then translated into English and that in diuers Copies no man being able by the first Copie to put so large a worke in good fashion And if you will please also to take knowledge from me that to saue expences I wrote the greatest part with my owne hand and almost all the rest with the slowe pen of my seruant then I hope the losse of time shall not be imputed vnto me Againe for the worke in generall I professe not to write it to any curious wits who can indure nothing but extractions and quintessences nor yet to great States-men of whose reading I confesse it is vnworthy but only vnto the vnexperienced who shall desire to view forraign kingdomes And these may the rather by this direction make better vse of what they see heare and reade then my selfe did If actiue men neuer reade it I shall wish them no lesse good successe in their affaires If contemplatiue men shall reade it at leasure making choice of the subiects fitting their humours by the Table of the Contents and casting away the booke when they are weary of reading perhaps they may finde some delight only in case of distaste I pray them remember to and for whom it was written To conclude if you be as well affected to me as I am to you how soeuer I deserue no thanks no doubt I shall be free from blame And so I wish you all happinesse remaining Yours in due respect Fynes Moryson A Table of the Contents of the seuerall Chapters contained in this Booke THE FIRST PART The first Booke Chap. 1. OF my iourny from London in England to Stode Hamburg Lubecke Luneburg my returne to Hamburg and iourny to Magdeburg Leipzig Wittenberg and the neighbouring Cities in Germany Chap. 2. Of my iourny from Leipzig to Prage in Bohemia to Nurnberg Augspurg Vlme Lindoy Costnetz in Germany Schaphusen Zurech Baden and Bazell in Sweitzerland Chap. 3. Of my iourny from Bazell to Strasburg to Heidelberg to Franckfort to Cassiles to Brunswicke to Luneburg to Hamburg to Stode to Breme to Oldenburge and to Embden the last Citie vpon the confines of the Empire of Germany Chap 4. Of my iourny from Embden in Germany to Leiden in Holland and through the vnited Prouiuces of the Low Countries Chap. 5. Of my iourny out of the vnited Prouinces by the sea coast to Stode and Lubeck in Germany of my sailing to Denmarke and thence to Dantzk in Prussen and my iourny thorow Paland to Poduoa in Italy The second Booke Chap. 1. Of my iourny from Paduoa to Venice to Ferrara to Bologna to Rauenna and by the shoare of the Adriatique Sea to Ancona then crossing the breadth of Italy to Rome seated not far from the Tirrhene Sea Chap. 2. Of my iourny to Naples and my returne to Rome and of the description of both Cities of my iourny cursory to Sienna Fiorenza Pistoia Lucca and Pisa and the description of the three last Cities Chap. 3. Of my iourny to Ligorno my returne to Florence or Fiorenza and to Sienna and the description of these Cities Of my iourny by land to Lirigi in which againe I passed by Lucca and Pisa and by sea to Genoa with the description of that Citie and my iourny by land to Pauia to Milano to Cremona and to Mantoua with the description of the Cities and of my returne to Paduoa Chap. 4. Of the Sepulcher of Petrarch at Arqua of my iourny to Vicenza Verona Brescia and Bergamo in Italy then passing the Alpes to Chur Zurech Solothurn Geneua and in my returne thence to Berna in Sweitzerland thence to Strasburg in Germany and to Chalon to Paris to Roan and to Diepe in France and finally of my passage by sea and land to London in England The third Booke Chap. 1. Of my iourny to Stode through the vnited Prouinces of Netherland and vpon the sea-coast of Germany then to Brunswicke and the right way to Nurnberg Augsburg and Insprucke in Germany and from thence to Venice in Italy and so by the Mediteranean Seas and the I lands thereof to Ierusalem In which iourney I slightly passe ouer the places described in my former passage those waies Chap. 2. The description of the Citie of Ierusalem and the Territory thereof Chap. 3. Of my iourny from Ierusalem by land to Ioppa by sea to Tripoly in Syria by land to Haleppo and Scanderona and of our passage by sea to the I land Candia Chap. 4. Of my iourny from Candia partly by land and partly by sea by the sea shoares and by the I lands of the AEgean sea Pontus and Propontis to the Citie of Constontinople and of my iourny thence by sea to Venice and by land to Augsburg Nurnberg and Stode in Germany and of my passage ouer sea into England Chap. 5. Of my iourny through many seuer all Shires of England Scotland and Ireland Chap. 6. Of the manner to exchange monies into forraigne parts and the diuers monies of diuers parts together with the diuers measures of miles in sundry Nations most necessary for the vnderstanding of the former Iournall THE SECOND PART The first Booke Chap. 1. Of the Induction or Preface to my Irish Iournall and a compendious narratich how Charles Blount Lord Mountioy my Lord and Master of happy memory was chosen Lord Deputy of Ireland and of this worthy Lords quality as also of the Counsels in generall by which he broke the Rebels hearts and gaue peace to that troubled State together with his particular actions in the end of the yeere 1599. Chap. 2. Of the Lord Deputies particular proceedings in the prosecution of the Rebels in the yeere 1600. The second Booke Chap. 1. Of the Lord Deputies particular proceedings in the prosecution of the Rebels and of the Spaniards innading Ireland in the yeere 1601. Chap. 2. Of the besicging of the Spaniards at Kinsale with the deliuery of the Towne to the Lord Deputy and their returne into Spaine in the same yeere 1601. The third Booke Chap. 1. Of the prosecution of the warre by the Lord Mountioy Lord Deputy against the Rebels in the yeere 1602. Chap. 2. Of Tyrones taking to mercy whereby the warre was fully ended and of a new mutiny of the Cities of Mounster for establishing the publike exercise of the Roman Religion with the appeasing thereof together with the Lord Deputies recalling into England and the rewards there giuen him for his seruice in the beginning of the yeere 1603 with mention of his vntimely death within few yeeres after and the state of Ireland some ten yeeres after THE THIRD PART The first Booke Chap. 1. THat the visiting of forraigne Countries is good and profitable but to whom and hew farre Chap. 2. Of Precepts for Trauellers which may instruct the vnexperienced Chap. 3. Of the Opinions of old Writers and some Prouerbs which I obserued in forraigne parts by reading or discourse to be vsed either of Trauellers themselues or of diuers Nations and Prouinces The second Booke Chap.
six Quatrines a Soldo and two Deniers of Genoa a Quatrine 114 Soldi of Milan make a siluer Crowne 20 Soldi a Lire and a Lire and a halfe makes one Lire of Genoa For Turkey The siluer Crowne or Piastro worth fiue shillings English is giuen heere for 70 there for 80 or more Aspers A Meidine of Tripoli is an Asper and an halfe a Meidine of Caiero three Aspers and an Asper some three farthings English For France Twelue Deniers make a Soulz fourteene Soulz and a halfe a Testoone fifteene Soulz a Quart d'escue twenty Soulz a Franke sixtie Soulz a French Crowne or six shillings English AN ITINERARY VVRITTEN By FYNES MORYSON Gent. First in the Latine Tongue AND THEN TRANSLATED By him into ENGLISH AN ITINERARY WRITTEN BY FYNES MORYSON Gent. CONTAINING His ten yeeres trauels thorovv TWELUE DOMINIONS The First Part. The First BOOKE CHAP. I. Of my iourny from London in England to Stode Hamburg Lubeck Luneburg my returne to Hamburg and iourney to Magdeburg Leipzig Witteberg and the neighbouring Cities in Germany BEing a Student of Peter-house in Cambridge and entred the eighteenth yeere of my age I tooke the degree of Bachelar of Arts and shortly after was chosen Fellow of the said Colledge by Queene Elizabeths Mandat Three yeers expired from my first degree taken in the Vniuerfitie I commenced Master of Arts and within a yeere after by the fauour of the Master and Fellowes I was chosen to a vacant place of Priuiledge to studie the Ciuill Lawes Then as well for the ornament of this profession as out of my innated desire to gaine experience by trauelling into forraigne parts to which course my Parents had giuen consent some few yeers past vpon my first declaring of my inclination to the said profession vpon the priuiledge of our Statutes permitting two of the Society to trauell I obtained licence to that purpose of the said Master and Fellowes in the yeere 1589 being then full 23 yeeres old And presently leauing the Vniuersiy I went to London there to follow some studies fit to inable me in this course and there better taught and these studies the visiting of my friends in the Country my going to Oxford to take the same degree I had in Cambridge and some oppositions vpon new deliberation made by my father and friends against my iourney detained me longer in those parts then I purposed At last in the beginning of the yeere 1591 and vpon the first day of May I tooke ship at Liegh distant from London twenty eight miles by land and thirtie six by water where Thames in a large bed is carried into the Sea Thence we set saile into the maine and the eight day of our sailing the Merchants Fleet of sixteene ships being dispersed by a fogge and tempest two Dunkerke Pirats followed our ship till by Gods mercy the fog being cleared after some few houres and two of our ships vpon our discharging of a great Peece drawing towards vs the Pirates despairing left to pursue vs. That they were Pirates was apparant since as wee for triall turned our sayles they likewise fitted themselues to our course so as wee though flying yet prepared our selues to fight till God thus deliuered vs. The ninth day towards night wee fell vpon an Iland called the Holy-land vulgarly Heiligland and not daring to enter the Riuer Elue before the next morning wee strucke all sayles and suffered our ship to bee tossed too and fro by the waues all that night which Marriners call lying at Hull This Iland hath onely one Port capeable of some sixe ships in the forme of the Moone decreasing and lying open to the East On the North side is a great Rocke and the rest of the shore is all of high Cliffes It is subiect to the Duke of Holste and by that title to the King of Denmarke but the inhabitants are so poore as they yeeld no other tribute then stones for the Dukes building It is in circuit some three miles and hath about one hundred Families The tenth day we entred the Riuer Elue and landed at Stode This is an ancient Citie and one of the Empires free Cities and one of those Sea-Townes which from the priuiledge of traffick with their Neighbours are called Free Cities vulgarly Hansteten but of late was become so poore as they had sold the priuiledge of coyning money and some like Rights to Hamburg till the English Merchants remouing their seate of trafficke from Hamburg to Stode it began lately to grow rich not without the enuy and impouerishment of the Hamburgers In the Dutch Inns I paid for each meale foure Lubeck shillings and an halfe and in the English Innes eight pence English In the great winding and troubled Streame of Elue which ebs and flowes as high as Luneburg certaine Booyes are laid to shew the channels and sholes of the Riuer and the maintaining of each of them cost 40 pounds yeerely and of all a thousand pounds at the least at the common charge of Stode and Hamburg but after frosts begin they are taken vp and reserued to the next Spring Of old when Stode flourished this charge belonged onely to it taking some contributions of the other Cities for the same This free Citie had then chosen the Bishop of Breme for their Protector and had but small scattered reuenewes to the value of ninety pounds sterling by the yeere but the soile is so fertile as they milke their Cowes thrice each day Of late the Hamburgers had in vaine attempted by Nauall forces to forbid the arriuall of the English at Stode whom as they had grieued hauing their seate with them as well with exactions as with forbidding them free exercise of Religion so now sometimes by laire treatie sometimes by force they laboured to draw backe vnto them Those of Stode haue by priuiledge the preemption and choice of Rhenish Wines passing by them This Citie might be made strong if the workes they haue begun were perfected The fields of the North and East sides may bee drowned and because the high Hilles towards the West and South though somewhat distant seemed to threaten danger they had on those sides raised an high and broad wall of earth fastned on the out-side with Willowes in which place an Armory for all munitions was built but the gates of the Citie for ridiculous ostentation of strength were furnished with Artillery of stone painted ouer The territory without the City belongs on the West side to the Bishop of Breame and on the East side to the Earle of Scbeneburg and the Duke of Holst From Stode to Hamburg are fiue miles In a Waggon hired for fiue Lubecke shillings each person wee passed two miles then crossing the Elue not without danger in respect of the shallow places and present storme wee hired another Waggon for foure Lubeck shillings each person and through thicke woods passed the other three miles to Hamburg The passage by water to Hamburg had beene much easier especially for
armes diuide the City and the Suburbs on that side are more strongly fortified then other where The City ioyned with the Suburbs is of a round forme and in the Suburbs on this side the Fugares haue built many houses to be let for a gulden yeerely to the poore that are Papists On the North side the wals are higher built and the ditches are deepe filled with water and there be foure other gates this side of the City lying lowest the fields without are as I said all drowned with water Here each man paid for each meale six or seuen Batzen I paid for two meales and my horse meat twenty three Batzen This City hath a very faire conduit called the Stately Workmanship vulgarly Statlich Kunst and the fountaine of the water is ten miles from the City There be ten very faire Churches In the Cathedrall Church it is written in golden letters that the bowels of Otho the Emperour are buried there Also there is a curious picture of Christ praying in the garden whilst his Disciples slept and vpon a very faire Clocke are three statuaes of the three Kings of Colen so they call the Wise Men of the East and these carried about by a circle of iron worship Christ when the Clocke strikes In the Senate House where the imperiall Parliaments vulgarly called Reichs-tagen haue often beene held I found nothing to answere the magnificence of this City onely on the gates this is written Wise men build vpon the Rocke Fooles vpon the Sand for I said this part of the City on the West side was built vpon a stony hill In the Iesuites Church the Altar is of siluer gilded ouer and another Altar of Christs Natiuity is curiously painted like the barks of trees Augsburg called of the Vandals for distinction from Augsburg Rauracorum in Sweitzerland is diuided from the Vandals by the Brooke Lycus and being of old a City of Rhetia now is reckoned the metropolitane City of Suenia vulgarly Schwaben is said said to haue beene built by the sonne of Iaphet sixe hundred yeeres before Rome was builded Of old they had a yeerely feast to Ceres and now vpon the same day they haue a Faire and for the fruitfulnesse of the soyle the City giues a sheaue of corne for their Armes This City was vtterly destroyed by Attila King of the Hunnes and when he was dead was rebuilt againe It is a free Citie of the Empire which are vulgarly called Retchs-statt and as other free Cities it is gouerned by Senators There bee many Almes houses for the poore and one wherein foure hundreth are nourished by rents of land and houses giuen to that house of old by good men The Citie is seated vpon the Northern mouth of the Alpes in a fruitfull plaine of corne and pastures and Hils full of game for hunting and it may bee gathered how populous it is by that a German Author writes that in a yeere when no plague raigned 1705 were baptized and 1227 buried Being constant in my purpose taken at Nurnberg to goe from Auspurge to the West parts of Germany and so into the Low-countries yet I wil remember the Reader that he shall finde the iourney from Augspurg to Venice described in my voyage from Stode to Venice and thence to Hierusalem From Augspurg I rode to Vlme and thence to Lindawe and all the way hired my horse for sixe or seuen Batzen a day paying for the daies in which my horse returned and hyring footmen to bring them backe and bearing their charges The first day I rode foure miles thorow the territory of the Fugars and the Bishop of Tilleng and one mile in the territory of the Arch-Duke of Austria of the house