think that it was denominated from Venetia which in the old Latin signifieth the seething or frothing of the sea VENETIA A maris exaestuatio est quae ad Littus veniat saith the old Glossarie upon Isidore out of Marcus Varro But the truth is that it was so called from the Veneti the old Inhabitants of the neighbouring Province of Friuli who to avoyd the fury of the barbarous Hunnes then threatning Italie abandoned the main land and built this City in the bogs and marishes of the sea adjoyning And that it might afford them the greater afetie they not onely built in the most inward part of the Adriatick sea commonly called the Gulf of Venice but in the midst of many Lakes of salt-water extending thirty miles in compass and having on the East the said Adriatick sea for the length of 550 miles betwixt which and the sayd Lakes there is a bank or causey which they call Il Lido made as it were by nature to defend the Ilands which lie in this Lake from the violent fury of the sea A Causey of 35 miles in length bending like a Bow and opening in seven places only which serve as well to keep the lakes always full of water as for the passage of Ships and Barks of smaller burden the bigger being compelled to lie at Anchor on the South side of the City near to a place called Malamocco and the Castles of Lio which are very well fortified and there must remain till they are brought in by skilfull Pilots who know the passages which by reason of the shifting of the sands change very often On the West and North sides it is compassed with very deep Marishes about five miles distant from the land and on the South with many Ilands in which are severall Churches and Monasteries like so many Forts which lie between it and those parts of Italie which are not under the obedience of the Commonwealth So that it is impossible to be taken but by an Army which can stretch 150 miles in compass It is built as before is sayd on 72 Ilands the principall of which are 1 Heraclea the first seat of the Duke of Venice from thence removed to Malamocco and the last to Rialto more famous at this time for being a Bishops See than the number of Citizens 2 Grado to which the Patriarchall See of Aquileia was removed by Pelagius the second about the year 580 making it thereby the Metropolitan of Friuli or the Country of Venice but from thence it hath been since removed to another of these Ilands called Castello Olindo 3 Rialto which is of most esteem and reputation so called quasi Rivo alto because the Marishes are there deeper than in other places or quasi Ripa alta because it lay higher above the waters than the other Ilands For which reasons that Iland getting reputation above the rest most of the Gentlemen setled their dwellings in the same and drew thither in the end the Dukes Palace also insomuch that in some antient writings the whole City hath been called Rialto many of the old Records being dated in such and such a year of the Rialto But as they did increase in numbers so were they fain to spread themselves from one Isle to another till in the end they built on all the Ilands which lay near together and might conveniently be joyned by Boats or Bridges By this Rialto runs the passage called the Grand Canale being in length about 1300 paces and some fortie in bredth adorned on both sides with stately and magnificent Palaces and covered with an incredible number of Boats called Gondolos very neatly built and veiled over with cloth so that the Passengers may go unseen and unknown without the molestation of sun wind or rain For publique buildings it hath in it 70 Parish Churches to each of which belongeth a Market-place and a Well 31 Cloysters of Monks 28 of Nuns besides Chappels and Almes-houses The principall Church of this City is that of S. Mark the Patron of their Commonwealth whose body they report to have been brought hither from Alexandria in Egypt and intombed herein Affirmed by some to be the richest and goodliest Church in all the World The building of Mosaick work of which work they boast themselves to have been the Authors A kind of work by the Grecians called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and by the Latin Writers Musiva Musica and Musaica wrought out of stones or metaâ—s of divers colours unto the shape of Flowers Knots Birds Beastâ— and other fancies of the Workman yet done with such exactness of skill and judgement that it seemeth to be all one stone the work rather of Nature than Art A Church of admirable work both within and without compacted of most rare peeces of Marble Porphyrie and a rich stone which the Lapidaries called Ophitis because it is speckled like a snake adorned on the outside with 148 Pillars of Marble and eight of Porphyrie near the door besides 600 Marble pillars of a lesser size which carry up an open Gallery round about the Church from whence the Magistrates and others of the principall Citizens behold such Shews as are presented in the Market place adjoyning to it The Church in length not above 200 foot of Venice measure nor above 50 in bredth the roof thereof being of an Orbicular form lieth open at the very top where the light comes in there being no windows in all the Church as commonly the Churches in Italie are exceeding dark either to strike in the spectators a religious reverence or to make their Candles shew the better And for the inside of the Church the riches of it are so great the Images so glorious the furniture of the Altars so above comparison that all the treasures of the State may seem to be amassed in the decking of it And yet as goodly and as glorious as the Fabrick is it is still unfinished and as some think is kept unfinished on purpose partly to draw on other Benefactors to advance the work the benefit of whose liberality may be employed unto the use of the publick Treasury and partly lest the Revenues which are given already should be resumed by the Heirs of the deceased if the work were ended So infinitely doth the furniture of the Church exceed the sumptuousness and beauty of the Church it self Of other of the publick buildings the Counsell-house the Ducall Palace Monasteries Churches and the like though stately and magnificent structures I forbear to speak Nor shall I here say any thing of their private houses so large and beautified that here are said to be no fewer than 200 most of them on the Grand Canale able to entertain and lodge the best King in Christendom All I shall adde and so leave this City will be a word or two of their Arsâ—nall and publick Magazine In the first of which they have in readiness 200 Gallies with rooms for Cables Masts Sails Victuals and Ammunition of all sortt able
it by land and that over steep and craggy Rocks The streets are narrow paved with Flint and most of them on the sides of the hill which is the reason that they use Horse-litters here insteed of Coaches and most of the better sort are carried on mens shoulders in Sedans or Chairs which from hence came hither into England But that which they call La Strada Nueva or the New street reaching from the West to North-East is of a very fair bredth each house thereof is built with such Kingly magnificence that it is thought to be the fairest street in the World In all the rest the buildings for the height of two stories are made of Marble curiously wrought but the Laws forbid Marble to be used any higher The Haven of it is very fair and capacious safe from the violence of Tempests and well fortified so that the Spaniards use to say that were the Catholique King absolute Lord of Marseilles in Provence and Genoa in Italie he might command the whole World After the reedifying of it by Charles the Great the people here continued subject to his successors till the Berengarii as Kings of Italic made them free An. 899. in which condition they remained till the year 1318 when being shrewdly weakned in their Estate they were fain to give themselves to Pope John the 22 after the Robert King of Naples But being soon weary of a forein Government the people in a popular tumult made choice of one Simon Boccanegra to be their Duke An. 1339. which Government continued till the French were called in by the Guelfian Faction in the reign of Charles the 7â— under whom they continued thirteen years and then expelling thence the French for their many insolencies they put themselves under the protection of the Dukes of Millain An. 1403. Long time they liâ—ed under the protection of those Princes in great tranquillity who never carryed towards them any rigorous hand save that once D. Lodowick Sforzae exacted of them a great mass of money But as the tale goeth his Agent being invited to the house of a Genoesa and walking in a Garden with him was shewed an herb growing there called Basil which stroaking gently he smelt thence a most pleasing savour but asunsavory a smel when he strained it hard The Genoese hereupon inferred Sir if our Lord Duke Lodowick will gentle stroak the hand of his puissance over this City it will prove pliant to him by obedience but may chance to prove rebellious if he do oppress it But Lodowick being taken prisoner by King Lewis the 12 they first came under the command of the French and then of the Spaniard according as those Nations had possession of the State of Millain and after many changes and alterations obtained again their freedom of King Francis the first which being not able to preserve by their proper strength they finally put themselves under the shelter of the Spaâ—â—ard who is now their Protector and that not for nought he being indebted to them An. 1600 a Million and a half of Gold that being the remainder of 18 Millions cut off by the Popes authority that so the King might be indebted to that See for most of his Lands were formerly engaged to the Mony-masters of this City The same course of non-payment the King took with the rest of his Creditors in Florence Ausburg and the rest insomuch that it was commonly sayd in Italie that the King of Spain had made more ill faces upon the Exchange change in one day than Michael Angelo the famous Painter had ever made good in all his life And thus you see this great City which commanded the Ocean the Lady of so many Ilands and a great Moderator of the Affairs of Italie fain to put her self into the protection of a forein Prince and that too at the charge of a great deal of Treasure which he continually raiseth from them in the way of Loan of which he often proves but a sorry Pay-master And if the Wars he had with England did so drain their Purses for it was that War and the War which he had in the Netherlands that made him so indebted to the Banks of Genoa no question but the revolt of Catalogne and the lasting Wars made against him by the French in so many places have plunged him in as deep as ever Which notwithstanding this people do so thrive under his protection and draw so great commodity from their Trade with Spain that it is thought their private men were never richer the publick Treasurie never fuller than it is at the present CORSICA is an Iland in the Ligustick or Ligurian Sea opposite to the City of Genoa from whence it is distant about sixty miles and lying just North of the Isle of Sardinia from which it is distant seven miles It comprehends in length an hundred and twenty miles seventy in bredth and three hundred twenty five in circuit and lyeth under the fift Climate the longest day being almost fifteen hours The people are stubborn poor unlearned supposed to be more cruell than other Nations and so affirmed to be by Caesar in his Book of Commentaries the Progeny as some say of the 52 daughters of Thespius who being all got with child in one night by Hercules were by their Father put to the mercy of the Sea by which they were brought unto this Iland after peopled by them From one of these sonnes named Cyrnus the Iland had the name of Cyrnos by which it oftentimes occurreth in some old Greek Writers This is the conceit of Fabius Pictor one of Annius his Authors And that of Eustathius a far more credible Writer is not much unlike who will have it called Corsica from a woman so named dwelling in the coast of Liguria who following her Bull hither was the first that discovered it But these Orignalls I look on the first especially as the worst kind of Romances the name of Cyrnos being more like to be derived from the Punick Keranoth which signifies a horn or corner by reason of the many Promontories with which it shoots into the Sea Corsica insula multis Promontoriis angulosa est as it is in Isidore Lib. 14. cap. 6. And for the name of Corsica I should derive it rather from the Corsi by which name the inhabitants hereof are called in most Latin Writers one of the two Nations of most note in the neighbouring Iland of Sardinia Celeberrimi in ea populorum Balari Corsi as we find in Pline Which Corsi or some of them being overborn by some new Invaders which the Iland of Sardinia was seldom free of were fain to shift their seat aud came over hither This Countrey yeeldeth excellent Dogs for game good Horses fierce Mastifs and a beast called Mufoli not found in Europe excepting in this Iland and Sardinia only but there called Mufrones or Musriones for I conceive they are the same under divers names sayd to be horned like Rams and skinned
is of different natures the parts adjoyning to the Weser being desert and barren those towards the Earldomes of Mark and Bergen mountainous and full of woods the Bishoprick of Bremen except towards the Elb full of dry sands heaths and unfruitfull thickets like the wilde parts of Windsor Forrest betwixt Stanes and Fernham In other parts exceeding plentifull of corn and of excellent pasturage stored with great plenty of wilde fruits and by reason of the many woods abundance of Akorns with infinite herds of swine which they breed up with those naturall helps of so good a relish that a Gammon of Wesiphalian Bacon is reckoned for a principall dish at a great mans Table The old inhabitants hereof were the Chauci Majores about Bremen the Chanani Angrivarii and Bructeri inhabiting about Munster Osuaburg and so towards the land of Colen and part of the Cherusci before spoken of taking up those parts which lie nearest unto Brunswick and Lunenbourg All of them vanquished by Drusus the son-in-law of Augusius but soon restored to their former liberty by the great overthrow given by the Cherusci and their associates to Quintilius Varus Afterwards uniting into one name with the French they expulsed the Romans out of Gaul leaving their forsaken and ill-inhabited seats to be taken up by the Saxons with whom the remainders of them did incorporate themselves both in name and nation Of that great body it continued a considerable Member both when a Kingdome and a Dukedome till the proscription and deprivation of Duke Henry the Lyon at what time the parts beyond the Weser were usurped by Barnard Bishop of Paderborn those betwixt the Weser and the Rhene by Philip Archbishop of Colen whose successours still hold the title of Dukes of Westphalen the Bishopricks of Breme Munster Paderborn and Mindaw having been formerly endowed with goodly territories had some accrewments also out of this Estate every one catching hold of that which lay nearest to him But not to make too many subdivisions of it we will divide it onely into these two parts VVestphalen specially so called and 2 the Bishoprick of Bremen In VVESTPHALEN specially so called which is that part hereof which lyeth next to Cleveland the places of most observation are 1 Geseke a town of good repute 2 Brala a village of great beauty 3 Arusberg and 4 Fredeborch honoured with the title of Prefectures 5 VVadenborch 6 Homberg lording it over fair and spacious territories All which with two Lordships and eight Prefectures more dispersed in the Dukedome of Engern and County of Surland belong unto the Bishop of Colen the titulary Duke of VVestphalen and Angrivaria Engern as he stiles himself 7 Mountabour perhaps Mont-Tabor seated in that part hereof which is called VVesterwald a town of consequence belonging to the Elector of Triers 8 Rhenen 9 Schamlat and 10 Beekem reasonable good towns all of the Bishoprick of Munster 11 Munster it self famous for the Treaty and conclusions made upon that treaty for the peace of Germany seated upon the River Ems and so called from a Monastery here founded by Charles the great which gave beginning to the Town supposed to be that Mediolanium which Ptolemy placeth in this tract a beautifull and well fortified City and the See of a Bishop who is also the Temporall Lord of it Famous for the wofull Tragedies here acted by a lawlesse crew of Anabaptists who chose themselves a King that famous Taylor John of Leiden whom they called King of Sion as they named the City New Jerusalem proclaimed a community both of goods and women cut off the heads of all that opposed their doings and after many fanatick and desperate actions by the care and industry of the Bishop and his confederates brought to condigne punishment The Story is to be seen at large in Sleidan and some modern pamphlets wherein as in a Mirrour we may plainly see the face of the present times 12 Osnaburg first built as some say by Julius Caesar as others by the Earls of Engern but neither so ancient as the one nor of so late a standing as the others make it here being an Episcopall See founded by Charles the Great who gave it all the priviledges of an Vniversity Liberally endowed at the first erection of the same and since so well improved both in Power and Patrimony that an alternate succession in it by the Dukes of Brunswick hath been concluded on in the Treaty of Munster as a fit compensation for the Bishoprick of Halberstad otherwise disposed of by that Treaty of late enjoyed wholly by that Family 13 Quakenberg on the River Hase 14 VVarendorp and 15 VVildshusen towns of that Bishoprick 16 Paderborn an Episcopall See also founded by Charles the Great at the first conversion of the Saxons more ancient then strong yet more strong then beautifull 17 Ringelenstein and 18 Ossendorf belonging to the Bishop of Paderborn 19 Minden upon the VVeser another of the Episcopall Sees founded by Charles the Great and by him liberally endowed with a goodly Patrimony converted to lay-uses since the Reformation under colour of Administration of the goods of the Bishoprick and now by the conclusions at Munster setled for ever on the Electors of Brandenbourg with the title of Prince of Minden 20 Rintelin a strong town conveniently seated on the Weser not far from Minden to the Bishop whereof it doth belong Hitherto one would think that Westphalen had formerly been a part of Saint Peters Patrimony belonging wholly to the Clergy but there are some Free Cities and secular Princes which have shares therein as 1 VVarburg a neat town but seated on an uneven piece of ground neer the River Dimula a town which tradeth much in good Ale brewed here and sold in all parts of the Country heretofore a County of it self under the Earls hereof now governed in the nature of a Free Estate and reckoned an Imperiall City 2 Brakel accompted of as Imperiall also 3 Hervâ—rden a town of good strength and note governed by its own Lawes and Magistrates under the protection of Colen 4 Lemgow belonging heretofore to the Earls of Lippe but by them so well priviledged and enfranchised that now it governeth it self as a Free Estate Here is also 5 The town and County of Ravensburg belonging anciently to the Dukes of Cleve and now in the rights of that house to the Elector of Brandenbourg As also 6 the Town and County of Lippe lying on the west side of the VVeser the Pedegree of the Earls whereof some fetch from that Sp. Manlius who defended the Roman Capitol against the Gauâ—s they might as well derive it from the Geese which preserved that Capitol others with greater modestie look no higher for it then to the times of Charls the Great one of the noble Families of the antient Saxons Some other Lords and Earls here are but these most considerable all of them Homagers of the Empire but their acknowledgments hereof little more then titular though not
room furnished and adorned herewith Here was born Galen the famous Physican living very healthfully to the age of 140 yearsthis health preserved to so great age by these means specially 1. Never eating or drinking his fill 2. Never eating any thing that was rawe 3. Alwates carrying about him some sweet perfumes Finally this was one of the seven Churches to which Saint John writ his Revelation For though it were originally a City of Mysia yet being near unto the borders of Lydia it was reckoned as a City of the Lydian Asia within the limits whereof those seven Chareche were all comprehended As for the Kings hereof which flourished here for some ages in such wealth and splendour they came but from a poor and obscure original The first of them one Sphiletaerus an Eunuch belonging to Antigonus one of the Great Alexanders greatest Captaines and after his death to Lysimachus King of Thrace by whem trusted with his money and accompts Fearing the furie of his Master then grown old and tyrannous he seized on the Castle of Pergamus and therein on 90000 talents which he offered with his service unto Seleucus the first King of Syria But both Lysimachus and Seleucus dying shortly after he kept the money to himself and reigned in this City as an absolute King leaving the Kingdome at his death to his Brother Eumenes no better man then a poor Carter till raised by the fortunes of this Eunuch Eumenes furnished with money though of no great territory was able by the Gaules and other Mercinaries not only to preserve himself against the Syrian Kings who laid claim to his City but also to enlarge his bounds as he saw occasion But the main improvement of this Kingdome happ'ned in the dales of Eumenes the second the sonne of Attalus the brother and Successour of this Eumenes who being useful to the Romans in their warres against Philip of Macedon and Antiochus the Great King of Swir was liberally rewarded by them with the Provinces of Lydia Phrygia Aeolis Ionia Troas and both the Mysia's which they had taken from Antiochus in the end of that warre The rest of the affaires hereof till it fell in fine unto the Romans taken here in this short Catalogue of The Kings of Pergamus A. M. 3668. 1. Philetaerus the first King of Pergamus of whom before 20. 3688. 2. Eumenes Brother or as some say the Brothers sonne of Philetaerus vanquished Antiochus sirnamed Hierax in a fight neer Sardis and awed Seleucus Callinicus both Kings of Syria 22. 3710. 3. Autalus Brother of Eumenes restored Ariarathes the Cappadocian to his Kingdome and discomsited the Gaules compelling them to keep themselves within the Countrey since named Galatia A Confederate of the Romans and by them much courted 3754. 4. Eumenes II. Sonne of Attalus gratified by the Romans with the spoiles of Antiochus He was an hereditary Enemie to the Kingdome of Macedon which he laboured the Romans to destroy as in fine they did and thereby finding no more use of these Pergamon Kings began to grow to lesse liking with them 3782. 5. Attalus II. Brother of Eumenes to whom the Kingdome was offered by the Romans in the life of his Brother then lesse gracious with them but he most gallantly refused it to the great indignation of the Roman Senate 3792. 6. Fumene III. Brother of Attalus the second and Tutor or Pâ—otectour to his Nephew Attalus in whose minority he governed the estate as King 3813. 7. Attalus III. Sonne of Attalus the second succeeded on the death of his Uncle Eumenes and having held the Kingdome but five years onely deceased without issue bequeathed it by his last Will unto the Romans But before the Romans had possession of so great a Legacy Aristonicus the base Sonne of Eumenes made himself master of Mindus Colophon Samos and many other Towns and estates hereof Against whom the Romans making warre were aided by the greatest part of the Asian Kings not seeing their own danger and destruction to draw neer unto them by letting such a potent neighbour come amongst them to undo them all But the Romans got little by this warre though they had the better of it For being now made masters of the riches and sweets of Asia they took with them their vices also growing thereby to great riot and unparallelled luxurie which overcame the rigour and severity of their former discipline and made them apt for faction and those bloody quarrels which proved the ruine of their State So truly was it said by Justine Sic Asia facta Romanorum cum opibus suis vitia quoque sua Roman transmisit This Kingdome taking it in the largest extent thereof being thus subdued and setled as a Roman Province had the name of Asia according to the name of the Greater Concinent by Pâ—oâ—omie and others called Asiapropria continuing under the subjection of the Roman Emperours till the translating of the Imperiall seat unto Constantinople as after that unto the Emperours of the East till conquered piece-meal by the Turks of the Selznccian family Which being ended in the person of Aladine the second those parts hereof which lay next Troas made up the Kingdome of Carasan or Carasa-Illi as those which had been laid to the Greater Phrygia made up the Ardintant both of them swallowed up long since by the Ottoman Kings the Accessories running the same fortune as the Principalls did 11. ASIA SPECIALIVS DICTA BEsides the Proper Asia spoken of before containing all the Provinces of the Pergamon Kingdome there was one part hereof which antiently had the name of Asia before it was communicated to the greater Continent or this whole Peninsula This for distinctions sake the Romans called the PROCONSULAR ASIA because committed to the government of one of their Proconsuls who had his residence in Ephesus the principall City of this Province together with the Consular Hellespont and the Province of the Isles of Asia This we have spoken of before as also how the Countrey lying about Ephesus had more especially the name of Asia then any other so specially that Erasmus thereupon inferreth that by Asia in the New Testament but more peculiarly in the Acts is meant that part of Asia in which Ephesus standeth This being agreed on for the name we shall bound it on the East with Lydia whereof it was antiently a part on the West with the Aegean Sea on the North with Mysia and on the South with Caria And having so bounded it we shall divide it into the two Regions of AEOLIS and IONIA that of Aeolis lying on the North towards Mysix as Ionia doth upon the South towards Caria possessed both of them by Greek Nations and of them so named Principall Towns in AEOLIS are 1. Acarnea over against the Isle of Lesbos the Royall seat sometimes of the Tyrant Hermias who being once a Scholler of Aristotles but unworthy of so good a Master seized on this City and here committed so great cruelties that at last he was taken
