This was Bake of Ratciâ—ste who with the barke called the Roe robbed certaine Gâ—ecians in the Lâ—uant The description of Augusta in Germanie Venice The number of â—â—wes in Vâ—nice The excesse of the women of Venice His embarking at Venice for Ierusalem Cyprus Missagh Ioppa The Basha of Ioppa Rama Troopes of theeuish Arabians â—is arriuall in the sight of Ierusalem The monuments in and about Ierusalem S. Helens chapell His departure from Ierusalem Tripolis in Syria Salina Missagh a town in Cyprus Candie Zante Istria Mustasa interpâ—es M. Wil. Hareborne sent ambassador to the Turke A request for the preferring of Mustafa Beg. Supply of the want of oile Leo Asricamâ—â— lib. 8. Leo Africanus lib 4. This may be learned at Alget Ianuary the fourteenth C. Vincente C. Santa Maria. Tariffa Velez Malaga C. de Gates C. de Palos Denia Formentera Cabrera February the first Mallorca The shippes men goe on land at Porto de Sant Pedro. The Ambassadour betrayed February the sixth The English men are surprised The Spaniards come to the sea side to speake with the captaine The Spaniards come a game to parse The Ambassadour writeth to the Viceroy The ninth of February The ship Susan prepareth to defend herselfe The effect of the Viceroys letter in the Captaine of the Susan The eâ—â—ect of the Ambassadors answere Galata Sardinia Fauagniana Cisimbri Pantalaria Sicilia C. Passaro Poâ—to de Contâ— in Cephalonia Zante Prodeno Sapientia Modon C. Maâ—apan Cerigo C. Malio Menelaus â—ellapola Both Miloâ— Fâ—lcâ—nara Antâ—milâ— Fermeniâ— Zâ—â— Negroponte Andri Psaâ—a Sarafo Sigraâ— port in Metelin Porto Delfin The city of Chio. A By. Ermin or Customer Baberno Tenedo Maure Galâ—poli Marmora Araâ—â—ia Silauria Ponte grande Ponte picola Ponte S. Stephano The arriuall of the Susan at Constantinople The Ambassadour giueth a present to the great Basâ—a A man halfe naked goeth before y e great Basâ—a The Ambassadours entertainment with the Bassas Santa Sophia A discription of their church The ship commeth to the custome house The Ambassador presenteth the Admirall Vchali The Susan goeth from the Custome house The Admirall departeth to the sea The Ambassadoâ—rs repaire to the great Turke court The entertainment at dinner of the Ambassadours men The Turke is presented with a rich present An English ship sunke by two gallies of Alger The money of Alger The custome The waights The measure The surest lodging for a christian This is another officer Other smal customs you pay besides which may be at two in the huÌ„dred and for â—onsullage you pay two in the hundred Cairo three daies iourney from Alexandria by land The Inuentorie of our ships and goods sunke and taken by the gallies of Alger Man doth purpose and God doth dispose A new master chosen The new master died The Iesus arriued in Tripolis Another ship of Bristow came to Tripolis A conspiracie practised by the French Factor to deceiue a Turkish marchant of 450 crowns The beginning of their troubles and occasion of all their miserie The Englishmen araigned Master Dier condemned to be hanged ouer a bulwarke A Frenchman turned Turke in hope of his life and afterward was hanged Euery fiue men allowed but two pence of bread a day The Turkes builded a church The Christians sent 3. times a weeke 30. miles to fetch wood Eighteene captiues run away from Tripolis The iudgement of God vpon blasâ—â—eâ—â—ers The Greene Dragon The Kings sonne had a captiue that was sonne to one of the Queenes Maiesties guard that was forced to turne Turke The first motion for those Englishmens deliuerie The Englishmen released The plagues and punishments that happened to the King and his people The king lost 150. Camels taken by the wilde Moores Two Englishmen shipped to Constantinople with M. Barton The souldiers of Tripolis kil the King Two Gallies of Venice tooke the king of Tripolie his galley and killed the kings sonne and all the Turkes in it and released all the Christians being in number 150. Edoardo Baron Mahumed Beg. Hamburâ— Brunswig Halberstat Eisleben Copper Mines Iena Great wood of firre trees Bamberg Nurenberg Augspurg The borders of Italy Venice Ragusa Seruia Chierâ—isa Or Fochia Nouibazar Or Nissa Sophia Phâ—lippopoli Andrinopoliâ— Siliueri Constantinople Pompeys piller Prouaâ— Vâ—rna Or Moldania Paâ—sin vpon the riuer of Prut Yas Soâ—sâ—hen Nyester a riuer Camyenetâ— Skala Leopolis or Leunpurg Grodecz Vilna Iaroslaw Lanczut Cracouia Leade Minesâ— Bendzâ—n Salt digged out of mountaines in Poland Bitom Oppelen Schurgasse Brigk Breslaw Magdeburg Lunenberg Hamborg Fontecho signifieth an house of trafique aâ— the Sulyard Bichier Rossetto 1566. The descriptâ—on oâ— Cairo Olde Thebes Pieces of dry wood in stead of torches The mountaine of pardons Grida a port neere Mecca The Portugals greatly feared in the Red sea Forty or fifty rich ships arriue yerely at Grida | 〈◊〉 A fathomâ— Caesar Fredericke trauelled eighteene yeeres in the East Indies The authours going froÌ„ Venice to Cyprus and Tripoly The riuer Euphrates Feluchia a small city on Euphrates Mosul The Arabian theeues are in number like to Ants. The olde Babylon hath great trade w t marchants 〈◊〉 A bridge made of boats These bricks be in thicknes six or seuen inches and a foot a halfe square This hole whereour coÌ„meth this pitch is most true and the water pitch runneth into the valley or Iland where the pitch resteth the water runneth into the riuer Euphrates and it maketh all the riuer to be as it were bâ—ackish with the smell of pitch and brimstone Zizarij an ancient people At the castle of Corna the riuer Euphrates and Tygris do meet Ormus is the barrennest Iland in all the world Carichij an Iland in y e gulfe of Persia. Ormus is alwayes replenished with abundance of victuall and yet there is none that groweth in the Iland Great trade of merchandise in Ormus The election of the king of Ormus A priuilege for Marchants Diu. Cambaietta Marchants that trauell to the Indies must cary their prouision of houshold with theÌ„ Great â—â—oâ—e of men of warre and rouers oâ— the coast of Cambaia A maruellous â—oâ—d delight in women Tana an Iland whereoâ— Odoricus writeth pag 41. Great ordinance made in pieces and â—et seruiceable The chiefe place the Portugals haue in the Indies A very good sale for horses A most vnkind wicked treasoÌ„ against their prince this they haue for giuing credit to strangers rather then to their owne natiue people The sacking in the city An excellent good policy to intrap men A discription of the burning place Feasting and dancing when they should mourne Mourning when they should reioyce The cause why the women do so burâ—e themselues Penegonde Men ride on bullocksâ— and trauell with thâ—m on the way The marchandise that come in and out to Bezeneger euery yere The apparell of those people Their Winter is our Summer Foure small fortes of the Portugals Bettell is a very profitable herbe in that countrey Enimies to the king of Portugall
ouercome and all their nobles in the armie except seuen were slaine And for this cause when they purposing to inuade anie region are threatned by the inhabitants thereof to be slaine they doe to this day answere in old time also our whole number besides being slaine we remayned but seuen of vs aliue and yet notwithstanding we are now growen vnto a great multitude thinke not therefore to daunt vs with such brags But Chingis and the residue that remained aliue fled home into their countrey And hauing breathed him a little he prepared himselfe to warre and went forth against the people called Huyri These men were Christians of the sect of Nestorius And these also the Mongals ouercame and receiued letters or learning from them for before that time they had not the arte of writing and nowe they call it the hand or letters of the Mongals Immediately after hee marched against the countrey of Saruyur and of the Karanites and against the land of Hudirat all which he vanquished Then returned he home into his owne countrey and breathed himselfe Afterward assembling his warlike troupes they marched with one accord against the Kythayans and waging warre with them a long time they conquered a great part of their land and shut vp their Emperour into his greatest citie which citie they had so long time besieged that they began to want necessary prouision for their armie And when they had no victuals to feede vpon Chingis Cham commaunded his souldiers that they should eate euery tenth man of the companie But thâ—y of the citie tought manfully against them with engines dartes and arrowes and when stones wanted they threw siluer and especially melted siluer for the same citie abounded with great riches Also when the Mongals had fought a long time and could not preuayle by warre they made a great trench vnderneath the ground from the armie vnto the middest of the citie and there issuing foorth they fought against the citizens and the remnant also without the walles fought in like manner At last breaking open the gates of the citie they entred and putting the Emperour with many other to the sworde they tooke possession thereof and conueighed away the golde siluer aâ—d all the riches therein And hauing appointed certaine deputies ouer the countrey they returned home into their owne lande This is the first time when the Emperour of the Kythayans being vanquished Chingis Cham obtayned the Empire But some parte of the countrey because it lyeth within the sea they could by no meanes conquere vnto this day The men of Kytay are Pagans hauing a speciall kinde of writing by themselues and as it is reported the Scriptures of the olde and newe Testament They haue also recorded in hystories the liues of their forefathers and they haue Eremites and certaine houses made after the manner of our Churches which in those dayes they greatly resorted vnto They say that they haue diuers Saints also and they worship one God They adore and reuerence CHRIST IESVS our Lorde and beleeue the article of eternall life but are not baptized They doe also honourably esteeme and reuerence our Sciptures They loue Christians and bestowe much almes and are a very courteous and gentle people They haue no beardes and they agree partly with the Mongals in the disposition of their countenance In all occupations which men practise there are not better artificers in the whole worlde Their countrey is exceeding rich in corne wine golde silke and other commodities Of their warre against India maior and minor Chap. 10. ANd when the Mongals with their emperour Chingis Cham had a while rested themselues after the foresayd victorie they diuided their armies For the Emperour sent one of his sonnes named Thossut whom also they called Can that is to say Emperour with an armie against the people of Comania whom he vanquished with much warre and afterward returned into his owne country But he sent his other sonne with an armie against the Indians who also subdued India