Rimini but our desire to see the old famous City of Rauenna made vs goe out of the way twenty miles to the said City through a dirty way and fruitfull fields of corne and each of vs paid seuen poli for his horse Rauenna is a most ancient City whose wals the Emperour Tiberius either built or repaired Here of old was the harbour for the nauie of Rome Here the Emperour of the East after the Westerne Empire was extinguished made the seat of his Exarch After by the conspiring of the Popes and the French Kings Pipin and Charles the Great all the Cities of this Exarchate fell to the Popes share Yet others write that the French King onely added Tuseany to the Patrimony of Saint Peter and it is most certaine that these Cities for long time did not acknowledge the Pope for their Lord till at last the Popes in like sort conspiring with the French Kings Lewis the twelfth and Charles the eight had their aide to subdue these Cities and then Pope Iulius the second by terrour of his excommunications extorted Rauenna and other Cities from the Venetians and casting out the Lords of other Cities the Popes from that time being very skilfull to fish in troubled waters haue gotten possession of all the territories from the confines of the State of Venice to Ferraria Bologna and along the Coast of the Adriaticke sea to Ancona It is said that Rauenna stands not now in his old place for at this time it is some two miles distant from the Sea but the soyle thereof is most fruitfull in corne and vnfit to yeeld wine and it is rich in pastures The houses are built of bricke and flint stone aud are so old as they seeme ready to fall This City hauing been often taken by enemies hath lost all the ornaments which it had from so many Exarches and Kings of Lombardy and from the Bishops thereof who were so powerfull as they stroue long time for primacy with the Bishops of Rome On the North-side of the City lies the sea but distant from the same and without the wals is a wood of Pine-trees and not farre thence lie the ruines of a very old and most faire Church Saint Mary the Round whose roofe was admirable being of one stone and in the same Church was the rich sepulcher of the Lombard King Theodoricus which the souldiers pulled downe with the Church to get the mettals thereof On the East-side the sea lies some two Italian miles distant where is the Hauen for ships so much spoken of in the Roman Histories where the nauy of Rome did winter yet is it now neither conuenient nor secure for ships neither indeed can any but very small boates come vp to the Towne On the South-side without the golden gate built by the Emperour Claudius lie the ruines of a stately Pallace built by the same King Theodoricus and likewise of the City Caesaria In a Chappell of the Cathedrall Church is a most rich Font and they report that many Kingly monuments were of old in this Church In the market place lies a vessell of Porphry a Kingly monument which the Citizens in the yeere 1564. brought from the foresaid sepulcher of King Theodoricus in the ruined Church of Saint Mary neere the gate on the North-side In the monastery of Saint Francis is the sepulcher of the Poet Dante 's with these verses in Latin Exigua tumuli Dante 's hic sorte iacebas Squallenti nullis cognite penè situ At nune marmoreo subnix us conder is Area Omnibus cultu splendidiore nites Nimiram Bembus Musis incensus Hetruscis Hoc tibi quem inpri nis hae coluere dedit In a poore Tombe Dante 's thou didst lie here The place obscure made thee almost vnknowne But now a marble chest thy bones doth beare And thou appearest fresh as flower new blowne Bembus with Tuseane Muses rauished Gaue this to thee whom they most cherished In the yeere 1483. the sixth of the Kalends of Iune Bernar Bembus the Praetor laid this at his owne charge The strength merit and crowne of the Friars minorite couents S. V. F. and these verses were added in Latin Iura Monarchtae superos Phlegetonta lacusque Lustrando cecini voluerunt fata quousque Sed quia pars cessit melioribus hospita castris Actoremque suum petijt faelicior Astris Hic claudor Dante 's patrus extorris ab oris Quem genuit parui Fiorentia Mater Amoris The Monarchies Gods Lakes and Phlegeton I searcht and sung while my Fates did permit But since my better part to heauen is gone And with his Maker mongst the starres doth sit I Dante 's a poore banishd man lie here Whom Florence Mother of sweet Loue did beare In the Church of Saint Vitalis the pauement is of marble and the wals all couered with precious stones of many kinds but vnpolished as they were taken out of the mines shew great antiquity and magnificence and doe not a little delight the beholder Also there be certaine Images grauen in some stones I know not whether by nature or strange art which are to be admired Among which I remember one stone had the picture of a Turke in all the apparell they weare another the Image of a Monke in his habit another of a Priest with his bald head and two other the one most like the foot the other the leg of a man There is an Altar of Alablaster and the Church is of a round forme whose roofe is painted A la Mosaica like engrauing of which kind of painting rare and much esteemed in Italy I haue spoken before in the description of Venice In this Church is a fountaine of water which by vertue giuen it from this Saint as they say being thrice drunke off giues remedy to the head-ach Another Church of Saint Geruasiue is so ioined to this of Saint Vitalis as it seemed to mee but a Chappell thereof and in this Church also is the Saint buried of whom it hath the name and there be also the sepulchers of Placidiae sister to the Emperour Honorius and of her sonnes and daughters and of her nurse with her husband Here wee paid each man three poli for his supper From Rauenna we rode thirtie fiue miles to the old Citie Rimini namely ten to Sauio fiue to Ceruia fiue to Cesnadigo and fifteene to Rimini through wild fenny fields and a great Wood of Pine-trees and by the sandie shoare of the sea betweene which and the Apenine Mountaines diuiding Italy by the length the Valley was so narrow as we continually did see the snowy toppes of those Mountaines towards the South and for the most part did see together with them the Adriatique sea towards the North. In the foresaid Castle Cesnadigo the Post-master would haue forced vs to take new post-horses if he that let our horses to vs had not pleased him by the paiment of some money for the post-horses are knowne by a list of furre they weare in their
in memorie whereof these verses are written vpon the picture of the said Mule Lecticam lapides marmora ligna Columnas Vexit conduxit traxit ista tulit The Litter these stones marbles pillers wood Did carry leade draw beare this Mule so good The outward side of the Pallace is of Free-stone engrauen and the Ornaments within are Regall Betweene the two Chambers wherein the Duke and the Dutchesse lie apart is a very faire Gallery and in the chamber of the Dutchesse is a second bed most like her owne for the Duke when he pleaseth to lie there and there is a Table wrought with siluer and pretious stones valued at 3000 Crownes In the dining roome are many faire statuaes and the figure of thirty Cardinals chosen at one time by Pope Leo the tenth being of the house of Medici In the very Court are two great loadstones The strong Fort called Saint Meniato lies ouer this Pallace and indeede ouer all the Citie which was built by Alexander de Medicis nephew to Pope Clement the seuenth and had lately been kept by a Garison of two thousand Spaniards as likewise another Fort on the other side of Arno built in the time of the free State was likewise kept by a Garison of 100 Spaniards For the Dukes of Medici aduanced to their Dukedome by the Emperor Charles the fifth did at first admit these Garisons of Spaniards vnder an Italian Captaine either to shew their confidence in Spaine or to fortifie themselues against the Citizens whose libertie they had inuaded but Duke Ferdinand then liuing the Families of Citizens being now extinct or suppressed who had liued in the free state and could not indure subiection being now confirmed in his Dukedome had lately effected that these Spaniards should yeeld the Fortes to him and depart the Countrey Vpon the North-side of the Riuer Arno and vpon the banke thereof is a monument of a horse buried in the high way with this inscription in Latin The bones of the horse of Charles Capelli Venetian Ambassador when the Citie was besieged in the yeere 1533. And these verses were added Non ingratus herus Sonopes memorande sepulchrum Hoc tibi promeritis haec monumenta dedit Praise worthy horse of warre thy thankfull Lord Thee for thy merits doth this Tombe afford The Citie hath diuers Market-places 1. Mercato Vecchio 2. S. Spirito 3. Santa Croce 4. S. Maria Nouella 5. Plazza della Signoria which is the fairest and largest of all the rest and therein is the Senators Pallace and many stately statuas one of a virgin taken by force and of the rauisher beating her keeper treading him vnder his feet another of Hercules treading Cacus vnder his feet for the Florentines beare Hercules in their great Seale the third of Dauid all which are of white Marble the fourth of Perseus carrying in one hand the head of Medusa vpon his Shield and treading the bulk of her body vnder his feet curiously wrought in brasse In the same Market-place is a most faire Fountaine set round about with faire statuaes of brasse and in the midst thereof the statuaes of a Giant and of three horses almost couered with water all wrought in white marble do power the waters out of their mouthes into the Cesterne In the corner of this market place is the Senators Pallace so called because the Senate was wont to meete there in time of the free State but now it is the Dukes pallace the second that he hath within the Citie Therein I saw a Cat of the Mountaine not vnlike to a dog with the head of a black colour and the back like an hedghog a light touch wherof gaue a very sweet sent to my gloues Here they shewed vs as they vse to shew to curious strangers the Dukes Treasure as they cal it namely vessels of gold and siluer Roses hallowed by the Pope which these Princes hold for rich presents many chambers and galleries hauing a sweet prospect vpon the Arno and adorned with pictures and statuaes notable for the matter art and price a most faire looking glasse a Theater for Comedies one table of Porphery valued at fiue hundred Crownes another of Iasper stone valued at foure hundred Crownes a table then in the workmans hands vnperfected the Iewels wherof they valued at fiftie thousand Crownes and the workmanship at twelue thousand Crownes Moreouer they shewed vs the pictures of the Popes of the house of Medici rich swords and hats and a lather of siluer to mount into the Coach and many notable antiquities and certaine birds of India with many other beautifull things which they vse to shew to curious strangers and for the same expect some reward of them in curtesie Among other things I wondered to see there the picture of Flizabeth our famous Queene but the Duke of Florence much esteemed her picture for the admiration of her vertues how soeuer the malitious Papists had long endeuoured to obscure her fame especially in those remote parts whose slaunders God turned to her greater glory Here they did shew vs the great Dukes study called Il studiol ' del gran Duca in which wee did see most faire pictures two chests of Christall guilded ouer diuers statuaes not of brasse but of mixt mettals shining here like siluer there like gold a cup of Amber a little Mountaine of pearles wrought together by the hands of Duke Francis a Pyramis of Pearles as they grow in oyster-shels two kniues set with Iewels and a third Indian knife a naile halfe turned into gold by Torneser an Alchumist the other part still remaining Iron a piece of gold vnpolished as it was digged out of the Mines two pictures of Flemings whereof one was valued at fiue hundred the other at eight hundred Crownes a clock of Amber a piece of Amber falling vpon a Lizard and retaining the liuely forme thereof a stone called Vergoara that cureth poyson the head of a Turke all of pure gold a most beautifull head of a Turkish woman a Table of gold and of Iasper stone and other Iewells among which one Emerald of a perfect greene colour was highly valued being round and almost as big as an egge for they that kept it reputed it worth one hundred thousand Crownes Not farre thence is a Pallace of the noble Family of Strozzi and another of Alxeander great Duke of Florence wherein is a ruined chamber in which certaine conspirator killed him In the stately Church of S. Maria del 〈◊〉 are many most faire statuaes and the pauement and outward parts of the walles aswell of the Church as of the steeple are of carued Marble And here are kept three triple Crownes of three Popes of the Family of Medici The tower or steeple is very high in the ascent are 3 galleries round about the outside and it is all stately built of Marble hauing foure hundred fortie and nine staires to the first gallerie In which being most faire and all of Marble the Emperor
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
for this cause they say the foundations of the houses being laid in water cost as much or more as the houses themselues The Riuer Amster of which and the word dam the City is named running from the South through three lakes entereth this city and passing through it fals into the Riuer Tay on the North side The City hath fiue gates which are shut at dinners and suppers though the danger of the warre be farre from them There be two Churches in which they haue two sermons each second day and foure on sunday The City lay in length from the North to the South but adding the plot of the new City it is of a round forme The streetes are narrow and the building of bricke with a low roofe shewed antiquity They haue two Almeshouses called Gasthausen that is Houses for strangers which were of old Monasteries One of these houses built round was a Cloyster for Nunnes wherein sixty beds at this time were made for poore weomen diseased and in another chamber thereof were fifty two beds made for the auxiliary Soulders of England being hurt or sicke and in the third roome were eighty one beds made for the hurt and sicke Souldiers of other Nations to which souldiers and sicke weomen they giue cleane sheetes a good diet and necessary clothes with great cleanlinesse and allow them Physitians Surgions to cure them and most of the Cities in these Prouinces haue like houses Here I lodged with an English-man and paid for dinner and supper twenty stiuers and for a guest inuited to supper ten stiuers and for three pints or chopines of Spanish wine twenty one stiuers From Amsterdam I went in a boat three miles to Harlam and paid for my passage foure stiuers we had not passed farre from Amsterdam when we came to a damme shutting out the flowing of the sea for the waters are salt thus farre though the ebbing and the flowing of the sea can hardly be discerned at Amsterdam for the depth of the Riuer Tay aud because Inland seas shew little ebbing or flowing Our boat was lifted ouer this damme by ropes and so let fall into the water on the other side for which the Mariners paid tribute There is another damme for greater Barkes and as by these dammes they let in waters to the Land at pleasure so they haue other dams at Torgay to let them out againe into the Sea when the Land hath too much water From hence we had the Sea-shore all the way on the North side not farre distant and on both sides of the water in which we passed were faire pastures parted with ditches of water The Riuer running from Amsterdam from the East to the North doth turne neere Harlam towards the South and diuideth the City which on all sides is compasied with Nauigable waters On the North side neere the gate Ians-port Don Frederick sonne to the Duke of Alun pitched his tent in a meadow when he besieged the City with the Spanish forces and much spoiled those parts beating downe Gentlemens faire houses dwelling frequently in that part with his Artillery playing into this street hauing the name of the Knights of Saint Iohn On the same side are two other gates Sayle-port and Cruyse-port and without them toward the sea being halfe a mile distant are very faire pastures but there is no riuer nor ditch that leads from the City to the sea For these Prouinces haue onely three passages to goe to sea one betweene Rotherodam and Bril a Fort of Zealand the second at Vlishing another Port of Zealand and the third from Amsterdam betweene two Ilands called rhe Fly and Shelling Wee comming from Amsterdam to Harlam entred the Citie by the gate Kleine holt Port on the East side where the very Almes-houses were beaten downe in the aforesaid siege of the Spaniards and the walles then beaten downe were not yet rebuilt On the South side is the fifth gate Grote-holt Port the street whereof is the fairest next that of the Knights of Saint Iohn On this side was a wall of stone but at this time they were building another very strong wall beyond it of earth In the New-street is the house for exercise of shooting and another old house for the same vse and one market-place sweetly shaded with trees and a second market-place of good length for the selling of Cattle Likewise on this side another part of the Spanish Army lay and destroyed a most pleasant Wood of which the gate and street haue the name And they report that the Spaniards taking the City vsed great cruelty to all but especially to the Garrison of the English Souldiers The Histories witnesse that three hundred were beheaded and more then two hundred drowned in the Lake called Harlam-mere On the West side the Citie is compassed with a wall of earth and there bee faire pastures betweeue the City and the Sea Among the Churches that which is called the Great is the fairest and our Ladies Church vulgarly called Vnser-fraw kirke is the next in beautie All the sea coast of Holland is a sandy downe in which are great store of conies This Citie makes great store of linnen clothes and hath some fiue hundred spinsters in it The water heere as most of these Cities standing and little or nothing mouing is subiect to stinking so as they are forced to fetch water for brewing by boats Here I paied for supper and my part of wine twenty stiuers and for my dinner without wine thirteene stiuers About a mile from the City is a very sweet Hil called Weligheberg whether the brides vse to walke and there take their leaues of the Virgins And in the mid way towards Almer is another Hil where the Counts of Holland vvere vvont to bee consecrated In the market-place ouer against the Pallace they shew the house of one Laurence Iohn vvhom they brag to bee the first inuentor of the Presse for Printing and they shew two bels of the brasse of Corinth which they say were brought from Pelusium a City in Affrick vpon the Nyle From Harlam wee hired a waggon for eight stiuers and came fiue miles in fiue houres space to Leyden our waggoner baiting his horses in the mid way but staying very little In the way we had on all sides faire pastures and passed by the Lake or Mere of Harlam lying towards the South and the sea bankes vvithin sight towards the North. The high wayes in these Prouinces seeme to be forced and made by Art being sandy and very dry though all the pastures on both sides bee compassed with frequent ditches of water At the gates of Leyden the men goe out of the vvaggon and onely vvomen may be carried into the City lest as I thinke the vvheeles of the loaded vvaggons should breake the bricke pauements of the streets Hence I returned presently to Amsterdam that I might receiue money sent me by exchange So I hired a vvaggon for eight stiuers my part from hence to Harlam and
