besides he vsed it to bring the Citizens in absolute subiection The streetes are narrow and the wayes ill paued with Flint The Hauen is of a triangular forme and is now very pleasant as of old it was of great fame for a most secure Port yet it seemed not to me capable of many or great ships Perhaps it was of old fit to receiue the Roman Nauie of Gallies but since they haue neglected to preserue it Traiane the Emperour repaired this Hauen and adorned it with a stately triumphall Arke of marble which remaines to this day About this Hauen there is pleasant walking and the place where the Marchants meete called la Loggia lying vpon the sea is as sweete an open roome as euer I saw but narrow and nothing answerable for stately building to the Exchange of London It is beautified with sweete pictures among which one of an Angell which lookes right vpon you on which side soeuer you behold it is much esteemed They haue a prouerb one Peter in Rome one Tower in Cremona and one Hauen in Ancona for the excellency of them Neere the gate of the Citie to my remembrance on the East-side is a very sweete Fountaine powring water out of many heads of stone At Ancona according to the custome of passengers we agreed with a Vetturine or letter of horses that each of vs paying him fiftie fiue Poli hee should finde vs horses and horse meate and our owne diet to Rome and to this end his seruant followed vs on foote after the fashion of the Italians who ride slowly and these seruants are called Vetturini or Vetturals Now we were to crosse the bredth of Italy frō the Adriatique to the Tyrrhene Sea The first day in the Morning we rode fifteene miles to a little Citie called Madonna di Loretto through fruitfull Mountaines and passing an high Promontary By the way was an Altar with this inscription in Latin O passenger goe on merily c. Gregorie the thirteenth hath well paued the rest of the way The like inscription is in the ascent of the Mountaine vpon which the little Citie Loreto stands for this way in a fruitfull Countrey of corne and a dirty soile was paued at the charge of the said Pope A certaine chamber hath giuen beginning to this Citie and the Church thereof then which nothing is esteemed more holy among the Papists and because many gifts of great price vse to be giuen by vow to our Lady of this Church the City is well fortified against Pirats who did once spoile the same and were like againe to be inuited by the hope of rich spoiles to the like attempt if the Towne lay vnfortified It is of little circuit and lieth in length from East to the West so narrow as it hath almost but one streete in the bredth and all the houses of this streete are Innes or Shops of them that sell Beades to number prayers On the East side after a steepe descent of a Mountaine lies a valley of two miles and beyond that the sea On the North side to wards Ancons though the sea be very farre distant yet from this Citie seated vpon a high Mountaine it may easily be seene Vpon the dores of this Church famous for mens superstitious worship these verses are written Illotus tlmeat quicunque intrara Sacellum In terris nullum sanctius orbis habet Enter not here vn washt of any spot For a more holy Church the world hath not At the Church dore is a statua of brasse erected to Pope Gregorie the thirteenth As I walked about the Church behold in a darke Chappell a Priest by his Exorcismes casting a diuell out of a poore woman Good Lord what fencing and truly coniuring words he vsed How much more skilfull was he in the diuels names then any ambitious Roman euer was in the names of his Citizens whom he courted for their voices If he had eaten a bushell of salt in hell If he had been an inhabitant thereof surely this Art could neuer haue been more familiar to him He often spake to the ignorant woman in the Latin tongue but nothing lesse then in Tullies phrase and at last the poore wretch either hired to deceiue the people or if that be more probable drawne by familiar practice with the Priest or at least affrighted with his strange language and cries confessed her selfe dispossessed by his exorcisme In the body of the Church a Table of written hand in the Greeke Latin and many other tongues was fastened to a Piller setting downe at large the wonderfull historie of the Chamber in the midst of the Church which I confesse was lesse curiously obserued by me abhorring from that superstition hastening from thence as much as I might yet giue me leaue to set down the sum thereof out of the itinerary of Villamont a French Gentleman This Chamber or Chappell saith he is the very house in which the Queene Virgin of Nazaret was borne brought vp and saluted by the Angell foretelling her of Christs birth and in which Christ was conceiued and in which the Virgin dwelt after Christs ascention accompanied with the holy Apostles especially with Saint Iohn by Christs commaund which the Apostles after the Virgins death for the great mysteries done here turned into a Chappell consecrated to the sacrificing of Christ and dedicated the same and with their owne hands made the great Crosse of wood now set in the window of the Chappell and in which Saint Luke made with his hand the picture and Image now set aboue it Let mee adde This Chappell from a House became a Chamber and of a Chamber was made a Chappell and it is built of bricke and is thirtie foote long twelue and a halfe broad In the chimney as Villamont saith as yet remaine the holy ashes which no man dare take away and the Altar also vpon which the Masse is sung was made by the Apostles hand There is a roome into which you first enter which is diuided from the Chappel by an iron grate for no man enters the chappell without leaue but must say his prayers in the outter roome yet leaue is giuen to any that aske it Villamont addeth that he found by diligent search that this Chappell was much reuerenced in the primitiue Church but the holy land being subdued by Sarasens then by Turkes he faith it hapned in the yeere 1291. that this house was taken vp from the foundations by Angels who in the night miraculously carried it to the Sea shoare of Sclauonia where it was made knowne to the people by the shining of the Virgines Image and then by a vision of a religious man the Virgine her selfe made knowne the History to him He addeth the Virgins Oration wherein shee giues her selfe many titles which in later ages were first inuented and shee doth so extoll her owne praises with her owne mouth as hee that reades the old song of the blessed Virgin would cry out with the Latine Poet onely
Citie are seated vpon Mountaines yet lower then any other part of the Citie Vpon the higher part of Mount Sion on the same South side towards the West lie many ruines of houses and it is most certaine that the Tower of Dauid and other famous houses there which are now without the walles were of old inclosed within them and that the City extended somewhat further towards the South then now it doth Yet the Hill of Sion is so compassed with knowne Vallies and those Vallies with high Mountaines as this extent could not be great Ierusalem was of old called Moria where they write that Adam was created of red earth is seated vpon Mount Moriah vpon the top wherof towards the North-west is Mount Caluery where they say that Abraham was ready to sacrifice his sonne Isaac and where without doubt our Sauiour Christ suffered and in the lowest part of this Mountaine the Temple of Salomon was seated The Citie was after called Salem and thirdly Iebus and fourthly Ierusalem and at this day the Turkes haue named it 〈◊〉 It is compassed with stately walles the like whereof I did neuer see of red and blacke stone more then an Elle long and about halfe an Elle broad I call them stately for the antiquitie wherein for the most part they much excell the Roman walles I numbred seuen Gates The first of Damasco of old called the Gate of Ephraim on the North side The second of Saint Stephen on the East side which of old had the name of the beasts for sacrifice brought in that way The third the golden Gate also on the East side which at this day is shut and bricked vp The fourth the Gate of presentation on the South-side leading into the Temple of Salomon but at this day shutvp The fifth Sterquilinea also on the South side so called of the filth there carried out The sixth the Gate of Syon also on the South side neare that part of Mount Syon which at this day is without the walles but this Gate hath been newly built The seuenth of Ioppa towards the West also newly built In generall the Gates are nothing lesse then fortified only as it were to terrifie the Christians who enter at the Gate of Ioppa they haue braggingly fortified the same and planted great Ordinance vpon it And howsoeuer the Citie seemes strong enough against sudden tumults yet it is no way able to hold out against a Christian Army well furnished neither doe the Turkes trust to their Forts but to their forces in field The houses here and in all parts of Asia that I haue seene are built of Flint stone very low onely one storie high the top whereof is plaine and plastered and hath battlements almost a yard high and in the day time they hide themselues within the chamber vnder this plastered floare from the Sunne and after Sunne-set walke eate and sleepe vpon the said plastred floare where as they walke each one may see their neighbours sleeping in bed or eating at table But as in the heate of the day they can scarce indure to weare linnen hose so when the Syren or dew falls at night they keepe themselues within dores till it be dried vp or else fling some garment ouer their heads And with this dew of the night all the fields are moistened the falling of raine being very rare in these parts towards the Equinoctiall line and in this place particularly happening onely about the month of October about which time it falles sometimes with great force by whole pales full The houses neare the Temple of Salomon are built with arches into the streete vnder which they walke drie and couered from the Sunne as like wife the houses are built in that sort in that part of the Citie where they shew the house of Herod in both which places the way on both sides the streete is raised for those that walke on foote lying low in the middest for the passage of laded Asses In other parts the Citie lies vninhabited there being onely Monasteriesof diuers Christian Sects with their Gardens And by reason of these waste places and heapes of Flint lying at the dores of the houses and the low building of them some streetes seeme rather ruines then dwelling houses to him that lookes on them neere hand But to them who behold the Citie from eminent places and especially from the most pleasant Mount Oliuet abounding with Oliues and the highest of all the Mountaines the prospect of the Citie and more specially of the Churches and Monasteries which are built with eleuated Glòbes couered with brasse or such glistering mettall promiseth much more beauty of the whole Citie to the beholders eyes then indeed it hath The circuit of the walles containeth some two or three Italian miles All the Citizens are either Tailors Shoomakers Cookes or Smiths which Smiths make their keyes and lockes not of Iron but of wood and in generall poore rascall people mingled of the scumme of diuers Nations partly Arabians partly Moores partly the basest inhabitants of neighbour Countries by which kind of people all the adioyning Territorie is likewise inhabited The Iewes in Turky are distinguished from others by red hats and being practicall doe liue for the most part vpon the sea-coasts and few or none of them come to this Citie inhabited by Christians that hate them and which should haue no traffique if the Christian Monasteries were taken away Finally the Inhabitants of Ierusalem at this day are as wicked as they were when they crucified our Lord gladly taking all occasions to vse Christians despitefully They esteemed vs Princes because wee wore gloues and brought with vs shirts and like necessaries though otherwise we were most poorely appareled yet when we went to see the monuments they sent out their boyes to scorne vs who leaped vpon our backes from the higher parts of the streete we passing in the lower part and snatched from vs our hats and other things while their fathers were no lesse ready to doe vs all iniuries which we were forced to beare silently and with incredible patience Hence it was that Robert Duke of Normandy being sicke and carried into Ierusalem vpon the backs of like rascalls when he met by the way a friend who then was returning into Europe desiring to know what hee would command him to his friends hee earnestly intreated him to tell them that he saw Duke Robert caried into heauen vpon the backs of Diuels The description of the Citie and the Territorie Now followes the explication of the Citie described and first the small Line drawne within the present walles on the West side of the Citie shewes the old walles thereof before Mount Caluery was inclosed within the walles by the Christian Kings for now there remaine no ruines of the old walles this line being onely imaginarie 1 Mount Sion without the walles for part of it is yet inclosed with them 2 The faire Castle which was built by the Pisans of Italy while yet
outside of the earth Palestina was farre distant from the Equinoctiall line which diuideth the World into equall parts And if Palestina were iust vnder that line yet that all the countries hauing the same Meridian should be the middest of the World as well as Palestina They answered that Dauid saith in his Psalmes In the middest of the World I will worke their saluation To which I replied that the middest of the World was there taken for the face and in the sight of the World so as none should be able to denie it Whereupon they grew angry and said that the Scripture must be beleeued in spite of all Cosmographers and Philosophers It had been vaine to dispute further with them there being not one learned man among these Greekes at Ierusalem And to say truth if you except the Greeke Ilands vnder the Venetians they haue few or no learned men For my part I neuer found in all the vast Empire of Ottoman any learned Greeke but onely one called Milesius who was after made Patriarke of Constantinople And these Greekes as in this point so in all other follow the literall sense of the Scriptures For which cause they also beleeue the corporall presence of Christ in the Sacrament And whereas Saint Paul saith Let the Bishop be the husband of one wife c. they so interpret it as if the Priests wife die within few dayes after his mariage yet he may neuer marry againe The Sorians are so called of Syria in which Prouince they liue hauing their owne Patriarke neither could they euer bee brought to consent to the Roman faith for whatsoeuer the Romanes challenge due to the Seat of S. Peter that they say rather belongeth to them in respect Saint Peter was Bishop of Anttoch They agreed with the Greekes in many things they denie Purgatorie they fast foure Lents in the yeere they permit their Priests to marrie they vse the Greeke tongue in their Diuine seruice and otherwise speake their owne language which I take to be the Arabian tongue In Ierusalem Church they keepe the Sepulchers of Ioseph of 〈◊〉 and of Nicodemus and in the Citie they keepe the house of Saint Marke noted with the figure 37. The Costi are Egyptians dwelling about Numidia They retaine the heresie of Arrius and follow the Ceremonies of the Abissines This I write vpon the report of the Italian Friers who are to be blamed if it be not true These in the Church keepe the Chappell wherein Godfrey and his Regall Family lye buried and the Caue vnder Mount Caluerie where they say the scull of Adam lies and haue also their proper Altar vpon Mount Caluarie The Abissines inhabit the South parts of Africk and they are subiect to their King Preti-Giani They receiued the Christian faith of the Eunuch baptized by Phillip and themselues are baptized not onely with water but with the signe of the Crosse printed in their flesh with hot Iron gathering that fire is as necessary to Baptisme as water out of those words of S. Iohn Baptist I baptise you with water but he shall baptise you with the Spirit and fire Also they vse the Iewes and Mahometans circumcision like wary Notaries who fearing to faile in their assurance neuer think they haue vsed words enough yet doe they greatly hatë the Iewes and thinke their Altars defiled if they doe but looke vpon them They giue the Sacrament of our Lords Supper to very children and they as all the rest excepting the Franks that is Papists giue it in both kindes When they sing Masse or Psalmes they leape and clap their hands and like the Iewes vse Stage-Players actions They