shadowed it selfe vnder the wing protection of the said Sigismund In the daies of Henrie of Aniow Iohn prince of Moldauia euen he that with an vndaunted spirit and famous victorie held war against the Turke was shamefully forsaken of them contrary to the couenants of confederacy betweene him and Sigismund Augustus concluded Yet must we needes confesse that such as is the courage valour and reputation of the prince such is the resolution alacritie and forces of the Polands of themselues populous valiant and couragious Stephen Bathor gaue good testimonie heereof in whose time Polonia not onely maintained the honor and glory of a kingdome sufficient to defend it selfe from forraine armes but also to make conquests of great matters from most potent enimies And seeing we haue spoken of celeritie a vertue most necessarie for euerie state it shall not be amisse to speake of the causes of this celeritie which as is aforesaid are two viz. the reputation of the prince which giueth it life and store of coine which preserues it in action for we haue seene in most mightie armies the body by the slownes of the head to haue spent the time most idly and very famous victories for want of money to giue continuall motion to the armie to haue brought forth small or no effects Besides the disposition of the soldier is a great helpe hereunto for no man can truly praise the Germane and Bohemian footemen for celeritie but this commendation without doubt is proper to the Italian Spaniard and Frenchmen not onely for that they are of better constitution of body but for that which in warre is all in all they are better contented to liue with a little though they want coine they are not discouraged neither waxe sicke with fruites if flesh be wanting and happen what may they longer and better can indure hardnes and scarcitie Their riding light armed is of more execution then armed at all peeces and their argoletiers more seruiceable then lanciers for which cause the French also in their late broiles haue giuen ouer their lances wherin of old did consist the glory of their armes and betaken themselues to the pistoll But to what aduantage they haue thus done let another dispute for I say not that a light armed man is absolutely to be preferred before a man at armes in chances of warre but onely affirme that he is more actiue and more readie yea the goodnes of the horse is of great consequence For the Flanders horse farre excelleth the Frieslander and Germane the Hungarie horse the Polonian the Turkie horse the Genet the Barbarie horse is more speedie then any of the rest Betweene both is the courser of Naples who though he be not so swift as the Spanish genet yet he is better able to indure trauell and to beare the waight of armour not becomming ouerâ—low therewith To speake truth experience manifesteth the Germane horse by reason of their slow pace to worke small effect either to pursue the fleeing enimie or swiftly to flie from their executing aduersarie for if the Wallachian Hungarian Polish Turkish Moorish or Barbarie horsemen should breake the Germans they are not able to flie and if it happen the German to ouerthrow them they are as vnable speedily to pursue for they charge slowly retire heauily So in fights at sea ships of burden are of small seruice because if winde want they can neither be mooued nor turned the great Galleons are somwhat better yet performe little more but the best of all is the galley for his swiftnes And for proofe hereof we haue seene the nauy of the Christians consisting of great ships to haue spent the better part of sommer and warlike season in preparations onely and on the contrarie the Turkish fleete soone furnished and speedily put to sea of such aduantage is spare diet and needfull prouision to the Turkish affaires and so discommodious is gluttonie to the proceedings of the Christians for wine and other delicates onely are as troublesome to the Christians as the whole prouision for a campe to the Turkish armie Therefore let no man maruell if they march in all their iorneies excellently well furnished with ordinance shot gunpowder and all necessaries for at land they haue their carriages laden onely with prouision at sea their ships and not with wine pullets and such needlesse vanities At a word they go to the warre to fight and not to fill their bellies The great Duke of Moscouia THE great Duke of Moscouia is Lord of a most large territorie and within the limits of his iurisdiction are contayned many regions Northward his scepter stretcheth to the north Ocean from the Bay of Granico to the riuer of Ob on the south all alongst the riuer Volga to the Caspian sea westward it reacheth to the borders of Liuonia and almost to the riuer Boristhenes and eastward to Volga Some write that it containeth in length three thousand miles in bredth 1500. wherein are contained fifteene Dukedomes sixteene prouinces and two kingdomes They were once subiect to the Tartars whose Prince Roydo in the yeere 1140. conquered all Moscouie but Iohn the first great Duke incouraged by their ciuill dissentions denied them tribute In processe of time when Ammetes the last successor of Roydo who died at Vilua had ouercome the Tartars Precopenses the great Duke adioyned to his Empire Permia Veatia and Iugria prouinces subiect to Ammetes From this time the forces of the great Duke increasing Basilius Casan and Iohn the second conquered the prouinces of Citrahan which are called kingdomes To confesse truth the great Dukes haue mightily enlarged their bounds and haue taken the great Duchies of Seuerin and Smoloncke Bielchese Prescouia Nouogrod Iaroslaue Roscouia some from the Polands some from other prouinces they possessed part of Liuonia and made their armes feareful to their neighbours The chiefe citie of the kingdome is Mosco where the Patriarch resideth Roscouia and Nouogrode are the seats of the Archbishops Cortisa Resania Columna Susdelia Casan Vologda Tueria and Smolonck are Bishopricks Plescouia Porcouia Staritia Sloboda Ieroslaue Volodomer from whence the kings seat was translated to the citie Mosco by Iohn the second Mosayco Saint Nicholas Sugana Vstiud Cargapolia The Emperor abideth in the citie Mosco which taketh his name of the riuer Mosco rising fourescore ten miles higher into the countrey The citie hath beene greater then now it is was nine miles compasse but since that in the yeere 1570. it was sacked and burnt by the Tartars Precopie it contayneth not aboue fiue miles According to Posseâ—inus a writer of good iudgement and industrie there are housed in this citie thirtie thousand people besides oxen and other cattell Nouograde hath the name of Great and yet the same author alloweth it not aboue twentie thousand inhabitants as likewise Smolonck and Plescouia This seemeth most incredible to me if it be true as some write that Plescouia when king Stephen of Poland besieged it had within it
enterprised any iourney of reputation but that against the Theutomarsi vpon whom king Valdemar laid the yoke of subiection but falling againe into rebellion after many chances of warre beginning in the yeere 1500. they were vtterly vanquished by Frederick the second in the yeere of our Lord 1558. Before that time they discomfited Iohn the sonne of king Christian the first What this king of Denmarke is able to performe at sea may be gathered by the names which vpon occasions he hath rigged to sea at the intreatie of Henrie the second king of France Christian the second sent a nauie of 100. ships into Scotland against the English and in them ten thousand land soldiers But for as much as it is apparent that he is lord of so ample a sea coast possesseth so many hauens in Denmarke Scaâ—â—a Norwey and so many Ilands without the Baltike sea it is most likely that he is able to assemble a mightie fleete of ships if money were not wanting which as I take it cannot but often faile him considering that in his whole kingdome there is growing no merchandise of value excepting seafish neither is there any famous Mart towne which is able to draw or long to maintaine traffike with other nations The greatest matter is his customes of the sea townes the profite of certaine mines in Scania the horses cattle of the Danish Chersonesse the timber and fish of Norwey and the Ilands It hath beene obserued that fiftie thousand oxen hath beene driuen out of these prouinces into Germanie for which tole hath beene paid at Gutthorpe He reapeth some profit likewise of Wardhouse whither the English of late yeeres haue sailed betweene Norwey and Groenlant some to Colmogro others to Stockholme not farre from S. Nicholas where they traffike with the Russies for waxe honie and flaxe thither resort likewise Hollanders Scots and Frenchmen Almost in the middle of this baie is an Iland and towne called Wardhuis which Frederick the second caused to be strongly fortified and here the merchants pay their custome Sweueland THE king of Sweueland raigneth in Scandia which is larger then Denmarke for it is accounted a iourney of fiue and fortie daies from the borders of Scandia to Lapland and the coast of the Balticke sea is little lesse then 400. miles long and his tract of land is esteemed larger then France