Parishes at once by a famous flood were within lesse then 200. yeeres agoe swallowed vp of the Sea and for witnes of this calamity diuers Towers farre distant the one from the other appeare in this Sea and according to the ebbing and flowing more or lesse seene doe alwaies by their sad spectacle put the passengers in mind of that wofull euent And the Hollanders say that these flouds caused the Rheine to change his bed as hereafter I shall shew in the due place From Count Maurice his Campe at Getrudenberg I failed in six houres space to the Iland Plate and at midnight putting forth againe failed in ten houres space to the Iland Tarlot and from thence in three houres space to the City Bergenapzome where we landed By the way we saw one of the aforesaid Towers high aboue the water being a steeple of some parish Church swallowed vp in the said deluge of which there be many like sad remembrances in this Inland sea The channell leading to the City is called Forcemer and hath vpon the banke many strong sorts and in this channell lay a man of warre to defend passengers from the bordering enemy This City is strongly fortified and is sented in Brabant and had many castles of the enemy lying neerert and it was gouerned by a garison of English not in the Queenes but in the States pay as Ostend at that time was whereas Virshing and Brill pledged to the Queen for money wore kept by English Garisons in the Queenes pay and Sir Thomas Morgan was at this time Gouernour of this City At out entrance euery man gaue his nameto the Guard Without the City on the West side many akers of land were drowned when the Prince of Orange as I said let in the waters to driue the Spaniards out of those parts which from that day to this could neuer be dried and gained againe On this side I entered the City where be many poore houses built in forme of a Lutes necke which being added to the City almost of a round forme make the whole City much like vnto a Lute On this side were three strong rauelings and vppon the necke of the said Lute is the Hauen in the channell Forcemer which going no further into the land endeth in a mill made of purpose to keepe the ebbing water so as the ditches may alwaies be full On the North side is the prison not vnpleasant for situation and the English House and the House of the Gouernour which of old belonged to the Count of Brabant Betweene the Gates wouldport and Stephenbergport which are both strongly fortified the Riuer Zome fals into the Towne whereof it hath the name yet the channell being stopped it seemes here a standing water rather then a Riuer Towards the East the City is very strongly fortified and there is the Gate Boskport so called as I thinke of the word Bosco which in the Italian tongue signifies a wood for on this side without the gates were many woods and orchards till they were destroied in the warre On this side is another Raueling of great length and beyond the fortifications lie faire pastures but somewhat couered with waters And from hence wee might see Woudcastle scarce three English miles distant which was then possessed by the Spaniards On the South side is a new fort beyond a strong bulwarke and a very strong counterscarp compassing the City And from hence was of old a most pleasant walke vnder the shade of trees to the old castle some mile distant On this side in a pleasant groue were many such birds as I said to be at Dort vulgarly called Adherne much esteemed for the fethers they beare in their fore head and there is a penalty set on those that hurt or driue them away On this side also is the English Church and vpon this and the East sides the Prince of Parma in camped when hee besieged this City There is in the middest of the City a triangular market place and from the sharpe end thereof towards the West siue rauelings run beyond the wals The houses are built of bricke and seeme to be built of old The Church hath a very high steeple whence the watchmen shew the comming and number of horse-men by hanging out white flagges and of foot by redde All the Villages hereabouts though liuing vnder the Spaniard yet pay contribution to this Garrison lest the souldiers should vpon aduantage breake out and spoile them The Citizens liue of mannall arts and the expences of the Garison From hence I sayled to Midleburge and at one ebbe of the Sea passed in seuen houres space to Der-goese and at another ebbe in foure houres space to Armaren a City of the Iland Walkern belonging to Zealand and I paid for my passage six stiuers From hence in halfe an houre I walked on foot to Midleburge the houses whereof are stately built and very high especially the new City and are all of bricke as be the Cities of Holland and as be the houses of Vlishing but some of these are stately built of free stone yet the streetes are somewhat narrow Here I paid for my supper fiue stiuers in the English House where the Host is onely bound to prouide for the Merchants and such gucsts as they inuite yet many times he admits English Gentlemen both to lodge and eat there The House lies in the street Longdels and howsoeuer the Merchants cat there yet they hier their lodgings scatteringly in the City and refused an Abbey which the Senators offered them to lodge therein perhaps out of feare lest in any ciuill tumult they might more easily be wronged if they should all lie together This City is the Staple of all Merchandise excepting Rhenish wine for which by old priuiledge Dorte is the Staple Therefore French and Spanish Wines are here sold much more cheape then other where because they are free of impost in this place and haue great impositions laid on them being carried out to other Cities The forme of the City is round saue that on the East side the buildings of the new City being vnperfected made it to haue the forme of a halfe Moone though the plot thereof were round Comming from Armuren I entered on this East side by a very faire gate called the New Gate where the water falling into the Towne passeth to the Burse where the Merchants meet There is a publike House for shooting the wall on this side as round about the City is of stone and is rather adorned then fortified with some Towers And this wall is double vpon the Inner whereof compassed with deepe ditches many Houses are built On the West side without the gates almost halfe way to Vlishing is Rammakins Castle kept by English Souldiers sent from Vlishing to that purpose being a place of great importance because the channell going to Midleburge runnes within the command of their Artillery On this South side is the Hauen and without the wals very faire pastures
with the rich Porphery and Ophyte stones and the Marble Images of Saint Marke and Saint Iohn the Euangelist In the Church of Saint Andrew the fairest of this sextary and a cloyster of Nunnes the pictures of Christ crucified and of his supper with his Apostles and the most faire Altars of the Virgin Saint Anthony and Saint Nicholas In the Church of Saint George the greater giuing name to the Iland in which it is seated ouer against the market place of Saint Marke and the chiefe Church next that of Saint Marke the pall of the great Altar and the brasen Images two brasen Images of the Organs the seats of the wal-nut tree wonderfully ingrauen another Altar built by Vincent Morosini the Altar of Saint Stephen the first Martyr the Altar of the blessed Virgin and her Image the Altar of Saint Lutia with her Image and the wonderfull crucifix of another Altar In the Church of Saint Mary delle gratie the infinite gifts hung vp there vpon vowes In the Church of the Holy Ghost the Pall of the great Altar and the marble stones and pillars and the brasen candlestickes and a skreene of brasse guilded and the pictures of Saint Markes Altar the candlesticke of the great chappel curiously carued the rare Images and arched roofe of the Altar of the Cratch being all the worke of the famous Painter Titiano whose rare image also the Friars haue and in the publike refectory of the Friars the admirable pictures of the resurrection of Sampson and especially of Christ supping with his Apostles In the monastery of Saint Hellen giuing name to the Iland and founded by Alexander Boromeo and being one of the fairest in the City a crosse of inestimable value In the Church of Saint Andrew della Certosa the monument of Austine Barbadici who hartening the confederates to fight was chiefe cause of the victory against the Turkes by sea in the yeere 1571. and while he liued by faire and rough tearmes kept the league vnbroken which presently vpon his death was dissolued In the Church of Saint Nicholas del Liro the sepulcher of Duke Dominicke Contarini rich with porphery and ophyte stones and a well of fresh water lying very neere the sea and hauing so full a spring as it serueth all the shippes and gallies The almes-house of Saint Lazerus is built for lepers The old Lazereto is a pest-house where the Prior and Physitians haue yeerely fee to attend the sicke Not farre from that is the new Lazareto whither they are sent who are suspected to haue the plague but as soone as they begin to be sicke they are sent thence to the old Lazareto and hither all suspected men are sent to try their health which if they keepe for forty daies then they are set free These things are in this sextary most remarkeable The sixth sextary and the third and last beyond the channell is of the forme of the Iland called Il sestiero di dorso duro In the Church of the Saints Geruaso and Protese the grauen Images and pictures in the chappell of the holy sacrament In the cloyster of Saint Agnes the Prioresse bringeth vp six Virgins which being of ripe yeeres are either married or made Nunnes and sixe more of good families sent thither in their place In the Church of Saint Gregory there is a second monument erected to Anthony Bragadini traiterously slaine by the Turkes at the taking of Cyprus The Iland Giudecca belongs to this sextary the chiefe Church whereof is Saint Eufemia it hauing nine other Churches The Church of the Iesuites is called Saint Mary of Humblenes and it hath pictured with great art the pals of the passion of Christ of the Apostles Peter and Paul of Christ circumcised and of Saint Francis and the great Altar is one of the fairest in the City In the Church Carmini a singular paire of Organs the Images of the blessed virgins foure Euangelists and Christ crucified and vpon the altar of Christ crucified two stones shining like christall which are esteemed for iewels In the Church of Saint Mary of Charity the rich chappell of San Saluadore In the most faire Church of the Capuchine Friars seated in the Iland Giudecca the images of brasse and the faire screene of the great Altar In the most faire Church of Saint Mary the greater being a Nunnery the rare pictures of the greater chappell In the Church of the holy crosse Della Giudecca the monument of the Cardinall Francis Morosini sent Ambassador to the Turke and Nuncio to Pope Sixtus the fifth in the French Court and here the rest of his Family vse to be buried The Monastery of the conuerted is for whores repenting Another is built for Orphan Virgins the Church whereof hath rich screenes of marble with brasse images and in the same liue some two hundred and fifty Virgins of almes and by the worke of their hands which comming to ripe yeeres are either married or made Nunnes These things are in this sextary most remarkeable The Venetians haue six fraternities or great schooles such as be also at Rome and the Gentlemen and Citizens all giue their names to one of them as in England at London the Citizens haue companies into which the King Queene and Nobles many times vouchsafe to be admitted And in these schooles as it were in Vniuersities they vse to haue exercises of religion The first of them is called Saint Mary of Charity after the rule whereof the rest are framed and the great Guardian thereof is chosen yeerly and weares a skarlet gowne with large sleeues which they call Ducall sleeues and he hath the title of Magnifito by priuiledge These schooles giue dowries yeerely to 1500. Virgins and distribute among the poore much money meale and clothes for besides many gifts by last testaments daily giuen to those vses each of the schooles hath some fiue or sixe thousand duckets in yeerely reuenew and they are gouerned like common wealthes In the said schoole the Images of the Apostles and the pictures especially one of the blessed Virgin and another of the foure Doctors of the Church are very faire In the schoole of Saint Iohn the Euangelist the passion of Christ is wonderfully figured and Phillip the second King of Spaine and his sonne Ferdinand and Don Iohn of Austria and other Princes haue beene of this fraternity The third is of mercy The fourth of Saint Marke The fifth of Saint Rocco passing the rest in ceremonies pompe and number of brethren The sixth is of Saint Theodore and each of these hath his Church and Pallace and precious monuments and these are subiect to the counsell of ten for there be many lesse schooles each art hauing his schoole and these are subiect to the old Iustice and out of them when need is souldiers are pressed It remaines to adde something of the magnificall building of this City And in the first place the market place of Saint Marke is paued with bricke and it consists of foure market
Contarini that of the Iustiniani and that of the Grimani haue a little passed it And that my selfe being at Venice found there eighty Gentlemen of this name Let the Reader pardon this obseruation which I make for the Confonancy of that name with my owne onely differing in the placing of a vowell for more gentle pronuntiation which the Italian speech affecteth yet these Gentlemen being of one family write their names somewhat diuersity some writing in their owne tongue Morosini others Moresini and in the Latin tongue Morocenus and Maurocenus Of the hiring of chambers and the manner of diet in Venice I haue spoken iointly with that of Paduoa in the discription of that City onely I will adde that this City aboundeth with good fish which are twice each day to be sold in two markets of Saint Marke Rialto that it spendeth weekly fiue hundred Oxen two hundred fifty Calues besides great numbers of young Goates Hens and many kinds of birds besides that it aboundeth with sea birds whereof the Venetian writers make two hundred kinds and likewise aboundeth with sauoury fruits and many salted and dried dainties and with all manner of victuals in such sort as they impart them to other Cities I will also adde that here is great concourse of all nations as well for the pleasure the City yeeldeth as for the free conuersation and especially for the commodity of trafficke That in no place is to be found in one market place such variety of apparell languages and manners That in the publike Innes a chamber may be hired for foure sols a day but for the cheapenes and good dressing of meat most men vse to hire priuate chambers and dresse their owne meat That in the Dutch Inne each man paies two lires a meale That no stranger may lie in the City more then a night without leaue of the Magistrates appointed for that purpose but the next day telling them some pretended causes of your comming to the Towne they will easily grant you leaue to stay longer and after that you shall be no more troubled how long soeuer you stay onely your Host after certaine daies giueth them account of you To conclude this most noble City as well for the situation freeing them from enemies as for the freedome of the Common-wealth preserued from the first founding and for the freedome which the Citizens and very strangers haue to inioy their goods and dispose of them and for manifold other causes is worthily called in Latine Venetia as it were Veni etiam that is come againe From Venice to Farraria are eighty fiue miles by water and land and vpon the third of February after the new stile and in the yeere 1594. as the Italians begin the yeere the first of Ianuary and vpon Wednesday in the euening my selfe with two Dutchmen my consorts in this iourney went into the Barke which weekely passeth betwixt Venice and Ferrara The same night we passed twenty fiue miles vpon the marshes within the sea banke to Chioza or Chioggia or to speake vulgarly the better to be vnderstood in asking the way a Chioza the first village on firme land or rather seated in an Iland where the Ditch Clodia maketh a Hauen The next morning in the same Barke we entred the Riuer and passed fifteene miles to the Village Lorea and after dinner ten miles in the territory of Venice and eight miles in the Dukedome of Fervaria to Popaci and vpon Friday in the morning twenty two miles to Francoline where we paid for our passage from Venice thither each man three lires and a halfe By the way on land vpon both sides the Riuer we passed a pleasant plaine and fields of come diuided by furrowes in which furrowes Elmes were planted and vpon them Vines grew vp to the tops Such is the manuring of Lombardy or the Lower part of Italy towards the West where the Vines growing high yeeld not so rich wines as in the other parts of Italy vpon mountaines and hils vpon the sides whereof the Vines supported with short stakes and growing not high yeeld much richer wines By this way our Barke staied many times in Villages where we had time to eat or to prouide victuals to be carried with vs and we had an Ingistar or measure of wine something greater then our pint for three sols of Venice we bought bread after the weight for they haue loaues of all prices in which a stranger cannot be deceiued It is the fashion to see the meat in the kitchin and to agree of the price before you eate it which if you doe not you shall be subiect to the Hosts insatiable auarice who take pleasure to deceiue strangers And the price of the meats you may vnderstand by the Italians whom you shall see buy of the same And if the decrenesse displease you you may carry drie figs and raisons and dine with them the price of bread and wine being certaine but you must sup at your Hosts Ordinary if you will haue a bed I said that we left our Barke at Francoline where we might haue hired a coach to Ferraria for which we three should haue paied twenty two bolinei but the way being pleasant to walke we chose rather to goe these fiue miles on foot Ferraria is a very strong City of Fiaminia and neere the City the Riuer Po diuiding it selfe hath made a long and broad Iland which now is growne to firme land It was compassed with walles by the Exarches of the Easterne Emperors Lords thereof and after it was subiect to the Bishops of Raucnna then it came into the hands of the Princes of the family of Este the lawfull heires whereof possessed it to the yeer 1394 when it passed to the line of Bastards These Princes of Este were at first Marquesses and afterwards were created Dukes and Hercules of Este was the third Duke who liued about the yeere 1550. At this day the family of Este being extinct the Bishop of Rome hath inuaded this Dukedome The City seated in a plaine is compassed with a fenny banke and is of a triangular forme the three corners being towards the North West and South On the South side the riuer Po did runne of old but it hath now left his bed which is dried vp to firme land But the lesse branch thereof runneth from Francoline to Chioza where it fals into the sea the greater making many lakes at Comatio yeelds the Duke much profit by the fishing of eeles In the heart of the City is a large market place and ioyning thereunto a little Iland in which the father of Hercules of Este built a stately Pallace called Belueder and in the market place before the doore of the Pallace there is a statua sitting in a chaire erected to Duke Burso and another of a horse-man and of brasse erected to Duke Nicholas The streets are broad and very dirty in winter and no lesse subiect to dust in summer The houses are
