerishment of the people whom hee keepeth in great subiection and when hee lacketh money he sendeth his officers to the Shops of the said Merchants to take their wares to pay his debts and will haue credit of force as the like hee did to pay me certaine money that he owed me for nineteene pieces of Kersey Their money is siluer and copper for gold their is none currant they haue but one piece of siluer and that is worth twelue-pence English and the copper money are called Pooles and one hundred and twentie of them goeth to the value of the said twelue-pence and is more common payment then the siluer which the King causeth to rise and fall to his most aduantage euery other moneth and somtimes twise a moneth not caring to oppresse his people for that he looketh not to raigne aboue two or three yeeres before he bee either slaine or driuen away to the great destruction of the Countrey and Merchants The twentie sixth day of the moneth I was commanded to goe before the said King to whom I presented the Emperour of Russia his letters who entertained vs most gently and caused vs to eate in his presence and dâ—uers times hee sent for me and deuised with me familiarly in his secret chamber as well of the power of the Emperour and the great Turke as also of our Countries Lawes and Religion and caused vs to shoote in hand-guns before him and did himselfe practise the vse thereof But after all this great entertainment before my departure hee shewed himselfe a very Tartar for he went to the warres owing me money and saw me not payed before his departure And although indeed hee gaue order for the same yet waâ— I very ill satisfied and forced to rebate part and to take wares as payment for the rest contrary to my expectation but of a begger better payment I could not haue glad I was so to be payd and dispatched But yet I must needs praise and commend this barbarous King who immediately after my arriuall at Boghar hauing vnderstood our trouble with the Theeues sent one hundred men well armed and gaue them great charge not to returne before they had either slaine or taken the sayd theeues Who according to their commission ranged the wildernesse in such sort that they met with the said companie of Theeues and slew part and part fled and foure they tooke and brought vnto the King and two of them were sore wounded in our skirmish with our Guns And after the King had sent for me to come to see them hee caused them all foure to bee hanged at his Palace gâ—te because they were Gentlemen to the example of others And of such goods as were gotten againe I had part restored me and this good Iustice I found at his hands There is yeerely great resort of Merchants to this Citie of Boghar which trauell in great Caraâ—ans from the Countries thereabout adioyning as India Persia Balgh Russia with diuers others and in times past from Cathay when there was passage but these Merchants are so beggerly and poore and bring so little quantitie of wares lying two or three yeeres to sell the same that there is no hope of any good trade there to be had worthy the following The chiefe commodities that are brought thither out of these foresaid Countries are these following The Indians doe bring fine Whites which the Tartars doe all roll about their heads and all other kindes of Whites which serue for apparell made of Cotton-wooll and Crasca but Gold Siluer precious Stones and Spices they bring none I enquired and perceiued that all such trade passeth to the Ocean sea and the veynes where all such things are gotten are in the subiection of the Portugals The Indians carrie from Boghar againe wrought Silkes red Hides Slaues and Horses with such like but of Kerseis and other cloath they make little account I offered to bartar with Merchants of those Countries which came from the furthest parts of India euen from the Countrey of Bengala and the riuer Ganges to giue them Kerseis for their commodities but they would not barter for such commoditie as Cloath The Persians doe bring thither Craska Woollen-cloath Linnen-cloath diuers kindes of wrought pide Silkes Argomacks with such like and doe carrie from thence red hydes with other Russe wares and Slaues which are of diuers Countries but cloath they will buy none for that they bring thither themselues and is brought vnto them as I haue inquired from Aleppo in Syria and the parts of Turkie The Russes doe carrie vnto Boghar red hydes sâ—eepe skinnes woollen cloath of diuers sorts woodden vessels brydles saddles with such like and doe carrie away from thence diuers kindes of wares made of cotten-wooll diuers kindes of silkes Crasca with other things but there is but small vtterance From the Countries of Cathay are brought thither in time of peace and when the way is open Muske Rubarbe Satten Damaske with diuers others things At my being at Boghar there came Carauans out of all these foresaid Countries except from Cathay and the cause why there came none from thence was the great warres that had dured three yeeres before my comming thither and yet dured betwixt two great Countries and Cities of Tartars that are directly in the way betwixt the said Boghar and the said Cathay and certaine barbarous field people as well Gentiles as Mahometists bordering to the said Cities The Cities are called Taskent and Caskar and the people that warre against Taskent are called Cossacks of the law of Mahomet and they which warre with the said Countrey of Caskar are called Kings Gentiles and Idolaters These two barbarous Nations are of great force liuing in the fields without House or Towne and haue almost subdued the foresaid Cities and so stopped vp the way that it is impossible for any Carauan to passe vnspoyled so that three yeeres before our being there no Carauan had gone or vsed
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
on the way and what our intent was and what things we brought Wee were very honourably entertayned in his iourney and in all the Townes and Cities of his Iurisdiction whereby we passed he commanded them to giue vs without delay refreshing of Flesh-meate Fish much Fruit and Wine Wee trauelled eight dayes and came to the last place of his Iurisdiction which is three dayes iourney from the Court of the King We stayed there with company that did waite vpon vs watching day and night about the Barke with their Centinels and Bells as they are wont to doe with the great Mandarines and especially because there were there things belonging to the King and the rest of the seruants of the Eunuch went to Paquin to deliuer the Petition to the King and to know his pleasure They deliuered the Petition and we looked for an answer thereof within three or foure dayes as he had told vs. But God had disposed otherwise for the exercise of our patience and hope in him and that was that the King made no answer as we looked for whereupon he was somewhat ashamed of the great brags that he had made to vs without performance of any thing and hee and wee were all in suspense when we saw the King returned no answer which is wont to bee a token that he liketh not the Petition that is made vnto him Fifteene dayes after wee arriued in this place the Eunuch came thither to send from thence to the King a third part of the tribute which he had gathered He came accompanied with great store of Vessels and that wherein he was was such as assuredly your Worship hath not seene the like in all your life The forme is very much different from ours for it is like vnto an high House wholly diuided into chambers and halls very high full of carued workes round about with hangings of Silke of many figures and round about full of galleries to walke vp and downe without being driuen to enter in And on the outside it was all couered ouer with a kind of Oyle like Varnish which runneth out of certaine trees which they make with tempering of all sorts of colours whereof in Iapon and here there is great abundance and the Portugals call it Charan it is a very faire shining and durable thing and the things that are coloured with it doe shine like Glasses if it be of the finest and besides though it be not costly yet it is as faire and fairer because it is more naturall and very neate and fine wherewith they paint diuers figures trees and flowers and if it be of the right it doth not decay and loseth no whit of his lustre Herewith was the Barge trimmed without with diuers figures painted on the hull of the Barge from the hull vpward the windowes and the walls of the Halls and Chambers was full of carued workes knots and carued flowers some gilded others of diuers colours agreeable to their natures which made a very pleasant shew within it was of the same worke with more excellency and the most part was gilded and the floore of boords was painted with very shining Charan or Oyle It was as long as a good Gallie little more or lesse and somewhat broader but farre higher and in such sort that when wind fayleth they vse very great Oares after the manner of China which serue and are managed as Fishes vse their tayle to swimme And because they bee of this fashion they vse them with much facilitie in euery Vessell how high soeuer it be This was the fashion of the Vessell wherein the Eunuch came with much Musike of Trumpets Drummes and Fifes and other Instruments which I omit for breuities sake When he was come to this place seeing the King sent no answere to his first petition he sent another to put him in remembrance and to solicite an answere to the first wherein hee answered nothing to this point although he answered to other things And though it bee true that sometimes the King maketh no answer through forgetfulnesse and confusion because the petitions be infinite which are daily giuen him from all the Kingdome yet most ordinarily when he giueth no answer it serueth for an answer either that hee will not doe or liketh not of that suit that is made vnto him And therefore because there came no answer the Eunuch was much grieued that he had meddled in this matter out of which he could not withdraw his hand because he had giuen a Petition to the King vntill he had seene some answer of his fearing some damage or displeasure of the King that hereof might ensue and hereupon hee beganne to estrange himselfe from vs and sought not to see vs not to haue to doe with vs and sent sixe men alwaies to stay in our Barge vnder colour to serue vs but in very truth to watch vs day and night In this suspence wee continued three moneths in the extreme heate in a Barge not knowing what would become of vs. At the end thereof newes was brought vs that the King had sent to the Eunuch that he should see what things they were for vntill then he had not written to him but in generall and signifie it vnto him and if he thought them worthie he should send him a Petition touching that matter Wee were somwhat more ioyfull with this message which was so indeed And Father Matthew Riccio went to the Eunuchs lodging to receiue the Kings answer with such ceremonies and reuerences as they are wont to receiue the messages that come from the King And to put this commandement in execution he came to our Barge accompanied with many inferiour Mandarines as witnesses and in the Kings name hee tooke all these things into his hands which he sent vnto his house There he fell to reason with vs perswading vs that wee should conceale none of the precious things that wee had brought whereof his minde did so greatly runne because the King would be greatly displeased if hee knew that wee had any good things and would not giue them him Wee told him plainely the truth putting him in plaine words out of that imagination which we knew he had conceiued And after many complements on both parts he returned to his lodging He wrote to the King what things they were which we had brought looking that he would straight haue sent for them But it fell out as it did at the first that he returned no answer and the cause thereof seemed to be that they were things that he made none account of Wee were now the second time in like case as wee were at the first not being able to goe backe nor forward for they would not suffer vs to goe to Paquin nor to returne backe The Eunuch being readie to returne to the Citie of Lincin where we first met him hauing need of the Barge wherein wee were commanded vs to bee remoued vnto an house
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
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