and Italy In Liuonia this king possesseth Riualia the Narue Danouia and other peeces of good esteeme the Iland Vlander Alandes and many other places not woorthy speaking of situated in the Sweuian and Finland sea These regions besides Liuonia are diuided into three kingdomes Gotland Sweueland and Vandalia which againe are subdiuided into eleuen prouinces and twelue Counties among the which the Lappians are not accounted because this people though inhabiting a larger countrey then Sweueland cannot be termed to liue vnder any certaine dominion because of their miserie pouertie and wandring from place to place through woods and mountaines but they who haue anie manner of certaine abode or setled habitation are vnder the Sweuish dominion and pay rich skins for their tribute Of the three kingdomes whereof we spake Gotland bordereth vpon Scandia and is diuided into east and west both bounded with the lake Weret in the midst whereof the king delighting in the pleasantnes of the place keepeth his court Twenty fower riuers do run into this lake yet it emptieth it selfe but by one mouth The inhabitaÌ„ts for the excessiue noise of the waters call it in their toong the Diuels Head The word Gothia signifieth a heauenly countrie which doth wel agree thereto for the abundance of sustenance no region being comparable vnto it in fertilitie of flesh fish and corne Next followeth Sweueland larger then Norwey and Gotland both togither In Sweueland is Vpsalia their chiefe city and Stockholme the kings seate Stringa Enuecopia Orogundia Arboia Arosia Then comes Finland situate betweene the Balticke and Finland bay where stand Abo the chiefe citie Raugina and Augo both famous mart townes Vames Viburge and Castlehome in the Alandian Ilands The husbandmen inhabite without the townes and by reason of the plentie of timber the woods vallies and other places defended from the furie of the northren winde they liue here in verie good sort keepe in their houses flockes of cattell and instruments to digge to build or to make any thing necessarie for the life of man and this is the reason that townes here are neither so faire nor so frequent as in Germanie or England Ouer and aboue cities and villages there are accounted 1433. parishes in some of which a thousand people or as they terme it a thousand housholds or fires doe inhabite but there are few of these parishes in which at the least there are not an hundred families By this a man may iudge the number of this people especially if he consider the fruitfulnes of their generation for the women of Finland by a secret operation of their beere as some thinke become exceeding fruitfull The men liue here verie long chiefly in the most northerly parts neither is it miraculous amongst them to see a man liue aboue an hundred and thirtie or fortie yeeres This long liuing is the true cause of their propagation for where men liue shortest liues there the vertue of generation must needs soonest decay and therefore our Lord God in the beginning of the world did permit mankinde to liue seuen hundred yeeres and more that the world might the sooner be peopled and the act of generation which now for the shortnes of our liues is determined within fortie yeeres was then more vigorous at one hundred and vpward then in this our age at ten The riches of this kingdome consisteth in the plentie of victuals which this word Gothia signifying an heauenly region as we said before and Finland signifying a good countrey do well witnes Their prouision is flesh fresh fish salt fish fish dried in the smoke and sunne corne and beere whereof there is so great abundance that it is a hard thing to see a begger amongst them and trauellers are there freely entertained It is so rich in mines of lead copper siluer and some gold that no prouince in Europe may compare therewith And these mines are to be found in euerie place if the countrey people bound to carrie wood to the mines and to other seruile workes did not hide and hinder the discouerie thereof as much as in them lyeth Most fine siluer is found in the prouince of Vestros and more would be were it not for the enuy of the inhabitaÌ„ts who though they know not the vse of trying of mettals doe notwithstanding murmur that any strangers should imploy their labours therin And this their frowardnes toward strangers ariseth not of hatred but vpon a iealousie that they should be ouerreached or otherwise abused by theÌ„ for by nature they are simple and well meaning not giuen to ambition nor infected with auarice The kings reuenue consisteth in fower things
reuenues They grieue the enimie with so much the more dammage by how much the neerer they are situated vnto them Of this effect was Cale is in the possession of the English the places which the Spaniards Portugals hold in Africke But the fortresses built in our owne borders serue to no other end then to defend what is alreadie ours that to our great disaduantage for as often as they are inuaded all things are done at a sudden and it cannot be auoided but somewhat will fall to the spoile of the enimie To ende with the king of Sweueland he is so much better able then the Moscouite to defend his territories by how much sea-forces ioyned to land-forces are able to preuaile against a state furnished with land-forces onely Poland THE kingdome of Polonia was neuer so great as at this day the great Dukedomes of Lituania and Liuonia being ioyned thereto It stretcheth from the flood Notes and Obra which diuideth it from Marchia and Odera which seperateth it from Silesia to Berâ—say and Boristhenes which two parteth it from Moscouia It reacheth from the Balticke sea to the riuer Niester which parts it from Moldauia and to the mountaines Carpathie which diuide it from Hungarie By this limitation from the borders of Silesia to the frontires of Moscouia betweene the west part and the east it containeth 120. Germain miles and from the vtmost bounds of Liuonia to the borders of Hungarie not much lesse So allowing the forme thereof to be round it is far larger then a man would take it to be It containeth many and goodly large prouinces as Polonia the great and the lesse Massouia Prussia Russia Volinia Liuonia and Lituania Among these prouinces Poland was found inhabited of the Polonians but Prâ—se part of Pomeran Podalia Volinia Masouia and Liuonia haue been obtained and gained by armes Lithuania and Saâ—otgathia prouinces of Russia were the inheritance of the house of Iagello For in the yeere 1380. Iagello then Duke of Lithuania tooke to wife the Princesse Hedinge the last of the blood royall of Polonia and was installed king on three conditions the first that he should become a Christian the second that he should cause his people to do the like the third that he should vnite his principalities to Poland These couenants were accomplished in our age when the race of Iagello ended For when the people were vnwilling by depriuing the heires which had right to the empire of their iust inheritance to subiect it to election they alwaies called vpon the performance of the conditions hoping that the nobilitie and people of Lituania would not loose their honor and dignitie by this mixture yet at last on the one side when they considered the issue of their Princes to faile for Sigismund Augustus was the last heire male and on the other side fearing the force of the Moscouite they agreed to vnion and election In times past Liuonia was the seate of the Dutch Knights and they had therein their chiefe gouernor whom they termed the Great Master But in the yeere 1558. being spoiled of the greatest part of their territorie by the great Duke of Moscouie they fled to Sigismund king of Poland who tooke them into his protection and vntill the raigne of king Stephen 1582 the prouince was neuer regained For the most part Poland is a plaine countrie and but for certaine mountaines rather hils then mountaines situated in the lesser Poland and diuiding it from Prusland all the residue of the countrie stretcheth it selfe into most ample plaines wherein are very many woods especially in Lithuania The greater and the lesser Poland are better inhabited then any other prouince of the kingdome The like may almost be spoken of Russia for the neerenes of the sea concourse to the hauens and situation of the riuers Prussia and Liuonia haue fairer cities goodlier buildings and by traffike and concourse of merchants greater plentie of riches For when the Dutch Knights were Lords of the countrie they builded cities like those of Germanie and all alongst the sea coast for the space of fowerscore miles many castles and places of good esteeme They haue many faire hauens of good woorth and are Lords of all the traffike between Poland and the Balticke sea which is a thing of great value and consequence For the riuer Vistula arising in the extremest bounds of Silesia watereth all Poland the lesse and part of the greater and Mazouia and Prussia and falleth into the Baltike sea below Danske whither it transporteth the greatest quantitie of Rie corne hony and waxe of the whole kingdome a iourney of fower hundred miles From another coast the most famous riuer Duina arising out of the lake Ruthenigo parting Liuonia into