changing the name O how is she changed from that Virgin which so modestly spake of her selfe Villamont addeth that messengers were sent into Palestina who found this History to be most true yet this Chappell did not long abide in Slauonia but the Angels in the yeere 1294. tooke it vp againe and transported it to this Sea coast of Italy where againe it was made knowne by the shining of the Image and many miracles daily done whereupon the Chappell of the Image was called Madonna di Loreto that is our Lady of Loreto And because theeues lying in the wood did spoile strangers who daily came thither for deuotion the Angels as he saith the third time tooke it vp and set it downe in a priuate possession of two brothers who disagreeing in the diuision of the profit rising by the concourse of people the Angels the fourth time tooke it vp and placed it in this firme seat where now it remaineth After it was often visited by strangers Pope Paul the second built an other stately Church ouer it Pope Leo the tenth hauing first fortified the little City against Pirates Let me adde that Pope Sixtus the fifth borne in this Marca of Ancona established a Bishop in this Towne and so made it a City Villamont relating the treasure of this Church among the rest nameth certaine Mapps of Cities and Mountaines and the Images of the twelue Apostles a great Crucifix Candlesticks and infinite Vessels of siluer Images Chalices Crosses of gold and many precious stones of huge value two Crosses made all of precious stones whereof one was giuen by the Arch-Duke of Austria and a Harte of gold set with precious stones the gift of the Duchesse of Lorayne and a vessell of huge value which the French King Henrie the third gaue with this inscription Vt quae prola tua Mandum Regina beasti Et regnum Regem prole beare velis Henri III. Franc. Pol. Reg. Christianiss M. D. LXXXIIII Additaque Regni insigdia O Queene who with thy Childe the world hast blest Let not this King and Kingdome childlesse rest Of Henry the third of France and Poland most Christian King in the yeere 1584. The Armes of the Kingdome are also set vpon it Thus farre Villamont relates He remembers no gift of greater value then this of Henrie the third yet with leaue be it spoken this King a very slaue to the Romane Church obtained not his petition All these gifts are giuen vpon vowes and my selfe did see in the outward reome of the Chappell into which all are admitted a Galley vnder all salles all of beaten gold giuen by the vow of the Duke of Florence vpon the recouery of his health Villamont adds that this Chapel is compassed with a wal of white Marble curiously engrauen but that this wall could neuer by any art bee fastned to the Chappell and that the Chappell is also compassed with twentie pillars bearing the Images often Prophers and the ten Sybills Hee adds that many miracles are heere done and first giues instance in the person of the Marques of Baden in the yeere 1584. Secondly he sets it downe for a Maxime and proues it by an example that no man euer tooke any thing out of this Church without great mischiefe betalling him and that the robbers thereof are compelled to restore as it were by infernall furies Let me say truly alwaies reseruing due reuerence to the blessed Virgin to whom the Scriptures teach such diuine worship to be most vnpleasing as the Papists yeeld her I say let me with due reuerence tell a truth My selfe and two Dutch-men my consorts abhorring from this superstition by leaue entred the inner Chappell where we did see the Virgins picture adorned with pretious Iewels and the place to increase religious horror being darke yet the Iewels shined by the light of wax candles When we were entred the Priest courteously left vs to giue vs space for our deuotion but when we came forth as the Italians prouerbially speake of the Priests auarice Euery Psalme ends in Glory be c. as if they should say All religion to end in profit it was necessarie for vs to cast almes into an iron chest behind the Altar couered with an iron grate Therefore my consorts of purpose to delight the Priests eares with the sound of money as with musicke did cast into that chest many brasse quatrines but of small value and my selfe being last when my turne was to giue almes did in stead thereof gather some tenne quatirnes of theirs which lay scattered vpon the grate and got that cleare gaine by that Idoll God forbid I should bragge of any contempt to Religion but since it appeares that such worship is vnpleasing to God and because Papists will haue all their miracles beleeued I will freely say by experience that hauing gotten these few quatirnes in such sort as I said yet after that God of his mercy preserued me in my long and dangerous trauell and from that time to this day by his grace I haue enioyed though no abundant yet a competent estate and more plentifull then in my former dayes The fourth miracle related by Villamont for I omit the third is worth al the rest which he saith hangs vp in this Church written in the Italian tongue and also printed namely that a French woman possessed with a diuel came hither and being exorcised by a holy Canon did answer that she had seuen deuils and he casting them out that the first called Sordo at his comming forth blew out a torch and that the second was called Heroth the third Venteloth the fourth Arcto And while hee makes them all without torture or commaund to confesse their own wicted acts and while he omitteth the other three yet he doth not omit that the fourth told the Priest things vnknowne to the world namely that he shewed him the stone vpon which the Angell stood when hee saluted the Virgin and likewise the place where the Virgin at that time stood and that those places were afterward no lesse worshipped then the Chappell it selfe This Villamont relates Of these things reuealed by the diuell giue me leaue to say that if the diuell had been the greatest friend the Church of Rome hath he could not haue told a more profitable thing to it and that the Roman Church is not altogether vngratefull which beleeues the father of lies in so great a matter and doth not so much as put him to his oath but they are wise to be of Ouids opinion Cur ego non votis blandiar ipsemeis Why should I not flatter my owne desires I will ende the rest in one word There is incredible concourse to this place from all parts professing the Roman Religion neither is any man in the most remote parts of Europe oppressed with any calamity but hee vowes some gift to this Image In this Church I did see fiftie banished men vulgarly called Banditi who were banished for murthers and
this time no more then seuen in number for the Duke vsed to send out in summer time some two or three Gallies and seldome any more to spoile the Turkes which he might doe more boldly because the Florentines haue no cause to feare the Turkes since they vse no traffick by sea but send out their silkes and other commodities by strange ships and onely take care to entertaine those Merchants well who bring them corne and victuals by sea At the same West corner of the City is a bridge of bricke ouer the Riuer Arno built high in the midst with three Arches vnder which the boates passe And towards the East there be three other like bridges Neere the first bridge is another gate of the City leading towards the sea and neere the same is the most sweete walke that euer I beheld It hath in bredth some fiue rowes of trees on each side and a like distance of greene grasse betweene those trees but it reacheth in length many miles and out of the Riuer Arno are drawne two ditches which runne all the length of it one vpon each side so as the Citizens in summer time vse to take boat in Arno at their doores with a a basket of victuals and so many Families of them passing by the ditches on both sides the walke sit downe a good distance the one from the other and there sup and conuerse with great pleasure On the South side of the City a strong Fort lies neere the wall and there is the third gate of the City In the midst of the City vpon the banke of Arno is the Pallace of the Duke of Florence and there is a statua erected to Ferdinando the Duke then liuing who much fauoured this City in which he was borne Not farre thence is a little but most faire Chappell all of marble built in the forme of a Thorne vulgarly called La Capella lesu di Spina The pleasant seat of the City the curtesie of the Citizens and my desire to conuerse with the Professors of the Vniuersity made me spend some daies in this City where I paid by the day for my chamber and bed three creitzers and my Host was tied to buy and dresse such meat for me as I desired wherein I spent some three Giulij by the day and if I had purposed to stay long I might haue liued well at a more easie rate CHAP. III. Of my iourney to Ligorno my returne to Florence and to Sienna and the description of these Cities Of my iourney by Land to Lirigi in which againe I passed by Lucca and Pisa and by sea to Genea with the description of that City and my iourney by Land to Pania to Milano to Cremona and to Mantous with the discription of the Cities and of my returne to Padena I Hired a horse for three Giulij from Pisa to Ligorna an Hauen of this state which Ftolomy of old called Liburuum of which name there is another Hauen betweene Istria and Dalmatia and Cicero called Labro Not farre from Pisa I passed by boat the brooke Serpe running from Lucca and paid two creitzers for passing my horse and one for my selfe Then for three miles I rode vpon a paued way and thirteene miles more through a plaine of pasture full of many woods and Lakes which lakes and fenny grounds lying neere Pisa make the aire vnwholsome some möneths of the yeere and the Citizens much subiect to sickenes So after sixteene miles riding I came to Ligorno which was of old fortified by the Pisans and those fortifications were demolished by the Genoest in the yeere 1297. but peace being made betweene them this place returned vnder the command of the Pisans and they being after subdued by the Florentines this place came also into their hands and when the French King Charles the eight in the yeere 1494. restored the Pisans to liberty this place followed their fortune till the Pisans againe being subdued by the Florentines in the yeere 1509. this place also returned to their subiection It is said to haue the name of Ligornus sonne to Phaeton Cosmo de Medicis Duke of Florence began to fortifie againe this ancient Towne and to measure out the circuit and the streetes thereof And Duke Francis tooke vpon him to goe forward with this vnperfected worke and he being dead Duke Ferdinand his brother at that time liuing brought it to the forme of a most strong Fort and faire City And at this time the streetes began to be replenished with houses for the Duke made this place as it were a sanctuary to offenders vpon whom he vsed to impose for punishment either to dwell there for euer or at least for some yeeres and to adde one or more houses to the building so as the City was now faire and populous but it was filled with Citizens guilty of crimes and of no ciuill conuersation My selfe hearing that they were such men perhaps out of preiudicate opinion did thinke their lookes barbarous which made me looke more warily to my selfe and to those things I had with me The City is seated in a plaine somewhat longer from the North to the South then it is broad from the East to the West and the sea lies vpon it partly on the North and partly on the South and altogether on the West side And it hath one Tower on the North side and another one the South side reaching into the sea out of which they hang lights by night to direct saylers and betweene these Towers full on the West side there is a Hauen for great ships further out into the sea and also neere the City and compassed with the wals thereof are two Hauens for Gallies and small Barkes The Riuer Arno running from the East to the West passeth by the City on the North side and there fals into the sea and at the corner on the North side is a strong Fort. Here I paid vpon reckoning two giulij for my supper and as much next day for my dinner and returning to Pisa by water I paid seuen creitzers for my passage Two weekes being thus spent I thought good to returne to Florence that I might receiue my money which I had not receiued before because for feare of the inquisition I onely staied there Easter day in the Dutch Inne Therefore hiring a horse for foure giulij I rode forty miles to Florence through the pleasant valley of Arno partly tilled after the manner of Lombardy where the same field yeelds corne wine wood partly diuided into sweet pastures By the way it hapened that I brake a bough of a mulbery tree to shade me from the sunne and falling into the company of an honest Gentleman he told me I seemed a stranger because I carried that bough since those trees planted in the high waies belonged to the Duke who preserued them for silke-wormes and had imposed a great penalty vpon any that should breake a bough thereof so as if I passed with this bough
through any village I should be sure to be taken kept prisoner till I should pay a great fine whereupon I presently cast away this bough with many thankes to him for his gentle warning How Florence came to be subiect to the House of Medici with the title of Great Duke I must hereafter shew in the discourse of the Florentine Common-wealth At this time I will set downe as briefly as I can the discription of the City and fields adioining It is a most sweet City and abounding with wealth the Citizens are much commended for their curtesie modesty grauity purity of language and many virtues The City is innobled with the Dukes Court and with stately Pallaces built within and without the wals and for the stately buildings sweet situation it is worthily called Florence the beautifull vulgarly Fiorenza la bella It is said to haue had the name Florentia in Latin either of the Fluentini a neighbour people of whom they come or of the perpetuall happines into which it grew like a flower or of the Citizens wealth and the Cities beauty flourishing like a flower The pauement of the City is not of flint as at Rome nor of bricke as at Sienna but of very broad and faire free stone The houses after the manner of Italy are built with a low roofe excepting the Pallaces which are stately built of free stone engrauen The windowes as in all the Cities of Italy excepting Venice alone are not glased but either lie altogether open to take aire or are couered with oyled paper and linnen cloth The streetes are most broad and haue an open aire In discribing the Citie I will begin without the walles And first towards the North and East it is compassed with pleasant Hills planted with excellent fruit trees and lying in the forme of an Amphitheater and behind them the high Mountaines of the Apenine somewhat remoued are instead of strong walles to the Citie Also on the South side it hath like Hilles and distant Mountaines but towards the West it lies open to the most pleasant Valy of Arno which Valy continueth as farre as Pisa and to the sea-side On all sides without the walles Pallaces of Gentlemen are most frequent and houses of Citizens not distant aboue three or foure closes one from the other whereupon the Emperour Charles the fifth beholding the Citie and the Countrey from a high steeple affirmed that Florence was the greatest Citie in the whole world and when hee perceiued that the standers by 〈◊〉 doubtfull of his meaning he added that in good earnest he reputed all the Pallaces without the walles compassed with Hilles and Mountaines as with walles to bee within the circuit of the Citie It is seated as it were in the Center of Italy betweene the aire of Arezzo producing quick wits where Peter Aretine the Poet was borne of a sharp wit though hee abused it wantonly and the aire of Pisa lesse pure and yeelding men of strong memory so as it hath had by this temperature of aire many Citizens as well sharpe to learne sciences as strong to retaine them The Riuer Arno running from East to West diuides the Citie but into vnequall parts the farre greater part lying on the North-side and the lesse on the South-side and the bridge to passe from one to the other is almost in the very middest of the City which is fairely built yet is more magnified by strangers then it deserues It hath little houses vpon it where with it is couered and vpon each side are Gold-smithes shops which make small or no shew at ordinarie times but when the Duke Ferdinando brought his Dutchesse the Daughter of the Duke of Loraine to the Citie at her enterance those shops were furnished with vessels of siluer and many rich Iewels yet borowed of the Citizens to that purpose And howsoeuer some strangers may wonder at it yet they who compare that bridge with the bridge of London or those Gold-smiths shops with the daily shew of the Gold-smiths in Cheape-side shall finde no cause to wonder thereat The bridge hath two hundred twentie eight walking paces in length and is built vpon seuen Arches There bee three other bridges ouer Arno but farre lesse in bignesse and magnificence then the former for the Riuer is shallow scarce couering the sand or stones though beyond the Citie it be increased with other waters and is subiect to ouer-flowing vpon any great raine The Citie is of a round forme and vpon the walles thereof lie eight Fortes whereof the greatest and strongest lies towards the South And the farre greater part of the Citie on the North side of the Riuer lies in a Plaine but in the lesse part on the South side of the Riuer the houses towards the North-East are built vpon the sides of Mountaines and the dwellings are more scattered hauing many and large Gardens and in that part there is a place vulgarly called le Ruinate that is the ruinous because the houses haue been often ruined by Earthquakes and there you shall find this inscription in Latin Duke Cosmo in the yeere 1533 forbad the houses of this Mountaine to be rebuilt which thrice fell by the fault of the soyle Neere that place lies a lane vnpaued in memory of a Virgin that dwelt there whom a yong man loued who was borne of a Family of a contrarie faction to hers betweene whom many cruelties had been exercised and they mutually louing each other despairing to get their friends consent for mariage and at last being impatient of delay resolued with what danger soeuer to meet together But it happened that the yong man being to ascend into the Virgins Chamber by a ladder was surprised who to saue the reputation of the Virgin confessed that he came to rob the house whereupon he was condemned to die and being led to execution by the house where the Virgin dwelt she laying aside all shame came running out with her loose haire about her eares and embracing him confessed the truth publikly with which accident both their parents were so moued as laying aside all former malice they contracted affinity and the young man deliuered from the bonds of the hangman was tied to her in the sweet bond of marriage And of this wonderfull euent the Florentines thought good to keepe this memorie for posteritie The Duke hath two Pallaces within the City whereof one is called Pallazzo di Pitti seated in this part of the City which a Gentleman of Florence by name Lucca della Casa de Pitti began to build but falling into pouerty and not able to finish it was forced to sel the same to Cosmo de Medicis being Great Duke of Florence and shortly after conuicted of treason was beheaded This is the most stately Pallace in the Citie in the Garden whereof called Belueder are many most sweete shades among pleasant Groues together with a pleasant Caue and Fountaine They say that one Mule did bring all the matter to this building
