The Duchie of Mantua lieth wholly in Lombardie and the Duchie of Vrbin betweene Marca d' Ancona and Tuscane 15. The Duchies of Parma and Placentia are in Lombardie and holden of the Church Of these Princes and Common-wealths every one holdeth himselfe in his owne Territorie absolute Prince and Governour and maintaineth his estate upon the custome taxes and impositions of the people For lightly they have little or no Lands of their owne THe Estate of the Pope is twofold the one consisteth in Temporall Dominion the other in Spirituall Iurisdiction His Temporall Dominion is likewise divided into two kinds the one profitable and as a man may terme it an hereditarie the other immediate and holden in fee of he Church As touching his Temporall Dominion hee is Lord of a great part of Italie as of all that lieth betweene the River Fiore and Cajetta betweene Preâ—est and the Truentian streights except the Duchie of Vrbin In that compasse are incircled the Provinces of Bonnonia and Romandiola Marchia Vmbria the Duchie of Spoleto S. Peters patrimonie Tuscan and lately Ferrara It is seated in the heart of Italie stretching from the Adriatike to the Tirrhene Sea and in regard of situation as also in plenty of provision as corne wine and oyle it is comparable to any State of Italie For Romandiola imparteth great store unto their neighbours the Venetians and Sclavonians And yet have the Inhabitants sufficient for their owne provision Marchia reacheth from Tronto to Foglia betweene the Apenine and the Sea it is divided into little hils and plaines It is rich of Wine Oyle and Corne having divers great Townes and Castles therein The Citie of greatest trading is Ancona by reason of the Haven to which many Lasterne Merchants doe repaire The fairest is Ascoli the most powerfull Fermo because of many Fortresses subject unto it Macerata is a new Citie and because it lieth in the middest of the Province it is the Governours seat In some yeares it hath supplied the Venetians wants with many thousand measures of Corne and Oyle And although Vmbria is not so plentifull of graine as to spare for their neighbours yet is it able to maintaine it selfe without buying of others and in stead thereof it is abundantly stored with Wines Cattell and some Saffron S. Peters Patrimonie and Tuscan often releeved Genoa and at some seasons Naples This territorie bringeth forth fierce and warlike souldiers and herein it is reported to excell all the residue of the Italian Provinces Bonnonia Romania and Marchia are able to levie twenty thousand foot-men and the other Provinces as many In the time of Pope Clement Marchia alone aided him with a thousand souldiers The chiefe Seat is Rome once the Lady of the World and at this day inhabited with two hundred thousand soules but two parts thereof consisting of Church-men and Curtizans The second Bononia wherein are eighty thousand of both sexes Next to these are Perugia Ancona Ravenna and some fiftie others The defensible places are the Castle and Borough of Rome Ovietta Teracine c. It is a great credit and commendation to this State to have many Noblemen therein to excellent in Negociation of Peace and Warre that the residue of the States and Princes doe most commonly choose their Leaders and Lieutenants out of these Provinces If the Prince hereof were secular both for people and power hee might very well be compared with any State of Italy Besides these Dominions the Pope hath the Territory of Avignon in France wherein are foure Cities and fourscore walled Townes In Naples he hath Benevent Romagna extendeth from Foglia Panora and from the Apenine to the River Po. For temperature and fertilitie it is like to Marchia but hath generally more famous Cities as Rimini Cesana Faensa Ravenna Turly Imola Sarsina Cervia Bertinoto once a Bishops Seat but now translated to Forlimpoli The Noblest of all these is Ravenna where some Emperor have kept their Courts and after them their Exarches or Lieutenants When Pipin having expulsed Astolpho put the Church in possession thereof this Territorie comprehended Bolognia Regio Modena Parma Piacenza Ravenna Sarsina Claesse Forli Forlimpoli and made one estate called Pentapoli which indured an hundred eightie three yeares even to the yeare of our Lord 741. in which yeare it ended by the taking of Ravenna by Astolph King of Lombards So that first the Roman Emperours especially Honorius and after him the Kings of the Gothes and then Exarches amongst all the Cities of Italy chose this for the Seat of their Courts which from amongst other respects I suppose to proceed by reason of the plentifull Territory now covered with water and the conveniencie of the Haven which at this day is likewise choaked This Province was first called Flaminia but Charles the Great to raze out the remembrance of these Exarches and to make the people willing to obey the Roman Prelats called it Romagnia As touching his immediate Soveraigntie he is Lord Paramount of the Kingdomes of Naples and Sicil and the Duchies of Vrbin Ferrara Parma Placentia and many others Where his authoritie is maintained he hath supreme government of all religious Orders and bestoweth the Ecclesiasticall Benefices at his dispose Having many strings to his Bow he hath many meanes to raise money so that Xistus the fourth was wont to say That the Popes should never want Coine as long as their hands were able to hold a pen. Paul the third in the league betweene him the Emperour and the Venetians against the Turk bare the sixth part of the charges of that warre Against the Protestants and in aid of Charles the fifth he sent twelve thousand foot-men and five hundred horse-men bearing their charges during the warre this was he that advanced his house to that honour wherein it continueth to this day in Florence Pius the fifth aided Charles the ninth King of France with foure thousand footmen and a thousand horse Xistus the fifth in five yeares and a halfe of his Pontificacie raked together five millions of crowns and spent bountifully notwithstanding in bringing Conduits and Water-pipes into the Citie and in building Pyramides Palaces and Churches So that it should seeme that the Entrado could not but amount to much above the value of ten hundred thousand crownes per annum for Newman a late Writer would have this surplusage to be raised upon use money yearely laâ—d up in the Castle of Saint Angelo And this to arise of his ordinary Revenues within his Territories of Italy Since those times it cannot but be much more augmented by the addition of the Dukedome of Ferrara as also for that in those dayes the monethly expence of the Court being thirtie thousand crownes is in these times defalked unto five thousand A State wherein you shall see Religion metamorphosed into policie and policie meditating nothing but private greatnesse the Man-seeming-God affecting Honour Majestie and Temporall riches with no lesse ambition and
is not onely fast locked but sealed and may not be opened before the seale at morning bee throughly viewed To speake truth their souldiers horsemen and footmen by land or sea are more famous for their numbers their gallant furniture and plenty of provision than for strength and courage For the Inhabitants partly by their effeminate and wanton kinde of life partly by their forme of government whereby they are made vile and base have little valour or manhood left them They use no forren souldiers except those whom they take in war these they send into the in-land Countries where being marked to distinguish them from other they serve more like slaves than souldiers yet have they pay with rewards for their good service and punishment for their cowardize true motives to make men valorous The rest which are not inrolled are not suffered to keepe weapons in their houses Their Sea-forces are nothing inferiour to their Land-forces for besides their ordinary Fleets lying upon the Coasts for the safety of the Sea-townes by reason of the abundance of navigable Rivers and so huge a Sea-tract full of Havens Creeks and Islands it is thought that with case they are able to assemble from five hundred to a thousand such great Ships which they call Giunchi we Iunks To thinke that treasure cannot bee wanting to levie so great a number of Ships Souldiers and Marriners many men affirme that the Kings revenues amount to an hundred and twenty millions of gold which value although it may seeme impossible to him that shall make an estimate of the States of Europe with the Kingdome of China yet may it finde place of beleefe if he doe but call to minde First the nature and circuit of the Empire being little lesse than all Europe Next the populousnesse of the Inhabitants accompanied with inestimable riches Then the diversity of Mines of Gold Silver Iron and other sorts of Metall the unspeakable quantity of Merchandize passing from hand to hand by so many navigable Rivers so many armes and in-lets of the Sea their upland Cities and maritime Townes their Tolls Customes Subsidies and lastly their rich wares brought into Europe Hee taketh the tenth of all things which the earth yeeldeth as Barley Rice Olives Wine Cotton Wooll Flax Silke all kinds of Metall Fruits Cattel Sugar Hony Rubarbe Camphire Ginger Wood Muske and all sorts of Perfumes The custome only of Salt in the City Canto which is not of the greatest nor of the best trafficke yeeldeth 180000. Crownes yearely the tenth of Rice of one small Towne and the adjacent Territory yeeldeth more than 100000. Crownes By these you may conjecture of the rest He leaveth his subjects nothing save food clothing He hath under him no Earles Lords or Nobles of any degree no nor private persons indowed with great wealth Wherefore since this Empire is so huge and all the profits thereof are in his hands how can the former assertion of so great and yearely a revenue to men of reason seeme any thing admirable at all There are two things moreover which adde great credit to this reckoning one is that all his impositions are not paid in Coine but some in hay some in Rice Corne Provender Silke Cotton Wooll and such like necessaries the other is that the King of 120. millions which he receiveth disburseth againe three parts thereof And so since it goeth round from the King to the people it ought to seeme no wonder if the people be able to spare it againe for the Princes use at the yeares end For as waters doe ebbe as deepe as they flow so impositions easily levied suffice for the expences of the State and the people receive againe by those expences as much as they layed out in the beginning of the yeare This King feareth no neighbour but the great Cham of Tartaria all the rest acknowledge vassalage Against this enemy the ancient Kings built that admirable wall so much renowned amongst the wonders of the Ortem Towards the Sea hee bordereth upon the Iaponians and Castilians The distance betweene Iapan and China is divers From Goto one of the Islands of Iapan to the City Liampo is threescore leagues from Canian 297. The Islanders of Iapan doe often spoile the Sea-coasts of China by their incursions descending on land and harrying the Countrey more like Pyrates than men of Warre For in regard that Iapan is divided into many Islands and into divers Seigniories ill agreeing amongst themselves though they excell the Chinois in armes and courage yet are they not of sufficient power to performe any action of moment against them Upon another Frontier lye the Spaniards of whom the Chinois not without good cause are very jealous because of the situation of the Philippinae commodiously seated for the invasion of China and the fame of the riches well knowne to the Spanish But the King of Spaine wisheth rather to plant Christianitie peaceably amongst them wherof there was once good hope that God had opened a passage For though the Chinois will suffer no stranger to enter within their Dominions yet certaine Jesuites zealous in the increasing of Christian Religion in a Territory so spacious as that is entred with great secrecie and danger and procuring the favour of certaine Governours obtained a privilege of naturalization specially Frier Michael Rogerius who in the yeare 1590. returned into Europe to advise what course were best to take in this businesse After whose departure intelligence was brought from two Friers which remained behinde that after divers persecutions they were then constrained to forsake the Citie wherein they sojourned and to make haste to sea-ward Nor plainly would the Chinois suffer the said Frier Rogerius to come into their Countrey as himselfe confessed to an English Gentleman of very good worth and curious understanding Mr. W.F. who purposely asked that question of him If any man of Europe hath beene in China it is Matthew Riccius the Jesuite The Portugals are likewise eye-sores unto them but by the report of their justice and the moderation which Ferdinand Andrada shewed in the government of the Island of Tamo and by the Traffick which they exercise in those seas they can better digest their neighbour-hood than that of the Spanish This was the first Portugal that arrived in the Citie of Cantan and set on land Thomas Perez Legier for Emanuel King of Portugal But other Captaines being there afterwards dis-embarked behaved themselves so lewdly that they occasioned the said Ambassadour to be taken for a Spie and cast into prison where hee died most miserably the residue were intreated as enemies At last it was permitted the Portugals for traffick sake to set a Factory in Macao where againe before they had strongly fortified their Colonie they were constrained to submit to the limitations of the Chinois to whom in short time for their strength wisdome friendship and alliance with the Castilians they became suspitious and therefore they doe daily more and more bridle
incredible to beleeve and odious to heare how the Frenchman will talke impudently utter what he foolishly conceiveth not onely of all forren States and Princes of the World but even of their owne State and King himselfe of whom he will not spare to speake whatsoever hee heareth and sometimes also more than the truth which insufferable vice of theirs I here put in the first place because I hold it of all others the most disloyall and unlawfull Hereof the wisest soâ— of them much complaine and wish reformation but it is a thing so naturall with them as Expellas furca licet usque recurret He hath besides this liberty of speaking a propertie incident to such like natures namely an inquisitive listning and hearkning after newes which is an old fashion of theirs and hath continued with them many hundred yeares It is usuall with all the Gauls both to constraine Travellers though unwilling to stay and to inquire of each of them what hee hath heard or understood of every matter and with the popular in Townes to flocke about Merchants and compell them to tell from what parts they come and what newes they heard there And led by these rumours and heare-sayes they determine many times of most weightie affaires of which determinations they must needs eft-soones repent them Concerning the diet it is to keepe no diet for they feed at all times there being among them very few which besides their ordinary of dinner and supper doe not Gouster as they call it and make collations three or foure times the day a thing as usuall with the women as men whom yee shall see in open streets before their doores cat and drinke together No marvell therefore though the Italian cals them the only Gourmands The French fashion is to lard all meats whose provision ordinary is not so plentifull as ours nor his Table so well furnished howbeit in Banquets they farre exceed us for he is as friand licourish as the Trencher-men of Media or Aesope the Tragedian who spent fifteene thousand crownes at one feast in the tongues of Birds only He liveth not like the Italian with Roots chiefly and Hearbs nor like the Lacedemonian that weares his haire shaven close to his skinne bathes himselfe in cold water eats browne bread and sups blacke broth Nor like the Scythian who faith hunger is my best cheere the ground my bed Beasts skins my clothing but rather like Alcibiades of whom Plutarch reporteth that hee was over-delicate in his dyet dissolute in love of wanton women excessive in banquets and over-superfluous and â—ffeminate in apparell As for the poore Paisant hee fareth very-hardly and feedeth most upon bread and fruits but yet hee may comfort himselfe with this that though his fare be nothing so good as the Plough-mans and poore Artificers in England yet is it much better than that of the Villano in Italy Of the French Buildings I have spoken before in the Relation of Paris both that it is lately growne to be more magnificent than it was in former times and that many thereby have much weakened their estate You may therefore observe that as I there said the Citie of Paris was better built than that of London so are in generall all the Cities and Villages in France fairer than ours in England comparing the one with the other As for the manner of Building here how beautifull soever it be to the eye the Offices and roomes me thinkes are not so well contrived as ours to the use One thing there is by which they are much beautified namely the blewish kinde of Tyle which here they have in great quantitie the which is very hard and therefore durable and very thinne and light and therefore not so burthensome to a house as is our Tyle in England Concerning their Apparell if yee well observe that of the Citizen both men and women it is very seemely and decent that of the Paisant very poore all whose apparell for the most part is of Linnen As for that of the Noblesse yee shall heare what La Nove saith The Noblesse in their expence in apparell are excessive and very rich And yet mee thinkes nothing so rich and costly as ours the onely excesse whereof is the greatest prejudice and hinderance to the Common-wealth This Author reproveth two things in the French Apparell First that every Gallant forsooth must have many sutes at once and change often in the yeare and therefore saith he if in the Court they spie one in a sute of the last yeares making they scoffingly say We know him well enough he will not hurt us hee 's an Apple of the last yeare The second thing he dislikes is this that every two yeare the fashion changeth And hereof it commeth that when yee see all other Nations painted in the proper habit of their Countrey the Frenchman is alwayes pictured with a paire of Sheeres in his hand to signifie that he hath no peculiar habit of his owne not contenteth himselfe long with the habit of any other but according to his capricious humour deviseth daily new fashions This varietie of fashions a man may well note in the Fripperies of Paris whereof saith La Nove if one would make a pourtraict in a Table it would be the most sportfull thing that may be I am now by order to speake of his Exercises wherein me thinkes the Frenchman is very immoderate especially in those which are somewhat violent for yee shall see them play Sets at Tennis in the heat of Summer and height of the day when others were scarce able to stirre out of dooâ—es This immoderate play in this unseasonable time together with their intemperate drinking and feeding is the only cause that here yee see them generally itchie and scabbed some of them in so foule a sort as they are unfit for any honest Table Among all the other exercises of France I preferre none before the Palle-maille both because it is a Gentleman-like Sport not violent and yeelds good occasion and opportunitie of discourse as they walke from the one marke to the other I marvell among many more apish and foolish toyes which wee have brought out of France that wee have not brought this sport also into England Concerning their shooting with the Crosse-bow it is used but not very commonly Once in a yeare there is in each City a shooting with the Peece at a Popingay of wood set upon some high Steeple as also they doe in many places of Germanie He that hitteth it downe is called the king for that yeare and is free from all Tax besides he is allowed twentie crownes towards the making of a Collation for the rest of the shooters And if it happen that three yeares together he carry the Prize he is free from all tax and imposition whatsoever all his life after This custome no question is very laudable whose end tendeth much to a publike benefit for by this practice and emulation he groweth more