Ethike Oeconomike Politike this Booke for the foure parts is called the Foure Bookes These nine are the ancientest China Bookes whence the others most what are taken and contayne most of their Characters And the ancient Kings enacted that they which professe Learning should take the foundations of their Learning from those Bookes not only to learne the proper sense of the Text but to bee able on the sudden to write fitly of any sentence for which cause that Tetrabiblion is learned without Booke Neyther is there any Vniuersitie or publike Schoole as some of ours haue affirmed the Masters or Professors whereof haue vndertaken to read and expound those Bookes but euery one gets a Master at home at his owne choice and cost of which there is a huge multitude In this Science are three Degrees bestowed on them which offer themselues to be examined and are iudged meete That Examination is almost wholly in Writing The first Degree is conferred in euery City in that place which is called the Schoole by some learned man designed to that Office by the King who is by that place called Tihio the Degree is termed Sieucai A threefold Examination is premised First at his comming to any City of his Prouince all that stand for that degree in that City and the confining limits thereof resort thither and are examined by those Masters which are set ouer the Bachelours till they haue attayned further Degree mayntayned by the Kings stipend In this Examination euery one is admitted perhaps foure or 5000. assembled to that purpose The second is by the foure Gouernours of the City for none are admitted to Gouernment but the Learned which present out of all that number 200. of the better Writers to the Tihio and he in a third Examination chuseth 20. or 30. of the best which he entituleth Bachelors their Ensignes are a long Gowne a Cap and Boots which none else may weare in all places they are much respected as in a ranke aboue the vulgar Citizens and enjoy also diuers Priuiledges being in manner subject only to the Masters aforesaid and the Tihio other Magistrates scarsly medling with them This Tihio not only hath authority ouer these new created Bachelors but ouer those which were made before to re-examine them and these according to their writing hee diuideth into fiue rankes the first he rewardeth with some publike Office in the City the second with some inferiour honour the third he neyther rewards nor punisheth the fourth he causeth to be publikely whipped the last he degradeth and maketh againe Plebeians The second Degree is called Kiugin and may be compared with our Licentiates and is conferred but once in three yeares and that in the Metropolitane City about the eight Moone with greater Majesty And the degree is not conferred to all but to a certayne number of the worthiest according to the dignity of each Prouince Pequin and Nanquin haue each 150. Cequian Quamsi and Fuquian 95. others fewer Only Bachelors but not all are admitted to this Examination the Tihio sending out of each City or Schoole 30. or at most 40. of the best which number yet ariseth in some Prouince to 4000. of those Examinates or Probationers for this second degree A little before the eighth Moon which often fals in September the Pequin Magistrates present to the King 100. of the most esteemed Philosophers in the Kingdome who thence pricketh or nameth thirty for each Prouince two to take charge of the Examination of these Candidates One of these two must bee of the Hanlin Colledge the Collegians whereof are most famous thorow the Kingdome The King doth not name them till that nicke of time when they must presently packe to their Prouince diligently guarded also that they speake with none of that Prouince till the Act or Commencement be past In the same Prouince also are chosen the best Philosophers to assist these two Examiners In euery Mother City is a huge Palace built for this purpose compassâ—d with high wals with many stations for the Examiners separate from noyse and foure thousand Cels or Studies besides in the midst of the Palace wherein is a stoole and table for one man that none may see or confer with any other When the Examiners sent by the King and those of the Prouince are come thither they are presently shut vp in their stations before they can speake with other men or with each other during all the Examination time Night and day meane-whiles the Magistrates and Souldiers guard the Palace from Colloquies Three dayes the same thorow the Kingdome the ninth twelfth and fifteenth of the eighth Moone from morning to night are appointed for their writing the doores being shut A light refection prouided the day before is giuen to the Writers at publike cost When the Bachelors come to the Palace they are thorowly searched whether they haue any Booke or Writing with them and are admitted only with the Pensils which they vse in writing their Plate Paper and Inke these also and their Garments searched to preuent all fraud which found causeth the twofold punishment both of losse and sence When they are admitted the doores shut and sealed the two Royall Examiners out of the Tetrabiblium propound three Sentences for so many Theames to euery of them and foure out of the fiue Bookes of Doctrines for so many other Theames These seuen Writings must bee made for elegance of words and weight of Sentences according to the Precepts of China Rhetoricke neyther must any Writing contayne aboue 500. Characters Two dayes being passed for the Examinationn of these the next day out of the Chronicles or other three Cases of Politie are propounded wherein each which three Theames or Writing expresse their minde or Libel-wise admonish the King what were fittest to be done The third day three Law Cases such as happen in the Magistrates Offices are propounded for each thereof to expresse his Sentence These in great silence each in his appointed Cell hauing written their Theames subscribed with their owne their Fathers Grand-fathers and great Grand-fathers names and sealed so that none but men appointed may reade them offer them to certayne Officers which before the Examiners see them cause them to bee transcribed by certayne thereto appointed which Copies to be distinguished from the Originals are written in Red Inke without the Authors names the Originals laid vp safely that none might by the hand or name know the Authour In this Examination the Assistants first reiect the worst present vnto the two Examiners twice so many as are to be chosen Licentiates as if one hundred and fifty are to bee chosen three hundred are tendered to passe their last scrutinie who first lay by the best so many as are to bee elected and thence take the first second and third and set them accurately in order and then conferre them with the Originals thence taking the names which they
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
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
pleasant Woods wherein diuers sorts of wilde beasts doe breed as Panthers Ounces Foxes Sables and Marterns Now Pohemy is distant from Tobolsca about two weekes Iourney toward the North-east Yrtis with almost the like distance from Tobolsca falleth into the Oby And at the mouth of it was builded a Towne called Olscoygorod but afterward razed downe by commandement of the Gouernour of Siberia The cause whereof was not then knowne which notwithstanding I guesse to haue been either the extremity of the cold or that the Towne stood rer vnto the Sea then they thought fit and feared lest some inconuenience might grow thereby for which cause about fiftie leagues aboue that razed Towne they builded another vpon an Iland of the Riuer Oby called Zergolta From hence sayling vp the Riuer they vse small sayles either because winds blow faintly or for the highnesse of the shoare so that though the Oby bee almost euery where very broad notwithstanding they drew their Boats in it with ropes altogether after the same sort that they trauell vp the Riuers of Moscouia Two hundred leagues aboue Zergolta they came to Noxinscoi a Castle builded thirteene yeers agoe at which time the Gouernour sent certaine men thither out of Siberia to seeke ouâ— Countries profitable for mankind and fit to build Townes in Wherefore at that time they builded this Castle and furnished it with a certaine Garrison in a very pleasant wholsome warme and fertile soyle and wherein were great store of Beasts and Fowles of rare kinds The very Castle being situated toward the South-east by little and little grew to be a Citie The Inhabitants whereof were enioyned to proceed by degrees into further and more temperate Countries and to trafficke truely in euery place and courteously and kindly to entreat all people that they met withall whereby at length they might more largely extend the Dominion and spread abroad the Russian Name Wherefore flocking thither in great numbers and piercing into the Inland foure hundred leagues they found goodly Countries but not inhabited And whereas ten yeeres past hauing sayled two hundred leagues vp the Riuer Oby they lighted vpon a Countrey very fruitfull and pleasant which was very temperate and free from all discommodities and the Winters very short and in a manner none at all They tooke occasion thereupon to returne into Siberia to send word of these things into Moscouia Boris Godonoua was then Emperor there who hauing receiued such good tidings forthwith commanded the Gouernour of Siberia that with all speed hee should cause a Citie to bee builded there The Gouernour obeyed and there was a Castle builded vpon his commandement with certaine houses adioyned so that now it is a large Citie The name thereof is Tooma because they vnderstood that a great multitude of Tartars in times past were seated there of whom this Citie tooke that name for the pleasantnesse of the situation thereof And it is reported that these Tartars had at that time a King whose name was Altin Whereby it came to passe that the Citie which was first builded held out many assaults of sundry people that dwelt in those Champion Countreyes And now this Citie is so mightie that in processe of time some reasonable great Kingdome is likely to grow out off it Furthermore betweene this Castle of Noxinscoi and the Citie Tooma and Siberia the Moscouites daily doe discouer many people dwelling in the In-land parts some of whom call themselues Ostachies and now are growne into one bodie with the Tartars Samoieds and Russes liuing friendly together they haue many Kings among them almost like vnto the Indians I speake of the pettie Kings not of the greater Kings of India And to bee briefe the Moscouites haue proceeded so farre into that mayne Land that we haue just cause to maruell thereat Moreouer there are many Castles and Townes betweene the Riuers of Obi and Yrtis builded almost at the same time when Tobolsca was and are now proper Townes whose Inhabitants are Moscouites Tartars and Samoieds of their kind which we call The tame Samoieds in respect of those which are altogether wild And the first of the Townes is Tara from which place it is neere ten dayes iourney between Obi and Yrtis Then Iorgoetum builded about fifteene yeares past Besobia and Mangansoiscoigorod both of them builded aboue Iorgoetum toward the South The Inhabitants that dwell on the west side of the Riuer Obi seeke daily to discouer more and more On this side of Obi are seated the Cities Tobolsca Siberia Beresaia and certaine others builded vpon certaine Riuers and more are builded daily Beyond Obi are Narim Tooma and diuers other Cities the Inhabitants whereof insteed of Horses vse Reyne Deere or exceeding swift Dogs which they fatten with diuers kinds of fishes and especially with Thornebacks because they thinke they be made the stronger with that kinde of food Iorgoetum whereof I spake before is builded in an Iland of the Riuer Obi. Also aboue Narim as men trauaile toward the East they meete with the Riuer Telta on the banke whereof they haue builded a Castle named Comgof-scoi The garâ—ison Souldiers of which Castle together with the Inhabitants of Narâ—m about seuen yeeres past were commanded by the Gouernour of Siberia to trauell East and diligently to search what vnknowne Nations dwelt in those parts Therefore trauelling through certaine vast Deserts for the space of tenne weekes or there abouts passing in the way through many faire Countreys many Woods and Riuers at length they espied certaine Cottages set vp in the fields and certaine Hords or Companies of people But because they had Samoieds and Tartars for their guides which were acquainted with those places they were not afraid The people came vnto them reuerently and with humble behauiour and signified by the Samoieds and Tartars that they were called Tingoesi and that their dwelling was vpon the banke of the great Riuer Ieniscè which they said did spring from the South South-east but that they knew not the head thereof These people were deformed with swellings vnder their throats and in their speech they thratled like Turkie-cocks Their language seemed not much to differ from the Samoieds which also vnderstood many of their words Ieniscè being a Riuer farre bigger then Obi hath high mountaines on the East among which are some that cast out fire and brimstone The Countrey is plaine to the West and exceeding fertile stored with plants flowers and trees of diuers kinds Also many strange fruits do grow therein and there is great abundance of rare Fowles Ieniscè in the spring ouerfloweth the fields about seuentie leagues in like manner as they report vnto vs as Nilus doth Egipt Wherwith the Tingoesi being well acquainted doe keepe beyond the Riuer and in the mountaines vntill it decrease and then returne and bring downe their heards of Cattell into the plaines The Tingoesi being a very gentle people by the perswasion of the
