actions and while time passeth the neighbouring Nations provide if not infest for their owne safety yea most commonly by losse of time proceedeth the losse of victories opportunity Hee that hath overcome his enemie standeth oftentimes in feare of his friend yea of such as have been fellowes and partners with him in all his fortunes so that to secure himselfe of these and such like casualties hee is constrained even in the course of victory to found the retreit and surcease his projects Againe continuall victory maketh leaders insolent souldiers mutinous refusing to passe forward at the command of their Generall as it hapned to Alexander and Lucullus Great enterprises even brought to their wished end enrich the purses of certaine private men but leave the Princes Coffers empty who neverthelesse must be at the charge to maintaine continuall companies and keepe them in continuall pay without which course the casher'd souldier is ever ready to follow any faction whensoever it shall be offered Moreover this numberlesse Army which Marhumedius led against the King of Cambaia did not onely waste the Regions where thorow it passed and encamped but likewise by devouring all things that the face of the earth yeelded bereaved it selfe of the meanes which Nature in measure had afforded to every creature to maintaine liâ—e by and so it often hapneth that those Armies which in apprehension seeme invincible for their hugenesse are most commonly overthrowne by famine the fore-runner of pestilence For proofe hereof we have seene the invadations of Attila Tamerlane and those barbarous Nations stand on foot but a little space whereas the Grecians Macedonians Carthaginians Romans Spaniards and English have done great matters with meane Armies For things that are moderate last and dure as small Rivers which what they cannot doe in one yeare in two or more they finally accomplish whereas immoderate and violent are like to torrents making more noise and fury than hurt or hinderance violently comming and violently againe carrying themselves away Therefore against such mighty impressions the surest safety is to draw the warre out at length and onely to stand upon the defensive for let such Armies rest assured that they cannot so long hold out but they will waver either for want of provision scarcity of coine infection of the aire or infirmities of their owne bodies The other thing is that prosperity blindeth the winner making him carelesse adversitie ripeneth the loser and maketh him wary and industrious so fortune changing her copie the affaires of the winner decline the good successe of the loser groweth every day better than other Besides conquests are not perfected but by processe of time old age creepeth upon the person of Princes and how fit a crasie body a vigorous spirit nummed with old age is for the consummation of a conquered estate the lives of Iulius Caesar and Charles the fifth may stand for examples Lastly to answer those who unlesse they be eye-witnesses will never be answered let them know that nothing so much hindereth the invasive ambition of this Prince as the Nature of places For Caucasus stretcheth it selfe into a thousand branches in those parts incompasseth whole Kingdomes with some parcels thereof by some it runneth by the sides to others it is more defensive than any artificiall rampire sometime it wholly shutteth up passages sometime it maketh them inaccessible These difficulties are more iujurious to the Mogor than to any other Prince because the strength and sinewes of his forces consist in horse which as they are of great consequence in Campania so amongst hils and rocks they are of small service Of this quality are the frontiers of Persia and the Kingdome of Sablestan on every side hem'd in with that part of Caucasus which the â—râ—cians call Paropamise Segestan is likewise so invironed that the River Il-mento were it not for searching out infinite windings and turnings thorow naturall vallies could hardly finde passage to pay his tribute to the famous Ganges In Cambaia it selfe when the Mogors are of such fearfull puissance live the Resbuti not dreading them one whit by reason of the strength of the Mountaines These Resbuti are the remainder of the Gentiles that betooke themselves to the mountaines betweene Cambaia and Diu when the Mahumetans first entred these Countries and since that day by strong hand they have preserved their libertie infesting often the plaine Countrie with their incursions Other Provinces there are utterly barren not onely wanting water but all necessaries else of this kinde is Dolcinda upon the skirts of Cambaia through which it is impossible to lead an Army To these discommodities you may adde the losse of time which Princes being Lords of ample and spacious dominions are constrained to make in their voyages For the better part of Summer is spent before they can arrive at their Rendevous with their horses halfe dead through travell and the Armie halfe in halfe in number and courage diminished yea Winter overtaketh them commodious for their enemies and disadvantagious for them for they must lie in the field and open aire among mire and frosts their enemies under a warme roofe and wholesome harbour Whereupon wise Princes which have beene to make long Land-journies thorow divers Provinces of divers natures for feare of such like discommodities have thought it best to provide shipping and to use the opportunity of Rivers or Sea as did Caesar Germanicus in the warre of Germanie after he perceived that in the protracting of time which was requisite for the marching of his Armie the greater part of his men and horses were idle consumed by infirmities labours and the length of journeyes But the Mogor is utterly destitute to this advantage upon one side he hath no Haven on another the Portugals are his jealous neighbours who with two Castles of great strength at Diu Damain have shut up the whole gulfe of the Cambaian sea Finally the puissance of their neighbours hath beene as great a controler to their furious invasions as any other naturall cause viz. the King of Barma who is nothing inferiour in power and riches for he is Lord of so many Kingdomes and of so fierce and warlike a people and can bring such swarmes into the field that he iâ— fearelesse of any of his Tartarian neighbours And as the Mogor ruleth farre and wide betweene Ganges and Indus so doth this King betweene Ganges and Siam As the one deviseth to offend so by little and little the other waxeth wife to defend For by nature man is more prone to provide for his owne safety than ready by wrong to oppresse others being alwayes more carefull to conserve than forward to destroy It cannot be expressed how full of subtilty shifts devices and industry man is to defend him and his for hee useth for his owne safeguard not that onely which is properly defensive but even that also which humane wisdome hath invented or Nature created any way offensive Neither ever was there any instrument invented for
but with a tribune-like authority they signifie unto the Councell what their requests are Not long since their authority and reputation grew so mighty that they now carry themselves as heads and Governours rather than Officers Ministers of the publike decrees of the estates One of the Councell after the manner of Clodius refused his Senators place to become one of these Officers When a King is to be chosen these men doe more and more limit his authority not suffering it to stretch one jot farther than accustomed But although the Crowne of Poland bee at the disposition of the Nobility yet was it never heard that they rejected or overslipped the Kings successour or transferred the Kingdome into any other line more than once when deposing Ladislaus whom notwithstanding they afterward restored they elected Wenceslaus the Bohemian Likewise they have alwayes a regard to the Kings daughters as of Hedwiga married by them to Iagello and in our times of Anne given in marriage to King Stephen It was no small cause of the advancement of Sigismund the third to the Crowne of Polonia that hee was the sonne of Katherine sister to Sigismund the Emperour and of the foresaid Anne And although the Kingly authority bee elective yet after he is chosen his power is absolute in many things As to call the Diets to appoint the times and place at his pleasure to chuse Lay Counsellours and nominate the Bishops and whom he will have to be of the Privie Councell he is absolute disposer of the Revenue of the Crowne Lord of those which hold of him immediate but over the Tenants of the Nobility he hath no jurisdiction he is absolute establisher of the decrees of the Diets and Soveraigne Judge of the Nobles in criminall causes it is in his power to reward and advance whom pleaseth him to speake in a word such as is his valour dexterity and wisdome such is his power authority and government As the Polanders say the decrees of their King indure but three dayes and they converse not with him as Cosins as in France but as Brethren And as the King hath absolute authority over them which immediately hold of him so the Nobility dispose absolutely of their vassals on every of whom they exercise more than Kingly authority in manner as upon slaves In establishing their Kingdome they have done one thing worthy the noting which is that as the Romans increast their Name and Dominion by communicating the Lawes and Honours of Italy and the City of Rome to other Cities yea whole Provinces so the Kings of Polonia have inlarged united and strengthened their estate by participating the privileges of the Polish Nobility to those Provinces which either they have conquered by Armes or otherwise purchased gracing the Nobles thereof with favours equall to any bestowed on the Polish Nation By this equallizing King Ladislaus strongly united Russia and Podalia Sigismund Augustus Lituania Stephen Livonia for respect in offices and promotions knitteth affections in peace and warre The force of this Kingdome as of others consisteth in graine Coine Foot-men Horse-men Armour and Munition Of graine we have spoken already In coine it is not very rich for excepting Danske they have never a Mart-Towne worthy estimation and the warres that are brought from Prussia and Livonia doe not enrich the Kingdome with ready money yea they doe hardly suffice to barter with the English and Flemish for Cloth Silks or Woolls or with the Spanish Portuguize and other Merchants for Sugars Spices Fruits and Malueseies For when the Countrey is not given to traffike nor the Cities to buy and sell nor the people to labour and the Nobility is very gallant prodigall in expences spending more than their Revenues in diet and apparell and the seasoning of their Viands for the Polanders use more Spices than any other Nation and their Wine their Silke the greatest part of their Woollen Cloth is brought from forren Nations how can the Kingdome be rich in Silver For in transporting of much ware and returning of little consisteth the wealth of every dominion gathering together by venting home-bred commodities the come of forren Nations and keeping it once brought in from passing