Trade with the Chinois and the Ilanders of Tidore and for their entercourse to the Moluccas and Banda they have erected certaine strong places in all of them but indeed resembling rather Factories than Castles Certainly it would amaze a man to thinke how many puissant Kings and fierce Nations are bridled and yoked by the Armes of twelve thousand Portugues for in so huge a tract of Land and Sea there neither are nor ever were a greater number inhabiting and those few not only to have discovered and conquered the Atlanticke Indian and the East-Seas but also ever since till now of late to have kept and defended the Soveraigntie thereof against all Invaders How ever their fame and fortunes at this day seeme to be eclipsed by the trading of the Dutch English Merchants they will not sticke to relate unto you how by the vertue of their Armes they tooke the kingdome of Ormus from the Vassall and Confederate of the King of Persia as also how they drowned and defeated at Diu the Navie of the Sultan of Aegypt fully furnished with Mammeluks a kinde of Souldierie no lesse famous for their valour and discipline than the Pretorian Turkish Ianizars As also that they made good the said place against the leagues of the Turkes and Guzarits In the Red-sea they have often foiled the Turkish Armada In the yeare 1552. they defeated his whole Fleet at Ormus In Taproban they affronted the Kings of Decan Cambaia Calecute and Achem Princes favoured throughly assisted with the forces of the said Emperour Yea such have beene their expeditions into Cambaia India that Ocean and along the coasts of Asia that in desert of glory and admiration they are by their owne Writers censured to be nothing inferiour to the victorious Alexander yea so much the rather to be preferred because neither in circuit nor numbers of people they were ever comparable to the Macedonian for with nineteene ships they overthrew the Aegyptian Navie farre more powerfull in number and furniture with two thousand Souldiers they forced Goa and recovered it being lost with fifteene hundred With eight hundred they won Malaca and not with many more Ormus But little need the Portugals bragge of their victories atchieved upon effeminate barbarous and naked men such as in the West-Indies would by troopes run away from one of the Spaniards horses or dogs I wonder that twelve thousand Portugals have done no more against so little resistance But let the Portugals bragge of their victories against the English and Hollanders And though there be but twelve thousand Portugals inhabiting there yet are they continually supplied from home and they make the poore Blacks and Natives of those Indies to serve them in their Gallies Warres and drudgerie Lastly the King of Spaine can command his subjects at home in Portugal yet these 〈◊〉 yeeld him but little obedience so that here the Spaâ—â—â— hath no dominion Another member of the Spanish-Dominions lieth in the New-World wherein because he hath no corrivall able to make head against him he challengeth as his owne what soever either by discoverie or conquest he attaineth unto This New-Worlds dominion is divided into Continent and Islands In the North-sea are so many Islands most of them of forty miles in compasse that their number can hardly be ascertained or knowne and some of them are rich and spacious sufficient to erect a great and stately Kingdome Of these Boriquen is three hundred miles long and threescore broad â—amaica is little lesse Cuba is three hundred long and twenty broad Hispaniola containeth a thousand and six hundred miles in compasse On the Continent he is absolute Lord say they of all that Sea-coast which watereth Florida Nova-Hispania Iucatan and all that spacious Soâ—therly Peninsula to the Cape of California and Quivira For even so farre have the Discoveries and Navigations of this Nation pierced The coast of Nova-Hispania counting his beginning at the Towne of Santa Helena and cutting by Panama to Quivira containeth about five thousand and two hundred miles in length to which if you please to adde the upland Regions coasting towards the North you shall finde no lesse than nine thousand miles Peru beginning at Panama containeth by the Maritime coast twelve thousand and six hundred miles of which three thousand lying betweene the River Maragnon and the River of Plate and including Brasil doe acknowledge the Soveraigntie of Portugal In the Continent are many Kingdomes and Seigniores amongst which those of Mexico and Peru once most powerfull and wealthy Dominions were counted chiefe and as it were two imperiall Monarchies These Kings lived a long while in great Majestie inhabited sumptuous Palaces and maintained a mighty troope of their vessels for the guard of their persons On one quarter they inlarged their bounds and transferred their Religion and Language to the skirts of Iegnan Pecan two hundred leagues remote from Mexico and on another quarter as farre as Guatimall 300. leagues distant In these places they made the North and South Seas their bounds but Mecoican Tapcalan and Terpeacan they could never bring under their yoke Their differences with the citie of Tascala incouraged the Spaniards to invade their dominions and being entered made their victorie easie and the end fortunate this happened in the yeare 1518. This people divided into seven Tribes came into those Regions from that part of the North where of late yeares the Spaniard dâ—scovered a most wealthy and populous Province which at this day they call New-Mexico Besides Merchandize incredible treasures of Gold and Silver are transported out of Nova-Hispania and Peru. Of those treasures commonly Peru yeeldeth two parts and Nova-Hispania the third which is more rich in Merchandize than Mexico Amongst the rest it yeeldeth Cochinolla a commoditie of inestimable value and infinite store of Hides The Islands also afford plentie of Hides Cotton Wooll Sugar Cana-fistula Hard wax and Pearles Amongst these riches and treasures of Peru two things are wonderfull One that in the Silver-Mines which were discovered in Potosie in the yeare 1545 there is and hath beene found so huge a masse of Bullion that the fifth part which is the Kings in the space of forty yeares amounted to one hundred and eleven millions of Pezoes neither yet did two third parts pay their customarie due to his Majestie The other is the Quicksilver-Mines in Guas-valcan found in the yeare 1567. out of which the King hath received forty thousand Pezoes all charges defrayed And in truth were it not for the tribute of these Westerne Mines neither could the pride of Spaine be divulged nor the Cities of Sivil or Lisbone cum multis aliis be enriched nor the Escurial blazoned no nor life haply maintained nor the Ports frequented nor the native commodities to satisfaction of forien importation countervailed nor the Garrisons paid nor such frequent troopes of strange souldiers yearely entertained But it is a strange thing to note that whereas Nature hath
all the City became to bee divided into Neri and Bianchi this sedition was not of long time after pacified Arezzo being by long dissention amongst themselves almost brought to wracke as the other cities of Tuscane likewise were was sold to the Florentines by Lewis of Anjou for forty thousand Florens of gold and not many yeeres after Cortona by King Ladislaus With the State of Florence doth confine that of Sienna a City builded by the Senoni and of late time become subject to the house of Medici It is five miles in compasse strong by situation and whereunto Cosmo the great Duke adjoyned a Citadell From Florence it is not above thirty three miles distant but the people thereof are much differing in Manners as also disposition they sparing slow and unsociable towards Strangers these bountifull and of kinde entertainment they loth to part with money and provident these liberall and onely caring for the present they grave melancholie and alwaies expecting their profit these plaine and of cheerefull countenance the one inclined to traffique and gaine the other content with their Revenues and the fruits of their Farmes Sienna hath a large and fruitfull Territory wherein are contained in the Cities of Pienza Montalcino Chiusi Soana and in Maremma Massa and Crosseâ—o the ports of Orbetelio Portercole with twenty six other walled Townes The coast beginneth at Capiglia and extendeth to the little River of Fiore being all good soile for Corne but the aire is so infectious that none live long therein The ports doe all belong to the King of Spaine together with the Hill Argentino a place famous by the discourse which Claudius Ptolomeus made thereof for the excellency of the situation fit for the building of a royall Citie Next this Province beginneth the patrimony of Saint Peter bequeathed to the Church by the Countesse Matilda These may be partly ghessed at by the numbers of people which not to over-reach with the Italians are valued 800000. soules or perchance a million in all his dominions So then out of every 16000. people to allow three hundred souldiers which is the proportion of the Muster-books in Prato then will 800000. people allow 15000. souldiers and though the Duke as some writers affirme hath sometimes confessed that he hath thirty or 36000. souldiers yet I suppose you shall doe him no wrong not to allow him above 20000. in ordinary seeing a Captaine of their owne at once confessed but 15000. These are trained once a moneth except in Florence where they are not suffered to weare Armes the liberty to weare which causes divers to sue to be souldiers those in ordinary pay are bestowed in his Garrisons Thirty Castles and Forts he hath and in some of them fifty in others but fifteene souldiers Sixteene Cities with Garrison also he hath in some of which he keepes not much above the said number though in others two or three hundred He hath in ordinary for his Guard one hundred horse at six and thirty shillings nine pence apeece a moneth and foure hundred light horse more at fifteene shillings nine pence one other troope of horse he hath for what service and in what pay I know not The Garrison Souldier hath one and twenty shillings a moneth the traine Souldier nothing His Force at Sea he never recovered since the defeat given by the Turkes where hee lost two of his best Gallies and one Galleon His whole Fleet is about twelve Gallies and five Galleasses for honour and increase of his power by Sea hath hee instituted the Knights of the Order of Saint Stephen who are his Commanders His chiefe Port and Arsenall is Porto Ferraro in the I le of Elba Of great Ordnance were told in the Castle of Livorno threescore and foure and in that of Florence one hundred and fifty by which may be ghessed that hee hath no want of munition The charge of his Gallies for these six moneths in which they be commonly at Sea is about 18000. gold Crownes each Crowne worth six shillings sterling There is not so much as a root nor the dunging of an Asse for which something is not paid to the great Duke Victuals Lodging Weddings Bargaines Law-suits setting up of young Tradesmen all must be paid for So that his ordinary and knowne revenue is valued at 1100000. Ducats which comes to 279000. pound sterling a yeere besides his extraordinaries A wonderfull summe for a petty Prince especially in such a thrifty place where all expences defrayed he may in times of peace put up one halfe if not two thirds of his intire Revenue Ordinaries and Extraordinaries arising to one thousand pound a day His neighbour Princes are all jealous of him hee of them and all watchfull one over another But the greatest eye-sore his greatnesse is to the State of Lucca which lies in Tuscany and all the whole length being fifty miles surrounded by this Dukes dominions This makes them at great and continuall charge of Garrisons and to put themselves under the protection of the Spaniard the feare of whose power slaves off the Duke from attempting upon that State which might hee once obtaine hee might truly then write himselfe Great Duke of Tuscany Whereas now having but part of it he may be answered as the Pope did his Predecessor So he may write himselfe the Greatest Duke of all Tuscany rather than The Great Duke of all Tuscany The State of the Kingdome of Naples THe chiefe place hereof in ancient time was Capua the pleasant situation whereof was the overthrow of Hanâ—â—bal and his army Cicero writeth that the Romans were Lords of three imperiall Cities Carthage Corinth and Capua The two first being farre off they utterly ruinated of Capua they long consulted in the end they concluded that it were extreme tyrannie to spoile so noble a city of Italy But for their better security they confiscated the Territories thereof and deprived it of all forme and Majesty of Common-wealth They let the buildings stand to serve for receit of those which should till the ground Naples is now the chiefe seat not onely of Campagnia but of the whole Kingdome and is indeed a princely City it is in compasse seven miles but narrow of late times it is much augmented and would increase continually if the King of Spaine had not forbidden a further increase by building whereunto he was moved partly by the complaints of the Barons whose Tenants to injoy the liberties granted to the Neapolitans did forsake their owne dwelling to seat themselves there partly by the danger of rebellion which in so mighty a City cannot easily be repressed It is strongly walled and hath in it three Castles the chiefe whereof is Castle Novo builded by Charles of Angcow The haven is not large nor safe but that inconvenience is somewhat eased by an artificiall key It hath likewise an Arsenall wherein all Instruments of warre are forged Amongst other religious places of which sort there are many and those
most part upon Millet leading a bestiall life without Religion and accompanying with one anothers Wives They know no other names than such as are given them for some note or marke of their bodie as Blinde Lame Tall Bold c. This King is very puissant in people of whom he exacteth no other tribute than the tenths of the increase of their liveli-hoods For exercise and in stead of occupations they give themselves to steale to slay their neighbours and to take them prisoners and then to barter them for Horses with the Merchants of Barbarie He hath under him many Kingdomes and Nations some white some blacke He is an heavie enemie to the Abessines taking away their Cattell rifling their Mines and leading away the people in captivity His Horsemen ride after the Spanish manner armed with Launces steeled at both ends Darts Arrowes but their inrodes resemble rather robberies and garboiles than wars managed by valiant souldiers The Turke likewise on the East and the King of Adel on the South-East doe cruelly vex him for they have curtal'd his large dominion and brought his Provinces into great misery In the yeare 1558. the Turke harried the whole Territory of Bernagasso and tooke from Prester Iohn whatsoever he was Lord of upon the Sea-coast especially the Haven and City of Suaquen and Erococo in which place the mountaines betweene Abex and the Red-Sea make a gate as it were for the traffike and carriages of the Abessines and Arabians And since that Bernagasso was forced to submit himselfe to the Turkish commands to buy his peace and in name of a tribute to pay 1000 ounces of Gold yearely The King of Adel is his no lesse infestious enemie he bordereth upon the Kingdome of Fatigar and his Seigniory stretcheth along the Red-Sea as farre as Assum Salir Mith Barbora Pidar and Zeila Many ships come from Aden and Cambaia to Barbora with Merchandize which they trucke for Flesh Honey Wax and Victuall these commodities are carried to Aden Gold Ivory and such wares are sent to Cambaia the greatest part of Victuall Hony Wax Corne and Fruits brought from Zeila are carried into Aden and Arabia also much Cattell especially Sheepe having tailes of twenty five pound weight with heads and necks all blacke the rest of their bodies all white Of these Cattell there are some altogether white with turning crooked tailes as long as a mans arme and dew-laps like Oxen. Some of their Kine have hornes with many branches like our Deere othersome have one horne in their fore-head growing backward a span and a halfe long The chiefe City of this Kingdome is Arar thirty eight leagues distant from Zeila towards the South-East He professeth Mahumetisme and since his conversion hee hath intituled himselfe with the surname of Holy avowing continuall warre against the Abessine Christians and therefore he watcheth the time of the foresaid Fast of fifty dayes when he entreth their Territories burneth their Villages taketh prisoners and then committeth a thousand other mischiefes The Abessine slaves doe often leave their Country and take upon them great journies putting themselves in the service of great Lords where many times by their industry and good carriage they become high Commanders in Arabia Cambaia Bengala and Sumatra For the Mahumetan Princes being all Tyrants and Lords of those Countries which they have forced from the Gentiles to secure their estates doe never trust to their home-bred subjects but wage strangers and slaves unto whose fidelity they commit their persons the managing of all the affaires of their Kingdomes And amongst all sorts of slaves the Abessine is in greatest esteeme for his faithfulnesse and towardly disposition The King of Adel overlayeth Aegypt and Arabia with their slaves which he changeth with the Turks and Princes of Arabte for armour provision of warre and souldiers In the yeare of our Lord 1500. Claud King of Abex perceiving himselfe inferiour unto Grand Ameda King of Adel for he had vexed his Land fourteene yeares with incursions forsaking the frontiers retired himselfe into the inward parts of his Kingdome intreating for aid of Stephen Gama Vice-Roy of India under Iohn the third King of Portugal who was then in the Red-Sea with a warlike Navie In compassion of his miseries and Religion he sent him foure hundred Portugal shot very well furnished under the conduct of Christopher his Brother By the aid and use of their Artillery he overthrew his Enemies in two battels but the King of Adel obtaining of the Governour of the City of Zebit one thousand Harquibushers and ten peeces of Ordnance in the third fight put the Portugals to flight and slew their Captaine Afterwards when Adel had sent away these Turkes King Claudius set upon him at unawares by the River Zeila at the Mountaine Sana with eight thousand footmen five hundred Abessine horsemen and the remainder of the living Portugals one of whom gave Grada-Amada his deaths wound But in March 1560. Claudius fighting with the Moores of Malaca gaining the victory was slaine in the battell Adam his brother succeeded against whom being a Demi-Mahumetan the greatest part of the Abessine Nobility rebelled and was overthrowne in the yeare 1562. by Bernagasso By this casualty did the Aethiâ—pian affaires ebbe and slow But in the reigne of Alexander things beganne in some sort to returne to their ancient State by the aid of the Portugals who furnished them with weapons both offensive and defensive and by their example incouraged them to be stout and couragious against their enemies All that were living after the defeature of Christopher Gama and all that ever went thither since that day to this doe remaine there marrying Wives and begetting Children King Alexander gave them leave to elect a Justicer and to end all matters of controversie amongst themselves which maketh them so willing to stay and teach them the use of Weapons the manners of warfare and how to fortifie places of importance Sithence those times Francis Medicis contracting friendship with the Abessine divers Florentines some for pleasure and some for profit have travelled into those Provinces wherein when they are once entred the King intreateth them so faire and giveth them so liberally whereon to live that they can hardly obtaine licence to returne againe into their owne Countries Besides these he hath other enemies as the King of Daâ—caâ— whose Citie and Haven is Vela upon the Red-Sea and the Moores of Doba a Province divided into fourteene Lieutenantships These people though they are accounted within the limits of the Abessine Empire yet doe they often rebell having a Law amongst themselves that no young man may contract Matrimony unlesse hee can bring good proofe that he hath slaine twelve Christians Monomotapa VPon this Continent are contained many other Kingdomes As Gualata small and poore Tombuto great and populous Melli rich in Corne Flesh and Cotton-wooll Guinea is next greater and richer than any other within the Moores Countrey except Aegypt and Abessine Angola