ridiculous and that they were in great part vndertaken by bankerouts and men ofbase condition I might easily iudge that in short time they would become disgracefull whereupon I changed my mind For I remembred the Italian Prouerbe La bellezza di putana la forza del'fachino c. nulla vagliano that is the beauty of a Harlot the strength of the Porter and to omit many like Musicke it selfe and all vertues become lesse prized in them who set them out to sale Also I remembred the pleasant fable that Iupiter sent raine vpon a Village wherewith whosoeuer was wet became a foole which was the lot of all the Inhaitants excepting one man who by chance for dispatching of businesse kept within doores that day and that when he came abroad in the euening all the rest mocked him as if they had beene wise and he onely foolish so as he was forced to pray vnto Iupiter for another like shower wherein he wetted himselfe also chusing rather to haue the loue of his foolish neighbours being a foole then to be dispised of them because he was onely wise And no doubt in many things wee must follow the opinion of the common people with which it is better regarding onely men to be foolish then alone to be wise I say that I did for the aforesaid causes change my mind and because I could not make that vndone which was done at least I resolued to desist from that course Onely I gaue out one hundred pound to receiue three hundred at my returne among my brethren and some few kinsmen and dearest friends of whom I would not shame to confesse that I receiued so much of gift And lest by spending vpon the stocke my patrimony should be wasted I moreouer gaue out to fiue friends one hundred pound with condition that they should haue it if I died orafter three yeeres should repay it with one hundred and fifty pound gaine if I returned which I hold a disaduantageous aduenture to the giuer of the money Neither did I exact this money of any man by sute of Law after my returne which they willingly and presently paid me onely some few excepted who retaining the very money I gaue them deale not therein so gentleman-like with me as I did with them And by the great expences of my iourny much increased by the ill accidents of my brothers death and my owne sickenesse the three hundred fifty pounds I was to receiue of gain after my return the one hundred pounds which my brother and I carried in our purses would not satisfie the fiue hundred pound we had spent though my brother died within the compasse of the first yeere but I was forced to pay the rest out of my owne patrimony Gentle Reader I will no longer trouble thee with these trifles onely in the behalfe of them who for a reasonable gaine and vpon long iournies and not vpon ridiculous aduentures haue put out their mony in this sort Giue leaue to me howsoeuer I desisted from that course to adde this All manners of attire came first into the City and Countrey from the Court which being once receiued by the common people and by very Stage-players themselues the Courtiers iustly cast off and take new fashions though somewhat too curiously and whosoeuer weares the old men looke vpon him as vpon a picture in Arras hangings For it is prouerbially said that we may eate according to our owne appetite but in our apparell must follow the fashion of the multitude with whom we liue But in the meane time it is not reproch to any who of old did were those garments when they were in fashion In like sort many daunces and measures are vsed in Court but when they come to be vulgar and to be vsed vpon very stages Courtiers and Gentlemen think them vncomely to be vsed yet is it no reproch to any man who formerly had skill therein To conclude that I may not trouble you with like examples which are infinite I say that this manner of giuing out mony vppon these aduentures was first vsed in Court and among the very Noble men and when any of them shewed thereby extraordinary strength the most censorious approued it but when any performed a long iourny with courage and discretion no man was found who did not more or lesse commend it according to the condition of the iourney performed Now in this age if bankerouts Stage-players and men of base condition haue drawne this custome into contempt I grant that Courtiers and Gentlemen haue reason to forbeare it yet know not why they should be blamed who haue thus put out their mony in another age when this custome was approued A man may iustly say it is great iniustice that our actions should be measured by opinion and not by reason but when a man leaues any custome that hath beene approued left hee should oppose himselfe to the common people a monster of many heads the most enuious hath nothing whereat they may iustly carpe And if any measure may be imposed to detracters surely they must spare them who vndertake long voyages ful of great dangers who doe not put out their money in Tauernes or at feasts to any man without distinction but dispose of their money with their friends vpon reasonable aduenture of gaine which in absence they cannot otherwise dispose to profit Finally who being not rich by patrimony take these iournies onely for experience and to be inabled to that expence doe condition this reasonable gaine I say the detracters must spare these and distinguish them from others who make cursorie iournies without any desire to better their vnderstanding thereby and more from those who in these courses rather make triall of their bodies strength then of their mindes abilitie And most of all from those who expose themselues to the scorne of men by base and ridiculous aduentures or that little differ from selfe-murtherers in vndertaking desperate actions for gaine In the same yere 1595 wherein some few months past I returned into England from my former iourney I now set forth againe towards Ierusalem and vpon the twentie nine of Nouember after the old stile I and my brother consort of my iourney went by water twentie miles which are seuenteene miles by land from London to Grauesend in a boat with two Oares for which we payed two shillings sixe Pence At last the winde seruing vs vpon the seuenth of December in the euening we set saile at an ebbing water and vpon the eighth of December in the afternoon hauing passed the Riuer Thames wee cast anchor vpon the shoare of England right before the Village Margets Then in the twilight of the euening wee put to Sea and the ninth of December entring the narrow Sea of Zealand vpon our call a boat came out of Vlishing to vs in which we went thither leauing our ship which went forward to Midleburg and each man paying a doller for his passage The eleuenth of December
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
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
take it in good part as the guift of a poore gentleman and nothing lesse then an Indian Merchant as they suspected This house called Lazaretto was built of free stone with Cellers for the laying vp of goods and had pleasant walks both in the yard and garden and the Keeper of this house had furnished me with a bed and all necessaries and for the seuen daies past had bought vs our meat in the City which he would likewise haue dressed but that my seruant was a Cooke and for this seruice he had done I gaue him also a zechine Then we went into the Citie lodged with an Italian who had oftē brought vs meat and necessaries to the Lazaretto and with him my selfe and my seruant had conuenient beds and plentifull diet for which I paid sixe lyres each day But the horsemen who conducted vs to Candia came often to me and for that seruice I gaue to each of them a zechine and by them I vnderstood the prices of the Market for diet So as all the Candians speaking Italian aswell as their naturall Greeke tongae and I finding the rate of our expences to bee excessiue I determined to hier a chamber and to buy my owne meate in the Market But it happened that at the same time an English Merchant landed who was a Factor to buy Muskedines of Candia whereof and especially of red Muskedint there is great plenty in this Iland and this Merchant called Richard Darson being wel acquainted with the best courses of liuing in Candia had hired a little house and a woman to dresse his meate and at my intreaty he was content to giue vs a chamber in his house and to hier vs two beds that so we might dyet together where he vsed vs very curteously and our dyet was as plentifull as before at a far lower rate diuiding our expences into three parts whereof he paied one and myselfe two for my owne and my seruante diet There was at that time great dearth of Corne so as white bread was hardly to be got though the Italians making their meales for the most part of bread vse to haue it very white and good Here we bought a Bocale of rich Wine containing two English quarts and a halfe for a lire of Venice a Pigion for 7 soldi a Partridge for a lire or 16 soldi a pound of veale for 7 soldi of mutton for some 5 soldi we had plentie of fruits for a small price The Beefe in Italy vseth to be leane and is seldome eaten and such beefe they had here for by the Law called Foscherini it is commaunded that no man shall kill a beefe till it be vnfit to draw in the Plough and to doe like seruice Here I paid foure lires for a paire of shooes the rest of my expences I omit for brenitie sake those sufficing to giue a passenger some guesse at what rate he may liue Onely I will adde that the worke of Porters and labouring men as well in Italy as here is had for small wages because there is great number of poore people and they abhorre from begging so as one soldo contents a Porter for bringing your victuals from the Market When I went to Ierusalem and sailed by the Iland of Candia I made some mention thereof and I haue now formerly set downe the length breadth and circuit and the distance thereof from other Prouinces and haue shewed that Candia is subiect to the Venetians and haue also named the chiefe Gouernours thereof for that time I will now briefely adde that this Iland is defended by a Venetian Garrison against the Great Turke to whom all the adiacent Countries are subiect That it hath great plentie of red Muskedines where with England for the most part is serued That it hath great plentie of all kinds of Corne of all manner of Pulse of Oyle of all kinds of flesh of Canes of sugar of Hony of Cedar trees of all coloured Dyings of Cypres trees where of many sweete smelling Chests are made and carried into forraine parts and of all necessaries for human life Neither is any venemous beast found in this Iland but it hath store of medicinable hearbs especially vpon the famous Mountaine Ida. The Cities of this Iland were of old one hundred and in the time of Pliny fortie but at this day there bee onely three namely Canea at the West ende of the Iland neere which lies the Fort Sonda with a Hauen capable of a thousand Gallies The second called Retbino by the Italians seated on the South-side of the Iland vpon which side the Italians adde a fourth Citie called Settia and the third called Candia the Metropolitan Citie of the Iland which is faire and large built of stone with a low roofe after the manner of Italy and the streets thereof are faire and large It is strongly fortified as need requires by the Venetians against the Turkes and to that purpose hath a strong Castle From this Citie a large and pleasant Plaine leades to the foresaid caue of Mines which the Candians call the Sepulcher of Iupiter neere which is the most famous Mountaine Ida which they hold to bee seated in the middest of the Iland being higher then any of the other Mountaines thereof and it aboundeth with Cypres trees Finally I remember that when I lodged in the Monastery San ' Maria Ogidietra the Caloiri or Monkes who for the most part are vnlearned and till the ground and labour like laimen assured me that each measure of corne sowed in their fields the yeere past had yeelded ninetie fiue measures CHAP. IIII. Of my iourney from Candia partly by land partly by Sea by the sea shoares and by the Ilands of the AEgean Sea Pontus and Propontis to the Citie of Constantinople And of my iourney thence by Sea to Venice and by Land to Augsburg Nurnberg and Stode in Germany And of my passage ouer Sea into England And of my iourney through many seuerall Shares of England Scotland and Ireland VPon Monday the twentie of December after the old stile at three of the clock in the afternoone we went aboard a little Greeke Barke loaded with Muskedines and with tunnes of Lemons Iuyce which the Turks drinke like Nectar and with Onions and ready to saile for Constantinople where I payed for my passage fiue zechines and as much for my seruant The night following was very bright with Moone-shine yet we staied all the night in the Hauen compassed with walles either because the Gouernour of the Castle would not let the Barke go forth till the Master had satisfied him or because the Master pretending that cause of stay had some businesse to dispatch The next morning early being the one and twentie of December we set saile and the same day we sailed close by the Iland Zantorini more then one hundred miles distant from Candia They report that this Iland and another of the same name both of little circuit were in our age
then the foundation of the third the fields on that side being plaine yet in like sort rising higher and higher as they be neerer to the wals of the City saue that neere the foresaid Pallace of Constantine some hils lie without the wals This City as Rome is said to containe seuen Hils or mounts within the wals wherof some to me seemed imaginary but I will reckon them as they doe and first beginne with the hill vpon which stand the ruines of Constantines Pallace The second hath the stately Mosche or Turkish Church built vpon the Pallace which of old belonged to the Graecian Patriarke Vpon the third stands the stately Mosche and most richly built Sepulcher of Mahomet the second with an Hospitall built by the same Emperour where all Turkish Pilgrimes haue their lodging and diet freely for three daies and it hath one hundred and fifty chambers built for the poore of the City and the yeerely rents thereof are valued at two hundred thousand zechines yea the Court or Seraglio of the Great Turke paies each day an hundred Aspers to this Hospitall The Sepulcher of Selimus takes vp the fourth hill and the sepulcher of Baiazet the fifth hill Betweene the fifth and the sixth hill is the old Pallace of the Great Turke which the Italiatis call Seraglio vecehio where the Concubines of the deceased Emperour and the present Emperours sisters and a great number of his concubinet for the fairest and dearest to him are taken to liue in his Court are kept by Ennuches within this old Seraglio which is of great circuit containing many houses and gardens compassed within one wall Vpon the sixth hill stands the foresaid wonderfull Mosche and Sepulcher of Solyman noted with the letter R Lastly the seuenth hill containes the chiefe Pallace of the Great Turke and the Church Saint Sophia now made a Mosche noted with the Letters O. Q. The tops of the Sepulchers and Mosches being of a round forme and couered with brasse and the spacious gardens of Cypresse and Firre trees make shew of more beauty and magnificence to the beholder from any high place or without the wals then in deed the City hath The Sepulchers are no doubt very stately built hauing vpon the top one two or more round globes couered with leade or brasse On the inside they seeme like lightsome Chappels with many windowes and they being built in a round forme the dead Emperour is laied in the middest or center of the Sepulcher in a chest or coffin raised some three foot from the ground hauing the Tulbent which hee wore vpon his head in his life time laied vpon his Tombe being see forth with the Iewels he most esteemed which Tulbent is made of some twenty or more yards of pure and fine white linnen foulded in many foulds in the forme of a halfe globe Next the Emperour lies the Sultana or Empresse in her Coffin so they call his Concubine Mother of his Heire and Successour prouided alwaies that shee haue had a letter of dowry by which shee is made his wife for otherwise shee is not buried with him And round about the Emperour and Empresse in Coffins lower then theirs lie the bodies of his male children which according to their manner are strangled by his Successour assoone as he was dead and vpon their Coffins likewise their Tulbents are laied seuerally These children are laied in little Coffins of Cypresle and this middle part wherein the dead bodies lie is compassed with a grace so as betweene the bodies and the windowes there is a gallery round about which is spred with Turkey carpets and vpon them the Priests that keepe the Sepulcher doe lie by night and sit crosse legged by day neither is the roome at any time without some of these Keepers so as the Emperours are attended euen after death The buildings of the City haue no magnificence being partly of a matter like bricke but white and as it seemes vnhardned by fire partly of timber and clay excepting some few pallaces which are of free stone but nothing so stately built as might be expected from the pride and riches of the great Turkes chiefe seruants And these houses as those of the adiacent territories of Europe are built only 2 stories high with a low roofe without any windowes after the manner of Italy whereas the houses of Asia haue a plaine and plaistered roofe to walke vpon especially in Asia the greater The streetes of this Citie ar narrow and shadowed with pentises of wood and vpon both sides the way is raised some foot high but of little breadth and paued for men and women to passe the middest of the street being left low and vnpaued and no broader then for the passage of Asses or beasts loaded In many places of the streetes lye carcases yea sometimes the bodies of dead men euen till they be putrified and I thinke this vncleanlinesse of the Turks who otherwise place Religion in washing their bodies and keeping their apparrell especially their Tulbent pure and cleane is the chiefe cause that this Citie though most pleasantly seated yet aboue all the Cities of the world is continually more or lesse infected with the plague They say that Iob famous for his pietie and patience is buried in this Citie but I did not see his monument and thinke it probable that the same and all like Christian monuments were defaced by the Turkes when they tooke the Citie The worthie English Ambassadour Master Edward Barton most curteously entertained me with lodging and dyet so long as I staied in this Citie so as for them I spent not one Asper but I passe ouer the due praises which I owe to the memory of this worthy Gentleman being hereafter to speake more of him I will onely adde that I attended him once to the great Turkes Court and when I had nothing satisfied my curiositie in viewing the Citie by occasions casually happening that hee commaunded a Ianizare to guide mee round about the same till I had taken full view thereof And with this guide the first day I viewed the foresaid monuments within the walles and the second day compassed the Citie without the walles beginning at the passage ouer the water called Tapano and noted with the letter K and so passing by water in a boat vulgarly called Pyrame and hired for fortie aspers to the Castle of the seuen Towers noted with the letter T then passing by land to the Pallace of Constantine noted with the letter V. And by the way as we passed by land an old woman meeting vs and taking me for a Captine to be sold demaunded my price of the Ianizare who for mirth entertained her offer to buy me and another Gentleman seruant to the Ambassadour whom hee had sent to beare me company but because I was very slender and leane after my long sicknes he could not induce her to giue more then one hundred aspers for me though she offered foure hundred aspers for the other Gentleman in