vse their owne that is the Egyptian tongue in Diuine seruice and obseruing a Lent of fiftie dayes at one time do greatly maccrate their bodies In the Church they keepe the Chappell adioyning to the Sepulcher and the pillar where they say Christ was crowned with Thornes The Armenians are so called of the Prouince Armenta which they inhabite and they call their chiefe Bishop Catholicon whom they reuerence as another Pope They disagree with the Greekes and rather apply themselues to the Franks yet they keepe not the Feast of Christs birth but fast that day They keepe the Roman Lent but more strictly abstaining from Fish and very Oyle which they vse for butter but vpon some Holy-dayes in that time they eate flesh They mingle no water with the Wine of the Sacrament as the Papists doe but with them they lift vp the bread yea and the Cup also to be worshipped Of old with reseruation of customes they ioyned themselues to the Roman Church but finding the Pope to giue them no helpe against their enemies they quickly fell from him The very Lay men are shaued like Clerkes vpon their heads but in the forme of a Crosse and their Priests keepe the haire of their heads long in two tusts placing therein great Religion In the Church they keepe the pillar where they say the garments of Christ were parted and lots cast vpon his Coate and in the Citie the place where they say Saint lames was beheaded and the house of the High Priest Caiphas vpon Mount Sion The Nestorians are so called of the Monke Nestorius who infected the Persians Tartars and Iewes with his heresie They giue the Sacrament of the Lords Supper in both kindes and that to children as well as men They vse the Caldean tongue in diuine seruice and otherwise the Arabian In the Church they keepe the prison wherein they say Christ was shut vp The Maronites inhabite Phanicia and the Mount of Libanus and they vse the Syrian tongue in their diuine seruice namely as I thinke the Arabian And they said that these men for pouerty were lately fled from Ierusalem Some make mention of a tenth sect namely the lacobites named of Iacob Disciple to the Patriarke of Alexandria who liue mingled among Turkes Tartares inhabiting partly Nubia in Afrike partly the Prouinces of India I remember not to haue seene any such at my being there neither yet to haue heard any mention of them yet others write that they admit circumcision as well as baptisme and besides print the signe of the Crosse by an hot Iron in some conspicuous part of their body that they confesse their sinnes onely to God not to their Priests that they acknowledge but one nature in Christ that in token of their faith they make the signe of the Crosse with one finger and giue the Sacrament of our Lords Supper in both kinds yea to Infants as well as to those who are of full age I cannot omit an old Spanish woman who had for many yeeres liued there locked vp in the Temple lodging euery night at the doore of the sepulcher and hauing her diet by the Friars almes Shee said that shee came to Ierusalem to expiate her sinnesby that holy pilgrimage that shee had then beene there seuen yeeres and in that time had alwaies
vnder Banaria towards the Alpes between Carinthia Heluetia or Sweitzerland and hath the name of the riuer Athesis vulgarly called Etsch which runs into Italy by Trent and Verona and is there called l'Adice and so falles into the Riuer Po. This Prouince is commonly called the County of Tyrol the Cities whereof are Brixia and AEnipons vulgarly Inspruck a faire Citie 5. The names of Rhetia Vindelicia Norira in these dayes are out of vse and the limits of them are often cōfounded That is properly Rhetia which lies between the lake of Constantis or Costnetz towards the North and the high top of the Alpes towards the South whose chiefe City is Bregants the inhabitants of these Alpes are vulgarly called Grisons 6 Vindelicia is the other part of that tract lying betweene the Danow and the Alpes which hath faire Cities as Augusta Vindelicorum vulgarly Augsburg a famous City Vlme Ingolstad Ratisbona vulgarly Regenspurg and Passaw Obserue that the old limits of Rhetia did reach to Verona and Como in Italy but now great part of it is laid to Sueuia in Germany as namely the Cities Augsburg and Vlme aforesaid 7 The Countries of Bauaria and of the Bishopricke of Saltzburg were of old called Vindelicia Noricum and the Inhabitants thereof Taurisci and it hath these Cities Scherdung Saltzburg and Lintz 8 Sueuia stretcheth into old Vindelicia and that which at this day is so called containes the greater part of Rhetia and Vindelicia The Sueuians vulgarly Schwaben of old forsooke their dwelling vpon the Riuer Elue and inuaded vpper Rhetia which to this day they hold The Cities thereof are Nerlingen Gepingen and the foresaid Vlme and Augsburg 9 Heluetia or Sweitzerland was of old part of Gallia Belgica now is reckoned as part of Germany The head spring of the Rheine the second Riuer of Germany next in greatnesse to the Danow is in the highest Alpes of Heluetia where it riseth in two heads and the Northerly head falling from the Mountaines Furca and Gotardo is called the fore Rheine and the Southerly head falling from the Lepontine Mountaines is called the hinder Rheine both which running towards the East are vnited at Chur and then with the name of Rheine it fals towards the North violently from the Mountains Heluetia hath many very famous Cities namely Schaffhusen as the houses of boats or ships Constantia vulgarly Costnetz Tigurum vulgarly Zurech Solodurum or Solothurn Bern Lucern Geneua with Losanna which two last of old were reckoned in Sauoy but now are confederate with the Sweitzers The Inhabitants of Heluetia are commonly called Sweitzers and among themselues they will be called Eidgenossin that is partakers of the sworne league The part of Heluetia betweene the Rheine and the lake of Constantia is called Brisgoia vulgarly Brisgaw Bris signifies a price and Gaw a meadow and therein is the spring-head of the Riuer Danow and the Townes thereof are Rotwill Brisach Friburg an Vniuersity Basil a famous Vniuersity of old belonging to Alsatia now confederate with the Sweitzers 10 Alsatia so called of the riuer Illa running through it is diuided into the vpper the lower The vpper from Basil to Strasburg is called Singaw and the Inhabitants of old were called Tribocchi and Tribotes some hold Strasburg of old to haue beene the chiefe City thereof but it hath now three Cities Basil Selestade and Rusach The lower lying aboue Strasburg to the Mount Vogasus hath these Cities Haganaw and Sabern 11. For the Tract vpon the Rheine first aboue Alsatia towards Metz the Nemetes whose chiefe City is Spira and the Vangiones whose chiefe City is Worms possesse the West side of the Rheine The tract adioyning is called Vetus Hannonia vulgarly Alt-henegaw Something further from the Rheine towards the Dukedome of Luxenburg are these Prouinces The County Sweybrucken also called Bipoutanus in Latin of two Bridges and the Cities are Sweybrucken and Sarbrucken Secondly Austracia vulgarly Vestreich as a vast Kingdome Thirdly the Territory of the Elector Bishop of Trier whereof the chiefe Citie is Treueris vulgarly Trier On the other side of the Rheine towards the East the Marquisate of Baden lyes next to Heluetia whose inhabitants of old were called Vespi Next lies the Dukedome of Wirtenburg the Cities whereof are Tubinga and Sturcardia whereof the former is an Vniuersitie Then followes the Palatinate of Rheine the Inhabitants whereof were of old called Intuergi Phargiones and are now called Phaltzer and Heidelberg seated vpon the Riuer Neccar is the chiefe Citie and the seate of the Palatine Elector The lower Germany is deuided into nineteene Prouinces Franconia Bohemia Morauia Silesia Saxonia Lusatia Misnia Turingia Marchia the Dukedome of Branswicke the Dukedome of Meckleburg Hassia Iuliacum Cliuia Westphalia Frisia Orientalis Pemerania Borussia Linonia for I omit Gallia Belgica to be handled in his proper place 1 Franconia is an ancient and noble Nation the inhabitants wherof driuing the Romans out of Gallia possessed the same and gaue the name of France to that Kingdome This Prouince hath old and faire Cities namely Bamberg a Bishops seate Rotenburg Francfort famous for the yeerely Marts or Faires Wirtzberg a Bishops seate Mentz or Metz the seate of the chiefe Elector Bishop and Nurnberg a famous City which some hold to be in Bauaria but the Citizens doe more willingly acknowledge themselues to be Franckes All the Prouince excepting the free Cities and the three Cities belonging to Bishops is subiect to the Margraue of Brandeburg 2 Bohemia hath a language proper to it selfe and hath two Prouinces belonging to it Morauia hauing his proper language and Silesia vsing the Dutch tongue and these three make a Kingdome which is subiect to the Emperour and it is ioyned by Geographers to the Prouinces of Germany because the same compasseth it almost round about Bohemia is not deuided into Counties but according to the Teritories belonging to the King or to Noble men and Gentlemen this being called the Kings land that the land of the Baron of Rosenberg or the land of the Popells and so of the rest The chiefe City and seate of the Emperour their King is Prage The Riuer Blue hath his head spring in Bohemia being the third Riuer of Germany and it runs through Saxony to Hamburg and after falls into the sea The inhabitants of Bohemia came out of Dalmatia as their language witnesseth 3 Morauia was of old inhabited by the Marcomanni and had subiect to it Bohemia Silesia and Polonia but at this day it is onely a Marquisate subiect to Bohemia and hath the name of the Riuer Moraua The chiefe City thereof is Bromia vulgarly Prim. 4 The inhabitants of Silesia were of old called Lugij Dantuli and Cogni The Riuer Viadrus or Odera runnes through it into Pomerania and so falles into the sea Silesia is annexed to Bohemia and so is likewise subiect to the Emperour as King of Bohemia and the chiefe City thereof is Vratislauia vulgarly Bressell and the inhabitants of this
at Hage yet so as they doe not take vpon them to determine difficult matters without some diffidence till they haue the consent of their particular Cities and Prouinces except they be made confident by the concurring of eminent men who can draw or leade the people to approue of their doings or in such cases as by long practice they fully know not vnpleasing to the people So wary are they notwithstanding the Prouinciall States from their Communities and the generall States at Hage from them haue most ample power and absolute commission in expresse words to doe any thing they iudge profitable for the Commonwealth And it is a remarkeable thing to obserue their Art when in difficult cases they desire to protract time or delude Agents how the generall States answere that they must first consult with the prouinciall States and they againe answere that they must first know the pleasure of their Communities before they can determine and each of them hath nothing more in his mouth then the consent of his superiours for so they call them Whereas if businesse were so to be dispatched no doubt great difficulty would arise in all particular actions In the Senate of the generall States besides the States themselues Count Maurice hath as I thinke a double voice yet I neuer obserued him to be present at their assemblies The Ambassadour of England hath likewise his voice and Count Solms as I heard because he married the widdow of Count Egmond and for his good deserts in the seruice of the vnited Prouinces hath for himselfe and his heires the like priuiledge Thus the Commonwealth in generall is Aristocraticall that is of the best Men saue that the people chuseth the great Senate which rules all Touching the Commonwealths of particular Cities Amsterdam is the chiefe City of Holland where the great Senate consists of thirty sixe chiefe Citizens whereof one dying another is chosen into his place and this Senate yeerely chuseth foure Consuls who iudge ciuill causes and haue power to appoint ten Iudges of criminall causes vulgarly called Skout though they be not of that Senate The other Cities are in like sort gouerned but according to the greatnesse of the City or Towne they haue greater or lesser number of Senators The Tributes Taxes and Customes of all kinds imposed by mutuall consent so great is the loue of liberty or freedome are very burthensome and they willingly beare them though for much lesse exactions imposed by the King of Spaine as they hold contrary to right and without consent of his Subiects they had the boldnesse to make warre against a Prince of such great power Yet in respect of the vnequal proportioning of all contributions they are somewhat at ods among themselues many times iarre so as it seemed no difficult thing to breake their concord had not the common Enemy the eminent danger of Spanish reuenge together with the sweetnesse of freedome once tasted forced them to constant vnity This I dare say that when they humbly offered themselues vassals to the Queene of England in the first infancy of their Common-wealth if her Maiesty or any other Prince whosoeuer vndertaking their protection had burthened them with halfe the exactions they now beare it is more then probable that they would thereby haue beene so exasperated as they would haue beene more ready to haue returned vnder the obedience of the King of Spaine whose anger they had highly prouoked then to endure the yoke of such a Protector For each Tunne of Beere which they largely swallow they pay into the Exchequer sixe Flemmish shillings each shilling being sixe stiuers I meane of Beere sold abroad for they pay onely foure shillings for such Beere as men brew for the vse of their priuate families which frugality few or none vse except perhaps some brew small Beere for their Families and indeed I doubt they would find small frugality in brewing other Beere for themselues if the Cellar lay open to their seruants And howsoeuer the Tunnes be of diuers prices according to the goodnesse of the Beere namely of two three foure fiue or sixe Guldens the Tunne though at Leyden onely the Brewers may not sell Beere of diuers prices for feare of fraud in mixing them yet there is no difference of the Tribute They haue excellent fat pastures whereof each Aker is worth forty pound or more to be purchased and they pay tribute for euery head of cattle feeding therein as two stiuers weekely for each Cow for the Paile the great number whereof may be coniectured by the plenty of cheese exported out of Holland and the infinite quantity of cheese and butter they spend at home being the most common food of all the people For Oxen Horses Sheepe and other Beasts sold in market the twelfth part at least of the price is paid for tribute and be they neuer so often by the yeere sold to and fro the new Masters still pay as much They pay fiue stiuers for euery bushel of their owne wheate which they vse to grind in publike Mils And since they giue tribute of halfe in halfe for foode and most necessary things commonly paying as much for tribute as the price of the thing sold the imposition must needs be thought greater laid vpon forraigne commodities seruing for pleasure pride and luxury besides that these tributes are ordinary and no doubt vpon any necessity of the Commonwealth would be increased French wines at Middleburg the Staple thereof and Rhenish wines at Dort the Staple thereof are sold by priuiledge without any imposition but in all other places men pay as much for the Impost as for the wine Onely in the Campe all things for food are sold without any imposition laid vpon them And some but very few eminent men haue the priuiledge to pay no imposition for like things of food Each Student in the Vniuertie hath eighty measures of wine vulgarly called Stoup allowed him free from imposition and for six barrels of Beere onely payes one Gulden and a quarter that is two shillings six pence English being altogether free from all other tributes which priuiledge the Citizens enioy in the name of the Students dieting with them and no doubt the Rector and professors of the Vniuersity haue greater immunity in these kinds One thing is hardly to be vnderstood how these Prouinces thus oppressed with tributes and making warre against a most powerfull King yet at this time in the heate of the warre which vseth to waste most flourishing Kingdomes and make Prouinces desolate had farre greater riches then any most peaceable Countrey of their neighbours or then euer themselues formerly attained in their greatest peace and prosperitie Whether it be for that according to the Poet Ingenium mala sape monent Aduersity oft whets the wit so as by warre they are growne more witty and industrious Or for that Flanders and Antwerp the famous City in former times so drew all trafficke and rich Merchants to them as