euen portions falleth into the sea about Riga a citie of great concourse There are in Prussia and Liuonia many lakes amongst which one is called the new sea one hundred miles long in Liuonia is a lake called Berhas more then 400. miles long from thence spring the riuers which running by Pernouia and Narue make two notable hauens for traffike Betweene these two cities standes Riualia giuing place to neither in beautie Samogithia is more rude and barbarous then the other prouinces and Podalia more barren which is not to be attributed to the nature of the soile for it is most plentifull of those commodities which the climate vnder which it lieth can affoord but to the crueltie of the Tartars which so vexe it with continuall inrodes that the inhabitants are driuen either to flie for feare or to be ledde away captiues of the barbarous Tartars The riches of Poland are the abundance of corne and all sorts of graine which grow there in so plentifull sort that in the yeere 1590. and 1591. it releeued not onely the bordring nations oppressed with famine and scarcitie but also yeelded some portion of releefe to the wants of the Genowaies Tuscane Rome It floweth with honie waxe whereas in all these northerly nations of Poland Lithuania Russia Muscouia there are no wines growing insteed thereof nature hath bestowed vpon them incredible quantities of honie whereof these people doe brew an excellent kinde of Beuerage The Bees make honie either in the woods where they finde the trees made hollow by rottennes or mans industrie or in hiues set in the open field by the countrey people or in holes of the earth or in any place where they can finde neuer so small a liking It aboundeth with flaxe and hempe with sheepe cattle and horses Amongst the beasts of the wood are found wilde oxen and wilde horses and the bufle which cannot liue out of the wood of Nazouia The riches of the land consist in the salt-pits of Bozena and Velisca in the territorie of Cracouia The reuenues of the kingdome for the most part are equally diuided betweene the noblemen and gentlemen for no man is left so rich by inheritance that he may excel others aboue measure and the greatest reuenue
fiftie thousand footemen and seuen thousand horse Truly this is a great number and though they were not all Moscouites yet this reckoning asketh a great proportion of inhabitants for if the king thrust in 57. thousand fighting men it must needs be that the inhabitants were verie many moe Some will haue it that in times past the countrey was better replenished with people and that afterwards it became desolate for three causes the first the plague a new disease in Moscouie which gleaned away many thousand people the second the tyrannie of their Emperors who haue put infinite numbers to death especially of the nobilitie the third the incursions and robberies of the Tartars Precopie and Negaians which neuer cease vexing their bordering neighbours These Tartars harrie not onely the countrey but lead away captiue whole cities selling them to the Turks and other nations These inrodes haue laid waste many and far remooued prouinces The wisedome of a prince is not liuelier discerned then in his good foresight whether his enterprises are likely to prooue hurtfull or profitable to his estate and when he suffereth not himselfe to be carried away with the vaine hope of atcâ—ieuing some conquest which can neither continue to him sure nor certaine but rather draweth after it a continuall disquiet to his owne safetie For that prince that is led with such an ambitious humor to inlarge his estate doth but weaken himselfe in people and riches and in mine opinion is like the man that minding to raise the wals and roofe of his house higher taketh away the foundation of the building It is the greatest glorie well to keepe what wee haue got but those gettings which are made with future losse and diminution of our proper strength are contrarie to that Maxime And seeing these acquisitions are as it were incisions or graffings they ought to better not to impaire the estate of our affaires for as these incisions are vsed to make sower trees sweet or vnfruitful plants fruitfull So the enterprises of princes ought to be such as bring foorth assured honor and profit otherwise they are labours vnprofitable pulling downe more then they build and heaping to themselues more harme then honor more trouble then safety Of this kinde are those wars which are waged to conquer kingdomes farre distant hauing nothing neere vnto vs but are so disioined that they aske greater garrisons then reason or our abilities are able to affoord to defend them Therefore let the resolution of euery expedition be laid on three groundes first that the quarrell be iust secondly what hope and facilitie of conquest thirdly what gaine wil arise of victorie For warre vndertaken without hope of assured fruit is meere madnes and many great captaines haue enlarged the bounds of their empires but not increased their owne quiet and safeties No prince made longer iournies and greater expences then the Great Duke Iohn he vanquished the kingdome of Casan to Volga and Astrachan vpon the Caspian sea he subdued a great part of Liuonia But what honor what profit or what continuance of securitie gained he by these victories What was the end of this warre In these expeditions perished infinite numbers of men in iourneying in assaults with the sword with sicknes with hunger and other extremities When he had ouercome them he was forced to maintaine great garrisons yea to bring thither whole colonies and besides when men were so farre from their homes either busied in getting other mens goods or in keeping what they had got their wiues staied at home like widowes without issue and the inward parts of the realme remained emptie as a hart void of blood wanting his necessarie nutriment whilest the inhabitants were wasted on the skirtes of the kingdome And therefore when it was inuaded by king Stephen of Poland these farre and remote forces were wanting to make resistance and through this ouersight â—e lost againe Pozouia and other peeces of good reckoning yea and inforced to leaue the whole possession of Liuonia to the Polander To returne to our purpose Moscouie for the most part is couered with woods lakes these woods are the branches of Hercinia spreading it selfe through all the North and perhaps more in this prouince then in any other Here grow the goodliest and tallest trees of the world through which for their thicknes the brightnes of the sunne beams can hardly pearce An vnspeakable quaÌ„tity of rosin pitch distilleth out of these trees and here is the neuer-wasting fountaine of waxe and honie For without any industrie of man the bees themselues build their hiues in the barks and hollownes of trees Here is all plentie of cattell and wilde beasts beares martins beastes called in Latine Zibellini and woolues whose skins be are high prices Of the timber of these trees are squared all necessaries as well for buildings as all other vses the wals of their cities are framed of beames cut fowersquare fastened together filling the chinkes and vacant places with earth Of these beames likewise they build platformes of such height and thicknes that they be are the weight of great Ordinance how massie soeuer they are subiect to fire but not easily shaken with the furie of batterie Some men maintaine great disputation whether fortresses built of stone chalke or earth be of greatest validitie For the last these be their reasons they are sooner built with lesse charge and make best resistance when a breach is made they are easiest repaired and any part thereof if chance occasion or necessitie require lightlier changed But all these reasons notwithstanding in my minde fortresses built of stone carrie the credit for seeing there are fower meanes to ruinate a fortresse Ordinance mining fire and digging peraduenture the stone wall may auaile as much in resisting as the earthen in receiuing and deadding the bullet but against mining fire the spade and pickaxe without comparison the stone worke excelleth and to raise platforms on the inside of the wall is all you can inuent either defensiue or praise woorthie to a fortresse built of timber and earth For waters Moscouie is the mother of riuers and lakes witnes Dunie Boristhenes Volga Desna Onega Moscua Volisca and the famous Tanais the lakes of Ina vpon which standeth the great Nouograde Voloppo and many others The abundance of these waters do make the aire colder then is requisite for the increase of cattle or growth of plants and although cold is thought more wholesome then heate yet are their cattle of small growth thereby and many times their fruits come not to ripening the earth drowned with the waters for the most part becommeth light and sandie and then either with too great drouth or too much moisture it destroieth the fruit Winter lasteth nine moneths litle more or lesse yet the soile bringeth foorth plenty of graine feeding for cattle and by consequence abundance of cattle â—ame and wilde It bringeth foorth apples nuts and filberds other kinds of fruits they scarcely know Of fish