of Inspruch in a mountainous Countrey full of Woods of Iuniper Ashes Oakes and Beaches to Burg where each man paid for his dinner and horsemeat eight Batzen In the afternoone I rode foure miles to Vlme through a fruitfull plaine of corne Entring the City we passed by a Bridge the Riuer Danow which though running in a plaine yet hath a most violent course so as boats carried downe the streame vse to be sold at the place wherethey land it being very difficult to bring them backe again yet some Barkes of burthen are sometimes drawne backe by the force of horses My selfe haue seene tenne horses drawing one Barke but they vse a greater number according to occasion some thirty or more as they report and he that rides on the horse neerest the Barke is called Wage-halse that is Necke venturer because hce and the horse are often drawn vnder the water till the other horses draw them out again This Riuer hath foure great water fals vvhereof the greatest is at Struddle eighteene miles from Vienna vvhich is hardly to be passed except it be in a floud And the multitude of Bridges are very dangerous for boats by reason of the violent streame and especially because the Marriners are many times drunken or negligent They vse for a charme to sprinkle their drawing horses with water and vse with continuall loud cries to make them draw This Nauigation is very necessary that the lower Oestreich being fertill may supply the vpper being barren with wine and corne Munster writeth of two fals of this Riuer one below Lintz where the waters make a terrible noyse beating vpon the rocky bed the other at Gryn vvhere the water makes a dangerous whirle-poole of vnsearchable depth Vlme is seated in Schwaben or Sueuia as Augspurge is and hath his name of Elme trees Charles the Great built a Monastery in this Village which in time grew to a City and vnder the Emperour Fredrick the third bought their freedome of the Monkes The building thereof is of wood and clay The order of Knights called in Latine Teutonicus was in old time of great power and hath yet a house in this Citie It hath one stately Church in the Yard whereof the Mount Oliuet is curiously ingrauen It hath a faire Senate house and the Armory hath such store of Ordinance and all Munitions as it yeeldeth not therein to the proudest City in Germany The writing Tables made in this City are famous for their goodnesse and are thence carried into forraine parts The diet of the Innes of this City seated in a most fertill soyle is very plentifull both in meats and banquets where each man paied for his dinner seuen Batzen In this Country they drinke nothing but wine as they doe in all vpper Germany but it is sharpe and the Masse or measure is sold for three Batzen When wee were at dinner a Tumbler came in and being admitted to shew his cunning hee stood vpon his head and dranke a measure of wine which seemed strange to the beholders After dinner we rode a mile in a pleasant valley vpon the Danow which wee passed and rode two miles further in the like fertill plaine which is very large and by all men much commended for the fruitfull pastures thereof And so wee
had numbred in the City twenty two thousand Artificers seruants and people of inferior rank and that the last subsidy imposed in time of warre was one Gold Gulden in the hundreth of euery mans mouable and vnmouable goods and one gold Gulden by the Pole for all such as had neither inheritance nor Art to liue vpon Augsburg is one of the Imperiall Citties vulgarly Ein Reichs statt and in the yeare 1364. the Senate consisted of two Patritian Consuls and of ten Merchants and seauen Artisans with power of Tribunes all yearly chosen The Emperor Charles the 4 gaue the City new priuillges confirmed the old because the Citizens swore obedience to his Sonne And the Emperor Sigismund confirmed and increased the same When the Emperour Charles the fifth held a Parliament in this Citty as many Parliaments haue beene held there the old honour was restored to the Patritians the Plebean Tribunes were taken away two Aduocates being set in their roomes Two Gentlemen Consuls at this day gouerne the City with six Iudges for criminall causes whereof three are Gentlemen two Citizens one Plebean These are chosen by the great Senate consisting of those three Orders but in causes of Religion the City is subiect to the iurisdictiō of the Bishop of Tilling This City hath many noble and rich Merchants whereof many haue priuiledges of Barrons and some of Earles and among them the chiefe Family is of the Fuggari famously knowne being at this time both boyes and men some thirty in number and the chiefe of them was Marke of the Fug gari who had married the Daughter to the Earle of Schwartzenburg and was much delighted in the gathering of antiquities with much curtesie vsing to shew the same to such passengers as tooke pleasure therein Three Cozens of this Family had great and large but dispersedly scattered possessions besides that they were rich in treasure for supply whereof the Emperour Charles the fifth and his sonne Phillip King of Spaine often made vse of them ingaging to them the impositions custome of Hauens for ready money and giuing them great priuiledges of trafficke In which kind the said King of Spaine so obliged them to him as the heart being alwaies where the treasure is hee made them no lesse obsequious to him then subiects so difficult a thing is it for couetous Merchants to preserue their liberty Great iealousies were betweene this City and the Duke of Bauaria whose territory extends to the very walles of the City And I remember at my last passage through Augsburg this Duke attempted to stop the course of water from the City whereupon the Citizens sent out Souldiers to beate backe the Dukes workemen but the controuersie was soone after appeased and came not to blowes They perpetually euen in time of peace keepe some fiue hundred Souldiers in the City who dwell in a streete by themselues and the City being seated vpon the mouth of the Alpes leading into Italy and the Citizens being diligent in trafficke it cannot be that it should not abound in riches Augsburg in the foresaid Parliament held there after Charles the fifth had ouercome the Protestant Princes was said to haue bought their peace of the Emperour with 3000 gold guldens I know not for what cause they are seuere towards strangers but I obserued that they haue a Law forbidding strangers to dwell in the City allowing them onely a short time of abode and during the same curiously obseruing what businesse they haue Strasburg is also a free City of the Empire and as the rest gouerned by a Senate yeerely chosen for howsoeuer it is one of the Cities leagued with the Cantons of Sweitzerland yet it is still numbered among the free Imperiall Cities And it is stately built and rich in treasure for so it must needes be since the ordinary tributes and taxes are so great as I haue heard the Citizens professe that they yeerely pay one doller in a thousand for the value of their mouable and also vnmoueable goods wherein the full value of Land not the yeerely rent is reckoned and that if any fraud be detected in the last Testament or otherwise the heire or the party offending if hee liue is deepely fined for the same While I passed through the City they had begun a warre with the Duke of Loraine about the choice of their Bishop which warre they had vnprouidently denounced before they had leuied Souldiers or made prouisions to make it so as their territories were exposed to many oppressions before they could gather troopes to defend them and offend the enemy And it was vulgarly reported that they could deliberate of nothing in counsell so secretly as it was not presently made knowne to the enemy The Imperiall City Franckfort is famous for the two yeerely Marts one at Midlent the other at the middest of September at which times all neighbour Princes keepe Horsemen to guard the Merchants passing that way to which Horsemen I remember that each passenger gaue 6 creitzers either of duty or in curtesie for his person Also this City is famous for another priuiledge contained in the Lawes of the golden Bulla namely that all Emperours must be chosen there and in case two Emperours be chosen the same Law defines that if one of them shall besiege the City and there expect his enemy halfe a moneth and if in that time he come not to breake the siege then it shall be free for the City to receiue the first as hauing the victory For of old custome the new chosen Emperours keepe their coronation Feast in this City with great magnificence which was lastly kept as they said by Maximilian the second at which time among other solemnities they roasted an Oxe in the middest of the field for the people and when the Marshal of the Court had cut a peece as for the Emperor the rest of the Oxe was in a moment rent in peeces by the common people I must make at least some mention of the Cities lying vpon the Sea of Germany towards the North whereof most are not onely called free because they are Imperiall Cities but by the same name though in diuers signification are called Hans steten that is Free Cities in respect of the priuiledges of trafficke granted to them of old in the neighbour Countries Among these Lubecke is the chiefe of the neighbor Cities ioined in league for common defence whither the Senators of all the other Cities come once in the yeere to consult of publike affaires The territory of the City reacheth not aboue a German mile but after some few miles distance there is a certaine Towne which belongs to Lubecke and Hamburg by common right being ingaged to them for money by the Duke of Lower Saxony of whom they after bought the rest of his Inheritance This Towne for sixe yeeres space was wont to be kept by those of Lubecke appointing the Gouernour and receiuing the rents which time ended those of
Hamburg were wont to haue it in like sort for sixe yeeres and so by turnes they were wont to enioy it Lubecke of old had a Duke till it was subiected to the Empire by the Emperour Fredericke the first after whose death it became subiect to their Duke againe and after fiue yeeres became subiect to the Danes but by the helpe of Fredericke the second it freed it selfe from the Danes in the yeere 1226 and after by fauour of the Emperours obtained freedome and absolute power Both Lubecke and Hamburg are said of old to haue acknowledged the Kings of Denmarke but at last expelling the Kings Proctors they became free and submitted themselues to the defence of the Empire For which cause to this day they warily obserue the actions of the Kings of Denmarke and liue in feare and suspition of their attempts and howsoeuer they haue freedome and absolute power yet they are carefull to haue the fauour of the Kings of Denmarke because they haue power to hinder their trafficke in the Baltike Sea yet sometimes leagued with the neighbour cities which in the common cause of freedome are easily drawne to giue mutuall aide they haue made warres against the Kings of Denmarke with good successe Lubecke is commended for iust gouernment not to speake of their hospitality very faire and vniforme buildings and the very pleasant seate of the Towne It is gouerned by the ciuill Law and by statutes made by the Senate as also some made by the consent of the confederate cities No appeale to Vniuersities or to the Chamber of the Empire is admitted except the cause be aboue the value of fiue hundred dollers They lately made sumptuary Lawes restraining the number of guests and dishes in Feasts with penalties according to the excesse The Citizens yeerely chuse twenty new Senators and this 〈◊〉 chuseth of their number foure Consuls with a Iudge skilfull in the ciuill Lawes These Magistrates define all ciuill and criminal causes the whole Senate first examining them and iudgements are giuen by common consent with the doores shut but when any capitall iudgement is to be executed at the day appointed to the Malefactor and the very houre he is to die the hangman pronounceth the sentence in the market place The consuls take the highest place by turnes one in the morning the other in the afternoone at which times they also by turnes heare Ambassadours and receiue complaints Many Offices are deuided among the Senators two gather the rents others haue care of the wines which are sold in a publike house to publike vse no priuate man being allowed to make that gaine others ouersee the buildings that they be vniforme and strongly built and free from danger of fier and likewise the fortifications of the City Foure Serieants attired in red gownes attend the Senate and summon men to appeare besides twelue inferiour Serieants and they neither carry Sword nor any Mace before the Magistrates but follow them in the streetes like Seruants They doe not imprison any debtor or light offender but onely summon such to appeare before the Magistrate and declare to them the fines imposed for not appearing but they apprehend capitall offenders and preuent their escape by flight It is not lawfull for a creditor to put his debtor in prison but after a set time and with cautions prescribed in the Law of Saxony wherein notwithstanding they of Lubecke so fauour strangers as they onely haue right in this kind with expedition and haue a proper tribunall or seate of iudgement for themselues onely yet herein they seeme not fauourable to strangers in that they permit them not to dwell in the City otherwise they doe as the common vse is to keepe all commodities in the hands of Citizens not to be sold to strangers but by a Citizen especially since without the helpe of strangers they haue their owne ships to bring in and carry out all commodities Hamburg is in like sort gouerned but I cannot so much commend them for hospitality being rude to all strangers and malicious to Englishmen aboue others for no other cause then for that our Merchants leauing that City seated themselues at Stoade so as it was not safe for any stranger much lesse for an Englishman to walke abroade after dinner when the common people are generally heated with drinke And the very Iustice was herein commonly taxed not that they punished whoredom which no good man will disallow but that they permitted whores in great multitudes and yet fauoured the knauery of the Sergeants who combining with the whores intrapped men in their houses so as not onely the whores Sergeants made profit thereby but the very Magistrates were iustly suspected to approue this course for their owne gaine Brunswick an Imperiall City worthily to be numbred among the cheefe so called as the Village of Bruno is not farre distant from Hamburg and seated in the center of Saxony was of old as they say the Metropolitan City therof It consists of fiue Cities gathered into one wherof each hath his seuerall priuiledges and they are thus seated Alstatt is the part on the West side Newstatt on the North side Imsacke the part towards the East Imhagen Altweg built first of all the rest are the part towards the South And howsoeuer all these haue each their seueral Senators and priuiledges yet all of them iointly making the city of Brunswick liue vnder one common Law and gouernmēt the Senators of each by yerely courses gouerning the whole body of that common-wealth For howsoeuer tenn Consuls be yeerly chosen two of each City yet to the two Consuls of that City which by course is to gouern for the yeere the other eight as inferiour and much more all the Senators of the fiue Cities yeelde for the time great reuerence in the Senate and all meetings and great obedience in all things commanded One Senate house is common to all the fiue Cities yet each of them hath also a priuate Senate-house The forme of the publike gouernement is Democraticall or popular They liue in such feare of the Duke of Brunswick left he should take away their liberty as they haue not onely fortified the Towne very strongly against assaults or sieges but also willingly imploy their Citizens in forraigne warres as hired souldiers insomuch as no man is made free who hath not first serued one or two yeeres in the warres The Dukes of Brunswick of Luneburg deriue their pedegree from one root namely from the old family of the Dukes of Bauaria for Henrie called the Lion D. of Bauaria who was Duke and Elector of Saxony also commanding a most ample Territory being proscribed by the Emperour and for a time liuing as a banished man in England the Dukedome of Bauaria was by the Emperour giuen in Fee to the Palatines of the Rheine and so passed to a new Family This Henrie the Lion died in Brunswick about the yeere 1195. His eldest sonne Otho the fourth being
