Pannonia yet this notwithstandynge the Hungarians toonge nothynge agreeth wâ—th the Moscâ—uites hungarie Wherby wee may coniecâ—ure that the eâ—atâ—ons were sumtymes diuided by legions Theyr original and that they came owt of Dalmatia thyther whiche thynge also Uolateranus affirmeth sayinge that the language of the Ruthenians whiche are the Moscouites is Semidâ—lmaticâ— that is halfe Sclauone The SclauoÌ„ tâ—â—nge reacheth farre Howe so euer it bee this is certeyne that the ohemians Croatians Sclauâ—ns and Moâ—couites agree in language as wee perceaued by thinterpretours which yowre maiestie had then in yowre courte For whereas the sayde interpretours were borne amonge the Croatians and Sclauons and none of them had euer byn in Moscouia or beefore that tyme had any conuersation with them yet dyd they well vndâ—rstande the ambassadours woordes There are in Moscouia wooddes of exceadynge byggenesse in the which blacke woolues and whyte beares are hunted Great woods white beares and blacke wooâ—ues The cause wherof may bee thextreme could of the north which dooth greatly alter the complexions of beastes and is the mother of whytenesse as the Philosophers affirme They haue also great plentie of bees wherby they haue such abundaunce of hony and waxe that it is with them of smaul price Abundance of hony and waxe When the commoditie of theyr countrey is neglected by reason of longe warres theyr chiefe aduauntage whereby they haue all thynges necessarie towarde theyr lyuynge is the gaines which they haue by theyr rych furres Rych furres as Sables Marternes Theyr maner of bargenyng Luzernes most whyte armyns and such other which they sell to marchauntes of dyuers countreys They bye and sell with simple faythe of woordes exchaungynge ware for ware withowt any curious bondes or cautels And albeit they haue the vse of both golde and syluer monyes yet doo they for the most part exchaunge theyr furres for frutes and other thynges necessarie to manteine theyr lyfe Rude wylde people There are also sum people vnder the dominion of this Emperour which haue neither wyne nor wheate but lyue onlâ— by flesshe and mylke as doo the wylde Tartars theyr bortherers which dwel in wods by the coastes of the frosen sea Tartares These people are brutysshe and lyue in maner lyke wylde beastes But they of the citie of Mosca and Nouigrade and other cities are ciuile people Ciuile people in cities and agree with vs in eatynge of fysshe and flesshe althowgh theyr maner of coquerie is in many thynges differynge frome owres Uolaterane wryteth that the Ruthenians vse money vncoyned Theyr money And inquirynge further I was informed that the money of Hungary is much currant with them But this is chiefely to bee consydered They eÌ„brase the Christian fayth whiche thei receaued of the Apostles that they imbrase the Christian fayth which they affirme to haue byn preached to them fyrste by saynt Andrewe thappostle and broother to Simon Peter Such doctrine also as vnder Constanstine the greate in the yeare CCC.xviii was concluded in the fyrst generall counsayle holden in the citie of Nicene in Bithynia The couÌ„saile of Nicene and there determyned by CCC.xviii bysshoppes and also such as hath byn wrytten and tawght by the Greeke doctoures Basilius Magnus and Chrisostomus Basilius Magnus Chrisostomus they beleue to bee so holy firme and syncere that they thinke it no more lawfull one heare to transgresse or go backe from the same then from the gospell of Christ. For theyr constancie and modestie is such Theyr constaÌ„cie in theyr religion that no man dare caule those thynges into question which haue once byn decised by holy fathers in theyr general counsailes They doo therfore with a more constante mynde perseuer in theyr fyrst fayth which they receaued of saynt Andrewe thappostle and his successours and holy fathers that doo manye of vs beinge diuided into scismes and sectes whiche thynge neuer chaunceth amonge them The bysshoppes define coÌ„trouersies in religion But if any difficultie chaunce to rise as touchynge the fayth or custome of religion all is referred to the archbyshoppe and other byshoppes as to bee defined by theyr spirite Theyr bysshops not permyttinge any iudgemente to the inconstant and ignorant people Theyr archebyshoppe