being denied the daughter of Vnchan in marriage he made warre vpon him and ouercomming him in battell cast him out of his kingdome After the death of Changis his successors afflicted Europe In the yeere 1212. they droue the Polosochi from the banks of the Euxine sea In the yeere 1228. they inuaded and spoiled Russia In the yeere 1241. they raced Kiouia the chiefe citie of the Rutheni and Battu their captaine wasted Polonia Silesia Morauia and Hungary Innocentius the fourth amazed with the tempest of these inuasions in the yeere 1242. sent certaine friers of the orders of Dominicke and Francis to the court of the great Cham to intreate a peace for Christendome The circuit of this Empire in the times aboue spoken of stretched from the vtmost bounds of Asia to Armenia and from Bengala to Volga yea their incursions pierced euen to Nilus and Danubius The Macedonian and Roman Empires were neuer so large But bicause they were rather runnagates then men of warre wanting politike gouernment and militarie discipline sometime ruling one prouince sometime another they rather wrought spoile and terror to the conquered nations then feare of bondage or subiection and at last seated themselues beyond the mountaine Caucasus After it became diuided into many principalities yet so that the title and maiestie of the Empire remained alwaies to the great Cham who as we said before tooke the originall of his name from the great Changis At this day this Empire reacheth from the desert Lop on the one side and the lake Kicauia on the other to that famous wall of China situate betweene 43. and 45. degrees which leadeth from mountaine to mountaine till it end at the Ocean and diuideth the Tartars from the Chinois and from the Scythian Ocean to the confines of Tipura and the bordering regions In the foresaid compasse are contained many and mightie kingdomes and many puissant prouinces as Tangut wherein are the cities Succuir and Campian built after the manner of Italie Ergimul Carazan Tebet and Caindu the chiefe cities of prouinces In the middest of the Empire is Tenduch which in the time of Paule Venetus was in the iurisdiction of Prester Iohn but now subdued by the great Cham. The greater part of the people were Christians but Nestorians the rest Mahumetans Here is the citie Cambalu the imperiall seate containing in compasse 28. miles and neere vnto it Taiduc situated vpon a lake containing in compasse 24. miles Then Xaindu the palace of the great Cham being foure square euery square containing eight miles and fower gates Within that square is another palace sixe miles square in the middest whereof are three gates towards the south and as many towards the north from whence as likewise from euery corner you may behold the imperiall pallace And within this circuit is yet an other square of one mile hauing sixe gates like the former Betweene euery wall you may see meadowes and woods and within this square is the Imperiall pallace of whose pleasures riches and magnificence neither of his chases fowlings and fishing am I able to write This whole region for the most part is very populous full of townes rich and ciuill which you may the rather beleeue first for that the Tartars choosing this for their seate and countrie beautified it with the spoiles of Asia China and that part of Europe which they harried and were neuer woon or taken from thence againe to this day next for that the prouinces are most commodiously situated for traffike and negotiation partly by reason of their admirable plaines and huge lakes amongst which are Cazaia whose waters are salt Guian Dangu Xandu Catacora partly by reason of their large riuers which with a long course do run by the prouinces of Curato Polisango Zaiton and Mccon Paul Venetus calleth it Quion A great helpe hereunto likewise is the variety of fruits and the aboundance of graine rice wooll silk hempe Reubarbe muske and excellent fine chamblets wouen of camels haire Paule writeth that it affoordeth ginger cinnomom cloues which for my part I hardly beleeue In many riuers are found graines of gold Their coine is not all of one value In Cathaia a coine is currant made of the blacke rinde of a certaine tree growing betweene the bodie and the barke This rinde being smoothed rounded tempered with a gummie substance is stamped with the image of the great Cham. In the kingdomes of Caiacan Carazan certaine sea shels are currant which some men terme Porcelline This kinde of money is frequent in many places of India and Aethiopia By this meanes the princes get vnto themselues all the gold and siluer of the prouinces which they cause to be molten and laid vp in most safe places without euer taking any thing from thence againe In like sort Prester Iohn is thought to be Lord of an inestimable treasure while he maketh graines of salt and pepper to passe for currant coine amongst his subiects They brew an excellent beuerage of rice and spices which sooner procureth drunkennesse then wine As the Arabians so they delight in sower milke or Cosimus a kinde of charmed sower mares milke very forcible to turne the braine His force consisteth first as we told you in situation in spacious territorie in magnificent cities in plentie of prouision in rich reuenues for amongst many other things he taketh the tenths of wooll silke hempe graine cattell and is absolute Lord of all but the chiefest sinewes of his state consisteth in his armed troupes which he keepeth in continuall pay and action These liue alway in the field foure or fiue miles remote from the cities Ouer and aboue their salary they are allowed to make profit of their cattell milke wooll When he goeth to warfare according to the custome of the Romanes he mustereth part of that soldierie which lyeth dispersed through the prouinces For the most part all the nations of the Tartars except the Varcheni who are not subiect to the Great Cham fight on horsebacke Their weapons are the bow and arrow which they vse as desperately in their flight as in the charge They are verie swift their tents are made of wouen wooll with which they shelter themselues from foule weather Their chiefest sustenance is milke dried in the sunne after the butter is queased out yea the blood of their horses if famine inforce They fight not pel-mel with their enimes but somtime on the front sometime on the flanke after the Parthian maner they ouerwhelme them as it were with a showre of arrowes Whosoeuer carrieth himselfe valiantly stands assured of reward and are graced with honor immunities gifts Twelue thousand horsemen are appointed for the guard of the Prince and it is said that of this kinde of force he is able to leuie a greater power then any other potentate Howsoeuer it be two things in his kingdome are woorthie consideration the one is numbers which may be imagined by the spaciousnes of his dominions the other
one million and three hundred thousand England three millions and Belgia as many if by the continuance of the war in those countries that number be not much decaied The Italians conceiting marueilous highly of themselues thinke no prouince vpon the face of the earth for wealth and people comparable to Italy but they forget that as it is long so it is narrow and nothing wide or spacious neither that two third parts haue not one nauigable riuer a want of great consequence neither that the Apenine a mountaine rockie and barren doth spred itselfe ouer a fourth part Let them not deceiue themselues nor condemne others plentie by their owne wants nor measure others excesse by their handfuls For fertilitie doth France in plentie of graine or cattle giue place to Italy Or England for cattle wooll fish or mettall Or Belgia for number or goodlines of cities excellencie of artificers wealth or merchandise Or Greece for delectable or commodious situation hauens of the sea or pleasant prouinces Or Hungarie for cattle wine corne fish mines and all good things else But I will not stand vpon these discourses onely let me tell you that Lumbardie containeth the thirde part of Italy a prouince delightsome for battell plaines and pleasant riuers without barren mountaines or sandie fieldes and to be as full of people as the whole halfe of Italy besides Yea what may be said of Italy for profite or pleasure that may not be spoken perticularly of France England Netherland both the Pannonies Wherefore sithence the countrey is not onely large mightie and spacious but vnited populous plentifull and rich at least let it be beleeued and accounted for one of the greatest empires that euer was The gouernment is tyrannicall for throughout the kingdome there is no other Lord but the king They knowe not what an Earle a Marquesse or a Duke meaneth No fealtie no tribute or tole is paid to any man but to the king He giueth al magistracies and honors He alloweth them stipends wherewith to maintaine their estates and they dispatch no matter of weight without his priuitie His vassals obey him not as a king but rather as a God In euery prouince standeth his portraiture in gold which is neuer to be seene but in the newe moones then is it shewed and visited of the magistrates and reuerenced as the kings owne person In like manner the gouernours and Iudges are honored no man may speake vnto them but vpon their