all the neighbour Prouinces were thereby impouerished all which trade by the warre fell to Holland most strong in shipping or for that the vnited Prouinces haue such commodity by the Sea and waters running to all Townes and by the strength of their cities as in the heat of war they are free from the enemies incursions or any impediment of their traffick and seeme rather to carry the war to their confines then to haue it in their bosomes In which point it is not vnpleasant to remember how the Hollanders mock the Spaniards as if not acquainted with the Northern Sea the ebbing and flowing therof they thought they might at pleasure come into any hauen leade their army into any of those Prouinces that when the Spaniards first entered Holland with their Army and they cutting the banckes of the sea drowned their Country the Spaniards were therewith astonished and gaue gold chaines money and the most precious things they had to the Country people on condition they would bring them out of those watery places to firme land If any man require truer and greater reasons of these Prouinces growing rich by warre let him make curious search thereof for it is besides my purpose No doubt the frequent Armes of the sea within land passing by their Cities the innumerable waters though for the most part standing or little mouing which by made ditches carry boats and barkes to all their Cities being there more frequent then in any other part of the World and to all their Villages and compasse almost all their pastures yeeld no small commodity to their Common-wealth For they hauing little of their owne to export and wanting Corne Wood or Coales and many necessaries for their vse yet by this onely benefit and their singular industry not only most abundantly inioy all commodities of all Nations for their owne vse but by transporting them from place to place with their owne ships whereof they haue an vnspeakable number make very great gaine being delighted in Nauigation by nature as borne and bred in the midst of Seas and waters and hauing by warre heating their Flegmaticke humours attained to such skill therein as for trafficke they saile to the most remote coasts of the world and in processe of time being growne so bold sea-men as they will scarcely yeeld in this Art to the English for many former yeeres excelling therein So as their tributes imposed on Merchants commodities must needs be of exceeding great moment And not to weary my selfe with the curious search thereof I will onely adde for coniecture of the generall one particular related to me by credible men That in time when Italy suffered dearth and was supplied with corne from these parts the tributes of one Citie Amsterdam in one weeke exceeded the summe of ten thousand pounds sterling whence the reuenewes of all tributes in all the Hauens and Cities may bee coniectured to be excessiuely great So as adding the impositions vpon domesticall things and the great contributions paid by the enemies subiects vpon the confines in time of warre to purchase the safety of their persons and goods with freedome to till their grounds from the rapine of freybooting souldiers a man may well say that the vnited Prouinces are no lesse able then they haue been daring to doe great things This Common-wealth is gouerned by particular lawes and customes of diuers places and by the publike edicts vpon diuers new occasions made by the States of the Prouinces and these wanting by the Ciuill law The particular Cities are gouerned after the manner aboue named And particularly at Leyden my selfe haue obserued the inhabitants of Villages called by writings set vpon posts in the publike streets to haue their controuersies iudged by the Magistrates of the city not at any set time of the yeere but according to the occasions of other affaires at the Iudges pleasure High iniuries and maimes of any member are punished by the law which passeth ouer lighter iniuries not giuing such ample satisfactions to the wronged euen by word as the constitutions of the Sweitzers giue so as with them no lesse then in England quarrels and brawlings are frequent and often breake out into man-slaughters wherein those who will reuenge themselues by force first agree betweene themselues whether they will strike or stab and then drawing out long kniues which they ordinarily weare they wound one another by course according to their agreement either by slashes or stabs which they call schneiden and stecken They commonly allow mony to be put out to vse and to the end poore men vpon pawnes may borrow small summes for a short time they admit an Italian or Lumbard vulgarly so called in each Citie who taking a pawne lends a gulden for a brasse coine called a doigt by the weeke But this Lumbard in the French Church there is not admitted to receiue the Communion The pawne vseth to bee worth a third part more then the mony lent and one yere a day being past after the mony is due the vsurer hath the pawne to himselfe but before that time the debter at his pleasure may at any time haue his pawne first paying the borowed mony with the vse to the day of paiment And the common report then was that the States would take this as a publike Office into their owne hands to help the poore not able to pay by selling the pawnes to the owners best profit Touching inheritance Vpon the Mothers death the children may compell their Father to deuide his goods with them least perhaps hee should consume or waste the same And the wife that brought a dowry be her husband growne neuer so rich by his trade may when shee dies giue not only her dowry but halfe her husbands goods gotten in mariage to her owne Kinsmen after his death if shee haue no children by him and if she brought no dowry yet shee hath the same right to dispose of halfe her husbands goods gotten in mariage and as is supposed by their mutuall labor A sonne may not be disinherited but vpon causes approued by the Law for the Father is bound to giue a third part of his estate among his children and only hath power to dispose of the rest or any part thereof in Legacies at his pleasure The wiues of Holland buy and sell all things at home and vse to saile to Hamburg and into England for exercise of traffique I heard from credible men that the Citizens of Enchusen within thirty yeeres then past vsed to marry a wife and put her away at the yeeres end if they liked her not which barbarous custome Ciuility and Religion hath since abolished and at Delph I did see two examples of men who hauing buried their wiues did after marry their wiues Sisters It is no rare thing for blowes to happen betweene man and wife and I credibly heard that they haue slight punishments for that fault and my selfe did heare the Crier summon a man
built of free-stone but according to the building of Italy are almost flat vpon the top so as that vpper roofe hath neither chambers nor windowes The houses are not built one neere the other but diuided with most pleasant gardens and dispersed On the North side of the City without the walles the Duke hath a large Parke for hunting and to keepe therein many strange beasts There be two stately Pallaces besides the Dukes one of the Bentiuoli the other of Caesar Nephew to Duke Alfonso who being eighty yeeres old begot him of a Concubine and because the Popes had intruded themselues into the succession of this Dukedome which this holy mother the Church daily gaped to enioy vpon the want of lawfull heires males the Duke could not obtaine by intreaty or any money to haue the right of succession conuaied to this Nephew And howsoeuer he were now eighty yeeres old yet the opinion of his command in miltary affaires made the common people report that the Pope would grant the succession to his Nephew vpon condition he should lead an Army into Hungary against the Turkes But the euent shewed that the Popes thought nothing lesse for this Caesar defending his possession fearefully the Popes haue since that time and long before I wrote this inuaded this Dukedome and vnited it to the Patrimony of Saint Peter The circuit of the City is said to containe seuen miles and in the same is an Vniuersity little frequented and a faire Colledge wherein the professors read The Duke hath two stables in the one one hundred twenty horses for coaches in the other fifty for the saddle In the Beneuentane Monastery is the sepulcher of the Poet Ariosto borne in this City and it is of red Marble with this inscription in Latine To Lodwick Ariosto Poet a Patrician of Ferraria Augustine Musicus to so great a man and so well deseruing of him hath caused this Monument and Image of Marble to be erected at his owne proter cost in the yeere of the Lord M D LXXIII Alfonso the second being Duke he liued LIX yeeres and died in the yeere of the Lord M D XXXIII the eighth of the Ides of Iune The Statua of Marble is to the shoulder and is set ouer his Tombe with those verses Hic Ariostus est situs qui comico Aures Theatri sparsit vrbanas sale Satyraque mores strinxit acer improbos Heroa culto qui furentem carmine Datumque curas cecinit atque pralia Vates corona dignus vnus triplici Cui trina constant quae fuere vatibus Graijs Latinis vixque Hetruscis singula Here Ariosto lies whose pen still feasts The Ciuill eares on stage with comick ieasts Whose Sayters scourg'd the foule sins of his time Who sung the frantick worthy in sweet ryme Great Dukes fierce battels and their pensiue care Thus hath one Poet three crownes to his share Greeke Poets Latines Tuscanes each scarce one Of these attain'd he hath all three alone In the Monastery Certosa there is a round pinacle the Monument of Duke Borso In the Church of Saint Mary of the Angels are laid vp some trophies of victory against the Venetians which when a Citizen of Ferrara shewed vpon a time to a Venetian in fashion of bragging he answered pleasantly and wittily to my remembrance when you of Ferrara got this victory against vs wee tooke the Countrey of Poleseno from you and though we were ouercome yet we keepe that to this day Ierom Saucnorolla a Frier was born in this City who in a late age was of great fame authority among the Florentines and for some opinions of religion was burnt by the Pope Here I paied thirty bolinei for a meale in the chiefe Inne where we were well vsed when in baser Innes we had paied more with vile vsage From hence they reckon thirty foure miles to Bologna Wee went on foot three miles to the village La Torre della fossa and in the midst of the way wee obserued the old bed of the Riuer Po which was now dried vp From hence we hired a boat for foure bolinei and foure quatrines and passed in a broad ditch betweene high reedes to a place called Mal ' Albergo that is the ill lodging being nine miles and we vnderstood there that foure souldiers were drowned the day before in the said ditch by their own folly playing and tumbling in the boat We had now passed seuen miles in the State of Bologno and lodging here each man paid for his supper sixteene bolinei The next morning a boat went from hence to Bologna but since they asked for each mans passage twenty two bolinei and that the day was faire and the way very pleasant we chose to goe on foot these eighteene miles to Bologna In the mid-way we came to a Countrey Inne where they demanding excessiue prices for meat we for sparing in the beginning of our long iourney and loth to be made a prey out of their opinion of our gluttony tooke bread and wine of them at the knowne price and dined with some prouisions we had with vs namely one pound of Raisons for which we had paid seuen bolinei a pound of figges at the same price and a pound of Almonds at the same price bought at Ferraria to this purpose After this refection we went the rest of our iourney through pleasant fields manured after the Lumbard fashion before discribed When we entred the gates of Bologna the souldiers demanded a curtesie of vs which wee gladly gaue them perceiuing they would not search our portmanteaus which otherwise by their office they may do This is a City of Flaminia of old subiect to the Exarchate of Rauenna til the Eastern Emperors were cast out of Italy by the conspiring of the Popes with the Kings of Lombardy and so the Exarchate was vnited to that Kingdome and shortly after the Popes likewise conspiring with the French King Charles the Great against the Kings of Lombardy and diuiding Italy betweene them this City fell to the Popes share howsoeuer they did not then attaine the possession thereof or at least did not keepe it long for afterwards the City was subiect to many tyrants sometimes vnder the Vicounts of Milano and at last inuaded by the Citizens thereof namely the Family of Bentiuoli vnder pretence to defend the common liberty till the Pope about the time of the French King Lewis the twelfth conspiring with him to inuade Italy did cast out the Bentiuoli and by little and little reducing the Citizens to obedience and vsing them to the Church gouernement did at last set ouer them his Podesta and a Cardinall Legate both strangers to gouerne them This populous City is of a round forme and of great circuit but the wals are round about almost fallen downe The City is seated in a large plaine and such is the whole territory onely on the South-side without the wals lie the Apennine mountaines which diuide Italy almost in the midst all the
be the priuiledges which the Iewes haue gotten by bribing especially in the Dutchéy of Sauoy through the vnsatiable auarice of our Christian Princes Neere this Market-place is the large Church of Saint Andrew and the Senate-house in which they shew two statuaes of Cupid whereof one is ancient and of much greater value then the other and a very long Vnicornes horne and a paire of Organs of Aliblaster besides Iewels and vessels of gold and siluer Not farrethence is the third Market-place of Iustice. To conclude at the gate of Saint Francis Church is the head of Virgil which the Neapolitans say as in the description of that Citie I formerly said was stolne from the Sepulcher of Virgil vpon the Mount Pausilip In the Pallace called dellaragione is another statua of Virgil sitting at a Table of brasse as if hee were writing and crowned with Laurell I said formerly that there is a passage from the Lakes into the Riuer Po and so by water to Venice and the Duke to take his pleasure vpon the water hath a baot called Bucentoro because it will beare some two hundred and it is built in the vpper part like a banqueting house hauing fiue roomes with glased windowes wherein the Duke and his Traine doe sit and these roomes are supported vpon a boat the Mariners that row the same sitting vnder the said roomes the first and largest roome whereof was fifteene walking paces long with benches on both sides the second was eight paces long the third fiue and the fourth likewise fiue paces long the fifth was a Gallerie ouer the other roomes fortie paces long and open to which they mounted by staires out of the first roome And this boate doth not onely much differ from our Kings barges aswell for the bignesse as the rich furniture but also is flat in the bottome the waters being still and calme on which it passeth These roomes according to occasions haue more or lesse rich hangings when the Duke either goeth out to disport himself or when he takes any iourny therin as oft he doth It is vnlawfull to weare a sword without licence of the Magistrate either at Milan Cremona Mantua or almost in any Citie of Italy onely at Venice and Paduoa and the Cities of that State strangers may weare Swords and onely the wearing of Pistols or short gunnes is forbidden At Mantua I paied three reali each meale and being to depart thence I was forced to take a Bill of the Customers by which they signifie to the Guard at the gate whether the passenger be to goe on horseback on foote or by coach and what tribute he is to pay for which Bill a footeman paies 3. soldi another passenger six Thus the Princes of italy hauing small Territories doe not onely burthen their subiects with taxes but all strangers strictly take account from the exacters therof Being to goe from hence to Paduoa we went out of the gate Saint Ceorge and I hired a horse from Mantua to the Castle Este for eleuen lires The first day wee passed by a Forte of the Venetians most strongly fortified vpon the consines of that State which Fort lies vpon the Riuer Athesis and is called Lignaco and rode some twenty miles through a Plaine tilled after the manner of Lombardy to Monteguiara where I paied fortie soldi that is two lires for my supper The next morning I rode nine miles to the Castle Este whence is the Family of the Dukes of Ferraria long flourishing