higher and higher towards the West and consists especially of one broad and very faire street which is the greatest part and sole ornament thereof the rest of the side streetes and allies being of poore building and inhabited with very poore people and this length from the East to the West is about a mile whereas the bredth of the City from the North to the South is narrow and cannot be halfe a mile At the furthest end towards the West is a very strong Castle which the Scots hold vnexpugnable Camden saith this Castle was of old called by the Britaines Castle meyned agnea by the Scots The Castle of the Maids or Virgines of certaine Virgines kept there for the Kings of the Picts and by Ptolomy the winged Castle And from this Castle towards the West is a most steepe Rocke pointed on the highest top out of which this Castle is cut But on the North South sides without the wals lie plaine and fruitfull fields of Corne. In the midst of the foresaid faire streete the Cathedrall Church is built which is large and lightsome but little stately for the building and nothing at all for the beauty and ornament In this Church the Kings seate is built some few staires high of wood and leaning vpon the pillar next to the Pulpit And opposite to the same is another seat very like it in which the incontinent vse to stand and doe pennance and some few weekes past a Gentleman being a stranger and taking it for a place wherein Men of better quality vsed to sit boldly entred the same in Sermon time till he was driuen away with the profuse laughter of the common sort to the disturbance of the whole Congregation The houses are built of vnpolished stone and in the faire streete good part of them is of free stone which in that broade streete would make a faire shew but that the outsides of them are faced with wooden galleries built vpon the second story of the houses yet these galleries giue the owners a faire and pleasant prospect into the said faire and broad street when they sit or stand in the same The wals of the City are built of little and vnpolished stones and seeme ancient but are very narrow and in some places exceeding low in other ruiued From Edenborow there is a ditch of water yet not running from the Inland but rising ofsprings which is carried to Lethe and so to the Sea Lethe is seated vpon a creek of the Sea called the Frith some mile from Edenborow and hath a most commodious and large Hauen When Monsieur Dessy a Frenchman did fortifie Lethe for the strength of Edenborow it began of a base Village to grow to a Towne And when the French King Francis the second had married Mary Queene of the Scots againe the French who now had in hope deuoured the possession of that Kingdome and in the yeere 1560. began to aime at the conquest of England more strongly fortified this Towne of Lethe but Elizabeth Queene of England called to the succour of the Lords of Scotland against these Frenchmen called in by the Queene soone effected that the French returned into their Countrey and these fortifications were demolished Erom Leth I crossed ouer the Frith which ebs and flowes as high as Striuelin to the Village King-korn being eight miles distant and seated in the Region or Country called Fife which is a Peninsule that is almost an Iland lying betweene two creekes of the Sea called Frith and Taye and the Land yeelds corne and pasture and seacoales as the Seas no lesse plentifully yeeld among other fish store of oysters shel fishes and this Countrey is populous and full of Noblemens and Gentlemens dwellings commonly compassed with little groues though trees are so rare in those parts as I remember not to haue seene one wood From the said Village King-korn I rode ten very long miles to Falkeland then the Kings House for hunting but of old belonging to the Earles of Fife where I did gladly see I ames the sixth King of the Scots at that time lying there to follow the pastimes of hunting and hawking for which this ground is much commended but the Pallace was of old building and almost ready to fall hauing nothing in it remarkeable I thought to haue ridden from hence to Saint Andrewes a City seated in Fife and well known as an Vniuersity and the seate of the Archbishop But this iourney being hindred I wil onely say that the Bishop of Saint Andrewes at the intercession of the King of Scotland Iames the third was by the Pope first made Primate of all Scotland the same Bishop and all other Bishops of that Kingdome hauing formerly to that day beene consecrated and confirmed by the Archbishop of Yorke in England Likewise I purposed to take my iourney as farre as Striuelin where the King of the Scots hath a strong Castle built vpon the front of a steepe Rocke which King Iames the sixth since adorned with many buildings and the same hath for long time beene committed to the keeping of the Lords of Eriskin who likewise vse to haue the keeping of the Prince of Scotland being vnder yeeres And from thence I purposed to returne to Edenborow but some occasions of vnexpected businesse recalled me speedily into England so as I returned presently to Edenborow and thence to Barwicke the same way I came I adde for passengers instruction that they who desire to visit the other Counties of England and Ireland may passe from Edenborow to Carlile chiefe City of Comberland in England and so betweene the East parts of Lancashire and the West parts of Yorke and then through Darbyshire Nottinghamshire Warwickeshire Staffordshire and Chesshire may take their iourney to the City Westchester whence they shall haue commodity to passe the Sea to Dablin in Ireland and while they expect this passage they may make a cursory iourney into Flintshire and Caernaruenshire in Northwales to see the antiquities thereof or otherwise may goe directly to Holy Head and thence make a shorter cut to Dublyn in Ireland From Dublyn they may passe to see the Cities of the Prouince Mounster whence they may commodiously passe to the South parts of Wales and there especially see the antiquities of Merlyn and so taking their iourney to the West parts of England may search the antiquities of these seuerall Counties and easily find commoditie to passeinto the West parts of France And all this circuit beginning at London may with ordinary fauourable winds according to the season of the yeere be easily made from the beginning of March to the end of September Alwaies I professe onely to prescribe this course to such as are curious to search all the famous monuments and antiquities of England mentioned in Camdens compleat description thereof CHAP. VI. Of the manner to exchange Moneys into forraine parts and the diuers moneys of diuers parts together with the diuers measures of miles in sundry Nations most necessary
Villages and small Cities by the high-way a passenger shall find no bed but he may carry a bed in his Coach and fit vpon it conucnicntly Others vse to sleepe vpon straw lapped with a furred horsemans coate which they vse to weare and if they haue no such coate they must be content to sleepe vpon cleane straw And all the passengers lie together in the warme stoaue with those of the Family both Men and Weomen Neither shall they find in such places any Wine or choice meates which they vse to bring from Cities in their Coaches For the Innes in such places are poore naked houses hauing nothing to sell but close by them are the shambles the Bakers Brewers houses where the passengers buy beere such meat as they like and bring it to the Inne which a poore Hostesse will dresse affording them onely fier and a course Table-cloth And it seemed to me that the Lord of the place vseth to impose vpon some vassall this charge to entertaine strangers for the Hostesse will giue her labour for nothing except in curtesie you desire her to eate with you and if you freely giue her a small reward as three pence for the whole Company shee will thinke you deale bountifully with her but shee will aske you nothing Also you may freelie carrie away in your Coach flesh bread wine or anie thing that remaines which I haue seene done many times No Countrey in Europe affoordes victuals at'a lower rate My selfe and a Companion did in a Countrey Towne inuite two Guests and our dinner for foure persons came but to foure Grosh and a halfe I haue formerly set downe the ordinary expences generally in a Chapter treating of that Subiect in the first Booke of this thirde Part and particularlie in the iourney through Poland in the first Part. Now I will onelie adde that in the Villages and little Cities by the high way I haue bought tenne Egges for one Grosh a Goose for three a Partridge for two a loine of Mutton for two a Pigge for three Grosh and all like things at a very small price So as if a passenger haue a Cooke in his companie or haue himselfe any skill to dresse meate for his owne appetite I thinke hee shall there want nothing for necessary or delicate foode But hee may not expect that a Countrey Hostesse should seeke out or curiously dresse any daineties for him Lastly the Polonians are as stout drinkers as the Germans and passe them all excepting onely the Saxons yea aboue all that euer I obserued giuen to this vice they seemed to me to be mad in this kind that in drinking they are prone to quarrels brawling and fighting Giue me leaue to adde one obseruation which to me seemed very strange At Meluin and Dantzke in Prussen betweene Michaelmas and Christmas the Country people bring in sledges laded with dead Hares all foozen ouer which are so preserued aswell and better then if they were powdred with Salt till our Lady day in Lent about which time the frost begins first to breake And if they will eate a Hare in the meane time they thaw it at the fier or the ouen of the warme stoue or by casting it into water and so they presently set it to the fier either to be rosted or boyled In like sort they preserue Phesants or any kind of flesh being frozen ouer aswell as if they were salted And if any man thinke this a Trauellers fiction let him know that a most credible person told mee of his certaine knowledge and experience that the Moscouites in Russia bring the dead bodies of men in winter thus frozen ouer and so lay them on heapes in the Bellfrees of the Churches where they lie without rotting or ill smell till about our Lady day in Lent the Snow begins to thaw and the earth to be fit for digging for till that time the earth is couered with deepe and hard snow and if it were not so couered yet is so hard by continuall frosts as it cannot bee digged And at that time each family takes the bodies of their dead and takes care to burie them CHAP. V. Of Italy touching all the subiects of the third Chapter going before THE Longitude of Italy extends fourteene degrees and a halfe from the Meridian of twenty seuen degrees and a halfe to that of forty two degrees And the Latitude extends eight degrees from the paralell of thirty eight degrees to that of forty sixe degrees Italy of old was called Saturnia Ianicula Oenotria and Ausonia and lastly it had the name of Italy It was called Saturnia of Saturne who banished from his Country taught the Inhabitants of this Country the Art of Husbandry as Poets fable and is accounted the first King of this people then called Aborigines as borne there not comming from any forraigne part to inhabite there It was called Ianicula of Ianus or Noha whom they affirme to haue come thither after the deluge and to haue taught them the art to plant vines and sow corne to haue built the Citie Ianua now called Genoa It was called Oenotria either of the excellent wines or of Oenotrius King of the Sabines as likewise it had the name 〈◊〉 of Ausonius the son of Vlisses Lastly it was called Italy of Italus King of Sicilie or of an old Greeke word signifying oxen and shewing the inhabitants to haue been Heardsmen Ptolomy describes it in the forme of a Chersonesus that is necke of land or Peninsula that is almost an Iland and Pliny in the forme of an Oaken leafe but others more aptly compare it to a mans leg from the thigh to the sole of the foote Old Writers diuiding Italy from Gallia Cisalpina or togata inclose Gallia with a line drawne from the Riuer Varus beyond Genoa by the Apenine Mountaine to the Brooke Rubico where it falles into the Sea neere Rauenna and this line is obliquely stretched from the East to the West and so they diuide it from Italy and make Picmount the Dukedome of Milan the Dukedome of Ferrara the Treuisan Marquisate and all Histria to be a peculiar part of Europe But these Prouinces being at this time part of Italy it is better inclosed and confined by a line drawne from the head of the Brooke Varus through the Coccian Alpes to the Mountaine Adula which lies vpon the Alpes of Furca or Mount Gothard and so through the Rhetian Alpes towards the East to the Brooke Arsia confining Histria and the rest of Italy is compassed with the Sea Also the Mount Appenine deriued from the Alpes runnes all the length of Italy in the forme of a fishes backe bone and almost in the midst deuides it into two tracts one lying towards the vpper or Adriaticke Sea the other towards the nether of Tyrrhene Sea For howsoeuer the Appennine about Ancona seemes to bend towards the Adriaticke Sea and there to end yet after it turnes from thence and deuides the rest of Italy till it ends
from so disunited mindes as they haue He addes that the free Cities of the Empire yeeld a small yeerely tribute to the Emperour of fifteene thousand Guldens It is well nowne that those Cities of old custome maintained twenty thousand foote and foure thousand Horses for the Emperours Army when he went to be crowned at Rome but this custome by long discontinuance is vanished since the Emperours for many ages haue forborne this expedition The matter of greatest moment is the contribution which for the doubtfull affaires of the Empire hath been accustomed to be granted by the three Estates in Parliament And these such as they are yet are more easily or hardly obtained of that free Nation as the Emperour hath more or lesse reputation with them But that it may appeare that the Empire wants not treasure the sinew of war let vs gather by one particular example what may generally be iudged of this subsidie In the time of the Emperour Maximilian the first the following subsidie was granted in a Dyet or Parlament at Worms by consent of the Estates for the vse of the Common-wealth and especially for the warre against the Turkes which at that time much lesse pressed Germany then it doth in these our daies First it was decreed that for foure yeeres next following each person of any sex or quality howsoeuer possessing through long and broad Germany or being worth by all meanes 500 gold Guldens should yerely pay half a gold Gulden to this purpose and each one of lesse value should pay a quarter of a gold Gulden and all Iewes as well men as women and children should pay yearely by the Pole one gold gulden That Princes Barons for decency yet of their free will should contribute much more And that this collection should be made not onely in the priuate Dominions of the Emperour but in the priuat Teritories of al Princes and the mony first deliuered to the Superintendents or chiefe Ministers of Gods word and by them be conueied to seuen Treasurers residing at Franckfort the first appointed by the Emperour the second by the Electors the third by other Princes the fourth by the Prelates the fifth by the Earles and Barons the sixth by the Knights the seuenth by the free Cities all which were to take their oathes for the faithfull execution of this office After it was againe decreed in the Diet held at Nurnberg that for the Turkish warre each 40 inhabitants reckoning the husband wife and children for one person should maintaine one Footeman That men and maid seruants should giue the sixth part of their yeerely wages and each one hauing no wages should pay a shilling of Germany That spirituall persons men and women that is Nunnes as well as others should for each forty Guldens value pay one gold Gulden and in like sort the spirituall Orders of Knights and namely those of Saint Iohn and all Monasteries and Almes-houses and whatsoeuer spirituall communities should giue the like contribution excepting the foure Orders of Mendicant Friers of which each fiue Monasteries were to maintaine one Footeman That men and maid-seruants of Spirituall persons should pay as much as those of the Layety That no Elector or Prince should maintaine lesse then fiue hundred Horses and each Earle should maintaine one Horseman That Knights should contribute according to their estates That the Iewes should pay by the Pole one gold Gulden yearely the rich paying for the poore That all Preachers should in the Pulpit exhort men willingly to giue these contributions giuing hope that they shall be diminished according to the booties gotten by victories And that Bishops should make collection of this money and deliuer it ouer to the Counsellers of the States Twenty Noble men were at that time chosen to haue care of the Commonwealth for matters of peace and warre who in difficult accidents were to call vnto them the sixe Electors the King of Bohemia in the Emperours person not reckoned and certaine other Princes And this must alwaies be vnderstood that these collections are made in Germany with great seuerity or strictnesse where he that dissembles his full wealth shall be forced to repaire all the domage the Commonwealth hath sustained thereby and shall bee also deepely fined when the fraude is made knowne which at least will appeare at the death of each priuate man by his last will and testament So as these subsidies must needs be of great moment But the Germans in our daies though ready to be deuoured by the Iawes of the Turkish Tyrant yet for the aboue-named causes very vnwillingly grant these contributions yea for the very Turkish warre The Germans for the said mutuall iealosies at this day in the greatest Peace at home yet liue as in the time of a Ciuill warre at least in common feare of surprising so as almost in all Cities they haue victuals laid vp in Storehouses to beare a yeeres siege and besides this publike prouision all housholders are commanded to make their priuate prouisions before hand of dried fishes corne and like things to eate of fewell to burne and of all necessaries to exercise their manuall trades The Cities haue Watchmen continually dwelling with their families on the top of high Steeples and Towers who by sound of Trumpet and by hanging out flags of diuers colours one for horsemen another for footemen continually giue warning what people approach to the Towne and in what number and besides these Watchmen are inioyned to sound their Trumpets at certaine howers of the day and night The very recreations of the Citizens are no other then shooting in Pieces and Crosebowes at markes in publike houses and thus they exercise themselues on Holidaies and at all idle times shooting for wagers both priuate and publike and for like rewards and prises So as they must needes bee thereby much better trained vp for warre Yet their footemen in warre doe not so much vse the Piece as the Pike and their Horsemen contrarie to the custome of other Nations are generally armed with two short Pistols not at all with Lances To conclude if any man in this time of peace shoote ofa piece within the wals of a Citie he shall no lesse then in a Towne of Garrison bee drawne by the Serieants before the Magistrate be sure to pay a mulct for his error Caesar reports that the Schwaben or people of Sueuta a great Prouince in Germany most part of vpper Germany hauing been so called of old were most warlike yet at the first hearing so feared the Romans as some thought to leaue their dwellings some made their last wils and all mourned and were sad He reports also that the halfe part of this people was imployed and nourished in Armes and the other halfe gaue themselues to Husbandry and that so by yeerely course they were one yeere Husbandmen another yeere Souldiers That none of them had any priuate fields nor dwelt in one place more then a yeere Lastly that freedome