the second Sonne of Saladine succeeded upon this Exchange in the Realm of Damascus murdered not long after by his Uncle Saphradine 8. Saphradine the Brother of Saladine having barbariously murdered eight of the Sonnes of Saladine the youngest called Saphradine escaping onely who was after Sultan of Aleppo possessed himself of the Kingdome of Damascus left at his death to Corradine his Sonne or Nephew 9. Corradine Sonne or Nephew to the Tyrant Saphradine was by him at his death left Sultan of Damascus to which all Syria and Palestine were then made Provincials But the treacheries and murders of Saphradine crying loud for vengeance Haulon the Tartar in the year 1262. having taken the King of Damascus Prisoner but whether Corradine or some other I am not able to say brought him before the walls of the City threatning to kill him in the sight of his people if they did not deliver it unto him Which the Citizens refusing to do the wretched King was torn in peeces and the City taken by assault the Kingdome by the Conquerors conferred upon Agab the Sonne of Haalon And so ended the Selzuccian family of the Kings of Damascus in the person of Corradine or the Sonne of Corradine most miserably murdered by the Tartars as it had done in Egypt 17 years before in the person of Melechsela and Elmutam the Sonne of Meledine as villainously disposed and murdered by the Mamalucks So slippery is the foundation of those Kingdomes which are laid in blood Nor did this Kingdome hold long in the hands of the Tartars recovered from them in short time by the Mamalucise then Kings of Egypt from them once more regained by the furious Tamerlane who in the year 1400. besieged Damascius with an Army of 1200000. men if the number be not mistaken and one Cypher added more than should in pursuite whereof he filled up the ditches with his Prisoners put all the people to the sword and with great art raised three Towers as a trophey of his victory built with the heads of those whom he had so slaughtered A man so strangely made up of vice and vertues that it is hard to say which had the predominancie But the violence of this tempest being overblown the Mamalucks from whom he had also conquered the Kingdome of Egypt recovered Syria by degrees and repaired Damascus continuing in their power till the year 1516 when Selimus the first discomsited amâ—sâ—n Gaurus the Aegyptian Sultan in the fields of Aleppo Upon the newes whereof the Citizens of Damascus fearing the spoil of their rich City then of very great trading set open their Gates unto the Victors as did all the other Cities and Towns of Syria by their Example By means whereof without any more blows the Turks became Lords of all this Country as the next year of Egypt also by the vanquishment and death of Tonombeius who succeeded Campson so rooting out the name and government of the Mamalucks and adding those rich Kindomes to the Turkish Empire And so much for Syria MOVNT HERMON IN our passage out of Coele-Syria into Palestine we must cross Mount Hermon a ledge of hills which beginning at the East point of the Anti-Libanus bend directly South in different places and by several Nations called by divers names By Ptolomy called Alsadamus by the Amorites Samir by the Phoenicians Syrion by that name remembered in the book of Psadmes But Alsadamus they are called onely where they border upon Coele-Syria Where they begin to part the Region of Traconitis from Arabis-Deserta they are called by Moses and the Scriptures Hermon part of the Kingdome of Og the King of Basan as is said Josuah chap. 12. ver 6. Syrion by the Sidonians as is affirmed Deut. chap. 3. v. 9. Running farther after this unto the South they are called Gilead or Galaad by Strabo Trachonitae after the name of the Region along which they pass and are conceived to be the highest part of all Mount Labanus or rather of that long Ridge of Mountains which there take beginining And so we are to understand the words of the Prophet Jeremie saying Galaad tu mihi caput Libani as the Vulgar readeth it That is to say that as the head is the highest part of a man so these hills or this part of them was the highest of all the branches or spurres of Livanus Called Galeed by Jacob from that heap of stones which was there laid by Laban and Jacob to be a witness of the Covenant which was made betwixt them Con. 31 ver 27. the word signifying in the Original an heap of Witnesses And Laban said this heap 〈◊〉 between me and thee this day therefore was the name of it called Galeed ver 28. By these hills and the main body of the Anti-Libanus lying on the North and the Mountaines of Phoenicia and lanmaea on the West the land of Palestine is so shut up on every side that no Foretress can be stronger by wit or Art than that Countrey by Nature the passages in some parts so narrow as hardly to afford passage for a single person Clauditur undig montibus hinc abruptis rupibus et profundis vallibus concursu Torrentium inde altis et implexis anfractibus sic contractis ut per angustos colles vix pateat transitus viatori as my Author hath it I forgot to adde that that part of these hills which commonly is known in Scripture by the name of Hermon is in one place thereof called Sihon as Deut 4 ver 48. where it is said that the Israelites possessed the Land from Aroer on the bank of the River Arnon even to Mount Sion which is Hermon as also that one of the highest tops or Summits of it had the name of Amana alluded to by Solomon in the fourth of the Canticles by some mistaken for Amanus a branch of Taurus which divides Syria from Cilicia in the Lesser Asia with which Solomon had but small or no acquaintance And so having cleared our selves of so much of this Mountain as lay before us in our way we palestine where we shall meet with it again or rather with the Western parts and branches of it under the names of Gilead and Trachonitis as a part of that Country OF PALESTINE PALESTINE is bounden on the East with the Hills last mentioned by which parted from Coelo-Syria and Arabia-Deserta on the West with the Mediterranean Sea and some part of Phoenicia on the North with the Anti-Libanus which divides 〈◊〉 from Syria and the rest of Phoenicia and on the South with some part of Arabia Petraea It was first called Palestine from the Philistims the most potent Nation of those parts A name first found in the History of Herodotus but generally used in times succeeding by the Greeks Romanâ— And this I look on as the proper and adaequate name of the whole Countrey according to the bounds before laid down the others by which commonly called being more restrained and properly belonging to so much
another till they were almost all destroyed 2 Chron. 20. 23. From this time we hear nothing of them but that probably they recovered some parts of their former dwellings when the two Tribes and a half on the East of Iordan were carryed away captive by Tiglath Pileser Possessed hereof and of other their habitations till the reign of Zedekias King of Iudah when vanquished with the rest of these Nations by the Babylonians and Assyrians under Nabuchadnezzar Nor find we any mention of them in the ages following the name of Moab being forgotten or grown out of use the South parts of their Countrey laid to Arabia Petraea as the East parts were to that also of Arabia Deserta and all the rest as well as that which had been conquered by the Jews swallowed up in the general name of Palestinians 3. The AMMONITES inhabited on the North-East of the River Arnon and possessed all that tract from Arocr on the head of that River to the City of Rabbah and on both sides of the River Iaboc as well within the mountains of Galaaed as without the same The seat in elder times of the Rapharms and Zamzummins a Giantlike race of men as the Emmins were but vanquished also as the others by Cherdorlaomor Athtaroth and Heth being then the principal of their habitations Succeeded to in their desolate and forsaken dwellings by the children of Ammon the other Sonne of Lot and the brother of Moab both houses running the same fortune these Ammonites being conquered and deprived of the best part of their Countrey on the South-side of Iaboc by Og King of Basan as the Moabites at the same time of theirs by Sehon A monument of which subjection was the bed of Og found in the City of Rabbah the chief City of Ammon there to be seen when Moses had subdued the Kings of the Amorites as appeareth Deut. 3. Chief Cities at such times as the Israelites first conquered the Land of Canaan were 1. Rabbah the Regall City of their Kings taken by Og of Basan as is said before but again quitted as it seemeth on the comming of Moses that he might be the better able to keep the field Memorabble in suceeding times for the death of Vriah slaine here by a design of Davids when besieged by Joab Who haing brought it to termes of yielding sent for the King to come before it that he might have the honour of taking a place to defensible environed in a manner with the River Iaboc and therefore called the City of waâ—ers 2. Sam. 12. 27. Afterwards repaired and beautified by Ptolomy Philadelphus King of Egypt who having made himself master of those parts of Arabia which lie near unto it and liking the conveniencie of the situation honoured it with the name of Philadelphia 2. Dathema supposed to be Rithma by the learned Iunius mentioned Num. 33. 18. the Hebrew letters D. and R. being much alike a place of great strength amongst the Ammonites 3. Minneth in the South border and 4. Abel vinearum in the East border of Ammon both mentioned in the pursuite of that people when subdued by Iephte 4. Mitspa sometimes one of the Cities of the halfe Tribe of Manasses and at that time honoured with the residence of Iephte but afterwards recovered by the children of Ammon in whose hands it was when utterly destroyed and burnt by Iudas Maccabeaus 1 Macc. 5. 35. 6 Magod and 7. Bosor two other strong places of the Ammonites there also mentioned but said to be in the Region of Galaad by which name or by that of Gileadites all the Countrey of the Ammonites lying on this side of the Mountains was at that time called As for those Ammonites they had nothing at all to do with Israel as they passed towards Canaan neither provoking them nor provoked by them to any acts of hostility Afterwards not well pleased that they were no restored to the possession of those lands which had been taken from them by Og of Basan conferred by the decree of Moses on the tribe of Gad they joined with the Midianites in their expedition But worsted by the puissance and good fortune of Gedeon they lay still a while till stirred up by some secret motions from Almighty God to avenge him on that sinful and idolatrous people who by worshipping the Gods of the Heathen had provoked him to anger Prosperous in it for a time till his wrath was pacified who having made use of them to chastise his people delivered up his rod to be burnt by Jepthe vanquished and driven home by him with a very great saughter Not so much chrushed by the unsuccessefulness of this attempt but that in the time of Saul they break out again and besieged Jabesh Gilead Nabas a cruel Tyrant being then their King who having brought the City into great extremity would give them no other conditions than the loss of every mans right eye to the end that they using to carry a great Target on their left Armes wherewith the eye on that side was wholly shadowed they might by this means be disabled from all future service But Saul came time enough to save them from that shame and loss for that cause so offensive to Nabas that to despight him he shewed friendship to David in the time of his trouble A curtesie which David was so mindful of that he sent Ambassadours to Hanan the Sonne of Nabas to make acknowledgment of it and to confirm the amity which he had with his Father but found so ill requital from him that instead of thanks and kind accepance his messengers were despightfully handled their beards half shaven and their garments cut off by the knee Incensed wherewith he sent Joab against them by whom the Countrey was laid wast and Rabbah their chief City taken their Kings Crown weighing a talent of Gold set on Davids head and all the Prisoners executed with great severity some of them being cast into lime-kills and the rest torn in peeces with saws and harrows Quiet a long while after this we hear no great newes of them till the reign of Jehosophat against whom confederated with the Edomites and Moabites they made open warre but fell by one anothers swords as was said before Not well recovered of this blow they were subdued and made Tributaries by Ozias King of Judah and so continued in the time of Joatham his Sonne who so increased the ribute laid upon them by his Father that it amounted to a hundred Talents of Silver ten thousand measures of Wheat and as many of Barley Taught by this lesson how to value the Kings of Iudah they continued either quiet neighbours or obedient subjects though much improved in power and reputation by regaining the greatest part of their antient dwellings on the removal of the two Tribes and an half on the East of Iordan to the land of Assyria by Tiglath Phul-Assur For after this with reference to the common danger Baulis their King was so strict a confederate
Prophets as in our Saviours time with that of Mary the mother of John Mark mentioned acts 15. 37. converted to a Church by the Primitive Christians the Western part whereof was wholly taken up by the Palace of Herod a wicked but magnificent Prince for cost excessive and for strength invincible containing gardens groves fish-ponds places devised for pleasure besides those for exercise Fortified with three Towers at the Corners of it that on the South-East of the wall 50 Cubiâ—s high of excellent workmanship called Mariamnes Tower in memory of his beloved but insolent wife rashly murdered by him Opposite to which on the South-West corner stood the Tower of Phaseolus so called by the name of his brother 70 Cubits high and in form resembling that so much celebrated Aegyptian Phtros and on the North Wall on an high hill the Tower of Hippick exceeding both the rest in height by 14 Cubits and having on the top two Spires in memory of the two Hippâ—er his very dear friends slain in his service by the wars 2. On the South-side stood that part which was called the Old City possessed if not built by the Iebu 〈◊〉 and therein both the Mountain and Fort of Sion but after called the City of David because taken by him who thereon built a strong and magnificent Castle the Royall Court and Mansion of the Kings succeding In the West part hereof stood the Tower of David a double Palace built by Herod the one part whereof he named Agrippa and the other Coesar composed of Marble and every where enterlaid with gold and not far off the house of Annas and Caiaphas to which the Conspirators led our Saviour to receive his tryall 3. That which was called the Lower City because it had more in it of the Valley was also called the Daughter of Sion because built after it in majesty and greatness did exceed the Mother For therein upon Mount Moriah stood the Temple of Solomon whereof more anon and betwixt it and Mount Zion on another hill the Palace which he built for his Wife the Daughter of Aegypt and that which he founded for himself from which by an high Bridge he had a way unto the Temple West hereof on a losty rock overlooking the City stood the Royall Palace of the Princes of the Maccaboeans re-edified and dwelt in by King Agripoa though of Herod race and not far off the Theater of Herods building adorned with admirall pictures expressing the many victories and triumphs of Augustus Coesar In this part also stood Mount Aâ—ra and on that once a Citadell built by Antiochus King of Syria but razed by Simon one of the Maccaboean Brothers because it overtopped the Temple the house of Helena Queen of Adiabâ—ne who converted from Paganism to Indaism had here her dwelling and here died and finally Herods Amphitheatre capacious enough to contain 80000 people whom he entertained sometime with such shews and spectacles as were in use amongst the Romans And in this part also on an high and craggy rock not far from the Temple stood the Tower of Baris whereon the same Herod built a strong and impregnable Citadell in honour of Marc. Antonie whose Creature he first was called by the name of Antonius having a fair and large Tower at every corner two of them 50. Cubits high and the other 70. afterwards garrisoned by the Romans for fear the Jews presuming on the strengen of the Temple might take occasion to rebel 4. As for the New City which lay North to the City of Herod it was once a Suburb onely unto all the rest inhabited by none but mechanicall persons and the meanest trades-men but after incompassed by Agrippa with a wall of 25 Cubits high and fortified with ninety Turrets The whole City fenced with a wonderfull circumvallation on all parts thereof having a Ditch cut out of the main Rock as Iosephus an eye-witness writeth sixty foot deep and no less than two hundred and fifty foot in bredth First built say some by Melghisedech the King of Salem by the Jebusites themselves say others by whomsoever built called at first Jebusalem afterwards Jerusalem with the change of one letter only inlarged in time when made the Royall seat of the house of David to the Magnificence and greatness before described â—â— it attained unto the compass of sixty furlongs or seven miles and an half Unconquered for the first four hundred years after the entrance of the Children of Israel and when David attempted it the people presumed so much on the strength of the place that they told him in the way of scorn that the blâ—nd and the lame which they had amongst them as the Text is generally expounded should defend it against him But as I think the late learned Mr. Gregory of Christ-church in Oxon hath found out a more likely meaning of the Text than this who telleth us that the Jubesites by the blind and lame as they knew well the Israeliâ—es called blind and lame did understand those Tutelar Idols on whose protection they relied as the 〈◊〉 did on their Palladium for defence thereof and then the meaning must be this those Gods whom you of Israel call blind and lame shall defend our Walls Why else should David say had they meant it literally that his soul hated the lame and the blind 2. Sam. 5. 8. or why should the People of Israel be so uncharitable as to say that the blind and lame should not come into the House or Temple of God were it meant no otherwise But notwithstanding these vain hopes the Town was carried under the conduct of Joab that fortunate and couragious leader and made the Royal seat of the Kings of Judah Proceed we now unto the Temple built by Solomon in providing the materials whereof there were in Lebanon 30000 workmen which wrought by the ten thousand every moneth 70000 Labourers which carried burdens 80000 Quarry-men that hewed stones in the Mountains and of Officers and Overseers of the work no lesse then 3300 men The description of this Stately Fabrick we have in the first of Kings cap. 6. 7. In the year of the world 2350 it was destroyed by Nabuchadzezzar at the taking of Hierusalem rebuilt again after the return from the Captivity but with such opposition of the Samaritans that the Workmen were fain to hold their Tooles in one hand and their swords in the other to repulse if need were those malicious enemies But yet this Temple was not answerable to the magnificence of the former so that the Prophet Haggi had good occasion to say to the People cap. 2. ver 3. Who is lâ—ft among you that saw this house in her first glory is it not in your eyes as nothing in comparison of it Nor fell it short thereof onely in the outward structure but some inward Additaments For it wanted 1. The Pot of Mannah which the Lord commanded Moses to lay up before the Testimony for a Memorial Exod. 16. 32. c. 2. The
Cattel to prosper above all imagination Most destitute in this kind is the Province of Choromandel in which if any year passeth without rain they fall into such extremities that they are fain to â—ell their children The People in Religion 〈◊〉 so worshipping one God as the Lord of all which is taught them by the light of nature that they join the Devil or their Pagodes in Commission with him where to induced by the perswasion of their beastly Bramines who thereout suck no small advantage Some Christians there are intermixt of the old plantation especially in Maâ—apur and the Region of Choromandel but not to well instructed in the Principles of their own belief as to be able to convince or convert the Gentiles nor to disswade them from the use of some Heathenigh customes though barbarous inhumane and against all reason not used in any place but amongst the Indians Amongst which I reckon for most savage the forcing of poor women to burn themselves with their husbands bodies the womens kindred not the husbands thrusting them on these hard conditions who reckon it a disgrace to their familie if she should refuse And because they will be sure not to have that infamy stick upon them they have ordered that the woman who shall so refuse must shave her head and break her Jewells and not be suffered to eat drink or sleep or company with any body till her death A life more miserable than the Flames which they seek to shun This makes them leap into the fire with joy and greediness and to contend which shall be formost she being thought to have been most loving during his life which is now most willing to accompany him in his death and offer her self to his Mane at the funeral pile whereunto thus alludeth the Poet. Et 〈…〉 quae viva sequatur 〈◊〉 râ—est non licuisse mori 〈…〉 praebent pectora sammae 〈…〉 A shame 't is not to dy they therefore strive Who may be sam'd to follow him alive The Victor burns yields to the flame her brest And her burnt face doth on her husband rest Chief Cities of this Countrey 1. 〈◊〉 on the borders of Travancer belonging antiently to the Kings of 〈◊〉 now to those of 〈◊〉 the people whereabout called Paravt are a kind of Christians who live for the most part by fishing for Pearl which they fell to the Portugals and Bengalan Merchants 2. 〈◊〉 the chief City of the Province called Musulipatan the Lord whereof is a Moor of the 〈◊〉 sect but a Vassal to the Kings of Narsinga 3. Chamdagrin one of the Seat-Royals of the King 4. Prepett three miles from Chamdagâ—â—n memorable for an yearly feast here celebrated in honour of 〈◊〉 once sâ—le King of Malavar reckoned for a Saint at least in these parts of India the offerings at which accustomably amount unto 200000 Crowns 5. Chadambaram the Moâ—he-City of these 〈◊〉 Solemnities which are done to Pereimal who hath here a Temple endowed with 30000 Ducats of annual reat all consumed by the Bramines belonging to it who pretend to have been born out of Pâ—reâ—â—alls head 6. Madura honoured with the residence of the Choâ—anâ—tâ—â— or the Chief Prelsc of the Bramines of this Kingdome so numerous that in this Town and the territories of it only are thought to be no fewer than an hundred thousand The seat also of one of three 〈◊〉 or tributary Kings of the Crown of Narsinga the other two residing at 7. 〈◊〉 and S. 〈◊〉 the Chief Towns of their Principalities but not else observable 9. Mahapur called also St. Thomas from an opinion that the body of that Apostle was here interred martyred here by the 〈…〉 whose posterity in other things like unto other men are said to have one legand foot as big as an Elephants a punishment inflicted on the whole Generation for the sin of their Ancestors How true this is I cannot say but sure I am that Dorotheus faith that he resteth at Calaemâ—na where he was slain with a dart However the Portugali to make some use of the old tradition removed some bones from this place which were said to be his and enshrined them in Goa their own City much visited by profitable 〈◊〉 to their great enriching The City once so large and populous that it contained 330 Temples for the use of divers Nations which resorted thither In these later daies desolate and forlorn inhabited onely by some old Christians till the Portugueze began again to people it with new Colonies 10. Choromandel giving name to a large Sea-Coast lying on the West side of the Golf of Bengala 11. Casta a Town of Choromandel in which the woman is not burned with her Husband as in other places of this Countrey but buried quick in the same grave with him 12. Negapatan in the same Region inhabited for the most part by Saint Thomas Christians 13. Tarnassari once the head City of a Kingdome to called the King whereof was able to bring into the field 100000 horse and foot and 100 armed Elephants but now subject to the King of Narsinga The people black but so out of love with their own colour that they willingly prostitute their wives or daughters to any people of a whiter and more cleer complexion 14. Bisnagar once the chief City of this kingdome whence the King is sometimes called the King of Bisnagar In those times 24 miles in compass with nine Gates in it amongst others continually guarded with Souldiers and a magnificent Palace not elsewhere equalled In the year 1565. sacked by four of the Mahometan Kings of Decan who with their joint forces had invaded this kingdome it became desolate and forsaken and the Court removed to 15. Penegardc eight daies journey within the Land Bisnagar being seated on the borders of Decan But long it had not staid there when removed to 16. Narsinga where it hath ever since been fixed which is now the chief City of this Kingdome unto which it gives name though the King many times call himself by the name of that City where he resideth for the present Of the Antiquity of this kingdome I have little to say these Eastern parts not being known at all till these later times nor well known in these About the year 1550 their King then reigning was imprisoned by three of his Captains or Commanders who shewed him only once a year to his Subjects parting the power and government amongst themselves He being dead and his sonne kept in the like restraint Romaragio the first Captain ascended the Throne Timaragio mannaged the Estate and Bengahe commanded the Army But these Usurpers being overthrown by the kings of Decan in the year 1565. Timaragio the Survivor took the charge of all whose sonne to make himself sure of the kingdome murdered his imprisoned Soveraign the life and liberty of kings being much of a date whence followed many broiles and troubles touching the Succession till settled in the person of Chrismarao the undoubted Heir who did