but now extinct From thence I passed by boate 15 miles to Paduoa and paied 22 soldi for my passage This day when I returned to Paduoa was the 14 of December after the new stile in the yeere 1594 which city the rate of vittles there I haue formerly described CHAP. IIII. Of the Sopulcher of Petrarch at Arqua Of my iourney to Vicenza Verona Brescia and Bergnmo in Italy then passing the Alpes to Chur Zurech Solothurn Geneua and in my returne thence to Berna in Sweitzerland thence to Strasburg in Germany and to Chalon to Paris to Roan and to Diepe in France and finally of my passagety 〈◊〉 Land to London in England WHilest I expected the commoditie of the Spring for my iourney home-wards I went to Venice to receiue money there and retaining a sufficient proportion in my hands I thought to make ouer the rest to Paris by bills of exchange but France hauing been now long wasted with ciuill war I could not finde one Merchant of Venice who had any the least Traffick at Paris Therefore persisting still in my obstinate purpose to returne by France I thought at least to procure the change of this money to Geneua And so only out of my desire to see the Citie of Geneua I resolued againe to passe ouer the Alpes into Sweitzerland though I had formerly seene those Townes Then I bought an Hungarian horse for twentie Crownes of a Dutch Gentleman newly ariued in these parts And while I prepared all things necessary for my iourney and expected a sit season of the yeere it came in my minde to see the Monument not farre distant of the famous Poet Francis Petrarch and being willing to giue my horse rest I went on foot with certaine Dutch Gentlemen thirteene miles to Arqua By the way we did see a most faire Monastery Praia and the Baths of Abano the water wherof doth boile with such heate as it would fetch off the skinne being touched At Arqua is the sepulcher of Fetrarch of red marble spotted and it hath this inscription in Latin To the worthy man F. P. a Laureat Poet his sonne in Law Francis Lus-debro Sauo of Milan for their inward conuersation loue affinitte and his succession left this memory Vnder that followed these verses Frigida Francisci lapis hic tegit ossa Petrarchae Suscipe virgo parens animam sate virgine parce Fessaque iam terris caeli requiescat in Arce This stone doth Francis Petrarches bones inclose Take my soule Virgin spare it Virgins sonne Tired on earth in heauen let it repose Then followed letters raced out MCCC 〈◊〉 XX. XVIIII Then followed the third inscription in Latin with his Image To Francis Petrarch Paulus Valdezucus admiring his Poems and succeeding him in the possession of his house and fields made this Image in the yeere MDXCVII the Ides of September There is also a Fountaine vulgarly called the Fountaine of Petrarch vpon which these verses are written Fonti numen inest hospes venerare liquorem Vnde bihens cecinit digna Petrarcha Deis Some god dwells here worship the sacred Spring Whence Petrarch drinking heauenly Rimes did sing Petrarch dwelt at Arqua and here in the same house wherein they say he dwelt the historie of Petrarches life is painted where the owner of the house shewed vs some household stuffe belonging to him and the very skinne of a Cat he loued which they haue dried and still keepe Here I did see his Studie a pleasant roome especially for the sweet
little Mountaine The houses are vniformely and very fairely built of free-storie hauing the first vpper roomes of the houses cast out towards the streetes and supported with arches vnder which they walke drie in the greatest raine Round about this little Mountaine the Citizens haue their gardens from the fall of the same to the lowest Valleyes and vpon the South-East by South is a most faire Church and very pleasant for the light somnesse thereof and on euery side there is a pleasant place for walking On the South side without the walles the Riuer Arba runnes from the West to the East and is passed by a bridge at the East ende of the Citie whence it turneth towards the North and so makes the Citie almost an Iland Here I paied fourteene batzen for my supper and horsemeate The fourth day in the morning I rode three miles in sixe houres space through fruitfull fieldes of Corne and pasture to Solothurn And by the way I obserued a monument of the English defeated by the Sweitzers with this in scription in Dutch Ritterlich erschlagen die English gùckler Anno 1425 arme Iucke That is The English Iuglers Knightly beaten in the yeere 1425 poore Knaues The English Histories make no mention of any warre with the Sweitzers Semler a Sweitzer Historian in his first booke fifty fourth leafe writes that Leopold Duke of Austria drew the English against the Sweitzers and that they did much hurt by wasting the Territories aswell of Austria as of Sweitzerland but that they being ouercome in some battels did after the wasting of these Countries returne home in the yeere 1376 and this he calles the first English warre Also Semler in his first booke the leafe 273 writes that the English as it seemes called from the French warre did at the instance of Duke Leopold besiege Strassburg in the yeere 1365 but the Emperor Charles the fourth comming with an armie against them that they retired But neither doe the words of Semler agree since he calles the first attempt the first English warre and after mentions another of former time neither doe the yeeres set downe by Semler agree with the yeeres of this monument neither seemes it by the French Histories that the English had any leasure to make warre vpon the Sweitzers in the yeere 1365 and lesse in the yeere 1376. To conclude it appeares aswell by the English as French Histories that the English Conquerours in France had so weightie a warre lying there vpon them in the yeere 1425 set downe in this monument as it is not credible they could at that time turne their forces any other way Only the most approued French Writers witnes that the English and French hauing made a truce for eighteene moneths in the yeere 1443 it seemed good to the leaders on both sides that the souldiers hating rest and peace should be drawne out to some forraine warre and that the English seruing vnder Lewis the Dolphin of France the said Lewis in the yeere 1444 making warre vpon the Sweitzers killed therein 4000 of them but the victorie was so bloudy of this battell fought in the territorie of Bazel as he that had the victorie lost some 5000 men of his owne and that the Emperour Frederick the third comming against him he drew his men backe For my part I leaue the credit of this monument to be tried by the consent of Historians and returne to my iourney The fifth day in the morning I rode foure miles to the Towne Ottmersea and in the afternoone through a stony Plaine of Corne and some Woods I rode foure miles to Besa The sixth day in the morning I rode fiue miles through the like Plaine to Gerzen and in the after-noone through a woody heath Plaine and towards my iournies end through fruitfull fields of Corne I rode foure miles to Strassburg And in all this iourney I payed about seuen batzen for each meale From Solothurne to Strassburg some reckon senentene miles others twenty two miles for the Dutch reckon the miles diuersly according to the length of them in their owne Countrey and in these parts they vse to distinguish their iournies by howers riding not by miles Not farre from the foresaid Towne Besa lies the Citie Bazell which I haue described in my former iourney through these parts But to gratifie those who loue to search antiquities giue me leaue to say that Augusta Rauracorum so called for distinction from Augusta Vindelicorum a Citie of great antiquitie and at this day become a poore Village lies distant from Bazell some mile towards the Mountaine Iura and that neere this ancient Citie are many old monuments of the Romans and many buildings vnder the earth which my selfe being lesse curious did not see and that the Husbandmen there digged vp lately a coyne of gold and sold it for copper which was after valued at nine Crownes of the old Romans I say nothing of Strassburg which I haue in the foresaid place formerly described onely I will say that I had the good fortune there to find a French Gentleman the Gouernour of Monwick with his traine in whose company I rode thither 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fruitfull Plaine of Corne foure miles to Sauerne in which Citie the Papisticall Chanons of Strassburg haue long fortified themselues vnder the protection of the Duke of Loraine against their Lords the Senators of Strassburg and haue appropriated to themselues great part of the reuenewes of that Bishoppricke lying vnder their power After dinner I rode three miles through Hilles yet couered with snow to Villa Noua Concerning my expences I spent each day little lesse then a French Crowne namely two franckes for my supper and commonly three French soulz for my breake-fast and one franck for my horsemeate The second day I rode one mile to the confines of the Empire and the Dukedome of Loraine and some three miles further to Monwick where so much salt is made as the Duke of Loraine yeerely receiues sixty thousand French Crownes for the same The third day through a dyrtie way and fruitfull fieldes of Corne I rode fiue miles to the Citie Nanzi where the Duke of Loraine keepes his Court and when I was entring the Gate the Captaine of the Guard drew towards mee to know my name and Countrie I not ignorant that the Family of Loraine vsurping great power in France vnder the pretence to defend the Roman Religion bare no good will to the English at that time answered that I was a Polonian hee inquired many things of the Kingdome King and Queene of Poland and perceiuing that I answered him directly hee whispered something with some chiefe men of the Guard about my confidence and so turning againe to me bad me lift vp my hand for so the French vse to take othes I was much affraid lest I should bee forced vpon this oath to confesse my Countrey which I had dissembled but when I demaunded the cause hee told mee
them according to the Greeke language for the statua of Isis was at Saint German till it was taken away in the yeere 1514 and a Crosse was set vp in the place thereof by the Bishop of Molun The City hath the name of Lutetia in Latin either of dirt for the Fens adioining or in the Greeke tongue of Morter there digged out because all the floares are of plaster and the houses plastered ouer And some say that it was of old called the City of Iulius Caesar who built great part thereof It lies in the eleuation of the Pole forty eight degrees and the chiefe part thereof namely the Iland or greater City is seated in a fenny ground For the Riuer Seyne hath often ouerflowed Paris and broken downe the bridges In the time of King Phillip Augustus the waters rose to the statuaes without the Cathedrall Church of Saint Mary on the North-side thereof as appeares by an inscription Also in the yeere 1373 for two moneths space they so ouerflowed the City as they passed in boates the streetes of Saint Denis and S. Antoine To conclude omitting many ouerflowings mentioned in Histories it appeares by an inscription in the vally of Misery that in the yeere 1496 there was a great inundation The City of old was all in the Iland and when it could not receiue the multitude increased the City was inlarged to both sides of the continent and first that part of the City called La ville then the third part called the Vniuersity were esteemed suburbes till after they were ioined to the City For the Kings Court and the City still increased with buildings so as the Subburbes were greater then the City whereupon King Charles the fifth gaue them the same priuiledges which the City had and compassed them with wals whereof the ruines yet appeare And new Suburbes being afterwards built King Henry the second in the yeere 〈◊〉 made an Edict that the houses vnpersected should be pulled down and that no more should afterwards be built The Riuer Seyne running from the South and entering at the South-side diuides the City into two parts the greater part whereof towards the East and North lies low in a plaine and is vulgarly called La ville The lesse lying towards the South and West vpon a higher ground is seated betweene hils and is called the Vniuersity Betweene those two parts lies the third namely the Iland called the City which is seated in a plaine and compassed on all sides with the Riuer Seyne running betweene the Ville and the Vniuersity And this part was of old ioined to the Vniuersity with two bridges and to the Ville with three bridges but now a sixth called the new bridge doth moreouer ioine the Iland aswell to the Ville as to the Vniuersity The part of the City called the Ville is compassed on the south and west sides with the Riuer Seyne and vpon the East and North sides with wals rampiers and ditches in the forme of halfe a circle The second part of the City called the Vniuersity is compassed on the East and North sides with the Riuer Seyne and vpon the South and West sides with wals which they write to haue the forme of a hat saue that the long suburbes somewhat alter this forme For my part it seemed to me that ioined with the Iland it had also the forme of another halfe circle though somewhat lesse then the former The third part called the Iland or City is compassed round about with the Riuer Seyne and vpon the South-east side is defended from the floods of the Riuer by foure little Ilands which are marked in the map with blacke ines and lie like Rampiers diuerting the streame from beating on the City To this Iland they passe on both sides by bridges and in respect of the Bishops Pallace he Kings greater Pallace it may be called the heart of the City The old wals of the Ville were first of lesse circuit then now they are for new wals were built which also included the Suburbes and the inner wall is of vnpolished stone the outer wall is of earth compailed round about with ditches which neere the Riuer are broad and full of water but further off towards the North and East are narrow and altogether drie But the old wals are either demolished or conuerted to the supporting of priuate houses The Vniuersity is compassed with like wals and because it is seated vpon high ground the ditches are altogether drie And the wals of earth aswell of the Ville as the Vniuersity are so broad as three or foure may walke together vpon them And round about the City I meane the Ville and Vniuersity compassing the Iland are many rampiers vppon the wall like so many Forts The Iland or City was of old compassed with wals wherewith the greater Pallace lying towards the North at this day is compassed Paris in generall is subiect to the King so as it hath vnder him a peculiar iurisdiction and in spirituall matters it is subiect to the Bishop In the time of King Lewis the eleuenth one hundred and foure thousand Citizens were numbered able to beare armes in the yeere 1466 and King Charles the fifth in the yeere 1371 gaue the Citizens the rights and priuiledges of Gentlemen King Phillip Augustus in the yeere 1090 made Shiriffes to gouerne the City with consular authority and he gaue the City for Armes a ship adorned with Lillies he paued the streetes with flint and compassed the City with wals The Parisians haue raised many seditions The first in the yeere 1306 against rich men raising the rents of houses The second with the King of Nauar and the English against the Dolphin The third in the yeere 1383 against the Kings Treasurers which Charles the sixth returning with his Army out of Flanders did seuerely punish The fourth betweene the factions of Orleans and Burgundy The fifth most pestilent and longest with the Guisians against the last King of Valois The building of the City is for the most part stately of vnpolished stone with the outside plastered and rough cast and the houses for the most part are foure stories high and sometimes sixe besides the roofe which also hath glasse windowes The streetes are somewhat large and among them the fairest is that of Saint Dennis the second Saint Honere the third Saint Antoine and the fourth Saint Martine And in the Iland the waies to these streetes are fairest The pauement is of little but thicke and somewhat broade stones But in the meane time the streetes of the Ville either for the low situation or by the negligence of the Citizens are continually dirty and full of filth The three parts of the City namely the Ville the Iland and the Vniuersity being ioined together are of a round forme which of all others is most capable saue that the halfe circle of the Ville is greater then the other halfe circle which is compassed as it were with the two hornes of