knees Herein the people shew their base mindes making themselues the slaues not the subiects of the prince Strangers are not admitted to enter into the kingdome least their customes and conuersation should breede alteration in manners or innouation in the state They are onely permitted to traffike vpon the sea coasts to buy and sell vittaile and to vent their wares They that doe traffike vpon the land assemble many together and elect a gouernor amongst them whom they terme Consul In this good maner strangers enter the kingdome but alwaies awaited on by the customers and kings officers The inhabitants cannot trauell but with licence and with that neither but for a prefixed season and to be sure of their returne they grant no leaue but for traffikes sake and that in ships of 150. tun and not aboue for they are iealous that if they should goe to sea in bigger vessels they would make longer iourneis To conclude it is a religious law of the kingdome that euerie mans endeuours tend wholy to the good and quiet of the common wealth By which proceedings Iustice the mother of quietnes policie the mistresse of good lawes and industrie the daughter of peace doe flourish in this kingdome There is no countrey moderne or ancient gouerned by a better forme of policie then this Empire by this gouernment haue they ruled their Empire two thousand yeeres And so hath the state of Venice flourished 1100. yeeres the kingdome of France 1200. It is two hundred yeeres since they cast off the yoke of the Tartars after their ninetie yeeres gouernment For their arts learning and policie they conceiue so well of themselues that they are accustomed to say that they haue two eies the people of Europe one the residue of the nations none They giue this good report of the Europeans because of their acquaintance with the Portugals with whom they trafficke in Macao and other places and the renowme of the Castilians who are their neighbours in the Philippinae By the multitudes of people before spoken of you may imagine the state of his forces for herein all other prouisions take their perfection But to speake somewhat in particular The power of this Prince remembring his contentment and nature detesting all inuasion is more readie and fit to defend then offend to preserue rather then increase His cities for the most part are builded vpon the bankes of nauigable riuers enuironed with deepe and broad ditches the wals built of stone and bricke strong aboue beleefe and fortified with caualiers and artificiall bulwarks Vpon the borders toward Tartarie to make sure worke against such an enemie they haue built a wall beginning at Chioi a citie situate betweene two most high mountaines and stretching it selfe towards the east sixe hundred miles betweene mountaine and mountaine vntill it touch the cliffes of the Ocean Vpon the other frontires you may behold many but small holds so built to stay the course of the enemie vntill the countrie forces be able to make head and the royall armie haue time to come leisurely forward for in 400. great townes he keepeth in continuall pay forces sufficient vpon the least warning to march to that quarter whither occasion calleth Euery citie hath a garrison and guarde at the gates which at nights are not only fast locked but sealed and may not be opened before the seale at morning be throughly viewed To speake truth their soldiers horsemen and footemen by land or sea are more famous for their numbers their gallant furniture and plentie of prouision then for strength and courage For the inhabitants partly by their effeminate and wanton kinde of life partly by their forme of gouernment whereby they are made vile base and vmbragious haue little valour or manhood left them They vse noforren soldiers except those whom they take in warre these they send into the inland countries where being marked to distinguish them from other they serue more like slaues then soldiers yet haue they pay with rewards for their good seruice and punishment for their cowardize true motiues to make men valorous The rest which are not inrold are not suffered to keepe weapons in their houses Their sea forces are nothing inferior to their land forces for besides their ordinarie fleets lying vpon the coastes for the safetie of the sea townes by reason of the abundance of nauigable riuers and so huge a sea-tract full of hauens crecks and Ilands it is thought that with ease they are able to assemble from fiue hundred to a thousand great
spoken of in their Mahometicall legend the more Christians they slay the easier they thinke shall be their passage to heauen Hereupon you shall see herds of men and women running to this warre desiring there to die vpon hope of meriting saluation by the slaughter of our people The same furie be it spoken to our shame inrageth the Turkes especially for the propagation of their heresies you shal see them more liker people running to the celebration of a marriage feast then to a warre-iourney hardly induring to stay the limited time of the rendeuou They account them Saints which die with their weapons in their hands and those most vnhappie which depart this world amongst the teares of their children and the mournings of their wiues By this it may sufficiently appeere what forces the Xeriffe is able to bring to the field but examples will make it more cleere Muley Abdala belegred Magazan with two hundred thousand men He filled the ditch with a mount made of earth and with his ordinance beat the wall leuell with the ground But by the prowesse of the Portugall and furie of their mines he was inforced to raise his siege and depart It is certaine he is not able to hold out any warre aboue three moneths because the soldier liueth vpon his daily allowance of diet and apparell and when such like prouisions cannot be conuayed to the place of necessitie without great labour and hazard it commeth oftentimes to passe that for want of prouision the armie is constrayned to breake and retire Molucco king of Fes who defeated Sebastian had vnder his standard fortie thousand horsemen and eight thousand hired footmen and with the Arabians and other common soldiers it is thought that he is able to leuie seuentie thousand horse and a far greater number of foote Prester Iohn ALthough the soueraigntie of this prince be very magnificent powerfull and spacious yet in truth doth it nothing answere the fame and report of the vulgar Horatius Malaguccius in his discourse De amplitudine dominiorum huius temporis maintaineth it to be larger then the empire of any other potentate excepting that of the king of Spaine Truly I must needs say that in elder age by the number of his titles it may be coniectured that his dominions did stretch farre and wide for he did intitle himselfe king of Goiam which is beyond Nilus Vangue and Damur places situated beyond the riuer Zair whereas at this daie he hardly commeth neere the bankes of either riuer yea Iohn Baroz writeth that the Abessines by reason of the mountains betweene them Nilus haue little or no knowledge of that riuer In the center of his kingdome is Barcena eastward it stretcheth from Suaquen to the entrance of the red sea a tract of 122 leagues and yet betweene him and that sea lie infinite mountaines inhabited by Moores doing what outrages they list vpon that coast Westward vpon the banks of Nilus lie a ridge of mountaines inhabited by Gentiles who pay him tribute Towards the north his bounds are to be limited by an imaginarie line to be drawne from Suaquen to the head of the Iland Meroe conteining the space of 125. leagues then making a semicircle like a bowe not too much bended towards the south as farre as the kingdome of Adea in whose mountaines the riuer which Ptolomey calleth Ratto ariseth and falleth into the sea about Melind for the space of 250. leagues it stretcheth euen to the frontires of the Gentiles and from thence turning your imaginarie line and abutting the end in the principalitie of Adel whose chiefe citie is Acar in the altitude of 9. degrees you shall finde this Empire to containe in compasse 672. leagues It is diuided into vast plaines fertile hillocks and mountaines though woondrous high yet fit for tillage and full of habitation It is not very well stored with wheate but it bringeth foorth barly millet a certaine other graine holesome indurable Indian wheat and all other kinde of pulse as well knowne as vnknowne to vs in very plentiful maner They haue vines but make no wines vnles it be in the kings court or the patriarchs palace in steed whereof they brew a kind of sharp beuerage made of the fruit of Tamerind The orange lemon and cedar tree grow wilde They make oile of a certain fruit which they cal Zaua it is of a good colour but vnsauorie The Bees build their hiues euen in their houses whereupon ariseth great quantitie of wax hony Their garments are wouen of cotton wool The richer sort are clothed in sheepe skins the gentlemen in cases of Lions Tygres Linces Their riches consist in herds of oxen goats sheepe mules asses and camels Of horses their breed is small but they haue great store of goodly coursers brought them from Arabia and Egypt They leaue the foles with the mares not aboue three daies but put