minor These Indians are the blacke Saracens which are also called AEthiopians But here the armie marched forward to fight against Christians dwelling in India maior Which the King of that countrey hearing who is commonly called Presbiter Iohn gathered his souldiers together and came foorth against them And making mens images of copper he set each of them vpon a saddle on horsebacke and put fire within them and placed a man with a paire of bellowes on the horse backe behinde euery image And so with many horses and images in such sorte furnished they marched on to fight against the Mongals or Tartars And comming neare vnto the place of the battell they first of all sent those horses in order one after another But the men that sate behind laide I wote not what vpon the fire within the images and blew strongly with their bellowes Whereupon it came to passe that the men and the horses were burnt with wilde fire and the ayre was darkened with smoake Then the Indians cast dartes vpon the Tartars of whom many were wounded and slain And so they expelled them out of their dominions with great confusion neither did we heare that euer they returned thither againe How being repelled by monstrous men shapen like dogs they ouercame the people of Burithabeth Chap. 11. BUt returning through the deserts they came into a certaine countrey wherin as it was reported vnto vs in the Emperours court by certaine clergie men of Russia and others who were long time among them and that by strong and stedfast affirmation they found certaine monsters resembling women who being asked by many interpreters where the men of that land were they answered that whatsoeuer women were borne there were indued with the shape of mankinde but the males were like vnto dogges And delaying the time in that countrey they met with the said dogges on the other side of the riuer And in the midst of sharpe winter they cast themselues into the water Afterward they wallowed in the dust vpon the maine land and so the dust being mingled with water was frozen to their backes and hauing often times so done the ice being strongly frozen vpon them with great fury they came to fight against the Tartars And when the Tartars threwe their dartes or shot their arrowes among them they rebounded backe againe as if they had â—ighted vpon stones And the rest oâ— their weapons coulde by no meanes hurt them Howbeit the Dogges made an assault vpon the Tartars and wounding some of them with their teeth and slaying others at length they draue them out of their countries And thereupon they haue a Prouerbe of the same matter as yet rife among them which they speake in iesting sorte one to another My father or my brother was slaine of Dogges The women which they tooke they brought into their owne countrey who remayned there till their dying day And in traueiling homewardes the sayd
vpon paine of one hundred bastonadoes wee were then also cruelly manackled in such sort that we could not put our handes the length of one foote asunder the one from the other and euery night they searched our chaines three times to see if they were fast riueted Wee continued fight with the Carmosell three houres and then wee tooke it and lost but two of our men in that fight but there were slaine of the Greekes fiue and foureteene were cruelly hurt and they that were sound were presently made slaues and chained to the oares and within fifteene dayes after we returned againe into Tripolis and then wee were put to all maner of slauerie I was put to hewe stones and other to cary stones and some to draw the Cart with earth and some to make morter and some to draw stones for at that time the Turkes builded a church And thus we were put to all kinde of slauerie that was to be done And in the time of our being there the Moores that are the husbandmen of the countrey rebelled against the king because he would haue constrained them to pay greater tribute then heretofore they had done so that the Souldiours of Tripolis marched foorth of the towne to haue ioyned battell against the Moores for their rebellion and the King sent with them foure pieces of Ordinance which were drawen by the captiues twentie miles into the Countrey after them and at the sight thereof the Moores fled and then the Captaines returned backe againe Then I and certaine Christians more were sent twelue miles into the countrey with a Cart to lode timber and we returned againe the same day Nowe the king had 18. captiues which three times a weeke went to fetch wood thirtie miles from the towne and on a time he appointed me for one of the 18. and wee departed at eight of the clocke in the night and vpon the way as wee rode vpon the camels I demaunded of one of our company who did direct vs the way he sayd that there was a Moore in our company which was our guide and I demaunded of them how Tripolis and the wood bare one off the other and hee said East Northeast and West Southwest And at midnight or neere thereabouts as I was riding vpon my camel I fell asleepe and the guide and all the rest rode away from me not thinking but I had bene among them When I awooke and finding my selfe alone durst not call nor hallow for feare least the wilde Moores should heare me because they holde this opinion that in killing a Christian they do God good seruice and musing with my selfe what were best for me to do if I should doe foorth and the wilde Moores should hap to meete with mee they would kill mee and on the other side if I should returne backe to Tripolis without any wood or company I should be most miserably vsed therefore of two euils rather I had to goe foorth to the loosing of my life then to turne backe and trust to their mercie fearing to bee vsed as before I had seene others for vnderstanding by some of my company before howe Tripolis and the saide wood did lie one off another by the North starre I went forth at aduenture and as God would haue it I came right to the place where they were euen about an houre before day there altogether wee rested and gaue our camels prouender and assoone as the day appeared we rode all into the wood and I seeing no wood there but a sticke here and a sticke there about the bignesse of a mans arme growing in the sand it caused mee to marueile how so many camels should be loden in that place The wood was Iuniper we needed no axe nor edge toole to cut it but pluckt it vp by strength of hands rootes and all which a man might easily do and so gathered it together a little at one place and so at another and laded our camels and came home about seuen of the clocke that night folowing because I fell lame and my camel was tired I left my wood in the way There was in Tripolis that time a Venetian whose name was Benedetto Venetiano and seuenteene captiues more of his company which ranne away from Tripolis in a boate and came in sight of an Island called Malta which lieth fourtie leagues from Tripolis right North and being within a mile of the shoare very faire weather one of their company said In dispetto de dio adesso venio a pilliar terra which is as much to say In the despite of God I shall now fetch the shoare and presently there arose a mighty storme with thunder and raine and the wind at North their boate being very small so that they were inforced to beare vp roome and to sheare right afore the winde ouer against the coast of Barbarie from whence they came and rowing vp and downe the coast their victuals being spent the 21. day after their departure they were inforced through the want of food to come ashoare thinking to haue stolne some sheepe but the Moores of the countrey very craftily perceiuing their intent gathered togethâ—r a threescore horsemen and hid themselues behinde a sandie hill and when the Christians were come all a shoare and past vp halfe a mile into the countrey the Moores rode betwixt them and their boate and some of them pursued the Christians and so they were all taken and brought to Tripolis from whence they had before escaped and presently the king commaunded that the foresaide Benedetto with one more of his company should lose their eares and the rest should be most cruelly beaten which was presently done This king had a sonne which was a ruler in an Island called Gerbi whereunto arriued an English shippe called the Greene Dragon of the which was Master one M. Blonket who hauing a very vnhappy boy in that shippe and vnderstanding that whosoeuer would turne Turke should be well enterteined of the kings sonne this boy did runne a shoare and voluntarily turned Turke Shortly after the kings sonne came to Tripolis to visite his father and seeing our company hee greatly fancied Richard Burges our Purser and Iames Smith they were both yong men therefore he was very desirous to haue them to turne Turkes but they would not yeeld to his desire saying We are your fathers slaues and as slaues wee will serue him Then his father the king sent for them and asked them if they would turne Turkes And they saide If it please your highnesse Christians we were borne and so we will remaine and beseeched the king that they might not bee inforced thereunto The king had there before in his house a sonne of a yeoman of our Queenes guard whom the kings sonne had inforced to turne Turke his name was Iohn Nelson him the king caused to be brought to these yong men and then said vnto them Wil not you beare this your countreyman company and be