abroad In this practice consisteth the wealth of Naples and Millan for Naples sendeth to Sea great store of Corne Wine Oyle Silke Woad Horses Fruits and such like commodities which bring in huge masses of forren coine Millan supplieth the want of other Provinces with Corne Rice Cloths Iron-workes wares of all sorts and returneth little againe If the Kingdome of Sicil were as well stored with manual workmanship as it is provided with Corne Sugar-canes and Silke no other Kingdome could compare with it To returne to Poland notwithstanding their riches are not so small as some say they are for the Revenues of the Crowne raised of the Mines of Salt and Silver amount yearely to 600000. Ducats True it is that Sigismund Augustus pawned part of these Revenues and King Henry a moneth before his flight to binde some part of the Nobility unto him sold unto them more than three hundred thousand Ducats of yearely rent It is lawfull for the King by sales of escheats falling to the Crowne to purchase livings for himselfe and of the said Revenues to retaine great portions to his proper use and to spare his owne expences for when the King with his Court â—bideth in Lituania the Lituanians defray the charge the like is done in most places of Poland He that weigheth with himselfe that the ordinary Revenues of Scotland Naples or Sardinia exceed not yearely one hundred thousand Ducats nor the Kingdome of Arragon to yeeld above one hundred thousand crownes every three yeares cannot lightly esteeme of the Revenues of this Kingdome yet the King might raise his Revenues to a higher reckoning if he were lesse bountifull to his Palatines and Castellanes For most commonly he bestoweth on them two parts and three parts yea now and then the whole profits arising in their governments But in the time of warre yet by the decree of the assemblies of the Kingdome the King doth lay grievous impositions and taxes on the people which are either levied of the Provinces or of the excise of victuall and these tallages have amounted to such a reckoning that therewith King Stephen sustained the burthen of a most heavie three yeares warre against the great Duke of Moscovie yea the Gentlemen for defence of the Kingdome are bound to serve at their owne charges These serve on Horse some armed as our men at armes some more light some like the Tartars And those they terme Cossaches or Adventurers trained up to steale to depopulate waste and to turne all things up-side downe These Gentlemen serve in the field gallantly furnished attired in Cassocks and Hose shining with Gold and Silver and a thousand other colours they adorne themselves with plumes and feathers of Eagles with the skinnes of Leopards and Beares and with many Banners and
confesse the truth the great Dukes have mightily inlarged their bounds and have taken the great Duchies of Severin and Smoloneke Bulchese Prescovia Novogrod Iaroslave and Roscovia some of them from the Polaques and some from other Potentates they possessed thirtie great Townes in Lituania with Narve and Dorp in Livonia but they are all quite gone being of late yeares surprized by the Kings of Poland and Sweveland The chiefe Citie of the Kingdome is Mosco where the Patriarch resideth Roscovia and Novogrod are the Seats of Archbishops Cortisa Resania Columna Susdelia Casan Vologda Tuera Smoloncke Plescovia Staritia Sloboda Ieroslave Volodomir from whence the Kings Seat was translated to Mosco by Iohn the second Mosayco Saint Nicholas Suâ—ana Vstium and Gargapolia are Bishoprickes The Emperour abideth in the Citie of Mosco which taketh his name from the River arising fourescore and ten miles higher into the Countrey The Citie hath beene greater than now it is and was nine miles compasse the forme thereof is in a manner round invironed with three wals the one within the other and streets lying betweene whereof the inmost wall and the buildings closed within it lying safest as the heart within the body fenced and watered with the River Mosco that runneth close by it is all accounted the Emperours Castle The number of houses thorow the whole Citie being reckoned by the Emperour a little before it was fired by the Enemie was accounted to be 41500. in all But since it was sacked 1571. and burnt by the Tartars it containeth not above five miles According to Possevinus a Writer of good judgement and industrie there are housed in this Citie thirty thousand people besides Oxen and other Cattell Doctor Fletcher writeth that it is not much bigger than the Citie of London Novograde hath the name of Great and yet the same Author alloweth it not above twenty thousand Inhabitants as likewise Smoloncke and Plescovia As the Russe saith here was committed that memorable warre so much spoken of in histories of the Scythian servants that tooke armes against their Masters who in memory of their great victorie have ever since in their coine stamped the figure of a horse-man shaking a whip aloft in his hand This seemeth most incredible to me if it bee true as some write that Plescovia when King Stephen of Poland besieged it had within it fifty thousand foot-men and seven thousand Horse Truly this is a great number and though they were not all Moscovites yet this reckoning asketh a great proportion of Inhabitants For if the King thrust in fifty seven thousand fighting men it must needs be that the Inhabitants were very many moe Some will have it that in times past the Country was better replenished with people and that afterwards it became desolate for three causes the first was the Plague a new disease in Moscovie which gleaned away many thousand soules the second the Tyranny of their Emperours who have put infinite numbers to death especially of the Nobility the third the Incursions and robberies of the Tartars Precopians and the Nagayans which never cease vexing their bordering neighbours For the nature of these roguish Tartars is to make spoile of all men and to captivate their bodies selling them to the Turkes and other Nations By reason whereof many farre removed Provinces partly upon feare and partly upon policie are suffered to lie waste and unmanured And this is all the good which ambitious Princes gaine by their undiscreet invasions of their neighbours to the destruction of their people and their owne vexation No Prince made longer journeyes and greater expences than the great Duke Iohn he vanquished the Kingdomes of Casan to Volga and Astrachan on the Caspian Sea he subdued a great part of Livonia But what honour what profit or what continuance of security gained he by these victories What was the end of this warre In those expeditions perished infinite numbers of men in journeying in assaults with the Sword with sicknesse with hunger and other extremities When he had overcome them he was enforced to keepe great Garrisons yea to bring thither whole Colonies Besides when men were so farre from home either busied in getting other mens goods or in keeping what they had got their wives stayed at home like widdowes and the inward part of the Realme remained empty as a heart void of bloud wanting his necessary nutriment whilst the Inhabitants were wasted on the skirts of the Kingdome And therefore when it was invaded by King Stephen of Poland these remote forces were wanting to make resistance and through this oversight he lost againe Pozovia and other peeces of good reckoning yea and was enforced to leave the whole possession of Livonia to the Polander To proceed the soyle of the Countrey for the most part is of a sleight sandy mould yet very much different one place from another for the yeeld of such things as grow out of the earth Northwards toward the parts of Saint Nicholas and Chola and North-East toward Siberia it is barren and full of desart Woods by reason of the climate and extremity of cold So likewise along the River Volga betwixt the Countries of Casan Astrachan notwithstanding the soyle be fruitfull it is all inhabited saving that upon the West-side the Emperor hath some few Castles and Garrisons in them This happened by meanes of the Chrim Tartars that will neither plant Townes to dwell in living a wilde and vagrant life nor suffer the Russe being farre off with Colonies to people those parts From Vologda which lieth almost a thousand seven hundred versts from the Port of Saint Nicholas downe toward Mosco and to toward the South parts that border upon the Chrim containing the like space of a thousand seven hundred Verstz or thereabouts it is a very pleasant and fruitfull Countrey yeelding Pasture and Corne with Wood and Water in great store and plenty The like is betweene Rezan lying South-East from Mosco to Novogrode and Vobsco that reacheth farthest towards the North-West So betwixt Mosco and Smolensko that lieth South-West towards Lituania is a very fruitfull and pleasant soyle and also very fertill and commodious for those Inhabitants that dwell therein The Countrey differeth very much from it selfe by reason of the yeare so that a man would marvell to see the great alteration and difference betwixt Winter 〈…〉 In Winter it lieth under snow which falleâ—◠〈…〉 unually sometime a yard or two of thicknesse but deeper towards the North. The Rivers and other waters are frozen up a yard or more thicke how swift or broad soever they bee And this continueth commonly five moneths viz. from the beginning of November till towards the end of March about which time the snow beginneth to melt The sharpnesse whereof you may judge by this for that water dropped downe or cast up into the aire congealeth into Ice before it come to the ground In extremity of weather if you hold a pewter dish or a pot in your