is residente in the citie of Mosca where also Themperoure keepethe his courte They haue lykewyse dyuers other byshops as one in Nouigradia where also Isodorus was bysshop vnder pope Eugenius They haue an other in Rosciuia an other in Susâ—ali an other in Otileri also in Smolne in Resan in Colmum and in Uolut all which haue theyr dioces They acknowleage theyr Archebyshop as the chiefe The Archebysshoppe Before the patriarche of Constantinople was oppressed by the Tiranni of the Turkes The patriarke of Constantinople this Archebysshoppe recognised hym as his superioure In so much that this duke of Moscouia and Emperour of Russia not vnmyndefull hereof but a diligente obseruer of his accustomed religion dooth at this daye yearely sende a certeyne stypende in maner of almes to the patriarche of Constantinople A notable exemple of a Christian prince that he may with more quiete mynd looke for th ende of this his Egiptian seruitude vntyll it shal please almyghty god to restore hym to his former churche and autoritie For he iudgeth it much impietie if he shulde nowe forsake hym whose predicessoures haue ruled and gouerned so many churches and of whom the fayth and religion of so many regions and prouinces haue depended But to speake briefely of theyr religion Theyr religion they agree in many thynges with vs and in sum thynges folow the Greekes They haue munkes and religious men Not farre from the citie of Mosca they haue a great monasterie in the whiche are three hundreth munkes lyuynge vnder the rule of Basilius Magnus in the which is also the sepulcher of S. Sergius the abbot A monasterie of .ccc. munkes They obserue theyr vowe of chastitie which none may breake that haue once professed Yet such as haue maried virgins of good fame may bee admitted to thorder of presthod but may neuer bee a munke The prestes and bysshops whiche are admitted to orders vnmaried Preestes may neuer after bee maried nor yet such as haue wiues mary ageine when they are dead but liue in perpetual chastitie Such as committe adulterie or fornication are greeuously punysshed by the bysshoppes and depriued of the benefices Masse They celebrate masse after the maner of the Greekes which differeth from owres in dyuers thinges A mysterie as in fermented breade after the maner of the Greekes They put in the chalesse as much water as redde wine which water they vse to heate bycause not withowt a great mysterie there isshewed furth of the syde of owre lorde both blud and water which wee ought by good reason to thynke was not withowt heate for els shulde it scarsely haue byn iudged for a miracle
plentie of golde But the deepe places of all the seas aboute these Ilandes are full of perles wherof yowe shall receaue of me as many as yow wyll requyre so that ye persyste in the bonde of frendeshyppe whiche yowe haue begunne I greatly desyre yowre frendeshyppe and woolde gladlye haue the fruition of yowre thynges whiche I sette muche more by then myllyons of perles Yowe shall therfore haue no cause to doubte of any vnfaythfulnesse or breache of frendeshyppe on my behalfe Owre men gaue hym lyke frendly woordes and encouraged hym with many fayre promysses to doo as he had sayde When owre men were nowe in a redynesse to departe they couenaunted with hym to paye yearely to the greate kynge of Castyle a hundreth pounde weyghte of perles C. pounde weyght of perles yerely for a tribute He gladlye agreed to their request and tooke it for no great thyng nor yet thought hym selfe any whitte the more to becoome tributarie With this kynge they founde suche plentie of hartes and connies Plentie of hartes and conniâ—â— that owre men stondynge in their houses myght kyll as manye as them lyste with their arrowes They lyue heare verye pleasauntly hauynge greate plentie of al thynges necessary This Ilande is scarsely syxe degrees distant from the Equinoctiall lyne They haue the same maner of breade made of rootes and the graine of Maizium and wyne made of seedes and fruites wyne of fruites and sedes euen as they haue in the region of Comogra and in other places aswell in the Ilandes as in the firme lande This kynge is nowe baptised with all his familye â–ª and subiectes The kynge is baptised His desyre was at his baptisme to bee named Petrus