the Prophet where of old was built a stately Church which as then stood little ruined and neere it is a pleasant fountaine where the passengers vse to drinke and to water their Asses They say that the said Prophet was borne there and that the place was of old called Anatoth I said that excellent corne growes betweene the great stones of these Mountaines or Rockes neither are they destitute of Vines and many fruites In the said valley of Hieromy certaine Arabians which seemed to be mowers of corno flew vpon vs like fierce dogges yet our Muccaro sent them away content with the gift of a bisket and in like sort in another narrow passage of the mountaines he paied some meidines for cafar which he neuer demanded of vs being content with the money we had paied him at Ramma Vpon a high Rocke we did see the ruines of the Castle Modon where the Machabees were buried Then wediscended into the Valley of Terebintho so called of a Tree bearing a black fruit like an Oliue yeelding a kind of oyle where we passed ouer a Torrent by a bridge of stone and this is the place famous for the victory of Dauid against Goliah We had now some two miles to Ierusalem yet in the very Hauen we wanted little of perishing For it happened that a Spachi or Horse-man vnder the great Turkes pay riding swiftly and crossing our way suddenly turned towards vs and with his speare in his rest for these horse-men carry speares bucklers like Amadis of Gaule he rushed vpon vs with all his might and by the grace of God his speare lighting in the pannell of the Asse neuer hurt the French-man his Rider but he did much astonish both him and vs till our Muccaro enquiring the cause of this violence he said why doe not these dogges light on foot to honour mee as I passe which when we heard and knew that we must here learne the vertue of the beasts on which we rode we presently tumbled from our Asses for we had no other stirrops then knotted ropes and bended our bodies to him Neither did we therein basely but very wisely for woe be to that Christian who resists any Turke especially a Souldier and who beares not any iniury at their hands We had but one mile to Ierusalem when we did sec large ruines on this West side of the City of an old City or Village Somewhat after noone the fourth of Iune we entered Ierusalem vpon the West side at the Gate of Ioppa written Iaffa Giaffa and Zaffa by diuers Nations At this gate we staied till two Friars came out of the Latine Monastery and likewise the exactors of Tribute came to vs and to them we paied each man two zechines for tribute due to the great Turke or at least extorted from vs which done the two Friars being Italians did lead vs to the Monastery of the Latines CHAP. II. The description of the City of Ierusalem and the territory thereof I Am vnskilfull in Geography and much more in the making of Mappes but according to the faithfull view of my eyes I will first draw the situation of Ierusalem and after explaine it as well as I can And first I thinke good to professe that by my iourny to this City I had no thought to expiate any least sinne of mine much lesse did I hope to merit any grace from God but when I had once begun to visite forraigne parts I was so stirred vp by emulation and curiosity as I did neuer behold any without a kind of sweete enuy who in this kind had dared more then my selfe Thus affected I thought no place more worthy to be viewed in the whole world then this City where howsoeuer I gaue all diuine worship to God and thought none to be giuen to the places yet I confesse that through the grace of God the very places strucke me with a religious horrour and filled my mind prepared to deuotion with holy motions In like fort I professe that I will faithfully relate the situation of the City and the description of the monuments made to me by the Friars making conscience not to adde or detract but as neere as I can to vse their owne words Yet doe I not my selfe beleeue all the particulars I write vpon their report neither doe I perswade any man to beleeue them But for many monuments the scripture giues credit to them and it is not probable in so great difference and emulation whereof I shall after speake of Sects of Christians there abiding and being most apt to note errours one in another that any apparant fictions could be admitted as on the contrary it is most certaine that some superstitious inuentions wherewith all the sectes are more or lesse infected haue in time obtained to be reputed true and religiously to be beleeued Howsoeuer he that conferres the situation of the City and of the monuments with the holy Scriptures and with the old ruines of Rome and other Cities shall easily discerne what things are necessarily true or false and what are more or lesse probable And it will notoriously appeare that the Citie is now seated in the same place in which it flourished when our Sauiour liued there in the slesh Neither let any man obiect to me the prophecies of the fatall and irreparable ruine thereof which all Diuines vnderstand of the Temple to be vtterly demolished and for my part I would rather admit if necessitie require any figuratiue speech then I would bee so wicked or so blockish as not to beleeue the holy Scriptures or that which I did see with these eyes Vpon the West side the Citie could neuer haue been more enlarged then now it is since Mount Caluerie without all doubt was of old without the walles which now is inclosed within them so as rather it appeares the Citie hath been so much inlarged on that side In like sort on the East side the Citie is so compassed with the Valley of Iehosephat and the famous Mount Oliuet as it appeares the City could not that way haue been larger then now it is On the North side I did neuer reade nor heare any that described this Citie to haue been larger then now it is yet in respect of huge ruines still remaining there vpon a large Plaine of the highest part of the Citie if any should confidently affirme that they belonged to the old Citie for my part I could not gainesay it From the Plaine of this highest part of the Citie it declines by little and little if you except some little Hilles within the walles from the North to the East where the Temple of Salomon is seated vpon the lowest part of Mount Moriah and likewise it declines from the North to the South Gates whereof the one is called Sterquilinea of the filth there carried out the other Praesentationis because the Virgin Mary entered there when she presented Christ to the Priest in the Temple which gates as the whole
of this house Here the Souldiers spoiled our Redeemer of his garments and in scorne attired him with purple 23 The Arch of Pilate which is a gallery of bricke built ouer the street from one wall to another whence Pilate shewed Christ to the people saying behold the man doe with him what you will 24 Here they say the Virgin Mary fell downe fainting when Christ was led to Mount Caluary 25 Here they say that Christ fainting the Iewes tooke his Crosse and laied it vppon Symon of Cyren 26 The Pallace of King Herod 27 Here they say Christ vttered these words Daughters of Syon weepe not for me weepe for your selues c. 28 Here they say the rich glutton dwelt and not farre hence they shew the house where Mary Magdalen washed Christs feete with her teares and dried them with the haires of her head 29 Here they say Veronica dwelt and that this woman gaue her white hand-kercher to Christ when he did sweat blood who wiping his face therewith left the liuely print of it therein about which hand-kercher the Romans and the Spaniards contend both saying that they haue it and shewing it for an holy relike to the people 30 The Gate of old called Iudiciall now not extant by which Christ was led to Mount Caluary to be crucified for this mountaine now inclosed within the wals was then without the wals And the way from the house of Pontius Pilate noted with the figures 22 to this gate is called the dolorous way by the Italian Christians because Christ was led by it to his passion 31 The prison from whence the Angell brought Peter breaking his chaines and opening the iron doore and it is seated vnder the ruines of the Pallace which since that time belonged to the Knights of Ierusalem 32 The Church which the Christians built ouer the Sepulcher of Christ of which I will after write more largely making a rude Mappe thereof as I haue done of the City 33 The Monastery of the Franciscan Friars in which we did Iodge being seated on the highest part of Mount Caluary which since hath beene called the Mount of our holy Sauiour And this is called the new Monastery in respect of the old noted with the figure 6 and onely hath the monuments of the old painted to the visiting whereof the Pope hath giuen large indulgences The Franciscan Friars conducting vs shewed vs some other monuments within the wals And not farre from the gate of Syon noted with the figure 4 they shewed vs 34 the house of the High Priest Anna where Christ was examined by the Pharises and there they shewed vs an Oliue tree which must needs be old to which they say Christ was bound 35 The Church of the Apostle Saint Iames whom the Spaniards call Saint Iames of Gallicia and worship for their protecting Saint who was called Iames the greater and they say was here beheaded This Church is stately built for the pouerty of the Armenians who built it and maintained there an Archbishoppe to keepe it and to performe there the rites of their religion 36 The place where they say Christ appeared to the three Maries dwelling together vpon the very day of his resurrection where the Christians built three Churches which the Turks haue conuerted to 3 Moschees yet bearing no reuerence to the place because they beleeue not that Christ died and much lesse beleeue that he rose againe 37 The house of the Euangelist Saint Marke mentioned in the twelfth Chapter of the Acts. This is the house of Mary the Mother of Iohn surnamed Marke whither Peter came when the Angell deliuered him out of prison into which Herod had cast him noted with the figure 31 At this day there was an obscure Church kept by the Syrian Priests 38 Here they shew the Iron gate which Peter found miraculously opened and by the same entring into the other City came to the house of Saint Marke We going out at Saint Steuens Gate towards the East descended into the vally of Iehosaphat and here they say 39 the bridge stood by which the Queene of Saba passed ouer the Brooke Cedron and that the Crosse of Christ was made of the wood of this bridge 40 In this place they say the Protomartyre Saint Steuen was stoned 41 This smal line without the Easterne gates shewes the bed of the brook Cedron or Kidron which is very narrow hauing not at this time one drop of water so as we passed ouer the stony bed with drie feet But of old when Ierusalem flourished and had many conduits of water drawne to it then it is probable that it was filled with water And at this day when any rainefals the water runnes swiftly from the mountaines on the North side according to this blacke line through the most pleasant vally of Iehosaphat This vally extendeth it selfe on both sides of this brooke some two Italian miles in length but is very narrow and it hath on the West side the wals of the City where Salomons Temple stood vpon the lower part of the Mount Moriah and it hath vpon the East side the most high Mount Oliuet and it hath on the North side mountaines somewhat but not farre distant from the City and vpon the South-side mountaines a little more distant Many interpret the Prophet Ioell in his third Chapter and second verse as if Gods Tribunall at the day of iudgement should stand in this vally and thereupon the Iewes when they die in remote parts will be brought to be buried in this vally for the expedition of their triall But the best Diuines doe teach that the word Iehosaphat signifies the Iudgement of the Lord and that the Prophet may be interpreted figuratiuely namely that as the Lord often defeated with great slaughters the enemies of his Church in this valley so in the day of iudgement he will strike the wicked vvith like confusion 42 Beyond the Brooke is a stately Sepulcher for the most part vnder the earth into which we descended by some fiftie staires and about the middle descent on the left hand towards the City vnder an Altar lie the bodies of Ioseph and Ioachimus and on the right hand the body of Anna namely of the Husband Father and Mother of the Virgin Marie In the bottome is a Church in the middle whereof vnder a stone raised some few feete from the ground they say the Apostles buried the Virgin Mary This Church so they call all places where they haue Altars to sing Masses is very darke hauing no light but by one window or vent made through the earth and vpon this monument lies part of the bed of the Brook Cedron On the right hand the Turks who greately reuerence the monuments of Christ while he liued haue made themselues an Oratory But for the monument it selfe the Franciscan Friers of the Latin Church haue alone the priuiledge to keepe the same and the Altar thereof for their singing of Masses 43 Here is a Caue at the foote
Riuer we did see some ten Italian miles distant On the North-side of Ierusalem I cannot say whether beyond Iordan or no we did see many Towers hauing globes of glistering mettall and that very distinctly the day being cleere also we did see the wals of a City neere the Riuer Iordan and they said that it was Ieriche Further towards the North they shewed vs from farre off a place where they say our Sauiour was baptized by Iohn And they affirme vpon experience had that the water of Iordan taken in a pitcher will very long keepe sweet and that it corrupted not though they carried it into forraigne parts This water seemed very cleere till it fell into a Lake where they say Sodome with the other Cities stood of old before they were burnt by fier from Heauen And the day being cleere we did plainely see and much maruell that the cleere and siluer streame of Iordan flowing from the North to the South when in the end it fell into the said Lake became as blacke as pitch The Friers our guides seriously protested that if any liuing thing were cast into this Lake of Sodom it could not be made to sinke whereas any heauy dead thing went presently to the bottome Also that a candle lighted cannot be thrust vnder the water by any force nor be extinguished by the water but that a candle vnlighted will presently sinke I omit for breuities sake many wondrous things they told vs of the putrifaction of the aire and other strange things with such confidence as if they would extort beliefe from vs. We had a great desire to see these places but were discouraged from that attempt by the feare of the Arabians and Moores for they inhabite all these Territories And I said before that the Arabians howsoeuer subiect to the Turk yet exercise continuall robberies with all libertie and impunitie the Turkes being not able to restraine them because they are barbarous and liue farre from their chiefe power where they can easily flye into desart places Yet these Barbarians doe strictly obserue their faith to those that are vnder their protection And all the Merchants chuseone or other of the Arabian Captaines and for a small pension procure themselues to be receiued into their protection which done these Captaines proclaime their names through all their Cities and Tents in which for the most part they liue and euer after will seuerely reuenge any wrong done to them so as they passe most safely with their goods All other men they spoile and make excursions with their leaders and sometime with their King to the sea side as farre as Ioppa and much further within Land spoyling and many times killing all they meet When we returned from Bethania we declined to the North side of Mount Oliuet and came to the ruines of 71 Bethphage where Christ sent for the Colt of an Asse and riding thereupon while the people cried Hosanna to the Highest and laid branches and leaues vnder his feet did enter into Ierusalem Vpon Friday the seuenth of Iune to wards the euening we tooke our iourney to Bethlehem Iuda and we foure lay consorts the Friars by our consent still hauing the priuiledge to be free from these expences deliuered iointly foure zechines to the Friars ours guides for our charges whereof they gaue vs no other account then they did formerly yet they onely disbursed some small rewards since we went on foot and were otherwise tied to satisfie the Friars of the Monastery vnder the name of gift or almes for our diet there but since they vsed vs friendly we would not displease them for so small a matter We went out of the City by the gate of Ioppa on the West side and so along 72 this line passed by a paued causey beyond Mount Sion and then ascended another Mountaine to Bethlehem 73 Here they