village Starres and wee passed through goodly cornehils and faire woods of firre and birtch The City Misen is round in forme and almost all the houses are built on the falling sides of Mountaines which compassing all the City open towards the East where Elue runneth by Duke Fredericke surnamed The wise and Duke George surnamed papisticall are buried in the Cathedrall Church Here I paid six grosh euery meale The City is subiect to the Duke of Saxony hauing the same name with the whole Countrey in which it lieth Hence wee went three miles to Dresden in a Coach hired as aforesaid and passed through sandy and stony Hils some fruitfull vallies of corne and two Woods of firre whereof there bee many neere Dresden whither being come I paied sixe grosh for my dinner This City of Dresden is very faire and strongly fortified in which the Elector of Saxony keepes his Court hauing beene forty yeeres past onely a village When the first stone of the wals was laid there were hidden a siluer cup guilded a Booke of the Lawes another of the coynes and three glasses filled with wine the Ceremonies being performed with all kind of Musicke and solemnity The like Ceremony was vsed when they laid the first stone of the stable The City is of a round forme seated in a Plaine running betweene two Mountaines but some what distant and the houses are faire built of free stone foure or fiue roofes high whereof the highest roofe after the Italian fashion is little raised in steepnesse so that the tops of the houses appeare not ouer the walles excepting the Electors Castle built betwixt the North and West side and the Church Tower built betweene the West and East side In this Tower the watchmen dwell who in the day time giue notice by Flags hung out what number of foot or horse are comming towards the Towne To which Tower they ascend by two hundred seuenty staires and in the top two Demiculuerins are planted Wee entred on the East side through old Dresden being walled about and so passed the Elue compassing the walles of new Dresden on the East side by a Bridge of stone hauing seuenteene arches vnder which halfe the ground is not couered with water except it be with a floud Vpon the Bridge we passed three gates and at the end entred the City by the fourth where the garrison Souldiers write the names of those that come in and lead them to the Innes where the Hostes againe take their names The City hath but two little Suburbs The Citizens were then as busie as Bees in fortifying the City which the Elector then made very strong The ground riseth on all sides towards the Towne and the new City hath foure Gates Welsh-thore Siegeld-thore New-thore and Salomons-thore and is compassed with two walles betweene which round about there is a garden from which men may ascend or descend to it at each Gate Ouer the outward wall there is a couered or close Gallery priuate to the Elector who therein may compasse the Towne vnseene Hee hath vsed the best wits of Germany and Italy in this fortification wherein he hath spared no cost The walles are high and broad of earth whose foundation is of stone and they are on all sides furnished with great Artillery yea in that time of peace the streets were shut with iron chaines at eating times and all night The Electors stable is by much the fairest that euer I saw which I will briefly describe In the first Court there is a Horse-bath into which they may bring as much or little water as they list and it hath 22. pillars in each whereof diuers Armes of the Duke are grauen according to the diuers families whose Armes he giues The same Court serues for a Tilting-yard and all exercises of Horse-manship and there is also the Horse-leaches shop so well furnished as if it belonged to a rich Apothecary The building of the stable is foure square but the side towards the Dukes Pallace is all taken vp with two gates and a little Court yard which takes vp halfe this side and round about the same are little cuboords peculiar to the horsemen in which they dispose all the furniture fit for riding The other three sides of the quadrangle contained some 136. choise and rare Horses hauing onely two other gates leading into the Cities market place opposite to those gates towards the Court. These horses are all of forraine Countries for there is another stable for Dutch horses and among these chiefe horses one named Michael Schatz that is Michaell the Treasure was said to be of wonderfull swiftnesse before each horses nose was a glasse window with a curtaine of greene cloth to be drawne at pleasure each horse was couered with a red mantle the racke was of iron the manger of copper at the buttocke of each horse was a pillar of wood which had a brasen shield where by the turning of a pipe he was watered and in this piller was a cuboord to lay vp the horses combe and like necessaries and aboue the backe of each horse hung his bridleand saddle so as the horses might as it were in a moment be furnished Aboue this stable is a gallery on one side adorned with the statuaes of horses their riders with their complete Armours fifty in number besides many Armours lying by the wals On the other side is a gallery hauing forty like statuaes thirty six sledges which they vse in Misen not only to iourney in time of snow but also for festiuall pompes For in those Cities especially at Shrouetide and when much snow falleth they vse to sit vpon sledges drawne with a horse furnished with many bels at the foote of which sledge they many times place their Mistresses and if in running or sudden turning the rider or his Mistresse slip or take a fall it is held a great disgrace to the rider Some of these sledges are very sumptuous as of vnpurified siluer as it comes from the Mines others are fairely couered with velvet and like stuffes Aboue the forepart of the stable towards the market place are the chambers wherein the Elector feasts with Ambassadors In the window of the first chamber or stoue being a bay window towards the street is a round table of marble with many inscriptions perswading temperance such as are these Aut nulla Ebrietas aut tanta sit vt tibi cur as Demat. Be not drunken in youth or age Or no more then may cares asswage Againe Plures crapula quam ensis Gluttony kils more then the sword Yet I dare say that notwithstanding all these good precepts few or none euer rose or rather were not carried as vnable to goe from that table Twelue little marble chaires belong to this table and the pauement of the roome is marble and close by the table there is a Rocke curiously carued with images of fishes and creeping things This Rocke putteth forth many sharpe pinacles of stone vpon which the
foure miles to Bentzon hauing hils on my right hand toward the East planted with Vines and fields set with roots and vpon my left hand towards the West a faire and fruitfull plaine and here I paid seuen Batzen for my supper The second day in the morning I passed foure miles in the territory of George Landgraue of Hessen to Arhelygen through wooddy mountaines planted with some Vines and a plaine for one mile sandy but the rest good pasture We passed by Dormstat where the said Landgraue holds his Court and there each man paid sixe Fenning tribute At Arheligen I paid sixe Batzen for my dinner In the afternoone I passed some three miles to Franckfort through a sandy plaine and a wood of Oakes and Beeches and by the way they shewed vs a strange leape of a Stagge which being chased did leape ouer a cart if you may beleeue them loaded with hey Franckfort is a free City of the Empire famous for the Electors meeting there to choose the Emperour and for two yeerely Faires as also for many Parliaments of the Empire held there and it is called Franckfort vpon the Maene to distinguish it from another City of the same name built vpon the Brooke Odera and named thereof For the Riuer Maene running from the East to the West diuideth the great City from the lesse called the Saxons House vulgarly Sachsen-hausse and betweene them is a bridge of stone vpon foure narrow Arches Both the Cities are gouerned by the same Senate and Law and haue the fame name either of Francus rebuilding it or of a Foord for passage of the Franckes or French The City is compassed strongly with a double wall and vpon the East side is the gate Heilegthore where is the Iewes street who are permiteed to dwell in this famous Mart-towne and sucke the blood of Christians by extortion There is another gate called Freydigthore On the North side of the City is the gate Brickenport and a large place for an Horse Faire On the West side is the gate of strangers vulgarly Welsh-thore so called because the French enter that way it is very strong and without the gate there is a very pleasant walke vpon the banke of Maene among Vineyards and Meadowes with sweet Groues On the South side the Maene runneth by diuiding as I said the new City from the old In the new or lesse City called the Saxons-house is a house of old belonging to the Teutonike order of Knights which by old priuiledge is to this day a Sanctuary for banckrupts and manslaiers so they be not wilful and malicious murtherers but they enioy this priuiledge onely for foureteene daies so as when the time is neere out or vpon any opportunity during the time they vse to steale out and returning after an houre begin a new to reckon againe the foureteene daies A little before my comming thither a certaine bankrupt of Colen entered the same for a debt of twenty thousand Guldens On this side some ground without the wals belongs to the City but on other sides it hath almost no Land without the wals The City is of a round forme seated in a large plaine the streetes are narrow and the houses built of timber and clay the foundations of some being of stone In the Innes they aske seuen or eight batzen a meale but Merchants and many strangers vse to hire a chamber and buy their meat of the Cookes From hence to Hamburge I and foure others hired a Coach for fifty Dollers and besides were to pay for the coach-mans diet for here first the coach-man conditioned to be free from paying his diet vulgarly Maulfrey that is free for the mouth whereas in other parts our coach-men paid for themselues Alwaies vnderstand that at the times of the faires Coaches are set dearer then any time els The first day after breakfast wee went three miles to Freideburge through corne fields set with cabages and rootes and by the way we passed a Village belonging to the Count of Hanaw Freideburge is a free City of the Empire and the buildings are of timber and clay here each man paid seuen batzen for his supper and for his part of the coach-mans supper The second day in the morning we went three miles to Geysen through fruitfull hils of corne Phillip Landgraue of Hessen left three sonnes William of Cassiles whom Maurice his sonne succeeded and was now liuing and Lodwicke of Marpurg and George of Dormstat This territory belonged to the Landgraue Lodwicke for all the brothers in Germany haue the same stile of honour and he was also at that time Lord of this City Geysell which is fortified with wals of earth and deepe ditches but the building is base of timber and clay and for the most of meere dirt These verses were written vpon the gate of the City Captus erat Princeps non marte sed Arte Philippus Cum bene munitum destrueretur opus Nominis hoc patrij Lodouicus amore refecit Anno bis septem lustra sequente none Principe dignus honos patrias surcire ruinas A quibus Hassiacos Cbriste tuere polos Prince Phillip captiu'de not by warre but Art This worke of strength was then demolished In Countries loue Prince Lodwicke for his part Rebuilt it seuenty nine yeeres finished Ruines repaire is for a Princes hand From which disasters Christ shield Hessen land Here I paid sixe Batzen for my dinner and my part for the Coach-man In the afternoone we went three miles through high stony mountaines and woods of oakes to Kirnham belonging to the Landgraue Lodwick whose Court at Marpurg lies a mile from thence All of vs at supper drunke sixe measures of wine besides beere and from henceforth wee paid seuerally for meat and drinke and at this time each of vs paid ten Weissenfenning for both together The third day we passed three miles to Drest through high mountaines with woods of Oake and many fruitfull valleies of corne and each man paid with his portion for the Coach-man foure Weissenfenning for meat and as much for wine This territory belongs to Landgraue Maurice of Cassiles After dinner we passed three miles to Fester through high mountaines full of oake woods and entered the City seated vpon a mountaine by a bridge of stone vpon which side great store of water fals from the mountaines the houses were of timber and clay each one for the most part hauing a dunghill at the doore more like a poore Village then a City but such are the buildings of the Cities in Hessen the houses of Villages being of meere dirt and thatched Here each man paid for his meat and old wine and his part for the Coach-man an Orts Doller or fourth part of a Doller The fourth day we passed three miles to Cassiles a City where the Landgraue Maurice holds his Court all our way lying through fruitfull hils of corne The City is strongly fortified with wals of earth and deepe ditches but the houses are basely
by waggon the high way being then drowned Nothing were more pleasant nothing more quicke then Sea-voyages if a man might promise himselfe a good wind and a reasonable gale but through contrariety of winds and tempests they commonly proue tedious This small voyage which afflicted vs foure daies might haue beene passed in sixe houres if the winds had fauoured vs. And this hope of a short passage caused vs to make no prouision of victuals so as the Barke being gouerned by one Mariner and a boy who had nothing but cheese and musty bread to liue vpon and so could not much releeue vs each houre of these foure daies seemed a yeere vnto vs. Dockam a City of West Freesland little in circuit is in two places diuided with water which at this time ouer flowed into the very houses The wall is strong with rampiers of earth and the houses here as in all these parts of Netherland are built of bricke Here I paid for my supper twenty stiuers eating at an Ordinary but the company sitting at the fire and drinking after supper all vseth to be diuided equally whether a man drinke or not The first of Nouember we went by water in sixe houres space two miles to Lewerden hauing on each side the water fertile pastures and passing by two Forts and each man paid for his passage three stiuers The City is faire and well fortified and William Count of Nassau cousin to Count Maurice and Gouernour of Friesland had his residence in the same The streetes are large and diuided with water and the houses are fairely builded of bricke The City hath no Suburbs and is of a round forme but the waters diuiding the streetes slowly or not at all moued are in this City as almost in all other of these Prouinces subiect to stinking In the midst of the City there is a dam tolet in water at pleasure which in this place and two miles further is salt in tast Passengers entering the City leaue their swords with the guard of souldiers and receiue them backe when they goe out of the Towne The Villages hereabouts paid yeerely contribution to the Spanish garison of Groning left they should breake in and spoile them Here they say the first sermon of reformed religion was made in the Monastery of the Iacobinet and here I paid for my supper foureteene stiuers From Lewerden we went by water from eight a clocke in the morning to fiue in the afternoone two-miles to Froniker an Vniuersity of Friesland lately renewed and one mile to the City Harlingen and we paid six stiuers for our passage Entering this City we left our swords with the guard of souldiers who restored them to vs when wee went away It is a little City and lieth in length from the East to the West but is somewhat more narrow towards the North where the houses are thinly built On the west and North sides lies an arme of the Sea comming out of the German Sea and here inclosed with the continent and Ilands On the South and East sides without the gates are faire pastures in a large plaine I lodged in an Englishmans house the chiefe Host of the City who either dispising England and Englishmen or too much respecting his masters of Friesland gaue me such entertainment as I tooke him for one of the old Picts for hauing placed his Gentlemen of Friesland at one table he called me to the second and seeing that I tooke it in ill part lest I should no lesse dislike my lodging he intreated a gentleman of Friesland to admit me partner of his bed but I hearing the gentleman condition with him about the cleannesse of my body and linnen for very scorne would not trouble his worship but chose rather to lie vpon a bench And it was most ridiculous that this Host excused himselfe to me as hauing for countries sake made bold with me whom he had neuer seene