Nature provided thereafter that the greater part of them endures not drink in the very midst of Summer And if as sometimes they be enforced by such as take them they suddenly perish Thus we see how God gives a property to each place that may make up her defects least it should be left as well by Beasts as Men. Their Land is full of sandy Desarts which lye open to the winds and storms and oftentimes are thrown up into Billows like Waves of the Sea and indeed are no less dangerous Strabo writes that Cambyses his Army was thus hazarded a foolish Nation in Africa as they marched towards the South to revenge themselves upon the Winds for drying up their Rivers were overwhelmed with Sand and so dyed in their Graves It is also full of a venemous kind of Serpent that in some places they dare not dress their Lands unless they first fence their legs with Boots against the sting Other wild Creatures there are which range about and possesse to themselves a great portion of this Countrey and make it a Wilderness of Lyons Leopards Elephants and in some places Crocodiles Hyena's Basilisks and indeed Monsters without either number or name Africa as it is reported is full of danger to the Inhabitants more dye by Beasts than by diseases But among all these Inconveniences Commodities are found of good worth and the very evils yield at last their benefit both to their own Country and other parts of the world The Elephant a docible Creature and exceeding useful for Battel The Camel which affords much riches to the Arabian The Barbary Horse which we our selves commend The Ram that besides his flesh gives twenty pound of wool from his very tail The Bull painful and able to do the best service in their Tillage And so most of their worst alive or dead yield us their Medicinal parts which the world could not well want In one of the Divisions of Africa which is Fesse that hath a City in it with seven hundred Churches and one of them a Mile and a half in compass In Morocho is a Castle of great fame for the Globes of pure Gold that stands upon the top of it and weighing 130000. Barbary Duckats The Land of Negro is full of Gold and Silver and other commodities but the Inhabitants most barbarous they draw their Original from Chus and have entertained all Religions that came in their way first their own then the Jews the Mahumetans and some of them the Christian For the most part they live not as if Reason guided their Actions Bornaum a Country where the people have no proper Names no Wives peculiar and therefore no Children which they call their own Aethiopia superiour it is governed by one of the mightiest Emperors in the World called by us Presbyter John he hath under him seventy Kings which have their several Laws and Customs Among these the Province of Dobas hath one that no man marry till he hath killed twelve Christians Their Religion is mixt Christians they have but yet differ from us for they Circumcise both sects their Oath is by the life of their King whom they never see but at Christmas Easter and Holy-Rood Their Commodities are Oranges Lemmons Cittrons Barley Sugar Hony Aethiopia inferior the Government of this Region is under five Kings whereof Monomolopa is one In which is reported to be three thousand Mines of Gold Here there lives a kind of Amazons as valiant as men their King is served in great pomp and hath a guard of 200. Mastives Cafraria is another Kingdom whose people live in the Woods without Laws like brutes And here stands the Cape of good Hope about which the Sea is alwaies rough and dangerous It hath been especially so to the Spaniard it is their own note insomuch that one was very angry with God that he suffered the English Hereticks to pass it so easily over and not give his good Catholicks the like speed In the Kingdom of Manicongo whose Inhabitants are in some parts Anthropophagi and have shambles of Mens flesh as we have for Meat they kill their own Children in the birth to avoid the trouble of breeding them and preserve their Nation with stolen Brats from their Neighbouring Countries Aegypt is another part of the African continent the places of Note are Caire and Alexandria the first was heretofore Memphis some say Babylon whither the Virgin fled to escape Herod's Tyranny intended to our Saviour and blush not to shew the very Cave where she had hid her Babe In a Desart about forty miles distant stand the Pyramides esteemed rightly one of the seven Wonders of the World Alexandria was a magnificent City and was famous for the rarest Library in the world to the Inhabitants of this Country we owe the Invention of Astrology Physick Writing on Paper their Kings names were Pharaoh toward the begining Now what the Turk pleaseth EVROPE EUrope bears the Name of the most happiest Country in the World both for plenty of Corn Plants Fruits for Rivers and Fountains of admirable vertues For beauty as well of Cities Castles and Houses as Men and Women of excellent Feature For the Study of Arts for the science in Religion and what ever else God hath pleased to bless his Church with from the beginning She wants nothing but what she may well spare Wild-Beasts which cause Desarts in the parts where they breed hot spices which fit not our temper and rather corrupt our manners than mend our dyet precious jewels and the like which have brought in a degree of vain and useless pride not known before