Manicongo Coâ—go Mombassa Quiolasafola Melinde Mosambique Monâ—â—â—â—gi with the rest within land are all inhabited with Moores Mahumetans Heathen and barbarous people who live plentifully upon those good nutriments which God and nature hath provided for those places traffiking and bartering one with another some for Ambergrice Wax Silver Copper and Rice some for Gold Pearle Linnen and Silks and others for Ivory Cotton and such inbred commodities as each Province peculiarly can spare to the necessities of the other Monomotapa seemeth to be civiller and better governed than any of the residue and is almost an Island lying betweene the Rivers of Cuama and Spirito Sancto from whence it stretcheth along the Sea-coast to the Cape of good Hope and on the North to the Kingdome of Moâ—emugi It is an hundred and fifty leagues in compasse and all the Vice-Royes or Lieutenants throughout that whole territory doe acknowledge the King thereof for their Soveraigne Of Townes and Villages they have few but Cottages many and those compacted of timber thatcht Cities there are also many whereof Zimbas and Benemetaxa are betweene twenty and five and twenty miles distant from Sofola towards the West The soile aboundeth with Corne and Cattell great and small wandring by herds through the fields and woods By the store of teeth from thence yearely transported we can but conjecture that lesse than five Elephants cannot but die in this Country these beasts are herevery huge There is no climate like it for plenty of Gold for there are said to be three thousand Mines whereout Gold is usually digged Which commodity is also found as well in the Plaines as in Rocks and in Rivers Whereof the Mine of Manica Boro Quiticui and Teroâ— which some men all Butna are the chiefest So that some men are of opinion that out of this Countrey Salomon procured his Gold and Ivory to be brought unto Ierusalem Which seemeth not unlikely for that in this Kingdome were found many old and Prince-like buildings and those very costly in Timber Stone Chalke and Wood which in the Countries thereabouts are not to be found The Government is great and extendeth over many warlike people all Pagans meane of stature blacke well set and very swift Their weapons are Darts and light Targets and the men much given to rebellion the cause wherefore the Prince retaineth the heires of his vassall Princes to be secured of their parents as also that he entertaineth strong Regiments in severall Provinces divided into legions after the Roman manner Amongst the which that he accounteth his battalion of Amazons comparable for trust of person to the Turkish Pretorian Ianizars with their manner of warfare copulation and educating of their males according to the ancient custome of those masculine Viragoes you may by my leave confidently beleeve because some late travellers have as lately reported it But truth it is that according to their uncivill civility they converse with the King kneeling on their knees and to sit in his presence is the use with them as with us to stand and that is granted but to great Lords onely The assay of meat and drinke is not made before but after the Prince hath eat and drunke Here are no prisons because Law passeth upon the offender in the very moment wherein the offence was committed The offences most severely punished are Witch-craft Theft and Adultery They pay no other tribute but certaine daies worke and presents without which no man may appeare in the Princes presence The King beareth in his Coat-Armour a little spade with an Ivory handle and two small Darts One of them not long since was converted and baptized by Gonsalva Silva a Iesuite with the greater part of his Courtiers but afterwards by the perswasion of certaine Moores in great credit about him hee caused him to bee slaine Sebastian King of Portugall offended hereat proclaimed warre against him under the leading of Francisco Berotio This Armie consisted of sixteene hundred the greatest part Gentlemen to whom the Monomotapa fearing their Armes and valour offered honourable conditions but the Captaine whom no offer or indifferency could satisfie was overcome and his Armie utterly consumed yet not by the enemy but by sicknesse and in the infectious aire of the Country Aegypt IN this description I will rather follow the opinion of Ptolomy and some others who make it a part of Africa than those who either referre some portion thereof to Asia and the residue to Africke It is a most noble and ancient Region much celebrated both in Scripture and other profane Writers for the excellency and antiquity thereof In holy Writ as witnesseth Iosephus it is called Misraim and so the Inhabitants For Misraim was the Sonne of Chus the Sonne of Cham the Sonne of Noe. The Arabians call the country Mesre but the Inhabitants Chibeth for such was his Name that first brought his Colonie into these parts It is plaine sandy and low Land without Mountaines which is the reason that it cannot be seene afar off the aire is hot and infectious and therefore either to avoid or mollifie the intolerable heat of Summer Sunne the Inhabitants are accustomed in all their Cities upon the tops of their Houses to build open Tarases to let the wind drive in thorow all their roomes Yet is not this Country as the rest of Africke infested with the Southerne winds ingendred of heat but is especially refreshed with the Northerne which here is moist and in other places drie It hath no Earth-quakes nor showres but of very able fertility and if it raine as it seldome doth it bringeth many diseases as Murres Catars Agues and such like The inundation of Nilus is mother of all fertility the want thereof an assured prediction of famine and scarcitie The Country is full of cuts and inlets from this River which long agoe Sesostris caused to bee intrenched left those Townes which were situated from the maine banke in the heart of the Kingdome should want water upon the ebbing of the River This inundation causeth such plentifull harvests that through the whole earth better increase and speedier ripenesse is not to be found The wealth hereof is rather to be admired than estimated in reviewing the spendor magnificence of their regall Antiquities their Labyrinths their Pyramides water-works all built and perfected at inestimable charges The ruines whereof are to be seene at this day whereunto the bravest Monuments of the Roman Empire are nothing comparable The revenue of this Kingdome in times past both in regard of the fertilitie of Nilus and the infinite quantity of Merchandize transported from Aethiopia Arabia and India hath beene very great Some report saith Ptolomie that Auletes received from hence twelve millions and fifty talents which according to the computation of Budaeus ariseth to seven millions and a halfe of Crownes the Romans received a farre greater masse but now by the Portugall Navigations it yeeldeth the Turke no such reckoning Howbeit
in such peace as he could not have done being a stranger amongst civiller bred people The King gave him good words without any kind of barbarous wondring or other distastfull fashion But at his returne to the river he found the Master of his House Master of his Boat accompanied with a great sort of Arabs who in conclusion â—o'ens nolens forces him to send his Master three verst of cloth of gold as a present for beholding his person Towards Syria this is somewhat fertile yet smally commended for that propertie by the Ancients for indeed it is exceeding barren and wanteth necessarie sustenance wood and fresh water The memorable things herein are the Mountaines of Sinai and Oreb upon the former whereof is at this day builded a Monasterie of Christians following the Greeke Church and the onely receptacle or Inne for way-faring Christians other place of releese is there none Arabia Felix is a very large Province better manured and watered than the other It is adorned with Noble Cities and full of villages especially towards the sea side where are many excellent places of trade The residue except the sand is made manurable either for feeding of Cattell or Camels in which places live infinite swarmes of divers Nations by grazing and husbandrie It bringeth forth whatsoeever will grow in India and that twice a yeare in abundant manner besides Cassia Cinamon Myrrh c. and soly as much Frankincense as will serve all the world It yeeldeth also metall and excellent pearle all along the coast by fishing It sendeth abundance of horse and sheepe into India whose tailes weigh forty pounds In it are many famous Cities as Medinat Al-naby Mecca Zidem Zibit and Aden This City of Aden together with the whole Country was in the yeare of our Lord 1538. fraudulently surprised by the Turke and their King hanged It is now strongly fortified and erected into a Stately Turkish Beglerbeg-ship Turcomania in times past a part of the greater Armenia TVrcomania comprehendeth no small portion of Armenia major what remaineth is accounted in Georgia Upon the North lieth Colchis now Mongrelia Upon the West Euphrates and the lesse Armenia upon the East that remainder of the greater Armenia which is counted in Georgia Upon the South Mesopotarâ—â—a now Dierbechia with the people Curdi It is invironed with Mountaines and beautified with plains amongst the which Periander now Chalderan Antitaurus now Mons-nigor are most renowmed It is generally exceeding fertile and stored with Cattell but marvellously subject to deepe snowes The people by nature are much given to theft and spoile as descending from the Tartars and so at this day lead their lives living in Tents and Hovels attending and pasturing their cattell Yet some of them inure themselves to tillage and mechanike Trades in weaving of Chamblets and Hangings watered and unwatered of the like qualities are the Curdi and some suppose that these Curdi inhabit the ancient seats of the Chaldeans whereupon it is called at this day Curdistan by the Turkes and Persians but by the Arabians Kelaan that is to say Chaldea Georgia by the Barbarians termed Gurgistan comprehendeth the ancient Iberia with part of the greater Armenia and peradventure Atropatia Upon the West lieth Mengrelia upon the North Zuiria once Albania upon the East the middle Atropatia now Siruan upon the South that part of the greater Armenia which now is called Turcomanta For the greater part it is covered with Mountains Woods and thickets and in that regard inconquerable for the difficulties of the mountainous passages It is notwithstanding fertile and adorned with many large plaines and vallies from whence arise many famoused Rivers as Cirus and Araxis springing from the Mountaine Taurus and running thorow the whole Province untill at last it disgorge it selfe into the Caspian The Inhabitants are termed Georgiani of S. George whom they advow their Patron and Advocate But this is but a vulgar errour seeing both Plinie and Mela make mention of the Georgiani one hundred yeares before the birth of Saint George the famous souldier and martyr They are Christians according to the Greeke Church with some small difference They are very populous and warlike strong of body and valorous in fight even untill our times mantaining their libertie in the midst of the Mahumetans sometimes following the fortunes of the Turkes sometimes of the Persians But at this day they have not onely lost their wonted libertie but also many Fortresses and Cities as Testis Lori Clisca Gâ—ri and Tomanis and withall some of of them have imbraced the Turkish infidelitie Palestine or the Holy Land PAlestine is one of the most excellent Provinces of Syria as well in regard of habitation as of many famous acts done therein and celebrated in holy Scripture Under the generall name whereof are comprehended Idumea Iudaea Samaria and Galile Anciently it was called Canaan of Chanaan the sonne of Cham whose posteritie divided the Land amongst them and under that name it continued untill the invasion of the Israelites who called it after their owne denomination Israel It was also called Philistim of the Philistians once a powerfull and mighty people after that the Land of promise and now lastly The holy Land It is situated betweene the Arabies and the mid-land Sea Northerly upon part of Phoenicia East-ward upon Libanus South-ward and South-East upon Arabia and Westward upon that part of the Mediterran which is termed the Syrian and Phinicean Seas From the very beginning as witnesseth the holy Scripture it hath beene a most famous Province and afterward more renowned for the Birth Miracles and Passion of our Saviour Christ. Distant from the line 31. degrees and extending unto thirty three and somewhat upward So that in length from Dan unto Beersheba it containeth no more than one hundred and fortie miles where broadest not fiftie A Land that flowed with Milke and Hony Adorned with beautifull mountaines and luxurious vallies the rocks producing excellent waters and no part emptie of delight and profit The ayre very temperate and the bodies of men healthfull and patient of labour The ancients will have it to be situated in the midst of the world where it is neither pinched with extremitie of cold nor vexed with over-much heat And therfore the Israelites say This to be the land which God promised unto Abraham For site it is very pleasant for plaines and hils no lesse delightsome rich in divers sorts of Manufactures and well watered Where although it raine but seldome yet was the soile batefull and that by testimonie of Scripture averring it to be a Land excelling all other in goodnesse and fertilitie So that their graine was most delicate their increase abundant and their Roses most sweet Rue fennell and sage and such like pot-hearbs it brought forth of its owne accord Olives Figges Pomegranets and Palme trees are very frequent with some store of Vines For although the Saracens are forbidden the drinking of Wine
advantage yet at least it doth enable us to endure and withstand him that by drawing out the warre in length wee may make him weary of continuance and gives us benefit of time By this temporizing the Venetians being overthrowne in all places by the league of Cambray in the end became Conquerours So that as to him that hath a populous army and finds himselfe mighty and strong it is most convenient to hasten the encounter and to fight without prolonging of time for delay the overthrow of many actions can afford him no other but losse sicknesse infection scarcity famine mutinies and dissolution of forces So for him that is better furnished with money than with men it is most advantagious to prolong the warre and to stand upon the defensive for in the end his money may gaine him victory Finally although some men will not suffer money to be called the sinewes of warre because as Solon answered once to Croesus who in ostentation shewed him his gold Sir if another comes that hath better iron than you he will be master of all this gold yet notwithstanding where numbers policy valour and weapons have not either singly or altogether prevailed there hath money alone done the feat For this have Townes and Kingdomes beene bought of traitors with this purchase we either peace or victory No place is to be held impregnable whither an Asse laden with gold may get up Two great effects it workes First it levies forces suddenly and withall keeps them long together Secondly a monied enemie may fight when he will and but when he will and must needs therefore weary out his adversary and so at last endanger either to overthrow him or force him to a faire composition For want of pay Armies mutinie and will neither muster nor fight and especially the Germans But Spinola hath made great use of a secret of warre how in scarcitie of moneys to awe these mutiniers and that is by paying and contenting the horse and they shall keepe the foot in obedience But this tricke will not alwayes serve for in an Armie a man can hardly tell which is most necessary armes victuals or money this last alwayes fetches in both the other The advantage of site is of much importance for the defending or inlarging of dominion and doth chiefly consist in this that it be convenient for the making of an assault and uneasie to be againe assaulted For a Country being as it were naturally fortified hath easie meanes to make conquests and get victory to the inlargement of their owne dominions and to the overthrow of anothers Of this quality are the situations of Spaine and Araby for both these are as it were pene-Insulaes having their greatest parts incompassed with the Sea whereby they may assaile the Countries neere adjoyning and cannot without great difficulty be assaulted againe The one hath dangerous shores without harbors and is invironed with mountaines having few and secret passages the other is inclosed with sands and desarts Of like quality is Italy And among the Islands England But this advantage of situation I hold not sufficient of it selfe to effect any notable exploit for besides there is required plenty of victuals store of munition armes horses and divers other necessaries without which there is no hope to accomplish any famous expedition Moreover such a disposition and quality of the country is necessarily to be required that the aforesaid habiliments may easily be brought together and removed to places whither occasion shall command And although those which possesse the mountaines and higher places may with advantage come downe upon the plaine and low countries and by reason of the craggednesse and hard passages of their country can hardly be assaulted againe yet have not such people done any thing which may worthily commend them For the mountaines be ordinarily long and narrow or at the least much broken and divided amongst themselves which must needs hinder the speedy drawing together and uniting of their forces and necessaries againe are they unprovided of victuals and of all other things requisite of the warres and therefore altogether unable to continue in action So that they warre rather after the manner of robbers and theeves than of true souldiers It may also be added that the mountaine-men cannot live any long time without intercourse and traffike with the men of the plaine Countrey And therefore if upon any attempt they doe not prevaile at the first brunt their best course will bee to capitulate with their enemies and to returne home againe although with losse as did the Helvetii at the overthrow of Mount S. Claud. So wee may see that the Englishmen which inhabit a plaine and plentifull soile have alwayes prevailed against the Scots and Welshmen who upon presumptions of their naturall situations have divers times molested them For the plaine Country by reason of the fruitfulnesse doth minister all things requisite for warre and to defray charges conveniencie to joyne forces and being gotten together able long time to maintaine them Whereas on the contrary the Mountaines by reason of their barrennesse afford no provision for a long journey nor are any way able to beare the charge of any notable enterprise Wherupon it doth proceed that small Islands having the foresaid qualities of situation have never attained any great Soveraignty because the advantages of the Land are farre greater than those of the Sea Moreover their command cannot be great unlesse it be enlarged by meanes of the firme Land for Islands hold the same proportion with the Continent that the part doth with the whole Besides they be for the most part long and narrow as Candy Cyprus Spagniola Cuba S. Laurence and Sumatra and therefore cannot readily bring their forces together Neither will I sticke to say that Islands if not strong in shipping as England and the Netherlands although they may with advantage come forth and assaile others are not withstanding as it were Cities without wals laid open to the spoile of all Invaders As it happened to Sicil being assailed by the Athenians and the Lacedemonians and afterwards by the Carthaginians and the Romans But the Provinces of the firme Land being for the most part of a proportion more round and square have their forces continually neere together and to be speedily united and therefore more ready and apt for opposition Yet to small purpose are all these aforesaid advantages if opportunity give not aid thereunto This opportunity is a meeting and concurring of divers cadences which at one instant doe make a matter very easie and at another time being overslipped it will be impossible or at least very hard to bring to like facility Wherefore amongst many and divers I will here note the most principall The first groweth by the basenesse and negligence of the neighbour Princes arising either by reason of a naturall jealousie defect and dulnesse or of too long a peace So Caesar possest himselfe of Italy and of the Common-wealth being ready