bare me they would haue mee stay in the Ship I gaue them thankes and told them that I came into her not to forsake her yet not to hurt my selfe and others by any such deed Henry Greene told me then that I must take my fortune in the Shallop If there bee no remedie said I the will of GOD bee done Away went Henry Greene in a rage swearing to cut his throat that went about to disturbe them and left Wilson by me with whom I had some talke but to no good for he was so perswaded that there was no remedie now but to goe on while it was hot least their partie should faile them and the mischiefe they had intended to others should light on themselues Henry Greene came againe and demanded of him what I said Wilson answered He is in his old song still patient Then I spake to Henry Greene to stay three dayes in which time I would so deale with the Master that all should be well So I dealt with him to forbeare but two dayes nay twelue houres there is no way then say they but out of hand Then I told them that if they would stay till Munday I would ioyne with them to share all the victuals in the ship and would iustifie it when I came home but this would not serue their turnes Wherefore I told them it was some worse matter they had in hand then they made shew of and that it was bloud and reuenge hee sought or else he would not at such a time of night vndertake such a deed Henry Greene with that taketh my Bible which lay before me and sware that hee would doe no man harme and what hee did was for the good of the voyage and for nothing else and that all the rest should do the like The like did Wilson sweare Henry Greene went his way and presently came Iuet who because hee was an ancient man I hoped to haue found some reason in him but hee was worse then Henry Greene for hee sware plainely that he would iustifie this deed when he came home After him came Iohn Thomas and Michel Perce as birds of one feather but because they are not liuing I will let them goe as then I did Then came Moter and Bennet of whom I demanded if they were well aduised what they had taken in hand They answered they were and therefore came to take their oath Now because I am much condemned for this oath as one of them that plotted with them and that by an oath I should bind them together to performe what they had begun I thought good heere to set downe to the view of all how well their oath and deedes agreed and thus it was You shall sweare truth to God your Prince and Countrie you shall doe nothing but to the glory of God and the good of the action in hand and harme to no man This was the oath without adding or diminishing I looked for more of these companions although these were too many but there came no more It was darke and they in a readinesse to put this deed of darknesse in execution I called to Henry Greene and Wilson and prayed them not to goe in hand with it in the darke but to stay till the morning Now euerie man I hope would goe to his rest but wickednesse sleepeth not for Henry Greene keepeth the Master company all night and gaue mee bread which his Cabbin-mate gaue him and others are as watchfull as he Then I asked Henrie Greene whom he would put out with the Master he said the Carpenter Iohn King and the sicke men I said they should not doe well to part with the Carpenter what need soeuer they should haue Why the Carpenter was in no more regard amongst them was first for that he and Iohn King were condemned for wrong done in the victuall But the chiefest cause was for that the Master loued him and made him his Mate vpon his returne out of our wintering place thereby displacing Robert Billet whereat they did grudge because hee could neither write nor read And therefore said they the Master and his ignorant Mate would carry the Ship whither the Master pleased the Master forbidding any man to keepe account or reckoning hauing taken from all men whatsoeuer serued for that purpose Well I obtained of Henrie Greene and Wilson that the Carpenter should stay by whose meanes I hoped after they had satisfied themselues that the Master and the poore man might be taken into the Ship againe Or I hoped that some one or other would giue some notice either to the Carpenter Iohn King or the Master for so it might haue come to passe by some of them that were the most forward Now it shall not bee amisse to shew how we were lodged and to begin in the Cooke roome there lay Bennet and the Cooper lame without the Cooke roome on the steere-board side lay Thomas Wydhouse sicke next to him lay Sydrack Funer lame then the Surgeon and Iohn Hudson with him next to them lay Wilson the Boatswaine and then Arnold Lodlo next to him in the Gun-roome lay Robert Iuet and Iohn Thomas on the Lar-boord side lay Michael Bute and Adria Moore who had neuer beene well since wee lost our Anchor next to them lay Michael Perce and Andrew Moter Next to them without the Gun-roome lay Iohn King and with him Robert Billet next to them my selfe and next to me Francis Clements In the mid-ship betweene the Capstone and the Pumpes lay Henrie Greene and Nicholas Simmes This night Iohn King was late vp and they thought he had been with the Master but he was with the Carpenter who lay on the Poope and comming downe from him was met by his Cabbin-mate as it were by chance and so they came to their Cabbin together It was not long ere it was day then came Bennet for water for the Kettle hee rose and went into the Hold when hee was in they shut the Hatch on him but who kept it downe I know not vp vpon the Deck went Bennet In the meane time Henrie Greene and another went to the Carpenter and held him with a talke till the Master came out of his Cabbin which hee soone did then came Iohn Thomas and Bennet before him while Wilson bound his armes behind him He asked them what they meant they told him he should know when he was in the Shallop Now Iuet while this was a doing came to Iohn King into the Hold who was prouided for him for he had got a sword of his own and kept him at a bay and might haue killed him but others came to helpe him and so he came vp to the Master The Master called to the Carpenter and told him that he was bound but I heard no answere he made Now Arnold Lodlo and Michael Bute rayled at them and told them their knauerie would shew it selfe Then was the Shallop haled vp to the Ship side and the poore sicke
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
house out of the earth by reason of the strong winds which sometimes ouerthrow Horses and their Riders They haue great plentie of Butter for the fatnes of the grasse for the Island grasâ—e is so fat that Oxen after a certaine time are to be driuen from the Pastures lest they burst And it is of so pleasing a sent that our men lay it vp in their Chests with singular care for their garments The most part for scarcitie of Vessels lay their Butter aside in the corners of their Houses as we doe Lime or other matter and that without Salt They haue domesticall cattle as kine but many of them are without hornes Al their Horses are amblers very fit for carrying of burdens They haue very great sheepe they keepe not a Hogge nor a Hen for want of graine if fodder or hay faile them in the Winter they feed their cattle with fish They haue rough Dogs bred without tayle and eares for their pleasure which they sell deere and greatly esteeme when notwithstanding they offer their children to any that will aske them and that freely Besides this Iland hath white Foxes and huge Beares of the same colour They haue no Birds but water-fowle whereof there are diuers kinds and sorts found there vnknowne vnto vs. Crowes sometimes are changed white and excellent Falcons and some among them white which being taken and gotten with the great cost of the Spaniards and Portugals are also carried away in great number which thing was done while I was in Island to my great profit Island also hath white Partridges There are also euery where through the whole Iland most pleasant Riuers which yeeld the Inhabitants fish in great plentie Salmon Trowts and Sturgeons There is one only bridge in all the Iland made of the bones of a Whale They that goe from one part of the Iland to another by the Continent haue no way which they may follow for the solitarinesse thereof but as Saylers in the Sea so they by the helpe of the Load-stone performe their journeyes The depth of the Sea neere Island is very exceeding In these gulfs there are Whales of wonderful bignes and many Sea-monsters which cannot bee killed or taken of men the Ice only through the force of the winds dasheth them against the Rockes and killeth them I saw such a Monster cast vpon the shoare dead whose length was thirty ells his heigth more then a very long Warlike Pike A Whale being dead or killed the Inhabitants make Buildings and Dwellings of the bones thereof with great dexteritie and skill they make also seates benches tables and other vtensils smoothing them so that they seeme like Iuory They that sleepe in these houses are said alwayes to dreame of shipwrack And although it bee a huge and fearfull creature and haue great strength yet notwithstanding oftentimes he is not onely withstood but ouercome of his capitall enemie not so great which is called Orca this fish hath the shape of a ship turned vpside-downe and vpon his backe very sharpe and long finnes wherewith hee woundeth the soft of the belly of the Whale and killeth him and the Whale so feareth this fish that in shunning him he often dasheth himselfe against the shoare The Iseland Sea hath a Monster also whose name is vnknowne They iudge it a kinde of Whale at the first sight when hee shewes his head out of the Sea hee so scarreth men that they fall downe almost dead His square head hath flaming eyes on both sides fenced with long hornes his body is blacke and beset with blacke quills if he be seene by night his eyes are fiery which lighten his whole head which he putteth out of the Sea nothing can either bee painted or imagined more fearfull Olaus Magnus maketh mention of this Monster in his twentieth Booke and saith that it is twelue cubits long Such a Monster at that time tore in pieces with his teeth a Fisher-boate wherein there were three Fisher-men so that they were drowned one of them who held in his hand a little cord wherewith hee vsed to draw the hooke and the fishes laid hold of the boord which floted in the Sea so he was saued getting out of the bottom vpon the planke and swam foorth and declared this to the Kings Gouernour in my presence adding moreouer that he was saued from heauen that he might get maintenance for his children who otherwise were readie to perish with hunger when the other two though married yet were without children Another Monster also is often there seene and taken of ten or twelue elles long it is called Hacfal it is all fat it is taken after a wonderfull manner they haue a very long pike wherunto they fasten an Iron with a forked point that it cannot goe backe vnto the staffe a cord of a maruailous length is fastned they sticke this speare in the Monster which swimmeth vnto it for prey perceiuing a man in the little boates as soone as the Monster feeles himselfe strooken and wounded forthwith he hides himselfe in the Deepe and there his bloud being powred out dyes afterward the Fishers draw him to the land by the long cords fastned to the speare Besides it hath diuers Sea Monsters a Dogge fish which putting his head out of the Sea barketh and receiueth his whelps sporting in the Sea againe into his belly while they come to more growth It hath Horses and Kine and what not and it is a maruell how skilfull Nature sports in expressing the shape of all earthly Creatures and Fowles in the Sea Neither should any man perswade me that these things are true although ten Aristotles should affirme them vnto me vnlesse I had seene most of them with mine eyes Let no man therefore presently cry out that what he knowes not is fabulous The men of Lubeck Hamburg and Breme were often wont to goe to this Iland and leaue their seruants in the winter lodgings but now it is prouided by the Kings authoritie that no Germaine either by reason of trading or learning of the language leaue his seruants there in the winter but vpon what occasion this came to passe the matter standeth thus In the yeere of Christ 1561. there was a Citizen of Hamburg one Conradus Bloem left by an other in Iseland in the winter lodgings with the Bishop in Scalholden for trading and learning of the tongue the Bishops fishers find a whole Vnicornes horne in the Ice brought out of Groneland as it is thought where yet at this day Vnicorns are said to be thinking it to be a Whales tooth nor did the Bishop beleeue otherwise they bring it to their Master who gaue it to Conradus begging it he being somewhat craftie sold it after at Antwerp for some thousands of Florins When this thing came to the King of Denmarks eares he forbad that no Germaine should winter in Iseland in any cause Of the iudgement of the
compelled to digge vp Snow and with stones redde hot to melt in tubbes and then to drinke it This affection continued about twelue or foureteene dayes till we came into Russia Vpon our very first entrance into which Kingdome we marched ouer an arme of the Sea that was eight leagues ouer many of vs staruing to death in that passage by the cold freezing windes that blew the same day In which frosty iourney I saw so much bread as a man might buy for twelue pence sold away in little bits for the value of fortie shillings But this misery ended the next day at our setting foot into Russia where we found plenty both of corne and cattle onely the people of the Countrey ranne away leauing all their goods behinde them but so cunningly hidden that the best pollicie of ours could hardly finde them out By this meanes of the peoples running away we were glad to play the Millers and to grinde all our corne our selues to bake our bread and to dresse our owne victuals Then marched wee vp to Nouogrod a chiefe Citie in Russia where wee were to receiue all our meanes that rested behinde vnpayed but our Captaines beguiled vs and kept it for themselues yet to stoppe our mouthes they told vs wee should goe into Muscouy and there all reckonings should be made euen Wee had scarce marched aboue three dayes towards Muscouy but that newes came how a certaine number of our enemies lay in a sconce by the way the strength of them was not perfectly knowne but it was thought they were not aboue seuen hundred and that we must vse some stratagem to expell them from thence vpon which relation our Captaines drew forth to the number of three hundred English horsemen and two hundred French horsemen so that in all we were about fiue hundred that were appointed to set vpon the supposed seuen hundred Polanders our enemies that so lay insconsed vpon whom we went Our chiefe Commander in that seruice was Monsier la Veite a French man who so valiantly led vs on that the enemy hearing of our comming fled ouer a water that was by the sconce yet not with such speede but that wee slue to the number of foure hundred of their side and lost onely three men of our owne but we tooke the sconce About the sconce stood a faire Towne called Arioua with a riuer called the Volga running through the middle but no bridge ouer