Selected quad for the lemma: city_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
city_n	aaron_n	moses_n	son_n	49	3	4.3410	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16282	The manners, lauues, and customes of all nations collected out of the best vvriters by Ioannes Boemus ... ; with many other things of the same argument, gathered out of the historie of Nicholas Damascen ; the like also out of the history of America, or Brasill, written by Iohn Lerius ; the faith, religion and manners of the Aethiopians, and the deploration of the people of Lappia, compiled by Damianus a ̀Goes ; with a short discourse of the Aethiopians, taken out of Ioseph Scaliger his seuenth booke de emendatione temporum ; written in Latin, and now newly translated into English, by Ed. Aston.; Omnium gentium mores, leges, et ritus. English. 1611	Boemus, Joannes, ca. 1485-1535.; Góis, Damião de, 1502-1574.; Nicolaus, of Damascus.; Léry, Jean de, 1534-1611. Histoire d'un voyage fait en la terre du Brésil.; Scaliger, Joseph Juste, 1540-1609. De emendatione temporum.; Aston, Edward, b. 1573 or 4.	1611 (1611)	STC 3198.5; ESTC S102777	343,933	572

others of his acts and decrees these are likewise to be found that whosoeuer was victor in the games of Istmos was rewarded with an hundred Drachmas and he that got the best in the games of Olimpus had fiue hundred He that killed a Dogge-wolfe had fiue Drachmas out of the common treasury but hee that killed a Bitch-wolfe had but one for the rewarde due for slaying the Dogge-wolfe was the worth of an Oxe and the price of a sheepe for killing the shee-Wolfe and their ancient manner was to persecute these kinde of beasts as enimies to their cattell and grounds He ordained that the children of such as were slaine in the warres should be brought vp at the common charge that men by that meanes beeing assured that their children should bee cared for though themselues miscarry might bee more throughly incouraged to fight and behaue themselues valiantly and venterously commanding also that those which lost their eyes in the warres should euer after be sustained by the common purse and withall he very worthily prouided that the ouersee-ers or they that had the ward of Orphanes should not keepe together in the same house with the childrens mothers and that none should be gardians that might by possibility inherite the Orphanes goods if they should hap to die during their nonage and wardship Furthermore he forbad all Iewellers to reserue in their custody the stampe or seale of any ring after they had sold it And that hee which putteth out an others eye should loose both his owne eyes adiudging it also a capitall offence for any one to take vp that which is none of his owne and keepe it to himselfe Furthermore hee established that Princes or rulers being found drunke should be punished with present death aduising the Athenians likewise to reckon and account their daies according to the course of the Moone Of all fruites and commodities he only permitted wax and honey to bee transported out of Attica into other countries and he esteemed no man meete or worthy to be made free of the Cittie vnlesse he were an artificer and would with his whole familie come dwell at Athens or such as were doomed from their natiue soile to perpetuall exile and banishment These lawes being ingrauen and recorded in woodden tables were by Solon established to continue for a hundred yeeres presuming that if the City were so long inured with them they would euer after remaine without alteration but Herodotus is of opinion that these lawes which Solon made for the Athenians were enacted but for ten yeeres continuance Now that these lawes might be esteemed more sacred and bee more carefully obserued and kept Solon after the manner of other law-giuers which fathered their statutes and decrees vpon some one god or other as Draco had done before him auouched that Minerua was the author and inuentor of his lawes and so caused both the Senatours and people to sweare themselues to the performance therof at a stone which stood in the Senate-house The Athenians were not strangers at the beginning nor was their City first inhabited by any rabble of wandring people but in the same soile they now inhabite their were they borne and the selfe same place which is now their seat and habitation was also their original and foundation The Athenians were the first that taught the vse of clothing and of oyle and of wine instructing those which formerly fed vpon acornes how to plow plant sow and gather fruites In a word Athens may iustly bee termed the temple and sanctuary of learning eloquence and ciuil conuersation The three lawes which Secrops enacted against women for the appeasing of god Neptunes wrath for that by womens suffrages Neptune was scorned and Minerua preferred before him were then in force and obserued which were these First that no woman should enter into the Senate-house Secondly that no child should be called after his mothers name and the third that no one should call women Athenians or women of Athens but women of Africa Those which were slaine in the warres according to Thucydides were buried in this manner following First