especially if they were not naturally Spaniards first with an empty title and lastly being not otherwise able to pay or recompence them with a Spanish sico. A great and a maine advancer of a cause and enlarger of Empire is Religion or the pretence of it Religion is well called the soule of the State and is ever the prime thing to be looked into most bitter dissentions and hinderances of all great actions still proceeding from discontentments in Religion Anima est actus corporis sayes the Philosopher T is the soule that gives action and motion to the body and if the affections and passions of the soule bee composed to a well ordered and contented tranquillity and serenity there followes health strength and growth in all the limbs and members of the body The conscience is an active sparke and can easily man up all the powers of soule and body either for the maintenance or enlargement of it's libertie Bonum est sui communicativum Religion contrary to counsell desires ever to be made publike the spirituall man as well as the naturall ever having a desire generare sibi simile to beget others in his owne likenesse to compasse Sea and Land to make a Proselyte As therefore Princes have still accounted it a dangerous thing to arme Religion against themselves so have they most willingly accepted of the countenance of Religion No such encouragement could come to the Israelites or disheartning to the Philistines as when the Arke of God was in the host of Israel who is able to stand against these mighty gods say they Most surely is the kingdome of the Pope founded whose ground is layed in the conscience The Turke pretending to propagate his Religion with fire and sword we see how that hath advanced his conquests and what advantage hath the Spaniard more made use of in these late warres than a specious pretence of rooting out the Protestants and the re-establishing of the Catholike Religion by which secret he hath not onely staved off the popish Princes and Erectors of Germany not onely from defending the common libertie of their country but to enter that which they call the holy league with him whereby for zeale of enlarging their Religion they in the meane time weaken themselves that he at last picking a slight quarrell with them may swallow them up one after another having long before designed them Papists as well as Protestants to a common destruction for though the Spaniard pretends Religion yet he intends Monarchie This plot beginning to be discovered we see most of the Princes of Christendome drawing to a leaguer war that is to a cōfederacy of all Protestant Princes against all Popish who sees not that if the Romish religion prevailes the King of Spaines Monarchie must needs prove as Catholike that is universall as his religion and then will he prove the Catholike King indeed Now that the pretence of Religion may take the better 't is necessary that there be an union in it among all the subjects of the grand pretender or at least that those of the adverse opinion be so few and weake that they be not able to put an Armie into the field tolerations of Religion are most dangerous and surely should the King of England much exhaust his land forces to make a potent invasion upon the Spanish dominions the Iesuites would presently stirre up our Papists to call him backe againe for the stinting of a domestike rebellion for to be feared it is that though all our Recusants be the King of Englands subjects yet too many of them be the King of Spaines servants No sooner on the otherside did the French King this present yeare lead his Army over the Alpes into Italy but the Duke de Rohan thought it a fit opportunity for the Protestants to struggle for their liberty And therefore plainly as of all good causes Religion is the chiefe so in Religion there must be unitie and that makes it irresistable Finally as naturall bodies are best nourished by things of that nature and kinde whereof they consist even so that Empire which is gained or inlarged by Religion must ever be maintained by it T was therefore the old rule amongst the Conquerours to bring in their owne language lawes and religion among their new subjects The Romanes did this every where and the Norman did it in England The Spaniard indeed hath not much stood upon lawes and language but hath ever beene diligent for his Religion and though in the Palatinate he suffered some Protestant Ministers awhile to make the conquest the sweeter yet those being either dead or wearied out he never suffered another Protestant to succeed The diligence and fury of the Emperour for rooting out those of the Augustane confession in Bohemia c. may well confirme the truth of this observation The qualities of weapons and the order of discipline are important instruments of this martiall greatnesse Advantage of weapons is like good casting and strict discipline like skilfull playing both which must needs winne the game The Macedonians by their Pikes and the Romans by their Pyles the Parthians and English by their long bowes have still beene victorious The same thing doth engine and fortification The gunne hath brought all weapons to an equality that onely domineeres now Nothing resists it but the spade T is a weapon of terrible execution serviceable both by Sea and Land yet are not the slaughters made by the gunne any way comparable for numbers to those bloudy battels wonne by the sword The charges of this disables Princes from levying Armies equall for multitudes to the Ancient which now adayes beginne to be incredible Infinite were it to speake of the new invented engines and fire-workes and of the severall provisions to prevent them and whether after-ages shall invent a more terrible weapon than the gun is to us uncertaine which if it proves the Inventor gets incredible advantage Treasure is an advantage of great importance forasmuch as there is nothing more necessary in warres or of more use in peace By meanes hereof the Florentines became Lords of a great part of Tuscany they bought many Cities they freed themselves from the incursions of divers enemies they maintained the warres many yeares against the Pisans and against the prowesse of those peoples and the power of those Princes which did aid them and at the last brought that warre to good end By meanes hereof the Venetians made themselves Lords of a good part of Lumbardy and endured the forces of the King of Hungary the Arch-duke of Austria and of divers other Princes Whereby it appeareth that money worketh two notable effects to the augmentation and continuance of the greatnesse of kingdomes and estates The one to provide and gather forces and those being gotten to uphold and maintaine with supplies of Souldiers victuals munition and armes The other that it doth offer us opportunity if not to weaken and vanquish the enemy having gotten the
quit his Horse and serve on foot provided that he have with him a vallet Harquebusier But they that had lesse than three or foure hundred had a lesse proportion of charge There be foure exceptions where a man is not bound to serve in person If he be sicke if aged if he beare some Office if he keepe some frontier place or other Castle of the Kings for in this case hee may send another They are bound upon forfeiture of their Feif to serve three moneths within the Land and forty dayes without not counting the dayes of marching You must observe that as the Seigneurs hold their Feif of the King in Haute justice so other Gentlemen hold of them in Basse justice upon charge to follow these Seigneurs at all times to the wars For the Feif is the thing by the acceptation whereof they that hold it are bound in oath and fidelity to their Lords and therefore are called their Vassals of Wessos the old Gaule word which signifieth Valiant for to such were the Feifs given As for Serfes Slaves or Villaines they 〈◊〉 domesticke and serve upon baser condition for wages and victuals There is also the subject that is the poore peâ—sant that laboureth and tilleth the Feifs and therefore yee shall heare Monsieur le Gentleman speake of ses terres ses hommes ses subjects His lands his men and his subjects and yet himselfe is Vassall to the Seigneur that holds in haute justice But you may note that no word of service whatsoever in this discourse doth prejudice the liberty naturall of the Vassall Neither the subject nor the Serf are bound to goe to the wars but only the Vassall The mustering and gathering together of these forces obliged by these Feifs is called the Ban and Arrier-Ban of the Almâ—â—â—e words Hâ—râ— exerâ—iâ—us an Army and Ban convâ—â—atio a calling together This Ban and Arrier-ban consisted anciently of twelve and sometimes fifteene thousand Gens d'armes But after the corruption thereof when the Feifs came to be in the hands of unable and unworthy men the Kings of France were forced of later times to erect the Gens d' armes des Ordonnances the men at Armes of his Ordinances in Charles the seventh his time For ye must consider that there have beene foure principall causes of the overthrow of this Ban and Arrier-ban The first were the gifts to the Clergy who as is reported have the sixth part of these Feifs in their hands and contribute nothing to the warres for as one saith they will lose nothing pay nothing contribute nothing toward their guarding and yet notwithstanding they will be guarded The next was the voyages to the Holy-land for when one had made a vow to goe thither to serve against the Saracens and Iâ—tidels he sold his Feif to furnish him to that purpose The third was the warres with the English wherein by force they lost them The last cause is the sales of them to all sorts of people without exception as the Lawyer the Yeoman or any other unable person whatsoever that will buy them which till Charles the seventh they might not doe Ye see then how necessary it was this old institution being corrupted and quite decayed to erect a new which they called Les Gens d' armes des ordonnances because at their first erection there were divers Lawes and ordinances made for them to observe which who so brake was severely punished They were at first only 1500. But after they were increased to an hundred cornets and given to divers Princes of the bloud and Nobles of France to conduct and command with an honourable pension In these troops should bee 6000. for in some there are an hundred in others but fifty Howbeit it is thought in each troope there are some dead payes for the benefit of the Ofâ—â—cers and that in truth there be not above foure thousand in all For the maintenance of this Gens d' armerie there is a tax yearely levied upon the people throughout all France called the Taille Concerning both the number of the Gens d'armes and their proportion of allowance by the Taille it is thus as La Nove judgeth The horsemen in the time of Henry the second exceeded the number of 6000. launces but they are now but 4000. and in mine opinion it were fit to entertaine in time of peace foure Regiments of Infantery of six hundred men apeece As touching the Infantery Francis the first was the first that instituted the Legionaries which were in all eight and every Legion to containe six thousand according to the rate of the ancient Romans The first Legion was of Normandy The next of Bretaigne One in Pâ—cardie One in Burgundie In Champaigne and Nivernois one In Dolphenie and Provence one In Lyonnois Auvergne one And one in â—angâ—â—docke These companies were shortly after cassed and againe within eighteene yeares erected and are now againe of late yeares dissolved and in their place the Regiments now entertained are five in number The Regiment of the Guard the Regiment of Picardie the Regiment of Champaigne the Regiment of Piemont and lastly the Regiment of Gascoâ—ne commonly called the Regiment of Navarrâ— In each of these is twelve hundred These are all now in time of peace bestowed in garrison-townes and frontier places except those of his guard Boâ—â—â— opâ—â—ion is that foure Legions of 5000. apeece would â—usfice to be maintained in this land for saith he the Roman Empire which was twenty times as great had never but eleven Legions in pay but this is to be understood of them which were in pay ordinary in Italy besides those Legions which they had in other their Countries as England Spaine Low-Countries c. For otherwise we read of â—hose Emperours that had thirtie one Legions and Bodin himselfe confesseth that Augustus had at one time entertained in pay forty Legions at eleven millions charge the yeare But this Writer though he be approved as he well deserves yet I thinke if he failed in any of his discourse it was in matter of warre the profession whereof did ill agree with his long robe yee shall therefore take the judgement of a discreeter souldier of France for your direction what force the French can make or entertaine of others which is this If our King perceived that any neighbour of his meant to invade his Frontiers I thinke he might easily compose an Army of sixty companies of men at Armes twenty Cornets of light horse and five troops of Harquebusiers on horse-backe amounting all to ten thousand horse To which he might adde three or foure thousand German Rutters and one hundred Ensignes of French foot and forty Ensignes of his good Confederates the Swissers and yet maintaine his other Frontiers sufficiently manned So that ye may conclude that foure thousand men at Armes well complete and with a proportion of light-horse and foot answerable sheweth the whole flower beauty and force of France Howsoever the Author of the Cabinet confidently avoweth
