which by report haue lien there since Noes flood And thus proceeding forward the nineteenth day in the morning I came into a town called Yemps an hundred verstes from Colmogro All this way along they make much tarre pitch and ashes of Aspen trees From thence I came to a place called Vstiug an ancient citie the last day of August At this citie meete two riuers the one called Iug and the other Sucana both which fall into the aforesaid riuer of Dwina The riuer Iug hath his spring in the land of the Tartars called Cheremizzi ioining to the countrey of Permia and Succana hath his head from a lake not farre from the citie of Vologda Thus departing from Vstiug and passing by the riuer Succana we came to a towne called Totma About this place the water is verie shallow and stonie and troublesome for Barkes and boats of that countrey which they call Nassades and Dosneckes to passe that way wherein marchandise are transported from the aforesayd Colmogro to the citie of Vologhda These vessels called Nassades are very long builded broade made and close aboue flatte bottomed and draw not aboue foure foote water and will carrie two hundred tunnes they haue none iron appertaining to them but all of timber and when the winde serueth they are made to sayle Otherwise they haue many men some to hale and drawe by the neckes with long small ropes made fast to the sayd boats and some set with long poles There are many of thâ—se barks vpon the riuer of Dwina And the most part of them belongeth vnto the citie of Vologhda for there dwell many marchants and they occupie the said boates with carying of salte from the sea side vnto the sayd Vologhda The twentieth of September I came vnto Vologhda which is a great citie and the riuer passeth through the midst of the same The houses are builded with wood of Firretrees ioyned one with another and round without the houses are foure square without any iron or stone worke couered with birch barkes and wood ouer the same Their Churches are all of wood two for euery parish one to be heated for Winter and the other for Summer On the toppes of their houses they laye much earth for feare of burning for they are sore plagued with fire This Vologhda is in 59 degrees eleuen minutes and is from Colmogro 1000 verstes All the way I neuer came in house but lodged in the wildernesse by the riuers side and caried prouision for the way And he that will trauell those wayes must carie with him an hatchet a tinder bore and a kettle to make fire and seethe meate when he hath it for there is small succour in those parts vnlesse it be in townes The first day of December I departed from Vologhda in posse in a sled as the maner is in Winter And the way to Moscua is as followeth From Vologhda to Commelski 27 verstes so to Olmor 25 verstes so to Teloytske 20 verstes so to Vre 30 verstes so to Voshansko 30 verstes then to Yeraslaue 30 verstes which standeth vpon the great riuer Volga so to Rostoue 50 verstes then to Rogarin 30 verstes so to Peraslaue 10 verstes which is a great towne standing hard by a faire lake From thence to Dowbnay 30 versâ—es so to Godoroke 30 verstes so to Owchay 30 verstes and last to the Mosco 25 verstes where I arriued the sixt day of December There are 14 postes called Yannes betweene Vologhda and Mosco which are accompted 500 verstes asunder The 10 day of December I was sent for to the Emperors Castle by the sayd Emperour and deliuered my letters vnto the Secretary who talked with me of diuers matters by the commandement of the Emperour And after that my letters were translated I was answered that I was welcome and that the Emperour would giue me that I desired The 25 day being the day of the natiuitie I came into the Emperors presence and kissed his hand who sate aloft in a goodly chaire of estate hauing on his heade a crowne most richly decked and a staffe of gold in his hand all apparelled with golde and garnished with precious stones There sate distant from him about two yardes his brother and next vnto him a boy of twelue yeares of age who was inheritor to y e Emperor of Casan conquered by this Emperor 8 yeares past Then sate his nobilitie round about him richly apparelled with gold and stone And after I had done obeisance to the Emperour he with his own mouth calling me by my name bade me to dinner and so I departed to my lodging till dinner time which was at sixe of the clocke by candle light The Emperour dined in a fayre great hall in the midst whereof was a pillar foure square very artificially made about which were diuers tables set and at the vppermost part of the hall sate the Emperour himselfe at his table sate his brother his Uncles sonne the Metropolitane the young Emperour of Casan and diuers of his noble men all of one side There were diuers Ambassadors other strangers as well Christians as heathens diuersly apparelled to the number of 600 men which dined in the sayd hall besides 2000 Tartars men of warre which were newly come to render themselues to the Emperour were appointed to serue him in his wars against the Lieflanders but they dined in other hals I was set at a litle table hauing no stranger with me directly before the Emperors face Being thus set and placed the Emperour sent me diuers bowles of wine and meade many dishes of meat from his own hand which were brought me by a Duke and my table serued all in gold and siluer and so likewise on other tables there were set bowles of gold set with stone worth by estimation 400 pounds sterling one cup besides the plate which serued the tables There was also a Cupbord of plate most sumptuous and rich which was not vsed among the which was a piece of golde of two yardes long wrought in the toppe with towers and dragons heads also diuers barrels of gold and siluer with Castles on the bungs richly and artificially made The Emperour and all the hall throughout was serued with Dukes and when dinner was ended the Emperour called me by name gaue me drinke with his own hand so I departed to my lodging Note that when the Emperour drinketh all the company stand vp and at euery time he drinketh or tasteth of a dish of meate he blesseth himselfe Many other things I sawe that day not here noted The 4 of Ianuary which was Twelftide with them the Emperour with his brother and all his nobles all most richly apparelled with gold pearles precious stones and costly furres with a crowne vpon his head of the Tartarian fashion went to the Church in procession with the Metropolitan and diuers bishops and priests That day I was before the Emperour again
the streame moreouer we knew not where we were whereupon doubting whither wee were past or short of our port the Master Pilot and other Officers of the shippe entered into counsell what was best to doe wherevpon they agreed to sende the bote on lande againe to seeke some man to speake with all but they returned as wiâ—e as they went Then we set sayle againe and sounded euery mile or halfe mile and found still one depth so we not knowing where we were came againe to an anker seuen or eight miles by West from the place we were at Thus still doubting where we were the boâ—e went on land againe and brought newes that wee were short 80 miles of the place whereas we thought wee had beene ouershot by east fiftie miles Thus in these doubts we lost foure dayes and neuer a man in the shippe able to tell where we were notwithstanding there were diuerse in the shippe that had beene there before Then sayd the Pylot that at his comming to the shore by chance he saw two wayfaring men which were Moores and he cryed to them in Turkish insomuch that the Moores partly for feare and partly for lacke of vnderstanding seeing them to be Christians beganne to flie yet in the end with much a doe they stayed to speake with them which men when they came together were not able to vnderstand ech other but our men made to them the signe of the Crosse on the sande to giue them to vnderstand that they were of the shippe that brought the pilgrims Then the Moores knowing as al the country else doth that it was the vse of Christians to go to Ierusalem shewed them to be yet by west of Iaffa Thus we remained all that night at anker and the farther west that we sayled the lesse water we had The 21 we set sayle againe and kept our course Northeast but because we would not goe along the shore by night wee came to an anker in foure and twentie fathome water Then the next morning being the 22 we set sayle againe and kept our course as before and about three of the clocke in the afternoone wee had sight of the two towers of Iaffa and about fiue of the clocke wee were with a rocke called in the Italian tongue Scolio di Santo Petro on the which rocke they say he fished when Christ bid him cast his net on the right side and caught so many fishes This rocke is now almost worne away It is from Iaffa two or three mile here before the two towers we came to an anker Then the pilgrimes after supper in salutation of the holy lande sang to the prayse of God Te Deum laudamus with Magnificat and Benedictus but in the shippe was a Frier of Santo Francisco who for anger because he was not called and warned would not sing with vs so that he stood so much vpon his dignitie that he forgot his simplicitie and neglected his deuotion to the holy land for that time saying that first they ought to haue called him yer they did beginne because he was a Fryer and had beene there and knewe the orders The 23 we sent the bote on land with a messenger to the Padre Guardian of Ierusalem This day it was notified vnto mee by one of the shippe that had beene a slaue in Turkie that no man might weare greene in this land because their prophet Mahomet went in greene This came to my knowledge by reason of the Scriuanello who had a greene cap which was forbidden him to weare on the land The 24. 25. and 26 we taryed in the shippe still looking for the comming of the Padre guardian and the 26 at night we had a storme which lasted all the next day The 27 in the morning came the Cadi y e Subassi the Meniwe with the Padre guardian but they could not come at vs by reason of the stormy weather in the afternoone we assayed to send the bote on land but the weather would not suffer vs. Then againe toward night the bote went a shore but it returned not that night The same day in the afternoone we sawe in the element a cloud with a long tayle like vnto the tayle of a serpent which cloud is called in Italian Cion the tayle of this cloud did hang as it were into the sea and we did see the water vnder the sayde cloude ascend as it were like a smoke or myste the which this Cion drew vp to it The Marriners reported to vs that it had this propertie that if it should happen to haue lighted on any part of the shippe that it would rent and wreth sayles mast shroudes and shippe and all in manner like a wyth on the land trees houses or whatsoeuer else it lighteth on it would rent and wreth These marriners did vse a certaine coniuration to breake the sayd tayle or cut it in two which as they say doth preuaile They did take a blacke hafted knife and with the edge of the same did crosse the said taile as if they would cut it in twain saying these words Hold thou Cion eat this and then they stucke the knife on the ship side with the edge towards the said cloude and I saw it therewith vanish in lesse then one quarter of an houre But whether it was then consumed or whether by vertue of the Inchantment it did vanish I knowe it but it was gone Hereof let them iudge that know more then I. This afternoone we had no winde but the Sea very stormy insomuch that neither cheste pot nor any thing else could stand in the shippe and wee were driuen to keepe our meate in one hand and the pot in the other and so sit downe vpon the hatches to eate for stand we could not for that the Seas in the very port at an anker went so high as if wee had bene in the bay of Portugall with stormy weather The reason is as the Mariners said to me because that there meete all the waues from all places of the Straights of Gibraltar and there breake and that in most calmes there go greatest seas whether the winde blow or not The 28. the weather growing somewhat calme wee went on land and rested our selues for that day and the next day we set forward toward the city of Ierusalem What I did and what places of deuotion I visited in Ierusalem and other parts of the Holy land from this my departure from Iaffa vntill my returne to the said port may briefly be seene in my Testimoniall vnder the hand seale of the Uicar generall of Mount Sion which for the contentment of the Reader I thought good here to interlace VNiuersis singulis presentes litteras inspecturis salutem in Domino nostro Iesu Christo. Aâ—â—estamur vobis ac alijs quibuscunque qualiter honorabilis vir Iohannes Lok ciuis Londoniensis filius honorabilis viri Guilhelmi Lok equitis auraâ—i ad sacratissima terrae
because a litle point or corner thereof toucheth the firme lande and therefore may be called Peninsula that is to say almost an Iland Hereupon are builded many houses of the Iewes in respect of the aire This Peninsula is situate betweene two very good ports one of them being much more safe then the other called The old port into the which only the vessels of Barbarie and the sixe Gallies of the Grand Signior deputed for the guard of Alexandria doe enter And this port hath vpon the right hand at the mouth or enterance thereof a castle of small importance and guarded but with fifteene men or thereabouts On the other side of this Iland is the other called The new port which name is not vnfitly giuen vnto it for that in all mens iudgement in times past there hath not beene water there because in the midst of this port where the water is very deepe there are discouered and found great sepulchres and other buildings out of the which are dayly digged with engines Iaspar and Porphyrie stones of great value of the which great store are sent to Constantinople for the ornament of the Mesquitas or Turkish Temples and of other buildings of the Grand Signior Into this port enter all such vessels as traffique to this place This port hath on ech side a castle whereof that vpon the Peninsula is called Faâ—aone vpon the toppe whereof euery night there is a light set in a great lanterne for direction of the ships and for the guard thereof are appointed 200 Ianizaries the other on the other side is but a litle castle kept by 18 men It is certaine that this hauen of Alexandria is one of the chiefest hauens in the world for hither come to traffique people of euery Nation and all sorts of vessels which goe round about the citie It is more inhabited by strangers marchants and Christians then by men of the countrey which are but a few in number Within the citie are fiue Fontechi that is to say one of the Frenchmen where the Consul is resident this is the fairest and most commodious of all the rest Of the other foure two belong to the Venetians one to the Raguseans and the fourth to the Genoueses And all strangers which come to traffique there except the Venetians are vnder the French Consull It is also to be vnderstood that all the Christians dwell within their Fontechi and euery euening at the going downe of the sunne they which are appointed for that office goe about and shut all the gates of the saide Fontechi outward and the Christians shut the same within and so likewise they doe on the Friday which is the Moores and the Turkes Sabboth till their deuotions be expired And by this meanes all parties are secure and voide of feare for in so doing the Christians may sleepe quietly and not feare robbing and the Moores neede not doubt whiles they sleepe or pray that the Christians should make any tumult as in times past hath happened Of the coast of Alexandria ON the side towardes Barbarie along the sea-coast for a great space there is founde neither hold nor any thing worthy of mention but on the other side towards Syria 13 miles from Alexandria standeth a litle castle called Bichier kept by fiftie Turkes which castle is very olde and weake and hath a port which in times past was good but at this present is vtterly decayed and full of sand so that the vessels which come thither dare not come neere the shoare but ride far off into the sea Fortie miles further is Rossetto which is a litle towne without walles and is situate vpon the banke of Nilus three miles from the sea at which place many times they build ships and other vessels for gouernement whereof is appointed a Saniacbey without any other guard it is a place of traffique and the inhabitants are very rich but naughtie varlâ—ts and traytours Further downe along the sea-side and the riuer baâ—ke is another litle castle like vnto the aboue sayde and because the Moores beleeue that Mecca will in short time be conquered by the Christians they holde opinion that the same being lost shall be renued in this place of Rossetto namely that all their prayers vowes and pilgrimages shall be transported to Rossetto as the religious order of Saint Iohn of the Rhodes is translated thence to Malta Further forwarde thirtie miles standes another castle of small importance called Brulles kept continually by fourtie Turkes which hath a good and secure port in forme like to a very great lake or ponde wherein is taken great quantitie of fish which they salt and the marchants of Candie and Cyprus come thither to lade the same and it is greatly esteemed especially of the Candioâ—s who hauing great abundance of wine aduenture abroad to seeke meate fitte for the taste of the sayd wine Distant from Brulles fiue and thirtie miles there is another castle like vnto the aboue sayd kept by an Aga with fourtie men or thereabout More within the laâ—de by the riuers side is Damiata an auncient citie enuironed with walles contayning fiue miles in circuit and but of small strength For the gouernemâ—nt of this place is a Sanjaco with all his housholde and no other companie This citie is very large delightfull and pleasant abounding with gardens and faire fountaines Other fortie miles further is Latma a castle of very small importance and kept as other with fortie Turkes vnder an Aga. In this place is no port but a roade very daungerous and without other habitation Passing this place we enter â—udea But because our intent is to reason simply of the voyage to Mâ—cca we will proceede no further this way but returning to our first way let it suffice to say that â—rom Alexandria to Cairo are two hundred miles in which way I finde nothing woorthie of memorie Of the mightie Citie of Cairo CAiro containeth in circuit eighteene miles being so inhabited and replenished with people that almost it cannot receiue more and therâ—fore they haue begunne to builde nâ—we houses without the citie and about the walles In Cairo are people of all Nations as Christians Armenians Abexins Turkes Moores Iewes Indians Medians Persians Arabians and other sortes of people which resort thither by reason of the great traffique This citie is gouerned by a Basha which ministreth iustice together with the Cadie throughout the whole kingdome Also there are two and twentie Saniackes whose office is onely to ouersee and guarde the kingdome for euery good respect There are also seuen thousand Turkes in pay to wit three thousand Ianizaries and foure thousand horsemen The rest of the people in Cairo are for the most part marchants which goe and come and the remnant are Moores and other base people About two miles from Cairo there is another little Cairo called The olde Cairo which containeth in circuit litle more then tenne miles and the better halfe is not inhabitedâ— but
Russia to Boghar in Bactria Anno 1558. 324. 24 The voyage of M. Anthony Ienkinson through Russia and ouer the Caspian sea into Persia Anno 1561. 343. 25 The voyage of Thomas Alcock George Wrenne and Richard Cheyney seruants vnto the Company of Moscouy Merchants in London into Persia Anno 1563. 353. 26 The voyage of Richard Iohnson Alexander Kitchin and Arthur Edwards seruants to the foresaid company into Persia Anno 1565. 354. 27 The voyage of Thomas Southam and Iohn Sparke by land and riuer from Colmogro to Nouogrod in Russia Anno 1566. 365. 28 The voyage of M. Anthony Ienkinson into Russia the third time Anno 1566. 372. 29 The voyage of Arthur Edwards Agent for the Moscouy company Iohn Sparke Laurence Chapman Christopher Faucet and Richard Pingle seruants into Persia An. 1568. 389. 30 The voyage of Thomas Banister and Geffrey Ducket Agents for the Moscouy Company into Persia the fift time Anno 1569. 394. 31 The voyage of William Burrough Captaine of 13. English ships to the Narue in Liefland Anno 1570. 401. 32 The voyage of M. Anthony Ienkinson into Russia the fourth time Anno 1571. 402. 33 The voyage of Christopher Burrough into Persia the sixt time Anno 1579. 419. 34 The voyage of Arthur Pet and Charles Iackman sent to discouer the Northeast seas beyond the Iland of Vaigats Anno 1580. 445. 35 The voyage of Master Ierome Horsey ouer land from Mosco in Russia to England Anno 1584. 469,470 36 A voyage to the Northeast performed by certaine Russes and translated out of Sigismundus ab Herberstein 492. 37 A voyage to Sibier and the Riuer of Ob by land declared in a letter written to Gerardus Mercator 510,511 512. 38 The vanquishing of the Spanish Armada Anno 1588. 591. 39 The honourable voyage to Cadiz Anno 1596. 607. ¶ The Ambassages Treatises Priuiledges Letters and other obseruations depending vpon the Voyages of this first Volume 1 TWo testimonies of Galfridus Monumetensis in his history of the Kings of Brittaine concerning the conquests of King Arthur pagina 1. 2 A testimony of M. Lambard in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 touching the right and appendances of the Crowne of the kingdome of Britaine pag. 2. 3 A Chronicle of the Kings of Man taken out of M. Camdens Chorographie 10. 4 The ancient state of the shipping of the Cinque Ports 17. 5 Libellus historicus Iohannis de Plano Carpini 21. 6 Part of the great Charter graunted by King Edward the first to the Barons of the Cinque Ports 117. 7 The rolle of the huge Fleete of Edward the thirde before Caleis 118. 8 The summe of expences layde out in the siege of Caleis 121. 9 A note of Thomas Walsingham touching King Edward the thirde his huge Fleete of 1100. ships wherewith he passed ouer vnto Caleis Anno 1359. 121. 10 Certaine verses of Geffrey Chaucer concerning the long Voyages and valiant exploits of the English knights in his dayes 124. 11 A testimonie out of Cornelius Tacitus prouing London to haue bene a famous Mart-towne in the raigne of Nero the Emperour 124. 12 A testimony out of venerable Beda proouing London to haue bene a Citie of great traffique in his time 125. 13 The league betweene Carolus Magnus and Offa King of Mercia concerning the safe trade of English Merchants 125. 14 An ancient testimony translated out of the olde Saxon Lawes conteyning the aduancement of Merchants for their thrice crossing the wide seas 120. 15 A testimony of certaine Priuileges obteined for the English and Danish Merchants by Canutus the King of England 126. 16 The flourâ—shing state of Merchandise in the City of London in the dayes of Wilhelmus Malmesburiensis 227. 17 A testimony of the said Wil. of Malmesbury concerning traffique to Bristow in his time 127. 18 The league betweene Henry the second and Frederick Barbarossa Emperour of Germany partly touching trade of Merchandise 128. 19 A generall safe conduct granted by King Iohn to all forreine Merchants 129. 20 The letters of King Henry the thirdâ— vnto Haquinus king of Norwey 129,130 21 A mandate for the king of Norway his ship called The Cog. 130. 22 A Charter granted for the behalfe of the Merchants of Colen in the 20. yeere of Henry the thirde 131. 23 The Charter of Lubeck granted for seuen yeeres in the time of Henry the third 131,132 24 A Charter of the Merchants of Almaine or the Stilyard-merchants 132. 25 A mandate of King Edward the first concerning outlandish Merchants 133. 26 King Edw. the first his great Charter granted to forreine Merchants Anno Dom. 1303. 133. 27 The letters of Edward the second vnto Haquinus King of Norway concerning certain English Merchants arrested in Norway 138. 28 Another letter of Edw. the second vnto the said Haquinus for the merchants aforesaid 139. 29 A third letter of King Edward the second to the said Haquinus in the behalfe of our English merchants 140. 30 An Ordinance for the Staple to be holden at one certaine place 142,143 31 A Catalogue of the great Masters of Prussia 144. 32 The Oration or speach of the Ambassadours sent from Conradus de Zolner Master generall of the land of Prussia vnto Richard the second king of England 148. 33 An agreement made by the Ambassadours of England and Prussia confirmed by king Richard the second 150. 34 The letters of Conradus de Iungingen Master generall of Prussia vnto Rich. the second 153. 35 A briefe relation of William Esturmy and Iohn Kington concerning their Ambassages into Prussia and to the Hans-townes 154. 36 Certaine Articles of complaint exhibited by the Liuonians 156. 37 Other complaints exhibited by the Cities of the Hans 156. 38 Compositions and Ordinances concluded betweene the Ambassadours of Prussia and the Chanceller and Treasurer of England Anno 1403. 157. 39 The letters of the Chanceller and Treasurer of England vnto Conradus de Iungingen master generall of Prussia 158. 40 The letters of king Henry the fourth vnto Conradus de Iungingen the master generall of Prussia for entercourse of traffique 159. 41 The letters of Conradus de Iungingen vnto king Henry the fourth 160. 42 An agreement made betweene king Henry the fourth and Conradus de Iungingen 161. 43 An agreement betweene king Henry the fourth and the Hans-townes 164. 44 A testimonie out of Albertus Krantzius concerning the surprise of Bergen in Norway wherein 21. houses of the English merchants were burnt 169. 45 The grieuances and offences whereat the merchants of the Hans found themselues agrieued 171. 46 A letter of Henry the fourth king of England vnto Conradus de Iungingen Master generall of Prussia 175. 47 A letter of Werneherus de Tettingen commander in Elbing vnto sir William Sturmy Ambassadour vnto king Henry the fourth Together with an other letter of king Henry the fourth vnto Vlricus de Iungingen master of Prussia 176. 48 The letters of Vlricus de Iungingen master generall of Prussia signifying vnto king Henry the 4. that he was contented