by our predecessors Yet of Gold Silver and other commodious metals she hath her portion and in brief is of a very prosperous temper yet of so strange variety that it is admirable to think that there is no place in this quarter but is fit for any man to live in Insomuch as every Country is Inhabited as is confirmed by our latter Travellers though heretofore it hath been questioned by reason of the extream cold toward the Pole In Hungaria is the Country of Soliense where the Earth sends forth such a stench that it poysoneth the very Birds which flye over it An Island in Danubius exceeding fertile and so indeed is the whole Country The people are generally strong but barbarous their Daughters portions are only a new attyre and their Sons equally Inherit without priviledge of Birth-right The Emperour of Germany and the Turk share it betwixt them Muscovia The whole Region is subject to the Emperour of Russia A vast Territory and as wild a Government for the people are very base contentious ignorant and sottishly superstitious they bury their dead upright with a staffe in hand a penny in his purse and a Letter to St. Nicholas to procure him entrance into Heaven AMERICA AMERICA admits of all variety almost either of plenty or want Admirable for the fertility of soyl then again as barren here temperate there scorching hot
History and Description of the World not so choicely nor methodically handled as might be expected but yet may serve to refresh your memory after the tedious and ill way of other mighty Volumes It were a worthy employ for any that hath parts and leisure to go through with it in a more acute and accurate manner not emitting ought memorable to extract from those numerous Records of History all such short Memoirs as may tend either to instruction or delight And as he will thereby infinitely oblige both these whose way of Education may have less qualified them to distinguish the Stars in sailing on the vast Ocean of Story and those also whose confinement in time or coin may disenable them for such expensive ways of knowledge So shall he in particular find me the most acknowledging of all his Servants must esteem mine most happy faults that have been to him incentives of aspiring to the true glory of Writing better ERRATA PAge 1. line 4. dele utraque p. 4. l. 20. r. Ctesiphon p. 12. l. 2. r. happy p. 25. l. 4. dele from East Frizeland to Westphalia then r. Westphalia is most famous c. p. 31. l. 16. for of the r. and p. 32. l. 11. r. Earl Floris p. 41. l. 19. r. Persians p. 52. l. 5. r. Lines p. 57. l. 11. r. any p. 59. l. 12. r. third p. 60. l. 19. r. Shoals p. 67. r. not maly but maly p. 75. l. 13. r that p. 78. l. 6. r. injoyned ib. l. 21. r. and at p. 81. l. 4. r. rich p. 82. l. 7. dele of p. 83. l. 21. r. far from p. 84. l. 3. r. Isicles ib. l. 17. r. Lewelyn p. 91. l. 23 r. not wherein but where in in p. 93. l. 2. r. enricheth this ib. l. 14. r. Ruyters p. 100. l. 13. r. notwithstanding they p. 108. l. 12. in piramidy-wise r. pyramid-wise ib. l. 1. dele of and the comma after wonders p. 109. l. 12. r. Shotland ib. l. 19. r. ever pleasing p. 112. l. 23. r. Gods p. 114. l. 7. r. necks were p. 116. l. 9. r. Agincourt p. 118. l. 13. r. Cyrenaean p. 120. l. 16. r. Ecstatick p. 126. l. 2. r. of Arabia p. 129. l. 22. r. wanderers p. 134. l. 6. r. Herodian ib. l. 12. r. more barbarous then the Axiacan p. 147. l. 7. r. murtherer p. 149. l. 5. r. Savour p. 162. l. 11. r she please Other Literal escapes there are which the kind Reader may correct as he passes Memorable things Noted in the DESCRIPTION OF THE WORLD IN our Description of the World there are four parts into which the World is divided Europe Asia Africa America utraque We will begin first with Asia for in Asia did God himself speak his miraculous work of the Creation There was the Church first collected there was the Saviour of the world born Crucified and Raised again Indeed the greatest part of Divine History was there written and Acted There was the first Monarch and Monarchies of the World in Assyria Persia Babylonia Media The first people of the world received their being in Mesopotamia and the several tongues of the World their Original in Babylonia These are parts of Asia and were in the first ages blest with God's own holy Presence Exodus the third and the footing of Angels Exod. 14. However now it is left for her Infidelity to the punishment of a Prophetical Curse that long before passed upon her and is delivered up into the hands of Turks and Nations that Blaspheme the Creatour and therefore doth not flourish in that height as heretofore Now add together that this Region was at first the Paradise of the World and indeed still enjoyeth a fertile Soyl and temperate Air and that it exceeds in compass the two other parts of the old World to which she was the Mistress for Arts and Sciences Yet is it not at this day so well peopled in proportion as this little Europe which came many hundred years after for this we need search no further cause than God's just Anger Yet hath he not exercised upon her only by Miraculous and Immediate Punishment from Heaven but hath suffered as it were her own Creatures over which Man at the first had the Rule to turn head upon their Lords and possesse their Habitation for it is so over-run with wild-Beasts and cruel Serpents that in many places they live not without much danger In