they pitched vp a tent or pauillion three daies before the funerals wherein were put the bones of those which were slaine euery one laying some thing what he thinketh fittest vpon his dead friends relikes thereby to know him againe then were the bones of al those which were slaine of each seuerall tribe inclosed in chestes or coffins made of cypres tree and euery coffin carried by a seueral coach or carre belonging to the tribe whereof the dead parties were after this there was an empty bed or herse brought with them purposely for such as were missing and could not be found amongst the slaine bodies which done all those which were present as well Citizens as strangers indifferently conueied them forth and interred them in a publike monument or sepulcher neere vnto Calistus tombe in the suburbes of the City the women all the while weeping and lamenting the losse of their friends which is the vsuall place for buriall of all such as perish in battaile vnlesse they were of the Citie of Marathron who for their singular and extraordinary valor and prowesse were intombed in their owne City When they were thus interred some one choyse Cittizen esteemed for his wisdome and by reason of his dignity and worth fit for such an imployment was elected and assigned to pronounce a funerall oration or sermon in the due commendation of those which were slaine which being ended euery one departed to his seuerall home And this was there vsuall forme of buriall of such as were slaine in the warres Of Laconia and of the customes and ordinances of the Laconians or Lacedemonians CAP. 3. LACONIA a Prouince in Peloponesus is also called Ocbalia and Lacedemonia of Lacedemon the sonne of Iupiter and Taygete by whom a famous and mighty City was builded in that country and called after his name Lacedemon This Citty was likewise called Sparta of Spartus the sonne of Phoroneus and was the Palace or Court of Agamemnon When Lycurgus that famous Philosopher brother vnto King Polydictes gouerned in Laconia as tutor or protector vnto his brother Polydictes sonne hee altered the state of that City and Country and adorned them with wholesome lawes and good ordinances the people wherof before his time were the worst mannered and had the least gouernment both in their owne cariages towards strangers almost of al the people of Greece as vsing no commerce custome nor conuersation with other people Lycurgus therefore couragiously taking the matter vpon him abrogated and disanulled all their auncient lawes ordinances and customes and in their steed instituted lawes more ciuill and much more lawdable And first he elected certain of the most ancientest wisest sagest men of al the common-wealth to consult and aduise with the Kings whereof there were euer two created of all matters of state and gouernment which

especially honour and adore is the Fire which they perswade themselues to be most holy and euerlasting because it is fedde with continuall fuell and there was a fire kept euer burning by the Priests vpon the top of a high hill neere vnto the Riuer Meuiasa Vladislaus King of Poland who first reduced that nation to the Christian Religion quenched that fire and ouerthrew the turret wherein it was kept together with all the woods which the people of Sarmatia held to be as holy as the fire and worshipped them with as much deuotion and Religion esteeming and accounting them to bee the dwellings and habitations of the gods according to the saying of the Poet The gods inhabited and kept the woods Nor did they worshippe and reuerence the fire and woods onely but euery other thing likewise which vsually remained and abidde in the woods as birds and wilde beasts and if any one violated and contemned their witchcrafts and Inuocation of diuels their heads and feete would incontinently close and shrinke together by the deceipt and illusion of their euill spirits Within the woods each family had a place or hearth wherein they kept a fire for all that family in which fire their custome was to burne their dead bodies with their horses saddles and best garments firmely beleeuing that in that place those which be dead and burned meet together in the night and therfore they made them settles or benches to sit vppon of Corcke tree and placed them in readines the best meath and a kind of meate made of paste like vnto a cheese for them to eate Euery yeare vppon the first day of October all the people of the whole countrey assembled and mette together in those woods and there vsing all kind of deuotion celebrated a sollemne Feast each family feeding in his owne cottage vppon the daintiest fare and most delicious viands they could get At which feast they sacrificed by the firesides vnto all their goddes and especially vnto one who me they called Percumo which in their language signifieth thunder Their language is all one with the Lithuanians and the Polonians for the Priests preach vnto the people in the Polonian tongue they obserue the Customes of the Romane Church although there be some Ruthens towards the South and Muscouites which dwell farre north which obserue the Ceremonies of the Greeke Church yeelding their obedience to the Bishoppe of Constantinople and not to