it onely a few Boates and Sloates made and cut out of trees were there to carry the people ouer from the one halfe of the Towne to the other This sconce furnished vs not onely with great store of riches but also with a number of Polish Horses and as many armes as serued to arme fiue hundred men our want of that commoditie being as much as of any thing besides for of those fiue hundred men that went vpon the seruice there were not three hundred fixed armes yet through the hand of him that deales victories or ouerthrowes as it pleaseth him best the day was ours Ouer this riuer Volga the enemies were neuer driuen before either by the Emperor of Russia or by the King of Swethland for which cause as afterward wee heard the next day when they departed from the other side of the Riuer they burnt that halfe of the Towne on which side they were themselues and in most bloudy barbarous and cruell manner made hauocke both of men women and children albeit not aboue halfe a yeare before the Inhabitants on that side had reuolted from their owne Emperour and turned to them In which tyrannicall vprore their custome was to fill a house full of people and then the doores being locked vpon them that none might issue forth the house was fired about their eares and oftentimes were yong children taken by the heeles and cast into the middest of the flames This inhumane tyrannie being practised not onely by the Poles that were our enemies but euen by those Russes that were traitors to their owne Emperour and serued vnder the Poles and were called Cossakes whose cruelty farre exceeded the Polish The Towne being thus burnt to the earth all the sixe thousand which as I said before fled ouer the Riuer out of the sconce and were by vs supposed to be but seuen hundred came downe in full battalion to the Riuers side with such fiercenesse as if presently they and their horses would haue swom ouer to fight with vs which being perceiued our poore fiue hundred stood ready to resist them But whether they feared our numbers to be greater then they were and that wee had some other secret forces I know not but away they marched the selfe same day in which they came downe in that braueâ—y not doing any thing of which wee for our parts were not much sorry because if the battailes had ioyned wee knew our selues farre vnable to withstand them And this was the seruice of the most noate that wee went vpon HONDIVS his Map of Muscouia MOSCOVIA Our Generall whose name was Euerâ—orâ—e was a Fynlander and with a company of Fynland blades as they tearme them well appointed on Horsebacke was by the King of Sweueland sent after vs as our Conuoy vntill wee should come to Pontus le Guard who was chiefe Generall ouer the whole armie of strangers that came into the Land so that according as he was sent and charged by the King hee ouertooke vs before we came to Arioâ—a By the intreatie therefore of this Fynlander and the flattering promises of our owne Captaines we were contented to goe vpon this seruice and to deliuer the Russes or to dye our selues in the action Yet with condition that as they promised to vs we should by the way meete our chiefe Generall Pontus le Guard who with certaine numbers of English French and Dutch which the yeare before were come into the Land was vpon a march out of Muscouy not onely to meete vs but to ioyne with vs and pay vs all our money which remained good to vs prouided likewise that so soone as euer wee should release the seuen thousand Russes our money should be payed downe On these conditions I say wee yeelded to goe vpon the businesse At length Pontus le Guard met vs according to the promise and with him was money brought to pay vs and his word giuen that presently wee should receiue it But the lamentable estate in which the poore besiedged Russes were within the sconce being at the point of death for want of foode required rather speedy execution then deliberation so that the necessities of their hard fortunes crauing haste on wee went hauing about ninteene or twenty thousand Russes that were people of the same Countrey ioyned to our Armie to aide them in this enterprize But as we all were vpon a march the enemy hauing receiued Intelligence of our approaching set forward to the number of eight thousand Lanciers and more to intercept vs
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
Benefices of the Indians be Cures and not simples and that in the new discoueries and plantations that shall be made there be presently an Hospitall built for the poore and sicke persons of sicknesses that are not contagious which shall be placed neere the Temple and for a Cloyster of the same that for the sicke of contagious diseases the Hospitall shall be set that no hurtfull winde passing by it doe strike in the other inhabiting and if it be built on a high place it will be better And because the King being informed that goods of the deceassed in those parts do not come so wholly as they might nor so soone to the hands of the heyres by will of the said deceased for many causes whereby the heires receiued great damage and the testaments were not performed for a remedy it was prouided that whatsoeuer Spaniard shall come to any Village or Towne of those parts he shall present himselfe before the Clarke of the Counsell where he shall Register the name and surname of such a one with the place of his aboad or birth that his death happening it may be knowne where those that are to be his heires may be found That the ordinary Iustice with the most auncient Ruler and the Clark of the Counsell shall take charge of the goods of the persons that shall dye and shal set them in an Inuentorie before a Scriuener and Witnesses and the debts that he did owe and were owing him and that which is in Gold Siluer small Pearle and other things shall be sold and put in a Chest of three Locks whose Keyes the three persons abouesaid shall keepe That the goods be sold in a publike out-cry with the Testimony of a Scriuener that if neede be an Atturney shall be constituted That the said Iustices doe take occompt of all those that haue charge of dead mens goods and recouer all that they are behinde hand without any appeale and doe put it in the Chest of the three Keyes That hauing any Will of the deceased where he dyeth and the Heires or Executors the Iustice shall not meddle in any thing neither take the goods taking only notice who be the Heires of the said deceased That the said Iustices Rulers and Scriueners doe send also to the Contrataction-house of Seuill all that which they shall recouer of the goods of the deceased declaring the name surname and aboad of of euery one deceased with the Copy of the Inuentory of his goods that they may be giuen to his Heires by the order that touching the same is giuen That when they take accompt of those that haue had goods of men deceased it shall be sent to the supreme Counsell of the Indies with a very particular relation and reason of all That the Iustices doe with care enforme themselues carefully of those which haue in possession the goods of men deceased whether they haue done any fraude and preiudice to the goods they haue had in possession send to the Counsel notice thereof that they may giue accompt with paiment to the Iustices aboue said That accompt be giuen euery yeere and the memoriall of the dead that haue beene that yeere shall be shewed to the Gouernor of the Country of the goods they had that they may be sent to Seuill be giuen to his heires and the Testaments be fulfilled with good accompt and reason that is behoouefull For in euery Counsell one of the Iustices is Iudge of the goods of the deceased the one succeeding another from the yongest to the eldest by their turne which doth send his Commissaries through the bounds to take accompt of the houlders and there be any carelessenesse the Iustices are charged therewith in the visitations which are made of them and before when there are any Plaintifes Those Catholike Kings being informed that in the Indies were many married Spaniards which liued separated from their wiues of the which besides the offence that was done to our Lord God there followed a great inconuenience to the Plantation of those Countries for that such not liuing seated in them were not continued neither did they attend to build plant breed nor sowing nor doing other things which the good inhabiters are wont to doe whereby the Townes doe not increase as is behoofefull and as they would do if there came inhabitors with their wiues children as true Townsmen being willing to remedy the abouesaid commanded that all and euery person or persons that should be found to be married or betrothed in these Kingdomes should come vnto them for their wiues and not returne to the Indies without them or with sufficient proof that they are dead And the same order was giuen for all the Kingdomes of that new world and sundry times hath beene reiterated and commanded to be executed vpon grieuous penalties Proceeding from the yeare 1492. when the discouery of this Orbe was begun in directing and setling the spirituall gouernment as hath beene seene for greater perfection and enduring of it The Catholike King Don Phillip the second called the Prudent considering that among the great benefits that the Indians haue receiued their illumination to receiue the Euangelicall Doctrin was the greatest which hath exâ—ended itselfe and considering also the singular grace which God for his mercy hath vsed with them in giuing them knowledge of our holy Catholike Faith that it was necessary to haue a speciall vigilancy in the conseruing of the deuotion and reputation of the inhabitors and Castillane pacifiers which with so many labours procured the augmenting of the Religion and exalting of the Catholike Faith as in those parts like faithful Catholik Christians and good naturall and true Castillans they haue done seeing that those which are out of the holy Catholike Apostolike Roman Church obstinate and stubborne in their errors and heresies do alwayes procure to peruert the faithful Christians labouring to draw them to their false opinions scattering certain damned Books wherof hath followed great hurt to our sacred Religion and hauing so certain experience that the best meanes to preuent these euils consisteth in the separating the communication of heretical persons punishing their errors according to the disposition of the sacred Canons laws of these Kingdoms which by this holy means by the diuine clemency haue beene preserued from this wicked contagion and is hoped they will be preserued hereafter to the end that the Orbe doe not receiue so much hurt where the inhabiters of these Kingdomes haue giuen so good example of Christianity the Country-born haue not peruerted themselues with erronious doctrines of the hereticks It seemed good to his Maiestie with the aduice of the Cardinal D. Iames of Espinosa Bishop of Siguença Inquisitor generall in these Kingdoms a man of great prudence and of many rare parts and vertues for the which he made election of his person to help him to beare the burden of so many Kingdomes and Lordships and of the
and easie for that these eighteene leagues of Land betwixt Nombre de Dios and Panama is more painefull and chargeable then 2300. by Sea whereupon some would say it were a meanes to drowne the Land one Sea being lower then another As in times past we finde it written that for the same consideration they gaue ouer the enterprize to winne the red Sea into Nile in the time of King Sesostris and since in the Empire of the Othomans But for my part I hold such discourses and propositions for vaine although this inconuenience should not happen the which I will not hold for assured I beleeue there is no humaine powerable to beate and breake downe those strong and impenetrable Mountaines which God hath placed betwixt the two Seas and hath made them most hard Rockes to withstand the furie of two Seas And although it were possible to men yet in my opinion they should feare punishment from heauen in seeking to correct the workes which the Creator by his great prouidence hath ordained and disposed in the framing of this vniuersall world Leauing this discourse of opening the Land and ioyning both Seas together there is yet another lesse rash but very difficult and dangerous to search out Whether these two great gulfes doe ioyne in any other part of the world which was the enterprize of Fernando Magellan a Portugall Gentleman whose great courage and constancie in the research of this subiect and happy successe in the finding thereof gaue the name of eternall memory to this straight which iustly they call by the name of the discouerer Magellan of which straight we will intreate a little as of one of the greatest wonders of the world Some haue beleeued that this Straight which Magellan had discouered in the South Sea was none or that it was straightned as Don Alonso d'Arsile writes in his Auracane and at this day there are some that say there is no such Straight but that they are Ilands betwixt the Sea and Land for that the maine Land ends there at the end whereof are all Ilands beyond the which the one Sea ioynes fully with the other or to speake better it is all one Sea But in truth it is most certaine there is a straight and a long and stretched out Land on either side although it hath not yet beene knowne how farre it stretcheth of the one side of the straight towards the South After Magellan a Shippe of the Bishop of Plaisance passed the straight Don Guitieres Caruaial whose Maste they say is yet at Lima at the entrie of the Pallace they went afterwards coasting along the South to discouer the Straight by the commandement of Don Garcia of Mendoca then Gouernor of Chille according to that which Captaine Ladrillero found it and passed it I haue read the discourse and report he made where he saieth