ready to march whither occasion calleth Because of the thicknesse of the Woods the Horsemen serve with Petronels and seldome use Pikes or Launces These are most excellent Footmen for every souldier is able to make and furnish himselfe with any furniture whatsoever even the making of his owne Flaske and Touch-box as likewise the common people in Pervina and the neighbouring Provinces being contented with a little have alwayes accustomed to make all implements for their houses and bodies to build to weave to play the Tailors to sow to reape and to forge tooles fit for their businesse And as for these Trades which are neither common nor necessary a to paint to worke in silver and such like there are notwithstanding found among them very good worke-men wanting rather matter than Art to worke upon The Swevian Horse-men are divided into thirteene Companies Sweveland and Gothland maintaine eleven and Finland two and upon necessitie they can raise a greater force for the Dukedome of Vrmeland as report goeth is able to furnish better than ten thousand men with Horse In Marchland there is such plentifull breed of Horse that there they are sold at a very low rate both these Provinces are in Gothland Their Horse is not so bigge bodied as the Frieslander but exceeding hardie active able to endure travell and fed with a little I will not omit to speake of two Noble usages of the King of Swethland towards his Souldiers one is that if a Souldier be taken prisoner he is ransomed at the Kings charges the other that if his Horse be slaine the King bestoweth another upon him To his Captaines and those which serve on Horse-back in part of payment of their wages hee giveth yearely a Garment which the Germans terme Idolis and may be taken for a Cassocke The rest of the Captaines meanes if he serves within the Kingdome against the Dane or Moscovite is but foure Dollars a moneth and exemption for himselfe and family from other duties and payments to the King The common souldier is not thus exempted unlesse in time of warre or danger his other pay is one Dollar and a quarter for a moneth small pay if you consider not the cheapnesse of victuals In their marches in loose troopes they are billetted in the next houses at the countries charges But when the Armie is in the field altogether the King findes them victuals without deducting it out of their meanes It was not long since that the Horseman in time of peace received more than twenty Dollars standing for a yeare with a Horsemans coat and his exemptions but this is increased in the warres The Officers of Horse-troopes receive monethly pay for themselves their servitors horse-boyes c. The Nobilitie and Courtiers also Privie Councellors excepted which may be about three hundred in all are bound to wait on the King on horseback every of which for himselfe and followers receiving each five Dollars a moneth Every Captaine must be a Gentleman borne As touching their Sea-affaires by reason of their huge Sea-coast and infinite Havens the Kingdome swarmeth with Mariners and shipping which the King may arrest in his Dominions as other Princes are accustomed to doe hee maintaineth commonly fiftie Ships of warre whereof every one carrieth fortie peeces of Ordnance more or lesse King Gustavus first brought in the use of Gallies In the Warre which King Iohn waged with the Danes before the Peace treated on at Stetin was agreed he put to Sea seventie great ships besides other of smaller burthen in which were 22000. fighting men In the Summer time they warre at Sea in the Winter at Land for then the Rivers are frozen as likewise the Sea neere the shore for a great space Seeing I have spoken of Guns I will adde thus much that the King is thought to have about eight thousand great Peeces the most part of Brasse and that hee could cast many more if hee had more store of Tin In the Castle of Stockholme only are numbred foure hundred Certaine it is that the King can on the sudden rigge up a sufficient Fleet both for defence and offence and that cheaper than any Prince of Christendome For first he hath store of Mariners and they easily paid as desiring little more than cloaths and victuals Their cloathes are simple enough and their victuals the Countrie is bound to send them a proportion namely of Beefe Bacon Salt-fish Butter Barly and Peason As for materials for building a ship he either hath them of his owne timber pitch iron and cordage or else they are brought him but from the next doore Brasse peeces such plentie of metall he hath that they cost him little or nothing So that well might King Iohn the third of Swethland affirme that he would set out and maintaine as good a Fleet for 100000. Dollars as the King of Spaine could for a million of pounds The chiefe of the Kings Navie in time of peace rides like our Kings at Chatham commonly in two places either at Stockholme where they may lye safe even afloat without mooring or so much as anchoring the Harbour being thirty English miles within Land and the high cliffes keeping off all winds The other Stations are in Finland still in a readinesse against the Muscovite and to watch that nor Armes nor munition be brought them out of Germanie The chiefe Fort of this Countrey is the Finnish Sea which breaking in about Dantzik runs up with a long gut or free thorow the midst of his Countrey from South to North a great deale beyond the Arctick Circle into Finmarch and Lapland another Arme of it neere the first entrance parting Liefland and Finland of which it is called the Finnish Bay flowing even to the Frontiers of Russeland Both of them are wonderfull strengths eases and riches to his Countrey Fortified Townes and Castles he hath in all his Frontiers upon the Dane and Muscovite some twentie in all Vpon the West-side of Swethland is Denmarke on the East Moscovie with both which he hath had long war The Swevians have suffered much losse by the Denmarkes for King Christian the second besieged Stockholme and forced it committing all kinde of cruelty against the Inhabitants filling the Citie with bloud and dead carkases The title which the Dane pretendeth to the Crowne of Swethland is the cause of their enmities The Havens the situation of the Countrey and especially Gothland which is a member of Gothia and therefore the Swevian claimeth it as his right affordeth the Dane this facility of invading at his pleasure After Gustavus recovered the Kingdom he and his son Henry and John reigned successively and although bloud enough hath beene shâ—â— in the warres betweene Gustavus and the Paris yet the Kingdome hath retained her honour and the Citâ—e of Lubeck the mightiest State in that Sea sometimes by consederating with the one sometime with the other doth in so even a ballance poise the differences of these two Nations as it suffereth
râ—ape the whole benefit of it For the Arch-duchesse wee know shee beares but the name of Governesse of his Provinces being her selfe otherwise wholly governed by Spanish Counsell and were the Kings younger brother but old enough to be Governour wee know that she must be thrust into a Monasterie However France seemeth now to rejoyce in a new alliance yet let the world not doubt but that out of ancient emulation which hath ever beene betweene these two Kingdomes being exasperated done against another by so many injuries so many wrongs and so many jarres and brawles new occasions of discontents will evermore arise For can the French thinke we ever forget their expulsions out of Italie their deprivation of Navarre or the intrusion of the late King upon the maine body of the Kingdome But fresh in memory and yet unrevenged as one this present yeare 1629. is the defeat of the French troopes sent into Italie in favour of the Duke of Mantoa nor does the Spaniard looke that the crosse mariages with the French the Kings marying one anothers sisters can make any attonement but lookes either that the French should invade Flanders or the Wallon Countries unto which hee hath so good and ancient pretencion or watch him some other good turne at his best opportunitie Betweene him and the Savoyard notwithstanding their neere alliance have there beene late warres the Spaniard depriving him of some Townes in Montferat and the Duke of Savoy in revenge on the other side distressing Genoa with an Armie which is under the Spaniards protection and the place from whence he borrowes his great summes of mony But these differences are so farre reconciled that contrary to all expectation the Savoyard in consideration of the restoring to him of those Townes in Montferat is now at this present turned on the Spaniards side hath levied an Armie in favour of him and blockt up the passages of his owne Countrey by which the French Armes should enter Italie to the aid of Mantoa But to be knowne it is that this Duke of Savoy is an old a subtill and an inconstant Prince jealous enough as all the States of Italie are of the Spaniards greatnesse and for his owne advantage will as readily turne to the French as he did now to the Spaniard With the King of 〈◊〉 he hath not any negotiation save good correspondencie And because betwixt these two Crownes there is not any pretencion of State or interest of Consines which are wont to be causes from whence discords arise and also for the most part evill intelligence among Princes As the Turke is Lord of a larger Sea-coast than the King so can he hardly compare with his Majesty either in furniture or mariners Along all the coast of Africke he hath not an harbour where he can build or keepe a couple of Gallies except Algier and Tripolie In the Euxine sea what place of name is there besides Capha and Trapezond What better report can we give to the coast of Asia More implements than a spacious Sea-coast are incident on either part to this businesse he must have plenty of Timber and Cordage he must be furnished with a people practised in Sea-affaires able to endure the labour and working of the waters delighting in traffike and navigation chearefull in tempests and rough weather which dare dwell as it were amongst perils and expose their lives to a thousand dangers and here in true judgement I take the King to exceed the Turke For the Turkish subjects as to the better part never saw