before I paid for my supper and breakefast with wine thirty stiuers and one of my consorts drinking no wine paid sixeteene whereof nine was for beere From Harlingen I went by the said Inland Sea vulgarly called Zwidersea foureteene miles to Amsterdam and paid eight stiuers for my passage Some of our passengers going onely to Enchusen paid fiue stiuers for by couenant betweene the Cities the ships must land their passengers at Enchusen and there receiue such new passengers as they find and one ship at least is bound daily to make this passage From the said Harlingen a City of Friesland wee passed in foure houres saile to Enchusen a City of Holland which is fortified with a wall of earth and strong rampiers and lieth in length from the North to the South The Hauen lies on the East side and the new City was then building towards the West side This City lying betweene the mouth of the German sea and Amsterdam another City of Holland and in the beginning of the warre taking part with the Prince of Orange forced Amsterdam by stopping all supply of victuals to yeeld to the said Prince Hauing made short stay here we tooke ship againe and sayling from siue a clocke in the euening to twelue in the night in the same Inland sea we entered the Riuer Tay where we cast anchor till foure in the morning and then setting sayle passed one mile in that Riuer before sixe of the clocke and landed at Amsterdam Fiue streetes of this City are diuided with water the Riuer Tay flowes like a large and calme sea on the North side where is a safe port the trafficke being great in this City and at Midleburg since the passage to Antwerpe was stopped Vpon the Hauen lics a field or market place called Campplata where the Citizens vse to behold their friends going to sea and returning home From this place towards the South lies Warmerstrat a long and large street betweene two Riuers which part of the City is called the new Ditch The Merchants in summer meet vpon the Bridge and in winter they meet in the New Church in very great number where they walke in two rankes by couples one ranke going vp and another going downe and there is no way to get out of the Church except they slip out of the doores when in one of those rankes they passe by them On the East side of the City there is a wall of stone higher then the City hauing a pleasant walke vpon it In the same place are houses for exercise of shooting in gunneo and crosse-bowes beyond this wall there is another of earth and betweene these wals the new City was plotted out where of few houses were then built but since I heare it is fully finished Likewise on the South and West sides there be two like wals and between them the plot of the said new City in which many faire houses were then built The fields on all sides without the gates being fenny and drowned with water doe make the City more strong but
the City though it were taken by the enemy A little beneath is the monastery of the Carthusians and vpon pretence to enlarge that monastery the Emperour Charles the fifth built this most strong Castle to bridle the wonted petulancy and inconstancy of the Citizens and from thence there is a most sweet prospect as well into the City as to the bayes of the sea Towards the South-side is the Hauen and beyond the f bay of Naples lies firme land for the Sea comming in from the West makes this bay Vpon this side is a fortification for the safety of the hauen which is called g Il Molle it driues off the waues of the sea and makes the Hauen like an halfe Moone and therein at this time were twenty gallies and ten small ships The Armory lies vpon the Sea from whence the gallies and ships and land forces are armed and among other things there is kept the rich Armour yet without any ornament of gold of the French King Francis the first which he did weare when he was taken prisoner at Pauia Thereby lies a large market place in which is a faire fountaine with many Images casting out water Also there is a Tower where they set light by night to guide sea men into the Hauen In the said market place is a stone vpon which many play away their liberty at dice the Kings officers lending them money which when they haue lost and cannot repay they are drawne into the gallies for the Spaniards haue slaues of both sexes On the outside of the said Molle or fortification vpon the hauen towards the west neere to the shore lies the most strong fort called l Castello nuouo seated in a plaine and built by Charles the first of Arion and so fortified by Alphonso the first King of Aragon as it is numbred among the chiefe forts of Europe The inward gate is most faire all of marble and it hath a little fouresquare hall in which the Parliaments are yeerely held and the Viceroyes weekely sit in iudgement Neere this hall is a faire tower in which the Kingly ornaments are laid vp namely a scepter of gold with great diamonds vpon the top the sword with the haft and scabbard of gold adorned with precious stones the Kings Crowne shining with precious stones a golden crosse an huge pot of gold set with precious stones great Vnlcornes hornes and the chiefe kinds of precious stones Further towards the West yet so neere as the garden of the Pallace lies vpon the ditch of this Castle is the k Viceroyes Palace which hath a large and most sweet garden and delicate walk paued with diuers coloured and engrauen marbles And in this garden are two banquetting houses whereof one is very stately built and hath a sweet fountaine close to the table continually powring out water Also there is a delicate cage of birds wrought about with thick wyer and it is as big as an ordinary stil-house delicately shadowed round about wherein are many kinds of singing birds as well of Italy as forraigne Countries A little further within the water is the h Castle of the egge built vpon a rock by the Normans which Rocke is of an ouall forme and gaue the name to the Castle vulgarly called Castel ' del ' vuono which at this day is ruinous and some say it was the Pallace of Lucullus but it is certaine that the Normans built it as they did also another Castle which is old and called the Capuan Castle of the adioining Capuan-gate Naples was of old called Parthenope of one of the Syrens there buried whom they write to haue cast her selfe into the sea for griefe that by no flattery shee could detaine Vlisses with her The Citizens of old Cuma built Naples and left it should grow great to the preiudice of Cuma they pulled it down againe till at last oppressed with a great glague vpon the warning of an oracle they built it againe and changing the old name Parthenope called it Naples which in Greeke signifies a new City It is seated at the foot of hils and mountaines in length from the North-east to the South-west or rather seemeth to be triangular whereof two corners lie vpon the sea and that towards the West is more narrow then the other and the third blunt corner lies towards the mountaines Vpon the East-side there be pleasant suburbs and vpon the West-side more large suburbs but vpon the North-side without the wals there be onely some few eeeee scattered houses built vpon the sides of hils The houses of the City are foure roofes high but the tops lie almost plaine so as they walke vpon them in the coole time of the night or at left in generall the tops are not much erected like other parts of Italy and the building is of free stone and sheweth antiquity but the windowes are all couered with paper or linnen cloth for glasse windowes are most rare in Italy and as it were proper to Venice It hath three faire broad and long streetes namely La Toletano la Capuana and la vicaria the rest are very narrow There be eight gates towards land and as many towards sea among which the Capuan gate since the Emperour Charles the fifth entered thereat is decked with monuments and statuaes There be in this City very many Pallaces of Gentlemen Barons and Princes whereupon the City is vulgarly called Napoli Gentile Among these two Pallaces are most stately one of the Duke of Greuina which the King of Spaine forbad to be finished the other of the Prince of Salerno There be foure publike houses called Seggij in which the Princes and Gentlemen haue yeerely meetings and there also is the daily meeting of the Merchants Almost euery house hath his fountaine of most wholsome waters Neere the market place are many Innes but poore and base for howsoeuer the City aboundeth with houses where they giue lodging and meat yet it deserues no praise for faire Innes of good entertainement On all sides the eye is as it were bewitched with the sight of delicate gardens aswell within the City as neere the same The gardens without the wals are so rarely delightfull as I should thinke the Hesperides were not to be compared with them and they are adorned with statuaes laberinthes fountaines vines myrtle palme cetron lemon orange and cedar trees with lawrels mulberies roses rosemary and all kinds of fruits and flowers so as they seeme an earthly Paradice The fields are no lesse fruitfull bringing forth abundantly all things for the vse of man The Kings stables without the wals are worth the seeing for the horses of this Kingdome are much esteemed and if any man buy a horse to carry out of the Kingdome he payes the tenth part of the price to the King The City being seated vpon the sides of hils and by lying open to the South being subiect to great heates and most parts of the streetes being narrow so as in walking the heat
then the foundation of the third the fields on that side being plaine yet in like sort rising higher and higher as they be neerer to the wals of the City saue that neere the foresaid Pallace of Constantine some hils lie without the wals This City as Rome is said to containe seuen Hils or mounts within the wals wherof some to me seemed imaginary but I will reckon them as they doe and first beginne with the hill vpon which stand the ruines of Constantines Pallace The second hath the stately Mosche or Turkish Church built vpon the Pallace which of old belonged to the Graecian Patriarke Vpon the third stands the stately Mosche and most richly built Sepulcher of Mahomet the second with an Hospitall built by the same Emperour where all Turkish Pilgrimes haue their lodging and diet freely for three daies and it hath one hundred and fifty chambers built for the poore of the City and the yeerely rents thereof are valued at two hundred thousand zechines yea the Court or Seraglio of the Great Turke paies each day an hundred Aspers to this Hospitall The Sepulcher of Selimus takes vp the fourth hill and the sepulcher of Baiazet the fifth hill Betweene the fifth and the sixth hill is the old Pallace of the Great Turke which the Italiatis call Seraglio vecehio where the Concubines of the deceased Emperour and the present Emperours sisters and a great number of his concubinet for the fairest and dearest to him are taken to liue in his Court are kept by Ennuches within this old Seraglio which is of great circuit containing many houses and gardens compassed within one wall Vpon the sixth hill stands the foresaid wonderfull Mosche and Sepulcher of Solyman noted with the letter R Lastly the seuenth hill containes the chiefe Pallace of the Great Turke and the Church Saint Sophia now made a Mosche noted with the Letters O. Q. The tops of the Sepulchers and Mosches being of a round forme and couered with brasse and the spacious gardens of Cypresse and Firre trees make shew of more beauty and magnificence to the beholder from any high place or without the wals then in deed the City hath The Sepulchers are no doubt very stately built hauing vpon the top one two or more round globes couered with leade or brasse On the inside they seeme like lightsome Chappels with many windowes and they being built in a round forme the dead Emperour is laied in the middest or center of the Sepulcher in a chest or coffin raised some three foot from the ground hauing the Tulbent which hee wore vpon his head in his life time laied vpon his Tombe being see forth with the Iewels he most esteemed which Tulbent is made of some twenty or more yards of pure and fine white linnen foulded in many foulds in the forme of a halfe globe Next the Emperour lies the Sultana or Empresse in her Coffin so they call his Concubine Mother of his Heire and Successour prouided alwaies that shee haue had a letter of dowry by which shee is made his wife for otherwise shee is not buried with him And round about the Emperour and Empresse in Coffins lower then theirs lie the bodies of his male children which according to their manner are strangled by his Successour assoone as he was dead and vpon their Coffins likewise their Tulbents are laied seuerally These children are laied in little Coffins of Cypresle and this middle part wherein the dead bodies lie is compassed with a grace so as betweene the bodies and the windowes there is a gallery round about which is spred with Turkey carpets and vpon them the Priests that keepe the Sepulcher doe lie by night and sit crosse legged by day neither is the roome at any time without some of these Keepers so as the Emperours are attended euen after death The buildings of the City haue no magnificence being partly of a matter like bricke but white and as it seemes vnhardned by fire partly of timber and clay excepting some few pallaces which are of free stone but nothing so stately built as might be expected from the pride and riches of the great Turkes chiefe seruants And these houses as those of the adiacent territories of Europe are built only 2 stories high with a low roofe without any windowes after the manner of Italy whereas the houses of Asia haue a plaine and plaistered roofe to walke vpon especially in Asia the greater The streetes of this Citie ar narrow and shadowed with pentises of wood and vpon both sides the way is raised some foot high but of little breadth and paued for men and women to passe the middest of the street being left low and vnpaued and no broader then for the passage of Asses or beasts loaded In many places of the streetes lye carcases yea sometimes the bodies of dead men euen till they be putrified and I thinke this vncleanlinesse of the Turks who otherwise place Religion in washing their bodies and keeping their apparrell especially their Tulbent pure and cleane is the chiefe cause that this Citie though most pleasantly seated yet aboue all the Cities of the world is continually more or lesse infected with the plague They say that Iob famous for his pietie and patience is buried in this Citie but I did not see his monument and thinke it probable that the same and all like Christian monuments were defaced by the Turkes when they tooke the Citie The worthie English Ambassadour Master Edward Barton most curteously entertained me with lodging and dyet so long as I staied in this Citie so as for them I spent not one Asper but I passe ouer the due praises which I owe to the memory of this worthy Gentleman being hereafter to speake more of him I will onely adde that I attended him once to the great Turkes Court and when I had nothing satisfied my curiositie in viewing the Citie by occasions casually happening that hee commaunded a Ianizare to guide mee round about the same till I had taken full view thereof And with this guide the first day I viewed the foresaid monuments within the walles and the second day compassed the Citie without the walles beginning at the passage ouer the water called Tapano and noted with the letter K and so passing by water in a boat vulgarly called Pyrame and hired for fortie aspers to the Castle of the seuen Towers noted with the letter T then passing by land to the Pallace of Constantine noted with the letter V. And by the way as we passed by land an old woman meeting vs and taking me for a Captine to be sold demaunded my price of the Ianizare who for mirth entertained her offer to buy me and another Gentleman seruant to the Ambassadour whom hee had sent to beare me company but because I was very slender and leane after my long sicknes he could not induce her to giue more then one hundred aspers for me though she offered foure hundred aspers for the other Gentleman in