shew the Garden of Vvia and the Fountaine wherein Bersheba washed her selfe which at that time was drie And from the place where the Tower of Dauid was seated vpon Mount Sion noted with the figure 6 is an easie prospect into this garden 74 Here they show the Tower of Saint Simion 75 Here is a Tree of Terebinth which beares a fruit of a blacke colour like vnto an Oliue yeelding oyle and vnder this tree they say the Virgine did rest when shee carried Christ to be presented in the Temple For which cause the Papists make their beades of this tree and esteeming them holy especially when they haue touched the rest of the monuments they carry them into Europe and giue them to their friends for great presents and holy relikes 76 Here they shew a fountaine called of the Wise-men of the East and they say that the starre did here againe appeare to them after they came from Herod 77 Here they shew the ruines of a house wherein they say that the Prophet Habakcuk dwelt and was thence carried by the haires of the head to feede Daniel in the Lions Den at Babylon 78 Here they shew the Fountaine of the Prophet Elias and the stone vpon which he vsed to sleepe vpon which they shew the print of his head shoulders and other members which prints haue some similitude but no iust proportion of those members From a rock neere this place we did see at once both Ierusalem Bethlehem 79 Here they shew a Tower and ruines where the Patriarck Iacob dwelt and here againe we did see both Cities 80 Here is an old stately Sepulcher in which they say Rachel Iacobs wife was buried It is almost of a round forme built of stone and lime foure foote high hauing the like couer aboue it borne vp by foure pillars There be two other Sepulchers but nothing so faire and all three are inclosed within one wall of stone 81 Here they shew the Fountaine for the water whereof Dauid thirsted yet would not drinke it when it was brought with the hazard of blood 82 Here the City Bethlehem is seated which then was but a Village hauing no beauty but the Monastery 83 Here the Monastery is seated large in circuit and built rather after the manner of Europe then Asia which the Italian Franciscan Friars called Latines and more commonly Franckes doe possesse but other Christian sects haue their Altars in the Church by speciall priuiledge and the Turkes themselues comming hither in Pilgrimage doe lie within the Church for the Turkes haue a peculiar way by a doore of Iron made of old and kept by them to enter into the Chappell where they say Christ was borne This Monastery seemes strong enough against the sudden attempts of the Turkes or Arabians yet the Friars in that case dare not resist them liuing onely in safety by the reuerence which that people beares to this place and by the opinion of their owne pouerty The greater Church is large and high in which I numbred twenty foure pillars but my consorts being more curious obserued that the pillars were set in foure rankes euery ranke
neere a poore Village And our Muccaro bought vs some fresh victuals in the Village according to the manner of Turky where the very Cities yeeld no Innes Vpon Saturday towards euening wee set forward and rode that night ouer a large Plaine and next day after Sunne-rise wee came to Antioch a citie of Asia famous for the Patriarchate and by Histories sacred and prophane Vpon the east-side and vpon the top of a high Mountaine lye great ruines of the old walles and houses whence the seat of the citie declineth to the Plaine on the West side In which Plaine our Carauan rested the heat of this day neere the pleasant and large Fountaine of water wherin the Scriptures record so many to haue been baptized together as first in this place the faithfull had the name of Christians This Fountaine hath faire building and seemes of old to haue been very stately and here wee pitched our Tents in the middest of the Gardens of this Plaine within the walles For howsoeuer the ruines of the walles shew that of old the circuit of the citie was very large yet scarce the hundreth part thereof was now filled with houses Vpon the West side without the walles the citie is all compassed with a Riuer and a great Fen and vpon the East-side with Mountaines which situation makes it naturally strong Here first wretched I perceiued the imminent danger of my most deare brothers death which I neuer suspected til this day much lesse had any iust cause to feare it A Turke in this Carauan troubled with the same disease of a Flux went to the ground more then twentie times each nights iourney and yet liued whereas my brother only three or foure times descended from his Mule to that purpose which filled vs with good hope But here first I learned by miserable experience that nothing is worse for one troubled with the Flux then to stop or much restraine the course therof For my brother stopping this naturall purge by taking Red wine and Marmelat experienced men did attribute all too late his death to no other thing I could not hire a horse-litter by any endeuour of our Muccaro nor for any price though I offered an incredible summe for that or like commoditie to carrie him and we thought it very dangerous to stay here among the Turkes after our Carauan departed especially since Scanderona was but fiue and twenty miles distant where wee should haue the commoditie to lodge with an Englishman and so to get all necessaries for his recouerie Therefore vpon Sunday in the euening wee put all our prouisions in one of the foresaid couered chaires or cradles caried by the Camell and made my brother a bed in the other cradle where as we thought he might commodiously rest And I promised the Muccaro halfe a piastro for euery time my brother should descend from the Camell to ease himselfe for wee were to ride before with the horsemen and hee was now to come behind with the Camels So we set forward and my selfe twice in the night and once towards morning left the horsemen and rode back to my brother to know how he fared and when hee gaue mee no answere I returned to the horsemen thinking that he slept Then towards morning I was so afflicted with my wonted desire of sleepe as I thought an howers rest worth a Kings ransome Therefore my selfe and Master Iasper Tyrant our louing consort rode a good pace to the Village Byland where we were to pitch our Tents that we might make all things ready to receiue him But within short space our Muccaro running to our Tent and telling me that hee had left my brother ready to giue vp his last breth in the first house of the Village seemed to say to me Goe quickly and hang thy selfe With all possible speede I ran to this house imbraced my dying brother and confounded with sorrow vnderstood from his mouth how farre the euents of our nights iourney had been contrary to our hope For whereas my selfe aduised him to leaue his Mule and lie in the chaire vpon the Camels backe he told me that he was shaken in pieces with the hard pace of the Camell And whereas I had offered the Muccaro halfe a piastro for each time hee should light to ease himselfe he told mee that he had often asked this fauour of the Muccaro but could neuer obtaine it he excusing himselfe by feare to be left behind the Carauan for a prey to theeues And whereas the Camels hinder parts being higher then the fore parts I had laied my brothers head towards the hinder parts and raised it as high as I could with pillowes and clothes for his better ease it happened which I being ignorant of the way could not foresee that we all the night ascending mountaines his feet were farre higher then his head whereupon he told me that most part of the night he had lien in a trance which was the cause that he could not answer me at such times as I came to inquire of his health Thus mischiefe lighted vpon mischiefe to make my wretched state most miserable Why should I vse many words in a case from the remembrance whereof my mind abhorreth Therefore I will say in a word My most deere brother Henry vpon Munday the fourth of Iuly after the old stile the yeere of our Lord 1596 and of his age the seuen and twentieth died in my armes after many louing speeches and the expressing of great comfort in his Diuine meditations The Turkes presently snatched all things that were his as belonging to the Great Turke yea my selfe cast his shirts with many other things of good value and whatsoeuer I could see that was his out of the Tent into the Turkes hands and as a man halfe out of my wits could indure to see nothing that might renew the bitter remembrance of him The Turkish Officers in the Great Turkes name seazed vpon all the goods of Sir Iohn Spencer which Master Dorington sent with vs as if they had belonged to my brother neither could they be released without great bribes after the contrary was proued Presently I sent for the English Factor lying at Scanderona who scarcely obtained with the paying of fiue zechines to haue my brothers body buried in the open fields besides the Ianizares Turkes and Moores came in seuerall swarmes to me in this miserable case threatning to hinder his buriall or to dig him vp after hee was buried except I would satisfie their insatiable extortions And had not the foresaid English Factor taken vpon him to satisfie these people and taken vp my purse full of zechines which I cast among them in a rage surely for my part I had willingly giuen my selfe and all that I had with me to them for a prey One thing aboue measure afflicted me which I thinke Iob himselfe could not haue suffered namely that while my selfe and my brother were in our last imbraces and mournefull speeches the rascall
also of wood both painted and both shodde vnder the heele and toes with pieces of Iron making great noise as they goe The Gentlemen weare chaines of gold folded about their girdles and carry in their hands a little hammer of siluer and perhaps guilded and these of inferiour sort one of Iron The Hungarians in their attire differ little from the Polonians but no Hungarian may weare a feather except he haue done some noble act and according to the number of his braue actions so many feathers he may weare to witnesse his valour At Crakaw I did see the Castellani that is Keepers of Castles and many Gentlemen riding to the Court and other places in the City and the Gentlemen attending them went on foot before their Horses with Feathers in their little caps and the vulgar attendants followed their Horses The buttocks of their horses were couered with cloth of gold or the skinne of some wilde beast or some like ornament and about many of their Horses eares hung chaines of gold or siluer their bridles were guilded and set with buttons of gold and the horsemen not onely weare swords by their sides but also euery Horseman especially riding in the highway or being in forraigne parts vpon any Ambassage or in like pompes hath another and some a third sword or Cimeter fastned to their saddles and girthes besides that both on foote and on horsebacke they carry a hammer in their hands The Gentlewomen after the Netherlanders fashion couer the head with a coyfe of fine linnen and weare a crosscloth vpon the forehead and as the men so they weare no ruffe or linnen band about the necke but many haue about their neckes chaines of Pearle worth two hundred yea fiue hundred Dollers and some line the collar of the vpper body of their Gownes with furre and so couer the nakednesse of the necke behind The vnmarried women weare aprons of fine linnen and goe with bare heads hauing their haire wouen as our women vse with a narrow piece of Veluet crossing the middest of their heads and going out of the house they cast a white Vayle vpon their heads and backes but shew their faces open The meaner sort of married women either wrap their heads and mouthes with a narrow long piece of linnen or only couer their mouthes with linnen and wearing a low hat cast a Vayle from it to couer the hinder part of the head and all the backe and they weare loose Kirtles ouer their other apparrell which are tied behind with strings The common sort of Country women couer themselues all ouer with linnen cloth or skinnes of beaste The Prussians are tributary to the King of Poland and vpon free conditions acknowledge themselues subiect to the Crowne of Poland and their attire as also language little differs from the Germans saue that their apparrell is more sumptuous but of them I haue formerly spoken in the discourse of the Germans attire Of the Italians it is prouerbially said that the Venetians are gowned yet by night going to visit their Mistresses weare short Spanish cloakes That those of Terrara and Mantua are proud in their attire with their caps set with gold buttons That the Florentines are ridiculous yet I obserued none more modestly attired That those of Genoa are neate and comely in attire but weare no gownes nor lace nor gardes That those of Milan are decent and the Neopolitans are glittering and sumptuous Surely the Italians in generall respect the conueniency more then ornament of their apparrell When they take iourneyes they weare large bootes that they may fling off being vntied but such as keepe them dry in all weathers and to the same ende they weare thicke felt hats and shortfelt clokes which no raine can pierce respecting the health not the ornaments of their bodies And howsoeuer their apparrell is soft and delicate yet they onely weare cloth and stuffes made at home not any brought from forraigne parts Their garments are commonly of silke but seldome embrodred and neuer laid with gold or siluer lace and commonly of black colour And howsoeuer all those mixed colours which we so highly esteeme come from thence yet are they not inuented by the Italians but by the Factors of our Merchants who lie there of purpose to feede the fantasticall pride of our Youth in new Stuffes or at least new colours and names The Citizens of Genoa weare gold Chaines and might seeme proudly attiredin garments of Veluet saue that we must remember that they are not onely Merchants but Gentlemen and some of them Princes The Venetians by reason of their strict Lawes from all antiquity restraining excesse in apparrell howsoeuer many times they weare sumptuous garments yet are they hidden vnder their gownes not to be seene but by their Mistrisses at night They make woollencloth of such lasting as they bequeath their gownes by their last testaments All the Gentlemen not one excepted weare blacke cloth gownes buttoned close at the necke with the sleeues put on ouer their doublets aswell young as old men but some vnder this ciuill gowne we are rich furres and imbrodred garments And the Senators Doctors and Knights we are Scarlet gownes with large sleeues lined in winter with rich furres And their Senate is no lesse or more glorious in publike pompes then the Roman Senate was of old And the Gentlemen constantly weare these gownes either in singular pride to be knowne from others for no Citizen nor any Gentlemen of other Cities weare gownes or for obedience to the Law or out of an old custome which the most wise Magistrates permit not to be broken And for the same cause all the Gentlemen none excepted weare little caps of Freese or Cloth hardly couering the crowne or the forepart of the head All other Italians in generall weare stuffe cloakes and commonly of Silke in summer and cloth in winter and light felt hats with narrow brimmes and large breeches sometimes wide and open at the knee after the Spanish fashion but more commonly tied vnder the knee and a loose coate or gippo but not wide and a doublet close to the body both of silke and lined with silke and silke stockings Also many weare Iewels but as it were hidden to bee seene onely by chance Lastly in great wisdome they care not to haue rich apparrell but hold it honourable to liue of their owne They make no fine linnen therfore vse course linnen both for shirts and other vses of the Family and commonly weare little falling bands and many times ruffes of Flanders linnen sometimes wrought with Italian Cut-worke much vsed with vs but their ruffes are not so great as ours and they haue little skill in washing starching or smoothing linnen They weare very short haire as all Nations doe that liue in hot climes the contrary vice of wearing long haire being proper to the French English and Scots but especially to the Irish. The Italians clothe very little children with doublets and breeches but their