Arias after the name of the gouernour When owre men departed he accompanied them to the sea syde and furnysshed them with boates to retourne to the continent The fyft part of perles due to the kynge Owre men diuided the perles emonge them reseruyng the fyfte portion to be delyuered to thoffycers of the kynges Excheker in those partes They saye that these perles were maruelous precious faire oriente and exceadynge bygge Byg perles In so muche that they broughte manye with theym bygger then hasell nuttes Of what pryce and value they myghte bee I consyder by one perle the which Paulus predicessour to yowre holines A perle for a pope bowght at the second hand of a marchant of Uenece for foure forty thousande ducates Yet emonge those whiche were brought from this Ilande there was one bought euen in Dariena for a thousande and two hundreth Castelans of golde This was almost as bygge as a meane walnutte An other perle of great price And came at the length to the handes of Petrus Arias the gouernoure who gaue it to that noble and faithefull woman his wyfe of whose maner of departure with her husbande wee haue made mention before Wee muste then needes thinke that this was verye precious which was bowght so deare emonge suche a multitude of perles where they were not bought by one at once but by poundes and at the least by ounces It is also to be thought that the Uenecian marchaunte boughte his for no great sum of mony in the East parts But he sould it the dearer for that he chaunced to lyue in those lasciuious and wanton dayes when men were gyuen to suche nyse and superfluous pleasures Nise and superfluous pleasures and mette with a marchaunt for his purpose But lette vs nowe speake sumwhat of the shelfysshes in the whiche perles are engendered It is not vnknowen to yowre holynesse that Aristotell and Plinie his folower were of dyuers opinions as concernynge the generation of perles Dyuers opinions of the generation of pearles But these Indians and owre men rest onely in one assertion not assentyng to them in any other as eyther that they wander in the sea or that they moue at anye tyme after they are borne They wyll therfore that there bee certayne greeâ—â— places as it were medowes in the bottome of the sea hâ—rbes in the bottome of the sea bryngynge foorthe an herbe muche lyke vnto thyme and affyrme that they haue seene the same And that they are engendered norysshed and growe therin as wee see thincrease and succession of oysters to growe aboute them selues Also that these fysshes delyteth not in the conuersation or coompanye of the sea dogges Nor yet to bee contented with onely one twoo or three or at the moste foure pearles Affyrmyng that in the fysshynge places of the kynge of this Ilande there was founde a hundreth pearles in one fyshe A hundreth perles â—n one shell fysshe the whirhe Gaspar Moralis the capitayne hym selfe and his coompanions diligently numbered For it pleased the kynge at their beynge there in their presence to commaund his diuers to go a fysshynge for those kynde of fysshes They compare the matrices of these fysshes The matrice of the perle fysshe to the places of conception in hennes in the whiche their egges are engendered in great multitudes and clusters And beleue that these fysshes brynge foorth their byrth in lyke maner For the better profe wherof they saye that they founde certaine pearles coommynge foorthe of their matreces as beynge nowe coome to the tyme of their full rypenesse The â—yrth of perles and moued by nature to coome owte of their moothers wombe openynge it selfe in tyme conuenient Lykewise that within a while after they sawe other succede in lyke maner So that to conclude they sawe sum coommynge foorthe and other summe yet abydinge the tyme of their perfection whiche beyng complete they also became loose and opened the matrice They perceaued the pearles to bee inclosed in the myddest of their bellies there to bee norisâ—hed and increase as an infante suckynge his moothers pappes within her wombe before hee moue to coome foorthe of her priuye places And if it chaunce any of these shelfysshes to be founde scatered in the sande of the sea as I my selfe haue seene oysters disparcled on the shores in diuers places of the Ocean they affyrme that they haue byn