the shores adjoyning and receiving withall the Law of Mahomet they began to cast off all subjection to the Kings of Siam to whom the sonne and Successor of Pâ—ramisera had submitted his new-raised kingdom and became their Homager Incensed wherewith the Sâ—amite about the year 1500 sent out a Navy of 200 Sail to distress it by Sea and an Army of 30000 men and 400 Elephants to besiege it by land But before he was able to effect any thing hindred by Tempests and the insolencies of some of his Souldiers the Portugals in the year 1511 under the conduct of Albuquerque had possessed themselves of it who built there a Fortress and a Church And though Alodâ—nus the sonne of the expelled King whose name was Mahomet endeavoured the regaining of his Estate and that the Saracens Hollanders and the kings of For and Achen two neighbouring Princes envying the great fortunes of the Portugals have severally and successively laboured to deprive them of it yet they still keep it in defiance of all opposition which hath been hitherto made against them 2. North unto that of Malaca lieth the kingdome of YOR IOR or IOHOR so called of Jor or Johor the chief City of it Inhabited for the most part by Moores or Saracens Mahometanism by their means prevailing on the Natives of the Country also A Kingdom of no great extent but of so much power that joining his Land-forces with the Navy of the King of Achen he besieged Malaca and built a Royall Fort before it in which when taken by Paul de Lima by the defeat of this king were found 900 pieces of brass Ordnance After this picking a quarrel with the king of Pahan he burnt his houses barns provisions and the Suburbs of the City it self but in the course of his affairs was interrupted by the King of Achen one of the Kings in the Isle of Sumatra his old confederate who after 29 daies siege took the City of Jor. What afterwards became of this king or kingdom I am not able to resolve In former times it did acknowlege him of Siam for the Lord in chief 3. More North-ward yet lieth the kingdome of PATANE denominated from Patane the chief City of it but different from Patane in the other India as Cleveland in York-shire from Cleveland in Germany or Holland in the Low-Countries from Holland in Lincoln hire as hath been fully shewn before The City made of wood and Reed but artificially wrought and composed together the Mesquit onely most of the people being Mahometans is built of brick The Chinois make a great part of the Inhabitants of it insomuch that in this small City there are spoke three languages viz. the Chinese used by that people the Malayan or language of Malaca which is that of the Natives and the Siam to the King whereof this small Crown is Feudatary Built of such light stuff and combustible matter it must needs be in great danger of fire and was most miserably burnt in the year 1613 by some Javan Slaves in revenge of the death of some of their Fellows at which time the whole City was consumed with fire the Mesquit the Queens Court and some few houses excepted onely The Country governed of late years by Queens who have been very kind to the English and Hollanders granting them leave to erect their Factories in Patane Not memorable for any great exploit by them performed but that a late Queen a little before that dismall fire offended with the King of Pan or Pahan who had maried her Sister and reigned in a little Iland not farre off she sent against him a Fleet of 70 Sail and 4000 men by which compelled to correspond with her desires he brought his Queen and her children with him to make up the breach 4. The Kingdom of SIAM strictly and specially so called is situate on the main-land the rest before described being in the Chersonese betwixt Camboia on the East Pegu on the West the kingdome of Muantay on the North and the main Ocean on the South The chief Cities of it 1. Socotai memorable for a temple made wholly of mettall 80. spans in height raised by one of the Kings it being the custome of this Country that every king at his first coming to the Crown is to build a Temple which he adorneth with high Sâ—eples and many Idols 2. Quedoa renowned for the best Pepper and for that cause very much frequented by forreign Merchants 3. Tavay upon the Sea-coast where it joineth to Pegu. Whence measuring along the shores till we come to Champa before mentioned being all within the Dominions of the king of Siam not reckoning the Chersonese into this Accompt we have a Seacoastof the length of 600 Leagues 4. Lugor upon the sea-side also neer that little Isthmus which joineth the Cherson se to the land from whence to Malaca is 600 miles sail all along the coast 5. Calantan the head City of a little kingdome but subject to the Crown of Siam 6. Siam the chief City of this part of the kingdome which it giveth this name to A goodly City and very commodiously seated on the River Menam for trade and merchandise So populous and frequented by forreign nations that besides the natives here are said to be thirty thousand housholds of Arabians The Houses of it high built by reason of the Annual deluge during which time they live in the Upper rooms and unto every house a boat for the use of the familie Those of the poorer sort dwell in little sheds made of reed and timber which they remove from place to place for the best convenience of their markets And yet so strong that being besiged by the Tanguan Conqueror then king of Pegu Anno 1567 with an Army of fourteen hundred thousand fighting men for the space of 20 moneths together it resolutely held good against him not gained at last by force but treason one of the Gates being set open to him in the dead time of the right and by that means the City taken The people hereof are thought to be inclining to Christianity but hitherto so ill instructed in the principles of it that they maintain amongst many other strange opinions that after the end of 2000 years from what time I know not the world shall be consumed with fire and that under the ashes of it shall remain two egs out of which shall come one man and one woman who shall people the world anew 5. MVANTAY the last of these Kingdomes lieth betwixt Jangoma and Siam memorable for nothing more then the City of Odia or Vdiâ— the principal of all the Kingdomes of Siam and the usual residence of those Kings Situate on the banks of the River Caâ—pumo and containing in it 400000 Inhabitants of which 50000 are trained to the warres and in continual reâ—diness for prelent service For though this King be Lord of nine several Kingdomes yet he useth none of them in his wars but the naturall Siamites and those of
and in lawfull Wedlock of the Romish Church and without note of infamy Their Robe is of white Chamlet with a red Cross on their left side as well upon their Military Garments as their wearing Cloaks intended principally against the Turks and Moores for which cause setled first at Pisa being neer the Sea but after at Cosmopolis in the Isle of Ilva The number of them is uncertain the great Duke the Supreme Master of it Other Orders are commonly simple but this mixt being partly religious partly honourary What the Revenues of it were in the Free Estates I am not able to determine That they were very great is manifest in that having in those five yeers wherein they waged war against the Duke of Millain spent three millions and an half of Florens their Treasurie was so far from being exhausted that the next yeer they besieged and indangered the City of Luca. Since the altering of the Common-wealth into a Dukedom and the addition of the Territory and City of Sienna the Revenues of the Duke are conceived to be a million and an half of Ducats yearly Of which 600000. Crowns are raised yearly out of the Dominion of the Citie of Florence 150000. more out of that of Sienna the customs arising out of the Port of Ligorn amount yeerly to 130000. Ducats the toll of Milstones onely unto 160000. that of Salt Mines and Iron falls not short of that in all a million and 200000. Ducats Then hath the Duke his stock going amongst the Bankers and trades as much as any in the way of Merchandizing whereas in other Countreys he loseth the privileges of a Nobleman that betakes himself to Trade and Merchandize He useth also to buy up almost all the Corn which is brought into the Countrey out of other parts and sell it again at his own price forbidding any to be sold till all his be vended The rest is made up by Excize upon all Commodities even unto very herbs and Sallads which lies very heavy on the Subject the poor especially insomuch that it was taâ—tly said and perhaps not untruly Qui sub Medicis vivit miserè vivit applying an old Rule in a new sense The Arms are Or five Torteaux Gules two two and one and one in chief Azure charged with three Flower de Lyces of the first Here are in this Estate Arch-bishops 3. Bishops 26. The State of LUCA IN the West part of Tuscany betwixt the Estate of the Great Duke and the Common-wealth of Genoa lieth the City of LUCA so called from Luca a King of the Tuscans who is said to have built it situate on the River Serchius not far from the mountains of Luna whence the Countrey is at this day called Lunagiana It is about three miles in compass and contains about 24000. Inhabitants who generally are a courteous and modest people men of good judgement and discreet and by their wisdoms have preserved themselves a free Common-wealth notwithstanding the attempts of more powerfull Neighbours and they are very industrious also and well seen in Manufactures especially in weaving silks and cloath of gold which they taught the Florentines The City seated in a plain compassed with Mountains on all sides except towards Pistoia so strongly fortified by the help of Art and Nature that this City Zara in Dalmatia Canea in the Isle of Candie and the Town of Ligorn were thought in former times when the Art of Fortification was less known to be the four strongest Towns in the Christian World The streets thereof are narrow but paved with broad free-stone and most easie to walk on the buildings very fair built of free-stone also and beautified with pleasant gardens On the North-West stands a very strong Castle neer which lieth the Cathedrall stately paved with Marble but very dark as most of the Popish Churches to give the better colour to the burning of Tapers in the day In this Town was the meeting of the three great Captains Caesar Pompey and Crassus so pernicious to the Roman Republick For Pompey desirous to maintain his authority Caesar to get honour and Crassus to increase his wealth here united their Counsels Pompey's authority to be upheld by Caesar's Arms and Crassus his riches Caesar's continuance in his Province to be maintained by Pompey's power and Crassus his money and Crassus his estate to be secured by Pompey's greatness and Caesars military reputation This done they made a partition of the Roman Provinces among themselves assigning Gaule to Caesar Spain to Pompey aod to Crassus Syria which strong confederacy was the cause of that alteration which after followed in that State For Crassus being slain not long after Pompey and Caesar wanting a third man to poize the ballance fell first to discontents then to Civill wars which at last made Caesar Lord of Rome Upon which meeting and the breach which succeeded afterwards was grounded that so memorated speech of Cicero that is to say Utinam Pompeius cùm Caesare societatem aut nunquam iniisset aut nunquam dirimisset But to return again to the Affairs of Luca in the declining of the Empire it became possessed by the Gothes from them recovered by Narses with the rest of Italie After this it again followed the fortune of the Empire till taken by Count Boniface the Father of that notable Virago the Countess Mathildis who being deceased without issue and the Emperors pretending to it as to an Escheat the Citizens made a common purse and bought their Liberty of the Emperor Rodolphus for 10000. Crowns Some say the money was disbursed for them by a Cardinal But notwithstanding is purchase and their title by it the Emperor Lewis of Bavaria seized upon it again under pretence of freeing it from the faction of Castruccio who had made himself absolute Master of it By a German Garrison there left it was sold to the Genoese and having passed through many hands the Emperor Charles the fourth got it once again of whom they once more purchased their desired Liberties for 25000 Florens of Gold and to secure themselves thereof demolished the Castle built by Castruccio But being not able to maintain it by their proper strength they have put themselves under the protection of their potent Neighbors changing their Patrons as conduced most to their preservation and finding no security from Genoa and as little from Florence both which they severally tried they put themselves at last into the protection of the Dukes of Millain and in that right are patronized by the Kings of Spain The Territories of this City extend in compass eighty miles the chief Town next to Luca it self being that of Luna a Bishops See all the rest ordinary Farms and Villages but of a good air and very well peopled which yeeld a Revenue to the publick Treasury of 80000. Crowns per annum and out of which the State is able to raise if there be occasion about 15000 Foot and 3000 Horse A great strength for so small a
Signeury but all too weak to save them from the Great Dukes clutches if he did seriously attempt to forcâ— it and would venture on the displeasure of the Catholick King besides that it is thought that he receives more profit thence in gifts and presents by letting it stand as it is than it would yeeld considering the charge of keeping it if it were his own As for the Government thereof the principall Magistrate is called the Gonfalonere changeable every second moneth assisted by a certain and determinate number of Citizens whom they change every sixt moneth also during which time they live together in the Palace or Common-hall Other inferiour Officers I insist not on And for the Government of the Church they have two Bishops only which acknowledge the Arch-bishop of Florence for their Metropolitan The Common-wealth of GENOA DIrectly West of Tuscany from which it is divided by the River Macra lyeth the Countrey antiently called Liguria now Riviere di Genoa the coast of Genoa because it lieth all along the Sea of Genoa and by some Il Genovosate from Genoa the Metropolis of this Countrey and Commonwealth A Common-wealth once of a larger reputation and authority than it is at the present commanding heretofore the Ilands of Corsica Sardinia and the Baleares in the Mediterranean Lesbos and Chio with some others in the Greekish Seas the Town of Capha or Theodosia in the Taurican Chersoness and Pera on the other side of Constantinople and a good part of Tuscany It was also then so strong both in men and shipping that they sent seven severall Armies to the wars of the Holy Land and in the space of three days only armed once upon occasion of present service eight and fifty Gallies and eight Pamphyli being vessells of one hundred and forty or one hundred and sixty Oars apiece and at another time one hundred and sixty five Gallies at a sudden pinch By the advantage of this strength they beat the Pisans out of Sardinia Corsica and the Baleares compelling them to pay 135000. Crowns for their peace they got a good share in the division of the Empire of Constantinople when that City was taken by the Latines and held a very strong hand over the Venetians These last they had once in so great an exigence having vanquished their Fleet at Sea and taken the Iland of Chioggia not far from Venice that the Senate sent them a blank Charter bidding them write down what conditions they pleased which should be readily condescended to But Peter Doria Admirall of the Genoan Fleet unseasonably proud of his advantage would have the City of Venice wholly at his own disposall Whereupon the Venetians now made desperate assault the secure Genoese and took an hundred of their Boats and Gallies After which they always had the worst losing their Ilands in the Mediterranean to the Kings of Aragon Capha and Pera with their Ilands in the Greek Seas to the great Turk most of their holds in Tuscany to the Florentines their power at the last being so broke by the Venetians that in the end they were not able to set out a Navy fit for any enterprize But these misfortunes were occasioned principally by their own divisions the City being miserably torn in pieces by continuall factions first betwixt the Dorii and Spinoli on the one side the Flisci and Grimaldi on the other An. 1174. Secondly of the Negri and Mollani against the Salvatici and Embriaci An. 1289. Thirdly between the Spinolâ— and Dorii themselves An. 1336. And fourthly between the Nobility and the Commons An. 1339. Which Factions did so weaken them both at home and abroad that having lost the greatest part of their Estate they were fain to put themselves on the protection of their Neighbours to defend the rest having now nothing left them but Liguria and the Isle of Corsica 1 LIGURIA hath on the East the River Varus rising about the edge of Provence on the West the River Magra by which parted from Tuscany on the North the Apennine hils and on the South the Ligurian or Tyrrhenian Seas It is in length a hundred and forty miles that is to say from the Port of Luna in the East to that of Monaco in the West which lyeth near to Provence but the bredth not answerable to the length and is divided generally into two parts or Provinces the East and the West both centring upon Genoa the principall City The old Ligurians were a stout and warlike Nation light and swift of body well practised in laying Ambushes and not discouraged by any overthrow but forthwith ready to fight again to which the nature of their Country served them very well being rough mountainous and woody and full of streight and dangerous passages and in this tract few open Towns but many wel-fortified Castles so that without much labour they could not be taken neither besieged And if at any time they were vanquished in the open field they had recourse unto these Castles and other Fastnesses hemmed round about with Woods and Mountains in which they plaid their after-game and tired out their Enemies and Invaders The principall of their Tribes were the Decentis Oxilii Eubariades and Inganni all at last vanquished by the Romans after the second Punick war but not without much labour and pains by reason of the Woods Marishes and Mountains within and behind which they retired and saved themselves Insomuch that it was held a matter of more difficulty to find than to conquer them Aliquanto major erat labor invenire quam vincere are the words of my Author They did divers times after this much molest the Romans till at last Posthumius so disweaponed them that he scarce left them instruments to plough the Earth So in the end they grew obedient to their Masters In the division of whose large Territories by Augustus Caesar Liguria was made one of the eleven Regions of Italie as it was also one of the seventeen Provinces into which Italie was divided by the Emperor Constantine Millaine at that time the Metropolis or Head-City of it What kind of men they were in the breaking of the Western Empire may be known by their actions both by Sea and Land spoken of before now more addicted to Merchandize than war but most of all to usury A vice which the Christians learned of the Jews and are now thought to equall if not exceed their Teachers It was the saying of a merry fellow that in Christendom there were neither Scholars enough Gentlemen enough nor Jews enough And when answer was made that of all these there was rather too great a plenty than any scarcity he replyed that if there were Scholars enough so many would not be double or treble beneficed it Gentlemen enough so many Peasants would not be ranked among the Gentry and if Jews enough so many Christians would not profess Usurie The women are very fair and comely wearing for the most part their hair in tresses which they
about 56 years when Otho surnamed Visconti quasi bis Comes because he was Lord of Millain and Angerona assumed the title to himself and setled it upon that Family after his decease but so that for the most part they were under the command of the German Emperors and to them accomptable Galeaz the first so called as some write because the Cocks crowed more than ordinarily at the time of his birth added to the Estate hereof the Cities of Crema and Cremona In the person of John Galeazo it was advanced unto a Dukedom by the Emperor Wenceslaus for 100000 Crowns in ready money which John increased so mightily in wealth and power that he had 29 Cities under his command and dyed as he was going to Florence to be crowned King of Tuscany To him succeeded John Maria and after him his brother Philip who in his life had maried his only daughter but illegitimate to Francisco Sforza the best Commander of his times and at his death appointed Alfonso of Aragon King of Naples for his heir and successor Before Alfonso could take any benefit of this designation Sforza was quietly possessed both of the City and the loves of the people This Francis Sforze I must needs crave leave to tell this story was the sonne of James Altenduto a plain Country man who going to his labour with his Ax in his hand whilst a great Army was passing by him compared the misery and unpleasingness of his present condition with those fair possibilities which a martiall life did present uuto him And being in a great dispute with in himself what were best to do he presently fell upon a resolution of putting the question to the determination of the Heavenly Providence by casting his Ax unto the top of the tree next to him conditioning with himself that if the Ax came down again he would contentedly apply himself to his wonted labour but if it hung upon the boughs he would betake himself unto higher hopes and follow the Army then in passage He did so the Ax hung upon the boughs he went after the Army and thrived so well in that imployment that he became one of the best Captains of his time surnamed de Cotoniogla from the place of his dwelling and Sforza from the greatness of his noble courage By Antonia the daughter of Francis di Casalis the Lord of Cortona he was the father of this Francis Sforze whom now we speak of who was so fortunate a Commander in the wars of Italy that to oblige him to his party Philip the Duke of Millain bestowed his daughter upon him and thereby a fair title to this great Estate which he successively obtained against all pretenders In his line it continued till the coming of Lewis the 12 of France the sonne of Charles and nephew of Lewis Dukes of Orleans by Valentine the sole daughter of John Galeaze the first Duke who getting Duke Lodowick Sforze betrayed by the Switzers into his hands carryed him prisoner into France and possessed himself of the estate Outed not long after by the confederate Princes of Italy who were jealous of so great a neighbor he left the cause and quarrel unto Francis the first his next successor in that Kingdom in pursuance whereof it is sayd by Bellay a French Writer that the use of Muskets was first known But Francis being in conclusion taken at the battell of Pavie and carryed prisoner into Spain for his release was forced to release all claim unto this estate A release long before endeavouced by some French Politicians because the pretensions hereunto had brought such damage to that Crown and no less eagerly opposed by Chancellor Prat on the same reason that Scipio Nasica did oppose the destruction of Carthage that is to say because it did not only keep the French Nation in continual discipline of War but served for a purgation of idle and superfluous people yet notwithstanding this release Francis renewed the War again and laid siege to Millain then under the command of Antonio di Leva and a Spanish Garrison during vvhich vvar the vvretched Millanese endured the vvorst of miseries For first the Governour under colour of providing pay for his souldiers got all the victuals of the town into the Castle to be sold again at his ovvn price vvhich many of the poorer sort not able to pay perished of famin in the streets And on the other side his souldiers which were quartered in most parts of the City used when they wanted mony to chain up their Hosts and then to put them to a ransom Such as upon this barbarous usuage fled out of the City had their Goods confiscate on which there followed such a disconsolate desolation that the chief streets were over-grown with netles and brambles In this miserable estate it continued till Charles the Emperor having totally driven out the French restored it to Francis Sforze brother to the last Duke Maximilian and sonne of that Ludowick who to advance himself unto this Estate had most improvidently taught the French the way into Italy But this Francis dying without issue and the house of the Sforze failing in him the Emperor entred on the Dukedom as right Lord thereof and left the same to his successors in the Realm of Spain This said we will sum up the whole story of this Estate in the ensuing Catalogue of The Lords and Dukes of Millain 1277 1 Otho Arch-bishop of Millain 1295 2 Matthew Brothers sonne to Otho confirmed in his command of Millain by Albertus the Emperor 1322 3 Galeaze Visconti sonne of Matthew disseized of his command by Lewis of Bavaria Emperor 1329 4 Actio Visconti sonne of Galeazo confirmed in his Fathers power by the same Lewis the Emperor 1339 5 Luchino Visconti brother to Galeaze 1349 6 John Visconti the brother of Luchino 1354 7 Galeaze II. sonne of Stephen the brother of John 1378 8 John Galeaze sonne of the first Galeaze created by the Emperor Wenceslaus the first Duke of Millain An. 1395. 1402 9 John Maria sonne of John Galeaze slain by the people for his horrible tyrannies 1412 10 Philip Maria the last of the Visconti which commanded in Millain a Prince of great power in swaying the affairs of Italie He died An o 1446 the Millanese for some years resuming their former liberty 1446 11 Francis Sforze in right of his wife Blanch the base daughter of Philip seconded by the power of the sword admitted Duke by the generall consent of the people of Millain one of the Knights of the noble Order of the Garter 1461 12 Galeaze Sforze a valiant but libidinous Prince cruelly murdered by his own Subjects 1477 13 John Galeaze Sforze privately made away as it was supposed by his Uncle Lodowick 1494 14 Lodowick Sforze who to secure himself of his ill-got Dukedom drew the French into Italic 1501 15 Lewis the 12 of France sonne unto Lewis Duke of Orleans and Valentina daughter to the first Duke of Millaine vanquished Ludowick