The sonnes of Vulodimir were Vuiseslaus Isoslaus Iaroslaus Suatopolcus Borissus Glebus Stoslaus Vulzeuolodus Stanislaus Sudislaus and Podius who died in his childhood Amongst the residue all Russia was diuided by their father who not being contented with their portions but inuading each other were most of them slaine by their mutuall contentions Borissus and Glebus in regard of their holy conuersation were registred for Saints whose feasts are euery yeere celebrated with great solemnitie vpon the twelfth of Nouember At length Iaroslaus only got the Souereigne authoritie into his owne hands and left behind him foure sonnes Vvlodimir Isoslauus Weceslauus and Vuszeuolodus The foresaid Vulodimir sonne of Iaroslaus kept his residence at the ancient citie of Kiow standing vpon the riuer of Boristhenes and after diuers conflicts with his kinsmen hauing subdued all the prouinces vnto himselfe was called Monomachos that is the onely champoin This man for I thinke it not amisse to report those things which their owne Manuscript Chronicles make mention of waged warre against Constantine the Emperour of Constantinople and when he had wasted ouerrun Thracia being returned home with great and rich spoyles and making preparation for new wars Constantine sent Neophytus the Metropolitane of Ephesus and two Bishops with the gouernour of Antiochia and Eustaphius the Abbat of Ierusalem to present rich and magnificent gifts vnto him as namely part of the crosse of our Sauiour Christ a crowne of gold a drinking cup curiously made of Sardonyx stone a cloake set all ouer with precious stones and a golden chaine commaunded them to salute him by the name of Czar which name as it may be prooued by many arguments signifieth a king and not an Emperour and concluded a most inuiolable league of amity and friend ship with him The foresayd Vulodimir begate Vuszeuolodus the second This Vuszeuolodus lefte eight sonnes behind him Miscislaus Isoslaus Stoslaus Teropolcus Weceslaus Romanus Georgius and Andrew The sonnes of George were Roseslaus Andrew Basilius and Demetrius Demetrius begat George who in the yere 1237. was slaine by one Bathy a Tartarian duke which Bathy wasted Moscouia and subdued the same vnto himselfe Since which time the Russians were tributary to the Tartars and were gouerned by such dukes as they pleased to set ouer them Howbeit the Tartars so greatly abused that authoritie that when they sent their ambassadours vnto the prince of Moscouie he was constrained to goe forth and meete with them and as Herbortus Fulstinius in his Polonian historie reporteth to offer them a bason full of mares milk and if they had spilt any whit thereof vpon their horses maines to licke it off with his toung and hauing conducted them into his princely court to stand bareheaded before them while they sate downe and with all reuerence to giue eare and attendance vnto them But by what meanes they shooke off at the length this yoake of seruitude I will forth with declare About the same time almost all Polonia and the dukedome of Silesia were ouerrun by the Tartars with fire and sword Who hauing burnt Presâ—a the chiefe citie of Silesia being come before the citie of Legnitz they fought there a most cruel and bloody field wherin was slain duke Henrie himselfe being sonne vnto the most holy and deuout lady Heduice with many others whose monuments and graues be as yet extant in sundry places and with an infinite multitude of common souldiers insomuch that the Tartars filled nine great sackes with the eares of them which they had slaine The Tartars to the end they might obtaine the victorie presented vnto the view of our souldiers the portrature of a mans head placed by arte magique vpon a banner wherein the letter X. was painted which being shaken and mooued vp and downe breathed foorth a most loathsome stench strooke such a terrour into the hearts of our men that being as it were astonished with the snaky visage of Medusa they were vtterly daunted and dismayed From thence Bathy and his company with the same bloodthirstie intent marched into Hungarie and had almost slaine king Bela the fourth who together with his sonne escaping by slight did scarcely ridde themselues out of the enemies hand And when the whole world almost was exceedingly terrified at the cruell inuasions of this most barbarous nation at length Pope Innocentius the fourth sending ambassadours vnto Bathy obtained peace for fiue yeeres but to forsake his heathenish superstitions and to become a Christian hee would by no meanes bee perswaded For he was by the instigation of the Saracens infected with deuilish opinions of Mahomet as being more agreeable vnto his barbarous rudenes which euen vnto this day the Tartars do maintaine like as the prophane Turkes also This Bathy had a sonne called Tamerlan whome the Moscouites call Temirkutla who likewise as it is recorded in histories attained vnto great renoume For he caried about with him in a cage Baiazet the Turkish Emperour being fettered in golden chaines and made him a laughing stocke vnto all men Let vs now returne vnto the Russians George being slaine Iaroslaus his brother succeeded in his roome and left behinde him three sonnes Theodorus Alexander and Andreas Daniel the sonne of Alexander first established his royall seate in the citie of Mosco and magnificently building the castle which before time had bene obscure he tooke vpon him the title of the great Duke of Russia He had fiue sonnes namely George Alexander Borissus Ophonias and Iohn This Iohn succeeded his father and because he continually caried a scrippe about with him to bestow almes he was sirnamed Kaleta which word signifieth a scrippe His sonnes were Simeon Iohn and Andrew He gaue vnto his sonne Simeon the prouinces of Vvlodimiria and Moscouia which Simeon deceasing without issue his brother Iohn succeeded who begate a sonne called Demetrius This Demerius had seuen sonnes namely Daniel Basilius George Andrew Peter Iohn Constantine Basilius reigned after his fathers death This maÌ„ dishinheriting his sonne which was called after his owne name because he suspected his mother of adulterie at his death surrendred his Dukedome vnto his brother George who kept his nephewe a long time in prison Howbeit at his death though himselfe had two sonnes namely Andrew and Demetrius yet being stricken perhaps with remorse of conscience he bestowed the Dukedome vpon his nephew Basilius Against whom his two cousins bearing a grudge waged warre and at length hauing taken him by a wyly stratageme they put out his eyes Notwithstanding the Boiarens for so the Moscouites call their nobles continued their duetifull alleageance vnto this their blinde Duke whom for his blindnes they called Cziemnox that is to say darke or darkened He left a sonne behinde him called Iuan Vasilowich who brought the Russian common wealth being before his time but obscure vnto great excellencie and renowme Who that he might the better get all the superiority into his owne hands put to death so many
who conquered them not many yeâ—res passed for their diuersity in religion and caused not onely all the nobility gentlemen of that countrey to be put to death but also ouer and besides rased the walles of the cities townes and castles of the said realme to the intent that there should be no rebellion and for their great terror caused a turret of free stone and flints to be erected in the sayd city called Shamaki and in a ranke of flints of the sayd turret did set the heads of the sayd nobility and gentlemen then executed This city is distant from the sea side with camels seuen dayes iourney but now the same being much decayed chiefly inhabited with Armenians another city called Arrash bordering vpon the Georgians is the chiefest and most opulent in the trade of merchandise thereabouts is nourished the most abundant growth of raw silke and thither the Turks Syrians and other strangers do resort and trafficke There be also diuers good and necessary commodities to be prouided had in this sayd realme viz. galles rough and smooth cotton wooll allome and raw silke of the naturall growth of that countrey besides nere all kinde of spices and drugges and some other commodities which are brought thither from out of East India but in the lesse quantity for that they be not assured to haue vent or vtterance of the same but the chiefest commodities be there raw silks of all sorts whereof there is great plenty Not farre from the sayd city of Shamaki there was an olde castle called Gullistone now beaten downe by this Sophy which was esteemed to be one of the strongest castles in the world and was besieged by Alexander the great long time before he could win it And not farre from the sayd castle was a Nunry of sumptuous building wherein was buried a kings daughter named Ameleck Channa who slew herselfe with a knife for that her father would haue forced her she professing chastity to haue married with a king of Tartarie vpon which occasion the maidens of that countrey do resort thither once euery yere to lament her death Also in the sayd countrey there is an high hill called Quiquifs vpon the toppe whereof as it is commonly reported did dwell a great Giant named Arneoste hauing vpon his head two great hornes and eares and eyes like a Horse and a taile like a Cow It is further sayd that this monster kept a passage thereby vntill there came an holy man termed Haucoir Hamshe a kinseman to one of the Sophies who mounted the sayd hill and combating with the sayd Giant did binde not onely him in chaines but also his woman called Lamisache with his sonne named After for which victory they of that countrey haue this holy man in great reputation and the hill at this day as it is bruited sauoureth so ill that no person may come nigh vnto it but whether it be true or not I referre it to further knowledge Now to returne to the discourse of the proceeding in my voyage towards the great Sophie The 6 of October in the yeere aforesayd I with my company departed from Shamachi aforesaid and hauing iourneyed threescore miles came to a towne called Yauate wherein the king hath a faire house with orchards and gardens well replenished with fruits of all sorts By this towne passeth a great riuer called Cor which springeth in the mountaines of the Georgians passing thorow the countrey of Hircania aforesayd falleth into the Caspian or Hircan sea at a place betweene two ancient townes called Shabran and Bachu situate within the realme of Hircane and from thence issueth further passing thorow a fruitfull countrey inhabited with pasturing people which dwâ—ll in the Summer season vpon mountaines and in Winter they remooue into the valleyes without resorting to townes or any other habitation and when they remooue they doe iourney in carrauans or troops of people and cattell carrying all their wiues children and baggage vpon bullocks Now passing this wilde people ten dayes iourney comming into no towne or house the sixteenth day of October we arriued at a citie called Ardouill where we were lodged in an hospitall builded with faire stone and erected by this Sophies father named Ismael onely for the succour and lodging of strangers and other trauellers wherein all men haue victuals and feeding for man and horse for three dayes and no longer This foresayd late prince Ismael lieth buried in a faire Meskit with a sumptuous sepulchre in the same which he caused to be made in his life time This towne Ardouill is in the latitude of eight and thirtie degrees an ancient citie in the prouince of Aderraugan wherein the Princes of Persia are commonly buried and there Alexander the great did keepe his Court when he inuaded the Persians Foure dayes iourney to the Westward is the citie Tebris in olde time called Tauris the greatest citie in Persia but not of such trade of merchandise as it hath bene or as others be at this time by meane of the great inuasion of the Turke who hath conquered from the Sophie almost to the sayd citie of Tauris which the sayd Turke once sacked and thereby caused the Sophie to forsake the same and to keepe his court ten dayes iourney from thence at the sayd citie of Casbin The 21 day we departed from Ordowil aforesayd trauelling for the most part ouer mountaines all in the night season and resting in the day being destitute of wood and therefore were forced to vse for fewell the dung of horses camels which we bought deare of the pasturing people Thus passing ten dayes iourney the yere aforesayd the second day of Nouember we arriued at the foresayd citie of Casbin where the sayd Sophie keepeth his court and were appointed to a lodging not farre from the kings pallace and within two dayes after the Sophie commanded a prince called Shalli Murzey sonne to Obdolowcan king of Shiruan aforesayd to send for me to his house who asked me in the name of the said Sophy how I did and whether I were in health and after did welcome me and inuited me to dinner whereat I had great enterteinment and so from thence I returned to my lodging The next day after I sent my interpreter vnto the Sophies Secretarie declaring that I had letters directed from our most gracious Souereigne ladie the Queenes most excellent Maiestie of the Realme of England vnto the sayd Sophy and that the cause of my comming was expressed in the same letters desiring that at conuenient time I might come into his Maiesties presence who aduertising the Sophy thereof shortly after answered me that there were great affaires in hand which being finished I should come before his presence willing me in the meane time to make ready my present if I had any to deliuer At this time the great Turkes Ambassadour arriued foure dayes before my comming who was sent thither to conclude a
pases yet lesse by one quarter then an English mile If the whole dominion of the Russe Emperour were all habitable and peopled in all places as it is in some he would either hardly holde it all within one regiment or be ouer mightie for all his neighbour Princes Of the Soile and Climate THe soyle of the Countrey for the most part is of a sleight sandie moulde yet very much different one place from another for the yeeld of such things as grow out of the earth The Countrey Northwards towards the parts of S. Nicholas and Cola and Northeast towards Siberia is all very barren and full of desert woods by reason of the Climate and extremitie of the colde in Winter time So likewise along the Riuer Volgha betwixt the Countreys of Cazan and Astracan where notwithstanding the soyle is very fruitfull it is all vnhabited sauing that vpon the riuer Volgha on the Westside the Emperour hath some fewe Castels with garisons in them This happeneth by meanes of the Crimme Tartar that will neither himselfe plant Townes to dwel there liuing a wild and vagrant life nor suffer the Russe that is farre off with the strength of his Countrey to people those parts From Vologda which lyeth almost 1700. verst from the port of S. Nicholas downe towards Mosco and so towards the South part that bordereth vpon the Crimme which conteineth the like space of 1700. verst or there abouts is a very fruitfull and pleasant Countrey yeelding pasture and corne with woods and waters in very great plentie The like is betwixt Rezan that lyeth Southeast from Mosco to Nouogrod and Vobsko that reach farthest towards the Northwest So betwixt Mosco and Smolensko that lyeth Southwest towards Lituania is a very fruitfull and pleasant soile The whole Countrey differeth very much from it selfe by reason of the yeere so that a man would marueile to see the great alteration and difference betwixt the Winter and the Summer Russia The whole Countrey in the Winter lieth vnder snow which falleth continually and is sometime of a yard or two thicke but greater towards the North. The Riuers and other waters are all frosen vp a yard or more thicke how swift or broade so euer they bee And this continueth commonly fiue moneths viz. from the beginning of Nouember till towardes the ende of March what time the snow beginneth to melâ—â— So that it would breede a frost in a man to looke abroad at that time and see the Winter face of that Countrey The sharpenesse of the aire you may iudge of by this for that water dropped downe or cast vp into the aire congealeth into yce before it come to the ground In the extremitie of Winter if you holde a pewter dish or pot in your hand or any other mettall except in some chamber where their warme stoaues bee your fingers will friese fast vnto it and drawe off the skinne at the pâ—rting When you passe out of a warme roome into a colde you shall sensibly feele your breath to waxe starke and euen sâ—ifeling with the colde as you drawe it in and out Diuers not onely that trauell abroad but in the very markets and streetes of their Townes are mortally pinched and killed withall so that you shall see many drop downe in the streetes many trauellers brought into the Townes sitting dead and stiffe in their Sleds Diuers lose their noses the tips of their eares and the bals of their cheekes their toes feâ—te c. Many times when the Winter is very hard and extreeme the beares and woolfes issue by troupes out of the woods driuen by hunger and enter the villages tearing and rauening all they can finde so that the inhabitants are faine to flie for safegard of their liuesâ— And yet in the Sommer time you shal see such a new hiew and face of a Countrey the woods for the most part wâ—ich are all of firre and birch so fresh and so sweete the pastures and medowes so greene and well growen and that vpon the sudden such varietie of flowers such noyse of birâ—es specially of Nightingales that seeme to be more lowde and of a more variable noâ—e then in other Couâ—treys that a man shall not lightly trauell in a more pleasant Countrey And this fresh and speedy growth of the Spring there seemeth to proceede from the benefite of the snow which all the Winter time being spread ouer the whole Countrey as a white robe and keeping it warme from the rigour of the froft in the Spring time when the Sunne waxeth warme and dissolueth it into water doeth so throughly drench and soake the ground that is somewhat of a sleight and sandie mould and then shineth so hâ—tely vpon it againe that it draweth the hearbes and plants foorth in great plentie and varietie in a very short time As the Winter exceedeth in colde so the Sommer inclineth to ouer much heat specially in the moneths of Iune Iuly and August being much warmer then the Sommer aire in England The Countrey throughout is very well watred with springs riuers and Ozeraes or lakes Wherein the prouidence of God is to be noted for that much of the Countrey being so farre inland as that some part lieth a thousand miles and more euery way from any Sea yet it is serued with faire Riuâ—rs and that in very great number that emptying themselues one into another runne all into the Sea Their lakes are many and large some of 60. 80. 100. and 200 miles long with breadth proportionate The chiefe Riuers are these First Volgha that hath his head or spring at the roote of an Aldeâ—tree about 200. verst aboue Yaruslaue and groweth so bigge by the encrease of other Riuers by that time it commeth thither that it is broad an English nule and more and so runnesh into the Caspian sea about 2800. verst or miles of length The next is Boristhenes now called Neper that diuideth the Countrey from Lituania and falleth into the Euxin sea The third Tanais or Don the ancient bounder betwixt Europe and Asia that taketh his head out of Rezan Ozera and so running through the Countrey of the Chrim Tartar falleth into the great Sea lake or meare called Maeotis by the Citie of Azou By this Riuer as the Russe reporteth you may passe from their Citie Mosco to Constantinople and so into all those parts of the world by water drawing your boate as their maner is ouer a little Isthmus or narrowe slip of land a few versts ouerthwart Which was proued not long since by an Ambassadour sent to Constantinople who passed the Riuer of Moscua and so into another called Ocka whence hee drew his boat ouer into Tanais and thence passed the whole way by water The fourth is called Duyâ—a many hundred miles long that falleth Northward into the bay of S. Nicholas and hath great Alabaster rockes on the bankes towards the sea side The fifth Duna that emptieth into the Baltick sea by the towne Riga The sixt Onega that