violently dryuen thither from the bottome of the sea by force of tempestes and not to haue wandered thither of them selues But that they becoome white by the clearenesse of the mornynge dewe or waxe yelowe in troubled wether or otherwyse that they â—eeme to reioyse in faire wether and cleare ayer or contrarywyse to bee as it were astonisshed and dymme in thunder and tempestes with suche other the perfecte knowledge hereof is not to bee looked for at the handes of these vnlearned men whiche handell the matter but grossely and enquire no further then occasyon serueth Yet do they affyrme by thexperience and industrie of the dyuers that the greatest pearles lye in the deepest places where the byggest meane and least pearles are engeÌ„dred they of the meane sorte hygher and the least hyghest of all and nearer to the
c. The citie of Uisba The citie of Uiâ—ba being in the degree .61 30 54 15. was an ancient and famous marte towne as is Genua in Italie at this day But afterwarde beinge afflicted by thincursions of the pirates of the Danes and Moscouites Danes and Moscouites it was left desolate There remayne to this day certeyne ruines whiche testifie the ancient nobilitie In this place were the fyrste stacions of the Gothes that possessed Meotis It is at this daye of frutfull soyle and famous by many goodly and stronge castels and monasteries There is amonge other a monasterie of thorder of saynt Benedicte in the which is a librarie of abowt two thousande bookes of owlde autours A librarie of two thousand â—ookes Abowt the yeare of Christ fourscore and .viii. the Gothes vnto whom resorted a great multitude of other people of these northe parâ—es of the worlde as from Liuonia Prusia Russia and Tartaria with diuers other contreys makynge them dyuers Kynges and capitaynes dyd depopulate and brynge in subiection the more parte of Europe inuaded Italie destroyd Rome The Gothes inuaded Europe and destroyd Rome inhabited that parte of Italie now cauled Lumbardie â–ª and lykewyse subdued the roialmes of Castile and Aragonie Theyr warres contynewed aboue three hundreth yeares ¶ Finland and Eningia FInlandia is as much to say as a fayre lande or fine land so named for the fertilitie of the grownde Plinie semeth to caule it Finnonia For he saith that abowte the coastes of Finlande are many Ilandes withowt names Of the which there lyeth one before Scithia cauled Pannonia The goulfe cauled Sinus Finnonicus is so named at this day of the lande of Finnonia Pannonia falsely taken for Finnonia Finnonia confineth with Scithia and runneth withowt all Tanais that is to say withowte the limetes of Europe to the confines or Asia But that the name of Finlande seemeth not to agree hereunto the cause is that this place of Plinie is corrupted as are many other in this autour So that from the name of Finnonia or Phinnonia it was a likely erroure to caule it Pannonia forasmuch as these woordes doo not greately differ in wrytynge and founde so that the counterfecte name was soone put in the place of the trew name by hym that knewe Pannonia and redde that name before beinge also ignorant of Phinnonia Eningia had in owlde tyme the tytle of a kingedome Eningia it is of such largenesse But hath nowe only the tytle of an inferiour gouernoure beinge vnder the dominion of the Slauons and vsyng the same tonge In religion it obserued the rites of the Greekes of late yeares when it was vnder the gouernaunce of the Moscouites But it is at this present vnder the kynge of Suecia and obserueth thinstitucions of the Occidentall church Spanysshe wynes are browght thyther in great plentie which the people vse merely and cherefully Spanysshe wyneâ— It is termined on the north syde by the southe line of Ostrobothnia and is extended by the mountaynes Towarde the west it is termined with the sea of Finnonia accordyng to this description and hath degrees .71 66. c. ¶ Of the difference of regions and causes of greate cities after the description of Hieronimus Cardanus Liber .xi. de Subtilitate THere is an other difference of regions caused of coulde and heate For suche as are neare vnto the poles are vexed with to much coulde And such as are vnder the line where the soonne is of greateste force are oppressed with heate Such as are in the myddest