of his subiects Of his age and demeanour and of his seale Chap. 28. THis Emperour when hee was exalted vnto his gouernment seemed to bee about the age of fourty or fourty fiue yeeres He was of a meane stature very wise and politike and passing serious and graue in all his demeanour A rare thing it was for a man to see him laugh or behaue himselfe lightly as those Christians report which abode continually with him Certaine Christians of his familie earnestly and strongly affirmed vnto vs that he himselfe was about to become a Christian. A token and argument whereof was that hee reteined diuers Cleargie men of the Christians Hee had likewise at all times a Chappell of Christians neere vnto his great Tent where the Clearkes like vnto other Christians and according to the custome of the Graecians doe sing publiquely and openly and ring belles at certaine houres bee there neuer so great a multitude of Tartars or of other people in presence And yet none of their Dukes doe the like It is the manner of the Emperour neuer to talke his owne selfe with a stranger though he be neuer so great but heareth and answeareth by a speaker And when any of his subiects howe great soeuer they bee are in propounding anie matter of importaunce vnto him or in hearing his answeare they continue kneeling vpon their knees vnto the ende of their conference Neither is it lawfull for any man to speake of any affaires after they haue beene determined of by the Emperour The sayde Emperour hath in his affaires both publike and priuate an Agent and Secretary of estate with Scribes and all other Officials except aduocates For without the noyse of pleading or sentence giuing all things are done according to the Emperours will and pleasure Other Tartarian princes do the like in those things which belong vnto thē But be it known vnto al men that whilest we remained at the said Emperors court which hath bin ordained and kept for these many yeeres the saide Cuyne being Emperor new elect together with al his princes erected a flag of defiance against the Church of God the Romane empire and against al Christian kingdomes and nations of the West vnlesse peraduenture which God forbid they will condescend vnto those things which he hath inoined vnto our lord the Pope to all potentates and people of the Christiās namely that they wil become obedient vnto him For except Christendom there is no land vnder heauē which they stand in feare of and for that cause they prepare themselues to battel against vs. This Emperors father namely Occoday was poisoned to death which is the cause why they haue for a short space absteined from warre But their intent and purpose is as I haue aboue said to subdue the whole world vnto themselues as they were commanded by Chingis Can. Hence it is that the Emperor in his letters writeth after this maner The power of God Emperour of all men Also vpon his seale there is this posie ingrauen God in heauen and Cuyne Can vpon earth the power of God the seale of the Emperour of all men Of the admission of the Friers and Ambassadours vnto the Emperour Chap. 29. IN the same place where the Emperour was established into his throne we were summoned before him And Chingay his chiefe secretary hauing written downe our names and the names of them that sent vs with the name of the Duke of Solangi of others cried out with a loude voice rehearsing the said names before the Emperour and the assembly of his Dukes Which beeing done ech one of vs bowed his left knee foure times they gaue vs warning not to touch the threshold And after they had searched vs most diligently for kniues and could not find any about vs we entred in at the doore vpon the East side because no man dare presume to enter at the West doore but the Emperour onely In like maner euery Tartarian Duke entreth on the West side into his tent Howbeit the inferiour sort doe not greatly regard such ceremonies This therefore was the first time when we entred into the Emperours tent in his presence after he was created Emperour Likewise all other ambassadours were there receiued by him but very fewe were admitted into his tent And there were presented vnto him such abundance of gifts by the saide Ambassadours that they seemed to be infinite namely in Samites robes of purple and of Baldakin cloth silke girdles wrought with golde and costly skinnes with other gifts also Likewise there was a certaine Sun Canopie or small tent which was to bee caried ouer the Emperours head presented vnto him being set full of precious stones And a gouernour of one Prouince brought vnto him a companie of camels couered with Baldakins They had saddles also vpon their backs with certaine other instruments within the which were places for men to sitte vpon Also they brought many horses mules vnto him furnished w t trappers and caparisons some being made of leather◠and some of iron And we were demanded whether we would bestow any gifts vpō him or no But wee were not of abilitie so to doe hauing in a maner spent all our prouision There were also vpon an hill standing a good distance from the tents more then 500. carts which were all ful siluer and of gold and silke garments And they were all diuided betweene the Emperour and his Dukes and euery Duke bestowed vpon his owne followers what pleased him Of the place where the Emperor and his mother tooke their leaues one of another and of Ieroslaus Duke of Russia Chap. 30. DEparting thence we came vnto another place where a wonderfull braue tent all of red purple giuen by the Kythayans was pitched Wee were admitted into that also and alwaies when we entred there was giuen vnto vs ale and wine to drinke sodden flesh when we would to eate There was also a loftie stage built of boords where the Emperours throne was placed being very curiously wrought out of iuorie wherein also there was golde and precious stones and as we remember there were certain degrees or staires to ascend vnto it And it was round vpon the top There were benches placed about the saide throne whereon the ladies sate towarde the left hand of the Emperour vpon stooles but none sate aloft on the right hande and the Dukes sate vpon benches below the said throne being in the midst Certaine others sate behinde the Dukes and euery day there resorted great companie of Ladies thither The three tents whereof we spake before were very large but the Emperour his wiues had other great and faire tentes made of white felt This was the place where the Emperour parted companie with his mother for she went into one part of the land and the Emperour into another to execute iustice For there was taken a certaine Concubine of this Emperour which had poysoned his father
streightly neither doe they eate any thing besides hearbes and salt fish as long as those fasting dayes doe endure but vpon euery Wednesday and Friday in euery weeke throughout the yeere they fast There are very many Monasteries of the order of S. Benedict amongst them to which many great liuings for their maintenance doe belong for the Friers and the Monkes doe at the least possesse the third part of the liuings throughout the whole Moscouite Empire To those Monkes that are of this order there is amongst them a perpetuall prohibition that they may eate no flesh and therefore their meate is onely salt fish milke and butter neither is it permitted them by the lawes and customes of their religion to eate any fresh fish at all and at those foure fasting times whereof we spake before they eate no fish at all onely they liue with hearbes and cucumbers which they doe continually for that purpose cause and take order to grow and spring for their vse and diet As for their drinke it is very weake and small For the discharge of their office they do euery day say seruice and that early in the mornings before day and they doe in such sort and with such obseruation begin their seruice that they will be sure to make an ende of it before day and about nine of the clocke in the morning they celebrate the Communion When they haue so done they goe to dinner and after dinner they goe againe to seruice and the like also after supper and in the meane time while they are at dinner there is some exposition or interpretation of the Gospel vsed Whensoeuer any Abbot of any monasterie dieth the Emperour taketh all his housholde stuffe beastes flockes of sheepe golde siluer and all that he hath or els hee that is to succeede him in his place and dignitie doth redeeme all those things and buyeth them of the Emperour for money Their churches are built of timber and the towers of their churches for the most part are couered with shingle boordes At the doores of their churches they vsually build some entrance or porch as we doe and in their churchyardes they erect a certaine house of wood wherein they set vp their bels wherein sometimes they haue but one in some two and in some also three There is one vse and custome amongst them which is strange and rare but yet it is very ridiculous and that is this when any man dyeth amongst them they take the dead body and put it in a coffine or chest and in the hand of the corps they put a litle scroule in the some there are these wordes written that the same man died a Rusle of Russes hauing receiued the faith and died in the same This writing or letter they say they send to S. Peter who receiuing it as they affirme reades it and by and by admits him into heauen and that his glory and place is higher and greater then the glory of the Christians of the Latine church reputing themselues to be followers of a more sincere faith and religion then they they hold opinion that we are but halfe Christians and themselues onely to be the true and perfect church these are the foolish and childish dotages of such ignorant Babarians Of the Moscouites that are Idolaters dwelling neere to Tartaria THere is a certaine part of Moscouie bordering vpon the countreys of the Tartars wherin those Moscouites that dwell are very great idolaters they haue one famous idole amongst them which they call the Golden old wife they haue a custome that whensoeuer any plague or any calamitie doth afflict the countrey as hunger warre or such like then they goe to consult with their idol which they do after this maner they fall down prostrate before the idol pray vnto it put in the presence of the same a cymbal about the same certaine persons stand which are chosen amongst them by lotâ— vpon their cymball they place a siluer tode and sound the cymball and to whomsoeuer of those lotted persons that tode goeth he is taken and by and by slaine and immediately I know not by what illusions of the deuill or idole he is againe restored to life theâ— doth reueale and deliuer the causes of the present calamitie And by this meanes knowing how to pacifie the idole they are deliuered from the imminent danger Of the forme of their priuate houses and of the apparell of the people THe common houses of the countrey are euery where built of beames of Firre tree the lower beames doe so receiue the round holownesse of the vppermost that by the meanes of the building thereupon they resist and expell all winds that blow and where the timber is ioined together there they stop the chinks with mosse The forme fashion of their houses in al places is foure square with streit and narrow windowes whereby with a transparent casement made or couered with skinne like to parchment they receiue the light The roofes of their houses are made of boords couered without with y e barke of trees within their houses they haue benches or griezes hard by their wals which commonly they sleepe vpon for the common people knowe not the vse of beds they haue stooues wherein in the morning they make a fire and the same fire doth either moderately warme or make very hote the whole house The apparell of the people for the most part is made of wooll their caps are picked like vnto a rike or diamond broad beneath and sharpe vpward In the maner of making whereof there is a signe and representation of nobilitie for the loftier or higher their caps are the greater is their birth supposed to be and the greater reuerence is giuen them by the common people The Conclusion to Queene Marie THese are the things most excellent Queene which your Subiects newly returned from Russia haue brought home concerning the state of that countrey wherfore if your maiestie shall be fauourable and grant a continuance of the trauell there is no doubt but that the honour and renowme of your name will be spred amongst those nations whereunto three onely noble personages from the verie creation haue had accesse to whom no man hath bene comparable The copie of the Duke of Moscouie and Emperour of Russia his letters sent to King Edward the sixt by the hands of Richard Chancelour THe Almighty power of God and the imcomprehensible holy Trinitie rightfull Christian beliefe c. We great Duke Iuan Vasiliuich by the grace of God great lord and Emperor of all Russia great Duke of Volodemer Mosco and Nouograd King of Kazan King of Astracan lord of Plesko and great duke of Smolensko of Twerria Ioughoria Permia Vadska Bulghoria and others lord and great duke of Nouograd in the Low countrey of Chernigo Rezan Polotskoy Rostoue Yaruslaueley Bealozera Liefland Oudoria Obdoria and Condensa Commander of all Siberia and of the North parts and lord of many other