that he did not hazard himselfe to land in the Straight but hauing discouered the North Sea he returned backe for the roughnesse of the time winter being now come which caused the waues comming from the North to grow great and swelling and the Sea continually foming with rage In our time Francis Drake and Englishman passed this Straight After him Captaine Sarmiento passed it on the South side And lastly in the yeere 1587. other Englishmen passed it by the instruction of Drake which at this time run along all the coast of Peru. Euen as Magellan found out this Straight vpon the South so some haue pretended to discouer another Straight which they say is in the North and suppose it to be in Florida whose coast runnes in such sort as they know no end thereof Peter Melendez the Adelantade a man very expert at Sea affirmeth for certaine that there is a Straight and that the King had commanded him to discouer it where in he shewed a great desire he propounded his reasons to proue his opinion saying that they haue seene some remainders of Ships in the North Sea like vnto those the which the Chinois vse which had beene impossible if there were no passage from one Sea vnto another Moreouer hee reported that in a certaine great Bay in Florida the which runs 300. leagues within the Land they see Whales in some season of the yeare which come from the other Sea One of the most admirable secrets of Nature is the ebbing and flowing of the Sea not onely for this strange property of rising and falling but much more for the difference there is thereof in diuers Seas yea in diuers coasts of one and the same Sea There are some Seas that haue no daily flowing nor ebbing as we see in the inner Mediterranean which is the Thyrene Sea and yet it flowes and ebbes euery day in the vpper Mediterranean Sea which is that of Venice and iustly giueth cause of admiration that these two Seas being Mediterranean and that of Venice being no greater then the other yet hath it his ebbing and flowing as the Ocean and that other Sea of Italie none at all There are some Mediterranean Seas that apparantly rise and fall euery moneth and others that neither rise in the day nor in the moneth There are other Seas as the Spanish Ocean that haue their flux and reflux euery day and besides that they haue it monethly which commeth twice that is to say at the change and at the full of euery Moone which they call Spring-tides To say that any Sea hath this daily ebbing and flowing and not monethly I know not any It is strange the difference we finde of this subiect at the Indies for there are some places whereas the Sea doth daily rise and fall two leagues as at Panama and at a high water it riseth much more There are other places where it doth rise and fall so little that hardly can you finde the difference It is ordinary in the Ocean Sea to haue a daily flowing and ebbing and that was twice in a naturall day and euer it fals three quarters of an houre sooner one day then another according to the course of the Moone so as the tide fals not alwaies in one houre of the day Some would say that this flux and reflux proceeded from the locall motion of the water of the Sea so as the water that riseth on the one side fals on the other that is opposite vnto it so that it is full Sea on the one side when it is a low water on the opposite as we see in a Kettle full of water when we mooue it when it leanes to the one side the water increaseth and on the other it diminisheth Others affirme that the Sea riseth in all parts at one time and decreaseth at one instant as the boyling of a Pot comming out of the centre it extendeth it selfe on all parts and when it ceaseth it fals likewise on all parts This second opinion is true and in my iudgement certaine and tried not so much for the reasons which the Philosophers giue
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
lancheth or cutteth the same while in the meane time it can neither be seene nor taken that from some it hath cut off their hands and from other their feete vntill the remedy was found to annoint the place with Oyle and scrape it with a Rasor In the firme Land in golden Castile or Beragua there are many Vipers like vnto them of Spaine they that are bitten of them dye in short space for few liue to the fourth day except present remedy Of these some are of lesse kinde then other and haue their taile somewhat round and leape in the aire to assaile men and for this cause some call this kinde of Vipers Tyro their biting is most venomousâ— and for the most part incurable One of them chanced to bite an Indian Maide which serued me in my house to whom I caused the Surgians to minister their ordinary cure but they could doe her no good nor yet get one drop of blood out of her but onely a yellow water so that she died the third day for lacke of remedie as the like hath chanced to diuers others This Maide was of the age of foureteene yeares and spake the Spanish tongue as if she had beene borne in Castile she said that the Viper which bit her on the foot was two spans long or little lesse and that to bite her she leapt in the aire for the space of more then six paces as I haue heard the like of other credible persons I haue also seene in the firme Land a kinde of Adders very small and of seuen or eight foot long these are so red that in the night they appeare like burning coles and in the day seeme as red as blood these are also venemous but not so much as the Vipers There are other much lesse and shorter and blacker these come out of the Riuers and wander sometimes farre on the Land and are likewise venemous There are also other Adders of a russet colour these are somewhat bigger then the Viper and are hurtfull and venemous There are likewise another sort of many colours and very long of these I saw one in the yeare of Christ 1515. in the Iland of Hispaniola neere vnto the Sea coasts at the foote of the Mountaines called Pedernales When this Adder was slain I measured her found her to be more then twenty foot long and somewhat more then a mans fist in bignesse and although she had three or foure deadly wounds with a Sword yet dyed she not nor stunke the same day in so much that her blood continued warme all that time There are also in the Marishes and desarts of the firme Land many other kindes of Lysarts Dragons and diuers other kindes of Serpents whereof I intend not here to speak much because I haue more particularly entreated of these things in my generall historie of the West Indies There are tlso Spiders of marueilous bignesse and I haue seene some with bodie and legges bigger then a mans hand extended euery way and I once saw one of such bignesse that onely her body was as bigge as a Sparrow and full of that Laune whereof they make their webbes this was of a darke russet colour with eyes greater then the eyes of a Sparrow they are venemous and of terrible shape to behold There are also Scorpions and diuers other such venomous wormes Furthermore in the firme Land there are many Toades being verie noious and hurtfull by reason of their great multitude they are not venemous they are seene in great abundance in Dareena where they are so big that when they die in the time of drought the bones of some of them and especially the ribs are of such greatnesse that they appeare to be the bones of Cats or of some other beasts of the same bignesse But as the waters diminish the moisture consumeth in the time of drought as I haue said they also consume therewith vntill the yeare next following when the raine and moisture encrease at which time they are seene againe Neuerthelesse at this present there is no such quantitie of them as was wont to be by reason that as the Land is better cultured by the Christians as well by the felling of Woods and Shrubs as also by the Pasture of Kine Horses and other beasts so is it apparant that this poison diminisheth daily whereby that region becommeth more holesome and pleasant These Toades sing after three or foure sort for some of them sing pleasantly other like ours of Spaine some also whistle and other some make another manner of noise they are likewise of diuers colours as some greene some russet or gray and some almost blacke but of all sorts they are great and filthie and noious by reason of their great multitude yet are they not venemous as I haue said There are also a strange kinde of Crabbes which come forth of certaine holes of the earth that they themselues make the head and bodie of these make one round thing much like to the hood of a Faulcon hauing foure feete comming out of the one side and as manie out of the other they haue also two mouthes like vnto a paire of small Pincers the one bigger then the other wherewith they bite but doe no great hurt because they are not venemous their skin and bodie is smooth and thinne as is the rkinne of a man sauing that it is somewhat harder their colour is russet or white or blew and walke sidelong they are verie good to be eaten in so much that the Christians trauailing by the firme Land haue beene greatly nourished by them because they are found in manner euerie where in shape and forme they are much like vnto the Crabbe which we paint for the signe Cancer and like vnto those which are found in Spaine in Andalusia in the Riuer Guadalchiber where it entreth into the Sea and in the Sea coasts there about sauing that these are of the water and the other of the land they are sometimes hurtfull so that they that eate of them dye but this chanceth onely when they haue eaten any venomous thing or of the venemous apples wherewith the Caniball archers poison their arrowes whereof I will speake hereafter and for this cause the Christians take heede how they eate of these Crabbes if they finde them neere vnto the said apple trees Furthermore in these Indies as well in the firme land as in the Ilands there is found a kinde of Serpents which they call Yuanas which some call Iuannas these are terrible and fearefull to fight and yet not hurtfull they are verie delicate to be eaten and it is not yet knowne whether they be beasts of the land or fishes because they liue in the water and wander in the woods and on the land they haue foure feet and are commonly bigger then Connies and in some places bigger then Otters with tailes like Lysarts or Eutes their skinne is spotted and of the same kinde
Guaturo the King whereof rebelling from the obedience of your Maiestie was pursued by me and taken Prisoner at which time I with my company passed ouer a very high Mountaine full of great Trees in the top whereof we found one Tree which had three roots or rather diuisions of the roote aboue the Earth in forme of a Triangle or Treuet so that betweene euery foot of this Triangle or three feet there was a space of twentie foot betweene euery foot and this of such height aboue the Earth that a laden Cart of those wherewith they are accustomed to bring home Corne in time of Haruest in the Kingdome of Toledo in Spaine might easily haue passed through euery of those partitions or windoores which were betweene the three feet of the said Tree From the Earth vpward to the trunke of the Tree the open places of the diuisions betweene these three feete were of such height from the ground that a Footman with a Iauelin was not able to reach the place where the said feet ioyned together in the trunke or bodie of the Tree which grew of great height in one piece and one whole bodie or euer it spread in branches which it did not before it exceeded in height the Towre of Saint Romane in the Citie of Toledo from which height and vpward it spread very great and strong branches Among certaine Spaniards which climbed this Tree I my selfe was one and when I was ascended to the place where it begunne to spread the branches it was a maruellous thing to behold a great Countrey of such Trees toward the Prouince of Abrayme This Tree was easie to climbe by reason of certaine Besuchi whereof I haue spoken before which grew wreathed about the Tree in such sort that they seemed to make a scaling Ladder Euery of the foresaid three feet which bore the bodie of the Tree was twentie spannes in thicknesse and where they ioyned altogether about the Trunke or bodie of the Tree the principall Trunke was more then fortie and fiue spannes in circuite I named the Mountaine where these Trees grow the Mountaine of three footed Trees And this which I haue now declared was seene of all the company that was there with mee when as I haue said before I took King Guaturo Prisoner in the yeere 1522. Many things more might here be spoken as touching this matter as also how there are many other excellent Trees found of diuers sorts and difference as sweet Cedar Trees blacke Date Trees and many other of the which some are so heauie that they cannot float about the water but sinke immediately to the bottome and other againe as light as a Corke As touching all which things I haue written more largely in my generall Historie of the Indies And for as much as at this present I haue entred to entreate of Trees before I passe any further to other things I will declare the manner how the Indians kindle fire onely with Wood and without fire the manner whereof is this They take a peece of wood of two spannes in length as biggeas the least finger of a mans hand or as an arrow well pullished and of a strong kinde of wood which they keepe onely for this purpose and where they intend to kindle any fire they take two other peeces of wood of the driest and lightest that they can finde and binde them fast together one with another as close as two fingers ioyned in the middest or between these they put the point of the first little staffe made of hard and strong wood which they hold in their hands by the top thereof and turne or rubbe it round about continually in one place betweene the two peeces of wood which lye bound