thereof namely clothes of Gold Damasks and Grogerans to the value of a thousand thousand zechines as the report went and setting the ship on fire tooke away the marriners for slaues And the very time of my being in this Iland seuen Turkish Gallies lay vpon this coast and robbed all the Venetian ships falling into their hands so as howsoeuer they had peace then with the Turkish Ottoman yet their ships durst not stirre out of this hauen Whereupon they hauing now occasion to send out ships for Corne the Magistrate forced the Master of an English ship then harbouring there to wast these ships though much against his will when there were some 20 Venetian ships in the same Hauen whereof diuers were of 400 or 500 tuns Also at this time it hapned that a Spanish ship of Catolonia was driuen into this Harbor and the Magistrate calling our Merchants before him would haue forced them to giue caution that the English ships then lying there should not assaile the same though betweene England Spaine war had now long time bin proclaimed but they contesting against this course as iniurious to them yet could not be dismissed till they gaue their words that our ships should not assayle the same by day or night so long as it lay in this Hauen And this Spanish ship for long time not daring to goe forth at last vpon occasion of Venetian Gallies landing there was wafted by them and so escaped Vpon the robbing and burning of the foresaid Venetian ship by Turkish Pyrates the Venetian Baliffe so they call their Ambassadour lying then at Constantinople had obtained the great Turkes Mandate that these Pyrates gallies being burnt they should presently be sent in bonds to his Court and this Mandate was brought by a Chiauss or Pencioner who came in the same ship with vs whereupon the Pyrates being more inraged against the Venetians did at this time take and spoyle another Venetian ship of some foure hundred and fifty Tunnes called the Syluester and not content with the most rich booty did cast into the Sea many Marriners yeelding to mercy and could hardly be perswaded by the intercession of Turkes passengers in the same ship to spare the liues of some twenty chiefe Marriners yet aliue and to forbeare the burning of the ship The Italians of best iudgement did not expect that the great Turke would duly punish these outrages but rather were of opinion that himselfe and his chiefe Visere would draw the greatest part of the prey to their own hands and that the Turkish Gouernours inticed by like participation would endeuour to free these Pyrates and doe their best to nourish them yea that this very Chiauss now sent with a Mandate to suppresse them would be induced by bribes to returne to Constantinople with relation that the Pyrates could not be found so they did as no doubt they would for a time hide themselues and in conclusion that the Venetians after hauing spent much money in obtaining new Mandates for their apprehension should find no other remedy but to repell force by force Vpon Wednesday the thirtieth of March after the old stile in the beginning of the yeere 1597 we set sayle but by contrarietie of winds were againe driuen backe into the Hauen of Zante Vpon Friday the first of Aprill after dinner againe we set saile and the second of Aprill sayling by the Iland Cefalonia whereof I spake in our voyage from Venice to Ierusalem we cast anchor in the outward Hauen of the Iland Corfu because the Master of our ship was sicke and this his sickenesse increasing we set saile to returne backe to the chiefe City of that Iland the Hauen whereof we entered the sixth of Aprill From Zante to Cefaloniae are seuenty miles and from thence to Corfu are 120 miles This Iland Corfu inhabited by Greekes is very fertile yeelding plenty of fruites corne wines and Currands and this Hauen is fortified with two Forts cut out off a Rocke namely the old and the new Fort which is more then a mile in circuit both being very strong and held vnexpugnable so as this Iland is worthily reputed one of the chiefe Keyes of Christendome The Master of our ship hauing recouered his health wee set saile vpon Tuesday the twelfth of Aprill and returned againe to the foresaid outward Hauen of Corfu Iland where an old woman a passenger died and her kinsemen carried her body to be buried on Land Here againe we were forced to stay the winds being contrary Atlast vpon the nineteenth of Aprill towards euening with a faire wind we ioyfully set saile and the twentieth day we sailed ouer the streight Sea betweene Greece and the Prouince of Apulia in Italy Vpon Friday the two and twentieth of Aprill towards the euening hauing sayled some two hundred miles from the said streight we were carried by the shoare of the City Raguza with a faire gale of wind and had the wind beene neuer so contrary yet our Master knowing some late difference risen betweene the Raguzeans and Venetians would not willingly haue landed in that Hauen The blame of which difference some imputed to the Raguzeans in that they fauoured the Scocchi a Neighbour people vpon the shoare of Sclauonia who being subiect to the Emperour and Christians yet robbed all kinds of ships passing these Seas and had lately spoiled and burnt a Venetian Gally in the Port of Rouinge But other alleaged a more probable cause thereof namely that some Venetian Gentlemen for some venerious in solencies there committed had Iately beene slaine in a tumult Raguze of old called Epidaurus and the chiefe City of Selauonia is foure hundred miles distant from Venice built at the foot of an high mountaine vpon the Sea shoare and hath great trafficke by those Seas and huge ships which the Kings of Spatne haue often hired and ioined to their Nauy The gouernement is popular and this City to the wonder of many doth to this day maintaine the liberty though it be seated betweene the very iawes of the two powerfull States of the great Turke and Venetians to one of which all other neere Townes Ilands and Countries are subiect For the Venetians are loath to driue them being Christians to such despaire as they might be forced to yeeld themselues to the great Turke and the City is very strongly fortified towards the sea whence the Venetians can onely assaile them besides that they pay great customes of their trafficke to the State of Venice for which reason that State attempts nothing against the freedome of the City Againe the Turkes knowing that if they should besiege the City by Land the Citizens would with all their best moueables flie into Italy by Sea and receiuing also a great yeerely tribute from the trafficke of this City where the great Turke hath his owne Officer called Chiaussagha to gather the same are also content not to molest them by warre especially since they know that the Pope the King of Spaine
Iuly in the yeere 1597 our hearts beingfull of ioy that our mercifull God had safely brought vs thither This early hower of the morning being vnfit to trouble my friends I went to the Cocke an Inne of Aldersgate streete and there apparrelled as I was laid me downe vpon a bed where it happened that the Constable and watchmen either being more busie in their office then need was or hauing extraordinary charge to search vpon some foraine intelligence and seeing me apparrelled like an Italian tooke me for a Iesuit or Priest according to their ignorance for the crafty Priests would neuer haue worne such clothes as I then did But after some few howers when I awaked and while I washed my hands did inquire after my friends health dwelling in the same streete the Host of the house knowing me dismissed the watchmen that say to apprehend me and told me how I had been thus mistaken CHAP. V Of the iourney through England Scotland and Ireland HE that desires to see the Cities and Antiquities of England Scotland and Ireland let him reade the Chapter of the vsuall manner of all kingdomes to iourney and to hire Coches and horses and also the Chapter wherein these Kingdomes are Geographically described out of Camden or if he list rather let him reade Camden himselfe of this point and lastly let him in the same last named Chapter peruse the diet of these Kingdomes and the entertainement in Innes Touching the distances of places by miles first for England he shall easily find a little printed booke particularly setting downe the same For Scotland I will briefely set downe my iourney therein And for Ireland the Cities being rare and farre distant hee must haue a guide who may without great trouble inquire them out Onely giue me leaue for the helpe of strangers to adde this one thing namely how they being curious to search antiquities and loth to omit the light of things worthy of obseruation may to this purpose best dispose of their iournies which all other men may fit to their endes and purposes First let them passe out of Normandy to Rhye an English Hauen in Sussex then let them visit such of the fiue Kentish Ports as they please let them see Cânterbury famous for the Seate of the Metropolitan Archbishop then the Castle of Qüinborrough in the Iland of Shoppey and the Regall Nauy then let them passe by Rochester a Bishops Seate the Regall Pallace at Greenewich and Depford the Nauall storehouse and not farre thence see the broken ribbes of the ship wherein famous Sir Francis Drake compassed the World and so let them come to London When they haue viewed the Monuments of London and Westminster and seene the Kings Court they may take a cursory iourney to view such antiquities in Middlesex Surry and Barkshire as vpon the reading of Camden they shall most desire to see and especially all or the chiefe Pallaces of the King Againe from London they may take a cursory iourney to see the Vniuersity of Oxford and so by Worcester returne to London In their iourney to the confines of England and Scotland they may see the Vniuersitie of Cambridge and view the most choise antiquities mentioned by Master Camden in Harfordshire Northamptonshire Lincolnsheire Yorkeshire Durham and Northumberland My selfe vpon occasion of businesse in the month of Aprill and the yeere 1598 tooke a iourney to these said confines namely to Barwick a Towne then very strongly fortified by the English to restraine the sudden incursions of the Scots and abounding with all things necessary for food yea with many dainties as Salmons and all kindes of shell-fish so plentifully as they were sold for very small prices And here I found that for the lending of sixtie pound there wanted not good Citizens who would giue the lender a faire chamber and good dyet as long as he would lend them the mony Being to returne from Barwicke I had an earnest desire first to see the King of Scots Court So from hence I rode in one day fortie miles to Edenborrow the chiefe Citie of that Kingdome And in this said daies iourney after foure miles riding I came to Aton a Village where the Lord of Hames dwelles whose Family was powerfull in those parts After sixteene miles more I came to Dunbar which they said to haue been of old a Towne of some importance but then it lay ruined and seemed of little moment as well for the pouertie as the small number of inhabitants After the riding of eight miles more on the left hand towards the West and something out of the high way the pleasant Village Hadrington lay which the English in the raigne of Queene Elizabeth tooke and kept against the French who drawne ouer in the time of faction kept the Towne of Dunbar and fortified the same When I had ridden fiue miles further I came to the ancient and according to the building of that Kingdome stately Pallace of the L. Seton beautified with faire Orchards and Gardens and for that clime pleasant Not farre thence lyes the Village Preston-graung belonging to the Family of the Cars powerfull from these parts to the very borders of England within land After I had ridden three miles more I came to the Village Fisherawe neere which beyond a Brooke lyes the Village Musselborow in a stony soyle famous for a great Victorie of the English against the Scots On the left hand towards the West and something out of the high way the Queene of Scots then kept her Court in the absence of the King at the Village Dawkeith in a Pallace belonging to the Earle of Murray From the said Village Fishrawe I rode the rest of the way being foure miles and so in one dayes iourney as I said came to Edenborow seated in Lodouey of old called Fictland the most ciuill Region of Scotland being hilly and fruitfull of corne but hauing little or no wood This City is the seat of the King of Scotland and the Courts of Iustice are held in the same Of old according to the changeable fortune of warre it was sometimes in the possession of the Scots sometimes of the English inhabiting this Easterne part of Scotland till the English Kingdome being shaken with the inuasions of the Danes at last about the yeere 960. it became wholly in the power of the Scots This City is high seated in a fruitfull soyle and wholsome aire and is adorned with many Noblemens Towers lying about it and aboundeth with many springs of sweet waters At the end towards the East is the Kings Pallace ioyning to the Monastery of the Holy Crosse which King Dauid the first built ouer which in a Parke of Hares Conies and Deare an high mountaine hangs called the chaire of Arthur of Arthur the Prince of the Britanes whose monuments famous among all Ballad-makers are for the most part to be found on these borders of England and Scotland From the Kings Pallace at the East the City still riseth
vnder Banaria towards the Alpes between Carinthia Heluetia or Sweitzerland and hath the name of the riuer Athesis vulgarly called Etsch which runs into Italy by Trent and Verona and is there called l'Adice and so falles into the Riuer Po. This Prouince is commonly called the County of Tyrol the Cities whereof are Brixia and AEnipons vulgarly Inspruck a faire Citie 5. The names of Rhetia Vindelicia Norira in these dayes are out of vse and the limits of them are often cōfounded That is properly Rhetia which lies between the lake of Constantis or Costnetz towards the North and the high top of the Alpes towards the South whose chiefe City is Bregants the inhabitants of these Alpes are vulgarly called Grisons 6 Vindelicia is the other part of that tract lying betweene the Danow and the Alpes which hath faire Cities as Augusta Vindelicorum vulgarly Augsburg a famous City Vlme Ingolstad Ratisbona vulgarly Regenspurg and Passaw Obserue that the old limits of Rhetia did reach to Verona and Como in Italy but now great part of it is laid to Sueuia in Germany as namely the Cities Augsburg and Vlme aforesaid 7 The Countries of Bauaria and of the Bishopricke of Saltzburg were of old called Vindelicia Noricum and the Inhabitants thereof Taurisci and it hath these Cities Scherdung Saltzburg and Lintz 8 Sueuia stretcheth into old Vindelicia and that which at this day is so called containes the greater part of Rhetia and Vindelicia The Sueuians vulgarly Schwaben of old forsooke their dwelling vpon the Riuer Elue and inuaded vpper Rhetia which to this day they hold The Cities thereof are Nerlingen Gepingen and the foresaid Vlme and Augsburg 9 Heluetia or Sweitzerland was of old part of Gallia Belgica now is reckoned as part of Germany The head spring of the Rheine the second Riuer of Germany next in greatnesse to the Danow is in the highest Alpes of Heluetia where it riseth in two heads and the Northerly head falling from the Mountaines Furca and Gotardo is called the fore Rheine and the Southerly head falling from the Lepontine Mountaines is called the hinder Rheine both which running towards the East are vnited at Chur and then with the name of Rheine it fals towards the North violently from the Mountains Heluetia hath many very famous Cities namely Schaffhusen as the houses of boats or ships Constantia vulgarly Costnetz Tigurum vulgarly Zurech Solodurum or Solothurn Bern Lucern Geneua with Losanna which two last of old were reckoned in Sauoy but now are confederate with the Sweitzers The Inhabitants of Heluetia are commonly called Sweitzers and among themselues they will be called Eidgenossin that is partakers of the sworne league The part of Heluetia betweene the Rheine and the lake of Constantia is called Brisgoia vulgarly Brisgaw Bris signifies a price and Gaw a meadow and therein is the spring-head of the Riuer Danow and the Townes thereof are Rotwill Brisach Friburg an Vniuersity Basil a famous Vniuersity of old belonging to Alsatia now confederate with the Sweitzers 10 Alsatia so called of the riuer Illa running through it is diuided into the vpper the lower The vpper from Basil to Strasburg is called Singaw and the Inhabitants of old were called Tribocchi and Tribotes some hold Strasburg of old to haue beene the chiefe City thereof but it hath now three Cities Basil Selestade and Rusach The lower lying aboue Strasburg to the Mount Vogasus hath these Cities Haganaw and Sabern 11. For the Tract vpon the Rheine first aboue Alsatia towards Metz the Nemetes whose chiefe City is Spira and the Vangiones whose chiefe City is Worms possesse the West side of the Rheine The tract adioyning is called Vetus Hannonia vulgarly Alt-henegaw Something further from the Rheine towards the Dukedome of Luxenburg are these Prouinces The County Sweybrucken also called Bipoutanus in Latin of two Bridges and the Cities are Sweybrucken and Sarbrucken Secondly Austracia vulgarly Vestreich as a vast Kingdome Thirdly