the Bishop of Rome Vppon the North side of this Countrey lyeth Muscovia it is fiue hundred miles in compasse rich in siluer and vppon all sides so garded enuironed and defended with such strong holds as not only strangers but their owne natiue countrey-men be interdicted and prohibited to passe in and out at their pleasures without the Dukes letters of safe-conduct The countrie is euen and plaine no hils but great store of woods and marish grounds it is watered with many great riuers as Occa Volha Dzuvina Boristhines and Dinaper and therefore affoordeth as many fishes and wild beasts as Lithuania from which it differeth not much neither in customes nor situation sauing that it is somewhat colder because more North-ward and therefore bee their cattell little and small and for the most part halting and lame of their lims The Metrapolitane and chiefe Cittie of the Region is Moscua it is twise as bigge within the compasse of it as Prague in Bohemia the building is of timber as all their other Citties bee it hath many streetes and lanes but they stand straggling with broad fieldes betwixt them the riuer Mosca runneth through the middle of it and diuideth it into two parts and in the middest of the Cittie standeth a castell or tower builded vppon leuell ground wherein be seuenteene turrets and three bul-warkes or Blocke-houses so strong and so stately as there be but few such to bee found within this Castell bee seuenteene Churches whereof those three which be dedicated to our blessed Ladie Saint Michael and Saint Nicholas bee walled about with stone but the rest be made of timber there is also in it three large and spatious Courts for Noblemen and Courtiers to spend their time in a stately and beautifull pallace also for the Duke to dwell in builded after the Italian fashion but not very large The Countrey containeth many famous Dukedoms out of which vppon any occasion in the space of three or foure dayes they will get together in a readinesse two hundred thousand able men Their vsuall drinke is water and meath and a certaine leauened or sowre liquor which they call Quassatz they plow with woodden ploughes and harow their ground with branches of trees or thorns Their corne by reason of continuall cold ripeneth but slowly and therefore they drie it in hote houses and so thresh it Against the extremitie of cold they vse diuers spices and make a kind of water to drinke of oates hony and milke so strong that they will sometimes be drunke with it Wine and oyle they haue none and to auoide drunkennesse the Gouernour of the countrey forbiddeth the drinking of all strong drinkes vppon paine of death except twise or thrice in a yeare and then it is tolerable for them to be drunke They haue siluer coyne of two sortes a bigger and a lesser it is not made round but somewhat long and with foure corners This coyne they call Dzuvingis They speake the Slauonian language and in religion follow the Greeke Church Their Bishops bee vnder the Patriarch of Constantinople and by him bee confirmed They be all Christians sauing the Kosannenses which worship Mahomet like the Sarrasins there dwell some Scythians also towards the North which speake their owne language and worship Idolles and one Idoll aboue the rest which they call Zlota baba that is to say the image of an old woman made of gold this Idoll they do so highly reuerence and adore as euery one that passeth by it falleth downe and worshippeth it offering thereunto a haire from their garments if they haue nothing else to offer And although the Slauonian toung be generally spoken throughout the whole nation yet is there so great difference in their speech it beeing so mixt confounded and corrupted with other languages as they can hardly vnderstand one another In the time of Idolatrie they had one high Priest or Bishop which they called Criue his dwelling was in the cittie Romoue so called of Roma And this custome was generall to all the whole nation not onely to sell their seruants and slaues like beasts but their sonnes and daughters likewise yea sometimes themselues suffering thē to be carried into other countries in hope of better meanes to liue for in their owne their diet was grosse and bad Of Polonia and of the latter customes of the Polonians CAP. 9. POLONIA a vast countrey of Europ is so called of his plainenesse and eeuennesse for Pole in the Slauonian toung which is spoken by the Polanders signifieth plaine leuell or eeuen it is otherwise called