to his children and kinsfolkes to reward servants or to countenance followers with libertie of civill conversation of comely burials and mourning for the dead of rejoycings at mariages of honest and friendly visitations and harmlesse recreation where every man eateth under his owne Vine and doth what seemeth good in his owne eyes so it tend not to scandall Then let mee be bold to shew him the noble Kingdome of England which to approve I intend by way of comparison wherein most of our Gentrie are well acquainted to make good what I thinke without offence may be truly avouched And first wee will begin with those Countries of which wee have only knowledge by way of traffike and so travell into Russia and Aethiopia But there alas to say nothing of the government the sole load-starre of goodnesse and happinesse the two extremities of heat and cold debarre both Plentie and Abundance from unloading their laps amongst the Inhabitants comparable to our happinesse and satisfaction As for their government and uniformitie of a Common-wealth the name of Emperours only excepted there is nothing worthy observation more than the tyrannous controlling of Lawes and the immediate prostitution of all sorts to the imperious will of the prevailer nor in truth have they temple palace wisdome peace or tranquillitie such as Royaltie or good government intendeth but both Empires especially Russia have suffered many convulsions from ambitious Vsurpers and unworthy Princes who have traiterously supplanted one another and by indirect courses brought the subject into the house of slaughter which undoubtedly is the maine reason why they cannot come neere magnificence provision in house-keeping navie multitude of Princes Nobles or subjects with the equality of obedience to advance a true Scepter or to manifest the glory of a king by the flourishing condition of all estates In a word their Cities and Townes are subject to such bestiality and confusion that they seeme rather routed troopes of deformity than men orderly disposed to the mannagement of affaires either of commerce or of Noble trade And so in all other particulars there is a meere disparity betweene them and our proposition Shall we come neerer home and with prying eyes like the Censors of Rome looke into the Empire of Germany there the Princes are so absolute and the Emperour so timorous to raigne as Asueroth did from India to Aethiopia over 127. Provinces that neither the Queene of Saba will come to heare his wisdome nor to view the order of his Palace neither will the King of Arabia send him presents nor the Confederates admire his magnificence The Merchant will not bring him horse and fine linnen from remote places nor supply his wants according to the prerogative of Kings Nor are the Cities ordered by the appointment of his Ministers nor can he send his chariots to this place nor his horse-men to that nor his Army whither he lists nor fill the streets of Ierusalem when he would solemnize a Passeover for the people live divided and the Burger boasteth of his policie in manumitting themselves and giving their Townes the usurpation of chiefe commandery as for the having of many commodities tending either to necessity or pleasure alas the commutation consisteth in the inriching one another wherin all the corruptions of avaâ—ice are put in practice finally God wot to the augmentation of the Empires Majesty So that their Marts and Faires are as so many boothes of drunkards where with in stead of Ships at Sea they fill the fields with wagons full of strange creatures who make their bellies as great devourers as the Sea Nor can he goe with the wise King to view his navie at the red Sea shores not in person visit the Cities which want fortification or repairing nor in truth doe any thing to come neere the six steps of gold on Solomons throne but eat and carouse yet farre from the meane of mirth Shall we venture over the Alpes and the gulfe of Venice into Italy and there search the Apennine Hils the fields of Campania the garden of the World Lombardy the territories of Rome or attractive Naples for an instance of this our Greatnesse and Happinesse No surely For throughout this goodly territory in one corner ruleth the Spaniard at another end the Savoyen then is intermingled a confused government of pettie Princes Next lieth the Venetian state who meerely out of parsimonie like their adjoyning neighbours the Florentines have obtained the reputation of wealth and greatnesse As for the Duke he is but a voice unsignificant for the Senate carrieth the sword And lastly the Church with the mercenary contraries of blessing and cursing keepeth Saint Peters patrimony as safe as if the indubitate heire of some noble family should maintaine the privileges of his deceased Ancestors But should I knit all these models together and set up the wals of Rome incompassed with her seven hils in such an order that the fabricke might boast of twenty miles circuit and the government lift up a head of Daniels vision againe Or that in a yeare of Iubile I could settle you under the wings of an Angell on the top of the Popes Palace as the Devill carried our Saviour to the pinacle of the Temple And there shew you the consistory of Cardinals triumphs of a Popes Inauguration his stately carriage adorned with his triple crowne on mens shoulders with all the appurtenant shewes and ceremonies yet would all come short to our example For the very provision of our Kings Palace would exhaust the Country consume the commodities and like barren ground drinking up the raine devoure the plenty of the Land and pull in peeces their best compacted husbandry As for their drinking in vessels of gold well may it serve to divulge the glory of some ambitious triumph but nothing verifie the bounty of an overflowing cup considering the wines are not onely small but the vintage so barren and penurious that to conceale the scarcity thereof by parsimonious custome of the Country women and children are forbidden to drinke thereof As for the Villano he is glad of water to quench his thirst fetcht from muddy channels falling from the mountaines of snow and cleansed with much adoe by the swift course of Eridanus Many other defects doe bespot the face of this goodly creature and debarre it from the boast of our essentiall happinesse For though the Inne-keepers daughter goe in a satten gowne and that the bravery of Italy be discovered in the attire of the people as if every burre had golden kernels and every corner were full of silkwormes yet is there neither method of government nor can the inhabitans rejoyce under unity or any privileges of a strong compacted Administration tending to the assurance of love true alliance or obedience so that in a manner all the defects deforming the beauty of Kingdomes more than some private blessings and those scattered as it were by the hands of divine goodnesse may be here lookt upon with
obedience so that at this day the Empire is inclosed in Germanie Whereupon sithence the glory thereof at this day consisteth only in Germanie It is good reason to say somewhat of this most ample and flourishing Province It lyeth betweene Odera and Mosa betweene Vistula and Aa and betweene the German Sea the Baltick Ocean and the Alpes The forme thereof is foure-square equall in length and breadth stretching six hundred and fifty miles every wayâ— That it aboundeth with Corne Cattell and Fish let experience shew For Charles the fifth had under his Ensignes at Vienna ninety thousand foot-men and thirty five thousand horse Maximilian the second at Iavorin had almost one hundred thousand footmen and thirty foure thousand horse and yet no man complained of dearenesse or scarcitie In the warre betweene Charles the fifth and the Protestants for certain moneths one hundred and fifty thousand men sustained themselves abundantly in the field And surely of all Europe it is the greatest Countrey and beautified with the best and richest store of Cities Townes Castles and Religious places And in that decorum and order for in a manner see one and see all as if there had beene an universall consent to have squared them like Courts to one anothers proportion whereto may be added a secret of moralitie That the inhabitants for honesty of conversation probity of manners assurance of loyaltie and confidence of disposition setting apart their imperfect customes of drinking exceed our beleefe For notwithstanding these their intemperate meetings and phantasticalnesse in apparell yet are they unoffensive conversible and maintainers of their Honours and Families wherein they steppe so farre as if true Gentrie were incorporate with them and there had his principall mansion And wanted they not an united and heeditary succession of government having sometime an Emperour by partiality of election and sometime by the absolute command of the Pope I should stand as forward as the best to say with Charles the Emperour That they were indeed a valiant a happie and an honourable Nation But in respect of these apparant and materiall defects in some abatement of their ostentation concerning their owne glory and the honour of Majestie in my judgement they should not doe amisse to reforme the custome of intituling the younger sonnes of Dukes Earles and Barons by the honourable Titles of their Ancestours especially sithence the Italians in facetiousnesse doe jest That these Earles of Germanie the Dukes of Russia the Dons of Spaine the Monsiers of France the Bishops of Italy the Knights of Naples the Lairds of Scotland the Hidalgos of Portugal the Nobles of Hungarie and the younger Brethren in England make a very poore company Otherwise if noveltie transport you to view their Palaces of Honour you shall eft-soones bee brought into their well fortified Cities wherein you shall finde Armorie Munition c. with a presence of the very Burgers excellently well trained in Militarie discipline you shall see brave musters of Horse with their exercises of Hunting Hawking and Riding yea how every man liveth of his owne the Citizen in quiet and the women blessed with plentifull issue The Nature of this Climate is temperate enough somewhat of the coldest yet tolerable and healthie No place thereof unlesse by nature it be utterly barren lieth unmanured insomuch that few remainders of that huge wood of Hercynia are to bee seene at this day unlesse in place where humane necessitie requireth their growing or Nature hath made the Earth fit for no other imployment as are the Blacke-Wood the Ottonique Wood and the Woods of Bohemia And yet doe they neither carry that horrid face of thicknesse as in old times neither are they so untravelled or unhabitable but exceeding full of Habitations Hamlets Villages and Monasteries It is rich in Mines of Gold Silver Corne Vines Bathes and all sorts of Metall and therein surpasseth the residue of the Provinces of Europe Nature hath also bestowed upon the Vp-land Countries many Springs and pits of Salt Water of which hard Salt is boiled Neither is it lesse stored with Merchandize for the Inhabitants more than any other Nation doe excell in curious workmanship and mechanicall invention and it is so watered with Navigable Rivers that all sorts of merchandize wares are with ease conveied from one place to another The greatest of them is Danow next the Rhene which runneth cleane through the Country from the South to the North as the Danow from East to West Albis riseth in Bohemia passeth by Misnia Saxonie Marchia and the ancient Marquisat Odera springeth in Moravia watereth Sâ—â—â—sia the two Marquisats and Pomeran Then followeth Wesar Neccar Mosa Moselia Isara Câ—nus Varia the Mase This divideth Germanie into two parts the higher and the lower The high stretcheth from the Mase to the Alpes the low from the Mase to the Ocean It is divided into many Provinces the chiefe whereof I meane the true members of the Empire are Alsatia Swevia Bavaria Austria Bohemia Moravia Silesia Lusatia the two Marquisates Saxonie Masaia Thuringia Franconia Hassia Westphalia Cleveland Magunce Pomeran In these Provinces besides Belgia and Helvetia are esteemed to bee ten Millions of men and eightie great Cities Villages innumerable and those plentifully stored with all sorts of Mechanicall Occupations Those which are seated neere Rivers for the most part are builded of Stone the Vp-land part of Stone and part of Timber The Houses thereof are very faire and high the Streets strait large and paved with stone yea more neat and handsome than those of Italy Strabo writeth that the Romans excelled the Grecians in cleanlinesse of their cities by reason of their Channels to conuâ—y away the soile but at this day the Dutch-men doe farre exceed the Romans herein These Cities are of three sorts viz. free Cities yet those stiled imperiall Hanse-townes and Cities by inheritance immediately holden of Princes and Prelates The free Cities are those which are by time and prescription immediately subject to the Emperour and have no other protector but him onely In times past they have beene accounted 96. now 60. Of Hanse cities there were 72. mutually bound by ancient leagues to enjoy common privileges and freedomes both at home and in forren Countries In ancient times they were of high estimation in England and other Provinces in regard of their numbers of shipping Sea-trade whereby they stored all Countries with their Easterne commodities and served Princes turnes in time of warre with use of shipping But at this day wee shall finde neither themselves nor their meanes so great that the English should either feare them or favour them especially in cases of prejudice I write this because of their continuall grudges and complaints against our Nation For if the State upon occasion as of late yeares after the example of other Princes should forbid them all offensive trade into Spaine which is their chiefest support they would in short time be quit of that indifferent
is brought out of Germanie The Countie is so populous and so replenished with buildings in all places that here are credibly affirmed 29237. Cities Townes and Villages to be numbred Others say 780. Castles and walled Townes and 32. thousand Villages Here is also plentie of Fowle and great store of Fresh-water Fish by reason of the great Lakes which are found in many places of this Kingdome The people are for the most part Lutherans and their language is more than halfe Polish They are a free people and after the death of their King they may make choice of whom they will to be their Governour So did they lately chuse Matthias And for their more strength and better securitie against the Romanists they linked themselves with the Silesians their next neighbours in a perpetuall and firme bond of amitie offensive and defensive against all men whatsoever The people of Bohemia live in great plentie and delicacie they much resemble the English the women be very beautifull white-handed but luxurious and that with libertie of their husbands also They are divided in opinion of Religion the Protestants of the Augustane Confession being so potent that they were able to chuse a King and to put out the Emperour Their Kingdome is meerely elective although by force and faction now almost made hereditary to the House of Austria which it seemes it was not when as within these two Ages that State made choice of one M. Tyndall and English Gentleman father to M. Doctor Tyndall Master of Queenes College in Cambridge sending over their Ambassadors to him and by them their presents which story is famously knowne in Cambridge Their chiefe Citie Prague is one of the greatest of Christendome as being three townes in one each divided from other by the River Multaw and all three conjoyned by a goodly woodden bridge of foure and twenty arches by it runnes the famous Elve which receives two others into him in that Country Eger and Wattz The Kingdome hath many mighty men of estate into whose Lordships the Countrey is altogether divided and not as others into Shires and Counties The King hath three silver Mines and one of gold some pearles are there found also The tinne Mines there were first found by an English Tinner who fled thither for debt and is the best of Europe next our English All the Nobilitie and Gentrie are by their tenures obliged when their King is in the field to wait upon him on horsebacke completely armed which are enow to make an Army of twenty or thirty thousand This service the Protestants promised to King Fredericke of late but the tenth man appeared not They serve willinger on horsebacke than on foot and are rather for a Summer service than to lie in the field all Winter and yet are every way better souldiers than the Germans The Protestants were suffered to plant and increase there by the craft and plot of Cardinall Glessel who was governour to the Emperour Matthias his pretence was that they would bee a sure bulwarke against the Turke should spare the service and lives of the Catholikes this was his pretence but his plot was an expectation of some stirres to be raised by them which some lay he did in hatred of the house of Austria whom hee desired to see set besides the cushion others imagine it was but a tricke to make the great men of the Protestants to forfeit their Estates Howsoever the plot tooke and the Cardinall after the taking of Prague being invited to a banquet by the Elector of Mentz was by him sent prisoner to Rome where he remained two yeares but was afterward both inlarged and rewarded And this was one of the secrets of the Mysterie of iniquitie Moravia lying on the East of Bohemia so named of the River Mora for the bignesse thereof affordeth more corne than any Country of Europe It aboundeth also with good and pleasant wine like unto Rhenish and is wonderfully replenished in all parts with faire Cities Towns Villages all built of stone or bricke It is very mountainous and woody but the South part is more champian It containes two Earledomes one Bishopricke divers Baronies two good Cities and foure or six faire Townes The people be very martiall and fierce especially the mountainers who stood so stoutly to King Frederick at the battell of Prague that had all the rest of the Army done so the Kingdome had not beene lost It is a free State like Poland and may make choice of whom they will to be the Lord whose stile is to be called Margrave of Moravia And for that informer times the Emperour and Matthias his brother offered them some wrongs concerning religion they have sithence contracted a league offensive and defensive with the Nobility of Hungarie and Austria as well against the invasions of the Turke as the oppressions of the Romanists Amongst these Provinces Silesia and Lusatia are as large as Bohemia but in strength and numbers of people farre inferiour These two Provinces with Moravia are incorporate to the Crowne of Bohemia Silesia lies on the East of Bohemia Poland on the South of it to which it sometimes belonged Hungaria and Moravia on the East It is two hundred miles long and fourescore broad It is a most delicate and a plentifull Country finely divided in the middle by the faire River Oder on which stand foure or five handsome Cities the chiefe of which is Breslaw the Bishop whereof is for his revenue called the golden Bishop here is also an Vniversity Niesse is also another Bishopricke who now is a Cardinall The people especially of the Cities be civill and generous nor is there any where a more gallant or warlike Gentry which the Turke well tried in the warres of Hungarie for very sufficient serviters they be both on horse and foot and they are able to levie great numbers The government is Aristocraticall that is by the States yet in most things a dependant upon the will of the King of Bohemia It was sometimes divided amongst fifteene Dukes but all their families being extinct nine of those Lordships are escheated to the King of Bohemia the other six still remaine amongst three of the heires of the ancient owners The two Dukedomes of Oppelen and Ratibor in this Country were by this present Emperour given to Bethlem Gabor in consideration of his relinquishment of the Crowne of Hungaria For which two Dukedomes and for the lands of the old Marquesse of Iegerensdorff in Lusatia who being prescribed by the Emperour and beaten out by the Duke of Saxony fled to Bethlem Gabor who had newly married his neece that is the sister to the present Elector of Brandenburgh whose fathers brother this Iegerensdorff was For these lands I say came part of the discontents still depending betweene Bethlem Gabor and the Emperour T is reported that if King Frederick would have laid downe his right to Bohemia the Emperour would have beene content to have made him King of Silesia