they yeeld unto the Prince in the way of Revenue and what Forces he is able to raise out of his Estates I cannot positively determine But by the Tribute formerly payd unto the Popes for the City of Mutina and the rich territory of both Towns and the great Revenues of the Dukes of Ferrara I conceive they cannot yeeld less than 100000 Crowns of yearly in-come The Armes of this Duke the same with those of Ferrara before blazoned The Dukedom of PARMA THe Dukedom of PARMA hath on the North the Dukedoms of Millain and Mantua from which it is parted by the Po on the South the Apennine which divideth it from Liguria on the East the Country of Modena on the West Montferrat situate as Modena is in Lombardia Cispadana and much of the same nature both for soyl and air and other the commodities of those parts of Italie The principall Cities of it are 1 Parma an antient City and made a Colony of the Romans at the end of the second Punick War as Mutina and Aquileia at the same time were It is seated on a small River of the same name which runneth almost thorough the middest of it beautified with very handsome buildings and peopled by a race of ingenious men whether they do be take themselves unto Arts or Arms. The grounds about this City are of excellent pasturage and yeeld great plenty of the Cheese which is called Parmesan 2 Placentia seated on the Po one of the first Colonies which the Romans planted amongst the Cisalpine Galls and famous for the resistance which it made both to Annibal and Asdrubal who severally in vain besieged it made afterwards the Metropolis of the Province of Aemilia yet nothing the less beautifull for so great an age The fields adjoyning have the same commendation with those of Parma for most excellent Cheese but go beyond for Salt-pits and Mines of Iron which the other wanteth 3 Mirandula a proper Town built in the time of Constans the sonne of Constantine the Great the Patrimony of the noble Family of the Pici of which was Picus de Mirandula that renowned Scholar but held by them as Feudataries to the Dukes of Parma 4 Briscello called antiently Brixellum not far from the chief City Parma of no great note at the present time but memorable in the Roman story for the death of the Emperor Otho who here killed himself For hearing here that his Forces were overthrown by Valens and Cecina Commanders of the Forces of Vitellius then his Competitor for the Empire he rather chose to fall by his own sword than that the Romans should be forced for his sake to renew the war And this he did with so much honour to himself that many of his souldiers slew themselves at his Funerall Pile not out of consciousness of crime on for fear of punishment but to testifie their affections to him and to follow such a brave example as was layd before them So as we may truly say of him as he is sayd by Tacitus to have sayd of himself viz. Alii diutius imperium tenuerunt nemo tam fortiter resiquit 5 Monticella in the middle way almost between Parma and Plancentia and opponte unto Cremona a chief Town of the Dutchy of Millain from which parted by the River Po. These Towns as others in these parts have been partakers of the diversities of fortune as being after the declining of the Western Empire some times under the Venetians most times under the Millanoys and at last couquered by the Popes in the confusions and distractions of the Dukedom of Millain under the two last Princes of the house of Sforza By Paul the 3 d being of the house of the Farnesis the Cities of Parma and Placentia with their Appendixes were given unto his son Petro Aluigi or Petrus Aloysius as the Latins call him with the title of Duke An o 1549. The Signeurie of Camerine which he had lately taken from the Dukes of Urbin being given in recompence to the Church This Petro being a man of most vicious life had amongst other villanies committed an unspeakable violence on the person of Cosâ—â—us Chirius the Bishop of Janum and soon after poysoned him For which most detestable fact he received no other chastisement of his Father than this Haec vitia me non coÌ„monstratore didicit that he was sure he had not learnt those vices by his example But going on in these wicked courses he was slain at last by Count John Aguzzola and Placentia after a short siege yeelded to Ferdinand Gonzaga Vice-Roy in Millain for the Emperor Charles the fifth conceived to be privy to the murder Octavian the sonne of Petro Luigi hearing what had hapned fortified himself in Parma as well as he could but being hated by the new Pope and distrustfull not without good cause of the Emperors purposes he had quite lost it if Henry the second of France had not taken him into his protection For the Emperor Charles fully determined notwithstanding that Octavian had maried his base daughter to have made himself Lord of the Town and the French King was loth to see so great a strength added to the Emperors possessions in Italie When the war had now lasted four years Philip the second which succeeded Charles considering how necessary it was for his affairs in Italie to have this Octavian his friend restored unto him again this Plaisance or Placentia and so withdrew him from the French faction An. 1557. Yet because he would be sure to keep his house in a perpetuall dependance on Spain he restored it not absolutely at the present but held the Citadell thereof with a Spanish Garrison till the year 1583 when in regard of the good services which Alexander Prince of Parma had done him in his Wars against the Hollanders and others of the revolted Provinces he caused it to be surrendred into the hands of his Father Octavian By which and by his setling upon this house the Town and Territory of Novara in the Dukedom of Millam and other personall favours which they have conferred on the Princes of it the Kings of Spain seem to have given some satisfaction to this house for stepping betwixt them and the Kingdom of Portugal to which they might have made such a probable title as would have troubled his Estate had they stood upon it The Dukes of Parma 1549 1 Petro Luigi Farnesis sonne to Paul the third made by the Pope his Father the first Duke of Parma 1550 2 Octavian Farnesis sonne to Petro Lewis maryed Margaret base daughter to Charles the fift afterwards Governess of the Netherlands 3 Alexander sonne of Octavian and Margaret of Austria one of the most renowned Souldiers of his time Governour of the Netherlands for King Philip the 2d. 1592 4 Rainutio Farnesis sonne of Alexander and Mary of Portugal eldest daughter of Edward sonne to King Emanuel one of the competitors for that Crown 5 Edoardo Farnesis sonne of Rannutio Of the Revennes and
Corn Wine and most delicate fruits and happily enriched with Meadows and most excellent Pastures which yeeld a notable increase of Cheese and Butter And in the Countrey about Sion they discovered in the year 1544 a Fountain of Salt and have also many hot Bathes and medicinall waters very wholsom Of Springs and River-water they are very destitute having scarce any but what they fetch from the Rhosne vvith a great deal both of charge and trouble the common people using snow-water for the most part for domestick uses which made one pleasantly observe that they pay there dearer for their water than they do for their Wine Cattell they have sufficient to serve their turn and amongst others a wild Buck equall to a Stag in bigness footed like a Goat and horned like a fallow Deer leaping with vvonderfull agility from one precipice to another and so not easily caught but in Summer time for then the heat of that season makes him blind It is divided into the Upper and the Lower Wallisland the Upper lying towards the Mountain de Furcken in the very bottom of the Valley and the Lower stretching out to the Town of Saint Maurice which is at the opening of the same the length of both said to be five ordinary daies journey but the bredth not answerable The Upper Wallisland containeth the seven Resorts of 1 Sion or Sedune 2 Leuck 3 Brig 4 Nies 5 Rawren 6 Sider 7 Gombes in which are reckoned thirty Parishes the Lower comprehending the six Resorts of 1 Gurdis 2 Ardoa 3 Sallien 4 Martinacht 5 Jutremont and 6 Saint Maurice in which are 24 Parishes The people in both parts said to be courteous towards strangers but very rough and churlish towards one another The severall Resorts before mentioned are named according to the names of their principall Towns which according to their reckoning are thirteen in number The chief of which are 1 Sedunum Sittim or Sion a Bishops See suffragan to the Metropolitan of Tarentuise the chief of all this little Country of no great beauty in it self but neat and gallant in respect of the Towns about it Situate in a Plain on the River of Rhosne under a Mountain of tvvo tops on the one of which being the lower is seated the Cathedrall Church and the Canons houses and on the other looking downwards with a dreadfull precipice a very strong Castle the dwelling place of the Bishop in the heats of Summer which being built upon an hill of so great an height and of so hazardous an ascent is impossible almost to be took by force the sharpness of the Rocks keeping it from the danger of assaults and the highness of the hill from the reach of Gun-shot 2 Marchinacht by Caesar called Octodurus and Civitas Valensium by Antoninus remarkable for its antiquity only 3 Saint Maurice or Saint Morits antiently Augaunum the Key of the whole Country but in Winter especially vvhen all the other passages are so frozen up that there is no other entrance but by the Bridge at this Town vvhich for that cause is very well manned and fortified to avoyd surprisall and therefore also chosen for the seat of the Governour of the Lower Wallisland This Country now called Wallisland is in most Latin Writers called by the name of Valesia but corruptly as I think for Valensia as the Dutch or English name for Wallinsland which name I should conceive it took from the Valenses the old inhabitants of this valley of vvhom Octodusus now called Marchinacht is by Antoninus made to be the Metropolis or principall City It was made subject to the Romans by Julius Caesar at such time as the Helvetians were conquered by him and falling with the Western parts of the Roman Empire unto Charles the great was by him given to Theodulus Bishop of Sion An. 805. Under his successors they continue to this very day but so as that the Deputies of the seven Resorts have not only voyces with the Canons in his Election but being chosen and invested into the place they joyn with him also in the Diets for choosing Magistrates redressing grievances and determining matters of the State The Lower Wallisland obeyeth the upper made subject by long War and the chance of Victory and hath no sway at all in the publick Government but takes for Law that which their Governours agree of The same Religion is in both being that of Rome For maintainance whereof they combined themselves with the seven Popish Cantons of Switzerland An. 1572 or thereabouts as also for their mutuall defence and preservation against Forein Enemies and keeping amitie and concord amongst one another 5. SWITZERLAND NExt unto Wallisland lyeth the Country of the SWITZERS having on the East the Grisons and some part of Tirol in Germany on the West the Mountain Jour and the Lake of Geneve which parts it from Savoy and Burgundy on the North Suevia or Scwaben another Province also of the upper Germany and on the South Wallisland and the Alpes which border on the Dukedom of Millain The whole Country heretofore divided into three parts onely that is to say 1 Azgow so called from the River Aaz whose chief Town was Lucern 2 Wislispurgergow so called from Wiflispurg an old Town thereof the chief City whereof is Bern. And 3 Zurichgow so named from Zurich both formerly and at this present the Town of most note in all this Tract but since the falling off of these Countries from the house of Austria divided into many Cantons and other members of which more anon It is wholly in a manner over-grown with craggy Mountains but such as for the most part have grassie tops and in their bottoms afford rich Meadows and nourishing pastures which breed them a great stock of Cattell their greatest wealth And in some places yeelds plenty of very good Wines and a fair increase of Corn also if care and industry be not wanting on the Husband-mans part but neither in so great abundance as to serve all necessary uses which want they doe supply from their neighbouring Countries And though it stand upon as high ground as any in Christendom yet is no place more stored with Rivers and capacious Lakes vvhich doe not onely yeeld them great aboundance of Fish but serve the people very vvell in the vvay of Traffick to disperse their severall Commodities from one Canton to another Of which the principall are Bodensee and the Lake of Cell made by the Rhene Genser see or the Lake of Geneve by the Rhosne Walldstet see and the Lake of Lucern made by the Russe Namonburger and Bieter sees by the Orbe and Zurich see by the River of Limat or Limachus It is in length two hundred and forty miles an hundred and eighty in bredth conceived to be the highest Countrey in Europe as before is sayd the Rivers which do issue from it running thorow all quarters of the same as Rhene thorough France and Belgium North Po thorough Italie to the South
North-East with those Pyrenees The Figure of it compared by Strabo to an Oxes Hide spread upon the ground the neck thereof being that Isthmus which unites it to France This Countrie hath in divers Ages been as diversly named 1. Hesperia either from Hesperus a supposed King hereof or from Hesperus the Evening Star under which it was supposed to be situate as being the furthest Countrie West-ward to difference it from Italy which many of the Greek Authors termed Hesperia also named Hesperia Minâ— 2. It was called Ibeâ—ia either from the famous River Iberus or from the Iberi inhabiting that Countrie of Asia which we now call Georgia as Celtiberia from the mixture of those Asian Iberi and the Celts of Gaul by which name it occurreth often in Appiau of Alexandria and sometimes in Strabo 3 Hispania as the soundest judgements agree from Panus the Iberian Captain For the Grecians call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spania as may be proved in many places that especially of the 15 to the Râ—mâ—ns verse 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will come by you into Spain No doubt but from the Grecians the old Roman borrowed the name of Spania which they often used to which the Spaniards according to their custom adding E as in Escola Escuda c. made it â—spania and now Hispania In like manner as the famous Citie of Sevill called at first Spalis according whereunto the Bishop hereof in the Councill of Eliberis subscribed himself by the name of Sabinus Spalensis in tract of time was called Hispalis And yet I must not pretermit the fancie of Bochartus who fetching the names of most places from the Punick Language will have it to be called Spaâ—ija or Sphanija by the Carthaginians or Phoenicians at their first discovery from Saphan which in the Punick tongue signifies a Conie with which that Country much abounded in the former times the Romans being hence furnished with them Let the Reader like it as he list The greatest length hereof is reckoned at 800 miles the breadth where it is broadest at 560 the whole circumference 2480 Italian miles But Mariana measuring the compass of it by the bendings of the Pyrenees and the creeks and windings of the Sea makes the full circuit of it to be 2816 miles of Italian measure And though according to the smallest computation it be above 400 miles in compass more than France yet is it farr short thereof in numbers of people France being thought to contain in it 15 millions of living souls whereas Spain is reckoned to contain but 8 millions only which is little more than half the number of the French The reasons of which disproportion are 1 The continuall wars which they had for 900 years together against the Moores in their own Countrie by which they were consumed in the very growth 2. The Expulsion of so many thousand Families of Jewes and Moores 124000 Families of the one in the time of Ferdinand the Catholick and 110000. of the other by King Philip the 3d which was as the lopping off of a main limb from the body Politick though without any loss to the Ecclesiasticall 3. The unnecessary wars maintained against all the rest of Christendom ever since the time of Charles the fifth out of meer ambition before they were well cured of their former wounds 4. The infinite Plantations made by them in the East and Western Indies and all along the Sea-Coasts of Africa and those great Garrisons maintain'd in Milan Naples Sâ—il the Low-countries and their Towns in Africk consisting for the most part of natural Spaniards 5. The barrenness of the Countrie in many places unable to sustain great multitudes but made more barren than it would be for want of men to labour and manure the Land And 6. and last of all the Impotencie of both Sexes for Generation the men being generally more hot upon their lusts than able for Generation and the women for the most part beginning to be Mothers so extremely young that nature is decay'd and spent in them before they have run half their course And t is a most true and undoubted Maxime that the greatness of Cities and populousness of Kingdoms and Common wealths doe much depend on the generative vertue of the men and the nutritive vertue of the soyl in which they live It is situate in the more Southernly part of the Northern temperate Zone and almost in the middest of the fourth and sixth Climates the longest day being fifteen hours and a quarter in length in the most Northern parts hereof but in the extreme South neer to Gibraltar not above fourteen Which situation of this Countrie rendreth the Air here very cleer and calm seldom obscured with mists and vapours and not so much subiect to diseases as more Northern Regions They are a mixt People descending from the Gothes Moâ—res Jewes and the antient Spaniards From the Iewes they borrow superstition from the Moores Melancholy Pride from the Gothes and from the old Spaniards the desire of Liberty The Jewes first planted here by the Emperour Adrian who having totally banished them their Native Countrie sent them hither to dwell the totall number of which Plantation is said to amount to 500000. men women and children and yet their numbers much increased in the time of Vlidor Vlet the Great Caliph of the Sarazens who having made a Conquest of Sâ—ain sent hither 50000 Families of Moores and Iewes the better to assure it to him And so we have the coming in of the Moores and Iewes the Conquest of it by the Gothes and their setling here shall be shewn hereafter which severall Nations by long time and intermariages together were at last incorporated into one For their conditions it is said that they are highly conceited of themselves great Braggards and extremely proud even in the lowest ebb of Fortune Which last appeareth by the tale of the poor Cobler on his death-bed who as Barklay in his Icon Animorum reporteth the storie commanded his eldest Sonne coming to him for his last blessing to endeavour to retain the majesty worthy so great a Family Memineris said he in maâ—estaâ—em assurgere familia â—na dignam The same Author relateth another story to the like purpose A woman of this Country attended on by three of her brats went a begging from dore to dore Some French Merchants travelling that way and pittying her case offered her to take into their service the bigger of her boyes But she proud though poor scorning as she said that any of her linage should endure a Prentiship returned them this answer Quî aut tu â—ut ego sâ—iamus in quae fata sit genitus For ought that she or any kâ—ew her Sonne simple as he stood there might live to be King of Spain Not much unlike to theâ—e is that tale of a Spanish Cavaleiro who being for some faults by him committed whipped thorough the principal streets of Paris and keeping a sober pace was advised by a friend
the relation of his travels that being becalmed about these Ilands there came a Woman swiming from one of them with a Basket of fruit to sell But that which made them 〈◊〉 talked oâ— in former times was the harm done them by their Conies which here and in the neighbouring Continent increased so wonderfully that Varro telleth us of a Town in Spain undermined by them and Strabo that they did not only destroy their Plants but rooted up many of their trees Insomuch that the Inhabitants did request the Romans to give them some new seats toinhabit in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being ejected by those creatures out of their possessions whose multitudes they were not able to resist And when that could not be obtained they moved Augustus Caesar as Plinie telleth us for some aid against them who insteed of Souldiers sent them Ferrets by which their numbers were diminished in a little time These Islands were first planted by the Tyrians or Phoeniciâ—ns the founders of many of their Cities one of which in the Isle of Ebusus had the name of Phoenissa From them also they derived the Art of Slinging Made subject to the Carthaginians under the Conduct of Hanno and Himâ—ico Anno M. 5500. or thereabouts at what time the Decemvirâ— Governed Rome Under that State they remained subject till the end of the second Punick war when Carthage was no longer able to protect them made a State of themselves till conquered by Metellus the Brother of him who subdued Creet The people were much given to Piracy and seeing the Roman Navy sayling by their Coasts supposed them to be Merchant Men assaulted them and at first prevailed But the Romans getting betwixt them and the shore discovered from whence they came and forced them to an unwilling submission for which Metellus was rewarded with the honour of a Triumph Being once made a Province of Spain they alwaies after that followed the fortunes thereof In the distraction of the Empire of the Moores in Spain they were united into one Kingdom by the name of the Kingdom of Majorca won from the Moores by Raymond Earl of â—arâ—elone with the help of the Genoese 1102. By the Genoese delivered to the Moores again and from them reconquered by Iames King of Aragon descended from that Raymond Anno 〈◊〉 Of these Estates consisted the Kingdom of Majorca erected by King Iames the first immediatly on his recovery of these Ilands from the hands of the Moores and by him given unto 〈◊〉 his second Sonne who fearing the displeasure of his Brother King Peter the 3d submitted his new Kingdom to the Vâ—ssalage of the Crown of Aragon yet could not this so satisfie the ambition or jealousies of those mightier Kings as to preserve his Successors in possession of it By 〈◊〉 the 4th extorted from King Iames the fourth and last King thereof under colour of denying his accustomed â—â—mage So ended The Kings of Majorea of the House of Aragon 1. Iames the first sonne to â—ames the first King of Aragen 2. Iames I. Sonne of Iames the first 3. Ferdinand Brother of James the 2d 4. Iames III. Sonne of Ferdinand over-come and slain in battel by Pedro the 4th King of 〈…〉 and other Members of this little Kingdom remaining ever since united unto that Crown except Montpelier sold by this Iames unto the Freuch 13 ARAGON ARAGON hath on the East the Land of Rousillon and the Pyrenees on the West the two Castiles on the North Navarre on the South and South-East 〈◊〉 and some part of Valentia so called from the River Aragon by which it is divided from the Realm oâ— Navarre where the first Princes of this house having won certain Towns from the hands of the Infidels commanded as Lords Marchers under the Kings of that Realm and called themselves for that reason the Earls of Aragon spreading the name as they enlarged their bounds by ensuing conquests The Countrie lieth on both sides of the River Iberus and hath also severall Riverets as Gallâ—go Senga Xalon and Cagedo running like so many veines thorough the bodie of it yet it is generally so destitute of waters and so ill-inhabited especially towards the Mountains of the Pyrenees that one may travell many dayes and find neither Town nor house nor people But where the Rivers have their course the Case is different the Valleys yeelding plenty both of Corn and Fruits especially about Calataiub where the air is good and the soyl fruitfull The antient Inhabitants were the Celtiberi who took up a great part of Tarraconensis divided into lesser Tribes not here considerable These sprung originally from the Celâ—ae as before is said the greatest and most potent Nation of all Gallia who being too populous for their Countrey or willing to employ themselves upon new Adventures passed the Pyrenees and mingled themselves with the Iberâ— From thence the name of Celâ—iberi and Celtiberia according unto this of Lucan profugique à gente vetusta Gallorum Celtae miscentes nomen Iberi Who being chas'd from Gaule their home did frame Of Celtae and Iberi mixt one name Others of less consideration were the Jaccetani and Lacetani with parts of the Edetani and Illergetes Places of most importance in it are 1 Jacca the chief Citie heretofore of the Iaccetani seated amongst the Pyrenees and for that cause chosen for the chief seat and residence of the first Kings of Aragon continued there till the taking of Saragâ—ssa by Alfonso the first 2 Calataâ—â—b seated on Xalon in the best Countrey of Aragon so called from Aiub a Moorish Prince the first Founder of it Not far from which upon an hill stood the old Town Bilbilis a Muaicipium of the Romans and the birth-place of Martiall 3 Venasque amongst the Pyrenees 4 Balbastro on the Sâ—nga formerly called Burtina now a Bishops See 5 Lâ—rida on the River Segre as some say but others place it on the Songa which rising in the Pyrenees divideth Catâ—lonia from Aragon and so passeth into Iberus Now an Universitie called formerly Ilerda and famous for the Incounter hapning nigh unto it betwixt Herculâ—ius Treasurer or Questor to Sertorius and Mâ—â—ilius Proconsul of Gallia wherein Manilius was so discomfited and his Army consisting of 3 Legions of Foot and 1500 Horse so routed that he almost alone was scarce able to recover this Citie few of his souldiers surviving the overthow 6 Moson famous for entertaining the King of Spain every third year At which time the people of Aragon Valence and Catalogne present the King 600000 crowns viz. 300000 for Catalogne 200000 for Aragon and 100000 for Valâ—ntia And well may they thus doe for at other times they sit Rent-Free as it were only they acknowledge the King of Spain to be the head of their Common-wealth This revenue is proportionably 200000 Crowns a year all which if not more the King again expends in maintaining his Vice-Royes in their severall Provinces 7 Huesca called of old Osca somewhat South of Iaca an Universitie a place