Duckets the Portugall Crownes with the short crosse the Crownes of Burgundy Netherland France Spaine and Italy to each of which peeces a certaine value was set Moreouer it was decreed that counterset coyning or melting should be punished according to the quality of the offence That vncoyned gold and siluer should be deliuered by each man into the Mints of his owne Prince That it should be lawfull to Goldsmiths for exercise of their trade and no more to melt gold and siluer and to deuide it into parts so as they export none of it That no man should sell or pawne the priuiledge of Coyning heretofore granted him from the Emperours and that like priuiledges hereafter to be granted should be of no force without certaine conditions there prescribed Other Lawes of Coyning I haue formerly set downe in the Chapter of Coynes Germany hath few or no beggars the Nation being generally industrious excepting leprous men who liue in Almes-houses and standing farre off beg of passengers with the sound of a bell or of a woodden clapper but no man denies almes to him that begs they hauing small brasse monies of little value The Law forbids any to beg but those that are lame and chargeth Magistrates to bring vp their children in manuall Arts. The Lawes wisely prouide against all frauds in manuall Arts and in Trades and since no Trade can doe more hurt then the Potecaries for the preseruation of health or the lesse hurt of the sicke the Law prouides that their shops be yeerly visited and purged of all corrupted drugges which the visiters see burned The Germans freely permit vsury to the Iewes who at Franckfort at Prage in the Prouince of Morauia and in many places vnder Princes of the Papacy haue Cities or at least streets to dwell in where they liue separated from Christians and grinde the faces of the poore with vnsatiable auarice For they take fifty in the hundred by the yeere with a pawne of gold or siluer and one hundreth in the hundreth by the yeere with a pawne of apparell or houshold stuffe neuer lending any thing without a good pawne But the Germans among themselues cannot by the Law take more then fiue or fix in the hundreth for a yeeres vse Yet among Christians there want not some who vse both the name and helpe of the Iewes to put out their mony with greater gaine Of old among the Germans with out respect to last Wils and Testaments the sonnes lawfully begotten succeeded alone in the Inheritance and for want of them first brothers then vncles Caesar in his Commentaries writes that the fields were yeerely diuided by the Magistrate no man hauing fees or inheritance proper to him lest husbandry should take away their warlike dispotion or they should become couetous and addes that they loued vast solitudes vpon their consines as if no people durst dwell neere them or at least to the end they might liue more safe from sudden incursions of enemies At this day all barbarousnesse being abolished they succeed according to the lawes in the Fees and inheritances of their parents and Kinsmen and affect peace as much as any other Nation But they trust not so much to solitudes or the naked breast for defence from their enemies as in strong forts and well fortified Cities By the Ciuill Law as the sonne so the nephew or sonnes sonne representing his father succeeds in land granted by fee. By the Law of Saxony only the sonne succeeds excluding the nephew and if there be no sonne the Fee retournes to the Lord. But howsoeuer the old Interpreters haue so determined yet the later Interpreters iudgeing it most vnequall so to exclude the nephew so interpret the Statute of the Saxonicall Law as they make the Fee granted to the Father and his children to extend to the nephews or the sonnes of any his sonne so as the sonnes cannot exclude them By the Feudatory Ciuill Law brothers and collateral cosens succeed in the Fee of the Father sometimes to the seuenth degree sometimes infinitely for the Interpreters extend the successiō of the right line without end but the succession of the collaterall line onely to the seuenth degree But in the Law of Saxony collateral kinsmen haue no right of succession in the Fee except they haue it by right of ioynt inuestiture These Lawes differ in numbring the degrees For the Saxons make the first degree in cosen-germans by the fathers side namely the sonnes of two brethren and the second degree in the sonnes of two cosen-germans whereas in the Ciuill Law cosengermans are in the fourth degree of consanguinity By the Ciuill Law brothers diuiding a fee preiudice not themselues in mutuall succession so as two brothers diuiding and after one of them dying without a sonne the part of him that is dead shall returne to him that liues But by the Law of Saxony the succession depends vppon vsing it in common from which if they depart they are iudged to haue renounced the mutuall right of succession so as one brother dying after the diuision the other hath no right to his part therefore by custome one brother vseth to retaine the fee and to satisfie his brethren in mony and goods commonly with condition that this money and goods shall be bestowed in getting another fee. By the Ciuill Law if the vassall haue built houses or bestowed mony in bettering the old houses the Lord of the Fee shall either satisfie the heire according to the estimation of the expence or shall suffer him to carry away the houses But by the Law of Saxony the fee lies open to the Lord with all the houses built one case excepted By the Ciuill Law if the vassall die without heire male before the moneth of March the fruits of that yeere pertaine to the Lord but if hee die after the Calends of March before the Moneth of August the fruits pertaine to the heires But by the Law of Saxony if the vassall liue past the day when the rent is due the heires shall inioy the fruits of his labour By the Ciuill Law if the Fee vpon the death of the Lord fall to all his sonnes either equally or otherwise the inuestiture must be desired of all but by the Law of Saxony it sufficeth to aske it of one sonne of the dead Lord. By the Ciuill Law a seruant or a clowne may be inuested in a Fee which done the clowne becomes a Gentleman if the nature of the fee require it But by the Law of Saxony onely hee that is borne of the knightly order by father and mother is capeable of a fee though custome preuaile to the contrary By the Ciuill Law if the vassall leaue an heire he cannot refuse the inheritance and retaine the fee but must hold or refuse both but by the Law of Saxony he may retaine the fee leauing the inheritance and in that case is not bound to satisfie creditors By the Ciuill Law a man may giue or sell his land to
required by the Ciuill Law Out of this great Counsell the new Senate is yeerely chosen and when the time of Election is at hand this great Counsel names a Consull and a Scabine of the Gentlemen called ancient or out of the cheefe of the next Order and in like sort the old Senate of the yeere past names three of the ancient Gentlemen These fiue are called the Electors of the new Senate and as soone as they are chosen all Magistracy ceaseth Then these Electors being sworne are shut vp into a Chamber whence they come not forth till they haue chosen twenty six Consuls and Scabines of each thirteen Then they chuse the rest of the new Senate and assoone as they are chosen they name among themselues those that are called ancient which are commonly the same men except some bee put in the place of them that are dead for it is a disgrace to be put from that dignity This Election is made in one day and the Senate consists of forty persons whereof thirty foure are Patricians or Gentlemen and so the gouernement is especially in the hands of the Gentlemen as a thing whereof they hold the common people to be vncapable Of these Gentlemen are 〈◊〉 the seuen Men and the Senate of the ancient as also the Captaines and Treasurers To be a Doctor of the Ciuill Law makes a Gentleman or any other to be vncapable of a Senators place But when in dificult cases they neede the aduise of Doctors they send two Senators to consult with them who relate their iudgment to the Senate For this cause and because all iudgments are according to equity not after the strict Law there be fowe Doctors in that Citty neither haue they many Aduocates the Senate giuing stipend onlyto foure who plead all causes Yet the Citty intertaines some Doctors to aduise them at I formerly said to assist them in iudgment exhibiting the cause in writing as also to be Ambassadors To the said 34 Gentlemen 8 Plebeans are added which make the said Senate and these Plebeans haue free voyces but are remoued from secret Counsels and hauing liberty to be absent seldome meete with the Senate except they be called So as the common people haue little or no authoritie and are kept vnder in so much as meetings excepting funerals and like ceremonies and walkings by night are forbidden yet they haue their priuiledges inuiolably kept and liue in great libertie vnder a most equall gouernement Of these Gentlemen gouerning the Citie they haue as I haue heard twenty eight honourable Families or there about And of the said thirty foure Gentlemen of the Senate eight are called the Ancient who like old soldiers are freed from seruice the other twentie sixe diligently attending the publike affaires with capitall and Ciuill iudgements and one of them is chosen to intertaine passengers worthy of Honor by presenting wine to them in name of the Senate and also to call the Senate together to propound the causes vpon which they deliberate to aske their Voyces and to doe many like duties These twenty sixe Gentlemen are diuided into thirteene Consuls and thirteene Scabines and these Scabines iudge capitall causes first examined by the whole Senate as the Consuls iudge Ciuill causes And they so diuide the yeere betweene them as each of them for a moneth is Consull or Scabine Out of them are chosen seuen men who haue the greatest authority and determine all secrets of State and to them the Treasurers make account And howsoeuer two of one Family may be Senators yet two of one Family cannot be of these seuen men Three of these seuen are chosen Captaines who haue the keeping of the Armory and the keyes of the Gates and vpon any tumult all flie to them and yeeld them obedience Two of these Captaines are Treasurers where of the chiefe hath the first place in all Assemblies To these Treasurers one of the Plebeans is added to ouersee the expence of the treasure and two of the best sort of the Plebeans are Clerkes of the Exchequer but onely the two chiefe Treasurers disburse and lay vp all moneys They haue in all publike Counsels two Chauncellors whereof one alwaies attends the Counsell of seuen men and these Chauncellors write the Decrees of Counsell receiue and reade write and send all letters being as Secretaries and they haue sixe Clerkes to write vnder them All the Senators haue their seuerall stipends out of the common Treasure Each of the seuen men hath yeerely fiue hundred Guldens besides gainefull Offices as the keeping of the Seales and each Treasurer hath eight hundred Guldens and each Chauncellor two hundred Guldens yeerely In Iudgements they doe not much vse the pleadings of Proctors or Aduocates but vse to iudge summarily vpon oath or to appoint Arbiters to compound controuersies But among the Courts of Iudgements one is of fiue men from whom there is no appeale yet they referre the greatest causes to the Senate The second Court is of eight men and hath two Tribunals where the causes of citizens are determined which exceede not the value of thirtie two Crownes and these two Tribunals in greater causes are vnited and haue three or foure Doctors appointed by the Senate to aduise them for onely the Scabines iudge and from these Tribunals appeale is granted to the Senate if the cause exceede the value of fiue hundred Crownes These chuse a Iudge to see their Decrees put in execution and to see capitall offenders executed They appoint a Iudge for the Villages and territories subiect to the City for whose assistance the Senate chuseth some out of the great Counsell These weekely giue the Law to the Villages and Country people and by the exercise of this Office the Iudges are inabled for the Office of Scabines Also they chuse a Iudge to haue care of the Faires and Markets who sets the price of Bread Flesh and all things there sold and he hath foure Senators to assist him in weekely inquiring after the workes of Artificers that they sell no vnperfect workes nor vse any fraude Of the Senators three are chosen supreme Tutors for pupils and widowes who diuide inheritances see that all Testaments be performed and appoint new Tutors in case the old bee dead suspected or absent These supreme Tutors prouide that the moneis of pupils be put forth to vse and that the profit returnes to the pupills They receiue the accompts of the Tutors and prouide that the Pupils be religiously and honestly brought vp One Senator is set ouer each Church Monastery and Almes house to see the reuenues well administred and to promote the causes thereunto belonging Fiue Gouernors are set ouer the Territory without the walls among which the Chancelor hath yearly one hundreth Crownes each of the rest twenty fiue Crownes for stipend In time of warre they chuse seuen Senators who take vpon them the care to prouide all necessaries for the same I vnderstoode there that not long before they
their owne Captaines In the 11 Article all immunities in the Dukedome of Milan are confirmed to the Bilitianenses the Inhabitants of the middle Valley the Luganenses the Locarnenses 12. Choice is giuen to the Sweitzers to retaine the Castles they had or to take mony for them Lastly it is agreed couenanted that the league shall be peripetuall not be broken vpon any fraudulent pretence In this league the King excepts all his confederates the Sweitzers except Pope Leo the 10 the Emperor Maximilian the Empire and the House of Austria and all old leagues so as if the King should make war vpon any of these in their own countries it may be free to the Sweitzers to obserue their leagues with them but if any of them assaile the King in his own Kingdome the Sweitzers shal not permit any of their subiects to serue them but shall call them home This League was made at Friburg in the yeere 1516 the moneth of Nouember and vpon the day of Saint Andrew And the King rested not till after fiue yeeres since this Peace was made he leagued himselfe more strictly at Lucerna with all the Cantons that of Zurech only excepted and with all their fellowes in league of which league I will briefly relate some heads added to the former namely that if any man should make warre vpon the King in France or in the Dukedome of Milan the King at his pleasure might leauy in Sweitzerland an Army of sixe thousand at the least or sixteene thousand foote at the most except the Senate should grant a greater number That the King might chuse the Captaines and the Senate without delay should permit them to march within tenne dayes and not recall them till the warre should bee ended if the King shall please so long to vse them That by the same right and vnder the same conditions the King making warre vpon any may freely leauy souldiers but with this caution that the Sweitzers troubled with warre at home should be free from these couenants It was further cautioned that the King should not diuide the Army of the Sweitzers into diuers places or Forts but should keepe it vaited in one body That he should not vse it for any fight at Sea That they should receiue pay the same day they should march out of their country and were they neuer so soone sent backe yet three months pay should be presently due vnto them and that the first moneths pay should be giuen them within the confines of Sweitzerland That the King to aide the Sweitzers hauing any warre should send them two hundred armed horse and twelue great pieces of Ordinance with all furniture namely six battering pieces and sixe middle pieces and besides towards the charge of their warre should each three moneths pay a certaine summe of mony at Lyons and if the Sweitzers shall chuse rather to haue mony in stead of the armed horse the King should further pay them two thousand crownes each three moneths That if in time of warre the Sweitzers shall be forbidden to buy Salt in other places they may buy and bring Salt out of France That neither part shall make the subiects of the other free of their Cities or receiue them into patronage That the King to declare his good will towards the Sweitzers shall besides the two thousand Franckes promised by the former League to each Canton pay yeerely one thousand Franckes more to each of them during this League and moreouer shal besides the former Pensions giue to their Confederates yeerely halfe as much more In this League the King excepts Pope Leo the tenth the Emperour the Kings of England Scotland and Denmark with other Princes and the Sweitzers except the Pope the Emperor the House of Austria the house of Medici the D. of Sanoy and some others But if these so excepted should make war vpon either part within