forced to wonder at the quantity varietie and goodnesse thereof which if they were all vnder the command of one Prince no two of the mightiest Kings of Christendome might therein compare with him It remaines briefely to adde something of the Nauall power of the Germans Almost all Germany being within land onely the Cities vpon the Northerne Ocean and vpon the Baltike sea haue any exercise of Nauigation And I did neuer reade or heare that any of them did euer vndertake any long and dangerous voyage by sea nor can their Marriners be praised for their experience or boldnesse compared with the English and Netherlanders The City of Dantzk which for agreement of tongue and manners I reckon among the Cities of Germany though it be in some sort annexed to Poland howsoeuer it is famous for concourse of Merchants and rich commodities yet not vsing to export them in their owne ships but rather to sell them to strangers or to lade their ships especially those of the Hollanders I could not vnderstand that forty ships belonged to that Citie Among the other Cities Lubeck and Hamburg are farre more powerfull in this kind then all the rest ioyned together The Hauen of Hamburg hath commonly great number of shipping and they said that more then six hundred ships did then belong to the City But they being vast and built onely for burthen are held vnfit for warre The City of Hamburg and the other Cities vpon the Northerne Ocean hauing long inioyed peace as neutrals while all their neighbours haue made warre one with the other and none of the Cities excepting Hamburg sending out ships further then vpon the coast it cannot be that the ships should be strongly armed At Hamburg I did see a ship then building for a man of warre of one thousand two hundred tunnes and among the other ships belonging to that Citie the greatest was called the golden Lion strongly built and bearing eighteene brasse pieces on each side which they named their Admirall But our best Sea men thought them both more fit to defend the Hauen as Forts then to make any fights at Sea In our age thirty seuen ships of Hamburg were laded by the Flemmings with Dantzk Rie for Spaine where they had free trafficke in the heate of the warre betweene England France Netherland and Spaine and of these ships sixe perished in the very going out of the Elue by tempest while English and other ships safely put to sea and the rest despaiting of the Voyage into Spaine were vnladed Not long before my being there they had sent some eight or ten ships into Spaine whereof onely one returned in safetie to Hamburg The City Lubeck hath a greater number of ships then Hamburg but they commonly trading within the Baltick sea seldome troubled with warre or Pyrates and their ships being onely built for burthen are slow of saile and vnfit to fight at sea Besides that for the foresaid reason they carry few or no pieces or other armes To conclude while I was at Lubeck a great ship of that Citie of one thousand foure hundred tuns called the Eagle laded with salt perished in the returne from Spaine Whereupon I then heard our best Sea-men impute great ignorance to the German Marriners of those Cities This shall suffice for their skill in Nauigation whereof I haue formerly spoken in the third Booke of this Volume or Part treating of the trafficke of Merchants in Germany Touching their Lawes and iudiciall courses in generall Of old the Magistrates of Germany were as Captaines of Cities who determined of Ciuill causes at home and had publike meetings yeerely for that purpose most commonly in the moneth of May or at the times of the full and new Moones They came armed to these meetings not all together but euery man at his pleasure and as it pleased the multitude so they sate in iudgement Silence was commanded by the Priests who had power to punish them Then the Prince or King or any eminent person in eloquence or in fauour was heard to speake yet as perswading not commanding and if the speech pleased the people shewed consent by murmuring or otherwise dissent by striking their speares together Here they determined all controuersies and chose new Captaines or Gouernours They had a custome that if any man complained of another hee should make a supper for a hundred men who duely examined the cause and if the plaintife had the right the defendant paid the charge otherwise he scaped free They gaue of free will to their Prince of their Cattell and Corne as much as they thought fit for his honour and necessity Tacitus writes that the old Magistrates of Germany did nothing vnarmed publikely or priuately And the Germans themselues confesse that their old Progenitors seldome tried iniuries by Law but commonly reuenged them with fire and sword and that they shamed not to take preyes by stealth or sorce Quintilianus Varus appointed Gouernour of Germany by the Emperour Augustus did first appoint the iudgement of Scabines which in the Hebrew tongue signifies a Iudge for he had formerly beene Gouernour of Iury These Scabines determined all controuersies and to this day the Germans in most places so call their Iudges The lower and vpper Saxony hath a prouinciall Law yet determines also many causes by the ciuill Law The Statutes of the Diots or Parliaments bind all but the Statutes of priuate Princes onely bind their owne subiects The greatest part of Germany is gouerned by the Ciuill Law And therefore the Doctors of the Ciuill Law are much esteemed among them and are Counsellors of Estate aswell to the Emperour as to other Princes which place they thinke vnfit to be conferred on any Doctors of Diuinity Yea the Princes of Germany haue this peculiar fashion that no sonne vseth his Fathers old counsellors but rather new chosen by himselfe The said Doctors of the Ciuil Law haue priuiledge by their degree to weare chaines of gold about their neckes and feathers in their hats There be in Germany foure kinds of Law giuing or rather foure cheefe Courts of Iustice. The first is that of the Diets or Parliaments vulgarly called 〈◊〉 that is Daies of the Kingdome which meetings by the Law should be made once in the yeere and last no lesse then a moneth at least no man hauing liberty to depart from them without leaue of the Councell Neither may the Emperour or his sonne or the elect King of the Romans make any warre or league without consent of the same The second Court is called Landgericht that is the Iustice of the Land wherein the cheefe men of each Prouince are to be called together thrice in the yeere and are to sit three weekes to determine the cheefe affaires of the Prouince as the Parliaments handle the cheefe affaies of the Empire The third Court is vulgarly called Camergerichl that is the Iustice of the Imperiall Chamber which is held at Spirt foure times each yeere each time lasting forty
appeales for vniust causes should be punished by paying charges and being fined and that no appeale should bee admitted vnder the value of fifty Guldens excepting those who haue priuiledge to appeale for lesse summes and that no appeale be made for corporal punishments That the Chamber should be held at Spire till it be otherwise decreed by Parliament but that in time of famine or plague they may for the time choose another place That two brothers should not be the one an Assessor the other a Procter That the Iudges shall meete three dayes in the weeke and eight of them at the least shall be present That execution of iudgement shall first be required by letters of the Court to which if the Defendant shal not yeeld obedience he shal be cited to appeare and shall be condemned in costs and the Plaintife shall be put in possession of his goods and the Defendant by the Popes priuiledge granted to this Court shall be excommunicated and then execution shall be desired from the Magistrate of the Community or in case the defendant be powerful it shall be desired from the Emperour himselfe Lastly that no appeale nor petition against the iudgement of the Chamber shall be admitted And thus much breefly written of the Imperiall Chamber or Court shall suffice Onely I will adde that appeales were of old granted to the Electors subiects and at this day in some cases and aboue a certaine value are granted to the subiects of Princes and Cities and that in difficult causes the Germans often referre them to beiudged by the Colledges of ciuill Lawyers in the Vniuersity but since Princes and Cities weekely hold Courts of iudgement so as execution is done before appeale can be made and since many Cities and Princes haue priuiledges against appeales granted to them from the Emperor these appeales are many times and by diuers meanes made voide In this Chamber the Emperour himselfe may be accused and many times a Gentleman or any man of inferior condition hauing difference with a Princes gaines the cause against him and the great differences of Princes wont to breake into warre vse quietly to be composed in this Court The cheefe Iudge if he be Earle or Barron hath two thousand Guldens yeerely by the statute made in the yeere 1548 and hath more if he be a Prince An Assessor if he be an Earle or Barron hath yeerely by the same statute seuen hundred Guldens if he be a Doctour of the Ciuill Law or a Gentleman he hath fiue hundred Guldens and each Aduocate in Exchequer causes hath yeerely three hundred Guldens and by a statute in the yeere 1557 they receiue for each Gulden 77 Creitzers for bettering of their pensions whereas formerly each Gulden was valued at sixteene Batzen or sixty foure Creitzers Touching capitall iudgements By the Ciuill Law in most heinous offences the affection is punished though it take no effect yet in common custome and after the forme of the Statutes of Italy he that hath a mind to kill is not punished except he doe kill The old Law of Saxony respects the fact not the will but of late the Electors of Saxony haue made a Statute which is yet in vigour that he that prouokes a man to fight or threatens death to him shall dye though hee neuer assaile him The Germans hold it reprochfull to apprehend any malefactor which is onely done by the Serieants of the Hangmans disgracefull Family My selfe obserued that a young man Kinsman to the Consul or Maior of a Citie hauing killed a Gentleman remained two howers in the Citie and then fled without any stop by the Serieants who notwithstanding did afterwards for fashion sake pursue him some few howers Yet I must needs confesse that the Germans are generally most seuere in Iustice sparing not the Inhabitants more then strangers yea in some cases fauouring strangers more then the Inhabitants as in debts which a stranger cannot stay to recouer by long processe My selfe hauing a sute for money at Lindaw my aduocate would by no meanes take any fee of me and the Iudge gaue mee right with great expedition In criminall offences they neuer haue any pardons from Court which are common in forraigne Kingdomes but the punishment is knowne by the fact so the malefactor be apprehended For all hope of safety is in flight yet I deny not that fauour is often done in the pursute For since onely the Serieants can apprehend there is no place where more malefactors escape by flight In the Citie of Lubeck most honoured for Iustice the common report was that the very Iudges and Senators had lately wincked at a Gentlemans breaking of prison and flight with his keeper whom being imprisoned for a murther they could neither execute without greatly offending the King of Denmark nor otherwise set free without scandall of Iustice. A man suspected of any crime or accused by one witnesse is drawne to torture yet is neuer condemned vpon any probability till himselfe confesse the fact which confession is easily extorted because most men had rather dye then indure torment So as many times innocent men haue been after knowne to haue perished by their owne confessions as with vs sometimes innocent men haue been knowne to dye being found guilty by a Iurie of twelue sworne men And because it cannot be that the iudgements of men should not often erre hence it is that the Ciuill Lawyers haue a strange yet good saying that a mischiefe is better then an inconueniency namely that it is better one innocent man should dye by triall then many nocent persons should escape for want of triall In Germany not onely men but women also being accused are put to torture And for diuers great crimes the Law iudgeth them to death with exquisite torments And because they can hardly bee indured with Christian patience lest the condemned should fall into despaire the very Preachers when they haue heard their confessions and setled their mindes in true faith by rare example of too great charitie permit and aduise that they be made drunken to stupifie their sences so as thus armed they come forth with more bold then holy mindes and lookes and seeme not to feele vnsufferable torments of death Neare Lindaw I did see a malefactor hanging in Iron chaines on the gallowes with a Mastiue Dogge hanging on each side by the heeles so as being starued they might eate the flesh of the malefactor before himselfe died by famine And at Franckford I did see the like spectacle of a Iew hanged aliue in chaines after the same manner The condemned in Germany lose not their goods but onely in case of Treason against their absolute Lords But in Bohemia the goods of the condemned fall to the Emperour as he is King of Bohemia in the Territories belonging to the King and to the Princes and Gentlemen in the Territories whereof they are absolute Lords as they are all in their owne lands In Germany Courtiers and Students of Vniuersities
them be they neuer so secretly hidden In the Prouince of Morauia incorporated to Bohemia I haue formerly said that the Gentlemen haue like priuiledges and absolute power ouer their subiects being all born slaues And in Germany that the Marquis of Anspach hath like born slaues And I shall in due place shew that in Denmark and Poland the people are meere slaues so as the Gentlemen and Lords recken not their estates by yearly rents but by the number of their Bawren or clownes who are all slaues In Bohemia the goods of condemned persons fall to the Lord of the fee. Among the Barons the Baron of Rosenburg was cheefe who for life was chosen Viceroy and dwelt vpon the confines of Austria being said to haue the yearly rents of eighty thousand Dollers but in respect he had no Sonne to succeede him he was lesse esteemed especially himselfe being decrepite and his brother also old and without probable hope of issue The second family of the Barons was that of the Popels hauing many branches and plenty of heires One of them was at that time in great grace with the Emperor Rodulphus And the whole family for the issue was much estemed of the people and States of the Kingdome In Bohemia as in Poland Gentlemen cannot be iudged but at fower meetings in the yeare and then are tried by Gentlemen so as the accusers being wearied with delaies the offenders are commonly freed but men of inferior condition are daily iudged and suddenly tried The Bohemians giue greater titles to Gentlemen by writing and in saluting then the Germans where notwithstanding as appeares in the due place there is great and vndecent flattery by words among all degrees I did not obserue or reade that the Bohemians haue any military or ciuill order or degree of Knightes as the English haue The Hussites hauing changed nothing in religion saue onely the communicating of the Lords Supper in both kinds with some other small matters yet I did not heare that they haue any Bishops and I am sure that the Bishopricke of Prage had then been long void They and all of the reformed Religion in Bohemia send their Ministers to Wittenberg an Vniuersity in Saxony for receiuing of Orders with imposition of hands from the Lutheran Superintendant and the Ministers of that place CHAP. IIII. Of the particular Common-wealths as well of the Princes of Germany as of the Free Cities such of both as haue absolute power of life and death IT remaineth to adde something of priuat Princes Courts and the Gouernement of the free Cities And since I haue formerly said that these Princes and Cities hauing absolute power of life and death are many in number and that according to the number of the Princes the places also where taxes and impositions are exacted are no lesse frequent as well for subiects as strangers passing by both for persons and for wares And that they who deceiue the Prince in any such kind neuer escape vnpunished Now to auoid tediousnesse I will onely mention the chiefe Princes and Cities by which coniecture may be made of the rest and this I will doe briefely without any repetition of things formerly set downe Touching the Electors I haue formerly related the principall lawes of the golden Bulla The Duke of Saxony is one of these Electors many waies powerfull and he deriues his pedegree from Witikind a famous Duke of the Germans in the time of the Emperour Charles the Great who forced him to lay aside the name of King permitting him the title of a Duke and to become Christian in the yeere 805. Witikynd the second Deitgrenius Frederike Fredericke inuested Marquis of Misen by the Emperour Henrie the first he died in the yeere 925. Bruno Dittimare Christian inuested Marquis of Lusatia by the Emperor Otho the first Theodorike died in the yeere 1034. Henrie Marquis of Misen and Lusatia died in the yeere 1106. Timo. Conrade the Great died in the yeere 1150. Otho the Rich built Friburg where hee had found Mines of Siluer and died in the yeere 1189. Theodorike was poisoned by the Citizens of Leipzig in the yeere 1220. Henrie by right of inheritance became Langraue of Thuring and died 6287. In right line from Henrie discends Fredericke who chosen Emperour yeelded the Empire to his Competitor the Emperour Charles the fourth taking mony for giuing vp his right and he died in the yeere 1349. In right line is Fredericke the Warlike who ouercame the Bohemians rebelling against the Emperour receiued the Scholers of Prage to study at Leipzig restrained the title of Dukes of Saxony to Families which after the Emperours of Saxonie had been confusedly vsurped and lastly appropriated the title of Elector to his Family He died in the yeere 1423. Fredericke the Gentle died in the yeere 1464. Ernestus the Elector died in the yeere 1486. The Elector Frederike the Wise who put the Empire from himself chose Charles the fifth Hee did found the Vniuersitie at Wittenberg and died 1525. Iohn Elector exhibited the eformed Confession at Augsburg and died 1533. Iohn Frederike for the Reformed Religion deposed from the Electorship by the Emperour Charles the fifth He married Sibill daughter to the Duke of Iuliar and died 1554 Iohn Frederike proscribed by the Empire and prosecuted by Augustus Elector of Saxonie in the Emperours name was taken prisoner by him at the taking and razing of Gotha Iohn Casimire borne of his fathers second wife Elizabeth daughter to Frederike Elector Palatine He was borne 1564 and married Anna daughter to Augustus Elector of Saxonie Iohn Ernest then vnmarried borne in the yeere 1566. These Dukes of Saxony then liuing were called the Dukes of Coburg Iohn William serued the King of France in those Ciuill warres and died 1573. Will. Frederik borne of another daughter to Frederike Elector Palatine 1562 he buried the daughter to the Duke of Wirtenberg and married the daughter of Philip Lodowick Prince Palatine 1591. He was Tutor to the sonnes of Christian Elector preferred to the Duke of Coburg because his father was proscribed and neuer restored Iohn borne 1570 then vnmarried This Duke of Saxonie was called the D. of Wyneberg The last Elector of this branch Albert the Stout Duke of Saxonie died in the yeere 1500. George of Leipzig called the Popish was Duke of Saxonie and died in the yeare 1539. Henrie Duke of Saxonie made Gouernour of Friesland by his father was there in danger to be put to death had not his father come to deliuer him he died in the yeere 1541. The first Elector of this branch Mauritius made Elector by the Emperor Charles the 5 was borne 1521 died 1553. Augustus Elector maried Anne daughter to the K. of Denmarke and died 1586 Eight Boyes and three Girles died Christian the Elector married the daughter to the Elector of Brandeburg and died 1591. Three young daughters Christian the second Elector but then a Pupill borne 1583 the fiue and twentieth of September at three of