them to whose heire Fredericke Barbarossa restored the Palatinate in the yeare 1183. since which time as Munster saith it ever continued in that male Line untill these unfortunate warres The Lower Palatinate hath beene twice augmented once by the Emperour Wenceslaus who bestowed Oppenheim and two other Imperiall Townes upon the Elector for his voice in the Election The second augmentation was by the ransome of the Duke of Wirtenberg and the Archbishop of Mentz both taken in one battell by Prince Frederike Anno 1452. out of both whose Countries lying next unto the Palatinate the victorious Palatine tooke some what to lay to his owne For which and other quarrels there hath still continued a grudging in the Archbishops towards the Palsgraves Mentz whose Archiepiscopall Citie is also in the Palatinate laying a claime to a Monastery and the lands upon the Bergstraes or mountaine within two English miles even of Heidleberg The Palsgrave hath many prerogatives above the Electors of â—ther sort He taketh place of the Duke of Saxony and the Marquesse of Brandenburgh because Henry the first Palatine was descended of Charles the Great for which cause in the vacancie of the Empire he is also Governour of the West parts of Germanie with power to alienate or give Offices to take fealty and homage of the Subjects and which is most to sit in the Imperiall Courts and give judgement of the Emperour himselfe The Land naturally is very rich the Mountains are full of Vines Woods and such excessive store of red Deere that Spinola's souldiers in the late warres had them brought to them like Beefe or Bacon How famous the Rhenish Wines are I need not say Of Corne they have no want Silver also is here digged up Goodly Townes and strong it had such store as if they had had nothing but Cities All which are now divided betwixt the Emperour the Bavarian and the Spaniard The Prince also was said to have two and twenty Palaces But the chiefest ornament was the incomparable Library of Heidleberg not for the beauty of the roome for it was but in the roofe of the chiefe Church and that by a long wall divided into two parts but for the numbers of excellent Manuscripts and printed bookes with which it was then better stored than Oxford yet is The Princes Revenue arose first out of his owne Lands and Customes of his Manours Secondly out of the tenths and wealth of the Monasteries and estate of the Church confiscated which perchance made up one quarter if not more of his whole estate Thirdly from the Toll of one Bridge over the Rhine he yearely had about twentie thousand crownes Fourthly some say that one silver mine yeelded him threescore thousand crownes All together the revenues of this and the Vpper Palatinate lying next to Bavaria and some thirty English miles distant from this Lower were valued to amount unto one hundred sixtie thousand pounds sterling of yearely Revenues Finally of the three Temporall Electors goes this common proverb in Germanie That the Palsgrave hath the honour Saxony the money and Brandenburgh the land for Saxony indeed is richer and Brandenburghs Dominions larger than those of the Prince Elector Palatine The State of the Elector of Saxonie THe Dominion of the Dukes of Saxonie containeth the Marquisat of Mâ—sen the Lantgravedome of Turinge Voitland part of Nether Saxonie almost within two Dutch miles of Maigdburg part of the Lands of the Earles of Mansfielt pawned to Augustus for some summes of money and a parcell of Frankhenland The whole Country is seated almost in the midst of Germanie on all sides very farre from the Sea except Voitland very plaine and Champion sprinkled here and there with some few of them navigable The chiefest of them all is the Elve â—o which all the rest pay the tribute of their waters All of it together is imagined to bee in bignesse about a third part of England or somewhat more The climate in temperature is not much differing from ours of England It confineth on the South-East with the Kingdome of Bohem and is parted with many high hils and great woods on the South with the Bishop of Bambergs Countrie and on the South-west with the Lantgrave of Hesse on the North and North-west with the Counts of Mansfielt the Princes of Anâ—â—â—â—â— and the Citie of Maidburgh of which this Duke writeth himselfe Burgrave and the Marquesse of Brandeburghs eldest son Arch-Bishop yet is it not under either Iurisdiction but freely governed within it selfe On the North-east lyeth the Marquesdome of â—randeburgh and the Lansknites who partly belong to the Marquesse and partly to the Emperour It is in peace at this time as all Germanie beside with all the Neighbour-Princes Betweene the Bohemians and them there is a great league but betwixt the Emperour and their Dukes great jealousies under hand The Duke of Saxonie the Marquesses of Brandeburgh and the Lantgraves of Hesse have many yeeres they and their ancestry beene linked together and both Lutherans howbeit the Lantgrave is thought to fâ—vour of Calvinisme The Bishop of Bamberge both himselfe and his Countrie are all Catholiques but of no power to hurt though they were Enemies The Counts of Mansfielt have a grudge to the house of Saxonie because most of their land being pawned to Augustus is as they pretend wrongfully detained the debt being long since satisfied but they are so many and so poore as they may well have the will but not the power to annoy Saxonie in Religion Catholiques The Princes of Anhault as also the Counts of Mansfield are homagers to this Duke but of small power or riches In Religion Calvinists For home defence and strength this Dukedome is so strong by nature on Boheme side and upon the frontiers and within Land so well fortified by Art with reasonable strong Cities Townes and Castles so well peopled and all places of strength so well looked unto and kept in so good order that it seemeth provided to withstand the Enemy not onely of any one but of all the Neighbour-Provinces The greatest and chiefest Citie within this Dukedome is Erdford seated in Turing not subject to the Duke but a free and Hanse-towne the next unto it is Leipsique the Metropolis of Misâ—n a Towne very well seated both for profit and pleasure yet of no great strength though it held out Iohn Fredericke a siege of two or three moneths with small disadvantage of building very faire and stately most of the houses of seven eight or nine Stories high but all of Bricke and no Stone It is greater than Dresden and hath many faire and large streets and yet inferiour in beautie and strength for the Duke will not suffer the Inhabitants neither to fortifie nor to repaire the walls left they should againe rebell as in former times within the walls are nine hundred Houses it hath three Churches five Colleges and about foure hundred Students as also a faire Castle with a small
are very good Weapons But in the same time and under the same Duke and Captaine they performed very little against the Spaniards though with farre over-ballanced numbers as in divers places of Sleyden manifestly appeareth Touching their actions in the Low-Countries in the Prince of Orange his time in France during the civill warres and sithence for the King if I mistake it not it hath alwayes beene praise enough for them if they have helped to keepe their enemies from doing any great matters though they have performed nothing themselves Of latter time they have rather increased than diminished this opinion in the warres ten yeares since in Hungarie besides many other times of notable disorders amongst them by false Alarmes They fled most shamefully out of the Island of Komora being charged by a few Tartars who with infinite hazzard and inconvenience swam over a part of the Danubie to come at them The Summer after Count Charles of Mansfielt their Generall had them in such jelousie as when the Turkes only with some twelve or fourteene thousand men came to victuall Gran and past almost close by their Tents and they being at least fifty thousand strong he durst not set upon them till they retired having performed the project of their journey left the Germans who were by farre the greater part of his Armie being lustily charged might give backe so indanger the whole Campe. To omit many other particularities about this point too long to dwell upon in this discourse they are no more to be commended for their discipline than for their valour for though they be commonly very well armed and keepe indifferent good order in their march yet are they for the most part no more watchfull and provident in their Campe than if they were safely intrenched in an Ale-house Quarrelsome exceedingly and in a manner given to drinking continually and almost every common souldier carrying with him his she-baggage besides his bagge and other furniture Of their unreasonable spoiling and free-booting the French Stories make sufficient relation and it hath alwayes beene hard to discerne whether those Nations that have called them to their succour have received more detriment by them or by their professed enemies For instance of their spoiling humour the Marquesse of Turloch taking in the Marquesdome of Baden and being constrained to keepe some foure or five thousand men in sundry places in garrison they all offered though he gave them very extraordinary pay to serve without any wages so they might have free libertie of pillage Therefore let it not seeme strange that I produce these generall examples of this Nation for though in divers Provinces they are much differing in complexion in stature and many other circumstances yet for warre especially for their vices in warre they are in a manner all of the same aire They have greatly affected the English Nation but of late were they not a little distasted upon pretence of injuries done them about prizes Sea matters and suppressing their privileges of the Stillyard wherein though they themselves as being Inland people and trading little by Sea are nothing interessed yet their neighbours of Hamborough Lubech and divers other Hanse-townes making all these matters farre greater and worse than indeed they are have spread even into their minds the contagion of their owne grudge The Councell of Saxony are at this time few Amongst them there are some that are of the Nobility Counsellours rather in name than effect For in that they live in their Countries they are seldome present at any consultations and meddle little in the ordinary government of the State The rest after the manner of Germany are most Civilians The whole government of the affaires as also the Court is very private Other particulars I cannot specifie neither in truth if a man consider their outward portlinesse though otherwise I doubt not but wise enough doe they merit the setting downe of any For being as all Germans are plaine and homely in their behaviour and entertainment they are both in their retinue apparell and all things else very sutable so that not onely in this Court but in the Courts of divers great Princes of Germany they goe usually apparelled in blacke Leather or Linnen died blacke the chiefest having only an addition for ornament sake of the Princes picture in gold or a chaine of one or two boughts whereby they seeme such leatherne and linnen Gentlemen as if they were in England all men would take them for honest factors unto Merchants or else some under-Clerke of an Office rather than such great and chiefe Counsellours to so great Princes and Estates But as it should be great folly for a man to judge the preciousnesse of a Iewell by the case wherein it is kept and much greater to esteeme it by the cover of the case sed even so by the same reason it were an equall indiscretion to estimate a mans worth either by their body or apparell the one being but an earthen case of the heavenly minde the other but the outward cover of that worthlesse box So on the other side it is an undeniable certainty that not only the common people and strangers but even wise men are moved and stirred up with outward shewes and their mindes according to those exterior matters prepared to receive a deepe impression either of like or dislike favour or disfavour of reverence or carelesse retchlesnesse and debased dispositions The Revenues of this Dukedome are as most men affirme very great and without comparison the greatest of any German Prince whatsoever The meanes whereby it ariseth to that greatnesse are divers first the great quantity of Silver Mines and such like whose profit notwithstanding is very uncertaine according to the goodnesse or badnesse of the veines the great impositions upon all sorts of Merchandize and the assize upon Beere which only in the Citie Liepsiege being a little Towne of two Parishes amounteth yearely to above twenty thousand pounds sterling The tenths of all sorts of increase as Corne Wine c. The Salt-houses at Hall and some other places which being all to the Duke besides the Lands of the Dukedome being very great and the Taxes and Subsidies assessed at their Parliaments or Diets with divers other casualties which fall not within my knowledge But above all the greatest is an imposition which hath long time beene laid upon the people towards the maintenance of the warres against the Turke which notwithstanding they have beene suspended for a long space lately yet under colour of being sufficiently provided and furnished against future necessities they have beene continued and the treasure converted to the Princes private use arising in all this time to that quantity that if it had beene reserved to the pretended use the warres might be continually very royally maintained I speake as much as is required on the behalfe of that Dukedome and the people freed these many yeares from the imposition which notwithstanding is not
And Ravenna which was situated in a Lake as Venice is was once of such respect that it was thought fit and chosen first by Honorius and afterwards by the Gothes and Exarchs for the seat of the Empire In our daies by the conjuration of Cambraie it was besieged by Maximilian with seven hundred French Launces a thousand two hundred men at Armes Italians 18000. Dutch foot six thousand Spaniards two thousand Italians in pay and six hundred Adventurers of divers Nations with a huge quantitie of Artillery and all other Munition Against this force the Seigniory opposed as great a force for defence and put into the Citie six hundred men at Armes fifteene hundred light-Horse as many Carabines under very expert Commanders And for foot they had above twelve thousand Italians ten thousand drawne out of the Gallies a great number of Gentlemen of Venice and Peasants of the Country without number together with an Army of inestimable quantity of Munition and victuall with which quantity of men and provisions the greatnesse of their workes and fortifications well answered Now there being about and in Padoa two so great and populous Armies one to assault it another to defend it and that this infinite number of Horse on both sides did never cease from boot-haling and forraging the Country about setting fire on all that they could not carry away and that the Peasants had also conveyed away as much as they could into the Citie and the adjoyning holds yet did neither of these Armies ever want victuals during all that siege And yet as fruitfull as is Padoa the Country of Crema is no whit behinde it for all things for store and finenesse of flax beyond it Of Polesine it shall only suffice to say that it holdeth the like proportion with Padoa The Country of Vicenza hath the Champian exceeding fat and for that part thereof which is hilly few Countries come neere it for pleasantnesse It leaneth its shoulders upon the Alpes it hath on the right hand the new River on the left Bronta in the middest of it runnes Bacchilion Remon c. it is the Garden of Venice The Territory of Trevisa as it cannot bee reckoned amongst the fertillest yeâ— it is numbred amongst the pleasantest Now the Countries where the industrie of the people is more than the goodnesse of the soile are those of Verona Bergamo and Friuli For in the Bergamash there is more than forty miles of mountaine the Veronese hath many miles of champian altogether barren and sandy The like hath Friuli whence it commeth that these parts are much subject to dearths and scarcity of corne but what they want in Bread is re ompenced in Wine abundantly so that as I understand the Island alone of Scala which is one great Village in the Veronesse doth rent in this commodity to the number of five thousand crownes yearely Nor are they destitute of very good Wooll whereof they of Verona doe weave Cloths and Felts The Burgamash an infinite quantity of Dornix besides Broad-clothes and Kersies which they vent partly into Lombardie and partly into Almaigne The fruitfulnesse of the soile and industry of the people together is notably discovered in the territory of Brescia insomuch that I beleeve that no part of Italy in these two points can be compared thereto for opulencie and plenty in those two parts which for goodnesse of soile wee count to be fertill There is no private mans Garden for art and gracefulnesse of compartment or order more exquisitely cast or more diligently planted or more neatly kept and dressed than this whole territory Now touching that part of the â—rescian territory that is unfruitfull impossible it were to declare the diligence and art that is there used for ploughing of mountaines and for planting of Vines throughout the said mountaines But a sufficient testimonie thereof will bee that the barrenest part of this territory is no lesse well inhabited than is the best In the towne of Cordove alone it is knowne that if need require they are able in one day to make two hundred Harquibushes at all points out of the Masse although there be no Harquebush that goeth through lesse than ten hands at the least No Iron is brought in more than groweth in the Country and yet little goeth out imwrought Some is sold made into barres but most into wares In the City of Brescia are accounted more than two hundred Smiths shops of which fifty at least are Cutlers There are also some Iron Mines in Vâ—â—l Coâ—â—â—â—â—â— which yeeld water for six furnaces and six mills in which they make plate for Armour In the Citie of Cordove are made in great quantity Swords Daggers Halberds Knives and other like weapons In the Marquisate of Trevisae great quantity of excellent steele and so in Alphaga Soldo and in Cador exceeding good Swords are wrought in Belluno Felire and Seravalle The dominion which the Venetian hath by Sea is of two kinds as hath formerly bin said partly Continent partly Islands The greatest territory of the Continent is Istria and the best unlesse it were for that the ayre thereof is naturally unwholesome or rather to speak freely contagious and pestilent especially about Nola. For which cause that it grow not to be disinhabited the Seigniory alloweth to all men that will dwell there a certaine quantity of land with divers immunities and privileges besides It yeeldeth great abundance of Oyle Fish and Salt Dalmatia Sclavonia and Albania afford excellent wines and in these quarters partly by the commodiousnesse of the Sea and partly by reason of the entértainment and pay that runs there amongst the garrisons with the carefull industry of the Inhabitants the people live indifferently well there The Islands belonging to this State and lying within the Gulfe are not many The names of them are Veggia Arbe Brazza Pago Liesina Curzola Lissa with the Islands of Zara and Sesa They all yeeld in generall Wines of reasonable goodnesse Cherso with some other doe exceed for plenty of Cattell Milke Meats and Wooll Pago hath Salt-pits and yeeldeth great profit Veggia hath store of Pulse light Wines Wood and Horse though small They are all beautified with Havens excepting Arbe which defect is there recompenced with the naturall pleasantnesse of the Country They have very rich Fishings especially Lesina whose Sea yeeldeth Pilchers in great abundance The greatest of these Islands is Lesina containing in compasse fifty miles The best peopled is Curzola The most delicious Arbe and both with the parts of the Continent over against them whereof wee spake before doe yeeld great number of serviceable men for the field and the Gallies It remaineth to speake of the Islands out of the Gulfe Of which the first inorder is Corfu for commodiousnesse of situation of great account For it lieth in a manner in the very centre of all the Sea-dominious belonging to this State betweene the Adriatike and the Ionike Seas equally distant from Venice and