their territories that aides should be sent mutually without any respect This League was made to last three yeeres after the death of the French King Francis the first and was renewed by his son Henrie the second at Solotburn in the yeere 1549 by all the Cantons excepting Zurech and Bern and was after renewed by Charles the ninth and the succeeding Kings But in the leagues made with the successors of Francis the first caution is inserted that the Sweitzers shal not serue the King in any warre for the recouery of any part of the Dukedome of Milan but if the King shall recouer it with any other Army then they shall aide him to defend his possession as formerly And whereas the Cantons of Zurech and Bern refused to ioyne in the Leagues made with Francis the first and Henrie the second these reasons thereof were then alleaged First because the Canton of Zurech was then alienated from the French by the Cardinall of Sedon Secondly because Zwinglius a notable Preacher of the Reformed Religion did in many Sermons sharpely inueigh against mercinary warfare Thirdly because this League much displeased the military men of Sweitzerland in that the Senate had no liberty to looke into the cause of the warre in that the Souldiers and Captaines were not to be chosen by the Sweitzers but by the King at his pleasure in that the large profits of the League redounded to few in that the armed horse to bee sent by the King were of no vse to the Sweitzers warres commonly made in mountainous places and craggy passages Lastly because it seemed a point of great inconstancy that the Sweitzers who lately when the French King Francis and Charles the deceased Emperors grandchild were competitors for the Empire had written to the Electors that they would yeild no obedience to the French King in case he were chosen should so suddenly change their minds and make a more strict league with the French but the greater part was of a contrary iudgement because Souldiers were not bound curiously to enquire after the causes of warre for which onely the King in his conscience was bound to giue accompt And because their barren Countrey being also populous was most fit for a mercenary warre and that military experience was thereby to be retained and gained by which and like reasons they perswaded the necessity of this league Thus haue I according to the discription of Sembler briefly shewed that the Sweitzers Commonwealth consists of three parts at home not to speake of the forraigne leagues namely of the Cantons of the Fellowes in league and of the stipendiary cities and prefectures or gouernments Each community is vulgarly called Ort and the Italians call them Cantons whereof I haue said that there be thirteene in number namely Suitia vulgarly Schweis whereof the rest haue the name of Sweitzers Vria Vnderualdia Lucerna Tigurum vulgarly Zurech Glarona Tugium vulgarly Zug Berna Friburgum Solodorum vulgarly Solothurn Basilea vulgarly Bazill Seaphusium vulgarly Shafhusen and Abbatiscella vulgarly Apenzill I haue said that the Fellowes in league are the
they could not fight with aduantage The thirteene Cantons haue that priuiledge that they deliberate and determine the affaires of the commonwealth in publike meetings by voices and gouerne by equall right the gouernments gotten iointly by them and haue equal part in all booties The greatest Senate is when all the Ambassadours that is chosen Burgesses of the cantons and Fellowes in league are called together which is seldom done but in the causes of making warre or peace onely the Ambassadors of the thirteene Cantons being commonly called to counsell Al Ambassadors haue equal right in giuing voices but two or more being sent from one Canton haue but one voice In causes concerning the gouernements belonging to seuen or eight or 12 Cantons onely the Ambassadours or Burgesses or States of those Cantons meet to whom the gouernement belongs and so the Burgesses of all other seuerally for things belonging to themselues but where the cause concernes the publike State the full Senate of all the Cantons is called to the meeting Since the late differences of Religion new and particular meetings haue beene instituted The Cantons of the Roman Religion Vria Suitia Vnderualdia Lucerna and Zug ioined in a more strict league doe often meete together when any man names the fiue Cantons simply they meane them not the hue old cantons howsoeuer naming the three seuen or eight Cantons they are taken according to the time of their entring into league And sometimes the Cantons of Frihurg and Solothurn being also of the Roman Religion come to the meetings of the said fiue Cantons Greatest part of the Citizens of Glarona and Apenzill are of the reformed Religion and the foure Cities chiefe of the Cantons namely Zurech Bern Bazill Schafhusen haue altogether cast off the Roman Religion haue particular meetings but not often yet when I passed through this Prouince I vnderstood that Glarona was altogether of the reformed Religion and that Apenzill was numbred among the Cantons of the Roman Religion The great Senate determines of warre peace leagues each hauing freedome to refuse any league likewise of making Lawes of sending receiuing answering Ambassadors of gouernments of distributing gainefull Offices of difficult causes referred to the Senate by Gouernors of appeales made from Gouernours to the Senate Ambassadours or Burgesses in place of Iudges are sent about the moneth of Iune to heare the causes of the Italian gouernments from whom they may appeale to the Senate and these appeales as all other are determined by the Senate in the meetings at Baden where also they deliberate of customes impositions the reuenues and if need be of punishing the Gouernours or displacing them in which case the Canton which sent that Gouernour appoints another The City Zurech chiefe of the Cantons hath the first place not by antiquity but dignity and of old custome hath the highest authority to call the Senate together signifying to each canton by letters the cause the time of each meeting yet if any canton thinke it for the publike good to haue an extraordinary meeting they write to Zurech to appoint the same or if the cause admit no delay they meet vncalled Most commonly the generall meetings are at Lucern Zurech Bremogart and Baden but more commonly in these daies almost continually they are at Baden in respect of the commodity of the houses and Innes the pleasant situation famous medicinall Baths and because it is seated in the center of Sweitzerland and is subiect to the 8 old cantons The cantons of the Roman religion commonly haue their particular meetings at Lucerna sometimes at Bockenried of the Vrij or Brame of the Suitij are called together by the canton of Lucern and the cantons of the reformed religion haue their particular meetings commonly at Arowike vnder Bern somtimes at Bazil are called together by the canton of Zurech Forrain Ambassadors require of Zurech to haue audience in the Senate but the peculiar meeings for French causes are called by the French Ambassador as often as he wil at Solothurn where he resideth or at Lucern other Ambassadors shold not be denied extraordinary meetings so they pay the expences as the French Ambassador doth The ful Senate yeerly meets about September at Baden about which time I said that Burgesses in place of Iudges are sent to heare the causes of the Italian gouernments And in this first meeting the greatest causes are not determined either because the Ambassadours or Burgesses or States haue not full power or for other causes but another meeting is there appointed and howsoeuer this Senate is onely called for publike causes yet those being ended they vse to heare priuate causes also Assoone as the said Burgesses or States at the appointed day come to the City the Burgesse of Zurech sends the Vice-gouernor of Baden to salute them to acquaint them with the time of meeting Then they sit downe in the Court first the Burgesses of Zurech in a place raised higher then the rest 2. Those of Bern Thirdly Those of Lucerna as chief though not in antiquity yet in dignity and after the rest according to the antiquity of their Cantons The Burgesse of Zurech first makes an Oration and propounds the causes vpon which they are to consult adding what his Canton hath commanded him in each particular and then the rest speake in order according to the directions giuen them at home The vnder Gouernour of Baden of what Canton soeuer he be askes and numbers the voices The peculiar meetings of particular Cantons and those for French affaires haue no set times Each Canton hath publike Magistrates vulgarly called Vmbgelten who administer the Impositions vpon wine and corne and gather them by their deputies They pay tribute only for that wine which is sold in Tauerns and for that corne which is exported or vsed by Bakers for otherwise the Citizens pay not for wine and corne brought iuto their priuate houses and spent therein And I haue obserued that they pay in some places the value of 24 measures tribute for a vessell of wine containing ninety six measures The salt which is brought in is onely sold by the Senate of each Citie or Canton and I vnderstood by discourse that the Citizens may not buy salt or take it of gift out of the Citie Particularly at Schafhusen the Customes are great especially for salt in respect that the water of the Rheine hath a great fall from a rocke so as all ships must be vnladed before they can passe by that Citie In generall the Sweitzers especially want wine corne and salt as may appeare by the couenants of their forraigne leagues and otherwise the tributes are small which can bee imposed vpon such a free Nation Concerning their Lawes I haue formerly said that the senerall Cantons are not bound one to the decrees of the other except they freely consent thereunto yet that they all haue one Common Councell and almost all
haue the same common Lawes and customes which they inuiolably keepe They long suffered the Gouernours of the Empire to bee ouer them in capitall causes though with preiudice to their freedome till at last in the Sueuian warre about the yeere 1499 the iudgement of capitall causes was granted to them by the Emperor among the conditions of peace Whereupon the ten oldest Cantons who made this warre haue equal right of capitall iudgements in the stipendiary Cities and gouernments with the Cantons to whom they are subiect though gotten before they entred into the common league howsoeuer they haue no right in the Ciuill causes nor any other commaund ouer them In the old leagues besides the Articles concerning vnion many Lawes for the publike good are contained and established Such is that of the old league between the eight first Cantons wherin they set downe cautions for peaceable determining of publike controuersies between the Cantons and thereby two Cantons being at strife are to chuse two honest men who giue their othes to make an equall composition between them and the rest of the Cantons are to adde one Arbiter to them and in case one of the Cantons consenteth the other refuseth to stand to their iudgement all the rest are to helpe the Canton consenting thereunto And in the league of the fiue last Cantons as in al other they iustly giue curious cantions for taking away all controuersies and especially labour to effect that they breake not out into Ciuill war in which case they should be diuersly distracted according to their diuers combinations and leagues among themselues Therefore of old when the Abbot of Saint Gallus attempted to remoue the trade of clothing and the holy reliques the superstitious worship whereof brought great profit from Apenzill to Rosake where the Abbot had absolute commaund and this matter drew them to Armes wherin the Abbot called the foure Cantons his confederates and Apenzill the six Cantons with whome it had league to giue them aide according to their mutuall leagues the saide Cantons thus called to aide both parts earnestly endeuored to make peace wherby they preserued the common-welth For if they should not alwaiea carefully so doe in like occasions many times the dissention of one or two Cantons might draw all the rest into a pernicious Ciuill warre In the foresaid league betweene the eight oldest Cantons and in the Stantian Transaction in the yeere 1481 Lawes were established That he who killed any confederate vulgarly called Eidgenossen that is inioiers of the oath should be beheaded except he had sufficient witnessea that he did it to saue his life and in case of flight he being banished by one Canton should also be banished by all the rest and that he should be iudged guilty of the crime who should helpe him and that sentence shoud be giuen vpon him in the Canton where the crime was committed That there should be no generall meetings of the people without consent of the Magistrate That none of the Cantons should support any disobedient subiect of another Canton but should force them to obedience That a lay person shall not vse the helpe of an Ecclesiasticall Iudge but in causes of matrimony and manifest vsury which are referred to Ecclesiasticall iudgement That pledges or gages be not taken at priuate mens pleasures but with consent of the Iudge That causes be iudged in the Canton wherein the act was done and sentence be giuen without fraud or deceit and that euery man bee content and rest satisfied in the Iudgements Lawes and customes of another Canton That all booties in warre be diuided among the Cantons according to the number of Souldiers which each of them sent but that Townes Tributes and like things gained by warre shal be vnder the common command of all the Cantons of which commodities the subiects of stipendary Cities and fellowes in league shall haue no part though their Forces be ioined in the same warre with the Forces of the Cantons howsoeuer they are to haue part in the deuision of all other booties In like sort the league of Schafhusen with the Cantons of the Sweitzers determineth how debts are to be recouered and what law is to be vsed in such suites and that no leagues be made by one without the priuity and against the will of the rest and that the oldest leagues be euer most respected The Common-wealth is administred with great equity yet with no lesse seuerity of Iustice then the Germans vse And howsoeuer all the Country lies within mountaines woods yet the high way for passengers is no where more safe from theeues so as it is there prouerbially said that you may carry gold in the palmes of your hands For all crimes are seuerely punished without all respect of persons The scope and butt whereat all their leagues aime is that euery man may peaceably enioy his owne and that the best men among them may in publike counsell examine the causes of warre that they be iust and lawfull to the end they may neuer rashly make warre vpon any And because the common people being burthened with debt is more prone to seditions curious orders are set downe in their leagues for the manner of exacting debts and taking pledges neither giuing liberty of oppression to the creditors nor permitting fraud to the debtors Also because military men and such as drinke in excesse are prone to brawling and blowes most heauy penalties are thereby insticted vpon such as are Authours of iniuries and the leagues make not more frequent mention of any other thing then of reproaches for which they prescribe such good remedies and reall satisfactions not passing ouer the least iniury of the poorest man as among the very Souldiers yea halfe drunken there very seldome hapneth any murther Wherein I could wish that our inferiour Magistrates would apply themselues and our Lawes were accommodated to the Sweitzers gouernement For the English being most impatient of reproches and the law giuing ridiculous satisfactions for iniuries by word and all wrongs excepting maimes it hath beene accounted a disgracefull course to seeke remedy that way and most iniuries haue commonly beene reuenged by the Sword in single combat But in Sweitzerland all standers by are bound to keepe the peace and compose the strife and if they who striue being remembred of the Lawes doe not obey they vse to punish them most seuerely and if any kill another he is sure to be beheaded except he escape by flight in which case he shall be banished by his owne and all other Cantons or except he can proue by witnes that he killed him in defence of himselfe And such is the fame of the Sweitzers sincere Iustice as many strangers their neighbours desire to haue their controuersies ended after the manner of the Sweitzers and by them When causes are to be pleaded before the Senate most men pleade their owne cause some vse Lawyers brought by them from home or sound there by chance and