the Territory of the Elector Bishop of Trier whereof the chiefe Citie is Treueris vulgarly Trier On the other side of the Rheine towards the East the Marquisate of Baden lyes next to Heluetia whose inhabitants of old were called Vespi Next lies the Dukedome of Wirtenburg the Cities whereof are Tubinga and Sturcardia whereof the former is an Vniuersitie Then followes the Palatinate of Rheine the Inhabitants whereof were of old called Intuergi Phargiones and are now called Phaltzer and Heidelberg seated vpon the Riuer Neccar is the chiefe Citie and the seate of the Palatine Elector The lower Germany is deuided into nineteene Prouinces Franconia Bohemia Morauia Silesia Saxonia Lusatia Misnia Turingia Marchia the Dukedome of Branswicke the Dukedome of Meckleburg Hassia Iuliacum Cliuia Westphalia Frisia Orientalis Pemerania Borussia Linonia for I omit Gallia Belgica to be handled in his proper place 1 Franconia is an ancient and noble Nation the inhabitants wherof driuing the Romans out of Gallia possessed the same and gaue the name of France to that Kingdome This Prouince hath old and faire Cities namely Bamberg a Bishops seate Rotenburg Francfort famous for the yeerely Marts or Faires Wirtzberg a Bishops seate Mentz or Metz the seate of the chiefe Elector Bishop and Nurnberg a famous City which some hold to be in Bauaria but the Citizens doe more willingly acknowledge themselues to be Franckes All the Prouince excepting the free Cities and the three Cities belonging to Bishops is subiect to the Margraue of Brandeburg 2 Bohemia hath a language proper to it selfe and hath two Prouinces belonging to it Morauia hauing his proper language and Silesia vsing the Dutch tongue and these three make a Kingdome which is subiect to the Emperour and it is ioyned by Geographers to the Prouinces of Germany because the same compasseth it almost round about Bohemia is not deuided into Counties but according to the Teritories belonging to the King or to Noble men and Gentlemen this being called the Kings land that the land of the Baron of Rosenberg or the land of the Popells and so of the rest The chiefe City and seate of the Emperour their King is Prage The Riuer Blue hath his head spring in Bohemia being the third Riuer of Germany and it runs through Saxony to Hamburg and after falls into the sea The inhabitants of Bohemia came out of Dalmatia as their language witnesseth 3 Morauia was of old inhabited by the Marcomanni and had subiect to it Bohemia Silesia and Polonia but at this day it is onely a Marquisate subiect to Bohemia and hath the name of the Riuer Moraua The chiefe City thereof is Bromia vulgarly Prim. 4 The inhabitants of Silesia were of old called Lugij Dantuli and Cogni The Riuer Viadrus or Odera runnes through it into Pomerania and so falles into the sea Silesia is annexed to Bohemia and so is likewise subiect to the Emperour as King of Bohemia and the chiefe City thereof is Vratislauia vulgarly Bressell and the inhabitants of this
Villages and small Cities by the high-way a passenger shall find no bed but he may carry a bed in his Coach and fit vpon it conucnicntly Others vse to sleepe vpon straw lapped with a furred horsemans coate which they vse to weare and if they haue no such coate they must be content to sleepe vpon cleane straw And all the passengers lie together in the warme stoaue with those of the Family both Men and Weomen Neither shall they find in such places any Wine or choice meates which they vse to bring from Cities in their Coaches For the Innes in such places are poore naked houses hauing nothing to sell but close by them are the shambles the Bakers Brewers houses where the passengers buy beere such meat as they like and bring it to the Inne which a poore Hostesse will dresse affording them onely fier and a course Table-cloth And it seemed to me that the Lord of the place vseth to impose vpon some vassall this charge to entertaine strangers for the Hostesse will giue her labour for nothing except in curtesie you desire her to eate with you and if you freely giue her a small reward as three pence for the whole Company shee will thinke you deale bountifully with her but shee will aske you nothing Also you may freelie carrie away in your Coach flesh bread wine or anie thing that remaines which I haue seene done many times No Countrey in Europe affoordes victuals at'a lower rate My selfe and a Companion did in a Countrey Towne inuite two Guests and our dinner for foure persons came but to foure Grosh and a halfe I haue formerly set downe the ordinary expences generally in a Chapter treating of that Subiect in the first Booke of this thirde Part and particularlie in the iourney through Poland in the first Part. Now I will onelie adde that in the Villages and little Cities by the high way I haue bought tenne Egges for one Grosh a Goose for three a Partridge for two a loine of Mutton for two a Pigge for three Grosh and all like things at a very small price So as if a passenger haue a Cooke in his companie or haue himselfe any skill to dresse meate for his owne appetite I thinke hee shall there want nothing for necessary or delicate foode But hee may not expect that a Countrey Hostesse should seeke out or curiously dresse any daineties for him Lastly the Polonians are as stout drinkers as the Germans and passe them all excepting onely the Saxons yea aboue all that euer I obserued giuen to this vice they seemed to me to be mad in this kind that in drinking they are prone to quarrels brawling and fighting Giue me leaue to adde one obseruation which to me seemed very strange At Meluin and Dantzke in Prussen betweene Michaelmas and Christmas the Country people bring in sledges laded with dead Hares all foozen ouer which are so preserued aswell and better then if they were powdred with Salt till our Lady day in Lent about which time the frost begins first to breake And if they will eate a Hare in the meane time they thaw it at the fier or the ouen of the warme stoue or by casting it into water and so they presently set it to the fier either to be rosted or boyled In like sort they preserue Phesants or any kind of flesh being frozen ouer aswell as if they were salted And if any man thinke this a Trauellers fiction let him know that a most credible person told mee of his certaine knowledge and experience that the Moscouites in Russia bring the dead bodies of men in winter thus frozen ouer and so lay them on heapes in the Bellfrees of the Churches where they lie without rotting or ill smell till about our Lady day in Lent the Snow begins to thaw and the earth to be fit for digging for till that time the earth is couered with deepe and hard snow and if it were not so couered yet is so hard by continuall frosts as it cannot bee digged And at that time each family takes the bodies of their dead and takes care to burie them CHAP. V. Of Italy touching all the subiects of the third Chapter going before THE Longitude of Italy extends fourteene degrees and a halfe from the Meridian of twenty seuen degrees and a halfe to that of forty two degrees And the Latitude extends eight degrees from the paralell of thirty eight degrees to that of forty sixe degrees Italy of old was called Saturnia Ianicula Oenotria and Ausonia and lastly it had the name of Italy It was called Saturnia of Saturne who banished from his Country taught the Inhabitants of this Country the Art of Husbandry as Poets fable and is accounted the first King of this people then called Aborigines as borne there not comming from any forraigne part to inhabite there It was called Ianicula of Ianus or Noha whom they affirme to haue come thither after the deluge and to haue taught them the art to plant vines and sow corne to haue built the Citie Ianua now called Genoa It was called Oenotria either of the excellent wines or of Oenotrius King of the Sabines as likewise it had the name 〈◊〉 of Ausonius the son of Vlisses Lastly it was called Italy of Italus King of Sicilie or of an old Greeke word signifying oxen and shewing the inhabitants to haue been Heardsmen Ptolomy describes it in the forme of a Chersonesus that is necke of land or Peninsula that is almost an Iland and Pliny in the forme of an Oaken leafe but others more aptly compare it to a mans leg from the thigh to the sole of the foote Old Writers diuiding Italy from Gallia Cisalpina or togata inclose Gallia with a line drawne from the Riuer Varus beyond Genoa by the Apenine Mountaine to the Brooke Rubico where it falles into the Sea neere Rauenna and this line is obliquely stretched from the East to the West and so they diuide it from Italy and make Picmount the Dukedome of Milan the Dukedome of Ferrara the Treuisan Marquisate and all Histria to be a peculiar part of Europe But these Prouinces being at this time part of Italy it is better inclosed and confined by a line drawne from the head of the Brooke Varus through the Coccian Alpes to the Mountaine Adula which lies vpon the Alpes of Furca or Mount Gothard and so through the Rhetian Alpes towards the East to the Brooke Arsia confining Histria and the rest of Italy is compassed with the Sea Also the Mount Appenine deriued from the Alpes runnes all the length of Italy in the forme of a fishes backe bone and almost in the midst deuides it into two tracts one lying towards the vpper or Adriaticke Sea the other towards the nether of Tyrrhene Sea For howsoeuer the Appennine about Ancona seemes to bend towards the Adriaticke Sea and there to end yet after it turnes from thence and deuides the rest of Italy till it ends
strictly forbidden by many Statutes The flesh of Hogges and Swine is more sauoury then in any other parts excepting the bacon of Westphalia and of the Southerne Ilands where they commonly feede on Rootes and Chesnuts The goodnesse of the Sheepe may be coniectured by the excellency of the wooll and wollen clothes which Sheepe are subiect to rotting when they feede on low wet grounds excepting the Marshes ouerflowed by the sea which for the saltnesse are held very wholsome for them and these rots often destroy whole stocks for they seldome drinke but are moistned by the dewes falling in the night And the feeding of Sheepe vpon like accident of discases often vndoes the ownet in his estate but more commonly preferued from that ill they inrich many so as it is prouerbially said He whose Sheepe stand and wiues die the husbands gaining their dowries must needs be rich The Kings Forrests haue innumerable heards of Red Deare and all parts haue such plenty of Fallow Deare as euery Gentleman of fiue hundreth or a thousand pounds rent by the yeere hath a Parke for them inclosed with pales of wood for two or three miles compasse Yet this prodigall age hath so forced Gentlemen to improue their reuenews as many of these grounds are by them disparked and conuerted to feede Cattell Lastly without offence be it spoken I will boldly say that England yea perhaps one County thereof hath more fallow Deare then all Europe that I haue seene No Kingdome in the World hath so many Doue-houses I formerly said that the Wolues were altogether destroied in England and Wales so as the Sheepe feede freely in the fields and Mountaines England hath much more Dogges aswell for the seuerall kinds as the number of each kind then any other Territorie of like compasse in the World not onely little Dogges for beauty but hunting and water-Dogges whereof the bloud-Hounds and some other haue admirable qualities It hath infinite number of Conies whereof the skinnes especially black and siluer haired are much prised and in great quantity transported especially into Turkey The Nagges and Gueldings are singular for the Gentle ambling pace and for strength to performe great iournies So are the hunting Horses of exceeding swiftnes much esteemed in forraigne parts especially in France and Scotland and of both kinds the number is infinite The great Horses for seruice and to draw Coaches and carts are of like number and goodnes and one kinde for seruice called the Corser as bred of the Neapolitan Corsers and English Mares yeelds not for brauery of race to the Neapolitan Corsers or Spanish Gennets I said that they are all strong and the horses for iornies in defatigable for the English especially Northerne men ride from day breake to the euening without drawing bit neither sparing their hories nor 〈◊〉 whence is the Prouerb that England is the Hell of Horses the Purgatory of Seruants and the Paradise of Women because they ride Horses without measure and vse their Seruants imperiously and their Women obsequiously The Gentlemen disdaine trafficke thinking it to abase Gentry but in Italy with grauer counsell the very Princes disdaine not to be Merchants by the great and hardly leaue the retailing commodity to men of inseriour sort And by this course they preserue the dignity and patrimony of their progenitors suffering not the sinew of the Commonwealth vpon any pretence to be wrested out of their hands On the contrary the English and French perhaps thinking it vniust to leaue the common sort no meanes to be inriched by their industry and iudging it equall that Gentlemen should liue of their reuenews Citizens by trafficke and the common sort by the Plough and manuall Artes as diuers members of one body doe in this course daily sell their patrimonies and the buyers excepting Lawyers are for the most part Citizens and vulgar men And the daily feeling of this mischiefe makes the error apparant whether it be the prodigalitie of the Gentry greater then in any other Nation or age or their too charitable regard to the inferiour sort or rashnesse or slothfulnesse which cause them to neglect and despise traffick which in some Commonwealths and namely in England passeth all other commodities and is the very sinew of the Kingdome I haue at large related in this booke treating of Poland the English trafficke in the Baltick Sea and treating of Germany their trafficke with the Hans Cities and so treating of other seuerall States the English traffick with each of them so as it were lost labour to repeare it againe Onely for Spaine whereof I had no cause to speake touching their trafficke with England I will adde that the English carry into Spaine Wollen clothes Saffron Wax and Corne and bring from thence Oyle Fruits Sacks and sweet wines Indian spices with God and Siluer And in generall I wil obserue that England abounds with rich commodities of their owne and exports them with their own ships from very Iseland and Moscouye to both the Indies and at this day buy not so much of the Turkes as they were wont but by long Nauigation fetch Spices and like commodities from the farthest East Indies So as the shipping of England must needs be very great in number and strength But of Englands Nauall glory I must speake at large in the discourse of that Common-wealth In the meane time I freely professe that in my opinion the English Marriners are more daring then any other Nation in stormes of winds raging of Seas and thundring of Ordinance in Nauall fights And if any stranger take me of too much boasting in this point I desire him to consider of Martin Furbushers attempts in the frozen Sea of Sir Francis Drakes and Sir Thomas Candishes dangerous Nauigations round about the world and if these things shal not moue him the worst I wish him is that in person he may experience their courage and art in a fight vpon equall termes Caesar in the fourth Chapter and fifth booke of his Commentaries writes thus of the Britans dyet It is vnlawfull for them to taste Hares Geese or Hennes yet they keepe them all for their pleasure and the inward parts sow no Corne but liue vpon milke and flesh At this day the English inhabitants eate almost no flesh more commonly then Hennes and for Geese they eate them in two seasons when they are fatted vpon the stubble after Haruest and when they are greene about Whitsontide at which time they are held for dainties and howsoeuer Hares are thought to nourish melancoly yet they are eaten as Venison both rosted and boyled They haue also great plenty of Connies the flesh whereof is fat tender and much more delicate then any I haue eaten in other parts so as they are in England preferred before Hares at which the Germans wonder who hauing no Venison the Princes keeping it proper to themselues and the hunting of Hares being proper to the Gentlemen in most parts they esteeme Hares as Venison and seldom eate