the 12. resident at Rome John the 23. at Bononia and Bennet the 13. in Spain all three deposed by the Councell and Martin the 5. made sole Pope by the unanimous consent of the Councell declaring both by matter of fact and by a publick Constitution here made and ratified that a Councell is above the Pope The other main businesse was the proceeding against John Hus and Hierome of Prague spoken of before both which notwithstanding the Emperours safe conduct were here condemned of Heresie degraded and burnt Now the manner of degrading a priest is this I hope to be excused for this digression The party to be degraded is attired in his priestly Vestments holding in the one hand a Chalice full of wine and water and in the other a guilt plate or Paten as they call it with a Wafer Then kneeling down the Bishops Deputy first taking from him all those things commands him to say no more Masses for the quick and dead 2 Scraping his fingers ends with a piece of glasse he commandeth him from that time forth not to ballow any thing and 3 stipping him of his priestly habit he is clothed in a lay attire and so delivered over to the Secular Magistrate But to return again to the City of Constance being proscribed by Charles the fift for refusing the Interim and not able to withstand such forces as were raised against them they put themselves under the Protection of Ferdinand then King of the Romans and brother of Chalres But herein they fell out of the Frying-pan into the fire as the saying is For Ferdinand being possessed of the Town seised on the common Treasury and upon all Records and writings which belonged unto them set out an Edict that all the Ministers within eight daies should depart the City and that no Citizen from thenceforth should wear any weapon And so instead of a Protectour he became their Master Chief Cities in the part hereof lying towards Bavaria which is called the ALGOW are 1. Buchaw on the lake called Feder-zee a Town Imperiall 2. Ravenspurg a Free City seated amongst mountains whereof one hangeth over it the River Ach running by it in a bed so narrow that not able to receive the waters which fall down from the hils it much endamageth all the Countrey by frequent Land-flouds 3. Woongen the Nemavia of Antoninus Imperiall also 4. Kempten the Campodunum of Strabo and 5. Mimmegen the Drusomagus of Ptolemy both Imperiall Cities the last about three miles in circuit populous rich and very well traded 6. Psullendorf 7. Zeukirk 8. Bibrach all three Imperiall the last supposed to be the Bragodurum of the Ancients 9. Ausburg on the River Lech looking into Bavaria first made a Roman Colony by Augustus Caesar and by him called Augusta Vindelicorum The principall City in those times of the Vindelici a potent people of this tract A City of great wealth and state containing about nine miles in circuit and very strongly fortified by nature on the East and North where the ground lies low and under water and on the West and South by Art The buildings for three parts of it are of clay and timber but on the West part seated on an hill built of Free-stone six or seven stories high in which are many fair houses of the principall Citizens and many stately Palaces which belong to the Fuggars a family of very great almost Princely Revenues possessed of many goodly dwellings both in the City and the Suburbs and adjoyning territories who though they have of late obtained the honour of Barons in regard of their wealth still keep themselves contrary to the custome of Germanie where traffick is counted a disgrace to a Noble man to the trade of Merchandise The publick Edifices of it very decent especially the Cathedrall Church a majestick building the other Churches ten in number and the Religious houses correspondent to it Of old time Ceres was here worshipped from whence or from the fruitfulnesse of the soile the City gives a sheaf of corn for the Armes thereof since their conversion unto Christianity made a Bishops See Destroyed by Attila and his Hunnes it was after built more beatifully then it had been formerly at last made Imperiall and the Mistresse of as large a territory as most Cities of Germany Famous for the confession of faith exhibited in this place to Charles the 5 by the Protestant Princes hence called Confessio Augustanae anno 1530. 2 For the Interim or mixt forme of Doctrine containing some points of Brotestantisâ—e but most of Popery here tendred to both parties by the said Emperour but received by neither to be subscribed to and observed till the differences could be setled by a Generall Councâ—ll And 3 for the publick allowance here given by Decree of all the States of the Empire to the Protestant party to professe openly their Religion without any impeachment anno 1555. a Limitationly laid on the Ecclesiasticks that if they changed their Religion they should lose their preferments which were to be bestowed on others more addicted to the See of Rome In the third part hereof called BRISGOW lying on the East of the River Rhene and the West of Wirtenberg places of most importance are 1 Friburg upon the Triesse and other streams descending from the mountains of Swartzen-wald under which it lyeth founded by Berchthold Earl or Duke of Zeringen the Castle of Zeringen once the chief seat of those Princes being then near adjoyning to it in the reign of Henry the 5 Emperour anno 1112 or thereabouts Famous in those daies for silver-mines now for an University here established anno 1459. and being in present estimation the chief of the Countrey 2 Offenbach 3 Gengenbach both upon the Kintrich and both Towns Imperiall the first so named from Offa an English Saxon the Apostle of these parts of Germanie 4 Hochberg which gives the title of a Marquesse to the Marquesses of Baden who are Lords thereof 5 Zel once Imperiall but of late times belonging as doth also 6 Badenwille to the Marquesse of Baden 7 Waldshut upon the Rhene in a barren cold and mountainous Countrey but well stored with woods 8. Brisach by Antonine called Mons Brisiacus a garrison in his time against the incroaching Almains and situate at that time on the French side of the Rhene the course of the River being since turned on the other side where now it runneth Built Castle-wise on the top of a round hill in which there is also a strong Tower or Fortresse raised by Berchthold the third for defence of the place otherwise strong enough by its own naturall situation and might be made impregnable but for want of water which is all drawn from one deep well in the heart of the Town or brought with great charge and trouble from the Rhene which runs underneath it The Town fair populous and well built once of most note in all the Countrey from hence called Brisac-gow or Brise-gow but after the building of
runneth through the whole Countrie and in antient times was called Suevus supposed by some and not improbably either to give name to the Suevians or to take it from them that potent Nation inhabiting originally betwixt this and the Elb. 6 Trabeli upon the Nisse Cotthuse upon the Spre or Suevus which together with some part of the Lower Lusatia belongs unto the Marquesses of Brandenbourg The first Inhabitants hereof are by some supposed and but supposed to be the Sonones of Tacitus in the partition of these parts of Germany amongst the Selaves made subject to the Winithi or Venedi the greatest and most spreading Nation of all these People When and by whom first made a Marquisate I am not able to say for certain but sure I am it hath beene very much given to the change of Masters It had first a Marquesse of its own Conrade the Marquesse hereof who dyed in the yeare 1156. being by the Emperour Henry the fift made Marquesse of Misnia added it unto that Estate remaining for some time united to it After being seized on by the Poles it was sold by Frederick the second Marquesse and Electour of Brandenbourg who keeping Coâ—thouse and some other Townes bordering next upon him in his own possession surrendered the rest on composition to George King of Bohemia claiming it from a Grant made by Henry the fourth to Vratislaus the first Bohemian King anno 1087. A grant on which no possession followed unlesse it were the Homage and acknowledgement of the Princes of it holding it afterwards of that Crown as the Lord in chief Thus have we brought these four Provinces into the power and Possession of the Kings of Bohemia remaining still distinct in their Laws and Governments as severall limbs of the great body of the Sclaves made up into one Estate though joined together in the person of one supreme Governour who is severally admitted and acknowledged by each Province distinctly for it selfe and not by any one of them in the name of the rest Out of all which so laid together there may be raised the summe of three millions of Crowns yearly for the Kings Revenues towards the defrayment of all charges The Armes of this Kingdom are Mars a Lyon with a forked tail Luna crowned Sol. Which Arms were first given by Frederick Barbarossa to Vladislaus the third made by him King of Bohemia in regard of the good service hee had done him at the siege of Millain And though Vladislaus was deposed by the States of that Kingdome because never formally and legally elected by them yet his successours keep those Armes to this very day 14. BRANDENBOVR The Marquisate of BRANDENBOVRG is bounded on the East with the Kingdome of Poland on the West with Mecklenbourg and the Dukedome of Lunebourg on the North with Pomerania and on the South with Misnia Lusatia and Silesia so called from Brandenbourg the chief Town of it and because once the Marches of the Empire against the Sclaves divided afterwards into the Old the New and the Middle Marches according as they were extended further towards Poland by little and little as the Emperours were able to get ground of those potent people The Countrey containeth in length from East to West 60 Dutch or 240 Italian miles and is of correspondent breadth the whole compasse making up 540 miles of the last accompt Within which tract are comprehended 55 Cities or walled Townes 80 Townes of trade Mark-stecken or Market Townes as they commonly call them 38 Castles or Mansion-houses of Noblemen 17 Monasteries and 10 Parkes well stored with beasts of game the Countrey otherwise considering the extent thereof but thinly inhabited nor well provided of necessaries excepting corn of which these North-East Countreys afford very great plenty 1 ALTEMARK or the OLD MARCK so called because the antient Marches of the Empire against the Sclaves lyeth betwixt Lawenbourg and the Elb with which it is bounded on the East Chief Townes thereof 1 Tangermond on the Elb where it receives the River Tonagra or Augra honoured sometimes with the Residence of Charles the fourth 2 Stendall the chief of these Old Marches 3 Soltwedel divided into two Townes the old and the new 4 Gurdeleben fortified with the strong Castle of Eishimpe 5 Osterberg 6 Senhunâ—en said by some but falsely to be so called from the Senones whom they would make the old Inhabitants of this Country by all good Writers made to be originally a Gallick Nation 7 Werb of which little memorable In the MIDDLE-MARCHES or VPPER MARCH lying betwixt the Elb and the River Odera the Towns of most note are 1 Butzaw a Commendatarie of the Templars in former times 2 Spandaw upon the Spre a well fortified peece 3 Oderburg called so from that River on which it is situate remarkable for a strong Castle built by Marquesse Albert the second at which all passengers by water are to pay their Toll 4 Brandenbourg on the River Havel a Bishops See the Seat of the Lords Marchers in former times taking name from hence By some said to be built by Brennus Captain of the Gaules more truely by one Brando a Prince of the Franconians anno Ch. 140. 5 Frankefort for distinction sake named ad Oderam on which River situate the soil about it being so plentifully stored with Corn and Wines that it is not easie to affirm whether Bacchus or Ceres bee most enamoured of it It was made an Vniversitie by Marquesse Joachim anno 1506. and is also a flourishing and famous Emporie though not comparable to that of the other Franckefort seated on the Meine 6 Berlin the ordinary Residence of the Marquesse situate on the River Spre or Suevus which rising in Lusatia falleth into the Albis 7 Havelbourg on the River Havel a Bishops See who acknowledgeth the Archbishop of Magdebourg for his Metropolitan 3. In the NEWMARCK extending from Odera to the borders of Poland and called so because last conquered and added to the account of the German Empire there is Custrine a very strong and defensible town seated on the two Rivers Warts and Odera fortified with great charge by John sonne of Marquesse Joachim and by him intended for his seat 2 Sunnerberg and 3 Landsberg both upon the Waâ—t 4 Soldin in former times the chief of this Marck 5 Berlinch or New Berlin and 6 Falkenberg a strong town and fortified with as strong a Castle towards Pomerania The first inhabitants of this Country were the Varini and Naithones part of the great nation of the Suevians and after them the Helvoldi Wilini Beirani and other Tribes of the Winithi the greatest nation of the Sclaves who possessed themselves of it But Brandenbourg being wonne from them by the Emperour Henry the first anno 920. at what time the Gospell was first preached amongst them the Country hereabouts was given by him to Sigifride Earl of Ringelheim eldest sonne of Theodorick the second Earl of Oldenburg a valiant Gentleman with the title of Marquesse or
that the greatest ships of burden may saile up to the City the Port within the Strait being so safe and capacious that it is able to receive at one time 300 sail which usually ride there without any Anchour The Castle of this City is conceived to be one of the strongest holds in the world fortified for the more assurance of it with 400 brasse peeces many of which are double Canons 3 Nicopen a Sea town on the same Bay also These three are in that part hereof which is called Vpland Then there is 4 Strengnes an Episcopall See and 5 Telge on the lake of Meler in the Province of Suderman the title and estate of Charles father of Gustavus Adolphus late King of Sweden before his getting of the Crown called Duke of Suderman Next in the Province of Westman there are 6 Arbogen on the West side of the said Lake of Meler and 7 Arose rich in silver mines out of which are made the best Dollars of Sweden the mines here being so rich and profitable that out of every fifteen pound weight of silver the workmen draw a pound weight of gold 8 Helsinge upon the Bay of Bodner in the Province of Helsingen taking name from hence 9 Ozebo or Ourbou a strong piece in Nerisia and 10 Lesinger on the Bay of Bodner one of the furthest North of Sweden distinctly and specially so called LAPLAND LAPLAND the most Northern part of all Scandia hath on the East Russia on the West the Province or Prefecture of Wardhuys in the kingdome of Norwey on the North the main frozen Ocean and on the South Bodia or Bodden on both sides of the Bay so called It is named thus originally from the Lappi or Lappones the Inhabitants of it as they are from their blockish behaviour the word Lappon signifying the same with ineptus or insulsus in Latine for such they are rude barbarous and without the knowledge of Arts or Letters as also without corn and houses or any certain habitations except onely in Finmarch feeding for the most part on fish and the flesh of wild beasts with the skins whereof sowed together they hide their nakednesse Generally they are meer Idolaters giving divine honour all day following to that living creature whatsoever it be which they see at their first setting out in the morning great Sorcerers and abhorring the sight of strangers whom till of late they used to flee from at their first approach but within few yeares past beginning to be more sociable and familiar In a word they are the true descendants of the Antient Finni possessed in old times of all that tract which lyeth betweene the Bay of Finland and the Frozen Ocean whose naturall rudenesse and barbaritie unmixt with the conditions of more civill people they doe still retain It is divided into the Eastern and the Western Lapland The former appertaining to the Knez or Great Duke of Muscovie by which people the Inhabitants are called Dikiloppi or the wild Lappians is subdivided into Biarmia and Corelia of which if there be any thing in them worth taking notice of wee shall there speake more The latter doth belong to the Crown of Sweden subdivided into 2 parts also that is to say Finmarch and 2 Scricfinnia 1 FINMARCH being that part hereof which lyeth next to Norwey is the more populous of the two the people for the most part idolatrous but by the neighbourhood of the Norwegians and resort of strangers unto Wardhuys and the parts adjoining somewhat civilized and in the borders of both kingdoms savouring of Religion possessed of sheds or sorry houses those houses reduced to parishes under the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Vpsal the chiefe of which if there be any chief amongst them are named 1 Samman and 2 Hielso Called Finmarch as the antient bounds and Marches of the Finni of whom more anon and therefore erroneously by Maginus made a part of the kingdom of Norwey 2 SCRICFINNIA lyeth between Finmarch and Russia the name derived from the Finni a great people of Scandia and Scriken a Dutch word signifying leaping sliding or bounding for such is their gate An â—tymologie not much inprobable in that the wooden-soled shoes with sharp bottomes which they used for their more speedy sliding over the yee of which this countrey is full are by the Germans who also use them called Scriâ—eshoeâ—ne or sliding-shoes The ancient Writers call this people Scrictofinni These are indeed the naturall and proper Laplanders and unto these the former character doth of right belong Of stature very low little more then Pigmeys but strong and active well skilled in Archerie and patient of cold and labour Much given to hunting of wild beasts whom they kill with their bowes devoure the flesh and cloath themselves with their skins which they tie at the top of their heads and leave no place open but for the sight giving thereby occasion unto some to write that they are hairie all over like kine or horses Such Deere whereof they have great plenty as they take unkilled they make to draw in little carts as they shift their Quarters But having served them for a while they are killed at last though perhaps for nothing but their skinnes a certaine number of which they pay yeerly to the King of Sweden in the way of tribute Three companies of these Laplanders so clad and armed as aforesaid came into Germanie in the year 1630 to serve Gustavus in those wars looked on with admiration by all spectators Townes we must look for none here where no houses be and yet there are some sheds and cabbins on the Sea shore which Mariners having made for their refreshment when they came on land have bestowed some names on and possibly in time may become good townes now not worth the naming BODIA BODIA BODEN or BODNER is situate on the South of Scricfinnia betwixt it and the Bay or Gulfe hence named extending southwards on the West side of it till it joines to Sweden and on the East side till it meet with the Province of Finland Hence the division of this countrey into the Eastern Northern and Western Bodden with reference to the situation of it on the Bay aforesaid The countrey not very plentifull of grain or fruites but full of great variety of wilde beasts whose rich skins yeeld great profit unto the Inhabitants and by reason of the commodious situation on all sides of the Bay well stored with Fish Antiently it was part of the possessions of the Finni but how or whence it had the name of Bodia or Bodden or Bodner I am yet to learn But whence soever it had the name certain I am that from hence the Gulfe adjoining is called Sinus Bodicus Bodner Zee by the Dutch or Germans Chief Townes here in are 1 Barkara in West Bodden betwixt the Bay and a great navigable lake 2 Gernia a well traded Emporie at the very bottom of the Bay in North Bodden 3 Helsingeliac more North