Denmarke aforetime of Norway who by so many â—illes of supplication out of Island in old time and of late haue beene often interrupted for the setting through of controuersies concerning possessions Wee call Krantzius himselfe to witnesse against himselfe whose words in the first section were these Before the receiuing of Christian faith the Islanders liuing according to the lawe of nature did not much differ from our lawe c. If by the lawe of nature then doubtlesse by that lawe of iustice which giueth to euery man his owne If by the lawe of iustice then certainely distinctions of properties and possessions must needes haue taken place in our Nation and although this very lawe is often transgressed and that haynously euen in the Church notwithstanding both the Church and also heathen men doe acknowledge it to be most iust and good The seuenth section They make all one reckoning of their whelpes and of their children except that of the poorer sort you shall easier obtaine their sonne then their shalke ALthough in the beginning of this Treatise I thought that Munster and other men of great name in those things which they haue left written concerning Islande were not to bee charged with slander yet whether that fauour may here be shewed by any man whatsoeuer be he neuer so fauourable and neuer so sincere I doe not sufficiently conceiue For what should moue such great men following the despightfull lyes and fables of mariners to defame and staine our nation with so horrible and so shamefull a reproch Surely nothing else but a carelesse licentiousnesse to deride and contemne a poore and vnknowen Nation and such other like vices But be it knowen to all men that this vntrueth doth not so much hurt to the Islanders as to the authors themselues For in heaping vp this and a great number of others into their Histories they cause their credite in other places also to be suspected And hereby they gaine thus much as Aristotle sayth that when they speake trueth no man will beleeue them without suspition But attend a while Reader and consider with me the grauitie and wisedome of these great Clarkes that we may not let passe such a notable commendation of Island Krantzius and Munster haue hitherto taught that the Islanders are Christians Also that before the receiuing of Christian faith they liued according to the lawe of nature Also that the Islanders liued after a law not much differing from the lawe of the Germanes Also that they liued in holy simplicitie Attend I say good Reader and consider what markes of Christianitie of the law of nature of the Germanes law of holy simplicitie these authors require and what markes they shew and describe in the Islanders There was one of the sayd markes before namely that the Islanders doe place hell or the prison of the damned within the gulfe and bottome of mount Hecla concerning which reade the first section of this part and the seuenth section of the former The seconde marke is that with the Anabaptists they take away distinctions of properties and possessions in the section next going before The third and most excellent is this those singular naturall affections that loue and tender care and that fatherly and godly minde of the Islanders towards their children namely that they make the same accompt of them or lesse then they doe of their dogges What Will Munster and Krantzius after this fashion picture out vnto vs the law of Christ the lawe of nature the lawe of the Germanes and holy simplicitie O rare and excellent picture though not altogether matching the skill of Apelles O sharpe and wonderfull inuention if authenticall O knowledge more then humane though not at all diuine But wee Islanders albeit the farthest of all nations and inhabiting a frozen clime require farre other notes of Christianitie For we haue the commaundement of God that euery man should loue his neighbour as himselfe Nowe there is none I suppose that doeth not loue or esteeme more of himselfe then of his dogge And if there ought to bee so great fauour so great estimation so great loue vnto our neighbour then how great affection doe wee owe vnto our children The most neare and inseparable loue of whom besides that nature hath most friendly setled in our mindes the loue of God also commandeth vs to haue speciall regard in trayning them vp Exod. 12.24 Ephes. 6.4 namely that there may be in holy marriage certaine seminaries of Gods Church and exercises of all pietie and honestie according to the excellent saying of the Poet. God will haue each family a litle Church to be ALso Of humane life or mans societie a Schole or College is holy matrimonie That it may be manifest that among Christians their sonnes are more to be accompted of and regarded then their dogges and if any doe no otherwise esteeme of them that they are no Christians But this naturall affection towarde our most deare of-spring is plainely seene in the heathen themselues that whomsoeuer you totally depriue of this you denie them also to bee men The mothers of Carthage testifie this to be true when as in the third Punic warre the most choyse and gallant young men in all the Citie were sent as pledges into Sicilia whom they followed vnto the shippes with most miserable weeping and lamentation and some of them being with griefe separated from their deare sonnes when they sawe the sayles hoysed and the shippes departing out of the hauen for very anguish cast themselues headlong into the water as Sabellicus witnesseth Egaeus doth testifie this who when hee sawe the shippe of his sonne Theseus returning â—ut of Creete with blacke sayles thinking that his sonne had perished ended his life in the next waters Sabell lib. 3. cap. 4. Gordianus the elder Proconsul of Affrica doth testifie this who likewise vpon rumors of the death of his sonne hanged himselfe Campoful lib. 5. cap. 7. Also locasta the daughter of Creon Auctolia daughter of Simon Anius King of the Thuscans Orodes King of the Parthians and an infinite number of others Concerning whom reade Plutarch star lib. 2. and other authors c. To these may be added that sentence Loue descendeth c. So that you see it is no lesse proper to a man entirely to loue his children then for a bird to flie that if our writers at any time haue confessed the Islanders to be men much lesse to be Christians they must will they nill they ascribe vnto them this loue and affection towardes their children If not they doe not onely take from them the title and dignitie of men but also they debase them vnder euery brute beast which euen by the instinct of nature are bound with exceeding great loue and tender affection towards their young ones I will not adde against this shamelesse vntruth most notable examples of our owne countreymen I will omit our lawes of man-stealing more ancient then the Islanders themselues being receiued from the Noruagians
countrey dogs and therefore they are hunted with dogs because cats are not able to incounter them Moreouer in the same countrey euery man hath a bundle of great boughs standing in a water-pot before his doore which bundle is as great as a piller and it will not wither so long as water is applied thereunto with many other nouelties and strange things the relation whereof would breed great delight How peper is had and where it groweth MOreouer that it may be manifest how peper is had it is to be vnderstood that it groweth in a certaine kingdome whereat I my selfe arriued being called Minibar and it is not so plentifull in any other part of the worlde as it is there For the wood wherein it growes conceineth in circuit 18. dayes iourney And in the said wood or forrest there are two cities one called Flandrina and the other Cyncilim In Flandrina both Iewes and Christians doe inhabite betweene whom there is often contention and warre howbeit the Christians ouercome the Iewes at all times In the foresaid wood pepper is had after this maner first it groweth in leaues like vnto pot-hearbs which they plant neere vnto great trees as we do our vines and they bring forth pepper in clusters as our vines doe yeeld grapes but being ripe they are of a greene colour and are gathered as we gather grapes and then the graines are layed in the Sunne to be dried and being dried are put into earthen vessels and thus is pepper made and kept Now in the same wood there be many riuers wherein are great store of Crocodiles and of other serpents which the inhabitants thereabout do burne vp with straw and with other dry fewel and so they go to gather their pepper without danger At the South end of the said forrest stands the city of Polumbrum which aboundeth with marchandize of all kinds All the inhabitants of that countrey do worship a liuing ore as their god whom they put to labour for sixe yeres and in the seuenth yere they cause him to rest from al his worke placing him in a solemne and publique place and calling him an holy beast Moreouer they vse this foolish ceremonie Euery morning they take two basons either of siluer or of gold and with one they receiue the vrine of the ore and with the other his dung With the vrine they wash their face their eyes and all their fiue senses Of the dung they put into both their eyes then they annoint the bals of their checks therewith and thirdly their breast and then thâ—y say that they are sanctified for all that day And as the people doe euen so doe their King and Queene This people worshippeth also a dead idole which from the nauel vpward resembleth a man and from the nauel downeward an oxe The very same Idol deliuers oracles vnto them and sometimes requireth the blood of fourtie virgins for his hire And therefore the men of that region do consecrate their daughters and their sonnes vnto their idols euen as Christians do their children vnto some Religion or Saint in heauen Likewise they sacrifice their sonnes and their daughters and so much people is put to death before the said Idol by reason of that accursed ceremony Also many other hainous and abominable