it is almost incredible to report how much of that liquor those immodest and druken people will deuoure and swallow vppe at one sitting vtging and inforcing one an other to drinke till they bee worse then bruitish swine not thinking they haue enough when they are so drunke as they lie wallowing in their owne vomit but euen then they will sticke close to it night and day vntill they be sober againe and he which drinketh most and out sitteth them all is not onely highly extolled and commended of the rest for that notable exploite but also in signe of victory and triumph hath giuen him a garland or nosegay made of roses and sweete flowers or else some other reward for which they contended This their wicked and beastly custome of drinking is now the more pity disperced ouer all Germany so as all of them in generall doe now drinke stronge wines as liberally as the Saxons doe their ale to their inspeakeable hindrance and hazard of their healthes in such sorte as not content to doe ill themselues if any stranger or other come into the roome where they bee drinking they will rise vp and reach him their cuppes perswading him very earnestly for to sit downe and to beare them company accounting him their enemy if hee looke for much bidding or inuiting or refuse to drinke without shewing iust cause which hatefull disorder is oftentimes the cause of bloud-shed and murther These quaffing Saxons fare very hardly and sluttishlie for their vsuall meate is small guttes or chitterlings dried rawe onyons fat bacon and salte butter and they seeth their meate vpon sunday to serue them all the weeke after They feed not their young children as we do with pap or pottadge made of milke and flowre but with more solide and stronger meates which is first champed or chawed in the nurses mouth and so giuen the children to swallow downe which kinde of diet when they be young maketh them more stronge and lusty and better able to indure extremities The Saxons haue a peculiar language to themselues but in their apparel and other things there is no difference betwixt them and the Germaines Of Westphalia and of the manner of Iudgement ordained for the Westphalians by Charles the Great CAP. 14. WESTPHALIA is comprehended and included within the bounds and limits of Saxony hauing vpon the East the riuer of Rhene Visurgus or Visera vpon the West Frizland and Holland vpon the North and vpon the South the hils of Hassia which Ptolomeus calleth Obnobij out of which hils springeth the riuer Amasis which running by the two renowned cities Padeburne Monasterium diuideth the Prouince as it were into two parts and so passing by Frizland is carried into the sea There is also the riuer Sala which is famous for the notable ouerthrow of Drusus sonne in law to Augustus This country as Strabo writeth was first inhabited by a people called Dructerij and as others write by the Sicambry This people beeing subdued by Charles the French King surnamed Charls the Great was by him induced or rather inforced to imbrace the Christian religion whereto they were hardly drawne and being a mutinous and rebellious people euer when they rebelled they would returne againe to the worshipping of Idols nothing regarding the true faith nor their othes whereby they were obliged to obserue and keepe it which when Charles perceiued to the end that he might bridle and restraine their temerity and rashnesse with feare of corporall punishment he ordained secreat Iudges and gaue them full power and authority to execute Iudgement at their pleasures without tryall or purgation vpon all such as had either violated their oths abrogated their faith or otherwise committed any notable villany In choosing of which Iudges he had a speciall care and regard to elect iust and vpright men that the guiltlesse and innocent might not be punished without cause This law and manner of execution thereof strooke a great terror into the Westphalians and at length inforced them to continue in the faith seeing before their eyes both noble men and meane men hanged and trust vp in trees without any accusation or trial at all and vnderstanding that they were executed either for breach of their faith or some such other heinous offence This kinde of Iustice or martiall law is yet in force and is called Iudicium vetitum or Iudicium occultum a hidden or secret sentence and the Iudges or executioners of that law be called Scabini who be now growne so presumptuous and insolent as they would challeng and vsurpe the like liberty and iurisdiction ouer all Germany They haue secret customes and hidden lawes knowne to few more then themselues whereby they doome men to death and it is very hard to finde out their manner of proceedings for neither feare nor reward can allure any one of them to reueale their secrets The maior part of those Scabini be not discouered what they are but goe vp and down the country like Promooters noting mens faults and accusing them for their offences in places of Iudgement and arraiging them as their custome is which done the malefactors be condemned their names inroled in a catalogue and so deliuered to the Iunior Scabini to whom the execution belongeth by which meanes many euil doers loose their liues that neuer knew of their condemnations But this their manner of Iudgement is now much altered and degenerated from his first perfection for sometimes very base and meane persons be admitted into that office and those whose power and function was onely to find out offenders and punish misdeameanors doe now busie and occupy themselues in al other ordinary businesses The country of Westphalia is cold and very bare of wine and al kind of graine their bread is brown course and their drinke or beere made of barley for the wine which is brought vnto them by the riuer of Rhene is maruelous deere and therefore little vsed vnlesse of the wealthier sort of people The natural inhabitants be both warlike and witty whereof insueth this