like againe But hauing left the natiues all within their owne countrey without abating their number or strength the towne and castle not long after was betraied and surrendred againe to the king of Sweden On the Southeast side they haue got the kingdomes of Cazan and Astracan These were wonne from the Tartar by the late Emperour Iuan Vasiliwich the one about thirtie fiue the other about thirtie and three yeares agoe Northward out of the countrey of Siberia he hath layed vnto his realme a great breadth and length of ground from Wichida to the riuer of Obba about a 1000 miles space so that he is bolde to write himselfe now The great Commander of Siberia The countries likewise of Permia and Pechora are a diuers people and language from the Russe ouercome not long since and that rather by threatning and shaking of the sword then by any actuall force as being a weake and naked people without meanes to resist That which the Russe hath in his present possession he keepeth on this sort In his foure chief border townes of Vobsko Smolensko Astracan and Cazan he hath certaine of his counsel not of greatest nobility but of greatest trust which haue more authoritie within their precincts for the countenancing and strengthening of their gouernment there then the other Dukes that are set to gouerne in other places as was noted before in the maner of ordering their prouinces These he changeth sometime euery yere sometime euery second or third yere but exceedeth not that time except vpon very speciall trust and good liking of the party and his seruice least by enlarging of their time they might grow into some femiliaritie with the enemie as some haue done being so farre out of sight The townes besides are very strongly fenced with trenches castles store of munition and haue garisons within them to the number of two or three thousand a piece They are stored with victual if any siege should come vpon them for the space of two or three yeres before hand The foure castles of Smolensko Vobsko Cazan and Astracan he hath made very strong to beare out any siege so that it is thought that those townes are impregnable As for the countries of Pechora and Permia and that part of Siberia which he hath now vnder him they are kept by as easie meanes as they were first got vz. rather by shewing then by vsing of armes First he hath stored the countrie with as many Russes as there are natiues hath there some few souldiers in garison inough to keepe them vnder SecoÌ„dly his officers Magistrates there are of his own Russe people and he changeth them very often vz. euery yere twise or thrise notwithstanding there be no great feare of any innouation Thirdly he deuideth their into many smal gouernments like a staffe broke in many small pieces so y t they haue no strength being seuered which was but litle neither when they were al in one Fourthly he prouideth that the people of the countrie haue neither armor nor money being taxed pilled so often as he thinketh good without any meanes to shake off that yoke or to relieue themselues In Siberia where he goeth on in pursuing his conquest he hath diuers castles garisons to the number of 6000 souldiers of Russes Polonians sendeth many new supplies thither to plant and to inhabite as he winneth ground At this time besides he hath gotten the kings brother of Siberia allured by certaine of his captaines to leaue his own country by offers of great entertainment and plesanter life with the Russe Emperor then he had in Siberia He was brought in this last yere and is now with the Emperor at Mosco well entertained Of the Tartars and other borderers to the country of Russia with whom they haue most to doe in warre and peace THeir neighbors with whom they haue greatest dealings intercourse both in peace war are first the Tartar Secondly the Polonian whom the Russe calâ—eth Laches noting the first author or founder of the nation who was called Laches or Leches wherunto is added Po which signifieth People and so is made Polaches that is the People or posterity of Laches which the Latins after their maner of writing cal Polonos The third are the Swedens The Polonians Swedâ—ns are better knowen to these parts of Europe then are the Tartars that are farther off from vs as being of Asia and diuided into many tribes different in name and gouernment one from another The greatest and mightiest of them is the Chrim Tartar whom some call the Great Can that lieth South Southeastward from Russia and doth most annoy the country by often inuasions commonly once euery yere sometimes entring very farre within the inland parts In the yere 1571 he came as farre as the citie of Mosco with an armie of 200000 men without any battel or resistance at al for that the Russe Emperor then Iuan Vasiliwich leading forth his armie to encounter with him marched a wrong way The citie he tooke not but fired the suburbs which by reason of the buildings which are all of wood without any stone brick or lime saue certeine out roomes kindled so quickly and went on with such rage as that it consumed the greatest part of the citie almost within the space of foure houres being of 30 miles or more of compasse Then might you haue seene a lamentable spectacle besides the huge mighty flame of the citie all on light fire the people burning in their houses and streetes but most of all of such as laboured to passe out of the gates farthest from the enemie where meeting together in a mighty throng so pressing euery man to preuent another wedged themselues so fast within the gate and streetes neere vnto it as that three rankes walked one vpon the others head the vppermost treading downe those that were lower so that there perished at that time as was said by the fire the presse the number of 800000 people or more The principall cause of this continual quarell betwixt the Russe the Chrim is for the right of certaine border partes claimed by the Tartar but possessed by the Russe The Tartar alleageth that besides Astracan and Cazan that are the ancient possession of the East Tartar the whole countrey from his bounds North and Westward so farre as the citie of Mosko and Mosko it selfe perteineth to his right Which seemeth to haue bene true by the report of the Russes them selues that tell of a certaine homage that was done by the Russe Emperour euery yeere to the great Chrim or Can the Russe Emperour standing on foot and feeding the Chrims horse himselfe sitting on his backe with oates out of his owne cappe in stead of a bowle or manger and that within the castle of Mosko And this homage they say was done till the time of Basileus grandfather to this man Who
of beforetime they presently condemne As for example he that neuer saw the sea will not be persuaded that there is a mediterrane sea so doe they measure all things by their owne experience and conceit as though there were nothing good and profitable but that onely where with they mainteine their liues But we are not growen to that pitch of folly that because we haue heard of certeine people of Aethiopia which are fed with locusts being therefore called by Diodorus Acridophagi and of a certaine nation of India also whom Clitarchus Megastenes haue named Mandri as Agatarchides witnesseth or of others that liue vpon frogs or sea-crabs or round shrimps which thing is at this day commonly knowen that I say we should therefore presume to make them a laughing stocke to the common people because we are not accustomed to such sustenance The sixteenth section TEnthly that vnciuill beast casteth our men in the teeth with their good hospitality They do not sayth he carry about mony with them in their purses neither is it any shame to be enterteined in a strange place and to haue meat and drinke bestowed of free cost For if they had anything which they might impart with others they would very gladly Moreouer he maketh mention of certeine churches or holy chappels as of a base thing which many of the Islanders haue built in their owne houses that first of all in the morning they haue recourse thither to make their prayers neither do they suffer any man before they haue done their deuotion to interrupt them These be the things which he hath set downe as some notable disgrace vnto the Islanders And no maruell For filthy swine detest all cleanly ones And hogs vncleane regard not precious stones Which I feare least it may be too truely affirmed of this slanderer as it is manifest out of these two last obiections Howbeit sithens he himselfe is a most sufficient witnesse of his owne vertues we will referre the reader who is desirous to know more of him vnto his booke of rimes against Island wich we haue now examined in our former sections at whose railing filthy speeches we haue bene ashamed on his behalfe insomuch that those things which he with satyrical satyrical nay sathanicall biting and reuiling of our nation hath not blushed to write are irksome for vs to repeat so great abominable is his insolency his reproches so heinous Good God! whosoeuer shall view this cartlode of slanders for we haue mentioned the least part thereof because I was loth to lose my labour or as the wise man sayth to answere a foole according to his foolishnesse whereas in his rimes there is not one word without a reproch will he not iudge the authour of this pasquill to haue bene a most lewde man yea the very drosse of mankinde without pietie without humanitie But here I haue iust occasion to doubt whether the authour of these reuilings hath bene the more iniurious to Islanders or the Printer thereof Ioachimus Leo and whatsoeuer else they be who in their editions dare neither professe their owne name nor the name of their Citie which Leo hath nowe twise if not oftner published the saide pamphlet at Hamburg Doe you suffer this to goe vnpunished O ye counsell and commons of Hamburg What Haue you determined to gratifie Island in this sort which these many yeeres by reason of your aboundant traffique with vs and your transporting home of all our commodities of our beeues and muttons and of an incredible deale of butter and fishes hath bene vnto your Citie in stead of a storehouse In times past also certaine Cities of England and of Holland haue reaped the commodities of this Isle Moreouer there hath bene ancient traffique of Denmarke Breme and Lubeck with the Islanders But they neuer gained by any of their chapmen such commendations and such thanks as are conteined in this libell It hath in your in your Citie I say bene bred brought foorth iterated if not the thirde time published which hath armed other people vnto whom the name of Island was otherwise scarce knowne to the disdaine and contempt of this our Nation and this iniurie offered by a Citizen of yours hath Island susteined these 30. yeeres and more and doeth as yet susteine But many such accidents often come to passe without the knowledge of the magistrate neither do we doubt but that good men are grieued at such infamous libels and do take diligent heed that they be not published for such editions are contrary to the lawe of nature Doe not that to another which thou wouldest not haue done vnto thy selfe and to the lawes Emperial of infamous libels wherein is enioyned a most grieuous penaltie vnto those who inuent write vtter or cause such libels to be bought or sold or do not presently vpon the finding thereof teare them in pieces But now time bids vs to sound a retreat and to returne home vnto thee Island our most deare mother whom neither pouertie nor colde nor any other such inconueniences shall make ircksome vnto vs so long as thou ceasest not to giue heartie and willing entertainment vnto Christ where first we doe earnestly exhort thee to the serious and ardent affection and loue of God and of the heauenly knowledge reueiled vnto vs in Christ that thou wouldest preferre this before all things being enflamed with desire of doctrine and of the worde that thou wouldest not lightly esteeme contemne or hate the holy ministerie and ministers but reuerence cherish and loue them Accompting those that practise the contrary as wicked and prophane and managing all thine affaires both priuate and publique according to the prescript rule of pietie and honestie that vnto this thy states and orders Ecclesiasticall and politique may in all things be conformed and so in either kinde of life relying thy selfe vpon that leuell and line of equitie and iustice and auoyding others who vpon stubbernesse and impietie swerue therefrom That thou wouldest also inflict iust punishments vpon offenders All which we doubt not but the Magistrate will haue respect vnto But especially that thou admittest none to be Magistrates but men of approued fidelitie and honestie and such as may adioyne vnto these vertues others hereto belonging by which meanes inconueniences may fitly be preuented For if this matter be well handled namely that they which are the best of all good men be chosen to beare publique authoritie wicked and vnfit men being altogether reiected the condition of the subiects shal be most prosperous the liues and maners of all men shal proue by so much the more commendable godlinesse also and honestie shal become the more glorious But on the contrary if pastours of Churches be not answerable to their function either in life or doctrine if all men without respect or difference be admitted to the gouernment of the common wealth who aspire thereunto by their owne rashnesse ambition or auarice and desire
coine of Siluer and brasse to be stamped which on the one side contained the armes of Zeland with this inscription GLORY TO GOD ONELY and on the other side the pictures of certeine great ships with these words THE SPANISH FLEET and in the circumference about the ships IT CAME WENT AND WAS. Anno 1588. That is to say the Spanish fleet came went and was vanquished this yere for which glory be giuen to God onely Likewise they coined another kinde of money vpon the one side whereof was represented a ship fleeing and a ship sincking on the other side foure men making prayers and giuing thanks vnto God vpon their knees with this sentence Man purposeth God disposeth 1588. Also for the lasting memory of the same matter they haue stamped in Holland diuers such like coines according to the custome of the ancient Romans While this woonderfull and puissant Nauie was sayling along the English coastes and all men did now plainely see and heare that which before they would not be perswaded of all people thorowout England prostrated themselues with humble prayers and supplications vnto God but especially the outlandish Churches who had greatest cause to feare and against whom by name the Spaniards had threatened most grieuous torments enioyned to their people continuall fastings and supplications that they might turne away Gods wrath and fury now imminent vpon them for their sinnes knowing right well that prayer was the onely refuge against all enemies calamities and necessities and that it was the onely solace and reliefe for mankinde being visited with affliction and misery Likewise such solemne dayes of supplication were obserued thorowout the vnited Prouinces Also a while after the Spanish Fleet was departed there was in England by the commandement of her Maiestie and in the vnited Prouinces by the direction of the States a solemne festiuall day publikely appointed wherein all persons were enioyned to resort vnto the Church and there to render thanks and praises vnto God and the Preachers were commanded to exhort the people thereunto The foresayd solemnity was obserued vpon the 29 of Nouember which day was wholly spent in fasting prayer and giuing of thanks Likewise the Queenes Maiestie herselfe imitating the ancient Romans rode into London in triumph in regard of her owne and her subiects glorious deliuerance For being attended vpon very soleâ—â—ely by all the principall estates and officers of her Realme she was carried thorow her sayd City of London in a tryumphant chariot and in robes of triumph from her Palace vnto the Cathedrall Church of Saint Paul out of the which the ensignes and colours of the vanquished Spaniards hung displayed And all the Citizens of London in their Liâ—eries stood on either side the street by their seuerall Companies with their ensignes and banners and the streets were hanged on both sides with Blew cloth which together with the foresayd banners yeelded a very stately and gallant prospect Her Maiestie being entered into the Church together with her Clergie and Nobles gaue thanks vnto God and caused a publike Sermon to be preached before her at Pauls crosse wherein none other argument was handled but that praise honour and glory might be rendered vnto God and that Gods name might be extolled by thanksgiuing And with her owne princely voice she most Christianly exhorted the people to doe the same whereupon the people with a loud acclamation wished her a most long and happy life to the confusion of her foes Thus the magnificent huge and mighty fleet of the Spaniards which themselues termed in all places inuincible such as sayled not vpon the Ocean sea many hundreth yeeres before in the yeere 1588 vanished into smoake to the great confusion and discouragement of the authours thereof In regard of which her Maiesties happy successe all her neighbours and friends congratulated with her and many verses were penned to the honour of her Maiesty by learned men whereof some which came to our hands we will here annexe AD SERENISSIMAM ELIZABETHAM ANGLIAE REGINAM THEODOR BEZA STrauerat innumeris Hispanus nauibus aequor Regnis iuncturus sceptra Britanna suis. Tanti huius rogitas quae motus causa superbos Impulit Ambitio vexit Auaritia Quà m bene te ambitio mersit vanissima ventus Et tumidos tumidae vos superastis a quae Quà m bene totius raptores orbis auaros Hausit in exhausti iusta vorago maris At tu cui venti cui totum militat aequor Regina ô munditotius vna decus Sic regnare Deo perge ambitione remota Prodiga sic opibus perge iuuare pios Vt te Angli longùm longùm Anglis ipsa fruaris Quà m dilecta bonis tam metuenda malis The same in English THe Spanish Fleet did flote in narrow Seas And bend her ships against the English shore With so great rage as nothing could appease And with such strength as neuer seene before And all to ioyne the kingdome of that land Unto the kingdomes that he had in hand Now if you aske what set this king on fire To practise warre when he of peace did treat It was his Pride and neuer quencht desire To spoile that Islands wealth by peace made great His Pride which farre aboue the heauens did swell And his desire as vnsuffic'd as hell But well haue windes his proud blasts ouerblowen And swelling waues alayd his swelling heart Well hath the Sea with greedie gulfs vnknowen Deuoured the deuourer to his smart And made his ships a pray vnto the sand That meant to pray vpon anothers land And now O Queene aboue all others bless For whom both windes and waues are prest to fight So rule your owne so succour friends opprest As farre from pride as ready to do right That England you you England long enioy No lesse your friends delight then foes annoy THE SECOND VOLVME OF THE PRINCIPAL NAVIGATIONS VOYAGES TRAFfiques and Discoueries of the English Nation made by Sea or ouer-land to the South and South-east parts of the World at any time within the compasse of these 1600. yeres Diuided into two seuerall parts Whereof the first containeth the personall trauels c. of the English through and within the Streight of Gibraltar to Alger Tunis and Tripolis in Barbary to Alexandria and Cairo in AEgypt to the Isles of Sicilia Zante Candia Rhodus Cyprus and Chio to the Citie of Constantinople to diuers parts of Asia minor to Syria and Armenia to Ierusalem and other places in Indaea As also to Arabia downe the Riuer of Euphrates to Babylon and Balsara and so through the Persian gulph to Ormuz Chaul Goa and to many Islands adioyning vpon the South parts of Asia And likewise from Goa to Cambaia and to all the dominions of Zelabdim Echebar the great Mogor to the mighty Riuer of Ganges to Bengala Aracan Bacola and Chonderi to Pegu to Iamahai in the kingdome of Siam and almost to the very frontiers of China The second comprehendeth the Voyages Trafficks c. of
was buried by his brother after Christian maner Chap. 6. AFter the lamentable burials of these so famous Princes the King taking occasion of the death of these principall men of his armic agreed making none priuie thereto to receiue the money which was offered him for his differring off the siege of the citie of Sagiâ—ta yet dissembling to make peace with the Saracens but that he ment to go through with the worke that he had begunne Whereupon sending a message vnto Iaphet hee aduised the English souldiers to come downe to Acres with their fleete and to conferre and consult with him touching the besieging and assaulting of the citie of Sagitta which rising immediatly vpon the kings commaundement and foorthwith hoysing vp the sayles of their shippes aloft with pendants and stremers of purple and diuerse other glorious colours with their flagges of scarlet colour and silke came thither and casting their ancres rode hard by the citie The king the next day calling vnto him such as were priuie acquainted with his dealings opened his griefe vnto the chiefe Captaines of the English men and Danes touching the slaughter of Hugh and the death of his brother and what great confidence he reposed in them concerning these warres and that nowe therefore they being departed and dead he must of necessity differre the besieging of Sagitta for this time dismisse the armie assembled This resolution of the king being spred among the people the armie was dissolued and the Englishmen Danes and Flemings with sailes and oares going aboard their fleete saluted the king and returned home vnto their natiue countries The trauailes of one Athelard an Englishman recorded by master Bale Centur. 2. AThelardus Bathoniensis Coenobij monachus naturalium rerum mysteria causas omnes diligentâ—â—â tam vndecun que exquisitá perserutatus est vt cum aliquibus veteris seculi philoâ—ophis non indignè conferâ—i possit Hic olim spectatae indolis Adolescens vt virente adhuc aetate iuuenile ingenium foecundaret atque adres magnas pararet relicta dulci patria longin quas petijt regiones Cum verò AEgyptum Arabiam peragrans plura inuenisset quae eius desiderabat animus cum magno laborum ac literarum lucro in Angliam tum demùm reuertebatur Claruit anno virginei partus 1130. Henrico primo regnante The same in English AThelard a Monke of the Abbie of Bathe was so diligent a searcher of the secrets and causes of naturall things that he deserueth worthely to be compared with some of the auncient Philosophers This man although young yet being of a good wit and being desirous to increase and enrich the same with the best things and to prepare himselfe as it were for greater matters left his Countrey for a time and trauailed into forreine Regions He went through Egypt and Arabia and found out many things which he desired to his owne priuate contentment and the profite of good letters generally and so being satisfied returned againe into his Countrey he flourished in the yeere 1130. Henry the first being then king of England ¶ The life and trauailes of one VVilliam of Tyre an Englishman Centur. 13. GVlielmus Ecclesiae Dominici sepulchri Hierosolymae Regularium Canonicorum prior natione Anglicus vir vita moribus coÌ„mendabilis Anno Dom. 1128. postquam Tyrorum Ciuitas fidei Christianae restituta est a Guimundo Hierosolymorum patriarcha eidem vrbi primus Archiepiscopus praeficiebatur Est autem Tyrus ciuitas antiquissima Phoeniciae vniuersae Metropolis quae inter Syriae prouincias bonorum omnium penè commoditate incolarum frequentia primum semper obtinuit locum post conscripta quaedam opuscula Epistolas ad Domâ—num migrauit Anâ— Christi 1130. quum duobus tantum sedisset annis in Tyrensi Ecclesia sepelitur The same in English VVIlliam the Prior of the Canons Regular in the Church of Ierusalem called the Lords Sepulchre was an Englishman borne and of a vertuous and good behauiour After that the Citie of Tyre was restored againe to the Christian faith Guimunde the Patriarke of Ierusalem made him the first Archbishop of Tyre in the yeere 1128. Which Tyre is a very ancient Citie the Metropolis of all Phoenicia and hath bene accompted the chiefest Prouince of Syria both for fruitful commodities and multitude of inhabitants This William hauing in his life written many Bookes and Epistles died at last in the yeere 1130. hauing bene Archbishop the space of two yeeres and was buried in the Church of Tyre The trauailes of Robertus Ketenensis RObertus Ketenensis natione cognomine Anglus degusâ—atis primum per Anglorum gymnasia humanarum artium elementis literarijs vltramarinas statim visitare prouincias in animo constituit Peragratis ergò Gallijs Italia Dalmatia Graecia tum demum peruenit in Asiam vbi non paruo labore ac vitae suae periculo inter Saracenos truculentissimum hominum genus Arabicam linguam ad amussim didicit In Hispaniam postea nauigio traductus circa fluuium Hibetum Astrologicae artis studio cum Hermanno quodam Dalmata magni sui itineris comite se totum dedit Claruit anno seruatoris nostri 1143 Stephano regnante Pampilonaâ— sepelitur The same in English THis Robert Ketenensis was called an Englishman by surname as he was by birth who after some time spent in the foundations of humanitie and in the elements of good Artes in the Uniuersities of England determined to trauaile to the partes beyond sea and so trauailed through France Italie Dalmatia and Greece and came at last into Asia where he liued in great danger of his life among the cruell Saracens but yet learned perfectly the Arabian tongue Afterwardes he returned by sea into Spaine and there about the riuer Iberus gaue him selfe wholy to the studie of Astrologie with one Hermannus a Dalmatian who had accompanied him in his long voyage He flourished in the yeere 1143. Steuen being then King of England and was buried at Pampilona A voyage of certaine English men vnder the conduct of Lewes king of France vnto the Holy land TAntae expeditionis explicito apparatu vterque princeps iter arripuit exercitu separtito Imperator enim Conradus praecedebat itinere aliquot dierum cum Italorum Germanorum aliarúmque gentium amplissimis copijs Rex vero Lodouicus sequebatur Francorum Flandrensium Normannorum Britonum Anglorum Burgundionum Prouincialium Aquitanorum equestri simul pedestri agmine comitatus Gulielmus Neobrigensis fol. 371. The same in English BOth the princes prouision being made for so great an expedition they seuering their armies entered on their iourney For the Emperour Conradus went before certaine dayes iourney with very great power of Italians Germans and other countreys And king Lewes followed after accompanied with a band of horsemen and footmen of French men Flemmings Normans Britons English men Burgundions men of Prouence and Gascoins The voyage of Iohn Lacy to Ierusalem ANno