villanies doeth that brutish beastly people commit and I sawe many moe strange things among them which I meane not here to insert Another most vile custome the foresaide nation doeth reâ—aine for when any man dieth they burne his dead corps to ashes and if his wife suruiueth him her they burne quicke because say they she shall accompany her husband in his tilthe and husbandry when he is come into a new world Howbeit the said wife hauing children by her husband may if she will remaine still aliue with them without shame or reproch notwithstanding for the most part they all of them make choice to be burnt w t their husbands Now albeit the wife dieth before her husband that law bindeth not the husband to any such incoÌ„uenience but he may mary another wife also Likewise y e said nation hath another strange custome in that their women drink wine but their men do not Also the women haue the lids brows of their eyes beards shauen but the men haue not with many other base filthy fashions which the said women do vse contrary to the nature of their â—exe FroÌ„ that kingdom I traueiled 10. daies iourney vnto another kingdom called Mobar which containeth many cities Within a certaine church of the same countrâ—y the body of S. Thomas the Apostle is interred the very same church being full of idols and in 15. houses round about the said Church there dwell certaine priests who are Nestorians that is to say false and bad Christians and schismatiques Of a strange and vncouth idole and of certaine customes and ceremonies IN the said kingdome of Mobar there is a wonderfull strang idole being made after the shape and resemblance of a man as big as the image of our Christopher consisting all of most pure and glittering gold And about the neck thereof hangeth a silke riband ful of most rich precious stones some one of which is of more value then a whole kingdome The house of this idol is all of beaten gold namely the roofe the pauement and the sieling of the wall within and wâ—thout Unto this idol the Indians go on pilgrimage as we do vnto S. Peter Some go with halters about their necks some with their hands bound behind them some other with kniues sticking on their armes or legs and if after their peregrination the flesh of their wounded arme festereth or corrupteth they esteeme that limme to be holy thinke that their God is wel pleased with them Neare vnto the temple of that idol is a lake made by the hands of men in an open common place whereinto the pilgrimes cast gold siluer precious stones for the honour of the idol and the repairing of his temple And therfore when any thing is to be adorned or mended they go vnto this lake taking vp the treasure which was cast in Moreouer at euery yerely feast of the making or repairing of the said idol the king and queene with the whole multitude of the people all the pilgrimes assemble themselues placing the said idol in a most stately rich chariot they cary him out of their temple with songs with all kind of musical harmonie a great company of virgins go procession-wise two and two in a rank singing before him Many pilgrims also put themselues vnder the chariot wheeles to the end that their false god may go ouer them and al they ouer whom the chariot runneth are crushed in pieces diuided asunder in the midst and slaine right out Yea in doing this they think themselues to die most holily securely in the seruice of their god And by this meanes euery yere there
way vnto â—uery one of the saide gates standeth a city as big by estimation as Venice and Padua The foresaid city of Canasia is situated in waters or marshes which alwayes stand still neither ebbing nor flowing howbeit it hath a defence for the winde like vnto Venice In this citie there are mo then 10002. bridges many whereof I numbred and passed ouer them and vpon euery of those bridges stand certaine watchmen of the citie keeping continuall watch and ward about the said city for the great Can the Emperour of Catay The people of this countrey say that they haue one duetie inioyned vnto them by their lord for euery fire payeth one Balis in regard of tribute and a Balis is fiue papers or pieces of silke which are worth one floren and an halfe of our coine Tenne or twelue housholds are accompted for one fire and so pay tribute but for one fire onely Al those tributary fires amount vnto the number of 85. Thuman with other foure Thuman of the Saracens which make 89. in al And one Thuman coÌ„sisteth of 10000. fires The residue of the people of the city are some of them Christians some marchants and some traueilers through the countrey whereupon I marueiled much howe such an in infinite number of persons could inhabite and liue together There is great aboundance of victuals in this citie as namely of bread and wine and especially of hogs-flesh with other necessaries Of a Monastery where many strange beastes of diuers kindes doe liue vpon an hill IN the foresaide citie foure of our friers had conuerted a mighty and riche man vnto the faith of Christ at whose house I continually abode for so long time as I remained in the citie Who vpon a certaine time saide vnto me Ara that is to say Father will you goe and beholde the citie And I said yea Then embarqued we our selues and directed our course vnto a certaine great Monastery where being arriued he called a religious person with whom he was acquainted saying vnto him concerning me this Raban Francus that is to say this religious Frenchman commeth from the Westerne parts of the world and is now going to the city of Cambaleth to pray for the life of the great Can and therefore you must shew him some rare thing that when hee returnes into his owne countrey he may say this strange sight or nouelty haue I seâ—ne in the city of Canasia Then the said religious man tooke two great baskets full of broken reliques which remained of the table and led me vnto a little walled parke the doore whereof he vnlocked with his key and there appeared vnto vs a pleasant faire greene plot into the which we entred In the said greene stands a litle mount in forme of a steeple râ—plenished with fragrant herbes and fine shady trees And while we stood there he tooke a cymball or bell and rang therâ—with as they vse to ring to dinner or beuoir in cloisters at the sound whereof many creatures of diuers kinds came downe from the mount some like apes some like cats some like monkeys and some hauing faces like men And while I stood beholding of them they gathered themselues together about him to the number of 4200. of those creatures putting themselues in good order before whom he set a platter and gaue them the said fragments to eate And when they had eaten he rang vpon his cymbal the second time and they al returned vnto their former places Then wondring greatly at the matter I demanded what kind of creatures those might be They are quoth he the soules of noble men which we do here feed for the loue of God who gouerneth the world and as a man was honorable or noble in this life so his soule after death entreth into the body of some excellent beast or other but the soules of simple and rusticall people do possesse the bodies of more vile and brutish creaures Then I began to refute that foule error howbeit my speach did nothing at all preuaile with him for hee could not be perswaded that any soule might remaine without a body From thence I departed vnto a certaine citie named Chilenfo the walls whereof conteined 40. miles in circuit In this city there are 360. bridges of stone the fairest that euer I saw and it is wel inhabited hauing a great nauie belonging thereunto abounding with all kinds of victuals and other commodities And thence I went vnto a certaine riuer called Thalay which where it is most narrow is 7. miles broad and it runneth through the midst of the land of Pygmaei whose chiefe city is called Cakam and is one of the goodliest cities in the world These Pigmaeans are three of my spans high and they make larger and better cloth of cotten and silke then any other nation vnder the sunne And coasting along by the saide riuer I came vnto a certaine citie named Ianzu in which citie there is one receptacle for the Friers of our order and there be also three Churches of the Nestorlans This Ianzu is a noble and great citie containing 48 Thuman of tributarie fiers and in it are all kindes of victuals and great plenty of such beastes oules and fishes as Christians doe vsually liue vpon The lord of the same citie hath in yeerely reuenues for salt onely fiftie Thuman of Balis and one balis is worth a floren and a halfe of our coyne insomuch that one Thuman of balis amounteth vnto the value of fifteene thousand florens Howbeit the sayd lord fauoureth his people in one respect for sometimes he forgiueth them freely two hundred Thuman least there should be any scarcity or dearth among them There is a custome in this citie that when any man is determined to banquet his friends going about vnto certaine tauernes or cookes houses appointed for the same purpose he sayth vnto euery particular hoste you shall haue such and such of my friendes whom you must intertaine in my name and so much I will bestowe vpon the banquet And by that meanes his friendes are better feasted at diuerse places then they should haue beene at one Tenne miles from the sayde citie about the head of the foresayd riuer of Thalay there is a certaine other citie called Montu which hath the greatest nauy that I saw in the whole world All their ships are as white as snow and they haue banqueting houses in them and many other rare things also which no man would beleeue vnlesse he had seene them with his owne eyes Of the citie of Cambaleth TRaueiling eight dayes iourney further by diuers territories and cities at length I came by fresh water vnto a certaine citie named Lencyn standing vpon the riuer of Karauoran which runneth through the midst of Cataie and doeth great harme in the countrey when it ouerfloweth the bankes or breaketh foorth of the chanell From thence passing along the riuer Eastward after many dayes trauell and the sight of diuers cities I