prouerbe That Westphalia breedeth more flatterrers then fooles it is vnder the iurisdiction of the Bishop of Colen Of Franconia and of the nature and customes of that Country CAP. 15. FRANCONIA or East France is a part of Germany scituated in the very heart middle of the country it was so called of the Sycambrians who expelling thence the Alani in the raigne of the Emperor Valentinian were after called Franci It is inuironed on the south with Sueuia Boioaria with the riuer Rhene on the west vpō the east lieth Bohemia and Hassia and Thuringia two Prouinces of Saxonie vppon the North. This countrie is on all sides so inclosed with huge thick woods and cragged mountains as the passage into it is both dangerous and difficult yet within it is very euen ground garnished and adorned with an innumerable sort of Citties walled townes and fortified Castels and Villages It is inuironed

times past was preferred before al trades The Romans of all the Italians be most giuen to breeding cattell and yet they busie not themselues therewithall but haue them looked to and kept by strangers and hirelings Their fashions in apparell are not euery where alike for the Venetians go sumptuously in long loose garments and the cittizens of Venice more rich then other citties of that state The Florentines and Hetrurians bee very neate and ciuill in their attire but not so costly as the Venetians but about Millain and in Aemilia and Liguria they go very gallant but their garments be shorter then in Venice And the Courtiers of Rome excell them all in length of their garments and variety of colours but the cittizens of Rome be more sparing and frugall yet fine enough and especially the women and in the Realme of Naples they go neate but not so gorgeous and strange fashions bee there in more request then their owne In all other partes of Italy their apparell is more simple and plaine but of sundry fashions and altering euery day In Aemilia and al Cisalpine France the better sort of women imitate the Spaniards in their apparel and the Noblemen the French The women of Rome of late do much affect the Tuscane fashion and the Venetian Ladies were wont to lay open their brests armes and shoulders but now degenerating from their owne customes and following the Spaniards they couer all with loose sleeues The auncient Romane coyne and images of mettall do argue that the Italians were wont to go euer bare headed and bare legged al but souldiers and that in time of wars only but now they vse both hats and stockings the custome of couering their heads may seeme to be deriued from some other country In times past they vsed no placards nor stomachers as as by the proportions of their old statutes and pictures may be gathered but now that attire is much taken vppe by the Romaine youth The language now vsed in Italy is not the same it was heretofore nor altogether differing from it but growne more barbarous and composed of diuers languages according to the sundry sorts of people that haue possessed the Prouinces for they which dwell about the shore of Histria speak the Venetian toung which is very eloquent and graue but compounded of sundrie tongs and so is euery seuerall speech in Italy yet heretofore it was more simple and not so pleasant to the eare as now it is In Corinth they haue a mixt language and somwhat different from the Italian toung but it is not so harsh in sound as the speech vsed in Taruisium Patauium Verona Vicentia Mantua and Ferrara and in all of them the citizens vse finer termes than the country-men but in Cisalpine France they be almost meere strangers to the Italian tong though otherwise there is no gallanter a country in all Italy Their speech in Rauenna Ariminum Pisaurum Fauentia Bononia Flaminia and throughout all Aemilia is very Rhetoricall and the Tuscans speech is very concise like as it is in Laconia and soundeth better in strangers mouths then their owne moreouer at Rome by reason of the great concourie of people that flock thither daily from all parts their language is well improued The Piceni the Sabines and Marsi speak thick short in Vmbria Apulia and Lucania together with the Brutii and Samnites and the rest of Italy their speech is more barbarous and but little borrowing of strange languages sauing that in the Realm of Naples they much affect the Spanish tong And to conclude with the opinion of Antonius Sabellicus herein in his 11. Aenead and first booke Search saith he throughout all Italy and you shal find no one people citty nor Prouince but they somewhat differ in language one from another Of Liguria and of the ancient manners of the Inhabitants of that country CAP. 19. LIGVRIA a mountenous Prouince of Italy is situated betwixt the riuers Varus and Macra hauing on the one side the hill Appennine and the riuer Po on the other and so adioyneth vnto Tuscia The chiefe citty of this Prouince is Genoua this contry was called Liguria of Lygistus the sonne of Phaeton by turning Y into V as Fabius Pictor is of opinion The first inhabitants of this countrie as Thucydides supposeth were people called Siculi who once inhabited a great part of Italy and beeing thence expelled by those people of Italy called the Oenotrians they