them vnto kine to sucke and reare vp They haue hens geese wilde swine harts goats and hares but no conies yea and such beasts of which we haue not the like as panthers lions elephants and linces To speak in a word there is no countrey vnder heauen fitter for increase of plants and all liuing creatures but none lesse helpt by arte or industrie for the inhabitants are idle and vnthrifty They haue flaxe but make no cloth they haue sugar-canes and iron-mines but know not the vse of either and as for smiths they feare them as fâ—ends They haue riuers and streames yet will they not take the paines in drouths to cut the banks to water their tillage or harten their grounds Few giue themselues to hunting or fishing which causeth their fields to swarme with foule and venison and their riuers with fish But it seemeth that the true ground of their idlenes ariseth from their euill vsage for the poore people perceiuing their land-lords to pole and pill them neuer sowe more then they needs must They keepe no method in their speeches and to write a letter many men that many daies must lay their wits togither At meales they vse neither cloth napkin nor tables They are vtterly ignorant in physicke The Gentlemen Burgers and Plebeians dwell apart yet may any man rise to honour by vertue and prowesse The first borne is heire to all euen to the vtmost farthing Through the whole land there is not a towne conteining aboue 1600. housholds and but few of that quantitie for for the most part they dwel dispersed in small villages They haue no castle or fortification in imitation of the Spartans maintaining that a countrey ought to be defended by the sword and not by strength of earth or stone They barter one thing for another and to make reckonings euen they supply the want with corne and salt For pepper frankinsence myrrhe and salt they giue gold and that by weight as for siluer it is in little request The greatest concourse of people is about the kings court which neuer staieth long in one place
because it hath few mountaines and is enuironed on euerie side with the sea the aire is verie milde and temperate euen there yea much more temperate then France which is farther distant from the Pole as you may perceiue by the vines wich neuer ripen in England and yet yeeld most perfect wines in France Likewise it happeneth verie often that the northren or western winde rising from the sea bringeth springtide in the winter season decking the fields with flowers and the gardens with herbes that the inhabitants of Turon Poictou and the Isle of France enioy as forward a sommer as those of Prouince or Lago di Garda The whole lande of France is fertill and fruitfull and euerie where plentifull of all good things And as the Apennine spreading almost ouer the fourth part of Italy for the most part is barren yeeldeth small store of fruit so on the cōtrary in the mountaines of Auuergne being but few stand many good townes and rich places where cloathing is exercised and from whence a good part of the kingdome is serued with flesh butter and excellent cheese the rest of the kingdome almost is plaine heere and there garnished with fruitfull hils and greene valleies in euerie place plentie doth as it were contend with varietie fertilitie with delicacie commodiousnes of situation with beautious cities Herein without all controuersie Italie giueth place to France for although some one corner thereof affoordeth exquisite pleasure and delightfull situation as Riuiera di Salo Campania the territorie of Croton Tarentum and some other cities of Calabria yet these are singular and few in Italy common and frequent in France especially in Burgundie Brie the Isle of France Turon Aniou Zantoin and Languedo◠in each of which prouinces it should seeme that nature her selfe hath diuided and as it were dedicated by allotment some places to Ceres some to Bacchus some to Pomona and some to Pallas But there is nothing in France more worthie the noting then the number and pleasure of the nauigable riuers whereof some as it were gird in the whole realme as Sagona Rhodanus Mosell Some others cut thorough the middle as Sequano Loire Garonne Into these three riuers fall so many other riuers some from the vttermost bounds some from the inmost parts of the realme that it maketh the whole countrey commodious for trafique and exchange of each others wants insomuch that by this facilitie of carriage entercourse of merchandize all things may be saide to be in common to the inhabitants of this kingdome In Aniou onely are fortie riuers great and small whereupon Katherin de Medicis was woont to say that this kingdome contayned more riuers then all Europe beside Truely this was a Hyperbolicall speech yet not much more then truth for the goodnes of the soile and easie transporting of commodities is the cause that there are so many cities and so many townes and those most commonly seated vpon the bankes of the riuers And although it haue many goodly hauens yet the vpland townes are fairer and richer then those that stand neerer the sea which argueth that their wealth is their owne and not brought from forreine countries for there the sea townes excell the land townes where more benefit and prouision is reaped by the sea then by the land as Genua Venice Ragusi but where the state and prosperitie of cities dependeth wholy vpon the land there the vplandish townes far surpasse the sea townes as Millaine and many other in Flanders Germanie and Hungarie All this notwithstanding although like goodnes of soile be proper to the whole realme of France as likewise the situation of the riuers commodious yet Paris except whose largenes proceedeth from the kings court the parliaments and the vniuersitie the townes there for the most part are but small and meane beautifull commodious and verie populous Iohn Bodin writing a description thereof in the time of Henrie the second saith that there were seuen and twentie thousand villages hauing parish Churches not comprehending Burgundie among them In another description written in the raigne of Charles the ninth it is saide that the number of the inhabitants exceeded fifteene millions And as the cities and townes of France may boast of their riuers so the Castles and villages of the noblemen are no lesse fauoured with the pleasure and strength of lakes and marishes which although they may not be compared to the lakes of Italy and Swizerland yet are they so many and so full of excellent fish that the numbers of the one may equallize the largenes of the others The same may be spoken of woods that they are not so spacious as plentifull out of these woods in times past the greatest part of the kings reuenues did arise and the noblemen do make great profite by selling great quantities thereof for firewood but greater by sales of timber trees for for want of stone the greatest part of their buildings consist of timber In regard of the commodious situation of these riuers seruing so fitly for the transportation of vittailes from one place to another this kingdome is so abundantly furnished with all plentie of prouision that it is able to nourish any armie in the fielde how populous soeuer When Charles the fift entred France first by Prouince and afterward by Champaigne it maintained more then one hundred fiftie thousand soldiers besides garrisons In the raigne of Charles the ninth and in our times also there were maintained in this kingdome 20000. horse 30000. footemen strangers and of French 15000. horse and 100. thousand footemen neither did the kingdome for this feele want or scarcitie There are in France as a man may terme them fower loadstones to draw riches from forreine nations corne caried into Spaine and Portugall wines transported into England Flanders and the inhabitants of the Balticke sea and salt wherewith the whole kingdome the bordering nations are plentifully stored This salt is made in Prouince of the salt water of the Mediterranean sea and at Bayon in Zantoine where the heate of the sunne ceaseth his vertue of getting making and boiling salt of sea water not daining to yeeld so great a fauour any farther northward I said of sea water because further north there may be salt found also but is made either of some speciall spring water as in Lorraine or compound of some minerals mixt with fresh waters as in Poland England and Germanie or else it is taken foorth of some salt mines and such in times past were in Sweueland but they are now decaied The fourth loadstone is canuasse and linnen cloth whereof what profit ariseth a man will hardly beleeue vnlesse he hath seene what abundance thereof is carried into Spaine and Portugall to make sailes and cordage for the furnishing of shipping There growes also Woad Saffron and other merchandize of smaller value which though they equallize not the abouesaid commodities yet rise they to a round summe yea such as may enrich a kingdome By reason of