of it a Castle and the hauen is chained the citie hath onely two gates to say one for the lande and another for the sea they haue in the towne continually be it peace or warres 800 souldiers and fortie and sixe gunners besides Captaines petie Captaines Gouernour and Generall The lande gate hath alwayes fiftie souldiers pikes and gunners with their harâ—es watching there at night and day At the sea gate fiue and twentie vpon the walles euery night doe watch fifteene men in watch houses for euery watch house fiue men and in the market place 30 souldiers continually There may no soldier serue there aboue 5. yeres neither will they without friendship suffer them to depart afore 5. yeres be expired and there may serue of all nations except Greekes They haue euery pay which is 45. dayes 15 Mozenigos which is 15 shillings sterling Their horsemen haue onely â—ixe soldes Uenetian a day and prouender for their horses but they haue also certaine lande therewith to plow and sowe for the maintenance of their horses but truely I maruell how they liue being so hardly fed for all the sommer they feede onely vpon chopt strawe and barley for hey they haue none and yet they be faire fat and seruiceable The Uenetians send euery two yeeres new rulers which they call Castellani The towne hath allowed it also two gallies continually armed and furnished The 30 in the morning we ridde to a chappell where they say Saint Katherin was borne This Chappell is in olde Famagusta the which was destroyed by Englishmen and is cleane ouerthrowne to the ground to this day desolate and not inhabited by any person it was of a great circuit and there be to this day mountaines of faire great and strong buildings and not onely there but also in many places of the Iland Moreouer when they digge plowe or trench they finde sometimes olde ancient coines some of golde some of siluer and some of copper yea and many tombes and vautes with sepulchers in them This olde Famagusta is from the other foure miles and standeth on a hill but the new towne on a plaine Thence we returned to new Famagusta againe to dinner and toward euening we went about the towne and in the great Church we sawe the tombe of king laques which was the last king of Cyprus and was buried in the yere of Christ one thousand foure hundred seuentie three and had to wife one of the daughters of Venice of the house of Cornari the which family at this day hath great reuenues in this Island and by means of that mariage the Venetians chalenge the kingdom of Cyprus The first of October in the morning we went to see the reliefe of the watches That done we went to one of the Greekes Churches to see a pot or Iarre of stone which is sayd to bee one of the seuen Iarres of water the which the Lord God at the mariage conuerted into wine It iâ— a pot of earth very faire white enamelled and fairely wrought vpon with drawen worke and hath on either side of it instead of handles cares made in fourme as the Painters make angels wings it was about an elle high and small at the bottome with a long necke and correspondent in circuit to the bottome the belly very great and round it holdeth full twelue gallons and hath a tap-hole to drawe wine out therâ—at the Iarre is very auncient but whether it be one of them or no I know not The aire of Famagusta is very vnwholesome as they say by reason of certaine marish ground adioyning vnto it They haue also a certaine yeerely sicknesse raigning in the same towne aboue all the rest of the Island yet neuerthelesse they haue it in other townes but not so much It is a certaine rednesse and paine of the eyes the which if it bee not quickly holpen it taketh away their sight so that yeerely almost in that towne they haue about twentie that lose their sight either of one eye or both and it commeth for the most part in this moneth of October and the last moneth for I haue met diuers times three and foure at once in companies both men and women Their liuing is better cheape in Famagusta then in auy other place of the Island because there may no kinde of prouision within their libertie bee solde out of the Citie The second of October we returned to Arnacho where wee rested vntill the sixt day This towne is a pretie Uillage there are thereby toward the Sea side diuers monuments that there hath bene great ouerthrow of buildings for to this day there is no yere when they finde not digging vnder ground either coines caues and sepulchres of antiquities as we walking did see many so that in effect all alongst the Sea coast throughout the whole Island there is much ruine and ouerthrow of buildings for as they say it was disinhabited sixe and thirtie yeres before Saint Helens time for lacke of water And since that time it hath bene ruinated and ouerthrowen by Richard the first of that name king of England which he did in reuenge of his sisters rauishment comming to Ierusalem the which inforcement was done to her by the king of Famagusta The sixt day we rid to Nicosia which is from Arnacho seuen Cyprus miles which are one and twentie Italian miles This is the ancientest citie of the Island and iâ— walled about but it is not strong neither of walles nor situation It is by report three Cyprus miles about it is not throughly inhabited but hath many great gardens in it and also very many Date trees and plentie of Pomegranates and other fruites There dwell all the Gentilitie of the Island and there hath euery Cauallier or Conte of the Island an habitation There is in this citie one fountaine rented by saint Marke which is bound euery eight dayes once to water all the gardens in the towne and the keeper of this fountaine hath for euery tree a Bizantin which is twelue soldes Venice and six pence sterling He that hath that to farme with a faire and profitable garden thereto belonging paieth euery yeere to saint Marke fifteene hundred crownes The streetes of the citie are not paued which maketh it with the quantitie of the gardens to seeme but a rurall habitation But there be many faire buildings in the Citie there be also Monasteries both of Franks Greekes The Cathedrall church is called Santa Sophia in the which there is an old tombe of Iaspis stone all of one piece made in forme of a cariage coffer twelue spannes long sixe spannes broad and seuen spannes high which they say was found vnder ground It is as faire a stone as euer I haue seene The seuenth day we rid to a Greeke Frierie halfe a mile without the towne It is a very pleasaunt place and the Friers feasted vs according to their abilitie These Friers
Towne called Taslizea The 20. we came to Nouibazar The 21. we parted froÌ„ thence trauailing stil in a countrey very ill inhabited lying in y e fields The 22. we passed within sight of Nicea The 23. we passed in sight of another towne called Circui and about those places wee began to leaue the mountaines and to enter into a very faire and fertile countrey but as euill inhabited as the other or worse The 27. we came to Sophia where wee stayed three daâ—es being our Ianizaries home and by good chance we lay in a Marchants house of Ragusa that came in company with vs from Nouibazar and also wee had in company euer since wee came from Focea a Turke which was a very good fellow and he kept company with vs till we came very neere Constantinople The first of September we came to Philippopoli which seemeth to be an ancient towne and standeth vpon the riuer of Stanuch The 4. we came to Andrinopoli a very great and ancient towne which standeth in a very large and champion countrey and there the great Turks mother doth lye being a place where the Emperous of the Turkes were wont to lye very much The 5. we lay in one of the great Cauarzaras that were built by Mahomet Bassha with so many goodly commodities The 6. we lay in another of them The 8. we came to Siliueri which by report was the last towne that remained Christian. The 9. of September wee arriued at the great and most stately Citie of Constantinople which for the situation and proude â—eate thereof for the beautifull and commodious hauen and for the great and sumptuous buildings of their Temples which they call Moschea is to be preferred before all the Cities of Europe And there the Emperour of the Turkes then liuing whose name was Amurat kept his Court and residence in a marueilous goodly place with diuers gardens and houses of pleasure which is at the least two English miles in compasse and the three parts thereof ioyne vpon the sea and on the Northeast part of the Citie on the other side of the water ouer against the Citie is the Towne of Pera where the most part of the Christians dolye And there also wee did lye And on the North part of the â—aide Towne is the Arsenal where the Galies are built and doe râ—maine And on the Southside is all the Ordinance artilerie and houses of munition Note that by the way as wee came from Ragusa to Constantinople wee left on our right hand the Countreys of Albania and Macedonia and on the left hande the countreys of Bosnia Bulgaria and the riuer of Danubius The 14. of September was the Turkes Beyram that is one of their chiefest feastes The 15. we went to the blacke Sea called Pontus Euxinus and there vpon a rocke we sawe a piller of white Marble that was set vp by Pompeius and from thence wee passed to the other side of the water vpon the shore of Asia and there we dined The 25. we departed from Constantinople The 29. we came to an ancient Towne called Cherchisea that is to say fourtie Churches which in the olde time was a very great City now full of scattered buildings The 4. of October wee came to Prouaz one dayes iourney distant from Varna vpon the Blacke Sea The 9. we came to Saxi vpon the riuer of Danubius The 10. we passed the said riuer which in that place is about a mile ouer and then we entred into the countrey of Bogdania they are Christians but subiects to the Turke The 12. we came to Palsin vpon the riuer Prut The 14. wee came to Yas the principall Towne of Bogdania where Peter the Vayuoda prince of that Countrey keepeth his residence of whom wee receiued great courtesie and of the gentlemen of his Court And he caused vs to be safe conducted through his said Countrey and conueyed without coste The 17. we came to Stepanitze The 19. we came to Zotschen which is the last towne of Bogdania vpon the riuer of Niester that parteth the said countrey from Podolia The 20. we passed the riuer of Nyester and came to Camyenetz in the countrey of Podoliâ— subiect to the king of Poland this is one of the strongest Townes by nature and situation that can be seene The 21. we came to Skala The 22. to Slothone or Sloczow The 24. to Leopolis which is in Russia alba and so is the most part of the countrey betwixt Camyenetz and it And it is a towne very well built well gouerned full of trafique and plentifull and there we stayed fiue dayes The 30. we baited at Grodecz and that night at Vilna The 31. we dined at Mostiska and that night at Rodmena The first of Nouember in the morning before day wee passed without the Towne of Iaroslaw where they say is one of the greatest faires in all Poland and chiefly of horses and that night to Rosdnoska The second to dinner at Lanczut at night to Retsboâ— The thirde to Sendxizow at night to sarnow and that night wee mette with the Palatine Laski The fourth to Vonuez and that night to Brytska The fifth to Kuhena The 6. to Cracouia the principall Citie of all Poland at which time the King was gone to Lituania for he doeth make his residence one yeere in Poland and the other in Lituania Cracouia standeth on the riuer of Vistula The 9. wee departed from Cracouia and that night wee came to a village hard by a Towne called Ilkusch where the leade Mines are The 10. wee passed by a Towne called Slawkow where there are also leade Mines and baited that day at Bendzin which is the last towne of Poland towards Silesia and there is a toll Note that all the Countreys of Poland Russia alba Podolia Bogdania and diuers other Countreys adioyning vnto them doe consume no other salt but such as is digged in Sorstyn mountaine neere to Cracouia which is as hard as any stone it is very good and goeth further then any other salt That night we lay at Bitom which is the first Towne of Silesia The 12. we passed by a great towne called Strelitz and that night we lay at Oppelen vpon the riuer of Odera The 13. we passed by Schurgasse and that night wee lay without the towne of Brigk for wee coulde not bee suffered to come in by reason of the plague which was in those partes in diuers Townes The 14. wee passed by Olaw and that night wee came to the Citie of Breslaw which is a faire towne great well built and well seated vpon the riuer of Odera The 16. we baited at Neumargâ— The 17. wee passed by Lignizt and by Hayn and that night to Buntzel The 18. wee passed by Naumburg through Gorlitz vpon the riuer of Neiss and that night lay without
Reichenbach The 19. we passed by Baudzen and Cannitz and that night to Rensperg The 20. we passed by Hayn by Strelen where we should haue passed the riuer of Elbe but the boate was not there so that night we lay at a towne called Mulberg The 21. we passed the said riuer wee went by Belgern by Torga by Dumitch and at night to Bretsch The 22. wee passed the Elbe againe at Wittenberg which is a very strong towne with a good Uniuersitie and that day we passed by Coswig The 23. wee passed through Zerbst in the morning and that night to Magdeburg a very strong Towne and well gouerned as wee did heare The most part of the Countrey after wee were come one dayes iourney on this side Breslawe to this place belongeth to the Duke of Saxon. The 24. wee passed by a castle of the Marques of Brandenburg called Wolmerstat and that night we lay at Garleben The 25. wee lay at Soltwedel The 26. at Berg. The 27. we baited at Lunenborg that night we lay at Winson The 28. we came to Hamborg and there stayed one weeke The 5. of December wee departed from Hamborg and passed the Elbe by boate being much frosen and from the riuer went on foote to Boxtehoede being a long Dutch mile off and there we lay and from thence passed ouer land to Emden Thence hauing passed through Friseland and Holland the 25. being Christmas day in the morning we came to Delft where wee found the right honourable the Earle of Leicester with a goodly company of Lords knights gentlemen and souldiers The 28. at night to Roterodam The 29. to the Briel and there stayed eight dayes for passage The fifth of Ianuary we tooke shipping The 7. we landed at Grauesend and so that night at London with the helpe of almightie God The Turkes passeport or safeconduct for Captaine Austell and Iacomo Manuchio KNow thou which art Voyuoda of Bogdania Valachia other our officers abiding and dwelling on the way by which men commonly passe into Bogdania and Valachia that the Embassador of England hauing two English gentlemen desirous to depart for England the one named Henry Austel and the other Iacomo de Manuchio requested our highnesse letters of Safeconduct to passe through our dominions with one seruant to attende on them Wherefore wee straightly charge you and all other our seruants by whom they shall passe that hauing receiued this our commandement you haue diligent care and regard that they may haue prouided for them in this their iourney for their money all such necessary prouision as shal be necessary for themselues and their horses in such sort as they may haue no cause hereafter to complaine of you And if by chaunce they come vnto any place where they shal stand in feare either of their persons or goods that then you carefully cause them to bee guarded with your men and to be conducted through all suspected places with sufficient company But haue great regard that they conuey not out of our countrey any of our seruiceable horses Obey our commandement and giue credite to this our Seale A Passeport of the Earle of Leicester for Thomas Forster gentleman trauailing to Constantinople RObertus Comes Leicestriae baro de Denbigh ordinum Garterij Sancti Michaelis eques auratus Serenissimae Regine Angliae a Secretioribus consilijs magister equorum dux capitaneus generalis exercitus eiusdem Regiae maiestatis in Belgio gubernator generalis Hollandiae Zelandiae prouinciarum vnitarum associatarum omnibus and quos praesentes literae petuenerint salutem Cùm lator praesentium Thomas Forster nobilis Anglus necessarijs de causis hinc Constantinopolim profecturus si◠inde ad nos quanta potest celeritate reuersurus petimus ab omnibus singulis Regibus principibus nobilibus magistratibus alijs mandent permittant dicto Thomae cum duobus famulis liberum transirum per corum ditiones territoria sine detentione aut impedimento iniusto prouideri sibi de necessarijs iustum precium reddenti ac aliter conuenienter humaniter tractari vt occasiones eius eundi redeundi requirent Sicut nos Maiestates Serenitates Celsitudines dominationes vestrae paratos inuenietis vt vestratibus in similibus casibus gratum similiter faciamus Datum in castris nostris Duisburgi decimo die Septembris anno 1586. stylo veteri A description of the yeerely voyage or pilgrimage of the Mahumitans Turkes and Moores vnto Mecca in Arabia Of the Citie of Alexandria ALexandria the most ancient citie in Africa situated by the seaside containeth seuen miles in circuite and is enuironed with two walles one neere to the other with high towers but the walles within be farre higher then those without with a great ditch round about the same yet is not this Citie very strong by reason of the great antiquitie being almost halfe destroyed and ruinated The greatnesse of this Citie is such that if it were of double habitation as it is compassed with a double wall it might be truely said that there were two Alexandrias one builded vpon another because vnder the foundations of the saide City are great habitations and incredible huge pillers True it i◠that this part vnderneath remaineth at this day inhabitable because of the corrupt aire as also for that by tune which consumeth all things it is greatly ruinated It might well be sayd that the founder hereof as he was worthy in all his enterprises so likewise in building hereof he did a worke worthy of himselfe naming it after his owne name This Citie hath one defect for it is subiect to an euill ayre which onely proceedeth of that hollownesse vnderneath out of the which issueth infinite moisture and that this is true the ayre without doth euidently testifie which is more subtile and holesome then that beneath The waters hereof be salt by reason that the soile of it selfe is likewise so And therefore the inhabitants at such time as the riuer Nilus floweth are accustomed to open a great ditch the head wherof extendeth into the said riuer and from thence they conueigh the same within halfe a mile of Alexandria and so consequently by meanes of conduct-pipes the water commeth vnto the cesternes of Alexandria which being full serue the citie from one inundation to another Within the citie is a Pyramide mentioned of in Histories but not of great importance Without the citie is La colonna di Pompeio or the pillar of Pompey being of such height and thicknesse that it is supposed there is not the like in the whole world besides Within the citie there is nothing of importance saue a litle castle which is guarded with 60 Ianizaries Alexandria hath three portes one towardes Rossetto another to the land ward the third to the sea ward which is called Babelbar without which appeareth a broad Iland called Ghesira in the Moores tongue which is not wholy an Iland