seated themselues in the I le of Sicily The people of this Country liue very painefully and hardly for their grounds be ouer-grown with thicke woods the trees whereof be maruellous good timber for shippes and of such a thicknesse as they be eight foote square at the least for which cause many be employed in felling of woods and breaking of timber and many others in ridding their grounds from stones whereof they haue such store as they can hardly plough or dig for them by which meanes although they take great paines yet receiue they but smal profit of their great labour whereof it proceedeth and from their sparing diet that their bodies be generally very leane but strong withall and the women as well able and as much accustomed to vndergo any labour as the man They be much giuen to hunting of wild beasts the flesh whereof supplieth their wants of fruites and graine by reason of their continuall snowes and often hunting and running ouer craggie and steepe mountaines they be both nimble and strong their chiefe diet is either the flesh of wild beasts or home-bred cattell and their drinke is for the most part water many of them also liue vppon such herbes and rootes as their country affords being in a maner destitute both of bread and wine the most necessarie nourishments profitablest prouision for mankind their beds for the most part is the bare ground without couerture of either house or coate vnles they repose themselues in such hollow caues as nature hath prouided for them this is their maner of life which they haue euer vsed Their women moreouer be as strong as other countrie men the strength of their men is almost equall vnto beasts And the report is that the gallant and lusty French-men haue bin often foiled in single conflicts by these leane and macilent Ligurians their armor is more light then the Romanes their fouldiers coates be short and their sheelds long Some of them also weare Beares skins and Lyons skins and arming swords some haue altered their weapons and armor to the fashion of the Romaines whome they haue imitated in that point They be a cruell stoute people and exceeding ingenious not onely in warlike affaires but in all other businesses at this day they be much giuen to merchandize and trauelling by sea wherein they be so expert and hardie as they will saile by the maine sea of Lybia and Sardinia in hulkes or cockboates so badly rigged and furnished as in any mans iudgement they are not

for he expected not their comming but certified mee that hee could not stay their comming for that your custome is to create a new chiefe Gouernour of the Fleete once euery three yeares in which meane time hee that was newly created came thither and this was the cause that the Embassadors staied longer then was needfull But now I send my Messages by Christopher the brother of Licontius whose name at his baptisme is Zoga Zabo which is as much to say as the grace of the Father and hee shall manifest my desires before you In like manner I send Francis Aluarez vnto the Pope of Rome who in my name shall yeeld my obedience vnto him as is fitting O Sir King my brother giue eare and attend indeuor to embrace that friendship which your Father opened betwixt vs and send your Messengers and Letters often vnto vs for I greatly desire to see them as from my brother for so it should be seeing wee are both Christians And seeing the Moores which be wicked and naught accord and agree together in their sect And now I pretest I will neuer hereafter admit any Embassadors from the Kings of Egypt nor from other Kings which send Embassadors vnto me but from your highnesse which I much desire should often come for the Kings of the Moores account me not their friend by reason of our disagreement and disparitie in religion yet they faine friendship that by that meanes they may more freely and safely exercise merchandise in our kingdomes which is very profitable vnto them for they carry great store of gold wherof they be very greedy out of my kingdoms though they be but hollow friends vnto me and their commodities bring me but little pleasure but this hath beene tollerated because it hath been an ancient custome of our former Kings and though I make no warres vpon them nor vtterly ouerthrow them and bring them to destruction yet in this I am to be borne withall lest if I did so they should violate and pull downe the holy Temple which is at Ierusalem wherein is the sepulcher of our Sauiour Christ which God hath suffered to be in the power of the wicked Moores and also least they should make leuell with the ground other Churches which be in Egypt and Syria And this is the cause why I doe not inwade and subdue them which thing greatly irketh me and I am the rather perswaded so to doe seeing I haue no bordering Christian king to assist me and to cheere and incourage my heart in that or the like enterprise And therefore my selfe O King haue no great cause to reioyce of the Christian Kings of Europe vnderstanding that they agree not together in one heart but that warres bee very rife amongst them Bee you all of one Christian-like minde for you ought all of you to bee content of a firme peace amongst you And certainly if any of my neighbouring