this though the Nation suffer for their Monstrous Irreligion Yet the Earth which did not offend reserves her place and abounds with many excellent commodities not else-where to be had Myrrhe Frankincense Cinamon Cloves Nutmegs Mace Pepper Musk Jewels of great esteem and Minerals of all sorts It breeds Elephants Camels and many other Beasts Serpents Fowl wild and tame and some have added such Monstrous shapes of men as passe all belief In Asia were the seven Churches which St. John mentioned in the Apocalips now scarce is it inhabited but toward the Sea-side and that by a base and abject people such as are both lazy in their life and odious Idolaters in their Religions for the most part Mahumetans Here Ephesus it self the Star of Asia that as well for her Religion as her miraculous Temple set the world at gaze upon her It was raised in the middle of the City Modelled out by Ctesifon but was 220. years in building and was ordered in such a ground that no Earth-quake should move it It was 425. foot long and 220. broad and 127. Pillars given by so many several Kings whereof twenty seven were most curiously graven all the rest of Marble polished In this City St. John the Evangelist is said to have gone down into his Grave alive there be who yet question his death Armenia minor which is one of the Provinces of Asia minor is by most thought to be the Land of Ararat where the Ark rested And there is great store of Oyl and excellent Wine Arabia Foelix in Asia major is accounted the fruitfullest Country in the World In this Arabia is the City Medina where Mahomet is Intombed in an Iron Chest supported only by a Roof of Adamant without other Art to keep it from falling to the ground Cyprus a place heretofore Consecrated to Venus to whom both Men and Women performed their Sacrifice naked till by the prayer of Barnabas the Apostle the Temple was ruined Trojus Reports that the Fathers of this Isle had wont to prostitute their Daughters to Mariners for money whereby to raise them a portion against they could get them Husbands but Christianity corrected those Barbarous Customs AFRICA IN most parts she hath scarce plenty sufficient to maintain Inhabitants and where there is we shall meet with multitudes of Ravening Beasts or other horrible Monsters enough to devour both it and us In a word There is no Region of the World so great an Enemy to Mans Commerce there is such scarcity of water that no Creature almost could live had not
place Sommerset-shire THis Country besides other Commodities in some places is inriched by Lead-mines which yields great Plenty the most Marchantable Commodity that is in England and vented into all parts of the World Some places are beautified with Diamonds as St. Vincent Rock whereof there is great plenty and so bright of colour as they might equalize Indian Diamonds if they had their hardness yet being so many and so common they are less sought after or commended In this Country is the City of Bathe which takes name of the hot Baths A place of continual concourse for Persons of all degrees and almost of all diseases who by Divine Providence do very often find relief there the Springs thereof by reason of their Mineral and sulphurous passage being of such exceeding power and medicinal heat as that they Cure and Conquer the rebellions stubbornness of corrupt humors At Dunstere where as is reported a great Lady obtained of her Husband so much Pasture Ground in common by the Town side for the good and benefit of the Inhabitants as she was able in a whole day to go about bare-foot Wilt-shire SAlisbury the chief City in which every street almost hath a River running thorow in her midst The Cathedral a most rich Magnificent Church wherein are as many Windows as there are days in the year as many cast Pillars of Marble as there are hours in the year and as many Gates for entrance as there are months in the year Aurelius Ambrosus buryed at Stonheng Anno 500. THis ancient Monument was erected by Aurelius Surnamed Ambrosus King of the Britiains whose Nobility in the Reign of Vortiger his Countrys scourge about the year 475. by the Treachery of the Saxons on a day of parley were there slaughtered and their bodys there Interred In Memory whereof this King Aurel caused this Trophy to be set up Admirable to Posterities Both in form and quantity the matter thereof are stones in great bigness containing twenty eight foot and more in length and ten in bredth these are set in the ground by two and two and a third laid Gate-wise over-thwart fastn'd with tenons mortasses wrought in the same which seem very dangerous to all that pass there under The form is round and as it seemeth hath been circulated with three ranks of these stones Many whereof are now fallen down and the uttermost whereof containeth in compass three hundred foot by measure of assize They all are rough and of a gray colour standing within a Trench that hath been much deeper In this place this foresaid King Aurelius with two more of the Brittish Kings his Successors have been buryed with many more of their Nobility and in this place under little banks to this day are found by digging bones of Mighty men and Armour of large and ancient fashion Not far hence is seen the ruins of an old Fortress thought by some to be built there by the Romans when this Kingdom was possessed by their Emperours Bark-shire IN Reading in the