China and from China to the Indies and the voyage of Bengala Maluco and Sonda with the lading of fine cloth and euery sort of Bumbast cloth Sonda is an Iland of the Moores neere to the coast of Iaua and there they lade Pepper for China The ship that goeth euery yeere from the Indies to China is called the ship of Drugs because she carieth diuers drugs of Cambaia but the greatest part of her lading is siluer From Malacca to China is eighteene hundred miles and from China to Iapan goeth euery yeere a shippe of great importance laden with Silke which for returne of their Silke bringeth barres of siluer which they trucke in China The distance betweene China and Iapan is foure and twentie hundred miles and in this way there are diuers Ilands not very bigge in which the Friers of saint Paul by the helpe of God make many Christians there like to themselues From these Ilands hitherwards the place is not yet discouered for the great sholdnesse of Sandes that they find The Portugals haue made a small citie neere vnto the coast of China called Macao whose church and houses are of wood and it hath a bishoprike but the customs belong to the king of China and they goe and pay the same at a citie called Canton which is a citie of great importance and very beautifull two dayes iourney and a halfe from Macao The people of China are Gentiles and are so iealous and fearefull that they would not haue a stranger to put his foote within their land so that when the Portugals go thither to pay their custome and to buy their marchandize they will not consent that they shall lie or lodge within the citie but send them foorth into the suburbes The countrey of China is neere the kingdom of great Tartaria and is a very great countrey of the Gentiles and of great importance which may be iudged by the rich and precious marchandize that come from thence then which I beleeue there are not better nor in greater quantitie in the whole world besides First great store of golde which they carie to the Indies made in plates like to little shippes and in value three and twentie caracts a peece very great aboundance of fine silke cloth of damaske and taffata great quantitie of muske great quantitie of Occam in barres great quantitie of quicksiluer and of Cinaper great store of Camfora an infinite quantitie of Porcellane made in vessels of diuerse sortes great quantitie of painted cloth and squares infinite store of the rootes of China and euery yeere there commeth from China to the Indies two or three great shippes laden with most rich and precious marchandise The Rubarbe commeth from thence ouer lande by the way of Persia because that euery yeere there goeth a great Carouan from Persia to China which is in going thither sixe moneths The Carouan arriueth at a Citie called Lanchin the place where the king is resident with his Court I spake with a Persian that was three yeeres in that citie of Lanchin and he tolde me that it was a great Citie and of great importance The voiages of Malacca which are in the iurisdiction of the Captaine of the castle are these Euery yeere he sendeth a small shippe to Timor to lade white Sandols for all the best commeth from this Iland there commeth some also from Solor but that is not so good also he sendeth another small ship euery yere to Cauchin China to lade there wood of Aloes for that all the wood of Aloes commeth from this place which is in the firme land neere vnto China and in that kingdome I could not knowe how that wood groweth by any meanes For that the people of the countrey will not suffer the Portugales to come within the land but onely for wood and water and as for all other things that they wanted as victuals or marchandise the people bring that a boord the ship in small barkes so that euery day there is a mart kept in the ship vntill such time as she be laden also there goeth another ship for the said Captaine of Malacca to Sion to lade Uerzino all these voiages are for the Captaine of the castle of Malacca and when he is not disposed to make these voiages he selleth them to another The citie of Sion or Siam SIon was the imperiall seat and a great Citie but in the yeere of our Lord God one thousand fiue hundred sixtie and seuen it was taken by the king of Pegu which king made a voyage or came by lande foure moneths iourney with an armie of men through his lande and the number of his armie was a million and foure hundreth thousand men of warre when hee came to the Citie he gaue assault to it and besieged it one and twentie monethes before he could winne it with great losse of his people this I know for that I was in Pegu sixe moneths after his departure and sawe when that his officers that were in Pegu sent fiue hundreth thousand men of warre to furnish the places of them that were slaine and lost in that assault yet for all this if there had not beene treason against the citie it had not beene lost for on a night there was one of the gates set open through the which with great trouble the king gate into the citie and became gouernour of Sion and when the Emperour sawe that he was betrayed and that his enemie was in the citie he poysoned himselfe and his wiues and children friends and noblemen that were not slaine in the first affront of the entrance into the citie were all caried captiues into Pegu where I was at the comming home of the king with his triumphs and victorie which comming home returning from the warres was a goodly sight to behold to see the Elephants come home in a square laden with golde siluer iewels and with Noble men and women that were taken prisoners in that citie Now to returne to my voyage I departed from Malacca in a great shippe which went for Saint Tome being a Citie situate on the coast of Coromandel and because the Captaine of the castles of Malacca had vnderstanding by aduise that the king of Assi would come with a great armie and power of men against them therefore vpon this he would not giue licence that any shippes should depart Wherefore in this ship wee departed from thence in the night without making any prouision of our water and wee were in that shippe foure hundreth and odde men we departed from thence with intention to goe to an Iland to take in water but the windes were so contrary that they would not suffer vs to fetch it so that by this meanes wee were two and fortie dayes in the sea as it were lost and we were driuen too and fro so that the first lande that we discouered was beyonde Saint Tome more then fiue hundreth miles which were the mountaines of
the fayres to buy my commodities with the marchants And this is the cause that the Portugales will not drinke of the water of the riuer Ganges yet to the sight it is more perfect and clearer then the water of Nilus is From the port Piqueno I went to Cochin and from Cochin to Malacca from whence I departed for Pegu being eight hundred miles distant That voyage is woont to be made in fiue and twentie or thirtie dayes but we were foure moneths and at the ende of three moneths our ship was without victuals The Pilot told vs that wee were by his altitude not farre from a citie called Tanasary in the kingdome of Pegu and these his words were not true but we were as it were in the middle of many Ilands and many vninhabited rockes and there were also some Portugales that affirmed that they knew the land and knewe also where the citie of Tanasari was This citie of right belongeth to the kingdome of Sion which is situate on a great riuers side which commeth out of the kingdome of Sion and where this riuer runneth into the sea there is a village called Mirgim in whose harbour euery yeere there lade some ships with Uerzina Nypa and Beniamin a few cloues nutmegs and maces which come from the coast of Sion but the greatest marchandise there is Uerzin and Nypa which is an excellent wine which is made of the floure of a tree called Nyper Whose liquour they distill and so make an excellent drinke cleare as christall good to the mouth and better to the stomake and it hath an excellent gentle vertue that if one were rotten with the french pockes drinking good store of this he shall be whole againe and I haue seene it proued because that when I was in Cochin there was a friend of mine whose nose beganne to drop away with that disease and he was counselled of the doctors of phisicke that he should goe to Tanasary at the time of the new wines and that he should drinke of the nyper wine night and day as much as he could before it was distilled which at that time is most delicate but after that it is distilled it is more strong and if you drinke much of it it will fume into the head with drunkennesse This man went thither and did so and I haue scene him after with a good colour and sound This wine is very much esteemed in the Indies and for that it is brought so farre off it is very deare in Pegu ordinarily it is good cheape because it is neerer to the place where they make it and there is euery yeere great quantitie made thereof And returning to my purpose I say being amongst these rockes and farre from the land which is ouer against Tanasary with great scarcitie of victuals and that by the saying of the Pylot and two Portugales holding then firme that wee were in front of the aforesayd harbour we determined to goe thither with our boat and fetch victuals and that the shippe should stay for vs in a place assigned We were twentie and eight persons in the boat that went for victuals and on a day about twelue of the clocke we went from the ship assuring our selues to bee in the harbour before night in the aforesaid port wee rowed all that day and a great part of the next night and all the next day without finding harbour or any signe of good landing and this came to passe through the euill counsell of the two Portugales that were with vs. For we had ouershot the harbour and left it behind vs in such wise that we had lost the lande inhabited together with the shippe and we eight and twentie men had no maner of victuall with vs in the boate but it was the Lords will that one of the Mariners had brought a litle rice with him in the boate to barter away for some other thing and it was not so much but that three or foure men would haue eaten it at a meale I tooke the gouernment of this Ryce promising that by the helpe of God that Ryce should be nourishment for vs vntil it pleased God to send vs to some place that was inhabited when I slept I put the ryce into my bosome because they should not rob it from me we were nine daies rowing alongst the coast without finding any thing but countreys vninhabited desert Ilands where if we had found but grasse it would haue seemed sugar vnto vs but wee could not finde any yet we found a fewe leaues of a tree and they were so hard that we could not chewe them we had water and wood sufficient and as wee rowed we could goe but by flowing water for when it was ebbing water wee made fast our boat to the banke of one of those Ilandes and in these nine dayes that we rowed we found a caue or nest of Tortoises egges wherein were one hundred fortie and foure egges the which was a great helpe vnto vs these egges are as bigge as a hennes egge and haue no shell aboue them but a tender skinne euery day we sodde a kettle full of those egges with an handfull of rice in the broth thereof it pleased God that at the ende of nine dayes we discouered certaine fisher men a fishing with small barkes and we rowed towardes them with a good cheare for I thinke there were neuer men more glad then we were for wee were so sore afflicted with penurie that we could scarce stande on our legges Yet according to the order that we set for our ryce when we sawe those fisher men there was left sufficient for foure dayes The first village that we came to was in the gulfe of Tauay vnder the king of Pegu whereas we found great store of victuals then for two or three dayes after our arriuall there we would eate but litle meate any of vs and yet for all this we were at the point of death the most part of vs. From Tauay to Martauan in the kingdome of Pegu are seuentie two miles We laded our bote with victuals which were aboundantly sufficient for sixe moneths from whence we departed for the port and Citie of Martauan where in short time we arriued but we found not our ship there as we had thought we should from whence presently we made out two barkes to goe to looke for her And they found her in great calamitie and neede of water being at an anker with a contrary winde which came very ill to passe because that she wanted her boat a moneth which should haue made her prouision of wood and water the shippe also by the grace of God arriued safely in the aforesaid port of Martauan The Citie of Martauan WE found in the Citie of Martauan ninetie Portugales of Merchants and other base men which had fallen at difference with the Retor or gouernour of the citie and all for this cause that certaine vagabondes of the Portugales had slaine fiue
as bigge as salmons like barbils We landed at Felugia the eight and twentieth of Iune where we made our abode seuen dayes for lacke of camels to cary our goods to Babylon the heat at that time of the yere is such in those parts that men are â—â—ch to let out their camels to trauell This Felugia is a village of some hundred houses and a place appointed for discharging of such goods as come downe the riuer the inhabitants are Arabians Not finding camels here we were constrained to vnlade our goods and hired an hundred asses to cary our English marchandises onely to New Babylon ouer a short desert in crossing whereof we spent eighteene houres trauelling by night and part of the morning to auoid the great heat In this place which we crossed ouer stood the olde mighty city of Babylon many olde ruines wherof are easily to be seene by day-light which I Iohn Eldred haue often beheld at my good leasure hauing made three voyages betweene the new city of Babylon and Aleppo ouer this desert Here also are yet standing the ruines of the olde tower of Babel which being vpon a plaine grouÌ„d seemeth a farre off very great but the nerer you come to it the lesser and lesser it appeareth sundry times I haue gone thither to see it and found the remnants yet standing aboue a quarter of a mile in compasse and almost as high as the stone-worke of Pauls steeple in London but it sheweth much bigger The bricks remaining in this most ancient monument be halfe a yard thicke and three quarters of a yard long being dried in the Sunne onely and betweene euery course of bricks there lieth a course of mattes made of canes which remaine sound and not perished as though they had beene layed within one yeere The city of New Babylon ioyneth vpon the aforsayd small desert where the Olde city was and the riuer of Tigris runneth close vnder the wall and they may if they will open a sâ—uce and let the water of the same runne round about the towne It is aboue two English miles in compasse and the inhabitants generally speake three languages to wit the Persian Arabian and Turkish tongues the people are of the Spaniards complexion and the women generally weare in one of the grisâ—les of their noses a ring like a wedding ring but somewhat greater with a pearle and a Turkish stone set therein and this they do be they neuer so poore This is a place of very great traffique and a very great thorowfare from the East Indies to Aleppo The towne is very well furnished with victuals which come downe the riuer of Tigris from Mosul which was called Niniue in olde time They bring these victuals and diuers sorts of marchandises vpon rafts borne vpon goats skins blowen vp ful of wind in maner of bladders And when they haue discharged their goods they sel the rafts for sixe and let the wind out of their goats skins and cary them home againe vpon their asses by land to make other voyages downe the riuer The building here is most of bricke dried in the Sun and very litle or no stone is to be found their houses are all flat-roofed and low They haue no raine for eight moneths together nor almost any clouds in the skie night nor day Their Winter is in Nouember December Ianuary and February which is as warme as our Summer in England in a maner This I know by good experience because my abode at seuerall times in this city of Babylon hath bene at the least the space of two yeres As we come to the city we passe ouer the riuer of Tigris on a great bridge made with boats chained together with two mighty chaines of yron From thence we departed in flat bottomed barks more strong greater then those of Euphrates and were eight and twenty dayes also in passing downe this riuer to Balsara but we might haue done it in eighteene or lesse if the water had bene higher Upon the waters side stand by the way diuers townes resembling much the names of the olde prophets the first towne they call Ozeah another Zecchiah Before we come to Balsara by one dayes iourney the two riuers of Tigris and Euphrates meet and there standeth a castle called Cuma kept by the Turks where all marchants pay a small custome Here the two riuers ioyned together begin to be eight or nine miles broad here also it beginneth to ebbe and flow and the water ouerflowing maketh the countrey all about very fertile of corne rice pulse and dates The towne of Balsara is a mile and an halfe in circuit all the buildings castle and wals are made of bricke dried in the Sun The Turke hath here fiue hundred Ianisaries besides other souldiers continually in garison and pay but his chiefe strength is of gallies which are about fiue and twenty or thirty very faire and furnished with goodly ordinance To this port of Balsara come monethly diuers ships from Ormuz laden with all sorts of Indian marchandise as spices drugs Indico and Calecut cloth These ships are vsually from forty to threescore tunnes hauing their planks sowed together with corde made of the barke of Date trees and in stead of Occam they vse the shiuerings of the barke of the sayd trees and of the same they also make their tackling They haue no kinde of yron worke belonging to these vessels saue only their ankers From this place six dayes sailing downe the gulfe they go to a place called Baharem in the mid way to Ormus there they fish for pearles foure moneths in the yere to wit in Iune Iuly August and September My abode in Balsara was iust sixe moneths during which time I receiued diuers letters from M. Iohn Newbery from Ormus who as he passed that way with her Maiesties letters to Zelabdim Echebar king of Cambaia vnto the mighty emperour of China was traiterously there arrested and all his company by the Portugals and afterward sent prisoner to Goa where after a long and cruell imprisonment he and his companions were deliuered vpon sureties not to depart the towne without leaue at the sute of one father Thomas Steuens an English religious man which they found there but shortly after three of them escaped whereof one to wit M. Ralph Fitch is since come into England The fourth which was a painter called Iohn Story became religious in the college of S. Paul in Goa as we vnderstood by their letters I and my companion William Shales hauing dispatched our businesse at Balsara imbarked our selues in company of seuenty barks all laden with marchandise hauing euery barke 14 men to draw them like our Westerne bargemen on the Thames and we were forty foure dayes comming vp against the streame to Babylon where arriuing and paying our custome we with all other sorts of marchants bought vs camels hired vs men to lade and driue them furnished
mony 75 basaruchies 5 tangas make a seraphine of gold which in marchandize is worth 5 tangas good money but if one would change them into basaruchies he may haue 5 taâ—gas and 16 basaruchies which ouerplus they cal cerafagio when they bargain of the pardaw of gold each pardaw is ment to be 6 tangas good mony but in marchandize they vse not to demaund pardawes of gold in Goa except it be for iewels and horses for all the rest they take of seraphinâ— of siluer per aduiso The roials of plate I say the roial of 8 are worth per custome commandement of the king of Portugall 400 reies and euery râ—y is one basaruchie one fourth part which maketh tangas 6 and 53 basaruchies as their iust value â—but for that the said roials are excellent siluer and currant in diuers places of the India and chiefly in Malacca wheÌ„ the ships are to depart at their due times called Monsons euery one to haue the said roials pay more then they are worth the ouerplus as is aboue said they call serafagio And first they giue y e iust value of the 100 roials of 8 at 5 tangas 50 basaruchies a piece which done they giue seraphins 5,6,7,8,9,10,12,15 vntill 22 by the 100 according as they are in request The duckat of gold is worth 9 tangas and a halfe good money and yet not stable in price for that when the ships depart from Goa to Cochin they pay them at 9 tangas and 3 fourth partes and 10 tangas and that is the most that they are woorth The larines are woorth by iust value basaruchies 93 and 3 fourth parts and 4 larines make a seraphine of siluer which is 5 tangas of good money and these also haue serafagion of 6,7,8,10 vntill 16 by the 100 for when the ships depart for the North to say for Chaul Diu Cambaia or Bassaim all cary of the same because it is money more currant then any other There is also a sort of seraphins of gold of the stampe of Ormuz whereof there are but fewe in Goa but being there they are woorth fiue larines and somewhat more according as they are in request There is also another litle sort of mony round hauing on the one side a crosse and on the other side a crowne which is woorth one halfe a tanga of good money and another of the same stampe lesse then that which they call Imitiuo de buona moneda which is worth 18 basaruches 3 fourth parts a piece Note that if a man bargaine in marchandize it behooueth to demaund tangas of good money for by nominating tangas onely is vnderstood to be base money of 60 basaruches which wanteth of the good money vt supra The custome of Goa is 8 in the 100 inward and as much outward and the goods are esteemed iustly rather to the marchants aduantage then the kings The custome they pay in this order Comming with a ship from Ormuz to Goa without horses they pay 8 in the 100 whether they sell part or all but if they would carie of the sayd marchandise to any other place they pay none other custome except others buy it and carie it foorth of the countrey and then they pay it 8 in the 100. And if one hauing pased the custome should sell to another with composition to passe it forth as for his proper accounts to saue the custome this may not be because the seller is put to his oth whether he send the goods for his owne account or for the account of any others that haue bought the same and being found to the contrary they pay custome as abouesaid And in this order the marchants pay of all the goods which come from any part of the Indies But if they come from Ormuz to Goa with horses they are not subiect to pay any custome inward notwithstanding if they send all or any part thereof for any other place or returne it to Ormuz they pay the custome outward although they could not sell. They vse also in Goa amongst the common sort to bargaine for coales wood lime such like at so many braganines accounting 24 basaruches for one braganine albeit there is no such mony stamped The custome of the Portugals is that any Moore or Gentile of what condition or state soeuer he be may not depart from Goa to go within the land without licence of certaine deputies deputed for that office who if they be Moores or Gentiles doe set a seale vpon the arme hauing thereon the armes of Portugal to be knowen of the porters of the citie whether they haue the said licence or no. COCHIN The weight measure and money currant in Cochin ALl the marchandise which they sell or buy within the sayd citie they bargaine for it at so many serafines per. quintal which is 128. totilos of iust weight with y e quintall rotilo of Goa and Ormuz aduertising that there are diuers sorts of bars according to the sorts of commodities and in traffiquing they reason at so much the bar Note that there are bars of 3 quintals 3 quintals and halfe and 4 quintals They abate a vsed tare of all marchandize according to the sort of goods and order taken for the same The measure of Goa and Cochin are all one The money of Cochin are all the same sorts which are currant in Goa but the duckat of gold in value is 10 tangas of good money The custome of Cochin as wel inward as outward for all strangers is eight in the hundred but those that haue bene married foure yeere in the countrey pay but foure in the hundred per aduiso MALACCA The weight measure and money of Malacca FOr the marchandise bought and sold in the citie they reckon at so much the barre which barre is of diuers sorts great and small according to the ancient custome of the said citie diuersitie of the goods But for the cloues they bargaine at so much the barre which barre is 3 quintals 2 roues and 10 rotilos As I haue abouesaid all kind of drugs haue their sorts of barres limited Note that euery quintal is 4 roues and euery roue 32 rotilos which is 128 rotilos the quintall the which answereth to Aleppo 95 rotilos and to London 472 li. per quintal The measures of Malacca are as the measures of Goa In Malacca they abate tare according to their distinction and agreement for that there is no iust tare limited For the money of Malacca the least money currant is of tinne stamped with the armes of Portugall and 12 of these make a Chazza The Chazza is also of tinne with the said armes and 2 of these make a challaine The Challaine is of tinne with the said armes and 40 of these make a tanga of Goa good money but not stamped in Malacca There is also a sort of siluer money which they call Patachines and is worth 6 tangas of good money which is