printing restored musicke framed the chariot deuised the laying of colours in oile the working of colours in glasse the making of tapestrie saies searges wosteds russets frisadoes and diuers sorts of linnen cloth with innumerable other small trifles all sorts of clocks and dials and the mariners compasse It is diuided into 17. prouinces viz. the Dukedomes of Brabant Limburg Lutzemburg and Guelders the Earledomes of Flanders Artois Henault Holland Zeland Namure and Zutphen the Marquisat of the sacred Empire the Seigniories of Friesland Mechlin Vtrecht Ouerissel and Groningen all territories rich plentifull and exceeding populous In them are 208. walled townes stately and magnificent besides 3230 townes hauing priuilege of walled townes and 6300. villages with parish churches It hath manie mines of lead copresse and cole and quarries of excellent good stone The Emperor Charles had an intention to erect it into a kingdome but the difficultie consisted herein that euerie of these prouinces being gouerned by peculiar customes prerogatiues and priuileges would neuer haue yeelded vnto one royall law common to all especially those that had the largest priuileges for which cause he gaue ouer his determination It is seated commodiously for all the prouinces of Europe and containeth in circuit about 1000. Italian miles The aire of later times is become much more holsome and tempelate then in times past whether it be by reason of the increase of inhabitaÌ„ts or the industry of the people who spare no charge to amend whatsoeuer is amisse The beeues of Holland FrieslaÌ„d are very great weigh some of theÌ„ 1600 pound of 16 ounces to the pound the ewes in these prouinces and some part of Flanders bring foorth three and fower lambes at a time and the kine often two calues at once It bringeth foorth great quantitie of mather very perfect woad but no great store but of flaxe and hempe great abundance Whosoeuer shall consider what commoditie they raise by their fishing and traffike only may well say that no nation thorough the whole world may compare with them for riches For Guieciardine writeth that of their he ring fishing they make yeerely 441000 pound sterling their fishing for cod 150000. pound sterling and of their fishing for salmon more then 200000 crownes which is of sterling money 60000. pound The continuall riches that groweth to the countrie of other sorts of fish takeÌ„ all the yeere is infinite The value of the principall merchandize yeerely brought in and caried out is likewise infinite the foresaid authour esteemeth it to about 14. millions one hundred and thirtie fiue thousand crownes whereof England onely bringeth to the value of fiue millions and two hundred and fiftie thousand crownes It is a woonder to see how that the inhabitants of all these prouinces especially of Brabant and Flanders vnderstand speake two or three languages and some fower or more according to their entercourse with merchants and strangers yea in Anwerpe you shall heare the women speake Dutch French Italian Spanish and English The kingdome of Spaine SInce the first time that man began to acknowledge a superior authoritie and submit himselfe to the behests of a ruler there was neuer a more spacious seigniorie then that which the Spanish enioieth at this day especially hauing vnder a colorable and defensible title embezeled the crowne of Portugall For 〈◊〉 the large and faire prouinces in Europe the goodly regions of Asia and rich countries in Africa he enioyeth in peaceable quietnes securitie being not disturbed or contested by any riuall or competitor the newe worlde in circuite more spacious then either Europe or Africke In Europe he is the sole soueraigne of Spaine holding it whole and intire a thing woorthie obseruation because for the space of these 800. yeeres before this age it neuer obeied any one prince but was dismembred and peece-meale claimed by diuers seigniors He hath very much shaked Belgia and lordeth it ouer the kingdome of Naples containing in bignes 1400. miles and retaineth Insubria otherwise called the Duchie of Millaine comprehending three hundred in circuite Of the Ilands he holdeth Maiorique Minorique and Huisa the first of three hundred miles space the second of 150. the third of eight Sicill is reported to be of 700. Sardinia 562. In Africa he holdeth the great hauen called Masalquiuir the most secure and safe harbor in the whole Mediterranean sea He hath also Oran Melilla and the rocke commonly called the Penion of Velez and without the Streights he possesseth the Canarie Ilands twelue in number and the least of seauen containing 90. miles In the right which he pretendeth to the crowne of Portugall he keepeth the woorthie places of Septa and Tangier which may rightly be surnamed the keies of the Streights yea of the Mediterranean and Atlantique Ocean without the Streights he holdeth the citie of Mazaga and by the same title in the vast Ocean he retaineth the Terceraz Porto Santo and Madera the ladie-like Iland of the Atlantique sea containing by estimation 160â— miles in compasse then the Ilands of Cape Verd seauen in number Vnder the aequinoctiall he holdeth the Iland of Saint Thomas somewhat more spacious then Madera but most plentifull in sugar and rangeth ouer that huge tract of land which tendeth from Cape Aguer to Cape Guardafu Lastly he is lord of all the traffique merchandize negociating and nauigation of the whole Ocean and of all the Ilands which nature hath as it were inameled the Ocean withall and scattered in the seas especially betweene the Cape of good Hope and promontories of Guardafu In Asia in the aforesaid right of the crowne of Portugall he ruleth the better part of the westerne coasts viz. Ormus Diu Goa and Malaca Ornius for his commodious satuation is growne so rich that it is a common prouerbe among the Arabians Si terrarum orbis quaqua patet annulus â—sset Iâ—â—ius Armusium geâ—â—â—ia decusque foret A great portion of Arabia Foelix belongeth to the principalitie of Ormus as likewise Baharem the Iland-queene within that gulfe both for the most plentifull circuite abounding in all varietie of fruites as also for the rich fishing of pearle In this sea the Portugals possesse Damain Bazam Tauaan and Goa which citie to omit Ohial Canora Cochin and Colan is of so great esteeme that it is thought to yeeld the king as great reuenue as many prouinces in Europe do their Lords and finally the Portugals hold all that sea coast which lieth betweene the citie Damain and Malepura wherein no prince except the king of Calecure challengeth one foote of land The Iland of Zeilan wherein they possesse a strong hauen and castle commonly called Columbo may rightly be called the delight of Nature and they enioy also Malaca which in those places is the bound and limite of their empire and also the key of the traffique and nauigation of the east Ocean and of all those Ilands which are so many and so spacious that in circuite of land they may be well compared to
and Heluetia are esteemed to be ten millions of men The people is diuided into fower sorts husbandmen and they beare no office citizens noblemen and prelates The last three sorts make the assemblies and states of the Empire Of Prelats the Archbishops Electors haue the chiefest place The Archbishop of Ments is Chancelor of the Empire the Bishop of Coloin is Chancelor of Italy and the Bishop of Treuers is Chancelor of France The Archbishop of Saltzburg is of greatest iurisdiction and reuenue The Bishop of Maidburg writeth himselfe primate of Germanie Breme and Hamburg had great iurisdictions next follow aboue 40â— other Bishops the great master of the Dutch order and the Prior of the knights of Ierusalem then 7. Abbots and they likewise are states of the Empire Of secular Princes the king of Bohemia is chiefe who is chiefe taster the Duke of Saxonic Marshall the Marques of Brandeburg high Chamberlain the Earle Palatine Sewer Besides these princes there are thirtie other Dukes amongst whom the Archduke of Austria holdeth the highest place and of these Dukes the king of Denmarke by reason of his dukedome of Holsatia is reckoned to be one Then the Marquises Lantgraucs Earles and Barons innumerable The free cities which in times past haue beene 96. and are now but 60. gouerning themselues by their peculiar lawes are bound no further then to pay two fiue parts of whatsoeuer contribution is granted in the assemblies The cities Imperiall because as we said before they pay tribute to the Emperor pay 15. thousand Florens The cities haue suffiçient reuenue of their owne for the most part amounting aboue the value of the contributions It is thought that the Empire receiueth euery way aboue 7. millions which is a great matter yet besides this ordinary the people not ouerpressed as in Italie do pay other great subsidies to their princes in times of danger The Empire is bound at leastwise accustomed to furnish the Emperor when he goeth to Rome to be crowned 20. thousand footemen and fower thousand horse and to maintaine them for eight moneths and therefore it is called Romanum subsidium The reuenues of the cities and lay princes haue beene greatly augmented since the suppressing of poperie and bringing in of new impositions which taking their beginning from Italy for euill examples spread farre quickly passed ouer to France and Germanie In times of necessitie great taxes are laid vpon the whole Empire and leuied extraordinarily and that they may be gathered with the greater case Germanie is