together vpon the earth which by that vncessant rubbing and chasing are in short space kindled and take fire I haue also thought good here to speake somewhat of such things as come to my remembrance of certaine Trees which are found in this Land and sometime also the like haue beene seene in Spaine These are certaine putrified trunkes which haue lâ—en so long rotting on the earth that they are very white and shine in the night like burning firebrands and when the Spaniards finde any of this wood and intend priuily in the night to make warre and inuade any Prouince when case so requireth that it shall be necessarie to goe in the night in such places where they know not the way the formost Christian man which guideth the way associate with an Indian to direct him therein taketh a little starre of the said wood which he putteth in his cap hanging behinde on his shoulders by the light whereof he that followeth next to him directeth his iourney who also in like manner beareth another starre behinde him by the shining whereof the third followeth the same way and in like manner doe all the rest so that by this meanes none are lost or stragle out of the way And for as much as this light is not seene very farre it is the better policie for the Christians because they are not thereby disclosed before they inuade their enemies Furthermore as touching the natures of Trees one particular thing seemeth worthy to be noted whereof Plinie maketh mention in his naturall Historie where he saith that there are certaine Trees which continue euer greene and neuer loose their leaues as the Bay-tree the Cedar the Orange-tree and the Oliue-tree with such other of the which in altogether he nameth not past fiue or six To this purpose I say that in the Ilands of these Indies and also in the firme land it is a thing of much difficultie to finde two Trees that lose or cast their leaues at any time for although I haue diligently searched to know the truth hereof yet haue I not seene any that lose their leaues either of them which we haue brought out of Spaine into these regions as Orange-trees Limons Cedars Palmes or Date-trees and Pomegranate-trees or of any other in these regions except onely Cassia which loseth his leaues and hath a greater thing appropriate to it selfe onely which is that whereas all other Trees and Plants of India spread their rootes no deeper in the earth then the depth of a mans height or somewhat more not descending any further into the ground by reason of the great heate which is found beneath that depth yet doth Cassia pearse further into the ground vntill it finde water which by the Philosophers opinion should be the cause of a thinne and watery radicall moisture to such things as draw their nourishment thereof as fat and vnctuous grounds with temperate heate yeelde a fast and firme moisture to such things as grow in them which is the cause that such Trees lose not their leaues as the said thinne and waterish moisture is cause of the contrarie as appeareth by the said effect which is seene onely in Cassia and none other Tree or Plant in all these
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
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
with all his power where he vanquished them and ruined all their kingdome and passing beyond the Mountaine Menade he conquered still euen vnto the North Sea Then returning towards the South Sea he subdued many Prouinces so as he became a mighty King all by the helpe and counsell of Tlacaellec who in a manner conquered all the Mexican Nation Yet he held an opinion the which was confirmed that it was not behoouefull to conquer the Prouince of Tlascalla that the Mexicans might haue a frontier enemy to keepe the youth of Mexico in exercise and allarme and that they might haue numbers of Captiues to Sacrifice to their Idols wherein they did waste as hath beene said infinite numbers of men which should be taken by force in the wars The honor must be giuen to Moteçuma or to speak truly to Tlacaellec his Generall for the good order and pollicy setled in the Realme of Mexico as also for the Counsels and goodly enterprises which they did execute and likewise for the number of Iudges and Magistrates being as well ordered there as in any Common-weale yea were it in the most flourishing of Europe This King did also greatly increase the Kings house giuing it great authoritie and appointing many and sundry Officers which serued him with great pompe and ceremony He was no lesse remarkable touching the deuotion and seruice of his Idols increasing the number of his Ministers and instituting new ceremonies whereunto he carried a great respect He built that great Temple dedicated to their god Vitziliputzli whereof is spoken in the other Booke He did Sacrifice at the dedication of this Temple a great number of men taken in sundry victories finally inioying his Empire in great prosperitie he fell sicke and died hauing raigned twentie eight yeares vnlike to his successor Ticocic who did not resemble him neither in valour nor in good fortune The foure Deputies assembled in counsell with the Lords of Tescuco and Tacuba where Tlacaellec was President in the election where by all their voices Tlacaellec was chosen as deseruing this charge better then any other Yet he refused it perswading them by pertinent reasons that they should choose another saying that it was better and more expedient to haue another King and he to be his instrument and assistant as he had beene till then and not to lay the whole burthen vpon him for that he held himselfe no lesse bound for the Common-weale then if he were King seeming to him though he were not King yet in a manner that he commanded Kings suffering him to carry certaine markes as a Tiara or ornament for the head which belonged onely to themselues as in a Comedie he deserues most commendation that represents the personage that imports most In recompence of his modesty and for the respect which the Mexican Electors bare him they demanded of Tlacaellec that seeing he would not raigne whom hee thought most fit Whereupon he gaue his voyce to a Sonne of the deceased King who was then very young called Ticocic but they replied that his shoulders were very weake to beare so heauie a burthen Tlacaellec answered that his was there to helpe him to beare the burthen as he had done to the deceased by meanes whereof they tooke their resolution and Ticocic was chosen to whom were done all the accustomed ceremonies They pierced his nosthrils and for an ornament put an Emerald therein and for this reason in the Mexican Bookes this King is noted by his nosthrils pierced Hee differed much from his Father and Predecessor being noted for a coward and not valiant He went to make warre for his Coronation in a Prouince that had rebelled where hee lost more of his owne men then hee tooke captiues yet he returned saying that he brought the number of captiues required for the Sacrifice of his Coronation and so hee was crowned with great solemnitie But the Mexicans discontented to haue a King so little disposed to warre practised to hasten his death by poison For this cause he continued not aboue foure yeeres in the Kingdome But this losse was well repaired by a Brother of the deceased who was also sonne to great Moteçuma called Axayaca who was likewise chosen by the aduice of Tlacaellec wherein hee happened better then before Now was Tlacaellec very old who by reason of his age was carried in a chaire vpon mens shoulders to assist in counsell when businesse required In the end he fell sicke when as the King who was not yet crowned did visit him often shedding many teares seeming to loose in him his Father and the Father of his Countrey Tlacaellec did most affectionately recommend his children vnto him especially the eldest who had shewed himselfe valiant in the former warres The King promised to haue regard vnto him and the more to comfort the old man in his presence hee gaue him the charge and ensignes of Captaine Generall with all the preheminences of his Father wherewith the old man remained so well satisfied as with this content he ended his dayes The Mexicans made his Funerall as the Founder of that Empire more sumptuous and stately then they had done to any of their former Kings And presently after Axayaca to appease the sorrow which all the people of Mexico shewed for the death of their Captaine resolued to make the voyage necessary for his Coronation He therefore led his Armie with great expedition into the Prouince of Tequantepec two hundred leagues from Mexico where he gaue battell to a mighty Army and an infinite number of men assembled together as well out of that Prouince as from their Neighbours to oppose themselues against the Mexicans The first of his Campe that aduanced himselfe to the combate was the King himselfe defying his enemies from whom he made shew to flye when they charged him vntill hee had drawne them into an Ambuscadoe where many Souldiers lay hidden vnder straw who suddenly issued forth and they which fled turned head so as they of Tiquantepec remayned in the midst of them whom they charged furiously making a great slaughter of them and following their victorie they razed their Citie and Temple punishing all their Neighbours rigorously Then went they on farther and without any stay conquered to Guatulco the which is a Port at this day well knowne in the South Sea Axayaca returned to Mezico with great and rich spoiles where he was honourably crowned with sumptuous and stately preparation of Sacrifices Tributes and other things whither many came to see his Coronation The Kings of Mexico receiued the Crowne from the hands of the King of Tescuco who had the preheminence Hee made many other Enterprises where he obtained great victories being alwayes the first to leade the Armie and to charge the enemie by the which he purchased the name of a most valiant Captaine and not content to subdue strangers he also suppressed his Subjects which had rebelled which neuer any of his Predecessors
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
being presently made with these numbers of knots and handfuls of coards it remaynes for a certaine testimonie and register I did see a handfull of these strings wherein an Indian woman carried written a generall confession of all her life and thereby confessed her selfe as well 〈◊〉 I could haue done it in written Paper I asked her what those strings meant that differed from the rest she answered me they were certaine circumstances which the sinne required to be fully confessed Beside these Quippos of threed they haue another as it were a kind of writing with small stones by meanes whereof they learne punctually the words they desire to know by heart It is a pleasant thing to see the old and the impotent with a Wheele made of small stones learne the Paâ—er noster with another the Aue Maria with another the Creed and to remember what stone signifies Which was conceiued by the Holy Ghost and which Suffered vnder Pontius Pilate It is a pleasant thing to see them correct themselues when they doe erre for all their correction consisteth onely in beholding of their small stones One of these Wheeles were sufficient to make me forget all that I doe know by heart There are a great number of these Wheeles in the Church-yards for this purpose But it seemes a kind of Witch-craft to see another kinde of Quippos which they make of graines of Mays for to cast vp a hard account wherein a good Arithmetician would bee troubled with his Penne to make a diuision to see how much euery one must contribute they doe draw so many graines from one side and adde so many to another with a thousand other inuentions These Indians will take their graines and place fiue of one side three of another and eight of another and will change one graine of one side and three of another So as they finish a certaine account without erring in any point and they sooner submit themselues to reason by these Quippos what euery one ought to pay then wee can doe with the Penne. Heereby wee may judge if they haue any vnderstanding or bee brutish for my part I thinke they passe vs in those things whereunto they doe apply themselues IT shall be good to adde hereunto what we haue obserued touching the Indians Writings for their manner was not to write with a continued line but from the top to the bottome or in circle-wise The Latines and Greekes doe write from the left hand vnto the right which is the vulgar and common manner wee doe vse The Hebrewes contrariwise beganne at the right to the left and therefore their Bookes began where ours did end The Chinois write neither like the Greekes nor like the Hebrewes but from the top to the bottome for as they bee no Letters but whole words and that euery figure and Character signifieth a thing they haue no neede to assemble the parts one with another and therefore they may well write from the toppe to the bottome Those of Mexico for the same cause did not write in line from one side to another but contrary to the Chinois beginning below they mounted vpward They vsed this manner of writing in the account of their dayes and other things which they obserued Yet when they did write in their Wheeles or Signes they began from the middest where the Sunne was figured and so mounted by their yeeres vnto the round and circumference of the Wheele By words Pictures and these Memorialls the Kings were often aduertised of that which passed For this cause there were men of great agilitie which serued as Curriers to goe and come whom they did nourish in this exercise of Running from their youth labouring to haue them well breathed that they might runne to the top of a high Hill without wearinesse And therefore in Mexico they gaue the Prize to three or foure that first mounted vp the stayres of the Temple as hath beene said in the former