unlesse reduced to extreme bondage by their Kings which he wished not neither took the advantage of the minoritie of Charilaus to new mould the Government and what he could not doe by fair means to effect by Arms forcing this Charilaus though his Nephew when he came to age to flie for sanctuarie to the Temple of Juno Having ordained what Laws he pleased and setled such a form of government as himself best fancied the better to decline the envie of so great a change he got leave to travail binding the people by an oath to observe all his laws untill his return and being gone commanded at his death that his ashes should be cast into the Sea lest being carryed back to Sparta the people might conceive themselves released from their oath By means whereof his Laws continued in force near 700 years during which time that Common-wealth did flourish in all prosperity the particulars of which Institutions he that lists to see may finde them specified at large by Photareh in the life of Lycurgus Suffice it that the Discipline was so sharp and strict that many went into the wars for no other reason then on an hope to rid themselves from so hard a life and that Diogenes returning hence to the Citie of Athens gave out that he returned from men to women 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And being asked in what part of Greece he had met with the compleatest men made answer that he could no where meet with men but that he had found some boyes amongst the Spartans A Cynicall and rugged answer but such as carryed a great deal of judgment in it the Spartans being more stout and resolute in all their actions and lesse effeminate in their lives then the rest of the Grecians But besides the strictnesse of the discipline under which they lived there was another thing which made them wish for wars abroad namely the little or no power which either the Kings or People had in civil matters and affairs of State entirely left to the disposing of the Senate and the power of the Ephori So that the Kings having by the laws the command of their armies were willing to engage in war upon all occasion and the common people as desircus to attend them in such employments as the Kings could wish Upon these grounds the war is made a trade amongst them beginning with the Helots a neighbouring people then with the rest of the Lacenians afterwards quarrelling the Messenians their old Confederates all which they severally subdued and made subject to them In the warre which Xerxes made against the City of Athens their King Leouid as the first of the elder house went forth to aid them slain at the straights of Thermopyloe courageously fighting for the liberty of Greece and when it was thought fit to set upon the Persian Fleet Eurybiades the Spartan Admirall did command in chief In pursuit of the this war against the Persians Pausanias and Agesilaus were of most renown the first in helping the Athenians to drive them out of Greece the other in making war upon them in their own Dominions Freed from the Persians they grow jealous of the State of Athens whom they looked on as their Rivals in point of Soveraignty and glory Hence the long warre betwixt these Cities called Bellam Peloponnesiacum managed for the most part in Peloponnesus from thence transferred into Sicil and at last ended in the taking of Athens the Government whereof they changed into an Aristocratie under 30 Magistrates of their own appointment commonly called the thirty tyrants Proud of this fortunate successe their next quarrell was with the Boeotians the conquered Athenians covertly and the Persians openly assisting the enemy Here their prosperity began to leave them For besides many small defeats Epaminondas the Theban so discomsited them at the overthrowes of Leuctres and Maxtinea that Sparta it selfe was in danger of utter ruine Not long after happened the Holy warre chiefly undertooke against the Phocians wherein also they made a party but this warre being ended by King Philip they scarce breathed more freedome than he gave air to But when Alexanders Captains fought for the Empire of their Master all these flourishing Republiques were either totally swallowed into or much defaced by the Kingdome of Macedon The Lacedoemonians held the chief strongth of a Town to consist in the valour of the people and therefore would never suffer Sparta to be walled till the times immediately following the death of Alexander the Great yet could not those fortifications then defend them from Antigonus Doson King of Macedon who having vanquished Cleomenes King of Sparta entred the Town and was the first man that ever was received into it as Conqueror So much different were the present Spartans from the valour and courage of their ancestours Cleomenes being forced to forsake his countrey and the race of the Heraclidoe failing in him they became a prey to Machanidus and Nabis two wicked Tyrants from whom they were no sooner freed but they were made subject in a manner to the power of Rome and in the end the Town so weak and inconsiderable that it was not able to resist the poorest enemy now a small Burrough called Misithra And so I leave them to the thoughts of their former glories having now nothing dseto boast of but the fame and memory of their actions in former times ARGOLIS so called from the chief City Argos is bounded on the South with Laconia on the West with Corinthia and Achaia Propria on the East and North with the Sea A territorie remarkable for a most excellent breed of Horses and from thence called Hippium Places of most importance in it 1 Argos founded by Argus the fourth King of this countrey and the chief of this Kingdome Memorable as for other things so 1 for the death of Pyrrhus King of Epirus who having forced his entry into it was here ignobly slaine after all his victories by the hands of an old woman throwing a Tyle at him from the top of an house 2 For the long race of the Kings hereof from Inachus the cotemporary of our Father Abraham anno 2003. unto Acrisius their last King Whose daughter Danae being shut up in a Tower of Brasse was deflowred by Jupiter to whom she bare the renowned Perseus so memorised in antient Poets But Perseus having by misfortune slain his Grandfather the old King Acrisius quitted the City of Argos as unlucky to him and transferred the Kingdome to Mycenae a City of his own foundation and so better fancied by means hereof the second City of esteem in this little Province Growing in small time unto so great riches that it got the name of dites Mycenoe as appeareth by Horace in whom the Horses of Argos and the wealth of Mycene are placed in one verse together Aptum dicis equis Argos ditesque Mycenas For horses Argos is of fame For wealth Mycenoe hath the name 3 Troezen situate on the Sinus Argolicus now
situation more amongst the Mountains had also the name of Galilea Gentium or Galilee of the Gentiles And that either because it lay betwixt the Gentiles and the rest of the Iews or because a great part of it had been gâ—ven by Solomon to the Kings of Tyre But for what cause soever it was called so first certain it is it had this name unto the last known by it in the time of the Apostles as appeareth by Saint Matthews Gospel chap. 4. ver 15. The Lower Galilee is situate on the South of the other memorable for the birth and Education of our blessed Saviour whom Iulian the Apostata called for this cause in scorn the Galilean as for the same the Disciples Generally had the name of Galileans imposed upon them till that of Christian being a name of their own choosing did in fine prevail Both or the greater part of both known in the New Testament by the name of Decapolis or Regio Decapolitant mentioned Mat. 4. 25. Mark 7. 31. So called from the ten principal Cities of it that is to say 1. Caesarea Philippi 2. Aser 3. Cedes-Nepthalim 4. Sephet 5. Chorazim 6. Capernaum 7. Bethsaiâ—â— 8. Jotopata 9. Tiberias and 10. Scythopolis By which accompt it stretched from the Mediteranean to the head of Jordan East and West and from Libanus to the hills of Gilboa North and South which might make up a square of forty miles With reference to the Tribes of Israel the whole Galilee was so disposed of that Aser Nepthalim and a part of the tribe of Dan had their habitation in the Higher Zabulom and Issachar in the Lower according to which distribution we will now describe them 1. The Tribe of NAPHTHALI was so called from NAPHTHALI the sixt Sonne of Jacob begotten on Bilhah the handmaid of Rachel of whom at their first muster were found 53400 fighting men and at the second 44540 able to bear armes The land alotted to them lay on the West-side of the River Jordan opposite to the Northen parts of Ituraea where before we left having on the East the Tribe of Aser and that of Zabulun on the South Within which tract were certain Cities which they never conquered and one which appertained to the Tribe of Dan the chief of those which were with-holden by the Gentiles being Chalcis Abila Heliopolis Cities accompted of as belonging to Coele-Syria where they have been spoken of already That which did appertain to the Tribe of DAN lay on the North-east part hereof confronting the most Northen parts of Ituraea as before was said where the Danites held one Town of moment besides many others of less note And it seemed destined to this Tribe by some old presage the Eastern fountain of Jordan which hath its originall in this tract being called Dan at the time of the defeat which Abraham gave to Cherdor laomer and his Associates hundreds of years before this Tribe had ever a possession in it Of which see Gen. 14. v. 14. The Town of moment first called Leshem by some Writers Laish afterwards subject or allied to the Kings of Sidon and upon strength thereof made good against those of Naphthali but taken by some Adventurers of the Tribe of Dan. Of whom it is said Josuah 19. 47. that finding their own Countrey too little for them they went up and fought against Leshem which they took and called D A N. Accompted after this exploit the utmost bound Northward of the land of Cantan the length thereof being measured from Dan in the North unto Beersheba in the South remarkable for one of the Golden Calves which was placed here by Ieroboam and for the two spring-heads of Iordan rising neer unto it When conquered by the Romans it was called Paneas from a fountain adjoining of that name which with the territory about it after the death of Zenodorus who held it of the Roman Empire as before is said was given by Augustus Caesar unto Herod the Great and by him at his decease to Philip his youngest Sonne with the Tetrarchy of Ituraea and Trachonitis By him repaired and beautified it was called Caesarea Philippi partly to curry favour with Tiberius Caesar partly to preserve the memory of his own name and partly to distinguish it from another Caesarea situate on the shores of the Mediterranean and called Caesarea Palestinae and being so repaired by him it was made the Metropolis of that Tetrarchy Mentioned by that name Mat. 16. 13. when Saint Peter made that confession or acknowledgement of his Lord and Master That he was CHRIST the Sonne of the living God By King Agrippa who succeeded him in his estates in honour of the Emperour Nerâ— it was called Neronia But that and the Adjunct of Philippi were of no continuance the Town being called Caesarea Paneaa in the time of Ptolomy and simply Paneas as before in the time of Saint Hierome Of this Caesarea was tha woman whom our Saviour cured of a bloody Flux by touching but the hem of his garment who in a pious gratitude of so great a mercy erected two Statuaes in this place representing CHRIST and her self kneeling at his feet remaining here entire till the time of Iulian the Apostata by whose command it was cast down and a Statua of his own set up in the place thereof miraculously destroyed by a fire from heaven the City being at that time and long time before an Episcopal See Of less note there were 1. Haleb and 2. Reccath both situate in the confines of it And not far off the strong Town and Castle of 3. Magdala the habitation as some say of Mary Magdalen where the Pharisees desired a signe of our Saviour CHRIST as is said Mat. 15. 39. and 16. 1. the same or some place neer unto it being by Saint Mark reporting the same part of the Story called Dalmanutha chap. 8. 10. 11. But whether this Castle did antiently belong to these Danites or to those of Naphthali or to the Half Tribe of Manasses beyond the River I am not able to determine Of those which were in the possession of the Tribe of NAPHTHALI the Cities of most eminent observation were 1. Hazor or Azor by Junius and Tremelius called Chatzâ—â—â— the Regal City and Metropolis of all the Canaanites memorable for the Rendez-vous of 24. Canaamâ—â— Kings in the war with Joâ—uah by whom it was taken notwithstanding and burnt to ashes But being afterwards re-built it became the Regal Seat of Jabin the King of the Canaanites who so grievously for the space of 20. years afflicted Israel till vanquished by Deborah and Barak Destroyed in that warre and repaired by Solomon it continued in so good estate in our Saviours time that it was then one of the ten Cities of Decapolis in being still but known by the name of Antiopta 2. Cape naum seated on the River Jordan where it falleth into the Sea of Galilee of which Country it was accompted the Metropolis in the time of our Saviour with whose presence
fift on what day soever for on that he came into the world in that he took K. Francis Prisoner at the battel of Pavâ—e and on the same received the Imperial Crown But to return unto the Temple we find that on the Sabbath or Saturday it was taken by Pampey on the same by Herod and on that also by Titus But goe we forwards to Hierusalem as now it standeth it lay in rubbish and unbuilt after the destruction of it by Titus till repaired by Adrian and then the Temple not so much as thought of till out of an ungodly policy in the Reign of Julian that Politick Enemy of the Church who to diminish the infinite number of Christians by the increase of the Jews began again to build this Temple But no sooner were the foundations laid but a terrible Earth-quake cast them up again and fire from Heaven consumed the Tools of the Workmen together with the Stones Timber and other materials As for the City it self after the desolation in it which was made by Titus it was re-edified by the Emperour Aelius Adrianus who named it Aelia drave thence the Jews and gave it to the Christians But this new City was not built in the place of the old For within this Mount Calvary is comprehended which was not in the Old before As on the other side a great part of Mount Sion part of the City of Herod and the Soyl where the New City stood are left out of this the ruines of the other still remaining visible to shew the antient greatness and magnificence of it To look upon it then as it stands at present it is now onely famous for the Temple of the Sepulchre built by Helena whom most report to have been daughter to Corlus a British King Mother to Constantine the great Much a doe had the good Lady to find the place where the LORDS body had been laid for the Jews and Heathens had raised great hillocks on the place and built there a Temple of Venus This Temple being plucked down and the earth dâ—gged away she found the three Crosses whereon our blessed Saviour and the two Theeves had suffered To know which of these was the right Cross they were all carried to a woman who had been long visited with sickness and now lay at the point of death The Crosses of the two Theeves did the weak woman no good but as soon as they laid on her the Cross on which the Lord died she leaped up and was restored to her former health This Temple of the Sepuâ—chre even at the first building was highly reverenced and esteemed by the Christians of these parts and even untill our daies it is much resorted to both by Pilgrims from all the parts of the Romish Church who fondly and superstitiously hope to merit by their journey and also by divers Gentlemen of the reformed Churches who travell hitherward partly for curiosity partly for love to the antiquity of the place and partly because their generous spirits imitate the heaven and delight in motion Whosoever is admitted to the sight of this Sepulchre payeth nine crowns to the Turkish Officers so that this â—ribute onely is worth to the Grand Signeur eighty thousand Duckats yearly The other building generally very mean and poor if not contemptible Built of flint stones Low and but one rock high flat on the tops for men to walk on and fenced with battlements of a yard in hight to preserve them from falling the under-rooms no better than vaults where they repose themselves in the heat of the day Some houses neer the Temple of Solomon and the Palace of Herod adorned with Arches toward the Street where the passenger may walk dry in a showr of rain but not many such nor any thing but the ruins left of the antient buildings The whole circuit of it reduced to two or three miles and yet to those which take a survey thereof from some hills adjoining where the ruines are not well discerned from the standing edifices it affordeth to the eye no unpleasing prospect And as the place is such is the people inhabited for the most part by Artizans of the meanest quality gathered together of the scumme of divers Nations the greatest part consisting of Moores and Arabians a few poor Christians of all the Orientall Sects which dwell there for devotion and some Turks who for the profit which they make of Christians are content to stay in it Insomuch that when Robert Duke of Normandy being then not cured of his wounds and was carried into this City on the backs of some of this rascal people he called to a Gentleman of his who was going for England and bad him say that he saw Duke Robert carried into Heaven on the backs of devils Come we now to the Tribe of LEVI though indeed not reckoned for a Tribe because not planted close together as the other were nor had whole Provinces to themselves but mingled and dispersed amongst the rest of the people having forty eight Cities assigned them for their habitation proportionably taken out of the other Tribes So was it ordered by the Lord partly that they being set apart for his Service might be at hand in every place to instruct the People and partly to fulfill the Prophecy which he had spoken by Jacob who had fore-signified to Levi at the time of his death that he should be divided in Jacob and scattered in Israel The like fortune he had prophesied of Simeon also of the accomplishment whereof so far as it refered to him and the dispersion of his Tribe we have spoken before Now to make up the number of the twelve Tribes Joseph was divided into Ephraim and Manasses and the Levites were reckoned to belong unto that Tribe within whose territorie that City which they dwelt in stood Their maintenance was from the tenths or tithes the first fruits offerings and Sacrifices of the People and as it is in the eighteenth of Joshua v. the seventeenth The Priesthood of the Lord was their inheritance There were of them four kinds 1. Punies or Tirones which from their childhood till the five and twentieth year of their age learned the duty of their offices 2. Graduates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which having spent four years in the study of the Law were able to answer and oppose in it 3. Licenciates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which did actually exercise the Priestly function And 4. Doctors Rabbins they use to call them who were the highest in degree For maintenance of whom they had as before is said the Tithes first fruits and offerings of all the rest of the People besides the 48 Cities assigned for their habitation which last with the severall territories appertaining to them extending every way for the space of two thousand Cubits seems to have been a greater proportion of it self than any of the other Tribes with reference to the small number of the Levites had in their possessions Then for the Tithes
unto Edom whom he overcame and put Garrisons into all their Cities and the Edomites became his servants Governed from thenceforth by a Deputy or Vice-Roy as is said before till the time of Joram the Son of Jehosophat King of Judah in whose Reign they revolted as before was said Never regained to that Crown and but twice endeavoured that so the word of God might be all in all Onely the Simeonites in the reign of Hezekiah wanting pasture for their cattel and room for themselves seized on the parts which lay neerest to them destroyed the inhabitants thereof and dwelt in their habitations because there was pasture for their flocks 1. Chron. 4. 39. Provoked wherewith and with the natural Antipathy which was between them No people were more mischievously bent against Judah than these Edomites were no men so forward of themselves to assist Nabuchadonosor against Hierusalem none that so vehemently cryed Down with it down unto the ground none half so ready to set fire to the holy Temple But they got little by this service to the Babylonians their own thraldome following close upon that of Judah with whom made fellow-subjects to the Chaldaeans as afterwards to the Persians and Kings of Syria of the race of Seleucus In the declining of that house subdued by Hyrcanus the Son of Simon the fourth of the Maccabaean Princes by whom they were compelled to be Circumcised and to receive the Law of Moses not onely reckoned after that as a Province of the Jewish Kingdome but as naturall Jews Which notwithstanding and that the setting of that Crown on the head of Herod and his house being originally Idumaenus might in all reason have extinguished their inveterate malice yet was their hatred of that Nation as great as ever Forgetting therefore how they had been rewatded by the Babylonians they would needs aid the Romans against them also putting themselves into Hierusalem when besieged by Titus onely of purpose to betray it joyning with the seditious there doing more mischief in the City than the enemy had done without and finally setting fire to the second Temple as they had done unto the first Subjected afterwards by the Romans they followed the same fortune with the rest of Palestine Having thus gon through with the story of those neighbouring Nations which encompassed Canaan it will be seasonable to look on the affairs of the Canaanites first and after of the house of Jacob who possessed their Countrey First for the Canaanites they descended from Canaan the son of Cham who with his eleven sons were here setled immediatly after the confusion at Babel Of those twelve taking in the Father five planted in Phoenicia and the coasts of Syria that is to say Sidon Harki Arvadi Semari and Hamathi the other seven in those parts which we now call Palestine though not all of that the Edomites Moabites Midianites Ammonites and Ituraeans being Occupants or Tenants with them And of those seven came those seven Nations which by Gods appointment were totally to be rooted out viz. the Canaanites the Amorites the Hittites the Iebusites the Hivites the Gergeshites and the Perizites But from which of the sons of Canaan these last descended is not yet agreed on unless perhaps they were descended of the Sinites not otherwise reckoned in this muster and got the name of Perizites on some new occasion Governed at first by the Chiefest of their severall Families with the names of Kings the number of which increased as their Families were subdivided into smaller branches insomuch as Iosuah found 31 Kings of the Cannanites onely besides what might descend from those who were setled in Phoenicia and the borders of Syria The most potent of those Nations were the Amorites the Iebusites and the Chanaanites properly so called Of which the Amorites had not onely inlarged their borders beyond Iordan but in the reigns of Og and Sihon ruling at the same time in their severall parts had thrust the Ituraeans Ammonites and Moabites out of most of their Countries and so restored the same again to the race of the Emmims and Zanzummims of which they were who had been dispossessed thereof by the Sons of Lot These vanquished in the time of Moses and their habitations assigned over to the Tribes of Reuben Gad and the one half-tribe of Manasses The Canaanites properly so called as they were the first which fought with the house of Iacob so they were the last of all these people that contended with them They first fought with them under the conduct of Arad their King who thinking it more safe and prudent to encounter the Enemy in an other mans Countrey than to expect them in his own gave battell unto Moses in the Desarts of Moab and having cut off some of the out-parts of his Army and taken a few Prisoners he went home again But Iabin under whom they made their second onset went to work more resolutely and taking a time when the iniquities of that People cried loud for vengeance so prevailed against them that he tyrannized over them for the space of 20 years After which time his Army being discomfited by Baraâ— in the time of Debora Sisera his great Captain slain by Iael the wife of Heber the Kenite and most of his Cities taken and possessed by the Israelites he perished himself in the close of that war for it is said that they prevailed against Iabin the King of Canaan till they had destroyed him Judg. 4. 24. As for the Iebusites they were grown so formidable at the time of the comming of the Hebrews to the rest of their neighbours that their King Adonibezek bragged that he had cut off the thumbs and great toes of 70 Kings and made them eat the crums which fell under his table But being vanquished by Iudah he was served in the same kind himself by Iudah and Simeon and carried to Hicrusalem where he died the whole Countrey of the Iebusites and the City of Hierusalem it self the fortress of Mount Zion excepted onely being made a prey unto the Victor And though the Iebusites held that fortess till the time of David yet being they were onely on the defensive side and made no open war against those of Israel I reckon the Canaanites as the last which did contend with them for the chief command The Canaanites thus conquered and for the most part worn out of the Countrey the Israelites succeeded in their possessions according to the promise of God made to Abraham renewed to Isaac and confirmed to Iacob Governed after the death of Moses and Josuah by the Congregation of the Elders as appears by many passages in the book of Iudg. the Iudges as the Scripture calleth them not being the ordinary Magistrates but raised up occasionally by God for some speciall purpose according to the exigence of their affairs Carrying in this a likeness unto the Dictators in the State of Rome So that the Government at the first was an Aristocratie though to say truth it rather