Sea and those that have used it are not to bee compared to the Biskaines Catalonians Portugals and Genoâ—ais I adde this people for their good services and affections at all times to this Crowne To conclude in two things the King excelleth the Turke the first is that although the Turke can command more men yet the best and greater part of them being Christians he dare hardly trust the second that the Sea-coasts of the King are neerer conjoyned than those of the Turke and in that regard hath his forces sooner incorporated By this facilitie experience hath proved that the Easterne Navies have been often overthrowne by the Westerne the Southerne by the Northerne the Carthaginian by the Roman the Asian by the Grecian Octavius Caesar with the Navie of Italy defeated the Fleet of Aegypt and in our times the Armada of the Christians the Fleet of the Turke The Turkes themselves confesse that in Sea-fights the Christians excell and are unwilling to deale with those forces As often as Charles the fifth rigged forth his Navie it was so puissant that the Turke never durst leave the harbour In his journey of Algier he rigged five hundred vessels in his Tunis voyage 600. Andrew Dorie conducted 10 gallant an Armada into Greece that the Turke not daring to move out of his station the Christians tooke Patras and Coronna in Morea At this day they are at peace The Spaniard is doubtfull of the Turkish forces especially by Sea if he be not assisted by the league of Italie And againe the Turke is fearefull of him alone and of his associates For he knowes he is to deale with a Potentate of much estimation and well practised in the world and although of late there have fallen out betweene them certaine jarres and differences upon dammages done by the one and the other Prince reciprocally in each others dominions yet it is to be thought that these two so powerfull Princes will not easily bee brought to take Armes seeing they emulate each others greatnesse and contented with equall strife to bring all Christendome to their subjection pretending both one and the selfe-same end viz. Religion Besides it is sufficient for the Catholike King to have revenged his wrongs and for the Turke that he is no more molested by the Spanish Armadaes As the one hath a warlike and well armed Empire so hath the other an united and most rich Kingdome But herein the Turke hath the greater advantage that he spendeth but little in the warres in regard of that that not onely the King of Spaine disburseth but even all the Princes of the world For his souldiers receive for their pay those lands which he hath given them to hold for life with condition annexed alwayes to bee in readinesse to serve at an instant Certaine it is that the Turke being dreadfull to Christendome the Spaniard is the ablest to oppose him For which reason Andreas Hoia would needs perswade us that it were best for Christendome to chuse the Spaniard for their universall Monarch but Boccalini argues better that it had beene more convenient for Europe if the Moores had still beene Lords of Spaine Most sure it is that the Protestants yea all Christians in Hungaria live better under the Turke than under the house of Austria The Spaniards bee intolerable masters witnesse the poore Indians Hoia therefore vented this in an Oration at Doway to inflame our English fugitives
them to whose heire Fredericke Barbarossa restored the Palatinate in the yeare 1183. since which time as Munster saith it ever continued in that male Line untill these unfortunate warres The Lower Palatinate hath beene twice augmented once by the Emperour Wenceslaus who bestowed Oppenheim and two other Imperiall Townes upon the Elector for his voice in the Election The second augmentation was by the ransome of the Duke of Wirtenberg and the Archbishop of Mentz both taken in one battell by Prince Frederike Anno 1452. out of both whose Countries lying next unto the Palatinate the victorious Palatine tooke some what to lay to his owne For which and other quarrels there hath still continued a grudging in the Archbishops towards the Palsgraves Mentz whose Archiepiscopall Citie is also in the Palatinate laying a claime to a Monastery and the lands upon the Bergstraes or mountaine within two English miles even of Heidleberg The Palsgrave hath many prerogatives above the Electors of â—ther sort He taketh place of the Duke of Saxony and the Marquesse of Brandenburgh because Henry the first Palatine was descended of Charles the Great for which cause in the vacancie of the Empire he is also Governour of the West parts of Germanie with power to alienate or give Offices to take fealty and homage of the Subjects and which is most to sit in the Imperiall Courts and give judgement of the Emperour himselfe The Land naturally is very rich the Mountains are full of Vines Woods and such excessive store of red Deere that Spinola's souldiers in the late warres had them brought to them like Beefe or Bacon How famous the Rhenish Wines are I need not say Of Corne they have no want Silver also is here digged up Goodly Townes and strong it had such store as if they had had nothing but Cities All which are now divided betwixt the Emperour the Bavarian and the Spaniard The Prince also was said to have two and twenty Palaces But the chiefest ornament was the incomparable Library of Heidleberg not for the beauty of the roome for it was but in the roofe of the chiefe Church and that by a long wall divided into two parts but for the numbers of excellent Manuscripts and printed bookes with which it was then better stored than Oxford yet is The Princes Revenue arose first out of his owne Lands and Customes of his Manours Secondly out of the tenths and wealth of the Monasteries and estate of the Church confiscated which perchance made up one quarter if not more of his whole estate Thirdly from the Toll of one Bridge over the Rhine he yearely had about twentie thousand crownes Fourthly some say that one silver mine yeelded him threescore thousand crownes All together the revenues of this and the Vpper Palatinate lying next to Bavaria and some thirty English miles distant from this Lower were valued to amount unto one hundred sixtie thousand pounds sterling of yearely Revenues Finally of the three Temporall Electors goes this common proverb in Germanie That the Palsgrave hath the honour Saxony the money and Brandenburgh the land for Saxony indeed is richer and Brandenburghs Dominions larger than those of the Prince Elector Palatine The State of the Elector of Saxonie THe Dominion of the Dukes of Saxonie containeth the Marquisat of Mâ—sen the Lantgravedome of Turinge Voitland part of Nether Saxonie almost within two Dutch miles of Maigdburg part of the Lands of the Earles of Mansfielt pawned to Augustus for some summes of money and a parcell of Frankhenland The whole Country is seated almost in the midst of Germanie on all sides very farre from the Sea except Voitland very plaine and Champion sprinkled here and there with some few of them navigable The chiefest of them all is the Elve â—o which all the rest pay the tribute of their waters All of it together is imagined to bee in bignesse about a third part of England or somewhat more The climate in temperature is not much differing from ours of England It confineth on the South-East with the Kingdome of Bohem and is parted with many high hils and great woods on the South with the Bishop of Bambergs Countrie and on the South-west with the Lantgrave of Hesse on the North and North-west with the Counts of Mansfielt the Princes of Anâ—â—â—â—â— and the Citie of Maidburgh of which this Duke writeth himselfe Burgrave and the Marquesse of Brandeburghs eldest son Arch-Bishop yet is it not under either Iurisdiction but freely governed within it selfe On the North-east lyeth the Marquesdome of â—randeburgh and the Lansknites who partly belong to the Marquesse and partly to the Emperour It is in peace at this time as all Germanie beside with all the Neighbour-Princes Betweene the Bohemians and them there is a great league but betwixt the Emperour and their Dukes great jealousies under hand The Duke of Saxonie the Marquesses of Brandeburgh and the Lantgraves of Hesse have many yeeres they and their ancestry beene linked together and both Lutherans howbeit the Lantgrave is thought to fâ—vour of Calvinisme The Bishop of Bamberge both himselfe and his Countrie are all Catholiques but of no power to hurt though they were Enemies The Counts of Mansfielt have a grudge to the house of Saxonie because most of their land being pawned to Augustus is as they pretend wrongfully detained the debt being long since satisfied but they are so many and so poore as they may well have the will but not the power to annoy Saxonie in Religion Catholiques The Princes of Anhault as also the Counts of Mansfield are homagers to this Duke but of small power or riches In Religion Calvinists For home defence and strength this Dukedome is so strong by nature on Boheme side and upon the frontiers and within Land so well fortified by Art with reasonable strong Cities Townes and Castles so well peopled and all places of strength so well looked unto and kept in so good order that it seemeth provided to withstand the Enemy not onely of any one but of all the Neighbour-Provinces The greatest and chiefest Citie within this Dukedome is Erdford seated in Turing not subject to the Duke but a free and Hanse-towne the next unto it is Leipsique the Metropolis of Misâ—n a Towne very well seated both for profit and pleasure yet of no great strength though it held out Iohn Fredericke a siege of two or three moneths with small disadvantage of building very faire and stately most of the houses of seven eight or nine Stories high but all of Bricke and no Stone It is greater than Dresden and hath many faire and large streets and yet inferiour in beautie and strength for the Duke will not suffer the Inhabitants neither to fortifie nor to repaire the walls left they should againe rebell as in former times within the walls are nine hundred Houses it hath three Churches five Colleges and about foure hundred Students as also a faire Castle with a small