lands The Lord Chancellor is called Nissangi Bassa who sealeth with a certaine proper character such licences safe conducts passeports especiall graunts c. as proceed from the Grand Signior not withstanding all letters to forreine princes so firmed be after inclosed in a bagge and sealed by the Grand Signior with a signet which he ordinarily weareth about his necke credited of them to haue bene of ancient appertayning to king Salomon the wise The Admirall giueth his voyce in the election of all Begs Captaines of Islandes to whom hee giueth their charge as also appointeth the Subbassas Bayliffes or Constables ouer Cities and Townes vpon the Sea coastes about Constantinople and in the Archipelago whereof hee reapeth great profit The Subbassi of Pera payeth him yeerely fifteene thousande ducats and so likewise either of the others according as they are placed The Ressistop serueth in office to the Uiceroy and Chancellor as Secretary and so likewise doeth the Cogie Master of the Rolls before which two passe all writings presented to or granted by the said Uiceroy and Chancellor offices of especiall credite and like profite moreouer rewarded with annuities of lands There are also two chiefe Iudges named Cadi Lesker the one ouer Europe and the other ouer Asia and Africa which in Court doe sit on the Bench at the left hand of the Bassas These sell all offices to the vnder Iudges of the land called Cadies whereof is one in euery Citie or towne before whom all matters in controuersie are by iudgement decided as also penalties and corrections for crimes ordained to be executed vpon the offenders by the Subbassi The number of Souldiers continually attending vpon the Beglerbegs the gouernours of Prouinces and Saniacks and their petie Captaines mainteined of these Prouinces The Beglerbegs Of persons GRaecia fourtie thousand Buda fifteene thousand Sclauonia fifteene thousand Natolia fifteene thousand Caramania fifteene thousand Armonia eighteene thousand Persia twentie thousand Vsdrum fifteene thousand Chirusta fifteene thousand Caraemiti thirtie thousand Giersul two and thirtie thousand The Beglerbegs Of persons BAgdat fiue and twentie thousand Balsara two and twenty thousand Lassaija seuenteene thousand Alepo fiue and twentie thousand Damasco seuenteene thousand Cayro twelue thousand Abes twelue thousand Mecca eight thousand Cyprus eighteene thousand Tunis in Barbary eight thousand Tripolis in Syria eight thousand Alger fourtie thousand Whose Sangiacks and petie Captaines be three hundred sixtie eight euery of which retaining continually in pay from fiue hundreth to two hundreth Souldiers may be one with another at the least three hundreth thousand persons Chiefe officers in his Seraglio about his person Be these CApiaga High porter Alnader Bassi Treasurer Oda Balsi Chamberlaine Killergi Bassi Steward Saraiaga Comptroller Peskerolen Groome of the chamber Edostoglan Gentleman of the Ewer Sehetaraga Armour bearer Choataraga he that carieth his riding cloake Ebietaraga Groome of the stoole There be many other maner Officers which I esteeme superfluous to write The Turkes yeerely reuenue THe Grand Signiors annual reuenue is said to be foureteene Millions and an halfe of golden ducats which is sterling fiue millions eight score thousand pounds The tribute payd by the Christians his Subiects is one gold ducat yeerely for the redemption of euery head which may amount vnto not so litle as one Million of golden ducats which is sterling three hundred threescore thousand pounds Moreouer in time of warre he exacteth manifolde summes for maintenance of his Armie and Nauie of the said Christians The Emperour payeth him yeerely tribute for Hungary threescore thousand dollers which is sterling thirteene thousand pound besides presents to the Uiceroy and Bassas which are said to surmount to twentie thousand dollers Ambassadors allowances THe Ambassadour of the Emperor is allowed one thousand Aspers the day The Ambassadour of the French king heretofore enioyed the like but of late yeeres by meanes of displeasure conceiued by Mahumet then Viceroy it was reduced to sixe crownes the day beside the prouision of his Esquier of his stable The Ambassadours of Poland and for the state of Venice are not Ligiers as these two abouesaid The said Polack is allowed 12. French crownes the day during his abode which may be for a moneth Uery seldome do the state of Venice send any Ambassador otherwise then enforced of vrgent necessity but in stead thereof keepe there their Agent president ouer other Marchants of them termed a bailife who hath none allowance of the Grand Signior although his port state is in maner as magnifical as the other aforesaid ambassadors The Spanish Ambassador was equall with others in Ianizaries but for so much as he would not according to custome folow the list of other ambassadors in making presents to y e Grand Signior he had none alowance His abode there was 3. yeres at the end wherof hauing coÌ„cluded a truce for 6. yeres taking place froÌ„ his first comming in Nouember last past 1580. he was not admitted to the presence of the Grand Signior The letters of Sinan Bassa chiefe counsellour to Sultan Murad Can the Grand Signior to the sacred Maiestie of Elizabeth Queene of England shewing that vpon her request and for her sake especially hee graunted peace vnto the King and kingdome of Poland GLoriosissima splendore fulgidissima foeminarum selectissima Princeps magnanimorum â—ESVM sectantium regni inclyti Angliae Regina Serenissima Elizabetha moderatrix rerum negotiorum omnium plebis familiae Nazarenorum sapientissima Origo splendoris gloriae dulcissima nubes pluuiarum gratissima heres domina beatitudinis gloriae regni inclyti Anglie ad quam omnes supplices confugiunt incrementum omnium rerum actionum Serenitatis vestrae beatissimum exitusque foelicissimos à Creatore omnipotente optantes mutuáeque perpetua familiaritate nostra digna vota laudes sempiterâ—as offerentes Significamus Ser. vestrae amicisimè Quia sunt anni aliquot à quibus annis potentissima Cesarea celsitudo bella ineffabilia cuÌ„ Casul-bas Principe nempe Persarum gessit ratione quorum bellorum in partes alias belluÌ„ mouere noluit ob eamque causam in partibus Polonie latâ—ones quidam Cosaci nuncupati alij facinorosi in partibus illis existentes subditos Cesaris potentissimi turbare infestare non desierunt Nunc autem partibus Persicis compositis absolutis in partibus Polonie alijs partibus exurgentes facinoâ—osos punire constiruens Beglerbego Greciae exercitu aliquo adiuncto Principi Tartarorum mandato Cesaris misso anno proximè preterito pars aliqua Regni Poloniae infestata turbata deuastaâ—a fuit Cosaci alijque facinorosi iuxtra merita sua puniti fuerunt Quo rex Polonie viso duos legatos ad CesareaÌ„ celsitudineÌ„ mittens quòd facinorosos exquirere poena perfecta punire ab annis multis ad portam Cesaree celsitudinis missum munus augere vellet significauiâ— Cesarea autem celsitudo cui Creator omnipotens tantam suppeditauit potentiam
sword and he tooke their city which was very mighty seated vpon the sea which is called Ceuta in their language Confirmatio treugarum inter Regem Angliae Eduardum quartum Ioannem secundum Regem Portugalliae datarum in oppido montis Maioris 8 Februarij apud Westmonasterium 12 Septembris 1482 anno regni 22 Regis Eduardi quarti lingua Lusitanica ex opere sequenti excerpta Libro das obras de Garcia de Resende que tracta da vida è feitos del Rey dom Ioham secundo Embaixada que el Rey mandou à el Rey d' Inglaterra cap. 33. EDa qui de Monte Mor mandou el Rey por embaixadores à el rey dom Duarte de Inglaterra Ruy de Sousa pessoa principal è de muyto bon saber é credito de que el Rey muyto confiaua é ho doutor Ioam d' Eluas é Fernam de Pina por secretario E for am por mar muy honradamente com may boa companhia hos quaes foram en nome del Rey confirmar as ligas antiquas com Inglaterra que polla condisan dellus ho nouo Rey de hum reyno é do outro era obrigado à mandar confirmar é tambien pera mostrarem ho titolo que el rey tinha no senhorio de Guinee pera que depois de visto el rey d'Inglaterra defendesse em todos seus reynos que ninguen armassenem podesse mandar à Guinee é assi mandasse desfazer huna armada que pera laa faziam per mandado do Duque de Medina Sidonia hum Ioam Tintam é bum Guilherme Fabiam Ingreses Com ha qual embaixada el rey d' Inglaterra mostrou receber grande contentamento é foy delle com muyta honra recebida é em tudo fez inteiramente ho que pellos embaixadores Ibe foy requerido De que elles trouxeran autenticas escrituras das diligencias que con pubricos pregones fizeram é assi as prouisones das aprouasones que eran necessarias é com tudo muyto ben acabado é ha vontade del rey se vieram The Ambassage which king Iohn the second king of Portugall sent to Edward the fourth king of England which in part was to stay one Iohn Tintam and one William Fabian English men from proceeding in a voyage which they were preparing for Guinea 1481 taken out of the booke of the workes of Gracias de Resende which intreateth of the life and acts of Don Iohn the second king of Portugall Chap. 33. ANd afterwards the king sent as Ambassadours from the towne of Monte maior to king Edward the fourth of England Ruy de Sonsa a principall person and a man of great wisedome and estimation and in whom the king reposed great trust with doctor Iohn d'Eluas and Ferdinand de Pina as secretarie And they made their voyage by sea very honourably being very well accompanied These men were sent on the behalfe of their king to confirme the ancient leagues with England wherein it was conditioned that the new king of the one and of the other kingdome should be bound to send to confirme the olde leagues And likewise they had order to shew and make him acquainted with the title which the king held in the segneury of Ginnee to the intent that after the king of England had seene the same he should giue charge thorow all his kingdomes that no man should arme or set foorth ships to Ginnee and also to request him that it would please him to giue commandement to dissolue a certaine fleet which one Iohn Tintam and one William Fabian English men were making by commandement of the duke of Medina Sidonia to goe to the aforesayd parts of Ginnee With which ambassage the king of England seemed to be very well pleased and they were receiued of him with very great honour and he condescended vnto all that the ambassadours required of him at whose hands they receiued authenticall writings of the diligence which they had performed with publication thereof by the heralds and also prouisoes of those confirmations which were necessary And hauing dispatched all things well and with the kings good will they returned home into their countrey A briefe note concerning an ancient trade of the English Marchants to the Canarie-ilands gathered out of an olde ligier booke of M. Nicolas Thorne the elder a worshipfull marchant of the city of Bristoll IT appeareth euidently out of a certaine note or letter of remembrance in the custody of me Richard Hakluyt written by M. Nicolas Thorne the elder a principall marchant of Bristoll to his friend and factour Thomas Midnall and his owne seruant William Ballard at that time resident at S. Lucar in Andeluzia that in the yeere of our Lord 1526 and by all circumstances and probabilities long before certaine English marchants and among the rest himselfe with one Thomas Spacheford exercised vsuall and ordinary trade of marchandise vnto the Canarie Ilands For by the sayd letter notice was giuen to Thomas Midnall and William Ballard aforesayd that a certaine ship called The Christopher of Cadiz bound for the West Indies had taken in certaine fardels of cloth both course and fine broad and narrow of diuers sorts and colours some arouas of packthreed sixe cerons or bagges of sope with other goods of M. Nicolas Thorne to be deliuered at Santa Cruz the chiefe towne in Tenerifa one of the seuen Canary-ilands All which commodities the sayd Thomas and William were authorised by the owner in the letter before mentioned to barter sell away at Santa Cruz. And in lieu of such mony as should arise of the sale of those goods they were appointed to returne backe into England good store of Orchell which is a certaine kinde of mosse growing vpon high rocks in those dayes much vsed to die withall some quantity of sugar and certaine hundreds of kid-skinnes For the procuring of which and of other commodities at the best and first hand the sayd Thomas and William were to make their abode at Santa Cruz and to remaine there as factours for the abouesayd M. Nicolas Thorne And here also I thought good to signifie that in the sayd letters mention is made of one Thomas Tison an English man who before the foresayd yere 1526 had found the way to the West Indies and was there resident vnto whom the sayd M. Nicolas Thorne sent certaine armour and other commodities specified in the letter aforesayd A description of the fortunate Ilands otherwise called the Ilands of Canaria with their strange fruits and commodities composed by Thomas Nicols English man who remained there the space of seuen yeeres together MIne intent is particularly to speake of the Canaria Ilands which are seuen in number wherein I dwelt the space of seuen yeres and more because I finde such variety in sundry writers and especially great vntruths in a booke called The New found world Antarctike set out by a French man called Andrew Theuet the which
VEnerant autem ad regem etiam sexcenti Itali quos Papa subministrarat Comiti Irlandiae qui cum Vlissiponem tribus instructis nauibus appulisset Regi operam suam condixit eumque in bellum sequi promisit Cap. 7. Totum exercitum diuisit in quatuor acies quadratas In dextro latere primum agmen erat Velitum militum Tingitanorum eosqùe ducebat Aluarus Peresius de Tauara sinistram aciem seu mediam tenebant Germani Itali quibus imperabat Marchio Irlandiae c. Cap. 11. Inter nobiles qui in hoc prelio ceciderunt fuerunt preter regem Sebastianum dux de Auero Episcopi Conimbricensis Portuensis Commissarius generalis à Papa missus Marchio Irlandiae Christophorus de Tauora plures alij Cap. 13. The same in English THere came also to Don Sebastian the King of Portugal 600. Italians whom the Pope sent vnder the conduct of the Marques of Irland who being arriued at Lisbone with three tall ships proffered his seruice to the king and promised to attend vpon him in the warres c. He diuided the whole Armie into 4. squadrons vpon the right wing stood the first squadron consisting of men lightly armed or skirmishers and of the souldiers of Tangier Generall of whom was Don Aluaro Perez de Tauara the left or midle squadron consisted of Germanes and Italians vnder the command of the Marques of Irland c. cap. 7. Of Noblemen were slaine in this battell besides Don Sebastian the king the duke de Auero the two bishops of Coimbra of Porto the Marques of Irland sent by the Pope as his Commissary generall Christopher de Tauara and many others cap. 13. IT is further also to be remembred that diuers other English gentlemen were in this battell whereof the most part were slaine and among others M. Christopher Lyster was taken captiue and was there long detained in miserable seruitude Which gentleman although at length he happily escaped the cruel hands of the Moores yet returning home into England and for his manifold good parts being in the yeere 1586. employed by the honourable the Earle of Cumberland in a voyage intended by the Streights of Magellan for the South sea as Uiceadmirall wherein he shewed singular resolution and courage and appointed afterward in diuers places of speciall command and credite was last of all miserably drowned in a great and rich Spanish prâ—ze vpon the coast of Cornwall Certaine reports of the prouince of China learned through the Portugals there imprisoned and chiefly by the relation of Galeotto Perera a Geâ—tâ—eman of good credit that lay prisoner in that Countrey many yeeres Done out of Italian into English by Richard Willes THis land of China is parted into 13. Shires the which sometimes were ech one a kingdome by it selfe but these many yeeres they haue bene all subiect vnto one King Fuquien is made by the Portugals the first Shire because there their troubles began they had occasion thereby to know the rest In this shire be 8. cities but one principally more famous then others called Fuquico the other seuen are reasonably great the best knowen whereof vnto the Portugals is Cinceo in respect of a certaine hauen ioyning thereunto whither in time past they were wont for marchandise to resort Cantan is the second shire not so great in quantitie as well accompted of both by the king thereof and also by the Portugals for that it lieth neerer vnto Malacca then any other part of China and was first discried by the Portugals before any other shire in that prouince this shire hath in it seuen Cities Chequeam is the third shire the chiefest Citie therein is Donchion therein also standeth Liampo with other 13. or 14. boroughes countrey townes therin are too too many to be spoken of The fourth shire is called Xutiamfu the principall Citie thereof is great Pachin where the King is alwayes resident In it are fifteene other very great Cities of other townes therein and boroughes well walled and trenched about I wil say nothing The fift shire hath name Chelim the great Citie Nanquin chiefe of other fifteene cities was herein of ancient time the royall seat of the Chinish kings From this shire from the aforesaid Chequeam forward bare rule the other kings vntil the whole region became one kingdome The 6. shire beareth the name Quianci as also the principal City thereof wherein the fine clay to make vessâ—ls is wrought The Portugals being ignorant of this Countrey and findâ—ng great abundance of that fine clay to be solde at Liampo and that very good cheape thought at the first that it had bene made there howbeit in fine they perceiued that the standing of Quinzi more neere vnto Liampo then to Cinceo or Cantan was the cause of so much fine clay at Liampo within the compasse of Quinci shire be other 12. cities The 7. shire is Quicin the 8. Quansi the 9. Confu the 10. Vrnan the 11. Sichiua In the first hereof there be 16. Cities in the next 15 how many Townes the other 3. haue wee are ignorant as yet as also of the proper names of the 12. and 13. shires and the townes therein This finally may be generally said hereof that the greater shires in China prouince may bee compared with mightie kingdomes In eche one of these shires bee set Ponchiassini and Anchiassini before whom are handled the matters of other Cities There is also placed in ech one a Turan as you would say a gouernour and a Chian that is a visiter as it were whose office is to goe in circuit and to see iustice exactly done By these meanes so vprightly things are ordered there that it may be worthily accompted one of the best gouerned prouinces in all the world The king maketh alwayes his abode in the great city Pachin as much to say in our language as by the name thereof I am aduertised the towne of the kingdome This kingdome is so large that vnder fiue monethes you are not able to trauaile from the Townes by the Sea side to the Court and backe againe no not vnder three monethes in poste at your vrgent businesse The post-horses in this Countrey are litle of body but swift of foote Many doe traueile the greater part of this iourney by water in certaine light barkes for the multitude of Riuers commodious for passage from one Citie to another The King notwithstanding the hugenesse of his kingdome hath such a care thereof that euery Moone for by the Moones they reckon their monethes he is aduertised fully of whatsoeuer thing happeneth therein by these meanes following The whole prouince being diuided into shires and ech shire hauing in it one chiefe and principall Citie whereunto the matters of all the other Cities Townes and boroughes are brought there are drawen in euery chiefe Citie aforesaid intelligences of such things as doe monethly fall out and be sent in writing to the
departed from them to seeke the Edward Bonauenture which arriued at Trinidad the day before from the East Indies in whose absence Berreo sent a Canoa abord the pinnesse onely with Indians and dogs inuiting the company to goe with them into the woods to kill a deare who like wise men in the absence of their Captaine followed the Indians but were no sooner one harquebuze shot from the shore but Berreos souldiers lying in ambush had them al notwithstanding that he had giuen his word to Captaine Whiddon that they should take water and wood safely the other cause of my stay was for that by discourse with the Spaniards I dayly learned more and more of Guiana of the riuers and passages and of the enterprise of Berreo by what meanes or fault he failed and how he meant to prosecute the same While wee thus spent the time I was assured by another Casique of the North side of the yland that Berreo had sent to Margarita and Cumana for souldiers meaning to haue giuen mee a cassado at parting if it had bene possible For although he had giuen order through all the yland that no Indian should come abord to trade with me vpon paine of hanging quartering hauing executed two of them for the same which I afterwards founde yet euery night there came some with most lamentable complaints of his crueltie how he had deuided the yland and giuen to euery souldier a part that hee made the ancient Casiques which were Lords of the countrey to be their slaues that he kept them in chaines and dropped their naked bodies with burning bacon and such other torments which I found afterwards to be true for in the city after I entred the same there were 5. of y e lords or litle kings which they cal Casiques in the West Indies in one chaine almost dead of famine and wasted with torments these are called in their owne language Acarewana and now of late since English French and Spanish are come among them they call themselues Capitaines because they perceiue that the chiefest of euery ship is called by that name Those fiue Capitaines in the châ—ine were called Wannawanare Carroaori Maquarima Tarroopanama and Aterima So as both to be reuenged of the former wrong as also considering that to enter Guiana by small boats to depart 400. or 500. miles from my ships and to leaue a garison in my backe interrested in the same enterprize who also dayly expected supplies out of Spaine I should haue sauoured very much of the asse and therefore taking a time of most aduantage I set vpon the Corps du guard in the euening and hauing put them to the sword sent Captaine Calfield onwards with 60. souldiers and my selfe followed with 40. more and so tooke their new City which they called S. Ioseph by breake of day they abode not any fight after a fewe shot and all being dismissed but onely Berreo and his companion I brought them with me abord and at the instance of the Indians I set their new citie of S. Ioseph on fire The same day arriued captaine George Gifford with your Lordships ship and captaine Keymis whom I lost on the coast of Spaine with the Galego and in them diuers gentlemen and others which to our little armie was a great comfort and supply We then hasted away towards our purposed discouery and first I called all the Captaines of the yland together that were enemies to the Spaniards for there were some which Berreo had brought out of other countreys and planted there to eate out and wast those that were naturall of the place and by my Indian interpreter which I caried out of England I made them vnderstand that I was the seruant of a Queene who was the great Casique of the North and a virgine and had more Casiqui vnder her then there were trees in that yland that shee was an enemie to the Castellani in respect of their tyrannie and oppression and that the deliuered all such nations about her as were by them oppressed and hauing freed all the coast of the Northren world from their seruitude had sent mee to free them also and withall to defend the countrey of Guiana from their inuasion aâ—d conquest I shewed them her Maiesties picture which they so admired and honoured as it had bene easie to haue brought them idolatrous thereof The like and a more large discourse I made to the rest of the nations boâ—h in my passing to Guiana and to those of the borders so as in that part of the world her Maiestie is very famous and admirable whom they now call Ezrabeta Cassipuna Aquerewana which is as much as Elizabeth the great princesse or greatest commander This done we left Puerto de los Espannoles and returned to Curiapan and hauing Berreo my prisoner I gathered from him as much of Guiana as hee knew This Berreo is a gentleman wel descended and had long serued the Spanish king in Millain Naples the Low countreis and elsewhere very valiant and liberall and a gentleman of great assurednes and of a great heart I vsed him according to his estate and worth in all things I could according to the small meanes I had I sent Captaine Whiddon the yeere before to get what knowledge he could of Guiana and the end of my iourney at this time was to discouer and enter the same but my intelligence was farre from trueth for the countrey is situate aboue 600. English miles further from the Sea then I was made beleeue it had bin which afterward vnderstanding to be true by Berreo I kept it from the knowledge of my company who â—lse would neuer haue bene brought to attempt the same of which 600. miles I passed 400. leauing my ships so farre from mee at ancker in the Sea which was more of desire to performe that discouery then of reason especially hauing such poore and weake vessels to transport our selues in for in the bottom of an old Galego which I caused to be fashioned like a galley and in one barge two whirries and a shipboat of the Lions whelpe we caried 100. persons and their victuals for a moneth in the same being al driuen to lie in the raine and weather in the open aire in the burning Sunne and vpon the hard bords and to dresse our meat and to cary all maner of furniture in them wherewith they were so pestered and vnsauory that what with victuals being most fish with the wette clothes of so many men thrust together and the heat of the Sunne I wâ—ll vndertake there was neuer any prison in England that could bee found more vnsauorie and lothsome especially to my selfe who had for many yeeres before bene dicted and cared for in a sort farre more differing If Captaine Preston had not bene perswaded that he should haue come too late to Trinidad to haue â—ound vs there for the moneth was â—xpired which I promised to tary for him there ere hee coulde recouer the