12 or 14 miles but the towne of Cephalonia from the towne of Zante is distant fortie miles This night we went but little forward The 30 day we remained still turning vp and downe because the winde was contrary and towards night the winde mended so that we entered the channell betweene Cephalonia Zante the which chanell is about eight or tenne miles ouer and these two beare East and by South and West and by North from the other The towne of Zante lieth within a point of the land where we came to an ankerâ— at nine of the clocke at night The 31 about sixe of the clocke in the morning I with fiue Hollanders went on land and hosted at the house of Pedro de Venetia After breakfast we went to see the towne and passing along we went into some of the Greeke churches wherein we sawe their Altares Images and other ornaments This done wee went to a Monasterie of Friers called Sancta Maria de la Croce these are westerne Christians for the Greekes haue nothing to doe with them nor they with the Greekes for they differ very much in religion There are but 2. Friers in this Friery In this Monasterie we saw the tombe that M. T. Cicero was buried in with Terentia Antonia his wife This tombe was founde about sixe yeeres since when the Monastery was built there was in time past a streete where the tombe stoode At the finding of the tombe there was also found a yard vnder ground a square stone some what longer then broad vpon which stone was found a writing of two seuerall handes writing the one as it seemed for himselfe and the other for his wife and vnder the same stone was found a glasse somewhat proportioned like an vrinall but that it was eight square and very thicke wherein were the ashes of the head and right arme of Mar. T. Cicero for as stories make mention he was beheaded as I remember at Capua for insurrection And his wife hauing got his head and right arme which was brought to Rome to the Emperour went from Rome and came to Zante and there buried his head and arme and wrote vpon his tombe this style M. T. Cicero Haue Then folfoweth in other letters Et tu Terentia Antonia which difference of letters declare that they were not written both at one time The tombe is long and narrowe and deepe walled on euery side like a graue in the botome whereof was found the sayd stone with the writing on it the said glasse of ashes and also another litle glasse of the same proportion wherein as they say are the teares of his friendes that in those dayes they did vse to gather and bury with them as they did vse in Italy and Spaine to teare their haire to bury with their friendes In the sayde tombe were a fewe bones After dinner we rested vntill it drew towards euening by reason of the heat And about foure of the clocke we walked to another Frierie a mile out of the towne called Sant Elia these are white Friers there were two but one is dead not sixe dayes since This Frierie hath a garden very pleasant and well furnished with Orenges Lemons pomegranates and diuers other good fruites The way to it is somewhat ragged vp hill and downe and very stonie and in winter very durtie It standeth very pleasantly in a clift betweene two hilles with a good prospect From thence we ascended the hill to the Castle which is situated on the very toppe of a hill This Castle is very strong in compasse a large mile and a halfe which being victualed as it is neuer vnfurnished and manned with men of trust it may defend it selfe against any Princes power This Castle taketh the iust compasse of the hill and no other hill neere it it is so steepe downe and so high and ragged that it will â—yre any man or euer he be halfe way vp Uery nature hath fortified the walles and hulwarkes It is by nature foure square and it commandeth the towne and porte The Uenetians haue alwayes their Podesta or Gouernour with his two Counsellours resident therein The towne is well inhabited hath great quantitie of housholders The Iland by report is threescore and tenne miles about it is able to make twentie thousand fighting men They say they haue alwayes fiue or sixe hundred horsemen readie at an houres warning They say the Turke hath assayed it with 100. Gallies but he could neuer bring his purpose to passe It is strange to mee how they should maintaine so many men in this Iland for their best sustenance â—â— wine and the rest but miserable The first of August we were warned aboord by the patron and towards euening we set sayle and had sight of a Castle called Torneste which is the Turkes and is ten miles from Zante it did belong to the Uenetians but they haue now lost it it standeth also on a hill on the sea side in Morea All that night we bare into the sea because we had newes at Zante of twelue of the Turkes gallies that came from Rhodes which were about Modon Coron and Candia for which cause we kept at the sea The second of August we had no sight of land but kept our course and about the third watch the winde scanted so that we bare with the shore and had sight of Modon and Coron The third we had sight of Cauo Mattapan and all that day by reason of contrary windes which blew somewhat hard we lay a hull vntill morning The fourth we were still vnder the sayd Cape and so continued that day and towardes night there grewe a contention in the ship amongst the Hollanders and it had like to haue bene a great inconuenience for we had all our weapons yea euen our kniues taken from vs that night The fift we sayled by the Bowline and out of the toppe we had sight of the Iland of Candia and towardes noone we might see it plaine and towards night the winde waxed calme The sixt toward the breake of day we saw two small Ilands called Gozi and towards noone we were betweene them the one of these Ilands is fifteene miles about and the other 10 miles In those Ilands are nourished store of cattell for butter and cheese There are to the number of fiftie or sixtie inhabitants which are Greeks and they liue chiefly on milke and cheese The Iland of Candia is 700 miles about it is in length from Cape Spada to Cape Salomon 300 miles it is as they say able to make one hundred thousand fighting men We sayled betweene the Gozi and Candia and they are distant from Candia 5 or 6 miles The Candiots are strong men and very good archers and shoot neere the marke This Ilande is from Zante 300 miles The seuenth we sayled all along the sayd Iland with little winde and vnstable and the eight day towards
Constantinople there the Marchant and the Pilot landed At this bridge is an house of the great Turkes with a faire Garden belonging vnto it neere the which is a point called Ponta S. Stephano and there the shippe ankered that day The 26 day the ship came to â—â—e seuen Towers and the 27 we came neerer The 29 there came three gallies to bring vs vp further and when the shippe came against the great Turks palace we shot off all our ordinance to the number of foure and thirty pieces Then landed our Ambassadour and then we discharged foure and twenty pieces who was receiued with more then fifty or threescore men on horsebacke The ninth of April he presented the great Bassa with siâ—e clothes foure cannes of siluer double gilt and one piece of fine holland and to three other Bassas that is to say the second Bassa which is a gelded man and his name is Mahomet Bassa to the third who maried the great Turks sister and to the fourth whom they call Abraham Bassa to euery one of these he gaue foure clothes Now before the great Bassa and Abraham Bassa at their returne from the Court and as we thinke at other times but at that time for a certaine there came a man in maner of a foole who gaue a great shout three or foure times crying very hollowly the place rebounded with the sound and this man say they is a prophet of Mahomet his armes and legges naked on his feet he did weare woodden pattens of two sorts in his hand a flagge or streamer set on a short speare painted he carried a mat and bottels and other trumpery at his backe and sometimes vnder his arme on his head he had a cappe of white Camels haire flat like an helmet written about with letters and about his head a linnen rowle Other seruingmen there were with the sayd Bassas with red attire on their heads much like French hoods but the long flappe somewhat smaller towardes the end with scuffes or plates of mettall like vnto the chape of an ancient arming sword standing on their foreheads like other Ianisaries These Bassas entertained vs as followeth First they brought vs into a hall there to stand on one side and our Ambassadour and gentlemen on the other side who sate them downe on a bench couered with carpets the Ambassadour in the midst on his left hand sate our gentlemen and on his right hand the Turkes next to the doore where their master goeth in and out the common sort of Turkes stayed in the Court yard not suffered to come neere vs. When our Ambassadour had sitten halfe an houre the Bassas who sate by themselues in an inner small roome sent for him to whom the Ambassadour and his gentlemen went they all kissed his hand and presently returned the Ambassadour onely excepted who stayed there and a Turks chaus with him with the Ambassadour and his gentlemen went in also so many of our men as there were presents to cary in but these neither kissed his hand nor taried After this I went to visit the church of Santa Sophia which was the chiefe church when it was the Christians and now is the chiefe see and church of primacie of this Turke present before I entred I was willed to put off my shoes to the end I should not prophane their church I being a Christian. The pillers on both sides of the church are very costly and rich their Pulpets seemely and handsome two are common to preach in the third reserued onely for their Paschall The ground is couered with Mats and the walles hanged with Tapistry They haue also Lamps in their churches one in the middle of the church of exceeding greatnesse and another in another part of the church of cleane golde or double gilded full as bigge as a barrel Round about the church there is a gallery builded vpon rich and stately pillers That day I was in both the chappels in one of the which lieth the Turkes father and fiue of his sonnes in tombes right costly with their turbents very white and cleane shifted as they say euery Friday they be not on their heads but stand on mouldes made for that purpose At the endes ouer and about their tombes are belts like girdles beset with iewels In the other chappell are foure other of his sonnes and one daughter in like order In the first chappell is a thing foure foot high couered with greene beset with mother of pearle very richly This is a relique of Mahomet and standeth on the left side of the head of the great Turks tombe These chappels haue their floores couered and their walles hanged with Tapistrie of great price I could value the couering and hangings of one of the chappels at no lesse then fiue hundred poundes besides their lamps hanging richly gilded These chappels haue their roofes curiously wrought with rich stone and gilded And there lie the bookes of their Lawes for euery man to reade The 11 day of April the shippe came to the Key of the Custome house The 16 the Ambassadour and we his men went to the Captaine Bassa who is Admirall of the seas his name is Vchali he would not receiue vs into his house but into his gallie to deliuer our present which was as followeth Foure pieces of cloth and two siluer pots gilt grauen The poope or sterne of his gally was gilded both within and without and vnder his feet and where he sate was all couered with very rich Tapistry Our Ambassadour and his gentlemen kissed his hand and then the gentlemen were commanded out and our Ambassadour sate downe by him on his left hand and the chaus stood before him Our men might walke in the gally fore and after some of vs caried and some went out againe The gally had seuen pieces of brasse in her prowe small and great she had thirty bankes or oares on either side and at euery banke or oare seuen men to rowe The 18 day the shippe went from the Key And 21 the Admirall tooke his leaue of the great Turke being bound to the Sea with sixe and thirty gallies very fairely beautified with gilding and painting and beset with flags and streamers all the which gallies discharged their ordinance and we for his farewell gaue him one and twenty pieces Then he went to his house with his gallies and the 22 he went to the Sea and the Castle that standeth in the water gaue him foureteene or sixteene pieces and when he came against the Turks Seraglio he shot off all his caliuers and his great pieces and so hee went his way The 24 our Ambassadour went to the Court whose entertainement with the order thereof followeth When wee came first on â—and there was way made for vs by two or three Bassaes and diuers chauses on horsebacke with their men on foot to accompany our Ambassadour to the Court. Also they brought horses for him