betwene both are nearest vnto temperatnesse Under the pole it is impossible that there shulde bee populous cities bycause the lande is baren and the cariage or conueyaunce of frutes vyttayles and other necessaries is incommodious By reason wherof it is necessarie that thinhabitauntes of suche regions lyue euer in continuall wanderynge from place to place or els in smaule vyllages Suche as inhabite temperate regions haue meane cities aswell for that they haue more commodious conueyaunce for necessaries as also that they may dwell better and more safely togyther then in vyllages by reason of fortifying theyr townes with walles and exercisynge of artes and occupations whereby the one maye the heâ—ter helpe the other Yet that owlde Rome beinge in a tâ—mperate region was of such incredible byggenesse the 〈◊〉 was that it obteyned Thempire of the worlde by reason wherof all nations had consâ—uence thyther and not the greatnesse of the walles But it is necessarie that the greatest cities bee in hotte regions fyrste for that in such regions parte of the soile is eyther barren yf it lacke water or els most frutefull if it abounde with water And for this inequalitie when they fynde any place meete to susteyne a multitude it foloweth of necessitie that greate cities bee buylded in such places by reason of great concourse of people resortynge to the same An other greate cause is that wheras in such regions marchauntes come very farre to such commodious places they passe through many deserte and perelous regions So that it shal be necessary for theyr better securitie to coome in great companies as it were greaâ— armies And therfore whereas such a societie is once knytte togyther in a commodious place it shulde bee great hinderance aswell to thinhabitantes as to marchauntes if they shulde wander in incommodious places And by this confluence both of suche as dwell neare to suche places and also of straungers and such as dwell farre of it is necessarie that in continuance of tyme smaule townes becoome greate câ—ties as are these Quinsai Singui Cambalu Memphis Cairus or Alcair otherwise cauled Babilon in Egipte But if here any wyll obiecte Constanâ—inople in owlde tyme cauled Bizantium being in a temperate râ—gion althowgh it bee not to bee compared to such cities as are more then .lx. myles in â—ircuite yet doo we aunswere hereunto that the Turkes Empire is the cause of the greatnesse hereof as wee sayde before of Rome ¶ The historie written in the latin toonge by Paulus Iouius bysshoppe of Nuceria in Italie of the legation or ambassade of greate Basilius Prince of Moscouia to pope Clement the .vii. of that name In which is conteyned the description of Moscouia with the regions confininge abowte the same euen vnto the great ryche Empire of Cathay I 〈◊〉 fyrste briefely to descâ—ribe the situation of the region which we plainely see to haue bin little knowâ—â— to Strabo and Ptolome and then to procede in rehearsinge the maners customes and religion of the people And this in maner in the lyke simple style and phrase of speache as the same was declared vnto vs by Demetrius the ambassadoure Demetrius the ambassadour of Moscouia a man not ignoraunt in the Latin toonge as from his youth browght vp in Liuonia where he learned the fyrst rudimentes of letters And beinge growne to mans age executed thoffice of an ambassadour into dyuers Christian prouinces For wheras by reason
of the citie is inclosed with gates rayles The custodie of the citie and barres neyther is it lawfull for any man rasshely to walke in the citie in the nyght or withowt lyght All the courte consysteth of noble men The dukes courte gentelmen and choyse souldyers which are cauled owte of euery regyon by they re townes and vyllagies and commaunded to wayte course by course at certeyne moonethes appoynted Furthermore when warre is proclaymed all the armye is collected bothe of the owlde souldiers and by musterynge of newe in all prouynces For the lieuetenauntes and capytaynes of the armye are accustomed in all cities to muster the youth and to admytte to thorder of souldyers such as they thynke able to serue the turne They re wages is payde them of the common treasurye of euery prouynce which is gathered and partely payde also in the tyme of peace