haue forgotten were in speciall grace with him for the Princes of Germany admit no Phisitions nor Diuines to their Counsell as hauing care of the body and soule not of the worldly estate Neither doth any young Princes keep their Fathers Counsellors but such as serued them in their fathers life time Mysen Voitland and part of Thuring Prouinces subiect to the Elector haue firtill fieldes frequent Cities many Castles proper to the Elector innumerable Villages and neare Friburg rich Mines of Siluer as I haue shewed in the first volume or part where I treate of my iourney through these parts But howsoeuer these Prouinces excell in these things yet because they are of no great circuit the Elector is not so powerfull in the number of vassals as in yeerely reuenewes So as at a publike meeting he had no more then some two thousand vassalls when the Elector of Brandeburg had eight thousand who notwithstanding is farre inferiour to him in treasure and warlike power He then fortified the City of Dresden as a Fort and so strongly as it was thought inpregnable by force and all the Citizens were bound to haue Corne and all necessaries for the food of their families for sixe moneths alwaies laid vp in store And in time of that secure peace yet the walles were furnished with Artillery as if an Army had line before the Citie And in times of Diuine seruice the streetes were chained and guards of souldiers were set in the Market place and other parts of the City so as nothing could bee added in time of the greatest warre The Elector had in the Citie three hundreth Garrison souldiers whereof those that were Citizens had three Guldens and the old souldiers sixe Guldens by the moneth The Captaine had the pay for eight and the Lieutenant for two horses each horse at twelue Guldens by the moneth The Ensigne had sixteene Guldens by the moneth foure Corporals or Campe-Masters had each ten Guldens the Scout-Master ten Guldens and the quarter-Master eight Guldens He gaue honourable stipends to foure great Captaines who liued at home but were bound to serue him when he should cal them His Court was no lesse magnificall wherein he had three Dukes for his Pensioners namely Christian Prince of Anhalt Iohn D. of Winbrooke both yonger brothers and the Duke of Desh whose Dukedome lies vpon the confines of Hungary And to each of these he gaue the pay of twenty Horse each Horse at twelue Guldens the moneth He had also in his Court three Earles Bastian Stick a Bohemian Phillip Count of Hollock and one of the Counts of Mansfeild and to each of them hee gaue the like pay for twelue Horses He had also in his Court fiue Barrons namely two Cousens Barrons of Zantzke in Bohemia the Barron of Ausse the Barron of Shinck and the Barron of Done and to the fower first he gaue like pay for ten and to the last for twelue Horses He had in his Court twenty young Gentlemen who carried his Launce and Helmet vulgarly called Spissyongen Youths of the Speare to whom he gaue yeerely coates of Veluet and all necessaries and to each of them he gaue a chaine of gold to weare Hee had twelue Gentlemen of his chamber and to each of them he gaue a chaine of gold his diet in Court and like pay for ten horses He had sixteene youths of his Chamber and to sixe of the eldest yet not bearing Armes he gaue each like pay for two Horses and the other ten he maintained with all necessaries He had fiftie Pensioners to waite at his table vulgarly called Drnckses and these did ride before him and to each of them he gaue his diet in the Court and like pay for three horses He had twelue Sexhsruss and to each of them he gaue like pay for sixe horses He had fifty Audlepursen so called of a short piece they carried in English we call them Calbiners and to each of them he gaue the pay of one Horse apparrell twice in the yeere and two hundred Goldens yeerely stipend These as all other degrees had their Captaines and Liefetenants and each third night by turnes they did watch at the doore of the Electors Chamber hauing no diet in Court but onely the night of their watch both liuing otherwise and lying in the City He had fifty Einspauners with a Captaine and Liefetenant who did ride as Scouts farre before the Elector and looked to the safety of the wayes each of which had pay for one Horse He had sixteene Trumpeters whereof three did ride alwaies with the Elector and two Drummes beating a Drumme of brasse vulgarly called Kettell Drummern and each riding had sixteene Guldens by the moneth out of which they kept each Man his Horse and each staying at home had ten Guldens monethly stipend and all of them at solemne Feasts were apparrelled by the Elector Hee had of his Guard one hundred vulgarly called Trabantoes whereof the Gentlemen had eight the rest sixe guldens monethly and rhe Gentlemen kept watch at the doore of the Electors Chamber carrying Holbeards and the rest kept watch at the gates of the Court armed with Muskets and yeerely they were apparrelled He had three Chaplaines whereof one was alwaies to be at the side of the Elector He had sixteene Singingmen whereof ten being Men had each of them 400 Dollers stipend six being boyes had some 100 dollers for maintenance He had 18 Musicians of diuers Nations whereof each had some 140 dollers yeerely stipend He had two Tumblers or Vaulters one an English man the other an Italian with the like or somewhat greater stipend He had eight French and two Dutch Lacqueis to runne by his stirrop or the side of his Coach whereof each had some 100 Dollers stipend apparrell besides extraordinary gifts The Dukes Stable may not be omitted being more magnificall then any I did euer see in the World whereof I haue at large spoken in the first Part writing of my iourney through Dresden for therein I did see one hundred thirty sixe forraigne Horses of the brauest races besides two hundred Horses kept in other Stables for drawing of Coaches and like vses and in this cheefe Stable a boy and a man were kept to attend each horse the men hauing for diet thirty grosh weekely the boyes twenty foure grosh that is a Doller and the men for yeerely wages had also sixteen dollers besides apparrell twice in the yeere and boots both to Men and Boyes It cannot bee expressed at least this is not the fit place to write how sumptuously and curiously all things were prepared for the Horses and their Keepets A Gentleman of speciall account was ouerseet of this Stable and had a great stipend for his care thereof He had eight Leibknechten that is Seruants for the body who did leade the Horses for the Electors saddle whereof each had the monethly pay for two Horses and three hundred Guldens yeerely stipend He had foure Riders whereof each had
captiues At Friburg they haue a Court of Iustice called the Cities Court which iudgeth the citizens causes takes the examination of captiues and puts the accused to the racke or torment but after referres all to the Senate They haue another Court of Iustice for the countrey wherein the causes of subiects dwelling out of the city are determined In both Courts are two of the lesser Senate and eight Iudges of the greater Senate chosen for three yeeres and they meete thrice euery weeke and appeale is admitted from them to the lesser Senate Also twelue Iudges chosen out of both the Senates determine the appeales of the prefectures or gouernements meeting once euery moneth for that purpose and from them there is no appeale The Gouernours are chosen by both the Senates and hold that Office for fiue yeeres but giue accompt yeerely before the lesser Senate and they iudge capitall crimes in their gouernements but the Senate hath power to change mittigate or approue their sentence as they Iudge meete In the third place it remaines to speake of the third forme of gouernement in the three Cities distributed into tribes or companies namely Zurech Bazill Schafbusen wherein the state is diuided into two Orders of the noble and plebean They haue a peculiar society of those called noble which is vulgarly called Eingeselschafft and at Zurech Etn Constaffell but Bazill for the great number of them had two societies which had the chiefe authority the Consull being chosen of one and the tribune next in dignity chosen of the other till the nobility was remoued from gouernement or rather freely gaue it ouer For these Gentlemen first ioined with the House of Austria and were after banished with them till the yeere 1501 a perpetuall league was made with the House of Austria and the Gentlemen returned from banishment but hating the common people left the City to dwell in their Castles whereupon their authority was much diminished and that which remained they vtterly lost in the yeere 1529 when they left the City and opposed themselues to the reformation of religion decreed by the Senate yet the said two societies in name and their publike houses of the societies and the priuate houses in their possession remaine to them at this day but none of the Gentlemen are chosen into the Senate being excluded by the common consent of the Citizens from the gouernement of the Commonwealth which they willingly for sook so as the gentlemen haue really no peculiar society only some few of them dwelling continually in the City are numbered in the foure chiefe Tribes or companies of the Citizens and in them are chosen into the Senate as Citizens and these foure companies are called the companies of the Lords or Gentlemen At Zurech they haue a peculiar society of Gentlemen which hath this priuiledge that halfe as many more are chosen into the Senate out of it as out of any other tribe And in this very society of Gentlemen there is difference among themselues for the old Families haue a peculiar society and a priuate stoaue wherein they onely meete and many Citizens are ioined to the whole society who neither exercise any art nor trade of Merchandize and because Porters and the baser sort must be numbered in some tribe or company all these for occasions of warre are numbered in this society of the Gentlemen called Constaffel and vnder the same they serue in the warres yea and giue their voices in the choice of the Master of the society who is one of the Senate Also at Schafhusen the Gentlemen haue a peculiar society but in all these Cities the people is diuided into tribes or companies vulgarly called Zunft whereas the Gentlemens society is called Geselschafft or Constaffell At Basii there be 15 Tribes whereof 4 are called the tribes of the Lords or Gentlemen namely of the Merchants of the Goldsmiths of the Vintners of the Apoticaries and Silkemen the most populous of all other and the other eleuen are Plebean Tribes of all kinds of Artisans Zurech hath twelue Tribes for the Weauers of wollen cloth being few are numbred among the Dyers Schafhusen hath but eleuen Tribes wherein sometimes Artisans of diuers Arts are ioyned in one Tribe but each Art hath his peculiar Hall and these are called the diuided Tribes and they meete in their peculiar Halles when they consult of any thing concerning their priuate Art but they meete in the common Hall of the Tribe for causes touching the Common-wealth as the choise of Senators or Masters of each Tribe In the said Cities are two Counsels the greater when many meete in the name of the people to consult of weighty causes belonging to the Commonwealth and the lesser which daily sits in iudgement At Zurech the greater Counsell or Senate is of 200 men and the lesser of 50. At Basil the greater is of 244 the lesser of 64. At Schafhusen the greater is of 86 the lesser of 26 Senators To these ad two Consuls the Heads or Presidents of publike Counsels in each of these Cities And this is common to al these Cities that each Tribe hath two Masters chosen for half or a whole yeere which time ended others succeede in that place yet commonly he that was Master the last halfe yeere is chosen againe except there be some impediment The lesser Senate is diuided into new and old and that is called the old whereof the Senators haue serued halfe a yeere and these are not alwaies called to the meetings for some businesse only belongs to the new Senate At Zurech the two Senates are changed each halfe yeere and the old Senate at the halfe yeeres end chuseth the new But at Basil and Schafhusen they remaine in Office a whole yeere And the Masters of the Tribes are chosen by their owne Tribes and confirmed by the greater Senate but they are confirmed by the old Senate at Basil. The voices are openly taken at Zurech but secretly at Schafhusen for certaine men are set ouer the elections in whose eares they giue their Voyces softly whispering The lesser Counsell or Senate meetes commonly thrice or foure times each weeke The Consull is President of both Senates and is chosen by the greater Senate for halfe a yeere and in some places for a yeere The Tribunes are ioyned with the Consuls for Heads and Presidents of the Senates and at Basil nine other are ioyned to them who make the Counsell of thirteene to whom the more weighty affaires are referred to consider of them before they be propounded to the whole Senate Zurech hath a peculiar Counsell which may be called the Exchequer Court consisting of eight men chosen foure out of each Senate and to them all Exchequer accounts are referred Two Clerkes or Secretaries are present at publike Counsels with assistants ioyned to them if neede require and the Office of these Secretaries especially of the chiefe is honourable and gainefull and not easily conferred on any but a Patritian because they
Constable so called of Conine and stapel as the stay and vpholding of the King who hath the highest command in the warres and the Admirall so called of a Greeke word who hath the chiefe command in Nauall affaires Then two Marshals so called as skilfull in horsmanship for the old Dutch called an Horse-mar and now a mare is by them called meri and schalc signifies cunning Also the Steward of the house And the militarie titles still remaine hereditary to diuers families but the exercise of the Office is taken from them Other Gentlemen of this third ranck are by inheritance Officers to ouersee the Reuenues and to take accounts such are the Treasurers and receiuers for the Princes Rents for perpetuall Tributes of land and these honours still remaine to certaine Families though these Rents are now brought in ready money into the Exchequer Other Gentlemen of this third ranck haue Offices in Court as the Master of the houshold Chamberlaine Cup-bearer which offices are proper by inheritance to certaine Families but the Master of the game as well for hunting as hawking and the Water-Graues ouerseeing Lakes and Riuers for Swannes fishing and other like things are offices giuen at the Princes pleasure and not proper to any Familie The fourth rancke of Gentlemen is of those who are adorned with the Knightly girdle and they are called guilded Knights of their golden spurres and other ornaments which honour the Princes giue for great seruices creating them with laying a drawne sword on their left shoulder and with certaine solemnity of words those who haue this title be they neuer so meane are made Gentlemen with their posteritie and if they be Gentlemen yet it addes dignities to them And because I haue made this mention of Knights giue mee leaue to adde a word of the Knightly order of the Golden Fleece instituted by the Duke of Burgundy Phillip the Good in the yeere 1429 vpon the very day of his mariage with Elizabeth of Portugall in imitation of Gedions Fleece and of the Golden Fleece fetcht by the Argonauts of Greece He receiued into this Order Gentlemen vnblameable for life and valour in Armes whereof the Prince and his successours are the Head or chiefe President and hee gaue each of them a Scarlet gowne of woollen cloth which his son Charles changed into a red Veluet Gowne and a gold chaine with his fathers Emblem of a steele striking fire out of a flint vpon which chaine hangs the Golden Fleece and vpon the death of any Knight this badge is sent backe to be bestowed vpon some other Gentleman of merit At first the number of these Knights with the Prince their head was twenty fiue but within fiue yeeres they were increased to thirty fiue And the Emperour Charles the fifth in the yeere 1516 made the number fifty one At the first institution this order had foure Officers a Chancelor a Treasurer a King at Armes and a Secretary and in the Court of this Order the vnlawfull flying of any Knight out of the field and all other crimes and the dissentions among them are iudged without appeale The feast of the Order hath been kept in diuers places according to the Princes pleasure but the Armes of the Knights are set vp in the Chancell of the chiefe Church at Bruges where the feast thereof was kept at the first institution In generall Flaunders hath a great number of Lords and Gentlemen as likewise the Dukedome of Luxenburg and adioyning Prouinces and they exercise themselues in feeding of Cattle and tillage but iudging ignoble all trade of Merchants and profession of manuall arts They haue no immunities as in Artois Henault and all France but beare the same burthen of tributes with the people to keepe them from sedition while the Gentlemen hated by them beare the same burthen as they doe Hauing spoken of the two States of the Clergy and Gentlemen it remaines to adde something of the third State namely the foure members which haue the place of the common people in other Kingdomes and they are Ghant Bruges Ypre and Terra Franca that is the Free land which foure Territories haue the chiefe or rather all authoritie in Flaunders Each of these members is exempted from all confiscation of goods by old priuiledge confirmed by the Emperour Charles the fifth in the yeere 1549. Other Cities howsoeuer they haue their Magistrates Lawes and Reuenewes to themselues yet in the common Counsell or Parliament for imposing tributes or leauying of souldiers they follow the foure members and all Flaunders is bound to their Decree in this generall meeting of the States the Clergie Gentlemen Lords and Burgesses of other Cities consulting with the foure members but they challenging all authoritie to decree and solely representing the whole bodie of Flaunders in the generall meetings of all Netherland Iohn Duke of Burgundie remoued from Lile to Ghant the Senate called the Counsell of Flaunders and giuing the Law to all Flaunders Bruges a most pleasant Citie is the second member hauing this priuiledge aboue all other Cities that hee who is free of the same by birth gift buying or marriage is freed from all confiscation of any goods wheresoeuer found no crime or case excepted whereas the priuiledges of other Cities alwaies except violence offered to the persons of the Prince his Wife and Children Also Bruges hath a stately Mint-house with priuiledge to coyne money Ypre is the third member which City I passe ouer for feare to be tedious The fourth member is Terra Franca added to the rest being but three at the first institution by Phillip the Good in the yeere 1437 with intent to bridle the power of Bruges which Citie then much repined at the same and neuer ceased to raise tumults till Marie wife to the Emperour Maximilian abolished this fourth member which Charles the fifth their Grand-child shortly after restored to that dignitie Among the Magistrates some of them doe properly belong to the Princes affaires namely the Legall Chamber consisting of the Princes Counsellers and being as it were the head of other Courts the meeting and number whereof is at the Princes pleasure but commonly the meeting is at Ghant and they consult of waighty affaires which since haue beene referred to the Princes Priuy Counsell or to the counsell of Flaunders seated at Ghant And to the same are referred all controuersies touching fees and appeales from feodnary Courts which are iudged without appeall in the presence of the Earle or his Baily there being a chaire cushion and Sword of estate Also the chamber Hastredeninga that is the supreme court of accounts cōsisting of hereditary treasurers yeerly meeting at Lile for three daies who iudge without appeale all things touching Receiuers with personall and reall actions belonging to the Princes patrimony and giue oathes to new Treasurers and Feo daries The third court of accounts established at Lile consists of a President foure Masters fiue helpers and two clarkes It examines the accompts of reuenues
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