released his claime to the Pope who now solely after the death of this old man lookes for it but many thinke his nose will be wiped of it for that the Archduke Leopold brother to this Emperour hath in the yeare 1626. married the daughter and heire of this old Duke Guido And this may happen to be the occasion of a breach betweene the Pope and the house of Austria especially of the Duchie fals void in the life and height of this present Emperour and that the Spaniard and he get the better of it in the wars of Mantua Modena is an hereditary Dukedome full of riches and fashionable Gentry after the best Italian manner newly allied to Mantua and reasonably well fortified against his dangerous neighbour in Millan and inviteth you to the view of a very delicate Country The Duke dome of Mantua MAntua is a late Dukedome erected of an ancient Marquifate in the name of Gonzaga He liveth in better fashion of Courtship than the other Princes with a Guard of Switzers The Citie is large boasteth of Virgils birth and the delicate streames of Po over which for all the swiftnesse and largenesse a gallerie-bridge transporteth both Coach Cart and Horse under which are preserved many Courtly Barges both for magnificent shewes and pleasure of the water in Summer time as also for the necessities of the Inhabitants thorowout the yeare This State abutting upon the East of Millane hath the Marquifate of Moutferrat annexed unto it and is now the field of warre in Italie Rich men never want heires weake titles rather than no titles are made use of Thus comes the quarrell The Towne of Mantua was as the rest of Italy sometimes belonging to the Empire from which all going away the famous Matilda laid hold on this which with the rest of her estate she bequeathed to the Church of Rome Under the Popes the name of Poledroni bearing great sway grew at last too strong and usurped from their Lord about foure hundred yeares since from whom Gonzaga at last snatcht it who so well inlarged both the territorie and honour that it grew to be a Marquifate and some hundred and five yeares since was it made a Dukedome by the Emperour Charles the fifth about which time Duke Frederike obtained the Marquifate of Montferrat also and that by mariage of Margarita It so happened that a younger sonne of this Familie plants himselfe in France whole descendant upon the late death of his cousin Ferdinand Gonzaga who having beene first a Cardinall before hee came to be Duke of Mantua was unmaried and thereupon died without issue now puts in for the Duchie as next of the bloud So that the Cardinall-Duke being dead without issue the Pope claimes his share and hath it The Emperour puts in for his title pretending the Estate escheated to him for want of issue The heire in the meane time hastens out of France gets possession of Mantua and of the good will of the people also The Emperour he cals in the King of Spaine to trie his title by the sword and if not to hinder or regaine possession yet to inforce him to demand investiture of the Emperour The Duke craves aid of France the King himselfe leads an Armie thither which this present yeare having passed the Alps by the Duke of Savoyes stopping up the passage against him miscarries in Pledmont The Savoyard is proved the Duke of Mantuaes enemie for the Marquifate of Montferrat which he pretends a triple title unto all which were adjudged weake and insufficient pleas by Charles the fifth being made Vmpire by both parties But what he could not obtaine by Law he hopes in the weaknesse of the new Duke to doe by power striking in especially with the Spaniard with whom he is now made friends upon it the Spaniard restoring some Townes in Montferrat which the Savoyard had seized upon in the last vacancie An. 161â— but had beene taken from him againe in the late warres with Spaine So that the poore Dukedome of Mantua is like to be undone by foure Pretenders The Heire the Pope the Emperour and the Savoyard The Spanish forces of Millane are too neere unto Mantua and the Savoyards to Montferrat These be his neighbours and enemies The Dukedome of Mantua is indifferent rich and able to live of its owne Seven good Cities it hath whereof Mantua is one of the strongest in Italie three sides being fortified with a wide River Montferrat is larger than the Duchie of Mantua containing about threescore good walled Townes three of which be faire Cities Both territories together containe as much land as the great Duke of Tuscanie is master of yet his yearly Revenues come not to much above 500000 Ducats for that he uses his subjects well and wants the commoditie of the Seas For his Forces Italy hath not better Horsemen nor any willinger to serve their Prince Divers strong Townes he hath and all little enough at this time The State of the Duke of Savoy THe State of this Duke lyes in two Countries in France where Savoy is seated and in Italy where he possesses part of Piedmont But what Nature and the Alpes have disjoyned Marriage and Warres have united His Dominions in France reach as farre as Geneva the County of Burgunde Bresse Provence and Daulphine on Germanie side they touch upon the Switzers and in Italy are they bounded with Millane Montferrat and the State of Genoa The length is three hundred miles the breadth an hundred and threescore the compasse nine hundred To begin with Savoy from whence the Prince hath his Title The fable I see passes currant that these mountaine-passages being infested with theeves the Countrey was thereupon named Malvoy which disorders being reformed by a Nobleman the Emperour rewarded him with the title of Duke and named the Countrey Saulvoy that is the Safe-way But hee that shall remember that the Noticia of the Empire mentions the very name of Sabaudia will know it to be ancienter than the moderne French tongue from whence this fable derives it Savoy containes the Earldome of Geneva the Marquifate of Susa the County of Morienne the Lordships of Tharentaise Brengeois Faucignie Chablais and Pays de Vaul with three Bishoprickes whereof the Duke hath the nomination It containes foure or five good Cities whereof Chamberie is a Parliamentary Towne and the Seat of the Duke on that side Situate it is in a rich and delicate Valley full of Gentlemens houses and every way inclosed with high mountaines The Valleyes be fruitfull enough but the Mountaines very inhospitable which is the occasion that there be but five hundred thousand soules in all Savoy Many and large Lakes it hath and those very well fisht Piedmont is much the pleasanter and the richer Country though the common people be poore enough as scorning to worke and caring but to have from hand to mouth The chiefe Honour or Title that the Duke here hath is the Marquifate of Saluzzes The other part of
Persians but the Georgians and Arabians also betooke themselves to the exercise of Armes and therein attained to such ability that to this day they are ever and anon in tumult and beginne to recover some of their losses This was the true reason as aforesaid that induced Amurath and his Counsellours distrusting the obedience of that people against the Turkish custome there to erect many Citadels as at Chars Nassivan Lori Teflis and at Tauris whereinto they thrust great Garrisons as namely into that of Tauris eight thousand The predecessors of Amurath who reposed the maine reputation of their forces to consist in being Masters of the field made no account of these holds maintaining this rule That who is strong in the field needeth not the assistance of Holds and who will maintaine many fortresses garrisoned can never be very strong in Campania From these and such like oversights have arisen all the corruptions whereof I have spoken in this relation of the Turkish greatnesse Whereby those Armies which were wont to amount to two hundred thousand fighting men and upward and their Navies accustomed to bee of two hundred saile and more are now brought to a farre lesse reckoning They are now come to fifty thousand the proportion that Hebraim brought with him not many yeares since into Hungarie And to some thirty six Gallies or thereabouts with which Cicola Admirall of that Empire came of late into the Levant Seas By which diminutions it hath fallen out that a poore Prince of Transilvania durst meet Sinan Bassa and fight with him and that the Vayvod of Valachia durst also make him the like opposition So likewise I say that this one Kingdome and one Common-wealth hath done more in abatement of the ambition and checking the fortune of the Ottoman than all Christian States have done all together For where all the rest of the Princes bordering anciently upon them were in short time devoured spoiled of their Estates the Hungarian and the Venetian alone have for the space of one hundred and fifty yeares and more maintained themselves And though both the one and the other have quitted unto the Ottoman some parts of their Territories yet have they well warded and retained the residue So that to speake truth Christianity hath at this day no other frontier upon the Turke but what is theirs which how much it importeth no man can rightly judge who hath not by experience made triall how dreadfull the Ottoman power is to all those that dwell neere it And howbeit in these later yeares the Hungarian hath had in his favour the continuall supplies of Germanie and the Venetian hath beene assisted by the association of the Pope and the Spaniard yet it is to be understood that unlesse both those and these had had of their owne a sufficient body of warre the cold assistance of others would finally have helped their sudden necessities The State of Bethlen Gabor in Transilvania c. THis Country hath Nature it selfe at one time both fortified and honoured for the woods and Hercynian mountaines doe round about inviron it gathering it into the shape of a Crowne The length is two hundred twenty five miles English and the breadth two hundred The Ancients made it a part of Dacia but the latter Writers from the lying of it beyond the woods have called it Transylvania 〈…〉 name Sienburgen or the new Latine name Septâ—m â—aâ—â—ra it hath not from the seven Castles set to defend the Frontiers as some mistake it but from those seven Quarters or Camps into which the old Hunnes at their invasion divided their Army Thorow these woods and mountaines there be but eleven Avenues or entrances out of other Countries into Transylvania T is inhabited by three severall Nations the Siculi which be the ancientest the Hungarians and the Saxons The Religions publikely professed are three also The Arrian the Romish and the Reformed and this last divided into the Lutheran and Calvinisticall The Popish hath continued there of old The Arrian heresie was first brought in by Blandrata Anno 1556. It chiefly infected the Towne of Clausenburg where even at this day the Arrians have a populous College and a free Church though by the religious diligence of Bethlen Gabor scarce one fourth part of the City be now infected with this poyson Both Papists and Arrians professe in great freedome for that the Prince at his Inauguration is alwayes sworne to defend them As members politike of the Kingdome The Saxons use their own mother tongue the rest speak the Hungarian The number of Seven is much observed in Transilvania for by this number is the whole Countrey variously divided For first both the Siculi and Saxons and each severally have divided their portions into seven Countries or Seats the Shire-towne as it were being head of the Villages about it to which Townes those of that division repaire for matter of Justice Secondly there bee seven capitall Townes unto which the Villagers round about are to bring their Taxes and Tributes where being received by Auditors and under-Treasurers it is afterward returned into the grand Exchequer Thirdly over and above all these is the whole land of Transilvania divided into seven larger Counties First Coloszien whose Metropolis or chiefe City is Clausenburg Secondly Szolnok whose chiefe Towne is Dees Thirdly Dobocen-Landt The fourth Countie hath Alba Iulia or Weisenburg for its chiefe and that famous for the Residence and Palace of the Prince The fifth is named Thorden from Thorda its Metropolis The sixth is Keokeollea which takes name from the River Keokeolleo and gives name to its chiefe Towne Keokeolleovar The seventh and last Towne and County is Hungad which gave birth and name to the famous Family of Hungades Seven principall Cities it also hath First Hermanstadt the ancient Metropolis of Transylvania Secondly Cronstat Thirdly Szas Fourthly Clausenburg Fifthly Bestereze Sixthly Sespurg And seventhly Medroish in the middle of all the Countrey The whole Countrey is very fruitfull in one commoditie or other Corne Beeves Muttons and Fish Gods plentie all cheape beyond imagination a fat one being not worth above ten or twelve shillings English So much Wine they have in some places that at Vintage time it may be bought for an English farthing or halfe-peny a pinte Very rich it is also underground as in Salt-pits Stone-quarries whereof some be pretious and mines both of Gold and Silver Iron Quick-silver and other metals So that nothing is wanting for the life of man either for nutriment or ornament and that which is part of a wonder also though there be no where more store of money yet be there no where meaner prizes for their commodities For proofe of this at the election of Bethlen Gabor there were an hundred measures of Wheat sold in Clausenburg Market for one Rix Dollar and few Gentlemen there be who yearely reape not ten twenty or thirty stacks of Wheat as big as houses saith mine Author Their droves and flocks be answerable
and standing in manner of Lakes as the Lakes of Gir and Ighidâ—â—ikengan to the great comfort of Travellers and preservation of the Inhabitants They live without any forme of Law in manner of bruâ—e beasts leading a miserable life What learning meaneth they know not and vertue they absolutely defie They are altogether addicted to hunting notorious theeves and most dangerous to Merchants Yet there live amongst them many Africans and Arabians civill and courteous entertainers of strangers and true of their words In comparison of the other Africans they live but a short time the strongest bodies not exceeding the yeares of sixtie Yet for the time they are very healthfull slender and leane of bodie riding upon Camels and feed very sparingly as also very patient of thirst and hunger Bread they know not but live upon Milke Camels flesh and butter Their clothing is a short rayment and rude scarce covering their middle Some of them cover their heads with blacke cloth in fashion of a Turbant Their Nobilitie goeth attired in a kinde of long garment like a shirt made of blew Cotton-wooll with large sleeves In stead of beds they use the greene bankes or Mats wrought of Bulrushes Their Tents are either wrought of Chamblet or of a course kinde of Wooll which they finde amongst the Date-trees The Land of Negroes or Aethiopia THis Region taketh his name either from the colour of the Inhabitants or from the River Niger Some Writers affirme that excepting Aegypt this Country was first inhabited and yet at this day is scarcely knowne although in latitude it containeth very neere foure hundred miles By reason of its situation neere the Torrid Zone it is extreme hot yet not altogether uninhabited Yea it is most full of Inhabitants and in some places alwayes Spring-time On this side the Riuer Cananga which is â—he bounder of thâ—se blacke people the Countrey is most drie sâ—ndie and desart but beyond for the most part fruitful by reason of their continuall letting of water from the River Niger running thorow the middest of the Countrey Whereby all the grounds which lye neere thereunto or such as participate of this water are exceeding fruitfull both in Graine Cattell Scarlet-die Cucumbers Onions and such like sawces But they have no trees save one which bringeth forth fruit not much unlike a Chest-nut but somewhat bitterer About the banks of Niger there are no Mountaines nor Valleyes but many Woods stored with Elephants and other strange creatures watered with many Lakes and Mists compacted with the over-flowings of Niger Here raine neither profiteth nor damnifieth but in the over-flowing of Niger consisteth welfare even as it doth in Aegypt by the mundation of Nilus For even as Nilus so this forty dayes from the five and twentieth of Iune increaseth and in so many againe falleth so that during those fourescore dayes they faile over the whole Land in Boats and Barges The Inhabitants derived their originall from Chuâ— the son of Cham the son of Noe whom at the first they worshipped as Lord of Heaven Afterward they received the Jewish Lawes and persevered thereiâ— many yeares untill they received the Christian faith But sithence the Alâ—â—mâ—â—an inperst it on impoisoned the whole confines of Lybia they likewise turned excepting some few Provinces which to this day observe the Christian Rites Towards the Ocean Sea they are all Idolaters and Gentiles Generally they all lead a brutish life farre different from the instinct of reason from imployment of wit and manuary Sciences They are exceeding luxurious by reason whereof the Countrey swarmeth with Whores But they that inhabit the good Townes are a great deale more neat and civill than these other Africans They live not long yet retaine they their wonted vigour and the soundnesse of their teeth to their last gaspe The Countrey was once divided into five and twentie Kingdomes now reduced to three that is to say the Kingdome of Tombut the Kingdome of Borneo and the Kingdome of Gâ—oga Besides Gualata hath its proper King Gualata is distant from the Ocean an hundred miles it is very small and containeth but three Boroughs with some Territory of ground Hamlets and Date-bearing fields thereunto adjacent The Inhabitants are most blacke lovers of Strangers exceeding poore without any government Gentrie or Judges Tombut taketh his name of a Citie so called and lyeth beyond the River Canaga It is exceeding plentifull of Corne Cattell Milke and Butter Salt they have none but buy it at a deare rate at the hands of Merchants Of Horse they have infinite store The King thereof is very rich as a Prince raigning over many other kingdomes and is Lord of some Ingots which weigh thirteene hundred pound weight He keepeth a royall Court guarded with three thousand Horse-men and many more foot armed with Bowes and impoysoned Arrowes Hee is an utter enemie to the Jewes and doth not only forbid them his Kingdome but likewise confiscateth those his subjects goods of whom he understandeth that they use any Trafficke with any of that Nation He maintaineth a great number of learned men The buildings of his imperiall Citie are built of mud and thatch except one faire Temple and the Kings Palace which are wrought of stone and Lime Sweet Springs are every where to be found in this Countrey and the people are courteous and merry spending the third part of their time in songs and dancing They are very rich and especially the Stranger Infinite sorts of Manuscripts are brought hither from Barbarie which are here sold at very high rates Gago is the name of the chiefe City where the King resideth It is very large without Wals and distant foure hundred miles from Tombut The buildings are very base except those which pertaine to the King and the Nobility Fresh water is here very frequent with plenty of Corne Rice and Flesh but of fruits except the Melon the Citron great scarcity The Merchants are very rich and their wares sumptuous and precious but excessive deare Borneo is a large Countrey hath upon the West Guangara and towards the East it reacheth almost five hundred miles In some places it is plaine in some mountainous The plaine Countrey is replenished with many Market Townes from whence commeth great store of Corne. The Mountaines are inhabited with Neat-herds and Sheep-herds and bring forth Mill and other fruits to us unknowne The Inhabitants are Infidels living like beasts neither knowing their proper wives nor their owne Children They have no names at all but are distinguished by bodily accidents The King is a mighty Prince as maintaining three thousand Horse and infinite troops of foot but hath no other Revenue than what he taketh by force from his Enemies Gaoga lieth betweene the Kingdome of Borneo and the desarts of Nubia stretched out five hundred miles in length and breadth The Inhabitants are uncivill ignorant and most rude especially the Mountainers They goe naked all save their privities Their houses are built of