and every Citie hath his particular Councell and place of assemblie save only when they are to sit upon matters of importance and such as concerne the generall estate then they appoint a generall Diet and that to be held in some one of the Cities which they thinke most convenient whereunto foure or five of the most principall of every Citie are bound to resort In their consultations for the most part they are comfortable one to another and because one Citie is as free as another having no one chiefe Governour superiour to any other in case the cause be it peace or warre concerne the universall State of all the Cantons looke how the major part of voices shall sway in the Senate so it prevaileth and that which the greater number resolve upon is without more adoe put in execution The benefit which they gaine by a common warre Is divided in common but if sometimes two or three united Cantons purchase any bootie by their peculiar Armes of that purchase the residue can claime no share Yet hath it happened that the residue thinking themselves injured in not participating generally have raised divers controversies and because as aforesaid they are equally free and as great is the soveraigne authoritie of one Citie as of another both parties have appealed unto the French King who upon hearing of the cause in question gave judgement That a particular gaine appertained to particular persons And so the rest Therefore when they are either occasioned or determined to make any particular warre the united Cantons erect lights and make bone-fires but when they are to raise forces in generall as suppose they should for the French King first they strike up their Drumme then all the Cities doe presents as many persons as they thinke good which may be to the number of five and thirtie or fortie thousand of whom after the Captaines have culd out their limited portions the residue are licensed to depart to their owne homes Every Citie hath his principall Standard with their peculiar armes and devices therein to distinguish one people from another And because no politike body can stand without a head although in no case they will tolerate one absolute Governour over the whole yet are they contented to submit themselves to the government of one particular Magistrate in every particular Citie him they terme Vnama The elect on of which Officer is on this manner On the first Sunday in May the principall of all the houses and families thoâ—ow every Canton of all sorts and qualities assemble themselves either in some meadow or else in the chiefest streets of their Citie where all of them taking their places in order the Vnama whose time of office is now expired seating himselfe in a place somewhat above the rest after some stay riseth up and maketh a speech to the people excusing himselfe in good termes of his insufficiencie to discharge the weight of the office committed unto his charge and craveth pardon of that which he hath through ignorance or negligence committed to the prejudice of the common good and therewithall offereth to resigne his determined office into the hands of the people Immediately upon this resignation with a loud voice hee nominateth the partie whom in his judgement he thinketh worthy to succeed in his place He that is nominated commeth forth before the multitude and presenting himselfe before them after some speeches nominateth a second the second with like ceremonie a third The nomination being ended the chiefe of the companies demand of the people which of these three thus nominated they are willing to elect So naming them anew one by one the multitude lift up their hands at the naming of him whom they desire to be their Governour And oft-times it falleth out that he that hath beene once Vnama in desert of his justice and good carriage towards them hath beene chosen againe the second time This election finished they proceed to the choice of other Officers This Officer continueth in his place three yeares and although he be the chiefest amongst them yet goeth hee but little better attired than the meanest only attended with five or six persons He dwelleth in his owne house because they imploy the publike places for the holding of the Diets the keeping of their Munition and Artillerie and other furniture belonging to the warres In criminall causes he can doe nothing without the counsell of the fifteene but in civill matters he hath larger limitation Next the Vnama is that Officer of Iustice who is as it were the Chancellor and the second person in that State After him are certaine Counsellors men well experienced in affaires of Princes and occurrence of Provinces Then the Chamberlaine and his is the charge of the Munition and publike Treasure Next to him are the foure Deputies in authoritie greater than the Counsellors and may doe many things in absence of the Vnama so as the Chancellor be present These with the Vnama make the fifteene which governe the State as well in peace as in warre and are ever present at the hearing and deciding of all occurrences arising within the Territorie of their owne Canton These are from yeare to yeare confirmed by the people although as doth the Vnama they continue their office for three yeares These send Governours to the Castles on the Frontiers and to decide inferiour matters they allow ten persons chosen out of the meaner sort but the parties in controversie may appeale to the fifteene other Iudges or further appeales as in the Civill Law they have not to flie unto For their chiefest care is their tillage and warfare coveting to live simply and plainly and not to intrap one another in quarrels and suits of Law The partie evicted is severely punished Neither will they suffer any of their people to appeale out of their owne Countries and if any offend therein he is grievously chastened Thorow the whole world Lawes are not observed with lesse partialitie for they are never-altered according to the humours of the inconstant multitude nor violated without due penaltie inflicted for as of those five sorts of populâ—r governments which Aristotle discourseth of there is none more dangerous than that wherein the will of the people beareth sway above reason and standeth for Law as Zenophon writeth of the Athenians so no forme of government can be compared to that wherein the Commonaltie without dâ—tinction live subject to the censure of the Law in regard of which policie wee ought not to marvell if this Common-weale have flourished now these two hundred and fiftie yeares in great reputation of valour For â—â—y two meanes hath this estate beene preserved viz. by unpartiall administration of justice and frequencie of neighbourly feastings whereas the scornfull ambition of great men hath heretofore ruinated the popular estates of the Megarians the Romans the Florentines the Syennois and the Genoese Of which sort the Swizzers have none at all or if there be any as there are but
and consequence For the River Vistula arising in the extremest bounds of Silesia watereth all Poland the lesse and part of the Greater Mazovia and Prussia and then it falleth into the Baltike Sea below Danske whither it transporteth the greatest quantity of Rye Corne Honey and Wax of the whole Kingdome a journy of foure hundred miles From another coast the most famous River Duina arising out of the Lake Ruthenigo and parting Livonia into equall portions falleth into the Sea about Riga a City of great concourse There are in Prussia and Livonia many Lakes amongst which one is called the New-Sea 100 miles long in Livonia is a Lake called Beybas more than 400. miles long from thence spring the Rivers which running by Pernovia and Narâ—e make two notable Havens for traffike Betweene these two Cities stands Rivalia giving place to neither in beauty Samogithia is more rude and barbarous than the other Provinces and Podalia more barren which is not to be attributed to the nature of the soile for it is plentifull of those Commodities which the climate under which it lieth can afford but to the cruelty of the Tartars which so vex it with continuall inrodes that the Inhabitants are driven either to flie for feare or to bee led away captives by these barbarous people The riches of Poland are the abundance of Corne and all sorts of graine which grow there in such plentifull sort that in it selfe it never suffered want but evermore as in the yeare 1590. and 1591 it releeved not onely the bordering Nations oppressed with famine and scarcity but also yeelded some portion of releese to the wants of Genoa Tuscanie and Rome It floweth with Honey and Wax And whereas in all these Northerly Nations of Poland Lituania Russia Muscovia there are no Wines growing in stead thereof Nature hath bestowed upon them incredible quantities of Honey whereof these people doe brew an excellent kinde of Beverage The Bees make Honey either in Woods where they finde the trees made hollow by rottennesse or mans industry or in Hives set in open field by the Country people or in holes of the earth or in any place where they can finde never so small a liking It aboundeth with Flax Hempe with Sheepe with Cattell tell and with Horses Amongst the beasts of the wood are sound wilde Oxen wilde Horses and the Buste which cannot live out of the Wood of Nazovia The riches of the land consist in the Salt-pits of Bozena and Velisca in the territory of Cracovia The Revenues of the Kingdome for the most part are equally divided between the Noblemen he Gentlemen for no man is left so rich by inheritance that hee may exceed others above measure and the greatest Revenue of all exceedeth not five and twenty thousand Ducats Onely the Dukes of Curland and Regimount exceed this meane For although they are feodaries of the Kingdome and acknowledge the King as their superiour yet are they not as lively members of the State they come not to the Diets of the Kingdome they have not their voices in the election of the Prince neither are they accounted as naturall Lords of the Kingdome but for strangers as in truth they are the Duke of Curland being of the house of Ketlert and the Duke of Regimount of the family of Brandenburge All Prussia did belong to the Dutch Knights who had their Great Master resident there but he not being able to withstand the force of the Polonians yeelded himselfe feodarie to King Casimere Afterwards when Albert of Brandenburge their Great Master became a Protestant hee was created Duke of Prussia and the Country was divided into two parts the one regall mediately holden of the Crowne the other Ducall allotted to Albert and his successors to hold by fealty In the Kings parâ—ition stand Marieburge Torovia Culma Varnia and Daâ—â—keâ— in the Duchie which yeelded an hundred and twenty thousand Ducats yearely the chiefe Towne is Regimount the Germans call it Conningsburgh and there the Duke keepeth his Court. The Government of Polonia is altogether elective and representeth rather an Aristocracie than a Kingdome the Nobility who have great authority in the Diets chusing the King and at their pleasure limiting him his authority and making his soveraignty but a slavish royalty These diminutions of Regality beganne first by default of King Lewis and Iagello who to gaine the succession in the Kingdome contrary to the Lawes one for his daughter and the other for his sonne departed with many of his Royalties and Prerogatives to buy the voyces of the Nobility Whereupon by degrees the King of Poland as Stanislaus Orichovius confesses is little more than the Mouth of the Kingdome which speakes not but what his Councell prompts him The great Officer whom they call the President of their liberty and Guardian of it is still joyned with the King as it were to Tutor him and to moderate his desires The power royall there is no more but what King Sigismund assumed in full Parliament at Petricovia Anno 1548. which was to conclude nothing but by advice of his Councell To give instances of the power of these great Counsellours they made void the testament of King Casimire forbade King Iagello to warre upon the Knights Hospitalers unto whom in his expedition into Lituania they adjoyned the Bishop of Cracovia limiting their King to doe nothing but with his approbation Casimire the third had foure Commissioners joyned with him Without their leaves the King cannot chuse his owne wife for which reason King Iagello was by them perpetually perplexed Appeales the supreme marke of Soveraignty are not made to the King but to the States King Alexander Anno 1504. was faine to remit the disposing of the publike treasure unto the Lord Treasurer to which Officer Iagello Anno 1422. could not but grant the royalty of coining monies also Well therefore as Cromerus reporteth might Queene Christina complaine That her Husband was but the shadow of a Soveraigne They have neither law nor statute nor forme of government written but by custome from the death of one Prince to the election of another the supreme authority resteth in the Archbishop of Gesna who is President of the Councell appointeth the Diets ruleth the Senate and proclaimeth the new elected King Before King Stephen erected new Bishops Palatines and Castellanes in Livonia few other besides the Archbishop of Leopolis and his thirteene Suffragans eight and twenty Palatines and thirty of the chiefest Castellanes were present at the election of the new King They hold an assembly of the States every yeare for two causes the one to administer Justice in Soveraigne causes unto which are brought appeales from all the Judges of the Country the other to provide for the safety of the Common-weale against their next Enemies the Tartars who make often incursions upon them In the time of their Diets these men assemble in a place neere unto the Senate-house where they chuse two Marshals by whom