Ratze 7. 939 321 7. Muctade 4. 943 325 8. Musteraphs 2. 947 325 9. Macia and Taia 44. 989 361 10. Kadar 41. 1030 412 11. Kaim 5. 1035 417 12. Muctadi 60. 1095 477 13. Mustetaher 22. 1117 499 14. Musteraschad 18. 1135 517 15. Raschid 25. 1160 542 16. Musteneged 9. 1169 551 17. Mustazi 10. 1179 561 18. Narzi 39. 1225 597 19. Taher 20. Mustenatzer 1255 638 21. Mustatzem the last Caliph or High-Priest of the Saracens of Bagdet or Babylon living in the accompt of a Prince or an Emperour or looked on as the Supreme Lord of the Saracen Empire starved in his Castle of Bagdet and his whole posterity rooted out by Allan or Halon the Tartar in the first year of his reign Yet there is still remaining a carcass of the old body one whom they call Caliph at whose hands the neighbour Princes use to receive their Diadems and regalities so we find Solyman the Magnificent after his conquest of Chaldaea Mesopotamia and Assyria to have been by one of these poor titulary Caliphs Crowned King of Babylon Anno 1513. This unwieldy body of the Saracen Empire having thus two heads began apparently to decline losing to the Kings of Leon and Oviede the greatest part of Spain to the Genoese Sardinia and Corsica to the Normans Naples and Sicily and finally most of their Empire with their very names to the Turks and Tartars For Allan or Haallon a Tartarian Captain starved Mustatzem the Babylomon Caliph in his Tower of Bagdet and rooted out all his posterity and Sarracon the first Turkish King of Egypt brained the last Aegyptian Caliph with his horsemans Mace leaving not one of his issue or kindred surviving The office of the Caliphs is now executed in the Turks Dominion by the Mufti or chief Priest of the Turkish Mahometans As Mars shewed himself a friend unto those Moors in their warres and triumphs so also did Phoebus powre down no less ceiestial influence on such as addicted themselves to Scholarship Bagdet in Chaldaea Cairo in Fess Morocco in Barbary and Corduba in Spain were their Universities out of which came the Philosophers Avicen and Averroes the Phisicians Rhasis and Mosue the Geographers Leo and Abilfada almost all the Textuarie profound Writers as Halt Algazel Albumazar c. in Astrology from whom a great part of our Astrommicall and Astrologicall termes are borrowed There is now no Kingdome Iland or Province which acknowledgeth the Empire of the Saracons but the Kingdome of Fess and Morocco ovely Arabia it self the very first seat of their power acknowledgeing a subjection to the Turkish Empire For first Petraes and Deserta being subdued by the Turks when they conquered Persia or otherwise following the fortunes of the present Victor were afterwards accounted of as subject unto the Mamalucks of Egypt who out of that Countrey and all Syria had by degrees diffeized the Selzucci in Family And as the vassals of that Crown though but Subjects at will they more molested Selimus in his march towards Egypt by falling on his Rear and terrifying him with their night-Alarms than all the forces of the Mamalucks in the field against him But Egypt being subdued and the Mamaluths utterly destroyed some of their Chiefes being gained by money and the rest by promise of preserment the whole Nation of these wild Arabs swore alleageance to him continuing in accompt as Subjects unto his Successors but in effect doing what they list governed as formerly by the Chieses of their severall Clannes and in their Robberies taking no more notice of the Turk than they do of the Christians And as for Felix it continued also in a free condition in respect of any forrein power till of late times the Turks and Portugals entrenched upon them For in the year 1538. Solyman Bassa Admirall of the Turkish Fleet against the Pontugals who had diverted the trade of the Red Sea and otherwise given offence to Solyman the Magnificent by aiding the Persians went with a strong Army to take Din a Town and Iland of East-India then in their possession But being unable to effect it at his coming back he called in at Aden one of the best traded Ports of Arabia Felix invited the King thereof aboard most trecherously hanged him and surprized the City The like he also did to the King of Zibit the Port Town to Mecca and by that means got possession of all the Coasts of this Countrey bordering on the Red Sea or Gulf of Arabia of which the Turks still continue Masters But in the inland parts and towards the Persian Gulf of no power at all not suffered to travell up and down without a Pass from some of the Arabian Chiefes or if they do in danger to be set upon by the Natives who brook them not Some parts hereof which lie next unto the Isle of Ormus made one Kingdome with it but the Kings originally of this Countrey by whom the City of Ormus was first builded and so continued till the taking of Ormus by the Portugals Anno 1622. who since the taking of that Isle by the King of Persia hold Muskahat and some other peeces upon this Continent The residue of the Countrey cantonned amongst a company of petit Princes as in former times before ambition taught them to devour one another And so much for Arabia 6 CHALDAEA 7 ASSYRIA 8 MESOPOTAMIA THese Provinces which properly and originally constituted the Assyrian Empire I have joined together in the Title because united in the story and affairs thereof though severally to be considered in the description and Chorographie of them CHALDAEA is bounded on the East with Susiana a Province of Persia on the West with Arabia Deserta on the North with Mesopotamia and on the South with the Persian Bay and the rest of Deserta Originally called Chasdam from Chesed the fourth Sonne of Nachor the brother of Abraham Chesed quoque quartus est à quo Chasdim idest Chaldaei postea vocati sunt as Saint Hierome hath it But why the Chaldeans should derive their name from Chesed being a People long before Cheseds birth I am not able to determine unless he taught them the first Principles of the Art of Astronomy or was the Author of some signall benefit unto them which we know not of It was called afterwards Babylonia from Babylon the chief City of it and at this day by Bellonius Azamia by the Arabians Keldan by the Turks Curdistan But the name of Chaldaea sometimes went beyond these bounds taking in somepart also of Mesopotania as appeareth by that passage of Saint Stephen saying Acts 7. v. 2 3 4. That the God of glory appeared to our Father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia before he dwelt in Charran And said unto him Get thee out of this Countrey and from thy Kindred and come into the Land which I said shew thee Then came be out of the Land of the Chaldees and dwelt in Charran c. Where clearly that part of
out of whose long commerce with them both nations lost their proper languanes and fell upon a third made out of both which was called the Syriack Of this we spake before when we were in Syria and Palestine And this is now the naturall language of this Countrey and its neighbour Assyria but with a little mixture of the Greek and Arabick not vulgarly spoken elsewhere for ought I can find but used by many others in their sacred offices by whom not commonly understood For in this language all the Sects of the Eastern Christians do officiate their publick Liturgies that is to say the Nstorians Jacobites Marâ—nites for I reckon not the Melchites who use the Greek Liturgie amongst the Sectaries The like do also the Indians or Christians of Saint Thomas the Cophties or Christians of Aegypt and the poor remainder of Christians in the Isle of Zocatara an Island on the coast of Asrick Used to those Liturges when that language was more understood amongst them though now worn out of Vulgar knowledge by the overspreading of the Arabick Tartarian and Turkish Conquests In which the Prelates of these Churches have fallen into the great errour of the Church of Rome and without taking notice of the alterations hapning in the Vulgar tongues of those severall nations which are united under them into one opinion keep up a language in their Liturgies which they understand not as if the capacities of the people could be sooner raised to the understanding of an unknown language than the publick Liturgies be fitted unto their capacities The antient piety of the Church and the modern languages of Gods people are not inconsistent though out of private ends some have taught us otherwise But I fear this errour as some others will not be so easily remedied as reprehended From the tongâ—e in which they celebrate the Divine Offices of their Religion pass we to the Religion it self whose Sacred Offices are so celebrated The Christian faith was first preached in this Countrey by Saint Peter of whose being in Babylon the chief City hereof himself assureth us in the last words almost of his First Epistle and other busines he had none here but to preach the Gospel Much persecuted by the Persians who were then possessed of all these parts it prevailed at last Christianity growing up the faster for the cutting down The Patriarchall See originally planted in Salencia successour unto Babylon in repute and greatness if not also in name the Bishop whereof by order of the Nicene Councill had the Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction of these parts with the name of Catholique and the next place in Sâ—ssiom at all publick assemblies of the Church next after the Patriarch of Hierusalem And besides this the Indians or Christians of Saint Thomas acknowledge him for their Primate or Metropolitan as they did afterwards in his right the Patriarch of Muzal At this present here are some remainders of Christianity part of them Jacobites but the most Nestorians of whom more anon Of the chief Rivers hereof we have spoke already and Mountains there are none to hinder us in our passage forwards So that without more delay we may take a view of their principall places And in the first place we meet with Babel in the Hebrew signifying confusion famous for the confusion of languages which here hapned For immediately after the Universal deluge Nimrod the sonne of Chus the sonne of Cham perswaded the people to secure themselves from the like after-claps by building some stupendious Edifice which might resist the fury of a second deluge This Counsel was generally imbracod Heber onely and his Family as tradition goeth contradicting such an unlawful attempt The major part prevailing the Tower began to rear a head of Majesty 5146 paces from the ground having its basis and circumference equal to the height The passage to go up went winding about the outside and was of an exceeding great breadth there being not only room for horses carts and the like means of carriage to meet and turn but lodging also for man and beast and as Verstegan reporteth grass and corn-fields for their nourishment But God beholding from an high this fond attempt sent amongst them who before were of one Language a confusion of tongues which hindred the proceeding of this building one being not able to understand what his fellow called for 2. Babylon on the Bank of Euphrates the antientest City in the World on this side of the flood first built by Nimrod in the place destinated to the raising of the Tower of Babel and by him made the Seat of his Kingdome afterwards beautified and enlarged by Semiramis the wife of Ninus one of his Successors and finally much increased both in bulk and beauty by Nabuchadnezzar who therefore arrogated to himself the whole glory of it saying in his pride is not this the great Babel that I have builded Dan. 4. 30. A City of great fame and state accompted one of the worlds nine wonders and deservedly too The compass of the walls 365 furlongs or 46. miles according to the number of the dayes in the year in height 50. Cubits and of so great breadth that carts and carriages might meet on the top of them finished in one year by the hands of 200000 workmen employed dayly in it Situate on both sides of Euphrates over which there was a sumptuous bridge and at each end of that bridge a magnificent Palace and beautified also with the Temple of the Idol Bel and famous for the Pensile Gardens made with great charge and born up with most stately Arches In a word so great and vast it was that Aristotle saith that it ought rather to be called a Countrey than a City adding withall that when the Town was taken it was three dayes before the furthest parts of the Town could take notice of it Which taking of the Town must be understood of the surprize thereof by the Medes and Persians and not of the taking of it by the Macedanians as Pet. Ramus as great a Clerk as he was in his marginal notes upon the Politicks of that Author hath most vainly told us Which whether it were that there were Gates at the end of every street which made it be so long in taking or that the Babylonians were not wakened from their drunken feast in the time whereof it was surprized I determine not Revolting in the time of Semiramis the news came to her as she was ordering her hair whereupon leaving her head half-drest she went and besieged it never ordering the rest of her hair till she had recovered it How it fell into the hands of Cyrus we learn out of Xenophons Cyri-paideia which was in this manner The River Euphrates ran quite thorow the Town round about whose banks the politick Prince cut many and deep channels into which when the Babylonians were securely merry at a general feast he suddenly drained and emptied the River conveying his own forces into the Town all along the dry
the Pyrenees where they staid themselves giving the name of Iberus to the chief River there and of Iberia to the Countrey Of which more before Such of them as remained behind continued an unconquered people under the government of their own Kings till the time of Tigranes King of Armenioe By whom invited to his aid against the Romans they came in accordingly and in his fall discomfited by Lucullus in three severall battells were fain to stand upon their guard as well as they could first holding fair with Pompey who succeeded Lucullus in his charge But breaking out again on a new temptation they were incountred by him In which battel 9000 of their men being slain and 10000 taken they were constrained to sue for peace not otherwise to be obtained till Artaces the King of these Iberians gave his sonnes for Pledges After this Feudataries to the Roman and Grecian Emperours till the fatall inundation of the Saracens had so weakned that Empire that the Kings hereof acknowledged no more subjection to those of Constantinople till Constantinople it self became the Imperiall seat of the Ottoman Family in whose quarrels with the Persian Sophies this Countrey began to suffer a new invasion some Towns and Forts of it being taken by Solyman in his march or passage against Tamas Afterwards in the time of Amurath the third who set his mind most eagerly on the warre with Persia a great part of it was subdued by Mustapha the Turkish Generall who inviting the widow Princess and her two sonnes to come to his tent sent the young Princes to Constantinople and by that means had opportunity to assure his purchases And though the Persians did their best to assist the Georgians yet proved they but a kind of miserable comforters as much punishing or plaguing this poor Countrey with their aides as the Turks by their armies So that now it stands divided betwixt the Grand Signeur and its naturall Princes the Georgian Princes holding the greatest part but the Turks being in possession of the strongest holds kept by them under colour of securing their way to Persia for which this Countrey is indeed but unhappily seated 4. ALBANIA ALBANIA is bounded on the East with the Caspian Sea on the West with Iberia on the North with the Caucasian Monntains on the South with the Moschici So named from the Albani who did once inhabit it and of late called Sairia but reckoned in these last ages as a part of Georgia The Countrey of so rich a soil that without the least labour of the husbandman the Earth doth naturally and liberally afford herstore and where it is but once sown will yield two or three reapings But being ill husbands on it in former times they occasioned Strabo to give them this note for a remembrance That they needed not the use of the Sea who knew no better how to make use of the Land The people antiently so simple that they could not reckon above an hundred ignotant of weights measures and the use of money Old age they had in high esteem but held it utterly unlawfull to make speech of the dead And of these Pliny doth report that they were gray-headed from their very youth and could see as well by night as by day the verity of which last may be somewhat questionable But withall they are assirmed to have been a stout and couragious people strong bodies patient of toil and labour as they are at this day And well the men may be couragious and stout where the women are so truely masculine Of whom it is affirmed by Authors of undoubted credit that they were excercised in Armes and martiall feats as if descended lineally from the antient Amazons whom Plutarch placeth in this tract reporting some of them to be aiding to these Albanians in their war with Pompey which possibly might be no other than some the more noble Albanian Dames Principall Rivers of this Countrey 1. Soana giving name to the Soani one of the Nations of these parts mentioned by Pliny 2. Coesius 3. Gerrus 4. Albanus whence perhaps the name of Albani came unto this people 5. Cyrus by Plutarch called Cyrnus spoken of in Armenia Major but more properly belonging to this Countrey because herein it hath its spring and the greatest part of its course also For rising out of the Mountain Caucasus which shuts up this Province on the North it passeth thorow the middest of it till it come to the borders of Armenia where it beginneth to bend more towards the East and having received into its Channel all the former Rivers besides many others of less note falleth with twelve mouths into the Caspian or Hyrcanian Sea Mountaines of note here are not any but what are common unto them with other Nations the Montes Moschici on the South and Caucasus upon the North being rather common boundaries betwixt severall nations than peculiar unto any one though from the last the Iberians and these Albanians be in some writers called Caucasioe Gentes Cities and Towns I find many in it but little of them more than their very names 1. Chabala by Pliny called Cabalaca and honoured with the Character of Insignior Albamoe urbs the most noted City of this Countrey 2. Albana so called from the River Albanus upon which it was seated 3. Teleba 4. Namechia 5. Thelbis 6. Getarra neer unto the influx of the River Cyrus How these are called or whether any thing be remaining of them I am not able to say The chief now being and worthy to be so accounted is the City of Derbent situate neer the Caspian Sea from which to Teflis a City spoken of before remain the foundations of a high and thick wall affirmed to have been built by Alexander the Great to defend these parts against the irruptions of the Northen unconquered nations The Town environed with two walls and so defended by difficult and narrow passages of the rocks that it is not easily accessible but taken for all that by Mustapha the Turkish General Anno 1587 and made the ordinary residence of a Turkish Bassa Conceived to be the Caucasiae Portae of the Antients which Pliy honoureth with the title of ingens naturae miraculum by Egesippus for the strenght of it called Portoe Ferrea with reference to which by the Turks called Demir-can the word signifying in their language a gate of iron The other places of this tract are either of no accompt and estimation or else are specified before amongst the Cities and good Towns of the Georgians of whose Country this is now a part yet we may add 2. Subran upon the borders of Media 3. Sancta Maria north of Derbent both of them on or neer the banks of the Caspian Sea The first Inhabitants of this Countrey seem to have been of the plantation of Gether the Sonne of Aram and Nephew of Joephet whose memory was long preserved in the City of Getara before-mentioned So called by him or some of his posterity in remembrance
to his estate 8. Mango Cham to whom Haiton an Armenian Prince and the chief Compiler of the Tartarian History went for ayd against the Caliph of Bagdt By whose perswasion the said Mango Cham is said to have been christned with all his houshold and many nobles of both sexes 9. Cublay Cham the sonne of Mango 10. Tamor Cham the Nephew of Cablay by his sonne Cingis 11. Demâ—r Cham the great Cham of Cathay in the year 1540 or thereabouts What the names of the Chams are who have since reigned we cannot learn nor what memorable acts have been done among them The great distance of Countries and difficulty of the journey have hindred further discoveries For the great Cham and his next neighbour the King of China will neither suffer any of their subjects to travell abroad nor permit any foreiners to view their dominions or enter into them unless either Embassadours or Merchants and those but sparingly and under very great restraints to avoid all giving of intelligence touching their affairs The government is tyrannicall the great Cham being Lord of all and in his tongue besides which they have almost no laws consisteth the power of life or death He is called by the simple vulgar the shadow of spirits and sonne of the immortall God and by himself is reputed to be the Monarch of the whole world For this cause every day assoon as he hath dined he causeth his trumpets to be sounded by that sign giving leave to the other Kings and Princes of the earth to go to dinner A fine dream of universal Monarchy At the death of the Cham the seven chief Princes assemble to crown his sonne whom they place on a black coarse cloth telling him if he reign well heaven shall be his reward if ill he shall not have so much as a corner of that black cloth to rest his body on then they put the crown on his head and kissing his feet swear unto him fealty and homage And at the funerall of these great Monarchs they use to kill some of his guard-Soudiers whereof he hath 12000 in continuall pay saying unto them Itâ— domino nostro seâ—vâ—â—e in â—â—ia vita Paulus Venetus reporteth that at the obsequies of Manâ—o Cham no fewer than 10000 were slain on this occasion There Chams are for the most part severe justicers and punish almost every small fact with sudden death but theft especially Insomuch that a man in Cambalu taking a paâ—l of milk from a womans head and beginning to drink thereof upon the womans out-cry was apprehended and cut a sunder with a sword so that the blood and the milk came out together Nor are Adultery or lying punished with less than death and so ordained to be by the lawes of Cingis their first Emperour a wiser man than possibly could be expected from so rude a Countrey and of so little breeding in the knowledge of books or business the Tartars being utterly without the use of letters till the conquest of the Huyri a Cathaian nation but of Christian faith What forces the Great Chams in the height of their power were able to draw into the field may be conjectured at by the Army of Tamerlaâ—e consisting of 1200000 horse and foot as was said before And looking on them as confined within Cathar we shall find them not inferiour to the greatest Princes For Cublaâ— Cham long after the division of this great estate which was made by Tamerlane had in the field against Naian his Unkle and one Caidu who had then rebelled an Army of 100000 foot and 360000 horse there being 500000 horse on the other side Which made almost a million of men in both Armies And this is probable enough if report be true touching the Chams of Zagathay and those of â—urchestan before reduced under the obedience of the other of which the first is said to have been able to raise 300000 horse and the last an hundred thousand more For standing forces he maintaiâ—s 12000 horse distributed amongst four Captains for the guard of his person besides which he hath great forces in every Province and within four miles of every City ready to come upon a call if occasion be so that he need not fear any outward invasion and much less any homebred rebellions Of the Revenues of the Cham I can make no estimate but may conclude them to be what he list himself he being the absolute Lord of all the Subject without any thing he can call his own But that which ordinarily doth accrew unto him is the tenth of wooll Silk hemp coâ— and Cattel Then doth he draw into his own hands all the gold and silver which is brought into the Countrey which he causeth to be melted and preserved in his treasurie imposing on his people instead of money in some places Cockle-shels in others a black coin made of the bark of trees with his stamp upon it And besides this hath to himself the whole trade of Pearl-fishing which no body upon pain of death dare fish for but by leave from him So that his Treasury is conceived to be very rich though his Annual in-come be uncertain or not certainly known And so much for Tartary OF CHINA CHINA is bounded on the East with the Orientall Ocean on the West with India on the North with Tartary from which separared by a continued chain of hills part of those of Ararat and where that chain is broken off or interrupted with a great wall extended 400 Leagues in length built as they say by Tzaintzon the 117th King hereof and on the South partly with Cauâ—hin-China a Province of India partly with the Ocean It was called antiently Sine or Sinarum Regio by which name it is still called at the present by our modern Lâ—â—inistâ— and from whence that of China seems to be derived By Paulus Venetâ—s called Mangi by the neighbouring Countries Sanglai by the natives Taine and Taybinâ—o which last signifies no other than a Realm or by way of excellence the Realm By the Arabians it is called Tzinin and the inhabitants call themselves by the name of â—angis It is said to contain in circuit 69516 Dâ—ez of China measure which reduced to our Europaean measure will make a compass in the whole of 3000 Leagues the length thereof extended from the borders of India to Colâ—m one of the Northern Provinces of this Continent 1800 Leagues But they that say so speak at randome For besides that 1800 Leagues in length must needs carry a greater compass than 3000 Leagues they make it by this reckoning to be bigger than Europe which I think no sober man will granâ— And answerable to this vast compass it is said also to contain no fewer than 15. Provinces every one of which is made to be of a greater Continenâ—â—han the greatest Realm we know in Europe Yet not a Continent of wast ground or full of unhabitable Desarâ—s as in other places but full of goodly Towns and Cities The names of which