at the ende of this discourse hereunto annexed which letter and present with one from the grand Signor was sent by M. Edward Bushell and M. William Aldridge ouer-land the 20 of March who passed through Vâ—lachia and Moldauia so through Poland where Michael prince of Valachia and Aron Voiuoda prince of Moldauia receiuing letters from the ambassador entertained theÌ„ with al curtesie through whose meanes by the great fauour which his lordship had with the grand Signior they had not long before both of them bene aduanced to their princely â—ignities Hee likewise presented Sigala the Admirall of the Seas with Abâ—im Bassa who maried the great Turkes daughter and all the other Uizirs with diuers pieces of plate fine English cloth other costly things the particulars whereof to auoid tediousnesse I omit All the presents thus ended the ship shooting ten pieces of ordinance at the Seraglio point as a last farewell departed on her iourney for England the first of Nouember my selfe continuing in Constantinople vntill the last of Iuly after This yere in the spring there was great preparation for the Hungarian wars and the great Turke threatened to goe himselfe in person but like Hellogabalus his affections being more seruiceable to Venus then to Mars he stayed at home Yet a great army was dispatched this yere who as they came out of Asia to goe for Hungary did so pester the streets of Constantinople for the space of two moneths in the spring time as scarse either Christian or Iew could without danger of losing his money passe vp and downe the city What insolencies murders and robberies were committed not onely vpon Christians but also vpon Turks I omit to write and I pray God in England the like may neuer be seene and yet I could wish that such amongst vs as haue inioyed the Gospel with such great and admirable peace and prosperity vnder her Maiesties gouernment this forty yeeres and haue not all this time brought forth better fruits of obedience to God and thankfulnesse to her Maiesty were there but a short time to beholde the miserable condition both of Christians and othere liuing vnder such an infidell prince who not onely are wrapped in most palpable grosse ignorance of mind but are cleane without the meanes of the true knowledge of God I doubt not but the sight hereof if they be not cleane void of grace would stirre them vp to more thankefulnesse to God that euer they were borne in so happy a time and vnder so wise and godly a prince professing the true religion of Christ. The number of souldiours which went to the warres of Hungary this yere were 470000 as by the particulars giuen by the Admirall to the Ambassadour hereunder do appeare Although all these were appointed and supposed to goe yet the victories which the Christians in the spring had against the Turks strooke such a terrour in many of the Turkish souldiours as by report diuers vpon the way thither left their Captaines and stole away The number of Turkish souldiers which were appointed to goe into Hungary against the Christian Emperour May 1594. SInan Bassa generall with the Saniacke masould that is out of office with the other Saniackâ— in office or of degree 40000. Achmigi that is Aduenturers 50000. The Agha or Captaine with his Ianisaries and his Giebegies 20000. The Beglerbeg of Graecia with all his Saniacks 40000. The company of Spaheis or horsemen 10000â— The company of Silitari 6000. The company of Sagbulue and of Solbulue both together 8000. The Bassa of Belgrad 80000. The Bassa of Temiswâ—r 80000. The Bassa of Bosna 80000. The Bassa of Buda 80000. The Saniack of Gersech 80000. Out of Asia The Bassa of Caramania 120000. The Bassa of Laras 120000. The Bassa of Damasco 120000. The Bassa of Suas 120000. The Bassa of Van or Nan. 120000. The Bassa of Vsdrum 120000. Of Tartars there be about 100000. Thus you may see that the great Turke maketh warre with no small numbers And in anno 1597 when Sultan Mahâ—met himselfe went in person into Hungary if a man may beleeue reports he had an army of .600000 For the city of Constantinople you shall vnderstand that it is matchable with any city in Europe aswell in bignesse as for the pleasant situation thereof and commodious traffike and bringing of all maner of necessary prouision of victuals and whatsoeuer els mans life for the sustentation thereof shall require being seated vpon a promontory looking toward Pontus Euxinus vpon the Northeast and to Proponâ—s on the Southwest by which two seas by shipping is brought great store of all maner of victuals The city it selfe in forme representeth a triangular figure the sea washing the walles vpon two sides thereof the other side faceth the continent of Thracia the grand Signiors seraglio standeth vpon that point which looketh into the sea being cut off from the city by a wall so that y e wall of his pallace conteineth in circuit about two English miles the seuen towers spoken of before stand at another corner Constantines olde pallace to the North at the third corner The city hath a threefolde wall about it the innermost very high the next lower then that and the third a countermure and is in circuit about ten English miles it hath foure and twenty gates and when the empire was remooued out of the West into the East it was inriched with many spoiles of olde Rome by Vespasian and other emperours hauing many monuments and pillars in it worthy the obseruation amongst the rest in the midst of Constantinople standeth one of white marble called Vespasians pillar of 38 or 40 yards high which hath from the base to the top proportions of men in armour fighting on horsebacke it is likewise adorned with diuers goodly buildings stately Mesquitas whereof the biggest is Sultan Solimans a great warriour which liued in the time of Charles the fifth but the fairest is Santa Sophia which in the time of the Christian emperours was the chiefe cathedrall church and is still in greatest account with the great Turke it is built round like other Greekish churches the pauements and walles be all of marble it hath beneath 44 pillars of diuers coloured marble of admirable heigth and bignesse which stand vpon great round feet of brasse much greater then the pillars and of a great heigth some ten yards distant from the wall from which vnto these pillars is a great gallery built which goeth round about the church and vpon the outside of the gallery stand 66 marble pillars which beare vp the round roofe being the top of the church it hath three pulpits or preaching places and about 2000 lampes brought in by the Turke Likewise vpon one side in the top is the picture of Christ with the 12 Apostles but their faces are defaced with two or three ancient tombs of Christians to the West sticketh an arrow in the toppe of the church which as the
The castle of Nangoia was enuironed with a double wall of square and beautifull stone with broad and deepe ditches like vnto Miacó The innermost wall being lesse then the other two was 100 fathom square within the compasse whereof wer so many houses built both for the lordes and their followers and also for marchants shoppes and victualers houses distinguished with broad and direct streetes that it seemed a faire towne But that which was much more admirable all the way from Miacó to Nangoia at the ende of euery dayes iourney all the lords and gouernours at the commandement of Quabacondono built each one within his iurisdiction new and stately palaces from the ground so that for 20 dayes together he lodged euery night with all his traine in one of those palaces And because these things were done at the very same time when the expedition into the kingdome of Coray was in hand all Iapan was so grieuously oppressed Quabacondono in the meane while being at no charges as it was most intollerable Yet is it incredible how ready euery one is to do him seruice which appeareth by these magnificent stately buildings reared vp in so short a space which in Europe would haue required a long time and huge expences In the meane season it was commonly giuen out that this enterprize of Quabacondono would haue most vnfortunate successe as being a matter wrought by constraint and that it would be an occasion of manifold dissentioâ—s in Iapan for no man there was but miâ—liked of this warre yea all the lordes were in great hope that some one man at length would step foorth and restore their libertie howbeit there is none as yet found which dare put his had to that businesse Wherefore they were all though to their great griefe and lamentation violently constrained to prosecute the enterprize But Quabacondono being voyde of all anxiety to the ende hee might encourage his followers boasted that hee would make great alterations of kingdomes and would bestow vpon them the kingdoms of Coray and China and vnto the lord Protasius hee hath promised 3 kingdomes but he with all the other lords giuing him great thankes had much rather retaine a smal portion of their estate in Iapan then to hunt after all those kingdomes which he promiseth And whereas Quabacondono had by proclamation published that he would personally be present at Nangoia the 3 moone of this yeere troups and armies of men began to resort from all the quarters of Iapan to these parts Now were our afflictions renewed For so long as Quabacondono remained at Miacó we might stay in these parts of Ximo without any danger but after he began to come this way it seemed impossible for our state to continue whole and sound and we were put into no small perplexitie For the Christian lordes aduised vs that sithence Quabacondono was come so neere all our companie that liued in the Colledge in the house of Probation and in the Seminary should depart