at sea which was feared would turne to the losse of the life of Martin Cockeram his pledge Neuerthelesse the Sauages being fully perswaded of the honest dealing of our men with thâ—ir prince restored againe the said pledge without any harme to him or any man of the company which pledge of theirs they brought home againe into England with their ship fraighted and furnished with the commodities of the countrey Which Martin Cockeram by the witnesse of Sir Iohn Hawkins being an officer in the towne of Plimmouth was liuing within these fewe yeeres An ancient voyage of M. Robert Reniger and M. Thomas Borey to Brasil in the yeere of our Lord 1540. I Haue bene certainly informed by M. Anthony Garrard an ancient and worshipfull marchant of the citie of London that this commondious and gainefull voyage to Brasil was ordinarily and vsually frequented by M. Robert Reniger M. Thomas Borey and diuers other substantial and wealthie marchants of Southampton about 60. yeeres past that is to say in the yeere 1540. A voyage of one Pudsey to Baya in Brasil anno 1542. ALso the worshipfull M. Edward Cotton of Southhampton Esquire gaue mee more particularly to vnderstand how that one Pudsey of Southampton a man of good skill and resolution in marine causes made a voyage in like maner 62. yeeres agoe to Baya de todos los Santos the principall towne of all Brasil and the seate of the Portugal vice-roy and of the bishop and that he built a fort not farre distant from that place in the foresaid yeere 1542. A letter written to M. Richard Staper by Iohn VVhithal from Santos in Brasil the 26. of Iune 1578. WOrshipfull sir and welbeloued friend M. Staper I haue me most heartily commended vnto you wishing your health euen as mine owne These few words may bee to let you vnderstand that whereas I wrote vnto you not many dayes past by the way of Lisbon howe that I determined to bee with you very shortly it is in this countrey offered mee to marry and to take my choice of three or foure so that I am about three dayes agoe conâ—orted with an Italian gentleman to marry with his daughter within these foure dayes This my friend and father in law Signor Ioffo Dore is borne in the citie of Genua in Italy his kindred is well knowen amongst the Italians in London also hee hath but onely this childe which is his daughter which hee hath thought better bestowed vpon mee then on any Portugal in all the countrey and doeth giue with her in marriage to me part of an Ingenio which he hath that doeth make euery yeere a thousand roues of sugar This my mariage will be worth to me two thousand duckets little more or lesse Also Signor Ioffo Dore my father in lawe doeth intende to put into my handes the whole Ingenio with sixtie or seuentie slaues and thereof to make me factor for vs both I giue my lining Lord thankes for placing me in such honour and plentifulnesse of all things Also certaine dayes past I talked with the Prouedor and the Captaine and they haue certified me that they haue discouered certaine Mines of siluer and gold and looke euery day for Masters to come to open the said Mines which when they be opened will inrich this countrey very much This place is called S. Vincent and is distant from you two thousand leagues and in 24. degrees of latitude on the South side of the Equinoctial line almost vnder the Tropike of Capricorne A countrey it is very healthfull without sicknesse Moreouer I haue talked with the Captaine and Prouedor and my father in law who rule all this countrey for to haue a ship with goods to come from London hither which haue promised mee to giue mee licence saying that nowe I am free dâ—nizen of this countrey To cause a ship to come hither with such commodities as would serue this countrey would come to great gaines God sending in safety the profite and gaines In such wares and commodities as you may ship hither from London is for euery one commoditie deliuered here three for one and then after the proceed may be imployed in white sugar at foure hundred reis the roue I meane also to haue a â—riend in London to sende mee a ship of 60. or 70. tunnes little more or lesse with such commodities as I shall giue aduise for This voyage is as good as any Peru-voyage If you and Master Osborne will deale here I will deale with you before any other because of our old friendly friendship in time past If you haue any stomacke thereto in the Name of God do you espie out a sine barke of seuentie or eightie tunnes and send her hither with a Portugal Pilot to this port of S. Vincent in Brasil bordering vpon the borders of Peru. Also I herewith write vnto you in what forme and maner you shall furnish this voyage both in commodities and otherwise First you must lade in the said ship certaine Hampshire and Deuonshire karsies for the which you must let her depart from London in October and to touch in the Canaries and there to make sale of the saide karsies and with the proceed thereof of lade fifteene tunnes of wines that be perfect and good and siâ—e dozen of Cordouan skinnes of these colours to wit orenge tawnie yellow red and very fine black I thinke you shall not finde such colours there Therefore you must cause them that shall go vpon this voyage to take saffron with them to cause the same skinnes to bee put into the saide colours Also I thinke you shall finde oyles there Three hogsheads of sweete oyle for this voyage are very necessary or a hundred fiftie iarres of oyle Also in London you may lade in the said ship these parcels of commodities or wares as followeth In primis Foure peeces of hollands of middle sort Item One peece of fine holland Foure hundred elles of osenbriges very fine Foure dozen of sizzors of all sorts Sixteene kintals of pitch of the Canaries Twentie dozen of great kniues which be made in fardles of a low price Foure dozen of a small sort Sixe peeces of bayes of the lowest sort One very fine peece of dayes Foure hundred elles of Manchester-cottons most blacke greene some yellow Eight or tenne dozen of hats the one halfe trimmed with taffata the other plaine with the bands od Cypresse Sixe dozen of course shirts Three dozen of doublets of canuas Three dozen of doublets of stitched canuas One peece of fine Millan-fustian barred Sixe dozen of locks for doores and chests Sixe thousand of all maner of fish hooks Foure dozen reames of paper Two dozen of glasses of diuers sorts Two dozen of Venice glasses the one halfe great the other middle sort Two dozen of mantles of frize of the lowest price that can be Three dozen of frize gownes Foure hundred pound of tinne of the vse of Portugall most smal dishes and trenchers Foure pound
that watereth al the gardens in the citie A Bizantin is 6. d. sterling S. Sophia is a Cathedral church of Nicosia Monte de la Croce Limisâ—o Carrobi Vulture Great plenty of very fat birds The Famagustans obserue the French statutes Cauo Bianco Another Cion A ship called el Bonna A great tempest Candia Goâ—i Antonie Gelber dâ—parteth this life Cauo Matapan Cauo Gallo Modon Sapientia Coron Napolis de Romanâ—a Prodeno Zâ—nâ—e and Cephalonia Castle Torneste vnder the Turke Cauo S. Maria on the coast of Albania Corâ—u Island The description of the â—orâ—e of Corâ—u The Island of Coâ—â—u is very plâ—â—tiâ—â—ll Câ—ssopo A daâ—geroâ—s 〈◊〉 in the ship Saseno Valona Meleda Curzola a fruitfull Iland In the Iland of Lesina are taken store of Sardinas The gulfe of Queâ—nâ—ro Rouignio Parenzo S. Nicolo an Iland Caorle standing at the eâ—â—ry of the marshes of Venice Our arriuall at Venice 1569. The Pâ—ince Pedro Doâ—â—a is captâ—iâ—e of 40 gallies â—â—dâ—â—â—he Empâ—roâ— Iuanâ—â—â—e Doâ—iâ—â— The Mauneses put out of the Iland of Chio â—y the Turkâ— The â—â—sâ—oâ—â—â—horowe â—â— all Tuâ—kie is â—en in eâ—ery hâ—â—dreth English men do buy more commodities of Chio then any other nation Great store of sundry commodities to be had in Chio. Diuers places where we may haue sweete oiles for our clothing farre cheaper then on t of Spaine Gaspar Campion maried in Chio 24 yeeres Store of hoops laden at Castilla de la mare for Candia Master Malim at Constantinople 1564. Rhodes lost Scio lost Cyprus lost * In Italy and other places the date of the yere of y e Lord is alwayes changed the first of Ianuary or on New yeres day and from that day reckoned vpon although wee heere in England especially the temporall lawyers â—or certaine caâ—ses are not woont to alâ—er the same vntill the Annunciation of our Ladie Carumusalini he vessels like vnto y e French Gabards sailing dayly vpon the riuer of Bordeaux which saile w t a misen or triangle saile * Maone be vessels like vnto y e great hulks which come hither froÌ„ Denmarke some of the which cary 7 oâ— 8 hundred tunnes a piece flat and broad which saile some of them with seuen misens a piece * Palandrie be great flat vessels made like Feriboats to transport horse Nicosia otherwise called Licosia Sig. Bragaâ—ino was Proâ—editore that is Gouernour and Sig. Baglione Generall of the Christian armie * Baffo of the ancient writers named Paphos in the which Citie there was a sumptuous Church dedicated to Venus * Arsenall in Constantinople and Venice is the place for munition and artillery to lie in Two Venetian sonses or Soldi amount but to one peny English * Albannis souldiers souldiers of Albania otherwise called Epiâ—us who coÌ„monly serue the Venetians both on horsebacke and foot very skilfull painfull Of this noble painfull Venetian gentleman M. Gio. Antonio Querini who was afterwardes hewen in sunder by the coÌ„mandement of Mustafa I was entertained very courteouslâ— in my trauell at Corcyra now called Corâ—u he being then tâ—eâ—e Mag. Castellano or Captaine of one of the castles In extremities meÌ„ haue no regard to spare trifles Prouident carâ—â—ull gouernours or magistrates seldome sleepe all the night at anâ— time much lâ—sse in dangerous seasons A small thing at the beginning or in due tiâ—e done helpeth much That certaine women inhabating this Iland be â—iragos or maÌ„kind I saw â—ufficient triall at my last being there in a city called Saline It is accouÌ„ted a good warlike shilt to leaue that to our enemies with hinderance which we can not any longer keepe and vse to our owne commodity The forwardnes of the captaine at dangerous times not only much comforteth the common souldier but also increaseth greatly his credit commendation w t all men Teglia in Latine called Teda is a certanie wood which burneth easily and sauoreth vnpleasantly of the which there is great store in Sicilia sometime it is vsed for a torch No necessarie thing to bee done was lest vnattempted on either part Mans courage oft abateth but hope seldome forsaketh Saguntina â—ames In Iuly the heat is so extreme in this Iland that the inhabitants thereof are not woont to trauell but by night onley A letter or supplication exhibited by the Cypriottes vnto Sig. Bragadino The answere of the former letter It standeth with reason in hope of sauing the greater to let the lesser go Necessitie oft times presseth vs in the â—nd to that which â—ur will continually spurneth against Giannezerâ— â—e the gard of the great Turke iâ— that Aga de Giannizetâ— is the captaine of the Turkes gard Iust Turkish dealing to speake and not to meane sodainly to promise and neuer to perform the same The propertie of true fortitude is not to be broken with sudden terrors Mustafa cosin germaine to y e thiefe which hong on the left side of our Sauiour at his Passion * Zechini be certaine pieces of fine gold coined in Venice euery one of the which is in value sixe shillings eight pence of our mony somewhat better equal altogether to a Turkish Byâ—altom His death answerable to his former life * A Foist is as it were a Brigandine being somewhat larger then halfe a galley much vsed of the Turkish Cursaros or as we call them Pirates of Rouers * The gate of the great Tuâ—ke is as much to say as Constantinople the which they call in the Turkish language Sâ—anbâ—ll Gli Venturierida spada are a kind of venturing souldiers who commonly are wont to â—olow the army in hope of the spoile Aleppo a â—amous riueâ—â—â— neere vnto Antiochia otherwise called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the city of the Sunne * Bey in y e Turkish language signifieth knight with vs. * Begliarbei signifieth lord Admirall * Sangiaccho is that person w t the Turkes that gouerneth a prouince or countrey God suffereth much to be done to his seruants but neuer forsaketh them Necessitie oft times sharpeneth mens wits causeth boldnes The nature of euery commoditie is sooner vnderstood by lacking then by continuall enioying of the same * Candia of the old writers called Creta in latin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greek because it had once a 100. Cities in it now there remaining but onely 4. thus commonly named Candia la Cania Reâ—ima and Scythia Iohn Foxe taken 1563. The valour death of their Boatswaine The Englishmen caried prisoners vnto an Hauen nere Alexandria The last of December Ianuariâ— Extremity of famine Iohn Fox his sword kept as a monument in Gallipoli The voyage of Iohn Wight and Ioseph Clements to Constantinople The first voyage of M. William Harborne to Constantinople ‖ These two were Sir Edward Osborne And M. Richard Staper ‖ Ye calleth the Germaine emperor but king of Germanie The Turke demandeth like priuileges for his subiects in the Queenes dominions ‖ With vs the yeere 1579. Foedus Turciâ— Imperatoris cum Regina â—aitum Artâ—culi â—uiuâ— priuilegij
Cuius si quantitatem requitis non nisi machinis instrumentorum genere adminiculo leuari poterat si qualitatem nec maâ—eria nec opere ipsum putem aliquando ab aliquo huiusce apparatu superatum iri Literas quoque mellito sermone plenas pariter direxerat quarum hic tenor fuit Praecordiali amico suo Frederico Dei gratia Romanorum imperatori inuictissimo Henricus Rex Angliae dux Normanniae Aquitaniae Comes Andegauensis salutem verae dilectionis concordiam Excellentiae vestrae quantas possumus referimus grates dominantium optime quod nos nuncijs vestris visitare salutare literis muneribus praeuenire quod his charius amplectimur pacis amoris inuicem dignatus estis foedera inchoare Exultauimus quodammodo animum nobis crescere in maius sensimus euehi dum vestra promissio in qua nobis spem dedistis in disponendis Regni nostri negocijs alacriores nos reddidit promptiores Exultauimus in quam tota mente magnificentiae vestrae assurreximus id vobis in sincero cordis affectu respondentes quod quicquid ad honorem vestrum spectare nouerimus pro posse nostro effectui mancipare parati sumus Regnum nostrum quicquid vbique nostrae subijcitur ditioni vobis exponimus vestre committimus potestari vt ad vestrum nutum omnia disponantur in omnibus vestri fiat voluntas imperij Sit igitur inter nos populos nostros dilectionis pacis vnitas indiuisa commercia tuta Ita tamen vt vobis qui dignitate praeminetis imperandi cedat authoritas nobis non deerit voluntas obsequendi Et sicut vestrae Serenitatis memoriam vestrorum excitat in nobis munerum largitio sic vos nostri quoque reminisci praeoptamus mittentes quae pulchriora penes nos erant vobis magis placitura Attendite itaque dantis affectum non data eo animo quo dantur accipite De manu beati Iacobi super qua nobis scripsistis in ore magistri Hereberti Guilielmi Clerici nostri verbuÌ„ posuimus Teste Thoma Cancellario apud Northanton The same in English THere were present also the same time the messengers of Henry king of England presenting diuers rich and precious gifts and that with great learning eloquence of speech Amongst the which we saw a pauilion most large in quantity most excellent in quality For if you desire to know the quantitie therof it could not be erected without engines and a kinde of instruments and maine force if the qualitie I thinke there was neuer any furniture of the same kinde that surpassed the same either in stuffe or workemanship The said king directed his letters also full of sugred speeches the tenour whereof was this that followeth To his entirely beloued friend Frederick by the grace of God Emperour of the Romanes most inuincible Henry king of England duke of Normandie and Aquitaine Earle of Anjou wisheth health and concord of sincere amitie We doe render vnto your highnes most renowmed and peerelesse Prince exceeding great thanks for that you haue so graciously vouchsafed by your messengers to visite vs in your letters to salute vs with your gifts to preuent vs and which wee doe more highly esteeme of then all the rest to beginne a league of peace and friendship betweene vs. We reioyced and in a maner sensibly felt our selues to bee greatly emboldened and our courage to encrease whilest your promise whereby you put vs in good comfort did make vs more cheerefull and resolute in managing the affaires of our kingdome We reioyced I say in our secret cogitations did humble obeisance vnto your Maiestie giuing you at this time to vnderstand froÌ„ the sincere vnfained affection of our heart that whatsoeuer we shal know to tend vnto your honour we are to our power most ready to put in practise Our kingdome and whatsoeuer is vnder our iurisdiction we doe offer vnto you and commit the same vnto your highnesse that all matters may be disposed according to your direction and that your pleasure may in all things be fulfilled Let there be therefore betweene our selues and our subiects an indiuisible vnitie of friendship and peace and safe trade of Marchandize yet so as that vnto you who excell in dignitie authoritie in commanding may bee ascribed and diligence in obeying shall not want in vs. And as the liberalitie of your rewards doeth often put vs in remembrance of your Maiestie euen so in like maner sending vnto your Highnesse the most rare things in our custodâ—e and which we thought should be most acceptable vnto you wee doe most heartily with that your selfe also would not altogether bee vnmindefull of vs. Haue respect therefore not vnto the gifts but vnto the affection of the giuer and accept of them with that minde wherewith they are offered vnto you Concerning the hand of S. Iames about which you wrote vnto vs we haue sent you word by M. Herbert and by William the Clerke Witnes Thomas our Chancelour at Northanton A generall safe conduct graunted to all forreine Marchants by king Iohn in the first yeere of his reigne as appeareth in the Records of the Tower Anno 1. Regis Ioannis IOannes Dei gratia c. Maiori Communitati Londinensi salutem Sciatis voluntatem esse nostram quod omnes Mercatores de quacunque fuerint terra saluum habeant conductum ire redire cum mercibus suis in Angliam Volumus etiam quod ean dem habeant pacem in Anglia quam Mercatores de Anglia habent in terris illis vnde fuerunt egressi Et ideo vobis praecipimus quod hoc faciatis denunciati in Balliua vestra firmiter teneri permittentes eos ire redire sine impedimento per debitas rectas solitas consuetudines in Balliua vestra Teste Galfredo silio Perri comite Essexiae apud Kinefard 5. die Aprilis In eadem forma scribitur vicecomiti Sudsex Maiori communitati Ciuitatis Winton Balliuo de Southampton Balliuo de Lenne Balliuo Kent Vicecomiti Norffolciae Suffolciae Vicecomiti dorset Sommerset Baronibus de quinque portubus Vicecomiti de Southampton sire Vicecomiti de Herteford Essex Vicecomiti Cornubiae Deuon The same in English IOhn by the grace of God c. to the Maior and communaltie of London greeting You are to vnderstand that it is our pleasure that all Marchants of what nation soeuer shall haue safe conduct to passe and repasse with their Marchandize into England It is our will also that they be vouchsafed the same fauour in England which is granted vnto the English Marchants in those places from whence they come And therefore we giue you in charge that you cause this to be published and proclaimed in your bailiwicke firmely to be obserued permitting them to goe come without impediment according to the due right and ancient customes vsed