although it bee but lyttle Souldyers wages of the common treasury But such as are assigned to the warres are free frome all tributes and inioye certein other priuilegies wherby they may the more gladly cherfully serue theyr kynge and defend theyr contrey For in the tyme of warre occacyon is mynystred to shewe trewe vertue and manhodde where in so greate and necessarie an institituon euery man accordynge to hys approued actiuitie and ingenyous forwardnesse may obteyne the fortune eyther of perpetuall honoure or ignominie Vix olim vlla fides referentibus horrida regna Moschorum Ponti res glacialis erat Nunc Iouio autore illâ— oculis lustramus et vrbes Et nemora et monâ—es cernimus et fluuios MoschouiaÌ„ monumenta Ioui tua culta reuoluenâ— Coepi alios mundâ—s credere Democriti ¶ Other notable thynges as concernynge Moscouia gathered owt of the bookes of Sigismundus Liberus Note that when he sayth myles he meaneth leaques FRom whense Russia had the name Russia there are dyuers opinions Sume thynke that it was so named of one Russus the soonne or neuie of Lech the kynge of the Polons Other affirme that it was so cauled of a certeyne owlde towne named Russus not farre frome Nouogoroda or Nouogardia the more Sum also thynke that it was so cauled of the browne coloure of the nation The browne colour of the Russes But the Moscouians confute al these opinions as vntrewe Affirmynge that this nation was in owlde tyme cauled Rosseia as a nation dispersed as the name it selfe dooth declare For Rosseia in the Ruthens tounge Rosseiâ— doothe signifie dispersed or scattered The which thynge to be trew dyuers other people commyxt with thinhabitauntes and dyuers prouinces lyinge here and there betwene dyuers partes of Russia doo playnely declare But whense so euer they tooke theyr name doubtlesse all the people that vse the Slauon tounge The Slauon tounge spreâ—dâ—th farre and professe the fayth of Chryst after the maner of the Greekes cauled in theyr common language Russi and in the Latin tounge Rutheni are increased to suche a multytude that they haue eyther expulsed all the nations that lye beewene them or drawne them to theyr maner of lyuynge in somuche that they are nowe cauled all Rutheni by one common name Furthermore the Slauon tounge whiche at this daye is sumwhat corruptly cauled Sclauon runneâ—h exceadyng faâ— as vsed of the Dalmates Bossuenser Croatians Istriâ—ns and by a longe tracte of the sea Adriatike vnto Forum Iulii Of the Caruians also whome the Uenetians caule Charsos and lykewyse of the Carniolans and Carinthians vnto the ryuer Drauus Furthermore of the Stirians within Gretzium and by Muera vnto Danubius and from thense of the Mysians Seruians Bulgarians and other inhabitynge euen vnto Constantinople Furthermore of the Bohemians Lusacians Silesians Moranians and thinhabitauntes neare vnto the ryuer Uagus in the kyngedome of Hungarie The Polons also and the Ruthenians whose Empire reacheth very farre lykewyse the Circasians and Quinquemontanians vnto Pontus and is from thense vsed in the north partes of Germanie amonge the remanent of the Uandales inhabityng here and there Uandales All whiche nations althowgh they acknowleage them selues to bee Sclauons yet the Germayns taking the denomination only of the Uandales caule al theÌ„ that vse the Slauon tounge Uuenden Uuinden or Uuindysh Of the Princes that nowe reigne in Russia The Pâ—inces of Russia the chiefe is the great Duke of Moscouia who possesseth the greatest part therof The seconde is the great duke of Lithuania and the thyrde the kynge of Polonie who nowe obteyneth the dominion of Polonie and Lithuania In autoritie and dominion ouer his subiectes the prince of Moscouie passeth all the monarkes of the worlde The duke of Moscouia For he depriueth all his noble men and gentelmen of al theyr holdes and munitions at his pleasure He trusteth not his owne brotherne but oppresseth all with lyke seruitude In so muche that whome so euer he commaundeth eyther to remayne with hym in the courte or to goo to the warres or sendeth on ambassage they are compelled to bee at theyr owne charges excepte the younge gentelmen the soonnes of the Boiarons that is the noble men of the lowest degree He vsurpeth this autoritie aswell ouer the spiritualtie