thereof An Italian Frier comming of old into Ireland and seeing at Armach this their diet and nakednesse of the women whereof I shall speake in the next booke of this Part and the second Chapter thereof is said to haue cried out Ciuitas Armachana Ciuit as vana Carnes crudae mulieres nude Vaine Armach City I did thee pity Thy meatesrawnes and womens nakednesse I trust no man expects among these gallants any beds much lesse fetherbeds and sheetes who like the Nomades remouing their dwellings according to the commodity of pastures for their Cowes sleepe vnder the Canopy of heauen or in a poore house of clay or in a cabbin made of the boughes of trees and couered with turffe for such are the dwellings of the very Lords among them And in such places they make a fier in the middest of the roome and round about it they sleepe vpon the ground without straw or other thing vnder them lying all in a circle about the fier with their feete towards it And their bodies being naked they couer their heads and vpper parts with their mantels which they first make very wet steeping them in water of purpose for they finde that when their bodies haue once warmed the wet mantels the smoake of them keepes their bodies in temperate heate all the night following And this manner of lodging not onely the meere Irish Lords and their followers vse but euen some of the English Irish Lords and their followers when after the old but tyranicall and prohibited manner vulgarly called Coshering they goe as it were on progresse to liue vpon their tenants til they haue consumed al the victuals that the poore men haue or can get To conclude not onely in lodging passengers not at all or most rudely but euen in their inhospitality towards them these wild Irish are not much vnlike to wild beasts in whose caues a beast passing that way might perhaps finde meate but not without danger to be ill intertained perhaps deuoured of his insatiable Host. The fourth Booke CHAP. 1. Of the Germans Bohemians Sweitzers Netherlanders Danes Polonians and Italians apparrell ONE thing in generall must bee remembred touching the diuers apparrell of diuers Nations That it is daily subiect to change as each Commonwealth by little and little declines from the best constitution to the worst and old manners are daily more and more corrupted with new vices or as each Common-wealth is by due remedies purged and reformed The most rich among the Germans as old Writers doe witnesse vsed of old straight apparrell expressing to life the lineaments of the whole body which kind of apparel the Schwaben or Sueui vse at this day and the women were apparrelled as men of which wicked custome we find at this day no remainder except the souldiers wiues following the Campe may perhaps somewhat offend that way They adde that the Sueui vnder which name the Romanes comprehended all the Germanes vsed of old to be clad in skinnes No doubt the Germanes as they 〈◊〉 so are at this day in their apparrell constant and modest and I had almost said slouenly Surely if a man obserue the time they spend in brushing their apparrell and taking out the least spots aswell at home as abroad when they come to their Innes they will seeme cleanly but if we behold their apparrell so worne to proofe as the nap of the cloth and that somewhat course being worne off the ground plainely appeares and spotted with grease and wearing especially the sleeues which they weare large and at table not without cause lift vp with one hand while they take meate with the other lest they should fall into the dish no doubt without offence be it spoken they are somewhat slouenly And for this imputation of old laid on the Germans I appeale to Tacitus writing to this purpose in the Latin tongue The slouenly and naked Germans liue in the same house among the same beasts And he that at this day lookes vpon their Schwartz Reytern that is Blacke Horsemen must confesse that to make their horses and bootes shine they make themselues as black as Collyers These Horsemen weare blacke clothes and poore though they be yet spend no small time in brushing them The most of them haue black Horses which while they painefully dresse and as I said delight to haue their boots and shoos shine with blacking stuffe their hands and faces become black and thereof they haue their foresaid name Yea I haue heard Germans say that they do thus make themselues al black to seeme more terrible to their enemies I haue often heard their Preachers declame against the common inconstancie in apparrel but they do herein according to the art of lefting which is euer most pleasing when it taskes men with vices whereof they are not guilty but neuer with those that may be truly imputed For Drunkennesse the famous yet almost sole vice of the Germans is in the meane time silently passed ouer by them in their Pulpits or else out of a guilty conscience slightly reproued No doubt the Germans are of all other famous and great Nations least expencefull in apparrell whether a man consider the small prices of the garments or their long lasting By an Imperiall Law Husbandmen are forbidden to weare any stuffes that cost more then halfe a Gulden the ell and men that liue by their Art and Hand are forbidden to weare any thing that costs more then the third part of a Gulden the ell and seruants to weare any ornament of Gold Siluer or Silke and gentlemen to weare any Gold or more then two ounces of siluer and Doctors of the Ciuill Law who haue many priuiledges from the Heraulds and are much respected in Germany and likewise Knights not to weare more then two ounces of gold vpon their Apparrell and lastly Citizens are permitted to face their garments with silke or veluet but are forbidden to weare any gold or siluer By the same Imperall Statutes enacted in the yeere 1548 Noble women that is Gentlewomen are permitted to weare a chaine of gold worth two hundred Guldens and ornaments of the head worth forty Guldens and the Doctours of the Ciuill Law are permitted to weare like chaines and their wiues haue the same priuiledge with Noblewomen In the Statutes of the yeere 1530 Citizens Wiues are permitted to weare gold chaines of fifty Guldens and siluer girdles of thirty Guldens and their Daughters to weare Ornaments of ten Guldens vppon their heads And these Lawes are wisely made to restraine that Nation though by nature and custome most modest in Apparrell because the richest things they are to weare be not made in the Empire but to be bought with money They haue not so much as woollen or linnen cloth of their owne but such as is course which makes them thát weare silke or veluet as well as others weare shirts of course cloth I did see Rodolpus the Emperour when he mourned for his sister apparrelled in English blacke cloth
from so disunited mindes as they haue He addes that the free Cities of the Empire yeeld a small yeerely tribute to the Emperour of fifteene thousand Guldens It is well nowne that those Cities of old custome maintained twenty thousand foote and foure thousand Horses for the Emperours Army when he went to be crowned at Rome but this custome by long discontinuance is vanished since the Emperours for many ages haue forborne this expedition The matter of greatest moment is the contribution which for the doubtfull affaires of the Empire hath been accustomed to be granted by the three Estates in Parliament And these such as they are yet are more easily or hardly obtained of that free Nation as the Emperour hath more or lesse reputation with them But that it may appeare that the Empire wants not treasure the sinew of war let vs gather by one particular example what may generally be iudged of this subsidie In the time of the Emperour Maximilian the first the following subsidie was granted in a Dyet or Parlament at Worms by consent of the Estates for the vse of the Common-wealth and especially for the warre against the Turkes which at that time much lesse pressed Germany then it doth in these our daies First it was decreed that for foure yeeres next following each person of any sex or quality howsoeuer possessing through long and broad Germany or being worth by all meanes 500 gold Guldens should yerely pay half a gold Gulden to this purpose and each one of lesse value should pay a quarter of a gold Gulden and all Iewes as well men as women and children should pay yearely by the Pole one gold gulden That Princes Barons for decency yet of their free will should contribute much more And that this collection should be made not onely in the priuate Dominions of the Emperour but in the priuat Teritories of al Princes and the mony first deliuered to the Superintendents or chiefe Ministers of Gods word and by them be conueied to seuen Treasurers residing at Franckfort the first appointed by the Emperour the second by the Electors the third by other Princes the fourth by the Prelates the fifth by the Earles and Barons the sixth by the Knights the seuenth by the free Cities all which were to take their oathes for the faithfull execution of this office After it was againe decreed in the Diet held at Nurnberg that for the Turkish warre each 40 inhabitants reckoning the husband wife and children for one person should maintaine one Footeman That men and maid seruants should giue the sixth part of their yeerely wages and each one hauing no wages should pay a shilling of Germany That spirituall persons men and women that is Nunnes as well as others should for each forty Guldens value pay one gold Gulden and in like sort the spirituall Orders of Knights and namely those of Saint Iohn and all Monasteries and Almes-houses and whatsoeuer spirituall communities should giue the like contribution excepting the foure Orders of Mendicant Friers of which each fiue Monasteries were to maintaine one Footeman That men and maid-seruants of Spirituall persons should pay as much as those of the Layety That no Elector or Prince should maintaine lesse then fiue hundred Horses and each Earle should maintaine one Horseman That Knights should contribute according to their estates That the Iewes should pay by the Pole one gold Gulden yearely the rich paying for the poore That all Preachers should in the Pulpit exhort men willingly to giue these contributions giuing hope that they shall be diminished according to the booties gotten by victories And that Bishops should make collection of this money and deliuer it ouer to the Counsellers of the States Twenty Noble men were at that time chosen to haue care of the Commonwealth for matters of peace and warre who in difficult accidents were to call vnto them the sixe Electors the King of Bohemia in the Emperours person not reckoned and certaine other Princes And this must alwaies be vnderstood that these collections are made in Germany with great seuerity or strictnesse where he that dissembles his full wealth shall be forced to repaire all the domage the Commonwealth hath sustained thereby and shall bee also deepely fined when the fraude is made knowne which at least will appeare at the death of each priuate man by his last will and testament So as these subsidies must needs be of great moment But the Germans in our daies though ready to be deuoured by the Iawes of the Turkish Tyrant yet for the aboue-named causes very vnwillingly grant these contributions yea for the very Turkish warre The Germans for the said mutuall iealosies at this day in the greatest Peace at home yet liue as in the time of a Ciuill warre at least in common feare of surprising so as almost in all Cities they haue victuals laid vp in Storehouses to beare a yeeres siege and besides this publike prouision all housholders are commanded to make their priuate prouisions before hand of dried fishes corne and like things to eate of fewell to burne and of all necessaries to exercise their manuall trades The Cities haue Watchmen continually dwelling with their families on the top of high Steeples and Towers who by sound of Trumpet and by hanging out flags of diuers colours one for horsemen another for footemen continually giue warning what people approach to the Towne and in what number and besides these Watchmen are inioyned to sound their Trumpets at certaine howers of the day and night The very recreations of the Citizens are no other then shooting in Pieces and Crosebowes at markes in publike houses and thus they exercise themselues on Holidaies and at all idle times shooting for wagers both priuate and publike and for like rewards and prises So as they must needes bee thereby much better trained vp for warre Yet their footemen in warre doe not so much vse the Piece as the Pike and their Horsemen contrarie to the custome of other Nations are generally armed with two short Pistols not at all with Lances To conclude if any man in this time of peace shoote ofa piece within the wals of a Citie he shall no lesse then in a Towne of Garrison bee drawne by the Serieants before the Magistrate be sure to pay a mulct for his error Caesar reports that the Schwaben or people of Sueuta a great Prouince in Germany most part of vpper Germany hauing been so called of old were most warlike yet at the first hearing so feared the Romans as some thought to leaue their dwellings some made their last wils and all mourned and were sad He reports also that the halfe part of this people was imployed and nourished in Armes and the other halfe gaue themselues to Husbandry and that so by yeerely course they were one yeere Husbandmen another yeere Souldiers That none of them had any priuate fields nor dwelt in one place more then a yeere Lastly that freedome
forced to wonder at the quantity varietie and goodnesse thereof which if they were all vnder the command of one Prince no two of the mightiest Kings of Christendome might therein compare with him It remaines briefely to adde something of the Nauall power of the Germans Almost all Germany being within land onely the Cities vpon the Northerne Ocean and vpon the Baltike sea haue any exercise of Nauigation And I did neuer reade or heare that any of them did euer vndertake any long and dangerous voyage by sea nor can their Marriners be praised for their experience or boldnesse compared with the English and Netherlanders The City of Dantzk which for agreement of tongue and manners I reckon among the Cities of Germany though it be in some sort annexed to Poland howsoeuer it is famous for concourse of Merchants and rich commodities yet not vsing to export them in their owne ships but rather to sell them to strangers or to lade their ships especially those of the Hollanders I could not vnderstand that forty ships belonged to that Citie Among the other Cities Lubeck and Hamburg are farre more powerfull in this kind then all the rest ioyned together The Hauen of Hamburg hath commonly great number of shipping and they said that more then six hundred ships did then belong to the City But they being vast and built onely for burthen are held vnfit for warre The City of Hamburg and the other Cities vpon the Northerne Ocean hauing long inioyed peace as neutrals while all their neighbours haue made warre one with the other and none of the Cities excepting Hamburg sending out ships further then vpon the coast it cannot be that the ships should be strongly armed At Hamburg I did see a ship then building for a man of warre of one thousand two hundred tunnes and among the other ships belonging to that Citie the greatest was called the golden Lion strongly built and bearing eighteene brasse pieces on each side which they named their Admirall But our best Sea men thought them both more fit to defend the Hauen as Forts then to make any fights at Sea In our age thirty seuen ships of Hamburg were laded by the Flemmings with Dantzk Rie for Spaine where they had free trafficke in the heate of the warre betweene England France Netherland and Spaine and of these ships sixe perished in the very going out of the Elue by tempest while English and other ships safely put to sea and the rest despaiting of the Voyage into Spaine were vnladed Not long before my being there they had sent some eight or ten ships into Spaine whereof onely one returned in safetie to Hamburg The City Lubeck hath a greater number of ships then Hamburg but they commonly trading within the Baltick sea seldome troubled with warre or Pyrates and their ships being onely built for burthen are slow of saile and vnfit to fight at sea Besides that for the foresaid reason they carry few or no pieces or other armes To conclude while I was at Lubeck a great ship of that Citie of one thousand foure hundred tuns called the Eagle laded with salt perished in the returne from Spaine Whereupon I then heard our best Sea-men impute great ignorance to the German Marriners of those Cities This shall suffice for their skill in Nauigation whereof I haue formerly spoken in the third Booke of this Volume or Part treating of the trafficke of Merchants in Germany Touching their Lawes and iudiciall courses in generall Of old the Magistrates of Germany were as Captaines of Cities who determined of Ciuill causes at home and had publike meetings yeerely for that purpose most commonly in the moneth of May or at the times of the full and new Moones They came armed to these