in your said Bailiwicke Witnesse Geofry Fitz-Peter Earle of Esser at Kinefard the 5. day of April The same forme of writing was sent to the sherife of Sudsex to the Maior and communaltie of the Citie of Winchester to the Baily of Southampton the Baily Lenne the Baily of Kent the sherife of Norfolke and Suffolke the sherife of Dorset and Sommerset the Barons of the Cinque-ports the sherife of Southampton-shire the sherife of Hertford and Essex the sherife of Cornewal and Deuon Literae regis Henrici tertij ad Haquinum Regem Norwegiae de pacis foedere intercursu mercandisandi Anno 1. Henrici 3. HEnricus Dei gratia c. Haquino eadem gratia Regi Norwegiae salutem Immensas nobilitati vestrae referimus gratiarum actiones de his quae per literas vestras prudentem virum Abbatem de Lisa nobis significastis volentes desiderantes foedus pacis dilectionis libenter nobiscum inire nobiscum confoederari Bene autem placet place bit nobis quod terre nostre cōmunes sint Mercatores homines qui sunt de potestate vestra libere sine impedimento terram nostram adire possint homines Mercatores nostri similiter terrā vestram Dum tamen literas vestras patentes super hoc nobis destinetis nos vobis nostras transmittemus Interim autem bene volumus concedimus quod Mercatores tam de terra vestra quà m nostra eant veniant recedant per terras nostras Et si quid vestrae sederit voluntati quod facere valeamus id securè nobis significetis Detinuimus autem adhuc Abbatem praedictum vt de naui vestra rebus in ea contentis pro posse nostro restitutionem fieri faceremus per quem de statu nostro Regni nostri vos certificare curabimus quà m citius c. Teste me ipso apud Lamhithe decimo die Octobris Eodem modo scribitur S. Duci Norwegiae ibidem eodem die The letters of King Henry the third vnto Haquinus King of Norway concerning a treatie of peace and mutuall traffique of marchandize c HEnry by the grace of God c. vnto Haquinus by the same grace King of Norway sendeth greeting Wee render vnto your highnesse vnspeakeable thanks for those things which by your letters and by your discreete subiect the Abbat of Lisa you haue signified vnto vs and also for that you are right willing and desirous to begin and to conclude betweene vs both a league of peace and amitie And wee for our part both nowe are and hereafter shal be well contented that both our lands be common to the ende that the Marchants and people of your dominions may freely and without impediment resort vnto our land and our people and Marchants may likewise haue recourse vnto your territories Prouided that for the confirmation of this matter your send vnto vs your letters patents and wee will send ours also vnto you Howbeit in the meane while wee doe will and freely graunt that the Marchants both of our and your lands may goe come and returne to and from both our Dominions And if there be ought in your minde whereby we might stand you in any stead you may boldly signifie the same vnto vs. Wee haue as yet deteined the foresaid Abbat that wee might to our abilitie cause restitution to be made for your ship and for the things therein contained by whome wee will certifie you of our owne estate and of the estate of our kingdome so soone c. Witnesse our selfe at Lamhith the tenth of October Another letter in the same forme and to the same effect was there and then sent vnto S. Duke of Norway Mandatum pro Coga Regis Norwegiae Anno 13. Henrici 3. MAndatum est omnibus Balliuis portuum in quos ventura est Coga de Norwegia in qua venerint in Angliam milites Regis Norwegiae Mercatores Saxoniae quod cum praedictam Cogam in portus suos venire contigerit saluò permittant ipsam Cogam in portubus suis morari quamdiu necesse habuerit libere sine impedimento inde receder◠quando voluerint Teste Rege The same in English A Mandate for the King of Norway his Ship called the Cog. WEe will and commaund all bailifes of Portes at the which the Cog of Norway wherein certaine of the king of Norwaie his souldiers and certaine Marchants of Saxonie are comming for England shall touch that when the foresaid Cog shall chance to arriue at any of their Hauens they doe permit the said Cog safely to remaine in their said Hauens so long as neede shall require and without impediment also freely to depart thence whensoeuer the gouernours of the sayd ship shall thinke it expedient Witnesse the King Carta pro Mercatoribus de Colonia anno 20. Henrici 3. Confirmata per Regem Edwardum primum S. Iulij Anno Regni 18. prout extat in rotulo cartarum de Anno 18. Regis Edwardi primi REx Archiepiscopis c. salutem Sciatis nos quietos clamasse pro nobis haeredibus nostris dilectos nostros Ciues de Colonia mercandisam suam de illis duobus solidis quos solebant dare de Gildhalla sua London de omnibus alijs consuetudinibus demandis quae pertinent ad nos in London per totam terram nostram quod liberè possunt ire ad ferias per totam terram nostram emere vendere in villa London alibi salua libertate Ciuitatis nostrae London Quare volumus firmiter praecipimus pro nobis c haeredibus nostris quod praedicti ciues de Colonia praenominatas libertates liberas consuetudines habeant per totam terram nostram Angliae sicut praedictum est His testibus venerabili patre Waltero Caerleolensi Episcopo Willielmo de Ferarijs Gilberto Basset Waltero de Bello campo Hugone Disspenser Waltero Marescallo Galfrido Dispenser Bartholomaeo Pech Bartholomaeo de Saukeuill alijs Data per manum venerabilis patris Radulphi Cicistrensis Episcopi Cancellarij nostri apud Dauintre Octauo die Nouembris Anno Regni nostri vicesimo The same in English A Charter graunted for the behalfe of the Marchants of Colen in the twentieth yeere of Henry the third confirmed by King Edward the first as it is extant in the roule of Charters in the eighteenth yeere of King Edward the first THe King vnto Archbishops c. greeting Be it knowen vnto you that wee haue quite claimed and for vs and our heires released our welbeloued the Citizens of Colen and their marchandize from the payment of those two shillings which they were wont to pay out of their Gildhall at London and from all other customes and demaunds which perteine vnto vs either in London or in any other place of our Dominions and that they may safely resort vnto Fayers throughout our whole
falchines of the king of Pegu which chaunced about a moneth after the king of Pegu was gone with a million and foure hundred thousand men to conquere the kingdome of Sion They haue for custome in this Countrey and kingdome the king being wheresoeuer his pleasure is to bee out of his kingdome that euery fifteene dayes there goeth from Pegu a Carouan of Falchines with euery one a basket on his head full of some fruites or other delicates of refreshings and with cleane clothes it chaunced that this Carouan passing by Martauan and resting themselues there a night there happened betweene the Portugales and them wordes of despight and from wordes to blowes and because it was thought that the Portugales had the worse the night following when the Falchines were a sleepe with their companie the Portugales went and cut off fiue of their heads Now there is a lawe in Pegu that whosoeuer killeth a man he shall buy the shed blood with his money according to the estate of the person that is slaine but these Falchines being the seruants of the king the Retors durst not doe any thing in the matter without the consent of the king because it was necessarie that the king should knowe of such a matter When the king had knowledge thereof he gaue commaundement that the male factors should be kept vntill his comming home and then he would duely minister iustice but the Captaine of the Portugales would not deliuer those men but rather set himselfe with all the rest in armes and went euery day through the Citie marching with his Drumme and ensignes displayd For at that time the Citie was emptie of men by reason they were gone all to the warres and in businesse of the king in the middest of this rumour wee came thither and I thought it a strange thing to see the Portugales vse such insolencie in another mans Citie And I stoode in doubt of that which came to passe and would not vnlade my goods because that they were more sure in the shippe then on the land the greatest part of the lading was the owners of the shippe who was in Malacca yet there were diuerse marchants there but their goods were of small importance all those marchants tolde me that they would not vnlade any of their goods there vnlesse I would vnlade first yet after they left my counsell and followed their owne and put their goods a lande and lost euery whit The Rector with the customer sent for mee and demaunded why I put not my goods a lande and payed my custome as other men did To whom I answered that I was a marchant that was newly come thither and seeing such disorder amongst the Portugales I doubted the losse of my goods which cost me very deare with the sweate of my face and for this cause I was determined not to put my goods on lande vntill such time as his honour would assure me in the name of the king that I should haue no losse and although there came harme to thē Portugales that neither I nor my goods should haue any hurt because I had neither part nor any difference with them in this tumult my reason sounded well in the Retors eares and so presently he sent for the Bargits which are as Counsellers of the Citie and there they promised mee on the kings head or in the behalfe of the king that neither I nor my goods should haue any harme but that we should be safe and sure of which promise there were made publike notes And then I sent for my goods and had them on land and payde my custome which is in that countrey ten in the hundreth of the same goods and for my more securitie I tooke a house right against the Retors house The Captaine of the Portugales and all the Portugall marchants were put out of the Citie and I with twentie and two poore men which were officers in the shippe had my dwelling in the Citie After this the Gentiles deuised to be reuenged of the Portugales but they would not put it in execution vntill such time as our small shippe had discharged all her goods and then the next night following came from Pegu foure thousand souldiers with some Elephants of warre and before that they made any tumult in the citie the Retor sent and gaue commaundement to all Portugales that were in the Citie when they heard any rumour or noyse that for any thing they should not goe out of their houses as they tendered their owne health Then foure houres within night I heard a great rumour and noyse of men of warre with Elephants which threw downe the doores of the ware-houses of the Portugales and their houses of wood and strawe in the which tumult there were some Portugales wounded and one of them slaine and others without making proofe of their manhoode which the day before did so bragge at that time put themselues to flight most shamefully and saued themselues a boord of litle shippes that were at an anker in the harbour and some that were in their beds fled away naked and that night they caried away all the Portugalles goods out of the suburbes into the Citie and those Portugales that had their goods in the suburbes also After this the Portugales that were fledde into the shippes to saue themselues tooke a newe courage to themselues and came on lande and set fire on the houses in the suburbes which houses being made of boorde and strawe and the winde blowing fresh in small time were burnt and consumed with which fire halfe the Citie had like to haue beene burnt when the Portugales had done this they were without all hope to recouer any part of their goods againe which goods might amount to the summe of sixteene thousand duckats which if they had not set fire to the towne they might haue had againe withont any losse at all Then the Portugales vnderstanding that this thing was not done by the consent of the king but by his Lieutenant and the Retor of the citie ware very ill content knowing that they had made a great fault yet the next morning following the Portugales beganne to bende and shoot their ordinance against the Citie which batterie of theirs continued foure dayes but all was in vaine for the shotte neuer hit the Citie but lighted on the top of a small hill neere vnto it so that the citie had no harme When the Retor perceiued that the Portugales made battery against the Citie hee tooke one and twentie Portugales that were there in the Citie and sent them foure miles into the Countrey there to tarry vntill such time as the other Portugales were departed that made the batterie who after their departure let them goe at their owne libertie without any harme done vnto them I my selfe was alwayes in my house with a good guard appointed me by the Retor that no man should doe me iniurie nor harme me nor my goods in such wise that hee perfourmed all
at the ende of this discourse hereunto annexed which letter and present with one from the grand Signor was sent by M. Edward Bushell and M. William Aldridge ouer-land the 20 of March who passed through Vâ—lachia and Moldauia so through Poland where Michael prince of Valachia and Aron Voiuoda prince of Moldauia receiuing letters from the ambassador entertained theÌ„ with al curtesie through whose meanes by the great fauour which his lordship had with the grand Signior they had not long before both of them bene aduanced to their princely â—ignities Hee likewise presented Sigala the Admirall of the Seas with Abâ—im Bassa who maried the great Turkes daughter and all the other Uizirs with diuers pieces of plate fine English cloth other costly things the particulars whereof to auoid tediousnesse I omit All the presents thus ended the ship shooting ten pieces of ordinance at the Seraglio point as a last farewell departed on her iourney for England the first of Nouember my selfe continuing in Constantinople vntill the last of Iuly after This yere in the spring there was great preparation for the Hungarian wars and the great Turke threatened to goe himselfe in person but like Hellogabalus his affections being more seruiceable to Venus then to Mars he stayed at home Yet a great army was dispatched this yere who as they came out of Asia to goe for Hungary did so pester the streets of Constantinople for the space of two moneths in the spring time as scarse either Christian or Iew could without danger of losing his money passe vp and downe the city What insolencies murders and robberies were committed not onely vpon Christians but also vpon Turks I omit to write and I pray God in England the like may neuer be seene and yet I could wish that such amongst vs as haue inioyed the Gospel with such great and admirable peace and prosperity vnder her Maiesties gouernment this forty yeeres and haue not all this time brought forth better fruits of obedience to God and thankfulnesse to her Maiesty were there but a short time to beholde the miserable condition both of Christians and othere liuing vnder such an infidell prince who not onely are wrapped in most palpable grosse ignorance of mind but are cleane without the meanes of the true knowledge of God I doubt not but the sight hereof if they be not cleane void of grace would stirre them vp to more thankefulnesse to God that euer they were borne in so happy a time and vnder so wise and godly a prince professing the true religion of Christ. The number of souldiours which went to the warres of Hungary this yere were 470000 as by the particulars giuen by the Admirall to the Ambassadour hereunder do appeare Although all these were appointed and supposed to goe yet the victories which the Christians in the spring had against the Turks strooke such a terrour in many of the Turkish souldiours as by report diuers vpon the way thither left their Captaines and stole away The number of Turkish souldiers which were appointed to goe into Hungary against the Christian Emperour May 1594. SInan Bassa generall with the Saniacke masould that is out of office with the other Saniackâ— in office or of degree 40000. Achmigi that is Aduenturers 50000. The Agha or Captaine with his Ianisaries and his Giebegies 20000. The Beglerbeg of Graecia with all his Saniacks 40000. The company of Spaheis or horsemen 10000â— The company of Silitari 6000. The company of Sagbulue and of Solbulue both together 8000. The Bassa of Belgrad 80000. The Bassa of Temiswâ—r 80000. The Bassa of Bosna 80000. The Bassa of Buda 80000. The Saniack of Gersech 80000. Out of Asia The Bassa of Caramania 120000. The Bassa of Laras 120000. The Bassa of Damasco 120000. The Bassa of Suas 120000. The Bassa of Van or Nan. 120000. The Bassa of Vsdrum 120000. Of Tartars there be about 100000. Thus you may see that the great Turke maketh warre with no small numbers And in anno 1597 when Sultan Mahâ—met himselfe went in person into Hungary if a man may beleeue reports he had an army of .600000 For the city of Constantinople you shall vnderstand that it is matchable with any city in Europe aswell in bignesse as for the pleasant situation thereof and commodious traffike and bringing of all maner of necessary prouision of victuals and whatsoeuer els mans life for the sustentation thereof shall require being seated vpon a promontory looking toward Pontus Euxinus vpon the Northeast and to Proponâ—s on the Southwest by which two seas by shipping is brought great store of all maner of victuals The city it selfe in forme representeth a triangular figure the sea washing the walles vpon two sides thereof the other side faceth the continent of Thracia the grand Signiors seraglio standeth vpon that point which looketh into the sea being cut off from the city by a wall so that y e wall of his pallace conteineth in circuit about two English miles the seuen towers spoken of before stand at another corner Constantines olde pallace to the North at the third corner The city hath a threefolde wall about it the innermost very high the next lower then that and the third a countermure and is in circuit about ten English miles it hath foure and twenty gates and when the empire was remooued out of the West into the East it was inriched with many spoiles of olde Rome by Vespasian and other emperours hauing many monuments and pillars in it worthy the obseruation amongst the rest in the midst of Constantinople standeth one of white marble called Vespasians pillar of 38 or 40 yards high which hath from the base to the top proportions of men in armour fighting on horsebacke it is likewise adorned with diuers goodly buildings stately Mesquitas whereof the biggest is Sultan Solimans a great warriour which liued in the time of Charles the fifth but the fairest is Santa Sophia which in the time of the Christian emperours was the chiefe cathedrall church and is still in greatest account with the great Turke it is built round like other Greekish churches the pauements and walles be all of marble it hath beneath 44 pillars of diuers coloured marble of admirable heigth and bignesse which stand vpon great round feet of brasse much greater then the pillars and of a great heigth some ten yards distant from the wall from which vnto these pillars is a great gallery built which goeth round about the church and vpon the outside of the gallery stand 66 marble pillars which beare vp the round roofe being the top of the church it hath three pulpits or preaching places and about 2000 lampes brought in by the Turke Likewise vpon one side in the top is the picture of Christ with the 12 Apostles but their faces are defaced with two or three ancient tombs of Christians to the West sticketh an arrow in the toppe of the church which as the
Turks report Sultan Mahomet shot when he first tooke the city Neere adioyning be two chapels of marble where lie buâ—ied most of the emperours with their children sultanas The 16 of Iuly accompanied with some other of our nation we went by water to the Blacke sea being 16 miles distant froÌ„ Constantinople the sea al the way thither being little broader then the Thames both sides of the shore are beautified with faire goodly buildings At the mouth of this Bosphorus lieth a rocke some fourescore yards from the maine land wherevpon standeth a white marble pillar called Pompeys pillar the shadow whereof was 23 foote long at nine of the clocke in the forenoone ouer against it is a turret of stone vpon the maine land 120 steps high hauing a great glasse-lanthorne in the toppe foure yards in diamiter and three in heigth with a great copper pan in the midst to holde oile with twenty lights in it and it serueth to giue passage into this straight in the night to such ships as come from all parts of those seas to Constantinople it is continually kept by a Turke who to y e end hath pay of the grand Signior And thus hauing spent eleuen moneths in Constantinople accompanied with a chause carying certaine mandates from the grand Signior to the Bassa of Aleppo for the kinde vsage of our nation in those parts the 30 of Iuly I tooke passage in a Turkish carmosale or shippe bound for Sidon and passing thorow PropoÌ„tis hauing Salimbria with Heraclia most pleasantly situated on the right hand and Proconesus now called Marmora on the left we came to Gallipoly and so by Hellespont betweene the two castles before named called Sestos and Abydos famous for the passages made there both by Xerxes and great Alexanderâ— the one into Thracia the other into Asia and so by the Sigean Promontory now called Cape Ianiâ—zary at the mouth of Hellespont vpon Asia side where Troy stood where are yet ruines of olde walles to be seene with two hils rising in a piramidall forme not vnlikely to be the tombs of Achilles and Aiax From thence we sailed along hauing Tenedos and Lemnos on the right hand and the Troian fields on the left at length we came to Mitylen and Sio long time inhabited by the Genoueses but now vnder the Turke The Iland is beautified with goodly buildings and pleasant gardens and aboundeth with fruits wine and the gum masticke From thence sailing alongst the gulfe of Ephesus with Nicaria on the right hand Samos and Smirna on the left we came to Patmos where S. Iohn wrote the Reuelation The Iland is but small not aboue fiue miles in compasse the chiefe thing it yeeldeth is corn it hath a port for shipping and in it is 〈…〉 of Greekish Caloiâ—roâ— From thence by Cos now called Lango where Hipocrates was borne passing many other Ilands and rocks we arriued at Rhodes one of the strongest and fairest cities of the East here we stayed three or foure dayes and by reason of a By which went in the ship to Paphos in Cyprus who vsed me with all kindnesse I went about the city and tooke the view of all which city is still with all the houses and walles thereof maintained in the same order as they tooke it from the Rhodian knights Ouer the doores of many of the housesâ— which be strongly built of stone do remaine vndefaced the armes of England France Spaine and many other Christian knights as though the Turkes in the view thereof gloried in the taking of all Christendome whose armes there they beholde From thence we sailed to Paphos an olde ruinous towne standing vpon the Westerne part of Cyprus where S. Paul in the Acts conuerted the gouernor Departing hence we came to Sidon by the Turks called Saytosa within tenne or twelue miles of the place where Tirus stood which now being eaten in by the sea is as Ezekiel prophesied a place for the spreading out of a net Sidon is situated in a small bay at the foot of mount Libanus vpon the side of an hill looking to the North it is walled about with a castle nigh to the sea and one toward the land which is ruinated but the walle thereof standeth Some halfe mile vp toward the mountaine be certaine ruines of buildings with marble pillars remaining heere for three dayes we were kindly entertained of the captaine of the castle and in a small barke we sailed from hence along the shore to Tripoli so to Alexandretta where the 24 of August we arriued From thence with a Uenetian carauan we went by land to Aleppo passing by Antioch which is seated vpon the side of an hill whose walles still stand with 360 turrets vpon them and neere a very greaâ— plaine which beareth the name of the city thorow which runneth the riuer Orontes in Scripture called Farfar In Aleppo I stayed vntill February following in this city as at a mart meete many nations out of Asia with the people of Europe hauing continuall traffike and interchangeable course of marchandise one with another the state and trade of which place because it is so well knowen to most of our nation I â—mitte to write of The 27 of February I departed from Aleppo and the fifth of March imbarked my selfe at Alexandretta in a great ship of Venice called the Nana Ferra to come for Englandâ— The 14 we put into Salino in Cyprus where the ship staying many dayes to lade cotton wooll and other commodities in the meane time accompanied with M. William Barret my countrey man the master of the ship a Greeke and others we tooke occasion to see Nicosia the chiefe city of this Iland which was some twenty miles froÌ„ this place which is situated at the foot of an hill to the East is a great plaine extending it selfe in a great length from the North to the South it is walled about but of no such strength as Famagusta another city in this Iland neere the Sea side whose walles are cut out of the maine rocke In this city be many sumptuous and goodly buildings of stone but vninhabited the cause whereof doth giue me iust occasion to shew you of a rare iudgement of God vpon the owners sometime of these houses as I was credibly informed by a Cipriot a marchant of good wealth in this city Before it came in subiection to the Turks while it was vnder the Uenetians there were many barons and noble men of the Cipriots who partly by vsurping more superiority ouer the common people then they ought and partly through their great reuenues which yeerely came in by their cotton wooll and wines grew so insolent and proud and withall so impiously wicked as that they would at their pleasure command both the wiues and children of their pooreÌ„ tenants to serue their vncleane lusts holding them in such slauery as though they had beene no better