party-coloured Ensignes These and such like furnitures doe cause them to bee discerned of their fellowes make them seeme terrible to their Enemies and doe encourage their minds to fiercenesse and prowesse Their Horse are but small yet very nimble and farre more couragious than the Dutch It is thought that upon necessity Poland is able to raise an hundred thousand horse and Lituania seventy thousand but far inferiour in goodnesse to the Polish They have so great trust in the great number of their horse that nothing fearing the power of any Enemies they regard not the building of Fortresses but resolve that they are able to defend their Country their Wives and Children their liberty and goods in the open field against any Prince whatsoever boasting that in either chance of warre they never turned their backes Sigismund Augustus laboured that in the Diets of the Kingdome order might be taken for the fortifying of Cracovia because of neighbour-hood of the Emperour but he could never effect it partly because it should not give their Kings opportunity of absolute authority and tyrannicall Emperie partly because they thinke themselves by noble courage sufficiently able to defend the Kingdome They have no infanterie for all the people of the Kingdome are divided either into Merchants and Artificers which inhabit the Cities or labourers which live in the country in such subjection as we spake of before and this is the reason that the Gentlemen onely goe to the war and will not in any case serve on foot but alwaies when occasion serveth they doe give wages unto the German and Hungarish footmen and of these King Stephen in his journey into Livonia entertained under his colours little lesse than 16000. to convey his great Ordnance 1609. Sigismund being called into Moscovie by the treason of Sulskey who had slaine Demetrius his Lord and Master in Mosco departed from Cracovia with 30000. horse and 10000. foot exceedingly well furnished and resolute Wherein in truth consisteth the sole commendation of the Polish Gentlemen As for manners for the most part they are discourteous and uncivill a very murderous and wicked people especially in their drunkennesse and that towards strangers For Pioners they use the Tartars and their owne unplandish people The Kingdome is sufficiently furnished stored with great Ordnance and all furniture belonging thereto of which it can suffer no manner of scarcitie first because the Gentlemen and Noblemen keepe many in their castles next for the neighbour-hood of Germany which is exceeding rich in Metall to that use and plentifull of Antificers to forge anything belonging thereunto And though it is not usuall to see many castles in Polonia yet the Fortresses of Leopolis and Camentzie in Russia the Castle of Cracovia in the lesse Poland Polocensis on the Frontiers of Moscovia Mariembourge and some other Townes in Livonia are peeces in truth of great strength These forces of Polonia which wee have spoken of are such in quantity and quality that few Nations in Europe can equall them none surpasse them one thing they want and that is Celeritie For to the sure strengthening of every Kingdome foure things are required that is to say That their forces be of their owne subjects That it be Populous Valiant and Quicke their owne because it is dangerous trusting to a stranger Populous because of re-enforcements after checkes or overthrowes Valiant because number without courage little availeth yea it bringeth forth confusion And Quicke that they may lightly move and speedily be drawne whither necessitie enforceth The last of these foure are Polacks especially want that is Celerity occasioned two waies First for defect of absolute authority in the Prince which is much checked by prolonging and adjourning of Parliaments procured many times by the frowardnesse of the Nobilitie And secondly for want of ready money and quicke levies thereof For the King hath no power to determine any thing to denounce warre to impose taxes or to gather treasure without the consent of these Parliaments and these Parliaments where it is necessary that many be present are like an Engine made of many peeces which without losse of time can neither easily be joyned nor readily moved For in warlike affaires those Princes make best speed which are best able to command and have most money in readinesse otherwise in appointing and ordering the Diets and devising that the Actions may answer the Counsels than in executing and in providing of money there hapneth such losse of time that little is left for the beginning of the journey much lesse to accomplish Besides the Barons and Nobles are at such charges and tarry so long when they are there that at their departure they have little left to maintaine after-charges It may be that for the defence of the State quicker and readier resolution would bee taken because of the imminent danger fatall in generall But for the conquest of any forren place I beleeve they will alwaies proceed with like flownesse and irresolution for the hope of good doth not so much move vs as the feare of evill Yet hath our age seene in the reigne of Sigismund Augustus the Moscovite to have conquered the Provinces of Moloch and Smolock and that without resistance or revenge a cowardize ill beseeming so great a King and so mighty a State as likewise hee invaded Livonia without impeachment which had shadowed it selfe under the protection of the said Sigismund In the daies of Henry of Anjow Iohn Prince of Moldavia even he that with an undaunted spirit and famous victory held warre against the Turke was shamefully forsaken of them contrary to the covenants of confederacy betweene him and this Sigismund concluded So that we must needs confesse that such as is the courage valour and reputation of the Prince such is the resolution alacrity and forces of the Polackes of themselves populous valiant and couragious Stephen Bathori had good testimony hereof in whose time Polonia not onely maintained the honour of a King sufficient to defend it selfe from forren Armes but also to make conquests of great matters from most potent Enemies And seeing we have spoken of Celerity a vertue most necessary for every State it shall not bee amisse to speake of the causes thereof which as is aforesaid are two viz. The reputation of the Prince which giveth it life and store of Coine which preserves it in action for wee have seene in mightiest Armies the body by the slownesse of the head to have spent the time most idly and very famous victories for want of money to give continuall motion to action to have brought forth small or no effects Besides the disposition of a Souldier is a great helpe hereunto for no man can truly praise the German and Bohemian Foot-men for Celerity but this commendation without doubt is proper to the Italian Spaniard and Frenchmen not onely for that they are of better constitution of body but for that which in warre is all in all they are better contented
Sonnes he tooke the City Tremissen But Sal Aries Vice-Roy of Algier being jealous of these good fortunes gathered a puissant host recovered Tremissen put the Xeriffe to flight tooke Fez and bestowed it with the Territory upon the Lord of Velez who afterward in a battell against the Xeriffe lost both life and Kingdome At last in his journey to Taradant by the subordination of the Vice-Roy of Algier he was murdered in his Tent by certaine Turkes who with their Captaine Assen comming to Taradant rifled the Kings Treasures but were all slaine except five by the Inhabitants in their journey homewards This came to passe 1557. when Muley Abdala the Xeriffes sonne was proclaimed King Let this suffice for the originall of the Xeriffe now let vs see how these risings were like the fortunes of Ismael King of Persia. Both of them in small time conquered many Provinces both grew great by the ruine of their Neighbours both suffered crosses by the armes of the Turkes and to them lost part of their Dominions Selim tooke from Ismael Caramit and divers other Cities of Mesopotamia The Vice-Roy of Algier drove the Xeriffe from Tremissen and the adjacent Territory Selim won Tauris the chiefe seat of Persia and then gave it over Sal Aries tooke Fez the head City of Mauritania and left it This Potentate is absolute Lord of the bodies and goods of his Subjects whatsoever imposition he layeth on them they repine not thereat For Tribute hee taketh the tenth and the first fruits of their fruits and cattell yet is it most true that for first fruits he taketh not above one in twenty and though it exceed that number even to one hundred yet he nevertaketh above two Of every Acre of Land he taketh a ducat and the fifth part and so much of every houshold and so of every pole male and female above fifteene yeares of age yearely If he want he taketh a greater summe To make the people more willing to pay what is imposed he alwaies demandeth more than is paid that so by paying their due they may thinke they are well dealt withall in seeming to be forgiven somewhat of his full demand The Inhabitants of the Mountaines a savage people for the difficult accesse unto them hee cannot inforce to pay tribute but those that manure the plaines hee constraineth to give the tenth of their harvest Besides these Revenues he taketh Toll and Custome of all kindes of Merchandize in Cities inward of a citizen two in the hundred of a stranger ten His rent of Mils is a great matter for upon every Asse load of Graine grinded in Fez he taketh halfe a reall