Collegiate Church of the Abbey King Henry the first and Queen lay both veiled and Crowned with their Daughter Maud the Empress called the Lady of England were Interred as the private History of the place avoucheth But of far greater Magnificence and State is the Castle of Windsor A most Princely Pallace and Mansion of His Majesty In this Castle was King Edward the third born and here held at one and the same time Prisoners John King of France and David King of Scotland Neither was it ever graced with greater Majesty then by the Institution of the most Honourable Order of the Garter the invention thereof some ascribe to be from a Garter falling from his Queen or rather from Joan Countess of Salisbury a Lady of an uncomparable beauty as she danced before him whereat the by-standers smiling he gave the impress to check all evil conceits and in Golden Letters imbellished the Garter with this French Posie Honi Soit Qui Maby Pense The Princely Chappel of Windsor is graced with the bodies of Henry the 6 th and Edward the 4 th Kings of England the one of Lancaster the other of York as also King Henry the 8 th lyeth there Interred Finch-hampsted For wonder inferiour to none where as our Writers do witness that in the year a thousand one hundred a Well boiled up with streams of bloud and fifteen days together continued that Spring whose Waters made red all others where they came to the great amazement of the beholders Middlesex LOndon This City doth shew as the Cedars among the other trees being the seat of the British Kings the Chamber of the English the Model of the Land and the Mart of the World For thither are brought the silk of Asia the spices from Africa the balms from Grecia and the riches of both the Indies East and West No City standing so long in Fame nor any for Divine and Politick Government may with her be compared In King Johns time a Bridge of Stone was made over Thames upon nineteen Arches for length breadth beauty and building the like again cannot be found in the World Essex IN the year 1581. an Army of Mice so over ran the Marshes in Deugâ—y Hundred near unto South-Minster in this County that they shore the grass to the very roots and so tainted the same with their venemous teeth that a great Murrain fell upon the Cattel which grazed thereon to the great loss of their owners Suffolk RAlph Coggeshall in the Monuments of Colchester declareth that a Fish in all parts like a Man was taken near Orford and for six Months was kept in the Castle whence after he escaped went again to the Sea As strange but most true was a crop of Pease that without tillage or sowing grew in the Rocks betwixt this Orford and Aldebrough in the year 1555. when by unseasonable weather a great dearth was in the Land there in August were gathered above one hundred Quarters and in blossoming remained as many more where never grass grew or Earth ever seen but hard sollid Rocks three yards deep under the roots Hereford-shire AT Langley in this Country was buryed Richard the second that unfortunate King who in the Cell of Fryers Preachers was there first buryed but afterwards removed and enshrined at Westminster And in another Langley near the East from thence was born that Pontifical Breakspear Bishop of Rome known by the name of Hadrian the fourth and famous for his Stirrup-holding by Frederick the Emperour whose breath was lastly stopped by a fly that flew into his mouth Bedford-shire IN the year 1399. immediately before those Civil Wars broke out between the Princes of York and Lancaster The River Ouse near unto Harwood stood suddenly still and refrained to pass any further so that forward men passed three miles together on foot in the very depth of her channel and backwards the waters swelled unto a great height which was observed by the judicious to fore-tell some
unkind division that shortly should arise Buckingham-shire A Shridge Town hath been in great repute for the bloud supposed out of Christs sides brought out of Germany by Henry the Eldest son of Richard King of the Romans and Earl of Cornwal whereunto resorted great concourse of people for Devotion and Adoration thereof But when the Sun-shine of the Gospel had pierced through such clouds of darkness it was perceived apparently to be only Honey clarified and coloured with Saffron as was openly shewed at Pauls Cross by the Bishop of Rochester the twenty fourth of February 1538. Oxford shire MEmorable places of Note either for Actions therein happening or for their own famous esteem are the Roll-rich-stones standing near unto Enisham in the South of this shire a Monument of huge stones set round in compass in manner of Stone-henge of which fabulous Tradition hath reported for sooth that they were Metamorphosed from men but in truth were there erected upon some great Victory obtained in the year 876. Wood-stock is a most ancient and Magnificent Pallace built to that glory by King Henry the first and enlarged with a Labyrinth of many windings by King Henry the second to hide from his jealous Juno his intirely beloved Concubine Rosamond Clifford a Damosel of surpassing beauty where notwithstanding followed by a Clew of silk that fell from her lap she was surprized and poysoned by Queen Eleanor his Wife and was buryed at God-stow Nunnery in the midst of the Quire under a hearse of silk set about with lights Glocester-shire THe Inhabitants in some