Booke And in Cusco when they made their Solemne Feast of Capacrayme the Nouices did runne who could fastest vp the Rocke of Ynacauri And the exercise of running is generall much vsed among the Indians When as there chanced any matter of importance they sent vnto the Lords of Mexico the thing painted whereof they would aduertise them as they did when the first Spanish ships appeared to their sight and when they tooke Topanchan In Peru they were very curious of Footmen and the Ingua had them in all parts of the Realme as ordinary Posts called Chasquis whereof shall bee spoken in his place Many Nations of the Indies haue not indured any Kings or absolute and souereigne Lords but liue in Comminalties creating and appointing Captaynes and Princes for certayne occasions onely to whom they obey during the time of their charge then after they returne to their former estates The greatest part of this New World where there are no setled Kingdomes nor established Common-weales neither Princes nor succeeding Kings they gouerne themselues in this manner although there bee some Lords and principall men raised aboue the common sort In this sort the whole Countrey of Chille is gouerned where the Aâ—racanes those of Teucapell and others haue so many yeeres resisted the Spaniards And in like sort all the new Kingdome of Granado that of Guatimalla the Ilands all Florida Bresill Luson and other Countreyes of great circuit but that in some places they are yet more barbarous scarcely acknowledging any head but all command and gouerne in common hauing no other thing but will violence industry and disorder so as hee that most may most commands They haue onely found two Kingdomes or setled Empires that of the Mexicans in New Spaine and of the Inguas in Peru. It is not easie to be said which of the two was the mightiest Kingdome for that Moteçuma exceeded them of Peru in Buildings and in the greatnesse of his Court but the Inguas did likewise exceed the Mexicans in treasure riches and greatnesse of Prouinces In regard of Antiquitie the Monarchie of the Inguas hath the aduantage although it be not much and in my opinion they haue beene equall in feats of Armes and Victories It is most certaine that these two Kingdomes haue much exceeded all the Indian Prouinces discouered in this New World as well in good order and gouernment as in power and wealth and much more in Superstition and Seruice of their Idols hauing many things like one to another But in one thing they differed much for among the Mexicans the succession of the Kingdome was by election as the Empire of the Romanes and that of Peru was hereditary and they succeeded in bloud as the Kingdomes of France and Spaine THe Ingua which ruled in Peru being dead his lawfull Sonne succeeded him and so they held him that was borne of his chiefe Wife whom they called Coya The which they haue alwayes obserued since the time of an Ingua called Yupangui who married his
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-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
in the Timber of a Ship 626.10 Toades as bigge as Cats not venemous their singing and noises 976.20 Tobaccho the benumming qualitie of it vsed by the Mexicans in their Diuellish vnction and Physicke 1043.40 Tobacco lighted by the Sunne at mid-night in Greeneland 737.50 Tobacco Pipes of Earth and Copper 587.50 Cape Cod ibid. 30 Grapes and Roses and Tobacco grow neere it ibid. Discouered when 588.10 Tobalsko Castle in Siberia neere to the Dominions of the King of Alteene 798.1 How farre thence through Alteene to China ibid. 60. The Commodities and Trading there 544.50 The way from Pechora thither ibid. See 552 Tocoatican the Iland 308.40 Tocci the Mexicans Idoll a Young-man worshipped in a Womans skin 1004.1 1031.30 Tococ what in Chinese 306.10 Toera the Riuer nauigable after a Thawe 525 Toes with two Nayles 394.20 Tolle and Customes payed at Bridges in China 330 Toll taken at Bridges in Russia 754 40 Tombe a strange one 265. 266. Inscriptions vpon them in China ibid. 50 Tome Mastangue an Armenian his aduentures 254 Tomineios an Indian Bird as small as a Bee or Fly 965.20.977.10 Tomo Castle in Siberia how farre from the Dominions of Altine and Cathaya 798. 527 Tongue of a Bird like a Quill 980.20 Tooles made of Cowes bones where 877.40 Tooles that cut Stone made of a Ciment of sand and blood 1129.40 And of Flint for Goldsmiths and Grauers 1132.50 Tooma the new Citie where 527.1 Tooth of a Giant found as bigge as a mans first 1002.10 Torchillus the Islander his last Will 665.50 Tortoises of India which take fifteene men to draw them out of the water the manner of taking them they lay Egges and feede on shore 987.10 Tortoises of the West Indies described when good Meate and when Poyson 976.40 Tortuga I le in the West Indies 866.30 Tosa an Iland 253.20 Towers wonderfull ones in China 204.60 Tower of ten Stories high 328.30 Trades giuen ouer in Russia and why 432 Trades none bound vnto in China 367.20 Tradesmen in Tartarie worke one day in the Weeke for the Prince 88.20 Trading in Muscouie granted to the English 221 Traditions made equall with Scriptures 452 Traditions in China 196.50 Traditions learned by heart in Mexico 1052. And in Peru 1053.10 Trauaile the difficulties of it in the North and North-Eastern parts 66.20.60 Trauailing fifteene dayes together vpon Bushes 960 Trauailing by the Compasse in Iseland 649.50 Trauellors out of Russia punisht with losse of Life and Goods and why 433.10 Trauellors in Russia what they must carry 224.20 Transubstantiation imitated by the Deuill in his Idoll-Ceremonies 1041.10 in marg Trapesunda the Citie 2.20 Traytors punishment in China 406.40 Treason forfeits all Priuiledges 388.1 Treason vnheard of in Peru 1055.10 Treasurer of the bones of the Dead 274.20 Treatie of a League betwixt Russia Denmarke and Sweden against the Pole 757.1 Tree borne in Procession 227.20 Tree of the Sunne where 72.20 Tree whose pith is Meale for Bread 104. The wood sinkes in the water Lances made of it c. ibid. Tree of Siluer a most Artificiall one in Tartarie 35.50 Described ibid. Trees that haue lyen since Noahs Flood 223.60 Trees none in the frozen Countryes of Noua Zembla Lapland c. 517.40 Trees in Peru halfe of which yeelds fruits for one sixe Moneths and the other side another 961.50 Trees taken vp by the rootes carried by Elephants to the Great Chams Gardens 83.30 Trees of the West Indies loose not their Leaues 983.30 Not deepe rooted ibid. Trees and Thickets of the West Indies 960.10 Huge Trees ibid. Trees Fruites and Plants of West India 981 Trees hollow that will hold a hundred men 982.20 Tribunals stately ones 272.1 Tributes payed to the King of Mexico see page 1080. c. Some pretie Story about that 1006.20 Tribute of the Russe payed in Commodities 428 Trigautius his discourse of China 380 Trimecau a strange Sect 277.1 Trinidad Iland discouered the shape c. 866.1.10 Trinity Harbour in Greenland our Kings Armes set vp there 722.40 And possession taken for him ibid. The Latitude and Variation ibid. Trinitie some mention of it 397.60 Trinitie imitated by the Deuill in Peru 1045.20 Trondon the Towne in Norway 618.20 The King of Denmarkes seate ibid. Saint Olaus the King buryed there ibid. Tropickes the causes of temperature and habitablenesse betwixt them 921.922 Constant Brises betwixt the Tropickes 924. Westerne windes without them alwayes and why 925.40 Tropickes when most rayne within or without them and the reason 918.50 in margin 919.20.30 Causes of temperature there 920. c. Truth well rewarded 194.30 Trumpa the kinde of Whale that yeelds the Sperma Caeti Amber Greece 471.50 Trumpets of the Cannibals of shels of Weelkes 992.20 Tsaritzna the Iland 243.60 Tucaman Prouince in the West Indies bounds of its Iurisdiction Townes in it and their Latitudes Mines Wooll Gilt-leather Husbandry Riuers c. 897.40 Tudinfu a noble Kingdome 95.10 Great trading there ibid. Tufaune a Tempest vsuall in China 197.40.263.50 Tuinians a people of Cathay 24.20 Tuinians opinion that the Soule of euery thing is the God of it 41.40 They will not haue the secrets of their Religion searched into 41.60 They are Manichees 42.10 Tumblers in China 302.40 Tumen in Tartarie the trade there the way thither from Pechora in Russia 556.20 Tumen a Tartarian money worth ten Markes 34.10 Tumultuous multitude an example of them in Russia 753.20 Tunall Tree of India the strange growing of it which beares fruit and Cochinell 957.30 One in Mexico growing out of a Mans heart the strange storie of it 1003.40 1004.40.50 Tunall Tree againe described with his fruit 1131.30 Tunas a West Indian fruit makes the vrine like Blood 984.40 Tundi or Bishops in Iapon 324.20 Turffes in stead of Morter in Island 662. Two sorts of Turffes inuenter of Turffes ibid. Turkes their manner of liuing 69.40 Turkes trade into China 362.10 Their Commodities and gulling the China King with a feyned tribute ibid. Turkie wasted by the Tartars 119.1 The Kingdome of it refused by the Armenian 119.20 The weake Estate of it in Rubruquis his time 51.60 52.1.10 Turkemannia the Countrey 237.1 Their manner of liuing and feeding ibid. Turkemannia inhabited by Turkes Grecians and Armenians 69.40 All vnder the Tartars when ibid. Turkish Armie ouerthrowne by the Russe 740 Turkie Carpets 69.40 Turkisses where found 71.1 Turlock Hauen in Island 647.50 Turquestan the Kingdome 109.20 Wonne by the Tartars 114.20 Tusce what in Chinese 312.60 Tutelare Gods respected in China 396.60 Tutia and Spodio where made and how 72.10 Tutia good for the Eyes ibid. Twelfe-dayes-solemnities 498.60 Kept Ianuary the fourth in Russia 225 V VAchen the Countrey Gentiles 232.30 Vaigats Straights and Iland Discouered 463.20 Inhabited by the Somoeds ibid. Impassible for Ice 463.40 It is an Iland 250.30 Vaigates Straights whence so full of Ice and floting Wood 527.50 Sometimes open from the Ice 526.40 The Riuers and Inlets about it 545.1 The way thence to the
c. must be vnspeakably more then here there can be and yet here is more variation then about Iapan or Brasil Peru c. Caries Ilands * This Map of the authour for this and the former Voyage with the Tables of his iournall and sayling were somewhat troublesome and too costly to insert Alderman Iones Sound Sir Iames Lancasters Sound They see Land and find themselues embaied Cumberlands Iles. Cockin Sound Scuruy Grasse Six men Plenty of Salmon Baffins death The King satisfied touching the passage Hubbarts hope * This easily appeareth in obseruing his Voiage comparing that before of 〈◊〉 Gaul therewith Some of our Merchants are said not to be so willing for like causes with this discouerie Captaine Candish Land trending in 47. degrees The mouth of the Straight where he entred 30. or 40. leagues broad The straight to be discouered in 30. dayes The Ship Santa Anna. The Streight of Noua Spania thirtie dayes iourney in the Streight * I found this Worke translated in M. Hakluyts Papers but I can scarsly call it English it had so much of the Spanish garbe in lieterall and verball affectation and obscuritie I haue examined it with the Spanish Originall and compared it also with the Latine Translation with great paines for thy greater pleasure profit correcting and illustrating the phrase and sence being before very rude obscure and in very many places vtterly sencelesse But hauing none to write for mee but my owne hands I rather chose to amend this as I could then to translate it anew I haue seene it also in French The Latine is exceeding false in some numbers as 2000. for 20000. diuers times c. which I note for their sakes which reade that and haue not the Spanish I haue not contracted â—â—is as I haue done diuers other Relations because it is a briefe contraction of the Spanish-Indian Contractation presenting the Spanish Proceedings Colonies Townes Officers and Gouernment Spiritual and Temporall in the Indies This Author hath written eight Decades of the Spanish Acts in the West Indies which giue great light to those parts but would be too long for this Worke. Ramusio vncharitably taxed for he doth but blame the folly of Spanish Authors which are more curious to set downe the names c. of those which haue there done any thing though but rebellions then the description of the beasts fishes fowles plants Earth Heauen c. in the Indies for which hee there commends Ouiedo Chap. 1. Of the bounds and diuision of the West Indies l The Spaniards haue surpassed all Nations of the World in Nauigation of high built ships Remember that a Spaniard speakes it Pallos is to say staues or stickes m The Spaniards did not or would not know any Passage n How the degrees of longitude are reckoned What is discouered and nauigated The English haue discouered far more From 81. in Greenland and from 78. in Groinland to 57. of South latitude A maruellous effect of the Loadstone Don Antonie Ossorio discouereth a great secret of the Loadstone Chap. 2. Of the Nauigation of the Indies How many Nauigations there bee to these Indies Difficultie in going out of the Barre of Saint Lucar In what times these Nauigations are to be made Monsons The voyage of the Fleets till they come to the place wher they goe What thing the Brises are They take water alreadie in the I le of Guadalupe where the Courses are diuided Which is the best Nauigation from that Cape of S. Antonie to S. Iohn de Vlua a Of little Venice b Or of the Needle The voyage of Hunduras and Guatemala c Or little black Moore Chap. 3. Wherein hee prosecuteth the Nauigations of the Indies The Fleets doe returne to Castile by another way When the fleets ought to depart to come for Castile Whither the Fleets doe goe from Cartagena d Or take away sleepe The ships of Hunduras reknowledge the Cape of Saint Antonie When the Fleets of Noua Espanna doe depart thence The voyage of them of Santa Martha and Venezuela Nauigation from the Auana to