effect he first sent his three sonnes Abdel Abnet and Mahumet on pilgrimage to Meca and Medina to visit and worship the Sepulcher of their great Prophet Mahumet The young men returned from their pilgrimage with such opinion and estimation of holinesse and Religion if it bee lawfull to use these termes to so great impiety and fopperie that the Inhabitants as they travelled could hardly be kept from kissing their garments and adoring them as Saints They againe as men wrapt in deepe contemplation journied through the Provinces sighing and sobbing and crying with a high voice Ala Ala. They had no other sustenance but the almes of the people Their father received them with great joy and contentment and perceiving the favour and opinion of the people not to bee like a nine dayes wonder but to continue fresh and the same as at the first resolved to make use thereof and thereupon sent two of them Abnet and Mahumet to the Court at Fez. The King received them kindly and made one of them President of the famous College of Amadorac and the younger Tutor of his Children In processe of time when they perceived the King to grace them and the people to favour them by the Counsell of their father taking occasion of the grievances which the Arabians and Moores serving under the Portugall Ensignes had done to the professors of their superstition they desired leave of the King to display a Banner against the Christians making him beleeve that they would easily draw the Portugal Moores to their partie and so secure the Provinces of Sus Hea Deucala and Maroch Muly mazer the Kings brother resisted this petition alleaging that if once under the shew of holinesse they grew to head it would not afterwards lie in his power to suppresse them under his obedience For warre makes men awlesse victories insolent popularity ambitious and studious of innovation But the King in whose heart their hypocriticall sanctimony had taken a deepe impression little regarding his brothers counsell gaue them a Banner a Drumme and twenty horsemen to accompanie them with Letters of credence to the Princes of Arabie and Cities of Barbarie In these beginnings many things falling out to their honour and good liking they beganne to make incursions into Deucala and the Countrey of Safi ranging as farre as the promontory Aguer then under the government of the Portugals and perceiving themselves to be favoured strong and well followed urged the people who for the most part in those dayes lived in liberty to aid those which fought for their Law and Religion against the Christians as likewise with willing mindes to give God his tithes which they obtained of the people of Dara Then by little and little they incroached upon the territory of Taradant of which they made their Father Governour and invaded Sus Hia Deucala and the neighbouring places They first seated themselves in Tedâ—â—st and after in Tesarot In their next journey but with the losse of their Brother they defeated Lopes Barriga a great Warriour and Captaine generall of the Portugall Armie By flattering speeches they entred Marocho poisoned the King and proclaimed Amet-Xeriffe King of the Country After this hapned the warre of the Arabians of Deucala and Xarquia with the Arabians of Garbi where while each party weakned other and either promised to himselfe the favour and assistance of the Xeriffes they turned their armes upon both factions and carried rich preyes from both Nations Before this warre they sent unto the King the fifth part of all their spoiles but after this victory little regarding their Soveraigne they sent him onely six Horses and six Camels and those very leane and ill shapen Which the King disdaining sent to demand his fifths and also the Tribute which the Kings of Marocho were accustomed to pay to him which if they denied hee vowed revenge with fire and sword In the meane time the King died and Amet his Sonne once the pupill of the younger Xeriffe not onely allowed but also confirmed Amet in the Kingdome of Marocho upon condition that in some things he should acknowledge the King of Fez to be his Lord paramount To this the Xeriffes whose power and estimation daily increased when the day of paiment of the tribute came willed the messenger to say unto his Master that they were the lawfull successors of Mahumet and therefore that they were bound to pay tribute to no Man yea that they had more right to Africke than he had but if he would reckon them in the number of his friends no doubt but it would turne to his good and honour for if hee diverted them from the warre of the Christians they would not leave him so much as a heart to defend himselfe The King taking this in ill part proclaimed warre against them and besieged Marocho but for that time was constrained to dislodge Afterward returning with eighteene thousand Horse-men and two thousand Harquebusiers to renew the siege as soone as he had past the River hee was overcome of the Xeriffs who led an Armie of seven thousand Horse and one thousand two hundred shot In the pride of this victory they exacted Tribute of this Province and passing Atlas they tooke the famous City Tafilet and partly by love and partly by force compelled divers people of Numidia and the Mountaines to beare the yoke of their subjection In the yeare 1536. the younger Xeriffe which called himselfe King of Sus gathering together a mighty Armie with great store of Artillery part whereof hee tooke from the King of Fez and part whereof were cast by certaine Renegada Frenchmen made a journey to Cape Aguer This place is of great consequence and possessed by the Portugals who built it and fortified it first at the expences of Lopes Sequiera and then at the charges of King Emanuel after he understood of the commodious situation thereof It was fiercely assaulted and as valiantly defended untill the fire beganne to take hold upon the Bulwarke where their Gun-powder was stowed with which misfortune the companies appointed for the defence of that quarter growing fearefull and faint-hearted gave way for the Xeriffe to enter who made slaves of the greatest part of the defendants After which victory they subdued almost all Atlas the Kingdome of Marocho and the Arabians which were vassals to the Crowne of Portugal the residue as Safi Azamon Arzil and Aleazar places situated upon the Sea-coast of Mauritania King Iohn the third perceiving the prose not to equalize the charge voluntarily resigned These prosperous beginnings brought forth sowre ends for the Brethren falling at discord twice put their fortunes upon the hazard of a battell twice the yonger overcame the elder tooke him and cast him into prison in the City Tafilet Then turned he his Arms against the King of Fez tooke him prisoner and restored him to his liberty but taking him againe for breach of Covenants deprived him and his Son of life and Kingdome By the valour of his
it is well knowne but at this day it is Turkish and without any famous Cities save in a peece of Albania In it is nothing memorable but the Mount Athos or the holy Mount It is 75. miles in compasse three dayes journey long and halfe a dayes journey broad resembling the shape of a man lying with his face upward whose highest Cone alwayes covered with snow is seene thirtie miles off at Sea It is exceeding fertile in Grasse Fruit Oyle and Wine Long agoe it was dedicated in honour of Saint Basile to the Greeke Caloieri and endowed with privileges which at this day it enjoyeth by the Turkes good favour that is to say that no man neither Grecian nor Turke may inhabit in this place except he be a Priest So that their number in these dayes are about six thousand dispersed into twentie and foure Monasteries ancient and warlike so built for feare of theeves and pyrats although there be no such great cause In these Monasteries are many relickes which cause great concourse of people and they are stately built and richly adorned This hill is in as great request with the Grecians for their sanctimonious strictnesse of life as is Rome with the Latines yea the Turks themselves doe send hither many bountifull almes None of them live idly but must doe somewhat and so doe daily for the oeconomike of the house as to dresse Vines fell Timber yea to build ships and such like mechanicall labours They are poorely clad like Hermits neither weare they shirts of Linnen but Woollen and them they spin and sow themselves never giving themselves to studie and that more is many of them can neither write nor read And yet notwithstanding if any man have occasion to journey by their houses he shall if he please finde viands scot-free according to his calling Epyre now Albania was once a very famous Province as witnesseth P. Aemilius It had in it seventie Cities now destroyed and turned into ruines or Villages meanly inhabited For the most part it is woodie and barren but neere the sea fertile and adorned with very beautifull havens Achaia is a very goodly Region as may be gathered by the goodly Cities which therein once flourished viz. Delphos Thebes Athens Megara many moe now destroyed So is Peloponnesus termed by Plinie the bulwarke of Greece It yeeldeth all things that man can desire either for life or pleasure And although the ancient Cities be now defaced yet is it for quantitie the best peopled part of Greece It is now under the Turke and counted the best Sangiak-ship in Turkie as bound to bring at the commandment of the Beglerbeg of Greece one thousand horsemen under his owne pay It is worth yearely fourteene Ducats The Ilands adjoyning unto these large continents I will not discourse of for as they are diverse in worth and estimation so are they many in number and for the most part not worthy relation Dalmatia is at this day divided into Sclavonia Dalmatia and Albania Sclavonia lieth upon the West Albania upon the East and in the middle Dalmatia In all fertilitie it is as good as Italy Of a Countrie first wasted by Caesar Augustus secondly by the Gothes thirdly by the Turkes and at this day shared amongst three such Lords as are the Venetians the Turke and the Emperour it may be said to be reasonable well inhabited And so it is having many fine Cities in it as Iadera Ragusa c. Howbeit that part which is subject to the Turke lieth almost desart by reason of their continuall inrodes Bossina or Maesia superior is also a parcell of Illyria and erected into a Turkish Beglerbeg-ship having under it nine Sangiaks Servia now Rascia lieth between Bosnia and Bulgaria it was taken by the Turke 1438. and reduced into a Sangiak-ship under the Beglerbeg of Buda Bulgaria which some take for the lower Maesia is so famous a Province that the Turkish Emperour hath erected it for the cheife Seat of the Beglerbeg of Europe under whose command are twentie and one Sangiaks Valachia containeth the two Provinces of Moldavia and Transalpina Valachia is a plaine and fertile Countrey smally inhabited and destitute of fire-wood but stored with excellent Horse Cattell and Mines of Gold and Silver if the people durst dig them for feare of the Turkes It is 500. miles long and 120. broad It hath one Archbishop and two Bishops and is more populous than Moldavia They speake both one language being almost halfe Italian This Countrey and Moldavia are plagued with three bad neighbours viz. the Turkes the Tartars and the Cassoks They follow the Greeke Church and in matters of Religion obey the Patriarch of Constantinople They are the same which in ancient times were called Daci The Turks have often attempted with their mightiest powers to have made a small conquest of these Provinces but they have hitherto bin valiantly resisted and repulsed partly by the Natives and partly by the Polonians Transylvanians and the Cassoks in dislike of each others bad neighbourhood Yet is it tributarie to the Grand Seignior and payeth him yearely twentie foure thousand Chechini Moldavia being in a manner round is almost 300. English miles over every way It hath two Archbishopricks and two Bishopricks and is exceeding fertile in Corne Wine Grasse and Wood. It affordeth great plentie of Beefe and Mutton and therwith feedeth Polonia a great part of Germanie the populous citie of Constantinople A great fat Oxe in this Country is valued but at thirtie shillings a Sheepe at three shillings The tenth whereof which of duty is yearely payed to the Prince amounteth to 150000. The Clergie and Gentrie for they alwayes can make best shift for themselves contribute no parcell hereof It hath a small River passing thorow the Country and falleth into Danubius neere unto Gallatz called Pruta the water whereof as also of Danubius is unwholsome to drinke for it causeth the body to swell In 1609. certaine English Gentlemen travelling 240. miles in this Country could meet but with nine Towns and Villages in all the way and yet for above a hundred miles space together the Grasse groweth at least one yard high and rotteth every yeare upon the ground for want of Cattell and manurance On the East it hath the black Sea on the West Podalia on the North the Tartars and on the South the Danubie and the Country of Bulgaria It payeth yearely unto the Great Turke by way of Tribute 3200. Chechini besides one thousand horses sent yearely unto Constantinople for a present from both these Princes of Moldavia and Valachia It also payeth tribute to the Polander but how much I cannot shew you Therin dwell many Armenians Iewes Hungarians Saxons and Ragusians who forestall the whole traffick in those parts bartering their Corne and Wine into Russia and Polonia and their Skins Wax Hony powdered Beefe Butter and Pulse into Constantinople The Malmesey likewise which is
transported out of Creet into Poland and Germany is carried thorow this Country whereof the Vaivod receiveth a massie impost Of those Countries which at this day the Turks terme Natolia THat which the Turkes at this day terme Natolia or Turcia major once Asia minor comprehendeth the Provinces of Pontus Bithynia Asia it selfe Lycia Galacia Pamphylia Cappadocia Cilicia and Armenia the lesse and in these Provinces of ancient times flourished the States and Kingdomes of the Trojans of Mithridates of Craesus of Antigonus of the Paphlagonians of the Galathians of the Cappadocians and Phrygians All which at this day are not sufficient to satisfie the onely ambition of the Turkish tyranny The Inhabitants for the most part are Mahumetans and naturall Turkes of simpler natures than the Turkes of Europe and nothing so cruell as the Renegado Christians Yet are there many Christians among them in many of these Regions following the Rites of the Greeke Church Among these Turkes there is no acknowledgement of Superioritie Bloud or Nobility but all are equall slaves to the Grand Seignior over whom he appointeth Beglerbegs and Sanziaks They are either a kinde of idle or lofty people for they are smally industrious and were it not for their slaves their grounds would generally lie unmanured Pontus and Bithynia are now united under one name and called Bursia Here once reigned the great King Mithridates and here stood the famous Cities of Chalcedon Nicomedia Apamaea Prusia Nice and Heraclea Ponti Asia propria now Sabrun is the peculiar Province of Asia minor containeth in it many famous Provinces as Phrygia major minor Caria Mysia c. In Phrygia minor stood that Noble citie of Troie famous at this day saith Bellonius an eie-witnesse for its very ruines of wals gates circuit and marble sepulchers found upon the wayes without the wals Pamphilia now Caramania is one of the old seven Sangiakships of Turkie and yeeldeth 8000. ducats of yearly revenue In this Country as also in Cilicia are woven those fine cloths which we call Chamblets watered and unwatered they are made of the haire of Goats so fine and white as no Silke can surpasse them in those two properties Cappadocia now Amasia is a goodly Country and the seat of the Turks eldest Son In it are many goodly cities as Trapezond once the seat of the Comneni Emperors of Trapezond whose Name and Progenie ahumet the second utterly extinguished Cilicta now part of Caramania is a good Country the Inhabitants are given to pasturing of Goates for lucre of their fleeces of which they make their Chamblets but otherwise neither given to Fishing Navigation nor Husbandrie At the foot of Mount Taurus saith Bellonius are divers small Villages and excellent pastures about them which for the fertilitie thereof should seeme to be one of the Turkish Races from thence he culleth out every yeare six hundred horse of service which they highly esteeme and name Caramanni Armenia minor is a better soile and more populous than Cappadocia and round about incircled with tall huge broken and wooddie mountaines Arabia triplex THe three Arabiaes are likewise a parcell of the Empire which is a marvellous great Country included between two huge bosomes of the sea in manner of a Peninsula viz upon the West and East with the Arabian and Persian gulfes upon the South with the Ocean and upon the North with Syria and Euphrates The Inhabitants are indifferently called Arabians Saracens or Moores Those are the true Arabians which live out of Cities in Tents dispersed over Syria Aegypt and Africke these give themselves to feed cattell and droves of Camels Those which inhabit Cities are called Moores and were once of such puissance that they not onely subdued Syria Persia and Troglodytica but likewise Aegypt a great part of Africke and almost all Spaine with the Iland of Sicilie and the Kingdome of Naples Two hundred yeares they kept possession of these peeces but of some part of Spaine 700 even untill the dayes of our fathers And further this accursed generation at this day is not onely spread over all the Southerne coast of Asia viz Persia East India and the Islands of the Indian Sea but are likewise advanced with great prosperitie unto divers wealthy Kingdomes famous Cities worthy Mart-townes yea overall the South-coast of Africke Under this people the Turkes were first called into Asia to beare armes Of their manners we have spoken elsewhere In their Religion they are Mahumetans for in this Countrie that false Prophet first opened his superstitious Wardrobe This is a vast Countrie full of Desarts yet well inhabited with populous warlike multitudes especially toward Euphrates and the Mountaines of Arabia felix whither Merchants resort The residue towards the West is sandy by which if a man be to travell he must have the Starres to his guide company for his safeguard and provision for his diet Otherwise he shall surely lose his way surrender his goods to the theevish Arabes or starve in the Desart for want of food To secure the which passages as well against those who live on the side of Euphrates towards Aegypt as through all Arabia Petrea and Deserta the Grand Seignior entertaineth the king of those Arabians which inhabit Mesopotamia And for this his service as a Turkish Sanziak hee holdeth Ana and Dir two townes situated upon the said river He is a poore King but accompanied with 10. or 12. thousand beggerly subjects living and lying intents of course blacke Hair-cloth which forces notwithstanding these wilder ones are so infinite in multitudes and so unpossible to be brought unto a more civill manner of living that for their danger toward strangers and the continuall spoiles which they commit upon those parts of the Turkes Dominions which every way border upon them necessitie inforceth him also to maintaine two other garrisons the first of twelve thousand in Cairo the other of one thousand five hundred in Damasco Wherein it is to be noted That sithence those of Damasco doe not only defend that peece but are also distributed thorow other cities of Soria as Aleppo Antiochia and Ierusalem one thousand five hundred men were not able to sustain and answer to such a charge unlesse by being both Ianizars and Timariots also they have many followers and attendants Who as else where I have shewed you are not onely mightie in reputation and powerfull in number but also every yeare accustomed to spare and cull out strong troops warlikely and pompously provided to send into Hungarie For surely without this order all the passages of the Caravans which yearely come from Balsara and the Red-sea would become so infectious that neither Bagdet nor Damasco could receive the commodities of those parts to the annuall losse of two millions of Entrado to the grand Seignior Amongst these it was that Sir Anthony Sherly travelled and found them so well governed that without any wrong offered he passed thorow them all