Christian Kings were ioyned with me in an amiable league as they ought I would neuer depart from him one houre And of this I know not well what I should say or what I should do seeing they seeme to be so ordained by God Sir send your Messengers more often vnto mee I beseech you for when I looke vpon your letters then mee thinkes I behold your countenance And surely greater friendship ariseth betwixt those wich bee farre distant then those which dwell neere together by reason of the great desire wherewith they bee delighted for he which hath hidden treasures though he cannot see them with his eyes yet in his heart hee euer loueth them most ardently as our Sauiour Iesus Christ saith in the Gospell where thy treasure is there is thy heart also And in like manner ought you to make mee your treasure and to cowple your heart sincerely with mine O my Lord and brother keepe this word for you bee most prudent and as I heare much like vnto your Father in wise-dome which when I vnderstood I forthwith gaue praise vnto God and laying aside all griefe conceiued ioy and said Blessed is the wise sonne and of great estimation the sonne of King Emanuell which sitteth in the throne of his fathers kingdomes My Lord beware then faint not seeing thou art as strong as thy father was nor shew thy forces to be weake against the Moores and Gentiles for by the assistance of God and thine owne vertue thou shalt easily vanquish and destroy them neither shalt thou say that thou hadst small power left thee by thy father for truely it was great inough and God shall euer bring thee helpe I haue men money and munition in aboundance like the sands of the sea and the starres of heauen and we ioyning our forces together may easily destroy the rudenes and barbarousnes of the Moores And I desire nothing else of you but skilfull men which bee able to instruct my souldiers to keepe their orders and rankes in battell And thou O King art a man of perfect age King Salomon tooke vpon him the gouernment of his kingdome when he was but twelue yeares of age yet of great power and more wise then his father And my selfe likewise was but a childe of eleuen yeares of age when my father Nav departed this life and being entred into my Fathers seate by Gods ordinance I obtained greater wealth and forces then euer my Father had for in my power bee all the borderers and Nations of the Kingdome Wherefore both of vs ought to giue incessant thankes vnto God for so great benefites receiued Giue care vnto mee my brother and Lord for this at one word I desire of you that you will send vnto mee learned men that can carue images imprint bookes and make Swordes and and all kinde of weapons for the warres head Masons likewise and Carpenters and physitions that haue skill to make medicines and cure wounds I would also haue such as can drawe gold into thin plates and bee able curiously to carue and ingraue gold and siluer and such likewise as haue knowledge to get gold and siluer from out the veines of the earth and to worke in all manner of mettall mines Besides these I shall much esteeme of such as can make couerings for houses of leade and will teach others how to make tiles of chalke or clay To conclude I shall haue vse of all manner of Artificers and especially of such as can make Gunnes Helpe mee therefore I pray you in these things as one brother should helpe another and so God will helpe you and deliuer you from all euill God will heare thy prayers and petitions as hee hath receiued holy sacrifices at all times as first of all the sacrifices of Abell and of Noe when hee was in the Arke and that of Abraham when hee was in the land of Madian and that of Isaac when hee departed from the Ditch or Trench of the Oath and that of Iocob in the house of Bethlem and of Moses in Aegypt and Aaron in the Mount and

of Ieson the sonne of Nav in Galgale and of Gedeon in the Coast and of Sampson when hee was a thirst in the land of drought and of Samuell in Rhama of the Prophet and of Dauid in Nacira and of Salomon in the Cittie of Gabeon and of Helias in mount Carmell when hee raised from death the Widdow womans sonne from Rhicha aboue the pit and of Iosaphat in battell and of Manasses when hee sinned and conuerted againe vnto God and of Daniell in the Lyons Denne and of the three brethren Sydrach Mysaach and Abednago on the firy furnace and of Anna before the Altar and of Nehemias which made walles with Zorababell and of Mathathia with his sonnes ouer the fourth part of the world and of Esau vppon his blessing euen so our Lord wil receiue your sacrifices and supplications and will helpe you and stand with you against all persuersnes and ouerth wartnes at all seasons and euery day Peace bee with you and I embrace you with the armes of sanctitie and in like manner I embrace all those which be of your Councell of the kingdome of Portugall Archbishops likewise and Bishops Priests and Deacons and all men and women whatsoeuer The grace of God and blessing of the Virgine Mary the mother of God be with you and with you all Amen Letters from the same most renowned Dauid Emperour of Ethiopia vnto the Pope of Rome written in the yeare of our Lord 1524. and translated into Latine by Paulus