as the temporaltie constitutynge what him lysteth of the goods and lyfe of al men Of his counsilers there is not one that dare dissente from hym in any thynge They openly confesse that the wyl of the prince is the wyll of god and therfore caule hym the key bearer and chamberlen of god and beleue him to bee the executor of gods wyll By reason wherof the prince hym selfe when any peticion is made to hym for the deliuerie of any captiue is accustomed accustomed to aunswere When god commaundeth he shal be deliuered Lykewyse when any asketh a question of an vncerteyne or doubtefull thynge theyr custome is to answere thus God knoweth and the greate prince It is vncerteyne whether the crueltie and fiercenes of the nation doo requyre so tyrannous a prince or whether by the tyranny of the prince the nation is made so fierce and cruell Basilius the soonne of Iohn was the fyrst that tooke vppon hym the name and title of a kynge in this maner The great lorde Basilius by the grace of god kynge and lorde of all Russia and the greate duke of Uuolodimaria Moscouia Nouogardia c. Furthermore wheras nowe this prince is cauled an Emperour why the duke of Moâ—couia was cauled an Emperour I haue thought good to shewe the tytle and cause of this errour Note therfore that Czar in the Ruthens tounge signifieth a kynge wheras in the language of the Slauons Pollons Bohemes and other the same woorde Czar signifieth Cesar by whiche name Themperours haue byn commonly cauled For bothe they and the Slauons that are vnder the kyngdome of Hungarie caule a kynge by an other name as sum Crall other Kyrall and sum Koroll but thinke that only an Emperoure is cauled Czar Whereby it came to passe that the Ruthene
common sorte that lyueth here and ther in the feeldes haue theyr apparell made of sheepes skynnes which they chaung not vntyll they bee worne and torne to fytters They tarye not longe in one place iudgyng it a great mysery so to doo The Tartars curse In so muche that when they are angrie with theyr chyldren the greatest curse that they can gyue them is that they maye remayne perpetually in one place and drawe the stynshe of theyr owne fylthynesse as doo the Chrystyans When they haue consumed the pasture in one place they go to an other with theyr droues of cattayle and theyr wyues and chyldren whom they euer cary about with them in Wagons albeit the Tartars that dwell in cities and townes vse an other order of lyuynge If they be inclosed with any daungerous warrâ— they place theyr wyues chyldren and owld folkes in the sauest places There is no iustice amonge them No iustice amonge the Tartars For if any man stande in neade of any thynge he may withowt punnysshemente take it awaye from an other If any complayne to the Iudge of the vyolence and wronge doonne vnto hym the offender denyeth not the cryme but sayth that he coulde not lacke that thyng Then the Iudge is wonte to gyue thys sentence If thowe also shalte haue neede of any thynge doo the lyke to other Sum say they do not steale But whether they steale or not lette other iudge They are surely a theeâ—â—sshe kynd of men and very poore The Tartars are theeues and poore lyuynge only by robbyng of other and stealyng away other mens cattayle and vyolently also caryynge awaye the men them selues whom eyther they selle to the Turkes or proffer them to bee redemed by ransome reseruynge only the younge wenches They seldome assaulte cities or castells They reioyce in spoylynge but burne and waste townes and vyllagyes In so muche that they so please them selues herin that they thynke they haue so muche the more inlarged their empire in howe muche they haue wasted and made desolate manye prouynces And althowgh they bee moste impacyent of reste and quyetnesse yet doo they not kyll or destroye one an other excepte theyr kynges â—ee at dessention betweene them selues If any man bee slaine in any fraye or quarel and the autours of the myschefe bee taken only theyr horsse harnesse weapons and appâ—rell are taken from them and they dismissed So that the murtherer by the losse of a vyle horse or a bowe is dyscharged of the Iudge with these woordes gette the hense and goo abowte thy busynesse They haue no vse of golde and syluer excepte only a fewe marchauntes But exersyse exchaunge