to some other place And the Christians from Miacó writ dayly vnto vs that wee shoulde pull downe our houses and Churches at Omura Arima and Cansaco and that the fathers of Europe should return vnto Nangasaque in the secular habite of Portugals but that the Iaponian Fryers should retire themselues vnto seueral houses of Christians that so they might al remaine safe and out of danger But this remedy as it was too grieuous and subiect to may difficulties so did it afford vs but small comfort In brief the Father visitor talking of this matter with Eucunocamindono the lord Protasius and Omurandono before their expedition toward the kingdom of Coray found them as before in the same fortitude of minde being constant in their first opinion neither would they giue any other counsel or direction then that the fathers should keepe themselues secret and should only forsake their houses at Arima and Omura wherein the Toni or great lordes would haue some of their kinsemen remaine It was also thought conuenient that the number of the Seminary should bee diminished and that of 90 there should onely remaine 50 in our scholes namely such as studied the Latine tongue With the Father Visitour there came vnto Nangasaque certaine Fathers and Friers which were said to be of Fungo and Firando For the sayde Father vnder the name of a Legate might retaine them with him more openly About this time Quabacondono that hee might with some pastime recreate his Nobles which accompanied him and also might declare with how great confidence and securitie of minde hee tooke vpon him this expedition for China and likewise to obscure the most renowmed fame of a certaine hunting and hawking performed of olde by that mightie Prince Ioritono who was Emperour ouer all Iapan hee determined to ordaine as it were another royall court of diuers kindes of fowle Whereupon beeing accompanied with many great lordes and others hee departed to the kingdome of Oiaren where his game had so good successe that hee caught aboue 30000. fowles of all sortes amongst which were many falcons Howbeit for Quabacondono his greate recreation and for the more solemnitie of the game there were also added many dead fowles which the Iaponians with certaine poulders or compositions know how to preserue sweete in their feathers a long time This game beeing ended Quabacondono returned with great pompe vnto Miacó before whom went great multitudes which carried those thousandes of fowles vpon guilded canes Next after these followed many horsemen sumptuously attired carying a great number of Falcons and other birdes After them were lead many horses by the reines most richly trapped Next of all were brought Coscis or Littiers very stately adorned after which was carryed Quabacondono himselfe in a Littier of another fashion like vnto those which in India are called Palanchins which was made in China with most curious and singular workemanship and was presented vnto him by the Father Visitour and seemeth exceedingly to content him for that in all actions of solemnitie hee vseth the same Last of all followed a great troope of Princes and Nobles brauely mounted on horsebacke and gorgeously attired thereby the more to delight Quabacondono who in triumphant sort beeing welcomed by the way with the shoute and applause of infinite swarmes of people entred the citie of Miacó Now when the time of sayling towardes China approched Quabacondono determined first to proclayme his nephew Inangondono his successour and gouernour of all Iapan to the ende hee might supply his owne roome in the time of this warre And therefore he commanded the Dairi to transferre vnto his sayd nephew the dignitie belonging to himselfe calling him by the name of Taicusama that is to say Great lord Which dignitie was in such sort translated that albeit he assigned vnto his nephew large reuenues together with that princely title yet himselfe remained the very same that he was before The day of the sayd translation being appointed hee summoned all the
Nine bishopricks and one archbishoprick in Peru. The prouince of Tucuman Cordoua Aâ—acama Caâ—â—â—â— Acâ—â—â— El Calao Liâ—â— Santa Cannet◠〈◊〉 Paiâ—â—â— Guaiaquil Tumbeâ— Salsaperilla Ships built as Guaiaquil Puerto Viejo a place where Emralde a bound La Buena â—eâ—tura La gouernacioâ— de Popaâ—â—â— Negros 〈◊〉 from their masters Panama Costa ricâ— The prouince of Nicaragua The discouery of the Philippinas The Isle of Manilla The discouery of the Isles of Salomon Cloues ginger and sinamon The Isle of â—â—aâ—â—â—canal A towne burnt Abundance of good victuals vpon the Isles of Salomon A new rich trade for gold cloues ginger and sinamon Why these Isles were called The Isles of Salomon 5. Great Biskaynes ships fought wâ—tâ—a August Rio del orâ— Cape Blanco A dangerous sand Sierra leona A Portugall taken Poysoned arrowes The description of their towne September Many of our men hurt by Negros William Pickman diâ—th of a poysoned arrow This poâ—son is the 〈◊〉 of an 〈◊〉 Their departuâ—e from Sierra leona The Isles of Madâ—â—buâ—ba inhabited by Negros A towne Fâ—esh water October Cape Frio in Brasiâ—l Nouember S Sebâ—â—â—ians Iland The â—iuer of Ienero Decembeâ— 48. Degreesâ— Port Desâ—â—â— Seales strangâ— in â—hape 〈…〉 Yong Seales are very good meate Foules bâ—â—â—â—ding in burrowes like conies We call these foulâ—s 〈◊〉 gums They grauâ— and 〈◊〉 their shâ—â—s A man and a boy hurt by negligenâ—â— A kinde of 〈◊〉 Their departure from port Desire Ianuarâ—◠〈◊〉 Then enâ—â—r the â—â—râ—igâ—ts the 6. oâ— Ianuâ—â—ie â— Spaniaâ—d taken in tâ—e Sâ—â—eigâ—â—s of Mageâ—â—an The Barke Iâ—hn Thomas â—â—e of sir â—ran â— Dâ—â—keâ— conâ—oâ—â—â—â— King 〈…〉 dâ—solâ—te in the â—trâ—ights of Magelâ—aÌ„ which 〈◊〉 â—â—nâ—â—alâ—â—alled â—ort â—amâ—ne End enâ—mie to tâ—â— Spaniaâ—â—d Port famine in 5â— degrees Câ—pe Froward â—â— 54. degrees Muskle â—oue Elizabeth Bay The mâ—st â—â—â—â—tish Sauages that 〈…〉 â—eenâ— The Câ—anel of Sainâ— Ieâ—â—â—e Februarâ— 1587. The streights of Magellan aâ—e about 90. leagues long The Westerne mouth of the Streights is in 52. degrees and 2. tercâ—s Their entrance into the South sea the 24 of Februarie Ilands in thâ— South sea called Lâ—s Anegâ—dâ—â— March 1. Extreme danger of the Hugh Gallant by a great leake The I le of Mocha in 38. degrees not subiect to the Spaniards Arauco is the richest place in the South sea for golde and is not subdued by the Spaniards as yet Saint Marie Iland in 3â— degrees and 1. â—eâ—â—e which is subdued to the Spaniards A Church with crosses and altars The Indians of S. Mary Iland made all Christians Arauco rich in golde The Conception Quintero standeth in â—3 degreâ—s 50. minutes The perturie of a Spaniard Our men march 7. or 8. miles into their enemies land 24 Spaniard slaine A little Ilanâ—â—ull of pâ—â—gâ—in Moro morenâ— in â—3 degâ—ee aâ—d a halâ—e Most artificâ—all boates Tribute pay in fâ—sh A barke taken which ther called The Geoâ—ge Aâ—icâ— sâ—aâ—detâ— in 18 degrees 31 minutes A ship taken Great store of wine â—ound Another barke taken in the road The fourth barke taken A watch house The first barke of aduise taken A good mind if he had bene in a good cause The bay of Pisca in 13 deg â…” An Iland of Seales The Hugh Gallant lost â—ompanie of the fleete and met not vntill the seuenteenth 400 â—age of meaâ—e â—ound A bay in 9. degrees and 1 â—â— Iohn Way â— preacher A ship of 30. tunnes taken after halâ—e an houres fight Seuen degrees of Southerly latitude They met their fleete againe Two rich ships taken One shippe worth 20000 pounds The bay oâ— Paita in 5 degrees 4 〈◊〉 A new sort iâ— building The towne of Paita taken auâ—burnt 25 pounds wâ—ight in â—â—â—uer The towne of Paita had 200 houses in it A barke set on fire The Iland of Puna within 1 degree the Equinoctial to the South A great ship burnt Great store of cables made in Puna The towne of Guaiaquil A little Iland neere vnto Puna The I le of Puna is almost as big as the Ilâ— of Wight Cotton trees An excellâ—â—â— orchard The seconâ— grauing of their ships The first skiâ—mish with the Spaniards Zacharie Saâ—iâ— slaine honorâ—bly Robert Maddocâ— slaine with hiâ— owne peece 46 Spaniarâ—â— and Indianâ— slainâ— The second skirmish with the Spaniards The chiefe towne in Puna burnt They arriued at Puna the 25 of May. The Hugh Gallant a barke of 40 tuns sunke Rio dolce Michael Sancius a Marsâ—â—lian A great new ship burnt The second barke of aduise taken Sonsonate in the prouince of Guatimala A barke burnt The riuer of Copalita Aguatulco in 15 degâ—ees and 40 minutes Northward A barke burnt Anile Cacaos Aguâ—tulco a towne of 100 houses burnt Cacaos goe for moneâ— in Nueua Espanna Our Generall entred two miles into the maine land with 30 men Our departurâ— from Aguatulco Puerto de Nâ—â—â—uidad in 19 degrees The third coste of aduiâ— taken Puerto de Natâ—uidad burnt Two new ships burnâ— The riuer oâ— Sant Iago Pearles tâ—ken The bay of Malacca The towne of Acatlan burnt The road of Chaccalla The Isle of Sant Andrew Iguanos good meate Massatlan in 2â— degrees and an halfe An island a league Northwards of Massatlan The escape of one Domingo a Spaniard Chiaâ—etla Fresh water at 2 or 3 foote deepe in the sand The cape of S. Lucar on the point of California Aguada Segura California in 23 degrees and two thirds The fight betweene the great S. Anna and vs. The second encounter The third â—ncounter The great S. Anna yeeldeth One hundreth and two and twenty thousand pezos of gold A pezo â—s 8 s. The marchandise in the great ship The Spaniardes set on shore to the nuÌ„ber of 190. Mutinie against the Gâ—nerall Two hope of Iapon Three boyes of Manilla Nicolas Roderigo a Portugaâ— A Spanisâ— Piâ—otâ— Acapulco is thâ— haueâ— whence they 〈◊〉 to the Philippinas Good watering at the Lâ—drones The winâ—e aâ— Eastnorâ—heast The Content whereof Steueâ— Hâ—â—â— was master left â—ehinâ— in the road The island of Guana one of the Ladroneâ— in 13 degrees and two thirds Commoditieâ— of the isles of Ladrones The colouâ— and stature â— of the pâ—ople of the isles oâ— Ladronâ—â— Their images Artificial canoas Canoas sayling right against the winde The nimblenes of the people of the Ladrones Cabo del Spirito Santo one of the isles of the Philippinas in 13 degrees From Guanâ— an islâ— of The Landrones to Cabo del Spirito Santo is 310 leagues The description of the town of Manilla Trade from Acapulco to Manilla Marchants of Châ—na Marchants called Sangueloâ— Siluer exchanged waight for waighâ— for golde The island of Capul at which our men stayed 9 dayeâ— One of the chiefe gouernours of the island came aboord vs. Hennes and hogges The treason the Spanish Pilote 〈◊〉 led The copy of thâ— Spanish Pilotes letter tâ— the gouâ—rnouâ— of Manilla which was found in his cheste and translâ—ted by Timothy Shottor Capul adioyning vpon thâ— South isle of Manilla The Northwest passagâ—â— 50 lâ—agues from Maâ—â—llâ— The Spanisâ— Pilote