Castile Nauigation from the Ilands of Azores vnto Saint Lucar Nauigation to the Riuer of Plata Nauigation of the South Sea Nauigation of Panama to the Citie de los Reyes Nauigation of thâ— West Indies Chap. 4. Of the Indies of the North. Here was inserted a Map of the North parâ—s of America But Master Briggs hath in the former booke giuen you a farre farre better to which I referre you Which bee the Indies of the North and which of the South Wherefore it was called New Spaine Great pastures in New Spaine * The weathermost or vpper Ilands Chap. 5. Of the bounds of the iurisdiction of Saint Dominicke Chap. 6. Of the Iland Hispaniola and of Cuba Cazabi bread Ten Spanish Townes The Citie of Saint Domingo * Peso is foure shillings English Salualyon of Yguey The Village of Zeybo El Cotuy Azua Who carried to the Indies the sugar Canes La Yaguana Concecion de la Vega. The wood of the Crosse of the Valley Saint Iago de los Caualleros Puerto de Plata Monte Christe La Isabella La Verapaz Saluatierra The Maguana Villanueua El Bonao La Buenauentura 14000. Spaniâ—rds there were in the Hispaniola at her beginning Ports Points most notable Puerto Hermoso * Or Gnats Where they tooke armes the first time against Indians Cuba S. Iago Baracoa Bayamâ— Puerto del Principe Sancti Spiritus El Albana or the Hauana Puerto de Carennas Wherefore it was called the Slaughters * Or Slaughters f Or Red. Chap. 7. Of the Ilands of Iamayca S. Iohn the Lucayos the Caniballs Siuill Melilla Oriston inhabitings of Iamayca Cape of Moranta The first ciuill warre among the Spaniards was in Iamayca n Or Lizards o Or Negrillo p Or open the eye S. Iuan de puerto Rico. S. Iohn The Arrecibo Guadianilla S. German The tree Tabernacle The hauens of this Iland Who carried the Ginger to the Ilands of Barlouento The Ilands of the Lucayos Where the Channell of Bahama is Admirable Current Baxos de Bimini Guanahani the first Land that was discouered in the Indies * Or Indian â—anibals What a Caniball signifieth The Canibaâ—â— Men hunters Frier vnwholsome food The discouery of the Iland of the Trinitie the yeare 1498 Arrogancie of Americus Vespucius Wherfore men do say that the fishing of the Pearles passed from the Iland of Cubagua to the Margarita Iland of Cubagua * Or the Friers Chap. 8. Of Venezuela riuer of Hacha new Florida and Gulfe of Noua Hispania which is the rest that remaineth of the limits of this Counsell Wherefore it was called Venezuela or little Venice The Citie of Coro Our Lady of Carualleda S. Iago de Leon. Xerez Segouia Tucuyo Trucillo The Lake Maracaybo The ports and points of the Gouernment of Venezuela Riuer Morauion The Iland of Cubagua Strange Hogs An earthquake in the coast of Terra firme the yeare 1530. very admirable
Margarit Florida The spring which Iohn Ponce did seeke that renued the old men They of Florida knew neither Gold Siluer nor Monie The Coast of the North vnto the Baccallaos * Or Los Gamos The great Riuer of S. Marie * Laâ— Tortugas Baâ—ia de Carlos The Gulfe of noua Espania The Channell of Bahama Chap. 9. Of the limits of the Councell of Mexico Don Sebastian Ramirez Iudge of Granada goeth for President of S Dominicke Great conformity betweene Don Sebastian Ramirez and Don Hernando Cortes New Spaine m Sc. of the life they led in the Sâ—ewes n From the World Don Sebastian Ramirez brought in the breeding and ploughing Gouernment of Panuco S. Iago de los Valles Los Angelos The Bishop Don Sebastian Ramirez built the Citie of the Angels d Vulcan or Bolcan is a place whence fire issueth as Etna Hecla c Tlascala The Valley of Atlisco famous La Veracruz San Iuan de Vlua * A kinde of Parish or Schoole diuision Spa. partidos de doctrina Chap. 10. Of the Bishoprickes of Guaxaca Mechoacan and Yucatan of the Prouince of Tabasco which is the rest of the bounds described Guaxaca Title of the Marquesse of the Valley Stinking Riuer Tutepeque S. Alifonso of the Zapotecas S. Iames of Nexapa El Espirito Santo Golden Riuers Cacao money and Wine The Indians should pay no Tithes Riuer of Aluarado Guatulco The Bishopricke of Mechoacan Pazcuaro Zinzonza Guanaxâ—ato * Reâ—les Village of S. Michaell The Conception of Salaya The Village of S. Phillip Zacatula Colima Yucatan It was a deuise of those which said the Crosses were found of Latten in Yucatan whereas there neuer was Crosse in the Indies before the Spaniards A Man of 300. yeares old Merida Valladolid Campeche Salamanca Shallow Coasting Tides The Ports and points of this Gouernment a Or Sharpe b Or Bermeia c Or Alacranes A famous worshipping place of the Gentiles in Cozumel * Or take away sleepe Tabasco Riuers of this Prouince Lake of Xicalango Chap. 11. Of the bounds of the Counsel of Guadalaiara Guadalaiara The Holy Ghost Sancta Marie of the Lakes The Chichimecas Sauages Xalisco The Zacatecas The Erena * Or Sombrerece * The Name of God Nueua Vizcaya Chiametla S. Michael Ciualoa Quibira Cibola California Chap. 12. Of the Bounds of the Counsel of S. Iames of Guatemala a Or true Peace b Or Rich coast Guatemala Saint Iames. Saint Saluador The Trinitie Saint Michael Xerez * Or fierie mouthes like Aetna Cacao described Ports of this Gouernment Bottomlesse Lake Soconusco Chiapa * Or true peace Verapaz Picture feathers Golfâ— dulce Manati a fish described Chap. 13. Of Honduras Nicaragua and Costa Rica or the Rich Coast. Honduras * Or of our Lady of the Fâ—uour Visitation of the Inginer Baptista Antoneli of the way of the Port of Cauallos or Horses to the Bay of Fonseca * Thankes bee to God Saint Peter Saint Iohn Truxillo Saint George Valley of Olancho Points and Ports of this Gouernment * Or Shrimpe Babia honda Cabo de Gracias a Dios. Nicaragua * Or rich Coast. Granada Lake of Nicaragua Volcan of Massayatan and Mombacho Segouia Iaen Realeio Ports and Riuers of this coast * De Salinas Bruxelles Costa Rica Aranjuez Cartago Chap. 14. Oâ— the â—ndies of the South A great difference of tâ—mperature in the two rowes of Piru The two rowes doe runne almost 1000. leagues equall Qualities of the Prouince of Collao Quantities of the Countrie of Panama and her bounds Panama Portebello Saint Iames of Nata Acla A strange case of a Lizard Veragua The Conception The Trinitie * Holy Faith Charles The Ports El Escudo a Or Lâ—câ—sts b Las Miras c Or Little Pilcherd d Or Pilchard Chap. 16. The limits of the Counsell of Sancta Fe of Bogota which is the new Kingdome of Granada * Holy Faith Lake of Guatauita Saint Michael Tocayma The Trinitie * Or Flies The Palma Tunia Pamplona * Or Crying Merida Belez Thunderbolts Mariquita Ybague Victorie de los Remedios Saint Iohn of the Plaines * Or Flyes * Or Water-course Rio Grande or Magdâ—len Riuer Sancta Martha Tenerife Tamalameque The Kings a Sancta Ramada Ocanâ—a b Or Yong Pigeon c Or Nookes d Or the Needle Cartagena Citie of Cartagena Amazonian women Valiant Virago Saint Iames of Tolu The Village of Marie * Holy Crosse. Saint Sebastian * Or Water-course The Barranca El Daradâ— Guiana Great Tydes Piru or Peru. The two Rowes of the Indies of the South * Of Magellan The two great wayes of Piru Postes Piru is not all the Indies of the South Los Llanos Las Sierras Diuersitie of nature Chap. 17. Of the Councell of Saint Francis of the Quito * Or Cynamon El Quito Aire and seasons Athanalpa or 〈◊〉 * Friars de la Mâ—râ—ed or our Lady of Grace Riuer Bamba Cuenca Loxa * Or Briar Zamora Iaen Saint Michael of Piura Raine a wonder Payta High-way admirable San Iago de Guayaquil The Riuers that gâ—e to the North Sea are greater then those â—hat goe to the South Sâ—a Hâ—w the riuers are passed in Piru Castro Vili * Or old Porâ— Manta How the Emeralds do grow Ports Points of the coâ—st of this gouernment c Or Nooke d Or Pucâ—e A towne 〈◊〉 blacke Moores e Or white Cape f Or woolues The Giantâ— of the Point of Santa Helena Chap. 18 Of Popayan Quixos Canela Pacamorâ—s and Gualsongo which are 〈◊〉 rest of the bounds of the Councell of Quito The Citie of Popayan Cali. * Or great Cappes Antiochia Caramanta Arma. Canibals Inhumanitie of the Indians of the borders of Arma. Ancerma Cartago * Or Buffes Timana Inhumanitie of these Indians Where the Load-stone is found * Or eaters of humane flesh Buga Saint Sebastian of the Plate c Or Canibals Almaguer d Hisp. Iudge of Residencia Truxillo Agreda Saint Iohn de Pastor Religion What the Aetnaes are and whereof they proceede e Or the ranke Village of Pasture Neyua Saint Vincent The Angels Riuers Capes and Points of the Coast of this gouernment f Or Cedars 〈◊〉 Gualsongo In how many sorts the gold is gotten out in Piru and other places Barleuento Chap. 19. Of the bounds of the Councel or Audience of The Kings or los Reyes Mountaines cause that it rayneth not in the Playnes of Piru h Some are of opinion that all plants and trees are nourished by vapours yea that the vapours of the bloud nourish liuing Creatures So Gen. 2. a mist in Paradise c. The Sunne as Head of the World the Hart as Sunne in the Body causeth nourishment by vapours The Citie of The Kings or los Reyes Such holinesse of faith such meanes to establish it force gluing lips and Lettice together as Acosta complayneth Vniuersitie and Iesuites Sea cooleth Women and Negros Arnedo * Or Gridirâ—ni Truxillo Miraflores Chachapoyas Faire Indians Saint Iames of the Valleys Lion of Guanuco Qualities of the Millet Guamanga Great
Of the great ordâ—r and diligence the Mexicans vsed to instruct their youth Chap. 27. See the picture story Colledges Their employments and trials The baine of Plantations is expectation of present and externall gain Plaies and dances Military games Idoll gamâ—s Exo. 32. a thing vsuall to Heathens as their Comedies c. maniâ—est Musicke Curious Dancers Great agility Sir Hen. Spelman Tenuchtitian Mexican Lords Tenuch chosen chiefe Lord. Mexico Colhuacan and Tenayncan subdued See the storie before in Acosta Tlatilulco subdued bâ—fore as Acosta saith the Mexicans were subiect to them Ticocicatzi Title Tlacatecatl that is Great Captaine Motezuma His weale and greatnesse Maiestie Conquests Wisdome and learning Lawes Many women some wiues some Concubines See before in Acosta and after in Gomâ—ra morâ— large relaâ—ions of Mutezuma in a wilde kinde of state and maiestie equalling in many things in some exceeding most Princes of the elder world First notice of the Spaniards Mutezumas death Turkey stones Cold. Turkey stones Cochinilla Gold Target of gold Emerald stones Amber Cristall Amber Cotton wooll Cristall Amber A kinde of Baptisme with the naming of their children Presentation in the Temple a Gomara his third part of the Conquest of the West Indies translated into English by T. Nicolas b Of this voyage Reade P. Martyrs fourth Decade and Gomara part 1. of all which followes in this Chapter P. Maâ—t Dec. 5. Gom. vbi supra and Cortes his owne large narration to the Emperour ap Ramus Vol. 3. Indian simplicitie Potonchon called Victory Spanish incurable sicknesse Note for fashion-mongers Zempoallan Panuco Vera Crux Bloudy Sacrifices Tlaxcallan a great Citie Chololla Store of Temples and deuotions Popocatepec a burning Hill Mutezumas religion a The like speech he had made at first to Cortes who easily wrought on that aduantage applying this Tradition to the Spaniards Cortes Narrat Mutezumaâ— death b N. di Gus. ap Ram. vol. 3. c Lit. P. Aluarado Dieg. Godoy ap Ram. vol. 3. d Relat. del Temistitan ca. * This part of Lopez was long since translated and published by Tho. Nichols I haue here in diuers places ameÌ„ded it by the Italian translation of Agostino di Craualiz for the Spanish originall I haue not Purgatory The solemne pompe wherewith Cortes was receiued into Mexico Mutezumas state and Maiestie Spaniards giue gawdy glasâ—e for gold and glory The Oration of Mutezuma to the Spaniards A strange opinion A louing answerâ— Mutezuma described Cin. Title Cin. Change of Apparell His Wardrobe His dietâ—rites Magnificent attendance His wiues Bare-foot seruice Musicke Iesters Plate Mans flesh State ceremonies Iesters and Players Games The Tennis play in Mexico God of the Ball. His Palace Twentie doores Three Courts Hals chambers wals c. Multitude of women His Armes hee after saith a Conie was his armes but this Eagle was generall to all the Mexican Kings Gryffon-tale A house of fowle which were only preserued for their feathers A house of fowle for hawking and other strange things White men Wild beasts Snakes c. Foules of prey Deuils den Store-houses Officers The Armory of Mutezuma Wood for Armes Wodden Swords with stone edges The Gardens of Mutezuma Note of a magnificent minde Houses of pleasure The Court and Guard of Mutezuma Great Vassals State-caution Tributes and subiection of the Indians to their King Pouerty of the Tenants See our picture booke Receiuers Tribute of mens labours Three sorts of Streetes It groweth also in Bermuda The name of Mexico Two Lakes one sâ—lt the other fresh Eâ—bing and flowing by the winde Some as Pairitius hence moued deriue the cause of the Seas flowing from the saltnesse Cause of the saltnesse 200000. Canoas The Market place of Mexico Order of Sellers The diuers wares Indian workemanship Gold-smiths artifices Victuall of diuers sorts Bartering The great Temple of Mexico Chiefe Temple described Two Altars Fortie towres Seuerall Temples to seuerall gods A strange doore Temple-halls Idoll-holes Bloudie walls Deuillish Priests 5000. residents The Idols of Mexico 2000. gods A wicked attyre A mad offering The Charnell house or place of 〈◊〉 mens Sculls Terrible spectacle The accounting of yeares The Indians beleeued that fiue ages were past which they called Sunnes The Coronation of the Kings of Mexico The ointment The opinion of the Mexicans concerning the Soule Nine places for Soules The buriall of Kings in Mexico The order of buriall of the Kings of Michuacan Iudges Painters Sergeants Prisons Witnesses and oathes Bribery Murther Theft Disguise of seâ—e Duels capitall