of ware for ware And if it so chaunce that by sellyng of such thynges as they haue stolne they gette any monye of theyr bortherers they bye therwith certeyne apparel and other neceâ—saryes of the Moscouites The regyons of theyr habytations the feelde Tartars I meane are not lymytted with any bouÌ„des or borthers The feelde Tartars A mery tale There was on a tyme a certeyne fatte Tartar taken prysoner of the Moscouites to whom when the prynce sayd How arte thow so fatte thowe dogge sythe thowe haste not to eate the Tartar answered Why shulde not I haue to eate sythe I possesse so large a land from the East to the west wherby I may bee abundauntely nuryâ—shed But thowe mayste rather seeme to lacke syth thowe inhabytest so smaule a portion of the worlde and duste dayly stryue for the same Casan Caâ—an is a kyngedome also a citie and a castell of the same name situate by the ryuer Uolga on the further bâ—nke almost threscore and tenâ—e leaques beneath Nouogarâ—ia the lower Alonge by the courâ—e of Uolga towarde the East anâ— South it is termined with deserte fyeldes Towarde the sommer East it confineth with the â—artars cauled Schibaâ—â—â—i and Kosatzki The kynge of this prouince The kynge of Caâ—an is able to make an army of .xxx. thousande men especially foote men of the which the Czeremiâ—se Czubasâ—hi are most expert aâ—chers Archers The Czubaschi are also cunnynge maryners Maryners The citie of Casan is threscore leaques distant froÌ„ the principâ—l castel Uuiathka Furthermore Casan in the Tartars language The towne Tartars signifieth a braâ—en potte boylynge These Tartars are more ciuile then the other For they dwell in houses tyll the grownde and exercise the trade of marchaundies They were of late subdued by Basilius the greate duke of Moscouia and had theyr kynge assigned them at his arbitriment But shortely after Moâ—couâ—a inuâ—ded by the Tartars they rebelled ageine and associate with other Tartars inuaded the region of Moscouia spoyled and wasted many cities and townes and ledde away innumerable captiues euen from the citie Moscouia which they possessed for a tyme and had vtterly destroyed the same if it had not byn for the valyantnesse of the Almayne gunners which kept the castell with great orâ—inaunce The prince of moscouia tributary to the Tartars They also putte duke Basilius to flyght and caused him to make a letter of his owne hande to Machmetgirei theyr kynge to acknowleage hym selfe for a perpetuall tributarie to them wheruppon they diâ—solued the siege and gaue the Moscouâ—tes free liberâ—ie to redeeme theyr captiues and gooddes and so departed But Basilius not longe able to abyde this contumelie and dishonour Duke Basilius armâ— ageynst the Tartars after that he had putte to death suche as flyinge at the fyâ—st encounterynge were the cause of this ouerthrowe assembled an armye of a hundreth and fourescore thousande men shortely after in the yeare .1523 And sent forwarde his army vnder the conducte of his Lieuetenaunte and therewith an heralde at armes to bydde battayle to Machmetgirei the kynge of Casan with woordes in this eâ—â—ecte The last yeare lyke a theefe and robber withowt byddyng of battayle thou dyddeste pryuilie oppresse me Wherefore I nowe chalenge the once ageyne to proue the fortune of warre if thou mystruste not thyne owne poure To this the kynge answered that there were manye wayes open for hym to inuade Moscouia And that the warres haue no lesse respect to the commoditie of tyme and place theÌ„ of armure or streÌ„gth And that he wold take thaduantage therof when where it shulde seeme best to him and not to other With which woordes Basilius bâ—inge greatly accensed and burnyng with desyre of reuenge inuaded the kyngdome of Casan whose kynge beinge stryken with suddeyne feare at thapproche of so terrible an army assigned the gouernance of his kyngdome to the younge kynge of Taurica his neuie whyle he hym selfe went to requyre ayde of the Emperour of the Turkes But in fine the kynge of Casan submytted hym selfe vppon certeyne conditions of peace whiche the Moscouites dyd the gladlyer excepte for that time because theyr vittayles fayled them to maynteyne so great a multitude The kyng of Casan â—ubmitteth hym selfe But wheras duke Basilius hym selfe was not