Iouius IN the name of God the Father Almighty maker of heauen and earth and of all things visible and inuisible in the name of God the Sonne Iesus Christ which is the same with the Father from the beginning of the world and is light of light and true God of true God in the name of the holy spirit of the liuing God who proceeded from God Father These letters I the King doe send whose name the Lyons doe worship and by the grace of God I am called Athani Tinghil that is to say the incense of a virgin the Sonne of King Dauid the sonne of Solomon the sonne of a king by the hand of Mary the son of Nav by the flesh the son of of the holy Apostles S. Peter and S Paul by grace Peace bee vnto you most iust Lord holy mighty pure and sacred Father vnto you which are the head of all Princes and fearest no man seeing no one can speake euill of thee vnto you which are the most vigilant Curate and obseruer of soules and friend of strangers and and peregrines O holy maister and preacher of the faith enemy of all those things which offend the conscience louer of good manners sanctified man whom all men laud and praise O happy and holy Father I yeeld obedience vnto you with great reuerence for you are the peace of all things and deserue all good and therefore it is fitting that all men should shew their obedience vnto you as the holy Apostles command to yeeld obedience to God This truly belongeth vnto you for so also they command vs to worship Bishops Archbishops and Prelats In like manner that we should loue and reuerence you as our father feare you as our King and haue confidence in you as in God Wherefore I humbly confesse and with my bending knees say vnto you O holy father that you are my father and I your son O holy most mighty father why did you neuer send any vnto vs that you might better vnderstand of my life and health seeing you be the sheepheard and I your sheepe For a good sheepeheard will neuer forget his flocke neither ought you to thinke that I dwel so farre remote from your regions that messengers cannot come vnto mee seeing your sonne Emanuell the King of Portugall hath sent Embassadors vnto me very conueniently from his kingdome which is the furthest from vs in the world and if God had spared him life and not incited him so suddenly to heauen without doubt those things which we then had in hand had beene brought to a happy conclusion But now I much desire to bee certified by some trusty messengers of your holinesse health and happinesse for I neuer yet heard any message from your holinesse but something I heard of our owne people who to performe their vows went a pilgrimage into those parts but seeing they went not in my name nor brought with them my letters from you their reports are but an vncertaine beleefe for I questioning with them they said they came from Ierusalem where hauing performed their vowes they went to Rome to visite the Churches of the Apostles vnderstanding that they might easily come to those places which bee inhabited by Christians And surely I take great pleasure in their speeches because in my sweete cogitation I doe behold the similitude of thy holy countenance which seemeth vnto mee like the countenance of an Angell And I confesse that I doe loue and reuerence that image as an Angellicall likenesse but yet were it more acceptable and pleasant vnto mee deuoutely and diligently to consider and view your words and Letters And therefore I most humbly beseech you to send Messengers vnto me with your benediction thereby to cheere and exhilerate my heart for seeing wee agree in faith and religion before all things I desire and intreate that you will set my loue and friendship in the principallest part of your heart as the ring which you weare vpon your finger and the chaine of gold which you put about your neck that so the remembrance of me may neuer be blotted out of your memory for with thankefull words letters frendship is increased it is embraced with sacred peace from whence all humane ioy springeth ariseth for euen as hee that is thirsty greatly desireth cold water as the scripture saith so doth my heart conceiue an incredible ioy from the messengers letters which come to me from the furthest parts of the world neither shall I only reioice to heare from your holines but also I shall be glad to heare certaine newes from all the Kings of Christendome And full as ioyfull as those that in battell doe get the best spoyles And this may bee done with great facility seeing the King of Portugall hath made the whole iourney plaine vnto them who long sithence hath sent his Embassadors vnto vs with strong Armies but neither when my father was liuing nor sithence haue wee receiued any Message or Letters from any other Christian King or from the Pope himselfe although in our treasuries of Monuments and Charters of my great Grand father is preserued the memory of those Letters which Pope Eugenius sent into this Countrie when the King of Kings of all Ethiopia being the seede of Iacob and a King to bee feared had the gouernment of this kingdome The forme of which letters were thus Eugenius the Bishop of Rome to our beloued sonne the King of the seede of Iacob the King of all the kings of Ethiopia and