meetings not all together but euery man at his pleasure and as it pleased the multitude so they sate in iudgement Silence was commanded by the Priests who had power to punish them Then the Prince or King or any eminent person in eloquence or in fauour was heard to speake yet as perswading not commanding and if the speech pleased the people shewed consent by murmuring or otherwise dissent by striking their speares together Here they determined all controuersies and chose new Captaines or Gouernours They had a custome that if any man complained of another hee should make a supper for a hundred men who duely examined the cause and if the plaintife had the right the defendant paid the charge otherwise he scaped free They gaue of free will to their Prince of their Cattell and Corne as much as they thought fit for his honour and necessity Tacitus writes that the old Magistrates of Germany did nothing vnarmed publikely or priuately And the Germans themselues confesse that their old Progenitors seldome tried iniuries by Law but commonly reuenged them with fire and sword and that they shamed not to take preyes by stealth or sorce Quintilianus Varus appointed Gouernour of Germany by the Emperour Augustus did first appoint the iudgement of Scabines which in the Hebrew tongue signifies a Iudge for he had formerly beene Gouernour of Iury These Scabines determined all controuersies and to this day the Germans in most places so call their Iudges The lower and vpper Saxony hath a prouinciall Law yet determines also many causes by the ciuill Law The Statutes of the Diots or Parliaments bind all but the Statutes of priuate Princes onely bind their owne subiects The greatest part of Germany is gouerned by the Ciuill Law And therefore the Doctors of the Ciuill Law are much esteemed among them and are Counsellors of Estate aswell to the Emperour as to other Princes which place they thinke vnfit to be conferred on any Doctors of Diuinity Yea the Princes of Germany haue this peculiar fashion that no sonne vseth his Fathers old counsellors but rather new chosen by himselfe The said Doctors of the Ciuil Law haue priuiledge by their degree to weare chaines of gold about their neckes and feathers in their hats There be in Germany foure kinds of Law giuing or rather foure cheefe Courts of Iustice. The first is that of the Diets or Parliaments vulgarly called 〈◊〉 that is Daies of the Kingdome which meetings by the Law should be made once in the yeere and last no lesse then a moneth at least no man hauing liberty to depart from them without leaue of the Councell Neither may the Emperour or his sonne or the elect King of the Romans make any warre or league without consent of the same The second Court is called Landgericht that is the Iustice of the Land wherein the cheefe men of each Prouince are to be called together thrice in the yeere and are to sit three weekes to determine the cheefe affaires of the Prouince as the Parliaments handle the cheefe affaies of the Empire The third Court is vulgarly called Camergerichl that is the Iustice of the Imperiall Chamber which is held at Spirt foure times each yeere each time lasting forty
the Leagues of Burgundy and Milan with the Cantons of the Roman religion to last fiue yeres after his death and this was done in the Church of Milan where the Ambassadours are said to haue hung vp their Shields in memory therof and to haue giuen a thousand gold crownes to the beautifying of the Church at which time the King of Spaine diuided twelue thousand gold crownes betweene the Ambassadours besides the charges passing three thousand crownes But the Ambassadours of Solothurn with-drew themselues from this League because the King of France was indebted to them which debt the King of Spaine refused to pay By this League they are mutually bound to aide each other with one thousand two hundred foote and the King of Spaine promised yeerely Pensions in generall to the Cantons and in particular to diuers chiefe men and Captaines For the Sweitzers vse to make no League without profit since the Neighbour Princes grew of opinion that they could not make warre except their Armies were strengthened with a firme body of Sweitzers Not onely Solothurn renounced the said League but also the Cantons of the reformed religion partly not to do any thing against their League with France partly left they should take part with a King whom they iudged most ambitions and a great enemy to the Reformed Religion howsoeuer he couered that hatred and partly lest they should aduance the House of Austria iustly suspected by them whose victories might turne to their ruine And at the same time the Cantons and Fellowes in League being of the Reformed Religion after the doctrine of Caluine made a League for defence of religion among themselues and with Strasburg a neighbour free city of Germany being of the Reformed Religion after the doctrine of Luther The Duke of Sauoy had his Ambassadour residing at Lucerna where the Popes Ambassadours also reside of whose Leagues for yeeres we formerly spake The old Allobroges now called Sauoyans had old Leagues with the Cantons of Bern Friburg and Solothurn but Charles Duke of Sauoy in the yeere 1512 made a League for twenty fiue yeeres with all the Cantons by which among other things it was couenanted that the Duke should aide the Sweitzers with sixe hundred or more horse at his owne charge so hee were not distracted with warres at home and that the Sweitzers should aide the Duke with sixe thousand foot for any warre in his owne Countrie to whom the Duke should pay each man sixe Frankes by the moneth But hee should not imploy them to fight at sea nor leade them beyond the sea but onely to defend his owne Countrie and the confines thereof And it was couenanted that during this League the Duke should yeerely pay at Bern two hundred gold crownes to each Canton When this League was expired Duke Charles put out of his Dukedome by the French King Francis the first followed the Emperour Charles the fifth and the renewing of this League was intermitted But the King of France restoring Philebert his sonne to the Dukedome this Duke in the yeere 1560 made a new and perpetuall League with sixe Cantons namely Lucerna Suitia Vria Vnderualdia Zug and Solothurne And after the rest of the Cantons vpon like conditions renewed the old league with this Duke onely in this last league no mention is made of mutuall aides couenanted by the former league The French Ambassadour resided at Solothurn who of old vsed to reside at Bazil and the league of the French Kings with the Sweitzers is of farre greater moment then any of the rest The first of the French that made warre with the Sweitzers was Lewis the French Kings sonne after the eleuenth King of that name who leading an Army to assist Pope Eugenius in dissoluing the Councell at Bazill was perswaded by the Emperour Fredericke to assaile the Sweitzers but a small number of them possessing straight passages did so annoy his Army as he soone retired He made peaco with the Sweitzers in the yeere 1450 and hauing tried their strength made league with them for ten yeeres His son Charles the eighth in the yeere 1483 renewed this league and vsed the Sweitzers in his warres with the Duke of Britany and for the Kingdome of Naples Lewis the twelfth after the league for yeers was expired renounced the payment of all publike or priuate pensions wherwith the Sweitzers were so greatly offended as after they refused to renew that league with him and ioined in league with the Pope and the Duke of Milan against him so as by their aide he was in the yeere 1512 cast out of the Dukedome of Milan The French King Francis the first fought with the Sweitzers ioined against him in league with the Emperour Maximilian Pope Leo the tenth and Sfortia Duke of Milan For howsoeuer the Sweitzers suspected the proceeding of their confederates and purposed to returne home yet the Pretorian Sweitzers of the Duke of Milan assailing the French the rest of the Sweitzers though called home yet lest they should seeme to forsake their companions ioined with the Pretorian Sweitzers and so by art and cunning drawne to fight gaue the French a notable ouerthrow at which time the Sweitzers had the greatest Army they euer brought into the field being 31000 foot but the French King Francis the next day fighting again with the Sweitzers ouerthrew them yet so as the retreit as they write was nothing like a flight And so the King casting Sfortia out of the Dukedome of Milan recouered the same After this prosperous successe the French King sought nothing more then to be reconciled and ioined in league with the Sweitzers hee had ouercome which hee did the league consisting of 13 heads 1. They couenanted for taking away all iniuries controuersies 2. For freeing of captiues 3. How the Sweitzers may plead any cause in iudgement against the King 4 That al should enioy the benefit therof being borne within the confines of Sweitzerland speaking the Dutch tongue 5. Priuiledges are confirmed to the Merchants of Sweitzerland 6 For charges in the siege of Dyiune and in Italy the King couenants to pay them a great sum of mony by yeerly portions 7. It is agreed that all controuersies shall be determined by courses there set downe not by warre 8. That neither part shall giue passage to the enemies of the other 9. That Merchants all subiects on both parts shall freely passe not offended with reproches or oppressed with impositions 10. That the King shall yeerly pay to each Canton 2000 Franks and to the Abbot of S. Gallus and his subiects and to those of Toggenburg 600 Frankes and to the City of S. Gallus 400 to the Mulhusians 400 to the Gruerians 600 to the Valisians 2000 and to the Grisons the pensions giuen by Lewis the 12 and moreouer yeerly 2000 Franks but howsoeuer the Rhetians or Grisons by this league serue the King in his warres with the Sweitzers yet Semler witnesseth that they serue seuerally vnder
by rents of lands woods customes at gates confiscations Fines goods left to the Prince as by shipwracks and Bastards dying without children by homages Pensions and like profits and all hereditary treasurers and the two generall Receiuers giue accompt in this court Phillip the bold gaue this court great authority but Iohn his sonne remoued the counsellers thereof to the office of Iustice in Ghant and left the court at Lile to register the Princes edicts and Priuiledges granted by him Fourthly the court called the Counsell of Flaunders which I said was remoued from Lile to Ghant and seems chiefe in dignity first instituted partly by litle litle to draw Flaunders from the iurisdiction of Paris in imitation of Brabant Hennault and Holland for which howsoeuer the Princes did homage to the Emperor yet they belonged not to the iurisdiction of the Empire homage and iurisdiction by nature and in themselues being much different But the chiefe cause of the institution was the long absence of Phillip the bold in France during the infirmity of the French King in whose time this court formerly kept in diuers places at the Princes pleasure was setled at Ghant and to this court are referred all things belonging to the Princes right and authority the controuersies of Coiners of the Church of the Prouince and of Cities among themselues and with others and appeales from Magistrates and ratifying the Princes pardons for crimes The Counsell consists of a President of a Knightly degree by vertue of his office eight Counsellors hauing yeerly stipends foure Commissaries hauing part of the profit by informations and for Assessors the Procurator the Aduocate of the Prince the Treasurer of the reuenues a Secretary and a Notary Besides these courts and this said Counsell Marchantius mentioneth a court of Iustice highest and without appeale ouer all Netherland instituted by Charles last Duke of Burgandy in the yeere 1473 at Mechlin as being in the Center of Netherland and it iudgeth after that is equall and good in imitation of the Parliament of Paris so as suiters needed not to follow the Earles Court And the Prince was chiefe head of this Counsell or in his absence the Chancellor he being not present the Bishop of Tornay with two Presidents ten Lay and nine Clergy Counsellors six Masters of Requests who were commanded to ride on horseback to the Senate clad in Purple But Mary the daughter of the said Charles fearing the French and Ciuill war commanded the ceasing of iudgement in this Court which Phillip her son restored and in the yeere 1493 reestablished that court at Mechlin but lesse and more weake as it still remaines And this shall suffice of the Magistrates belonging to the Princes affaires Others belong to the subiects in seuerall Countries and Cities Such are the Scabines and the Bailies Scabines are so called of a German word Schaffen that is to dispatch or of an Hebrew word as the Germans say These defend the rights and priuiledges of the people determine controuersies by the Statutes and municipall customes or for want of them by the written Law and are present when any are tortured and iudge capitall causes the pardoning whereof is rather permitted to the Prince then much vsed by him And these Magistrates are diuersly named in diuers places as Voegte Tutor Portmeister Officer of the Port or Hauen Lanthouder that is Keeper of the Land Kourcher that is chosen Lord and Burgermaster that is Master of the Citizens Vnder them are the Treasurers or Receiuers in each City and aswell they as the Scabines are chosen by the Commissaries of the Prince Next are the Baylies so called of a French word as Tutors and Keepers and they are diuersly called in diuers places namely Schuldheten as Iudges of debts and they differ from the Scabines in that the Scabines Iudge the Bailies execute their Iudgements and the Princes Edicts they haue stipend these are paid out of the Fines they are changed after one or two yeeres these continue long in Office lastly they respect the rights of the people these of the Prince In the Villages they haue Officers called 〈◊〉 who 〈◊〉 the Edicts of the Magistrate and warne Debters to make payment and vpon longer delay then is permitted by the Municipall Lawes sell their goods at the outery They haue a supreme Iudge of capitall causes whom they call Soueraigne Baily instituted in the yeere 1374 to apprehend murtherers and banished men and to put them to death or otherwise punish them with the assistance of two Gentlemen hauing fees or being Feodatory Clients to the Prince And to this Officer authority was lately giuen confirmed by the Emperor Charles the fifth to release banishment and for the eues and man slayers by chance or vpon their owne defence and like offenders vpon satisfaction made to the next Kinsman of the man-killer and to him that was robbed not onely to giue them safe conduct to passe for forty daies but also to pardon their crimes so as the Mulcts or Fines be gathered for the Prince not to his behoofe and the Counsell of Flanders approue the confessions of the offender to be true But in case the Magistrate of the place where the offender dwelt require him to be there tried it cannot be withstood And this Office is of such dignity as Knights for long time haue executed the same Many Tributes were of old granted to the Prince as perpetuall Tributes of the Fields of Corne Oates Cheese and Larde which things for foode haue long time beene redeemed with money the price being yeerely set diuersly by the Counsell of accounts seated at Lile And no doubt through troubles and ciuill warres from the beginning to this day all like burthens are greatly increased both in number and measure which may more easily bee coniectured by that which shal be said of this subiect in the discourse of the vnited Prouinces Flanders is most ruled by municipall Lawes and customes of Townes and Cities and for want of them by the Ciuill Lawes The Lawes of Flanders forbid any man to giue in Legacies by his last Will and Testament more then the thirds of his goods wherein are comprehended Lands in Fee or that any stranger should beare the office of Magistracy yet strangers may there inherite their Kinsmens goods contrary to the custome of France England and Scotland where the Kings haue the goods of all strangers dying intestate and hauing there no children In Flanders no man is depriued of his mothers inheritance for bastardy no not the children of a noble woman being a concubine except some municipall Statute made by the Princes doe in some places preiudice them The Citizens of Curtrae about the yeere 1557 and those of Ghant some sixe yeeres after haue excluded those who are borne in adultery or incest from their mothers inheritance but the prouinciall Counsell of Flanders in the yeere 1532 gaue sentence that a Bastard should succeed in the see of his mother with