in this Towne there are above foure hundred Mils The Church of Carruven was indowed with 80000. Ducats of yearely Revenue the Colleges and Monasteries of Fez with much more which now are escheated into the Kings Coffers Moreover he is heire to all the Judges whom they call Alcaids and hath the bestowing of all their Offices When they die he seizeth upon all their Horses Armour Apparell and all their other Chattels If the intestate leave Children behind him fit for the warre he bestoweth his Fathers annuitie upon them if they be Sons and young he nurseth them till they come to full yeares if Daughters he maintaineth them till they finde husbands To be fiâ— gring the wealth of the richer sort he hath some Office of Lieutenantship with an annuitie to sell them but commonly to prevent those sales they will not be knowne of their abilities removing their aboads farre from the Court and Kings sight which is the cause that the City of Fez is much fallen from the ancient splendour Hee hath no Castles or peeces well fortified but onely Aguer Larach lately taken and Tituan upon the Sea side His chiefest confidence is in the valour of his Souldiers especially his Horse-men like the Turke and Persian In this regard he taketh no great care to furnish himselfe with Ordnance yet hath he great store thereof in Fez Marocho Taradant and in the aforesaid haven Townes taken from the Portugals and others As he seeth occasion he causeth new to be cast for which service he can want no workmen out of Europe In Marocho he hath an Arsenall wherein he layeth up monethly at least forty six Quintals of Gun-powder Here he causeth his Harquebushes and Bowes likewise to be made In the yeare 1569. by fire which hapned among the Gun-powder houses the greatest part of the City was very much defaced His souldiery is of divers sorts the first consisteth of 2700. Horsemen and 2000. Harquebushers part lying in Garrison in Fez and part in Marocâ—o where also lyeth the Court. The second consisteth as a man may say of a royall troope of 6000. horse all Gentlemen Pensioners and of great reputation These ride upon brave Horses with rich Caparisons their Armes and Furniture shining with Gold Silver Stones and all things else which for variety of colours or rich devices may delight the eye with a gallant shew or feed the humour of the curious beholder To these servitors besides their allowance of Corne Provender Butter and Flesh for themselves their Wives Children and Servants they receive yearely from seventy to one hundred ounces of Silver The third sort are a kinde of Timariots for the Xeriffe doth allot a certaine portion of Land and Tenants to his Sonnes Brethren and Men of quality amongst the people of Africke and Arabia for the maintenance of their degrees Those whom they terme Alcaids looke to the manuring of the fields gather the rents of Corne Rice Oats Oyle Butter Flesh Poultry and Mony and distribute it monthly amongst the Souldiers to every man according to his place They likewise give them Linnen Woollen and Silke for their Garments Armour and Horses for service If their horses chance to be slaine they give them new so did the Romans to those which served on the horses of the State The Commanders of these troops are very carefull to see their souldiers in heart and full of life excellent well armed and competently attired They receive betweene foure and twenty and thirty ounces of Silver yearely The fourth sort make the Arabians who commonly live in Tents divided by 120. under their severall Leaders to bee alwaies ready upon all occasions They serve on Horse-backe but more like Theeves and Out-lawes than Souldiers The fifth sort is like the presse of the Christian Common-weales These companies consist of Citizens Villagers and Mountaine-people Of these men the King maketh no reckoning neither doth he willingly arme them for feare of sedition and innovation unlesse it be to war upon the Christians wherein he cannot forbid them to serve For upon remembrance of the slaughter of the Moors by the Christians spoken of in their Mahumeticall Legend the more Christians they slay the easier they thinke shall be their passage to Heaven Hereupon you shall see herds of people running to this warre desiring there to die
the mountaines but Amazar detesting the tyranny of his Lord conveied the children to his owne house and brought them up like Gentlemen amongst his owne sonnes and falling sicke of a deadly disease forecasting what might happen after his decease gave them horses and money willing them to flie and to betake themselves to their mothers house and tuition Ismael the eldest was no sooner returned to his mothers place but he vowed revenge for his fathers death and after some fortunate expeditions tooke upon him the cause and protection of the followers of Halie from whom hee derived his pedegree Hee made the Turbant higher and sent Ambassadours to all the Orientall Mahumetans to exhort them to unity in Religion and Cognisances By these meanes and fortune of his armes he became a terror to the East and slew Ossan then Usurper of the Persian State with his ten brethren except Marabeg who saved himselfe and sled to Soliman first Emperour of the Turkes imploring his aid This Ismael at the Lake Vay overthrew with a great slaughter the Prince of the Tartars Zagatai and in heat of his victory had passed the River Abbian if his Astrologian in whom he greatly trusted had not foretold him that his passage should bee prosperous but his returne unfortunate Hee left to his sonnes a most spacious Empire bounded with the Caspian Sea the Persian Gulfe the Lake Sioc the Rivers Tygris and Oxus and the Kingdome of Cambaia which Provinces containe more than twenty degrees from East to West and eighteene from North to South And although these Kingdomes lying within these bounds held not immediatly of the Crowne of Persia yet all acknowledge the Persian for their soveraigne Prince that is to say the Kings of Matam Patan Guadel and Ormus Georgia and Mengrellia being Christian Countries according to the superstition of the Greeke Church submitted to certaine conditions as toleration of Religion payment of Tribute and disclaiming to assist the Turke against them and so obtained a kind of peace and protection untill againe the Persians declined by the fortunes of the Ottomans The like course ranne Media now called Servan Dierbechia once Mesopotamia Cusistan the inhabitation of the Susiani Farsistan the Country of the Persians Strava once Hircania Parthia at this day called Arac Caramanie now Sigestan Carassa Sablestan and Istigiu whose ancient names were Drangia Bactria Parapamisus Margiana Of these Regions those which lie neerest to the Persian Sea are most plentifull by reason of the Rivers every where dispersed thorow the whole Land Amongst these Rivers the most famous is Bindimir to whose waters the Inhabitants are much beholding conveying it by trenches and other inventions into their grounds to their great ease and commodity The Provinces lying upon the Caspian Sea for their Rivers and temperature doe likewise participate of the said fertility especially all those quarters which are watered with the River Puly-Malon falling into the Lake Burgian the residue of the Province is dry by reason whereof Townes and Villages are seldome seene in those places unlesse it be by some springs or waters side The most ample and magnificent Cities of Persia are Istigias the chiefe seat of Bactria thought to be one of the pleasantest Cities of the East Indion the chiefe City of Margiana situated in so fat and fertile a territory that therefore Antiochus Soler caused it to be walled about Candahar the chiefe seat of Pamaparisus famous for the trafficke of Indiae and Cathaia whither the Merchants of those Countries doe resort E rt the chiefe City of Aria so abounding with Roses that thereof it should seeme to take the name Barbarus saith it is of thirteene miles compasse Ispaa the chiefe seat of Parthia so spacious for the circuit thereof that the Persians hyperbolically terme it the halfe World Chirmaine is the chiefe seat of Caramania renowmed for the excellent cloth of gold and silver woven therein Eor is a noble City and so is Custra of Susiana But all these for beauty and magnificence may bow and bend to Syras seated upon the River Bindimire It was once the chiefe seat of Persia and as some thinke called Persepolis Alexander the Great burnt it to the ground at the intreatie of his Concubine but afterward being ashamed of so vile an action caused it to bee re-edified It is not at this time so great as in times past yet it is thought to bee one of the greatest Cities in all the Orient with its suburbs which are in compasse twenty miles It is a Proverbe among the Persians Quando Suars erat Siras tunc Cairus 〈◊〉 Pagus yet they account it not very ancient neither are they of their opinions who will have it the head of â—â—â—ia Tauris and Casbin are famous Cities and besides their magnificence they may glory that in them the Kings of Persia for the most part keepe their residences The forme of Government of this Nation is not like the Government of any other Mahumetan people neither is â—â— There are also many desarts and many mountaines disjoyning the Provinces farre asunder Herein it resembleth Spaine where for want of navigable Rivers except towards the Sea-coast traffike is little used and mountaines and Provinces lie unmanured for scarcity of moisture But Nature unwilling that humane life should want any easement hath so provided for mutuall commerce in these sandy and barren places that through the labour of Camels the want of Navigation is richly recompenced thorowout Persia the bordering Countries These beasts carry wondrous burdens and will longer continue than either Horse or Mule They will travell laden with a thousand pound weight and will so continue forty dayes and upward In sterile and deepe sandy Countreyes such as are Lybia Arabia and Persia they drinke but once every fifth day and if extremity enforce they will endure the want of water ten or twelve When their burdens are off a little grasse thorns or leaves of trees will suffice them There is no living thing lesse chargeable and more laborious certainly ordained of nature a fit creature for those sandy and deepe places of Asia and Africke wherein even man himselfe feeleth the want of food and water Of these there are three sorts upon the lesser men travell the middle sort have bunches on their backs fit for carrying of Merchandize the greater and stronger are those which carry burdens of one thousand pound weight these are their ships the sands their Seas What numbers of horsemen this King is able to levie was manifested in the warres betweene Selim the first and Ismael betweene Ismael and Soliman and betweene Codabanda and Amurath Not one of them brought above thirty thousand horse into the field but so throughly furnished that they had little cause to feare greater numbers The richer and abler sort arme themselves after the manner of our men at Armes the residue being better than the third part of their Cavalry content themselves with a Scull a Jack and