parts of this shire injoy a private custom to this day that the Goods and Lands of condemned persons fall unto the Crown but only for a year and a day and then return to the next Heirs contrary to the custom of all England besides Glocester City In this Church the unfortunate Prince King Edward the second under a Monument of Alablaster doth lye who being murdered at Barkly Castle by the cruelty of French Isabel his Wife was there Intombed And not far from him another Prince as unfortunate namely Robert Curthoise the Eldest son of William the Conquerour lyeth in a painted Wooden tomb in the midst of the Quire whose eyes were pluckt out in Cardiff Castle wherein he was kept prisoner twenty six years with all contumelious indignities until through extream Anguish he ended his life Barkley Castle where King Edward the second was through his Fundament run into his bowels with a red burning spit Tewkesbury the fatal period of King Henry the sixth his Government and the wound of the Lancastrian cause for in a Battel there fought in 1471. Prince Edward the only Son of King Henry had his brains dashed out in a most shameful manner the Queen his Mother taken prisoner and most of the Favourites slain and beheaded And at Alderley a little Town standing eight miles from the Severn upon the hills to this day are found Cockles Periwinckles and Oisters of sollid stone which whether they have been shell-fish and living Creatures or else the sports of Nature in her Works Let the Natural Philosophers dispute and Judge Hereford-shire OF rare Note in this shire are said to be Bone-well a Spring not far from Richards Castle wherein are continually found little fishes bones but not a fin seen and being wholly cleansed thereof will notwithstanding have again the like whether naturally produced or in veins thither brought no man knoweth But more admirable was the Work of the Omnipotent in the year 1571. When the Macley-Hill in the East of the shire rouzed it self out of a dead sleep with a roaring noise removed from the place where it stood and for three days together travelled from her first site to the great amazement and fear of the beholders It began to journey upon the 7 th day of February being Saturday at six of the Clock at night and by seven the next morning had gone forty paces carrying with it sheep in their Coats hedge-rows and trees whereof some were over-turned and some that stood upon the Plain are firmly growing upon the Hill those that were East were turned West and those in the West were set in the East in which remove it overthrew Kinnaston Chappel and turned two High-ways near a hundred yards from their usual place paths formerly trod The ground thus travelling was about twenty six Acres which opening her self with Rocks and all bare the Earth before it four hundred yards space without any stay leaving that which was Pasturage in place of the Tillage and the Tillage over-spread with Pasturage Lastly over-whelmed her lower parts mounted to an Hill of twelve Fathoms high and there rested her self after three days travel remaining his mark that so laid his hand upon this Rock whose power hath poysed the Hills in his ballance Worcester-shire IN the midst of the Quire in St. Marys Church in Worcester City resteth the body of King John the great withstander of the Popes proceedings under a Monument of white Marble in Princely Vestures with his Portraiture thereon according to life Warwick-shire COventry City The Citizens having highly offended their first Lord Leofrick had their privileges infringed and themselves oppressed with many heavy Tributes whose Wife Lady Godiva pitying their Estates uncessantly sued for their Peace and that with such importunacy as hardly could be said whether was greater his hatred or her love at last over-come with her continual intercessions he granted her suit upon an uncivil and as he thought an unacceptable condition which was that she should Ride naked through the face of the City and that openly at high Noon-day This notwithstanding she thankfully accepted and performed the Act accordingly injoyed for this Lady Godiva stripping her self of all rich attire let loose the tresses of her fair hair which on every side so covered her nakedness that no part of her body was uncivil to sight whereby she redeemed the former freedom and remissions of such heavy Tributes At Gofford Gate in Coventry did hang the shield-bone of a Wild-bore far bigger then the greatest Ox bone with whose snout the great pit called Swanswell was turned up and was slain by the famous Guy At Leamington far from the Sea a Spring of Salt water boileth up and Newenham Regis most soveraign water against the Stone green Wounds Ulcers and Impostumes and drank with Salt looseth but with Sugar bindeth the body and turneth Wood into Stone Northampton-shire NOtwithstanding the simple and gentle sheep of all Creatures the most harmless are now become so Ravenous that they begin to devour men waste fields and depopulate houses if not whole Town-ships as one merrily hath written Rutland-shire NEar the Lord Harringtons house Burley standeth Okham a fair Market-town which Lordship the said Lord Baron enjoyeth with a Royalty somewhat extraordinary which is this If any Noble by birth come within the precinct of the same Lordship he shall forfeit as an homage a shooe from the Horse whereon he rideth unless he