reuenge and rapine it was taken from them Vpon the rumour of any crime committed these men with their seruants armed are sent out into the country to apprehend the malefactors It was credibly told me that the Emperor Charles the fifth hauing suddenly commanded a man to be hanged who after by an others confession of the fact was found guiltle vpon this error made a decrec that no hangman should euer liue at the Hage or neerer the court then Harlam to the end he being not at hand the Magistrate might lesse offend in deliberate or protracted iudgments For as in vpper Germany so in Netherland there is litle or no distance of time betweene the offence committed and the execution of iudgment whereas in England these iudgments are excercised at London once in six weeks for the Country at two or foure set times in the yeere No man is put to death without confession of the fact neither doe they as in Germany force confession by torture but they condemne vpon one witnes where probable coniectures concur to proue the malefactor guilty I thinke sauing the iudgment of the better experienced in these affaires that the military discipline of the States Army is very commendable For since those common-wealthes are most happy where rewardes and punishments are most iustly giuen surely the States neither detaine nor delay the paiments due to the soldiers nor leaue vnpunished their insolencies nor yet their wanton iniuries either towardes the subiects or the Enemy yeelding vpon conditions In the camp all things for food are free from all impositions so as a man may there liue more plentifully or more frugally then in any of their Cities And besides the soldiers pay duly giuen them all sick wounded persons are sent to their Hospitals vulgarly called Gaslhausen that is houses for Guests where all things for health food and clenlines of the body are phisically plentifully and neately ministred to them of which kinde of houses fairely stately built they haue one in each City Also when they are recouered of theire sicknesses and wounds they are presently sent backe to the Campe or their winter Garrisons They who are maimed in the warres and made thereby vnfit for seruice haue from them a Pension for life or the value of the Pension in ready mony On the other side they so punish the breakers of martiall discipline as when bandes of Soldiers are conducted to any seruice or Garrison through the middest of their Cities or Villages not one of them is so hardy as to leaue his rancke to doe the least wrong to any passenger or to take so much as a chicken or crust of bread from the Subiects by force And while my selfe was in those parts I remember that vpon the giuing vp of a Castle into the States hands after Proclamation made that no Souldier should doe the least iniury to any of those who had yeelded the same a souldier wantonly taking one of their hats away or changing his hat with one of them was presently hanged vp for this small insolency For warre by land they haue no great power I speake particularly of the vnited Prouinces not of Netherland in generall which we reade to haue of old raised an army of eighty thousand men For since the subiects cannot be pressed to the warre but when their owne City or Towne is besieged and in that case their Magistrate going before them and leading them to the wals and since the number of them is very small who willingly follow that profession hereupon almost all their army consisted of strangers and long experience hath concluded mercenary Souldiers to be vnfit for great Conquests So as wise men thinke for this reason that the Common wealth of the States is more fit by due obseruing of their leagues and amity with confederates and neighbours to defend their owne then ambitiously to extend their Empire by inuading others They haue heauy Friesland Horses more fit to endure the Enemy charging then to pursue him flying I speake not of Flanders and the other Prouinces yeelding good light Horses but all the waies and passages being fenced in with ditches of water they haue at home lesse vse of Horse which makes them commonly sell these Horses in forraigne parts vsing onely Mares to draw their Waggons and for other seruices of peace which Mares are very beautifull and good The Inhabitants of these Prouinces by nature education and art are most fit for Nauigation as in the exercise of all Arts they are no lesse witty then industrious so particularly they haue great skill in casting great Ordinance in making gunpowder cables ankers and in building ships of all which things and whatsoeuer is necessary to naualll warre they haue great abundance the matter being bought in forraigne parts but wrought by their owne men at home So as they are most powerfull at Sea neither hath any King a Nauy superior or equall to theirs excepting onely the King of England And for coniecture of their generall power at Sea I will be bold to adde what I haue credibly heard That one City of Amsterdam at this time had some hundred shippes for the warre or men of warre and some foure hundred ships of Merchants well armed for defence besides as they said some ten thousand Barkes or without all doubt an vncredible number Therefore if perhaps the vnited Prouinces forgetting their old league with England and our late merit in defending their liberty shall at any time resolue to haue warre with England which for the good of both Nations God forbid then are such bloody fights at Sea like to happen as former Ages neuer knew Yet the course of those times whereof I write gaue small probability of any such euent like to happen for many reasons combining our minds together First the happy amity that hath beene time out of mind betweene our Nations Next the bond of loue on our part towards those wee haue preserued from bondage and the like bond of their thankefulnesse towards vs which howsoeuer ambition may neglect or despise yet neuer any Nation was more obliged to another in that kind and so long as the memory thereof can liue it must needs quench all malice betweene vs. Besides that they being not able to raise an Army of their owne men by Land aswell for want of men as because it must consist altogether of voluntaries no man being bound to serue in the warre except his Towne be besieged and his owne Magistrate leade him to the walles they haue hitherto happily vsed and may euer so vse our men for souldiers wherein Britany aboundeth aboue all other Nations neither doe they by much so esteeme the auxiliary bands of any other Nation as of ours Lastly in that they wanting many necessaries of their owne and yet abounding in all things by trafficke cannot long subsist without the freedome thereof and nothing is so powerfull to diminish their wealth and to raise ciuill discords among
the difference of the clyme aire and diet This the Spaniard wittily obserued who hauing got the French Pox sayled into America and did there learne the cure of that disease from those who first infected the Spaniards therewith We praise Physicians especially for experience as Lawyers for diligence desiring to haue an old Physician and a young Lawyer to giue vs counsell and follow our businesse but experience is of seuerall things dispersed through the vniuersall World It is written that of old the AEgyptians had seuerall Physicians for each seuerall disease who would not haue returned more learned from their Lectures Also they laid vp approued remedies of diseases in the Temples of Isis and Vulcane What Scholler then returning from AEgypt should not haue gained great reputation to his skill and we know that opinion many times auaileth with the sicke euen more then the medicine In this sort ambitious men of old by the onely opinion of their experience by seeing the world did obtaine to be numbered among the Gods Iupiter of Creta in Italy Bacchus in the furthest East Hercules in the most remote parts of Africke towards the West planted monuments of their trauels The voyage of the Argonautes the wanderings of Vlisses and AEneas are sung by all Ballad-sellers Alexander the Great passed the monument of Bacchus in the East It were infinite onely to name the Roman Emperours who excelled in this industry For as the Wiseman said that he was a Citizen of the World so the Romans by giuing remote Princes the priuiledge to be Citizens of Rome and by sending Roman Citizens in Colonies to inhabit remote places vsed the whole World for a City neither did they euer admit any to the highest dignities in the City of Rome nor yet to the inferiour Magistrates thereof who had not first borne rule or Office in some remote Prouince One Iulius Caesar came saw and ouercame with his Army among the Cimbrians Germans Spaniards Britans Grecians Africans and those of Asia The very Westerne Emperours of later times haue been enflamed with the same desire Charles the Great made happy warre beyond the Pyrenean mountaines against the Sarrasens beyond the Alpes against the Lombards and in Germany against the Saxons Who hath not heard of the European Princes like so many Floods carrying Armies into the East To omit all other for I desire to be briefe Charles the fifth inferiour to none of his Predecessours and emulous of Hercules himselfe passed his pillars at the furthest straight of the Mediteranean Sea and added to his Armes the Mot of Hercules Non plus vlira No farther beyond this onely leauing out the first word Non because he had passed the limits of Hercules as Alexander the Great had done those of Bacchus Whereby notwithstanding some thinke that he did rather blemish then increase the fame of his trauels since that part of Africke was so neere adioyning to his Kingdomes of Spaine but in the meane time they forget that he was borne at Gaunt in Flaunders Methinkes I haue said enough and too much in so cleere a cause therefore I will onely adde some choyce examples of the holy Scriptures and so conclude Abraham left his Countrey at Gods command and went to the Land of Promise called also the Land of Pilgrimage Iacob serued for his wiues in Mesopotamia and in his old age passed into AEgypt The Israelites were brought by large circuit from the seruitude of AEgypt into the Land of Promise that the protection of God might by aduersity be more imprinted in their minds and they be more stirred vp to keepe the Lawes of so gracious a God The example of a woman the Queen of Sheba is famous who came to Ierusalem to be an eye and eare witnesse of Salomons wisdome To be briefe Christ himselfe liued in the flesh as a Pilgrim choosing no set place of aboad when he was in the Cradle three Wisemen came from the East to worship him and himselfe being an Infant was carried into Egypt to shunne Herods tyranny He commanded his Apostles to preach the Gospell throughout the World Among the Fathers Saint Augustine wished to haue seene three things Christ in the flesh Paul in the Pulpit and Rome in the flower In our Age the Turkes and Papists so madly affect Pilgrimages as they superstitiously thinke the same auaileable to the saluation of their soules with which extreame least I should seeme to know no meane I wil conclude these examples For my part I thinke variety to be the most pleasing thing in the World and the best life to be neither contemplatiue alone nor actiue altogether but mixed of both God would haue made eternall spring had he not knowne that the diuers-seasons would be not onely most profitable to the workes of nature but also most plesant to his creatures while the cold Winter makes the temperate Spring more wished Such is the delight of visiting forraigne Countreys charming all our sences with most sweet variety They seeme to me most vnhappy and no better then Prisoners who from the cradle to old age still behold the same wals faces orchards pastures and obiects of the eye and still heare the same voices and sounds beate in their eares Not the song of the Cuckow nor the craking of the Crowes nor the howling of Wolues nor the bellowing of Oxen nor the bleying of Sheepe no nor the sweet voyces of Larkes and Nightingales if they be shut vp in a Cage doe so much please vs at home as the variety of all composed of diuers tunes delights vs in the fields abroad In like sort it is manifest that all the other sences are not so much pleased with any thing as variety They are in some measure happy who hauing but one house yet haue change of chambers to remoue as the season of the yeere changeth but I iudge Lawyers and Officers more happy who haue their Termes to liue in the City and their Vacations to returne into the Countrey so often as it were renewing their marriage dayes And of all I iudge the Nomades most happy the comparison holding in other things who liue in Tents and so by remouing not onely escape the heat of Summer the cold of Winter the want of pastures all diseases and all vnpleasing things but at their pleasure enioy all commodities of all places Let vs imitate the Storkes Swallowes and Cranes which like the Nomades yeerely fetch their circuits and follow the Sunne without suffering any distemper of the seasons The fixed Starres haue not such power ouer inferiour bodies as the wandring Planets Running water is sweet but standing pooles stinke Take away Idlenes and the bate of all vice is taken away Men were created to moue as birds to flie what they learne by nature that reason ioined to nature teacheth vs. Nothing can be added to the worthy praises of him as the Poet suith Qui Mores hominum multorum vidit vrbes Who many Mens manners hath seene And hath in many
Cities beene In one word I will say what can be said vpon this subiect Euery soyle is to a valiant man his owne Countrey as the Sea to the Fishes We are Citizens of the whole World yea not of this World but of that to come All our life is a Pilgrimage God for his onely begotten Sonnes sake the true Mercury of Trauellers bring vs that are here strangers safely into our true Countrey CHAP. II. Of Precepts for Trauellers which may instruct the vnexperienced I Will follow my purpose and giue precepts not to expert men as Phormio did to Hanniball in military affaires but onely to the vnexperienced and that not curiously as if I would prescribe them euery step they should goe but such as may whet the wits and memories of other men well knowing that many things may be added which are slipped out of my memory and which others may daily find out 1 In the first place as euery man in any course of life so most of all a Traueller who is subiect to many dangers must by his daily prayers sollicite God for his gracious protection All our actions must take beginning from God the fountaine of all good if we desire with the Israelites to haue Gods Cloud and pillar of fier protect vs in our iournies and aboads Let him daily commend himselfe to Gods protection and euen in his iourneys daily at morning and euening not while he siumbers in his bed but in priuate withdrawne from company either kneeling as before his father or standing as before his Master and Lord make his prayers though neuer so short to his almighty and most mercifull God And let no man take this for a needlesse precept for I freely professe that when I was most deuout in this kind I found my selfe hedged about with the good Angell as on the contrary when I neglected the same I often obserued by some manifest accident that I was left to errour and danger 2 Let each Traueller forecast with himselfe his owne purposes and ends For they which are vnskilfull in the Arts of painting caruing and building can neuer worthily praise nor well imitate the rare workes they shall see of these kinds Experience teatheth that no action is wisely vndertaken whereof the end is not forecast in the first place howsoeuer it be last put in execution but since it were infinit to apply my precepts to the seuerall ends of seuerall men and no more possible then for a Physician to cure the Patient not knowing the causes and the progresse of his sickenesse I professe to write especially in this place to the Humanist I meane him that affects the knowledge of State affaires Histories Cosmography and the like and out of that I write let other men apply to their vse what they iudge fit for them And if the Humanist iudge many things I shall write lesse necessary for him let him know that as an Orator and Poet must haue some skill in all Sciences so the Humanist must haue some knowledge of all things which fall into practice and discourse 3 Let a Traueller obserue the vnderwritten things of them some curiously some slightly as he shall iudge them fit for his purpose He shall obserue the fruitfulnes of each Countrey and the things wherewith it aboundeth as the Mines of mettals and precious stones the chiefe lawes and customes of the workers in those Mines also Batches and the qualitie of the water with the diseases for the curing whereof it is most proper the names springs and courses of Riuers the pleasant Fountaines the aboundance or rarity of Pastures Groues Wood Corne and Fruits the rare and precious Plants the rare and proper Beasts the prices of necessary things and what he daily spends in his diet and horsemeat and in hiring Horses or Coaches the soyle of euery dayes iourney the plenty of Fishes or Flesh the kinds of meat or drinke with the sauces and the rarer manners of dressing meates the Countreys expence in apparell with their constancy or ficklenesse in wearing it the races of Horses as the Giannets of Spaine the Coursers of Naples and the heauy Horses of Freesland and how they manage and feed these Horses the scituation of Cities and Prouinces the healthfulnes of the Aire the Chorography the buildings the ritches the magnificence of Citizens their houshold stuffe and in generall all speciall things as Statuaes Colosses Sepulchers with the inscriptions Lybraries with the most rare Bookes Theaters Arches Bridges Forts Armories Treasuries Monasteries Churches publike houses Vniuersities with their Founders reuenewes and disputations To conclude let him visit the most learned men and those that excell in military Art or any vertue and let him conferre with them as his ends require Thus did I visit Beza at Geneua thus did I visit Belarmine at Rome being ready to take Horse and in the habit and person of a Frenchman Thus in my returne did I gladly see Henry the fourth of Burbon King of France famous for the feats of Armes and Wisdome onely Lipsius whom I loued for his Booke of constancy and much desired to see for his vniuersall learning did bereaue me of this hope when I came into the Low-Countreys by his inconstant flight to the Spaniards The Traueller shall further obserue the policy of each State and therein the Courts of each King or Prince with the Courtiers entertainements fees or offices the statures of the Princes their reuenewes the forme of the Common-wealth whether the Prince be a Tyrant or beloued of the people what Forces he hath by Sea or Land the military discipline the manners of the people their vices vertues industry in manuall Arts the constitution of their bodies the History of the Kingdome and since the soule of each man is the man and the soule of the Common-wealth is Religion he shall obserue the disposition of the people whether it be religious superstitious or prophane and the opinions of Religion differing from his and the most rare Ceremonies thereof He shall also obserue the trafficke of Merchants and therein the commodities which they carry out and most want the Hauens and roades for Ships theit skill in nauigation and whether they vse subiects or strangers for their Marriners Lastly the value of the Coynes in each Countrey and the seueral currant peeces and whatsoeuer he shall thinke meet to adde hereunto 4 And because the memory is weake and those who write much are many times like the Clerkes that carry their learning in their Booke not in their braine let him constantly obserue this that whatsoeuer he sees or heares he apply it to his vse and by discourse though forced make it his owne Thus Students of Rhetoricke at first seeking matter for words rather then words for matter at last attaine an easie stile flowing like a still Riuer and lay aside the affectation of words Let nothing worth the knowledge passe his eyes or eares which he draweth not to his owne possession in this sort In the