Country there are many Christians as well of the originall foundation of Christianity as of the late improvements which are made by the Jesuites 7. TRAVANCOR called also TRANCANOR reacheth from the Kingdome of Coulan to the Cape of Comarim and turning towards the East bendeth again unto the North as far as Cael in the Kingdome of Bisnagar or Narsinga By which accompt it hath the benefit of the Sea on all sides except towards the North reaching in breadth from the West Seas unto the East about 90 miles The Country as the rest before inhabited by many with the name of Christians if they may be called so which want Sacraments the condition of these Thomaean Christians in former times being so unhappy that in 50 years before the coming of the Jesuites if the Jesuites may be believed from whom we have it they had seen no Priest nor other Minister of the Gospell Chief Towns hereof for of those many others of less note I shall make no mention are 1. Travancor the chief City which gives name to the Province but neither well-built nor of very much trading 2. Quilacare the head City of a peculiar Signeury but held of the Kings of Trancanor as their next and immediate Lords though all those Kings also Feudataries of the Crown of Narsinga And were that the worst Tenure by which they hold it might be tolerable but there is a matter of worse consequence which attendeth these besotted Princes The Kingdome here is but a pomp of twelve years continuance and then endeth in a sad Catastrophe For at the end of those twelve years the King repairs to Quilacare prayeth before the Idâ—l above mentioned then mounteth on a Scaffold covered with sâ—lk or Tapeâ—try and in the sight of all his People gathered together to behold this strange solemnity cutteth off his nose ears lips and other parts which he casts towards the Idol and in conclusion cuts his own Throat for his finall Sacrifice his designed Successor being present at this bloody Sacrifice who at the twelve years end is to do the like Never was Scepter bought at so dear a rate For though all Crowns be lined with thornes yet here the pomps of soveraignty be less lasting than in other places the entrance full of fears and the end of horrors These Kingdomes heretofore but one till the year 900 or thereabouts were branched and cantoned into these seven by Sarama pereimal the sole Monarch He by the sollicitation of some Arabians trading to his Ports became Mahometan and therein so devout that he resolved upon a Pilgrimage to Meccha there to end his daies At his departure he divided his estates into these seven parts distributing them amongst the neerest of his kindred assigning unto him of Coulan the preheminence in sacred matters and the Imperiall dignity unto him of Caleâ—ute with the title of Samorin that is to say Chief Emperor or as some write a God on earth He only privileged with the right and power of coinage the rest to be subordinate if not subject to him From Percimals setting forwards to the City of Meccha the Malabars accompt their reckonings and begin their years as the Christians from the birth of their Lord and Saviour And for a time his hests were punctually observed But the Kingdome of Calicute being weakned by the power of the Portugals the other Kings began to free themselves from that subjection and in the end to cast off all Relation to him and to his Prerogatives Yet still he is esteemed of more power and majestie than any of the rest of the Kings of Malabar and looked with more reverence than any of them The certainty of his Revenues I have no where met with but conjecture them to be very great first in regard of that infinite trading which is mannaged from most parts of the World in his Port of Calicute the customes and imposts upon which must needs be of exceeding value and secondly in reference to the wealth of private Merchants many of which are said to equal some Kings in Africk and Dukes in Europe not a few Quid Domini facient audent cum talia Fures And if the man such riches have Then what must he that keeps the Knave What Forces he is able to raise may be fully seen by that which hath been said before wherein we find him with an Army of 90000 men besieging and taking in the Fort of Chalen with another of 100000. beleagursing the Castle which the Portugals had built neer his City of Calicute And when the said Portugals stirred up the King of Cochin to make head against him he fell upon them suddenly both by Sea and Land with 60000 Land-souldiers and 200 good Vessels of war for the service at Sea Sufficient force to reduce the rest of these petit Kings to their old acknowledgements but that some of them to avoid the danger have put themselves under the Vassallage or protection at the least of the Great Mongul others by suffering the Portugals to build forts in their Kingdomes have engaged them in defence of their estate against this pretender His forces consist most of Foot Horse being unserviceable in these Countries by reason of those many Rivers which interlace it And these Foot are compounded most of Gentry which they there call Nairos trained to their weapons when they are but seven years of Age every one to that weapon which he most delighteth in which makes them very expert and nimble at them much privileged for that cause by the Lawes of the Countrey and so esteemed of by the King that out of them his Sisters choose what men they please to be their Husbands some of them by that means being made the Fathers of the King succeeding Nothing else memorable touching the affairs of Calicute but the way of succession to the Kingdome the Crown descending upon none of the Kings Children but on the sonne of his Eldest Sister or neerest kinswoman For being that one of the Bramines hath alwaies the maidenhead of his Queens and that some of these Stallions are continually allowed to keep them company it is presumed or very probably supposed that the Queens Children are the Bramines and not the Kings 8. NARSINGA NARSINGA is bounded on the South with Travancor on the West with the Mountain Gates on the North with Oristan or Orixa on the East with the Golf of Bengala So called from 〈◊〉 the chief City of it and the Royal residence of the King The 〈◊〉 is said to be in length 600 miles or as some say of as much extent as can be travelled in six Months plentiful in the same commodities which the rest of India do hafford except Pepper and some other spices which are proper to Malabar Not so well furnished with Rivers as some other places which want is liberally supplyed by water falling from the Mountains and received into trenches meers and 〈◊〉 which do wonderfully cool moisten and enrich the land causing the Corn and
the Roman Colonies 6. Cirta or Cirta Julia the Metropolis of Numidia when a Roman Province and formerly the Seat-royal of Syphax King of the Masaesyli within whose country it was reckoned in former times though afterwards laid unto this Province Situate near the mouth of the River Ampsaga and memorable for the tragedie of Sophonisba the daughter of Asdrubal of Carthage a Lady of most exquisite beauty and yet carried more charms in her tongue then in her eyes â—spoused first unto Masinissa King of the Numidians but after upon reason of State married unto Syphax who being took prisoner by his Rival and brought to Cirta the Lady upon hopes of liberty and honour both bestowed her self on her first Lover but Scipio fearing lest that marriage might withdraw Masinissa from the Roman party caused the Lady to be seized on which Masinissa not being otherwise able to prevent or remedie sent her a Cup of poyson which she drank and died Of these Numidians there is much mention in the Stories of Rome and Carthage imployed by this last City in all their wars both in Spain Italy and Sicil. Siding at last with Scipio against that State they did good service to the Romans in the weakening and destruction of that City whose fall they did not long survive first conquered in the war of Jugurth after the death of Juba made a Roman Province Their Kings as far as I can trace the succession of them follow in this Order The Kings of the Numidians 1 Gala the Father of Masinissa 2 Desalces the brother of Gala according to the laws of the Country which gave the Crown unto the brother not the son of the former King like the law of Tanistry in Ireland succeeded Gala. 3 N. N. a son of Desalces in the absence of Masinissa then serving under the Carthaginians in the wars of Spain possessed himself of the throne slain not long after by a Rebel 4 Masinissa son of Gala recovered the kingdome of his Fathers but again outed by Syphax and the Carthaginians betwixt whom and Masinissa touching Sophonisba there was deadly feud Aided by Scipio and the Romans with whom associated against Carthage he not only recovered his own kingdome but was gratified with the greatest part of that which belonged to Syphax A professed Enemy to Carthage the final ruine whereof he lived to see till the time of his death being then ninety years of Age. 5 Micipsa the son of Masinissa of whom nothing memorable 6 Jugurth the son of Mastanabilis one of the Brethren of Micipsa having wickedly made away the two sons of Micipsa usurped the kingdom manifestly withstood the Romans whose attempts sometimes by force sometimes by subtility but chiefly by money and bribes he overthrew and made frustrate Et fuit in Ingurtha saith Florus quod post Annibalem timeretur At last being broken by Metellus vanquished by Marius and by Bocchus delivered into the hands of Sylla he was by Marius led in triumph to Rome In this Triumph was carried 3700 pound weight in Gold in Silver-wedges 5775 pound weight and in ready Coin 28900 Crowns it being the custome of the Romans in their Triumphs to have carried before them all the riches and mony which they had brought out of the conquered Countries to put into the common Treasury 7 Hiempsal son of Bocchus king of Mauritania gratified for his Fathers treacherie in betraying Jugurth with the kingdome of Numidia Relieved Marius in his exile 8 Hiarbas another of the Marian faction preferred to the Numidian Crown but vanquished and deprived by Pompey at that time one of Sylla's Captains 9 Hiempsal II. preferred by Pompey to this kingdom 10 Juba the son of Hiempsal the second who siding with Pompey against Caesar in the Civil wars gave a great overthrow to Curio one of Caesar's Lieutenants Curio himself slain his whole Army routed such as were taken prisoners murdered in cold blood But being discomfited by Caesar after Pompey's death Numidia was made a Province of the Roman Empire Thus by the fall of Carthage and the death of Juba came the whole Provinces of Africa Propria and Numidia containing the now Kingdom of Tunis into the power of the Romans Of which the Nations of most note were the Nigitimi on the Eastern parts of the Mediterranean the Machyni near the Lesser Syrtis the Libya-Phoenices and Mideni bordering upon Carthage the Ionii Navatrae and Cirtesii taking up all the Sea-coasts of Numidia Such as inhabited more Southwards on the back of these not so much considerable None of them to be staid upon but the Libya-Phaenices a mixt people of the old Libyans and new Phoenicians as the Liby-Aegyptii were of the said Libyans and the neighbouring Egyptians The memory of all of them so defaced by the violent inundation of the Arabians that there is scarce any tract or footsteps of them in all the Country When conquered by the Saracens they were at first subject to the Caliph or Sultan of Cairoan after the spoile whereof by the Arabians subdued by Abdul Mumen King of Morocco and by him added to that Kingdom In the distractions of that State made a peculiar Kingdom by some of the Relicts of the Stock of the Almohades who took unto himself the title of King of Tunis that City being his chief Seat By him transmitted unto his posterity till the dayes of our Grandfathers when Muleasses one of the youngest sons of Sultan Mahomet having first murdered Maimon his eldest brother and put out the eyes of twenty of the rest usurped the Soveraignty Rosetta the onely one of those Princes who escaped this massacre by the aid of Solyman the magnificent obtained the Crown outed thereof not long after by Charles the fifth appearing in favour of Muleasses An. 1535. But the Tyrant did not long enjoy his ill-gotten Soveraignty when his eyes were were also put out by his own son Amida and so committed to close prison Nor did Amida enjoy it long dispossessed by Abdamelech his fathers brother To Abdamelech Mahomet his son succeeded and in his life another Mahomet the brother of Amida who being supported by the Turks recovered from the Christians the strong Fort of Coletta and dying left the Turk his heire who doth now possesse it 2. TREMESEN or ALGIERS THe Kingdom of TREMESEN is bounded on the East with the River Ampsaga now called Maâ—or by which parted from the Kingdom of Tunis on the West with the Kingdoms of Fesse and Morocco from which separated by the River Malutha or Malva So called from Tremesen or Teleusine the chief City of it Called also the Kingdom of Algiers from the City so named sometimes the Seat-royal of their Kings In the flourish of the Roman Empire it had the name of Mauritania Casariensis Mauritania because a part of the Kingdom of Juba King of Mauritania of which more anon Casariensis from Casarea the chief City of it as that so called in honour of Augustus Caesar on whom the Kings hereof depended
that notable Statesman and Historian Guicciardine doth describe as followeth The name saith he of this wild and uncivill Nation hath got great honour by their concord and glory by Arms. For being fierce by nature inured to War and exact keepers of Milltary discipline they have not onely defended their own Country but have won much praise in forein parts which doubtless had been greater if they had sought to inlarge their own Empire and not for wages to inlarge the Empire of others and if nobly they had propounded unto themselves any other ends than he gain of mony by the love whereof being made abject they have lost the opportunity of becomming fearfull to Italy For since they never came out of their confines but as mercenarie men they have had no publick fruit of their Victories but by their covetousness have become intollerable in their exactions where they overcame and in their demands with other men yea at home froward and obstinate in their conclusions as well as in following their commands under whose pay they serve in War Their chief men have pensions of severall Princes to favour them in their publick meetings and so private profit being preferred before the good of the publick they are apt to be corrupted and fall at discord amongst themselves with great lessening of the reputation which they had gotten amongst strangers So he relating the affairs of the year 1511 which the following issue of affairs hath fully verified As for the Government of this State it is meerly popular and that not only in the particular Cantons but the aggregate body of their Counsell the Gentry and Nobility being either rooted up in those long Wars which were betwixt them and their Vassals justly provoked by those intollerable pressures and exactions which they layd upon them or else worn out of memory and observation for want of sway and suffrage in the Counsels of the Common-wealth Only in Schaffehausen Basib and Zurich are some Gentry left not capable of any place or suffrage in the Senate of the said Cantons from which they are excluded by the common people because they joyned not with them in their first revolt unless they waive their Gentry and be enrolled amongst the number of Plebeians The rest they have it seemeth in so poor esteem that Porters and Mechanicks of the meanest Trades in all occasions of War are numbred with and amongst these Gentlemen making up one society onely and joyning with them in electing the Master of their company who is one of the Senate But because that every Canton hath its proper Magistrates but more or fewer according as it is in greatness or in the number of its severall Resorts or sub-divisions it will not be amiss to shew what number of Resorts are in every Canton that is to say in Underwalden only two in Switz six in Uren ten in Zug five in Glaris or Glarona fifteen in Apenzel six in Lucern seven in Solothurn no more than one in Frâ—burg ninteen in Basil and Schaffhausen but one a peece the Cantons there and in Solothurn reaching but little further than the Towns themselves in that of Znrich thirty one and thirty in that of Bern in all one hundred forty and eight Of these consists the body of this Common-wealth In ordering whereof every particular Canton hath its proper Magistrate chosen by the commonalty of that Canton whom they call the Wuaman together with a standing Counsell assistant to him chosen out of the people for the directing and disposing of their ovvn affairs which meet and sit in the chief Town or Village of that District But if the cause concern the Publick then every Canton sendeth one or more Commissioners to the generall Diets where they determine of the business which they meet about according to the major part of the Votes the Commissioners of every Canton having one Vote only though many may be sent from each to adde the greater weight to their consultations The place of meeting is most commonly at the Town of Baden in respect of the commodity of the Inns and houses the pleasant situation and famous Medicinall Bathes and because it is seated in the very center of Switzerland and subject to the eight first Cantons And here they do determine of War Peace and Leagues of making Laws of sending receiving and answering Ambassadors of Governments and distributing the publick Offices and finally of difficult causes and Appeales referred unto the judgement of the great Counsell In which the City of Zurich chief of the Cantons hath the first place not by antiquity but dignity and of old custom hath the greatest authority of calling together this Great Counsell signifying by Letters to each Canton the cause time and place of meeting yet so that if any Canton think it for the publick good to have an extraordinary meeting of their Commissioners they write to them of Zurich to appoint the same That which the greater number do resolve upon is without delay put in execution The Forces of these Suisse consist altogether of Foot Horse being found unserviceable in theâ—e Mountainous Countries And of these Foot Boterns reckoneth that they are able to raise sixscore thousand Which possibly may be true enough if it be understood of all that be able to bear Arms. For otherwise de facto the greatest Army that ever they brought into the field consisted but of one and thirty thousand men which was that wherewith they aided the confederate States of Italie against the French and restored Maximilian Sforze to the Dukedom of Millain Their ordinary standing Forces are conceived to be sixteen or seventeen thousand which they may bring into the field leaving their Towns and Forts well furnished And for their Revenue it is not like to be very great considering the poverty of their Country and their want of traffick with other Nations That which is ordinaery and in common ariseth out of the Annuall pensions which they receive from Forein States the profits arising out of their Dutch and Italian Praefectures the Impost layd on Wines sold in Taverns and Corn used by Bakers and the rents of a dissolved Monasterie called Kings field or Conings field because many Kings and Queens have been cloystered there amounting to forty thousand Guldens yearly Which Monastery was built in the year 1380 in memory and honour of the Emperor Albertus slain by his Nephew at Santback not far from Basil Their extraordinary doth consist of spoyles that be gotten in the War which if it be managed in common are divided in common but if by two or three of the Cantons onely the rest can claim no share in the booty gotten But this is only in relation to the Switzers themselves For otherwise taking in the Confederate States as well without as within the bounds of that Country they are able to raise fifty or threescore thousand men that is to say the Switzers themselves seventeen thousand the Grisons ten thousand those of Wallisland six thousand
the Abbot and Town of S. Gall four thousand the City of Geneva two thousand besides what Rotwel and Mulhusen two Imperial Cities are able to contribute towards it the Dukes of Savoy being bound by their antient Leagues to ayd them with six hundred Horses at his own charges besides two thousand six hundred Crowns in Annuall pensions But the Revenue of those States is ordered by it self a part and never comes within the computation of the publick unless it be one the repulsing of a common Enemy in which they are equally concerned In which case and others of a generall interesse they communicate both heads and purses the Delegates and Commissioners of all the States of this Confederacy meeting together to consult of the common cause which meeting they entitle the Greatest Counsell But this is very seldom held publick affairs being generally ordered by the Commissioners of the Switzers only though they themselves disclaim that name of Switzers as too mean and narrow and call themselves Eidgenossen that is to say Partakers of the sworn Leagues More of this Common-wealth he that lists to see may satisfie himself in Simler who purposely and punctually hath described the same 6. THE LEAGVES OF THE GRISONS THe Country of the GRISONS comprehendeth all that part of the Alpes which lyeth between the Springs of the Rivers Rhene Inn Adice or Athesis and Adna being bounded on the East with the Country of Tirol on the West with Switzerland on the North vvith Suevia or Schwaben and a part of the Switzers on the South with Lombardy A Country far more mountainous than any of this Alpine tract and having less naturall commodities to boast it self of more than the Fountains of those Rivers before mentioned The people of it by most Latin Writers of these times are called by the name of Rhaeti the Country Rhaetia and so far properly enough as that the antient Rhaeti did inhabit all the lands possessed by the Grisons though the Grisons do not inhabit a fourth part of those lands which were possessed heretofore by the antient Rhaeti For antiently the Rhaeti did extend their dwellings as far as from the Alpes of Italie to the River of Danow comprehending besides this of the Grisons a great part of Suevia or Schwaben Tirol Bavaria and so much also of the Switzers as was not in possession of the old Helvetii Within which tract there were not only many rich vallies and fruitfull fields but a most pleasant race of Wines called Vina Rhaetiea much drank of by Augustus Casar and by him preferred before all others which no man can conceive to grow in this barren Country More properly Ammianus Marcellinus calleth this Tract by the name of Campi Canini mountainous fields which the continuall snow made look of an hoary hew and by allusion thereunto the Dutchmen call this Nation at the present by the name of Graunpuntner that is to say the hoary or gray Confederates As for the Rhaeti take them in the former latitude they were subdued by Drusus and Tiberius the sonnes-in-law and adopted children of Augustus Caesar A. V. C. 739. And in the time of Antoninus made up two Provinces of the Empire viz. Rhaetia prima and Rhaetia secunda both of them appertaining by Constantines new model to the Diocese of Italie A Nation in the first original of Italian race and so more properly to be assigned to that Diocese but had inhabited this tract from the time that Bellovesus the Gall seized on part of Tuscany expelling thence the antient inhabitants thereof who under the conduct of Rhaetus a great man amongst them possessed themselves of these mountains and afterwards of the vales adjoyning which they called Rhaetia by the name of their Captain Generall This hapned in the time of Tarquinius Priscus in the first cradle as it were of the Roman Empire in the declining age whereof during the reign of Valentinian the third and Anastasius those parts which lay nearest unto Germany and were worth the conquering were subdved by the Almains and Boiarians by them incorporated with the rest of their severall States The residue of this mountainous tract as not worth the looking after continued a member of the Empire till given by Charles the Great to the Bishop of Chur whose successors being several waies molested by their potent neighbors confederated with the Switzers for their mutuall ayd and preservation An. 1497. By whose ayd they so valiantly made good their ground against the Austrians that at the last after the loss of 20000 men on both sides the points in difference were accorded and a peace concluded This is the substance of this story as to former times to which there cannot much be added in the way of History little or no alteration hapning in their affairs but a more perfect setling of them in a form of Government Concerning which we must observe that this whole Tract is cast into three Divisions that is to say the Upper League or Liga Grisa 2 Liga Cadi Dio or the League of the house of God 3 The Lower League called also Liga ditture or the League of the ten Commonalties The eight Italian Praefectures will make a fourth Their buildings generally in the three first being cold and mountainous are of free-stone but low and for three parts of the year covered with snow the windovvs thereof glazed and large of which for the said three parts of the year they only open a little quarrie of glass and presently shut it close again the outside of the windows having leaves of wood to keep the heat of their stoves from going out or any cold from comming in And as for travelling the waies are for the most part unsafe and dangerous by reason of the streight passages dreadfull precipices and those almost continuall bridges which hang over the terrible falls and Cataracts of the River Rhene descending with great violence from the highest mountains huge hils of snow tumbling into the vallies with a noise as hideous as if it were a clap of thunder For the particulars the Upper League lyeth in the highest and most mountainous parts of the Alpes of Italie having therein those vast mountains of Locknannier and Der Vogel out of vvhich the two streams of the Rhene have their first originall By the French it is called Liga Grise or the Gray League the word Gris or Grise in that language being Gray in ours in the same sense as the Dutch call it Graunpuntner that is Confederati cani which vve may render properly the Confederate Grisle-pates either because the mountains are continually covered with a perriwig of hoary Isicles or from the heads of this people Gray before their time It consisteth of nineteen Resorts or Commonalties according to the number of their Vales and Villages of which four only speak the Dutch all the rest a corrupt Italian and was the first which did confederate with the Switzers from whence the name of Grisons came unto the rest