their libertie of Trafficke carrying so heavie a hand toward them that they would faine give them occasion to leave Macao of their owne wâ—ls and retire backe into India from whence they came The Kingdome of Siam VPon the borders of China to speake nothing of Cauchinchina because wee know nothing worth relation of that Territory joyneth the Countrey of Siam accounted one of the greatest amongst these great Kingdomes of Asia It tooke its name of the Citie Siam situated upon the entrance of the River Menon it is also called Gorneo It reacheth by Fast and West from the Citie Campaa to the Citie of Tavaâ— in which tract by the Sea-coast are contained five hundred leagues whereof the Arabians once usurped two hundred with the Cities of Patan Paam Ior Perca and Malaco now in the possession of the Portugals From the South toward the North it reacheth from Sincapura situate in degrees to the people called Guconi in nine and twentie degrees The Lake Chimai is distant from the Sea six hundred miles the upland circuit stretcheth from the borders of Cauchinchina beyond the River Avan where lieth the Kingdome of Chencra Besides the Lake of Chimai the Rivers Menon Menam Caipumo and Ana which cause greater fertilitie of Graine thorow the whole Region than a man would beleeve are all his The better part of his Kingdome is environed with the Mountaines Ana Brema and Iangoma the residue is plaine like Aegypt abounding with Elephants Horse Pepper Gold and Tinne In the West part are huge Woods and therein are many Tygers Lions Ounces and Serpents It containeth these Provinces Cambaia Siam Muantai Bremo Caipumo and Chencra The Inhabitants of Lai which border upon the North of the Provinces of Muantai and Caipumo and are divided into three Principalities are under his obeysance The first is that of Iangoma The second of Currai The third Lanea neere Cauchinchina They inhabit a plaine and wealthie Countrey into which the Gueoni Marke Paul calleth their Countrey Gangigu descending from the Mountains to hunt for men make oftentimes cruell butcheries amongst them The people of Lai for feare of those Anthropophagi acknowledge the soveraigntie of Siam but they often rebell and obey as they list The wealth of the Countrey may be conjectured by the fertilitie for being situated in a Plaine and watered with most famous Rivers like another Aegypt it cannot but abound with plentie of all good things It bringeth forth Rice graine of all sorts Horses Elephants infinite store of Cattell Gold and Tinne Silver is brought thither by the people of Lai By reason of this plentie the people are drowned in pleasure and wantonnesse They follow husbandrie but take no great delight in manuall occupations which causeth the Kingdome to be poore in merchandize Amongst many other Cities three are famous Cambaia seated upon the River Menon which rising in Chinae is so hugely augmented by the falling in of many Rivers that his owne Channell not sufficing for receit thereof it rendeth the earth to disgorge it selfe into a thousand Islands making a second Meoâ—is more than threescore miles long Meican signifieth the Captaine Menon the mother of waters The second is the Citie of Siam whose statelinesse giveth the name to the whole Countrey It is a most goodly Citie and of admirable Trafficke which may the better bee imagined by the writing of a certaine Jesuite who reporteth that besides the naturall Inhabitants there are more than thirtie thousand Arabian housholds The third Citie is called Vdia greater than Siam consisting of foure hundred thousand families It is said that two hundred thousand Boats belong to this Citie and the River Caipumo whereon it is seated This King to shew his majestie and magnificence keepeth a Guard of six thousand Souldiers and two hundred Elephants of these beasts he hath thirtie thousand whereof hee traineth three thousand for the Warre This is a very great matter if you weigh their worth and their charges in keeping His Government is rather tyrannicall than King-like for he is absolute Lord over all the demeanes of the Kingdome and either setteth them out to husbandmen or giveth them to his Nobles for maintenance during life and pleasure but never passeth the right of inheritance Hee bestoweth on them likewise Townes and Villages with their Territories but on condition to maintaine a certaine number of horsemen footmen and Elephants By this policie without any peny pay or burthen to the Countrey he is able to levie twentie thousand horsemen and two hundred and fiftie thousand footmen Upon occasion he can wage a greater number by reason of the largenesse of his Kingdomes and the populousnesse of his Townes For Vdia only the chiefe seat of his Kingdome mustered fiftie thousand men And although he be Lord of nine Kingdomes yet useth he no other Nation in the Warre but the Siamits and the Inhabitants of the two Kingdomes of Vdia and Muantai All honours and preferments are bestowed upon men of service in this Kingdome In times of peace they have their warlike exercises and in certaine pastimes which the King once a yeare exhibiteth at Vdia are shewed all military feats of armes upon the River Menon where more than three thousand vessels which they terme Paraos divided into two squadrons skirmish one against another Upon the land run the Horses and Elephants and the footmen trie it out at sword and buckler with point and edge rebated the remainder of their dayes they spend in not and wantonnesse Their borders toward the East reach to Cauchinchina betweene whom are such huge Woods Lions Tygers Leopards Serpents and Elephants that they cannot infest one another by armes Toward the Lake China they border upon the Chinois Toward the Sea they affront the Arabians and Portugals The one tooke from them Paiam Paam Ior and Peam the other Malaca and the Territory adjoyning so betweene them they bereaved him of two hundred miles of land and contenting themselves with the command of the Sea-coasts and with the customes arising upon the carrying out and bringing in of merchandize they abstaine from further invasion of the Inland Provinces and hold it good policie to keepe firme peace with this King and his Countries Towards the West lieth the Kingdome of Pegu like a halfe Moone betweene the Mountaines of Brama and Iangoma Towards the North lie the Gudoni inhabiting the barren and sharpe Mountaines betweene whom and Siam dwell the people of Lay. This people is subject to the crowne of Siam for feare of these Canibals of whom if it had not beene for his protection they had long agoe beene utterly devoured Not forty yeares since the King made a journey against them with twenty thousand horse their horse are small but excellent good in travell five and twentie thousand footmen and ten thousand Elephants part imployed for service and part for carriage No kingdome hath greater store of these beasts or doth more use them An innumerable number of Oxen Buffals
frequent in the rough mountaines of Campa Cambaia and Macin That which is brought to us is in no esteeme with them the right is found say they in Congo and Angola and the bordering Countrey and used by them in all their grievous and dangerous maladies which if it be true I marvell that the Portugals will let slip so precious a commoditie Narsinga IN the row of these potent Princes inhabiting betweene Indus and Ganges dwelleth the King of Narsinga Whatsoever lieth betweene the mountaine Guate and the gulfe of Bengala betweene the promontories Guadaverne and Comorin by the space of two hundred leagues abounding as prodigally as any other province in the Indies with all good things is under his dominion The waters sometime falling from the mountaines sometime from the rivers and received into trenches meeres and lakes doe wonderfully coole moisten and enrich this land causing the Graine and Cattell to prosper above imagination It is no lesse plentifull of birds beasts wilde and tame Buffals Elephants and Mines of precious stones and metals It breedeth no races of horse for the warre but they buy them of the Arabian and Persian Merchants in great numbers the like doe all the Princes of Decan Within the bounds of Narsinga dwell five Nations different in language he hath many strong places on the Indian Ocean Canera is at his command wherein are the haven Townes of Mangolar Melinâ— Berticala and Onor but the Portugals receive the custome of Berticala and also in times past of Onor In Narsinga are two imperiall Cities Narsinga and Bisnagar by reason whereof he is termed sometime King of Narsinga sometime King of Bisnagar It is undoubtedly beleeved that this King receiveth yearely twelve millions of ducats of which he layeth up but two or three the residue he expendeth upon the troopes of his souldiers that is to say forty thousand Nairs and twenty thousand horsemen kept in continuall pay Upon necessitie he is able to levie a farre greater number for besides these allowances he setteth out certaine lands to two hundred Captaines on condition to keepe in readinesse a proportion of Horsemen Footmen and Elephants The wages of these Captaines to some of whom he giveth a million of ducats yearely may be an argument of his great revenues for to these projects this Prince and all the Potentates of the Fast keepe in their possession all the profits of the lands woods mines yea and the waters of pooles and rivers thorow their whole Dominions No man may wash himselfe in Ganges which runneth by Bengala nor in Ganga which watereth the Land of Orissa before he hath paid toll to the King The King himselfe is now inforced to buy this water causing it to be brought unto him by long journies upon a superstitious custome either to bathe or to purge himselfe therein He is absolute Lord of the bodies and goods of his subjects which he shareth to himselfe and his Captaines leaving the people nothing but their hands and labour of lands the King hath three parts and his Captaines the residue Whereupon sithence all these barbarous Princes maintaine not peace and justice as arches whereupon to lay the ground-worke of their Estates but armes conquest and the Nurserie of a continuall Souldierie it must needs follow that they are able to levie greatertroopes of horse and foot than otherwise wee were bound to beleeve But to induce some measure of credit let us compare the abilities of some Christian Princes with theirs If the King of France were absolute Lord of all the lands and domaines of his whole dominion as these men are it is thought that his yearely revenues would amount to fifteene millions and yet therein are neither mines of gold nor silver The Clergie receiveth six millions the Kings demesnes amount to one and an halfe the residue is theirs who have the inheritance and yet here the peasants live well in comparison of the Villagoâ— of India Polonia and Lituania Besides this the King hath eight millions of ordinary revenue arising of customes and escheats How mighty a Prince would he be if hee were Landlord of the demesnes and rents of the whole Kingdome and should imploy them upon the maintenance of Souldiers as doth the King of Narsinga Surely whereas now the Kings revenues doe hardly suffice for the maintenance of foure thousand men at armes and six thousand Crosse-bowes if this allowance were added to the former he might as easily maintaine an hundred and fifty thousand To returne to Narsinga The King to see that his Captains performe their duties once a yeare proclaimeth a muster whereat they dare not but be present At the muster day those who have presented their companies defective either in number or furniture are sure to be cashiered but those who bring their companies compleat and well armed hee honoureth and advanceth What forces may be gathered out of so ample a dominion armed after their manner as aforesaid you shall gather by that which Iohn Barros writeth of the Armie which King Chrismarao lead against Idalcan in the journey of Raciel These are his words verbatim Under sundry Captaines the Armie was divided into many battalions In the Vantguard marched Camraque with one thousand horse seventeene Elephants and thirty thousand footmen Tirabicar with two thousand horse twenty Elephants and fifty thousand footment Timapanique with three thousand horsemen and fifty six thousand footmen After them followed Hadanaique with five thousand horsemen fifty Elephants and one hundred thousand footmen Condomara with six thousand horse sixty Elephants one hundred and twenty thousand footmen Comora with two hundred and fifty horse forty Elephants and fourscore thousand footmen Gendua with a thousand horse ten Elephants and thirty thousand footmen In the rereward were two Eunuchs with one thousand horse fifteene Elephants and forty thousand footmen Betel one of the Kings Pages lead two hundred horse twenty Elephants and eight thousand foot After all these followed the King with his Guard of six thousand horsemen three hundred Elephants and fortie thousand footmen Upon the flankes of this battell went the Governour of the Citie of Bengapor with divers Captaines under whose colours were foure thousand two hundred horse twenty five Elephants and sixty thousand mercenary footmen Upon the head of the battell ranged 200000. horsemen in small troops like our vantâ—urrers in fâ—â—â—h sort and order scowring the Countrey before behinde and on all sides that no novelty could so suddenly happen but notice thereof was given at the Imperiall Tent in a moment Twelve thousand carriers of water and twenty thousand light huswives followed this Armie The number of Lackies Merchants Artificers and Water-bearers Oxâ—n Buffals and carriage-beasts was infinite When the Armie was to passe any River knee-deepe before the foremost were passed there was scant sufficient for the latter whereof to drinke Before this journey the King sacrificed in nine dayes twenty thousand three hundred seventy six head of living creatures as well of birds as beasts the
taketh up all that streight wherewith these two spacious parts of the New world are linked as it were with a defensible chaine It is badly inhabited and lesse manured for the contagiousnesse of the aire and standing waters Yet are there therein two famous Cities Theonima or Nombre de dios situated on the North Sea and Panama on the Peruvian or Pacificke sea And whatsoever Merchandise is brought by the Peruvian Sea towards Spaine is unloden in the City of Panama and thence transported by land to Nombre de dios where it is finally againe shipped for Spaine The like course is observed from Spaine to those places Of their forces little can be spoken by reason of their subjection to the Spaniard and ignorance in matter of armes and policy But as for their private commodities as Gold Silver and Stones who knoweth not but that they are the chiefest trafficke of all these Provinces The name it hath from the abundance of Gold and Silver and is divided into foure Provinces first Castella del Oro it selfe secondly Nova Andaluzia thirdly Nova Granata and fourthly Carthagena taken by Sir Francis Drake and this yeare skated by the Hollander Chile VPon the South of Peru toward the Pacificke Sea lieth Chile whose name hath beene derived some say from incredible cold raging therein Yet feeleth it raine lightnings and the alteration of seasons as we doe in Europe It partly lieth upon the Sea-coast and is partly mountainous but somewhat warme toward the Sea-side It beareth all sorts of fruit brought out of Spaine and transporteth many Cattell and store of Ostriches The Rivers runne their course in the day time but in the night by reason of their congelation if they move it is very slowly and weake The Inhabitants are tall well set and warlike and their armes are the bow and arrow their garments the skins of wilde beasts and Sea-wolves It is divided into two Provinces first Chica and secondly Paragones whose people are eleven foot high Here besides Gold is Hony and Wine good store and other Fruits of Spaine five or six townes of Spaniards it also boasteth of Guiana GViana is situated beyond the Mountaines of Peru and betweene the two mighty Rivers Amazone and Orenoquae directly under the Aequinoctiall The Aire is delicate and the soile fruitfull but by reason of the Raines and Rivers so subject to inundations that the people are â—aine to dwell in Arbors made like Birds-nests in the tops of Trees It is so firmely beleeved to bee rich in gold Mines that not onely Sir Walter Raleigh went thither once or twice but there is a new Colony and plantation of English this last yeare sent to live there at the charges of many wise and valiant Gentlemen of our Nation The Planters sustaine themselves by what God and Nature affords them for their labour upon the place Though Gold be the chiefe of their errand yet they purpose to fortifie and secure the place against the Spaniards before they will discover or open any Mine Our Nation hath hitherto lived quietly and beloved of the Caribes which be the ancient native people the way to winne and keepe in with whom being to make much of their little children This Plantation if it pleases God to prosper we may in time heare more of the commendations of Guiana Brasile BRasile lyeth betweene the two mighty Rivers of Maragnon upon the North and Rio de la plata upon the South It was discovered by Americus Vespuccius in the daies of King Emanuel The Country in a manner is all pleasant faire weathered and exceeding healthfull by reason that the gentle winds from Sea doe cleare and evaporate all the morning dewes and clouds making the aire fresh and cleare It is well watered and divided into Plaines and easie Mountaines fertile alwaies flourishing full of Sugar-canes and all other blessings of Nature For hither the Portugals have brought all sorts of Europe Plants with good successe and have therein erected many Ingenors to try their Sugars Hence comes our Brasile-wood the trees whereof are by the Natives hollowed as they stand to make houses and dwelling places Terra Australis THis Land was lately found out and by our latest Cosmographers for the great and spacious circuit thereof as comprehending many large Regions viz. Psitacorum regio Terra del feu go Beac Lucach and Maletur described for the sixth part of the world But what people inhabit them what fashions they use or what profitable commodity fit for the life of man they afford it hath not yet beene by any man discovered Borealis Orbis pars THis division is situated neere unto the North Pole the least of the residue almost all unknowne consisting of Ilands and those situated about the Pole For Authors affirme that under the very Pole lyeth a blacke and high Rocke and three and thirty leagues in compasse and there these Ilands Among which the Ocean disgorging it selfe by 19. Chanels maketh foure whirle-pooles or currents by which the waters are finally caâ—ried towards the North and there swallowed into the bowels of earth That Euripus or whirl-poole which the Scythicke Ocean maketh hath five inlets and by reason of his streit passage and violent course is never frozen The other Euripus on the backside of Groneland hath three inlets and remaines frozen three moneths yearely its length is thirty seven leagues Betweene these two raging Euripi lyeth an Iland about Lappia and Biarmia the habitation they say of the Pigmies A certaine Scholler of Oxford reporteth that thâ—se foure Euripi are ingulphed with such furious violence into some inward receptacle that no ship is able with never so strong or opposite a gale to stem the current And that at no time there bloweth so much wind as will move a wind-mill This is likewise the report of Giraldus Cambrensis in his marvels of Ireland But Blundevile our Countryman is of a contrary opinion neither beleeving that either Pliny or any other Roman came ever thither to describe this promontory or that the Frier of Oxford without the assistance of some cold Deuill out of the middle region of the Aire could approach so neere as to measure those cold parts with this Astrolabe So that as we said in the beginning this is but a meere folly and a fable which some mens boldnesse made other mens ignorance to beleeve And thus conclude wee our Relations THE TABLE A AeGypt 455 Aethiopia Superior 444 Inferior 460 Africa 422 America 625 Armenia the greater 545 Asia 460 Austria 274 B BArbarie 427 Bavaria 301 Bethlen Gabor his Estate in Transylvania 394. in Hungaria 399. a briefe Chronicle of his life and fortunes ibid. Bohemia 277 Borealis orbis pars 643 Boriquen 635 Brandenburg 300 Brasil 642 Brittaine 74 C CAlecute 617 Castella Aurea 640 Cathay 498 Chile 641 China 589 Cuba 633 D DEnmarke 207 Desarts their descriptions and use 45 Dominion the meanes to inlarge it 19 E EVrope 62 F FEz 434 Fonduras 632 France 122 G