parted into ten diuisions which haue their particular assemblies for the execution of the edicts made in the generall diets of the Empire As concerning the multitude of people it is thought that the Empire is able to raise two hundred thousand horse and foote which the warres before spoken of may prooue to be true as likewise the wars of France and Belgia for since the yeere of our Lord 1566. the warre hath beene continued in those two prouinces for the most part with Germane soldiers and yet to this day great and continuall inrolements are taken aswell of horsemen and footemen through the whole Empire At one time Wolfang Duke of Bipontled into France an armie of twelue thousand footemen and eight thousand horsemen in the behalfe of the Protestants and at the same time the Count Mansfield was leader of fiue thousand horsemen of the same nation in behalfe of the Catholikes William of Nassow had in his armie eight thousand Germane horsemen and ten thousand footemen the Duke of Alua had at the same instant three thousand What should I speake of the numbers that entred Flanders with Duke Casimere Or those that entred France vnder the same leader in the yeere of our Lord 1578 Or to what end should I make mention of that armie where of part serued Henrie the fourth part the league but to prooue that this nation must be very populous seeing that warres are continually open in some one or other part of Christendome and no action vndertaken therein wherein great numbers of Germans are not waged and entertained To speake nothing of the Netherlands who in times past haue resisted the whole powers of France with an armie of fower score thousand men or of the Swissers who in their owne defence are thought able to raise an armie of 100. and twentie thousand men I will onely put you in minde of that expedition which they made out of their owne territories into Lumbardy in defence of that state against Francis the French king with an armie of fiftie thousand footemen The best footemen of Germanie are those of Tiroll Sweuia and Westphalia the best horsemen those of Brunswick Cleueland and Franconia Of weapons they handle the sword and the pike better then the gunne In the field they are very strong as well to charge as to beare the shot for order is of great effect which is as it were naturall to them with a stately pace and firme standing They are not accounted for the defence of fortresses and for their corpulent bodies I hold them not fit for the assault of a breach And therefore they are to be accounted rather resolute and constant then fierce or couragions for they will neuer come to the seruice wherein courage and magnanimitie is to be shewed After the victorie they kill all whom they meete without difference of age sex or calling if the war be drawen out at length or if they be besieged they faint with cowardnes In campe they can endure no delaies neither know they how to ouercome by protracting If their first attempts fall not out to their mindes they are at their wits ende and lose courage if they once begin to runne they will neuer turne againe But in delaying and temporising the Spanish passe all other nations He that retaines them must be at extraordinarie charges great trouble by reason of their wiues consuming so much prouision that it is a hard thing to prouide it almost vnpossible to preserue and without this prouision they stand in no steed Their horses are rather strong then couragious and because of ten which goe to the warre eight are prest from the plough they are of small seruice and when they see their blood their hart quaileth But the Spanish genits in this case waxe more fierce In sea forces they are not much inferiour to their land forces although they vse not the sea fights yet the cities of Hamburg Lubecke Rostoch and some others are able to make a hundred ships some one hundred and fiftie equall to the forces of the king of Denmarke and Sweathland When these strong and â—nuâ—cible forces are vnited together they feare no enimy and in imminent perill they are sure of the aide of the Princes of Italy Sauoy and Lorraine for these Princes neuer forsooke the Empire in necessitie To the Zigethan-warre Emanuel Duke of Sauoy sent sixe hundred Argoliteers Cosmo Duke of Florence three thousand footemen paide by the State Alphonsus the second Duke
exceedeth not 25. thousand dukets Only the dukes of Curland and Regimount exceede this meane For although they are feodaries of the kingdome acknowledge the king as their superior yet are they not as liuing members of the state they come not to the diets of the kingdome they haue not their voices in the election of the prince neither are they accounted as naturall Lords of the kingdome but for strangers as in truth they are the duke of Curlan being of the house of Ketleri and the duke of Regimount of the family of Brandenburge All Prussia did belong to the Dutch Knights who had their Great Master resident there who when he was not able to withstand the forces of the Polonians yeelded himselfe feodarie to king Cassimere afterwards when Albert of Brandenburge their Great Master became a Protestant he was created Duke of Prussia and the countrey diuided into two parts the one regall immediately holden of the crowne the other Ducall allotted to Albert and his successors to hold by fealtie In the kings partition stand Marieburge Torouia Gulma Varnia and Danske in the Duchie which yeeldeth 120. thousand ducats yeerely the chiefe towne is Regimont the Germans call it Conningsburgh and there the Duke keepeth his court The gouernment of Polonia representeth rather an Aristocracie then a kingdome because the nobility who haue great authoritie in the diets of the kingdome choose the king and at their pleasure limite him his authoritie They haue neither law nor statute nor forme of gouernment written but by custome from the death of one prince to the election of an other the supreme authoritie resteth in the Archbishop of Gesne who is president of the counsels appointeth the diets ruleth the Senate and proclaimeth the new elected king Before king Stephen erected new Bishops Palatines and Castellanes in Liuonia few other besides the Archbishop of Leopolis and his 13. Suffragans 28. Palatines and thirtie of the chiefest Castellanes were present at the election of the newe king In the time of their diets these men assemble in a place neere vnto the Senate house where they choose two marshals by whom but with a tribunelike authoritie they signifie vnto the councell what their requests are Not long since their authoritie and reputation grew so mightie that they now carie themselues as heads gouernors rather then officers ministers of the publike decrees of the estates There was one of the councel that after the maner of Clodius refused his Senators place to become one of these officers When a new king is to be chosen these men do more and more limit his authoritie not suffring it to stretch one iot farther then accustomed But although the crowne of Poland be at the disposition of the nobilitie yet was it neuer heard that they reiected or ouerslipped the kings successor or transferred the kingdome into any other line more then once when deposing Ladislaus whom notwithstanding they afterward restored they elected Weneslaus the Bohemian Likewise they haue alwaies a regard to the kings daughters as of Hedinge maried by them to Iagello and in our times of Anne giuen in mariage to king Stephen It was no smal cause of the aduancement of Sigismund the third to the crowne of Polonia that he was the sonne of Katherine sister to Sigismund the emperor and of the foresaid Anne And although the kingly authoritie be electiue yet after he is chosen his power is absolute in manie things as to call the diets to appoint the times and place at his pleasure to choose laie councellors and nominate the bishops and whom he will haue to be of the priuie councell he is absolute disposer of the reuenue of the crowne and Lord of those which hold of him immediate but ouer the tenants of the nobilitie he hath no iurisdiction he is absolute establisher of the decrees of the diets and soueraigne Iudge of the nobles in criminall causes it is in his power to reward and aduance whom pleaseth him to speake in a word such as is his valor dexteritie and wisedome such is his power authoritie and gouernment As the Polanders say the decrees of the king indure but three daies they conuerse with him not as cosins as in France but as brethren And as the king hath absolute authoritie ouer them which immediately hold of him so the nobilitie dispose absolutely of their vassals vpon euerie of whom they exercise more then kingly authoritie in manner as vpon slaues In establishing their kingdome they haue done one thing woorthie the noting which is that as the Romanes increased their names and dominion by communicating the lawes and honors of Italy and the citie of Rome to other cities yea whole prouinces so the kings of Polonia haue enlarged vnited and strengthened their estate by participating the priuileges of the Polish nobilitie to those prouinces which either they haue conquered by armes or otherwaies purchased gracing the nobles thereof with fauours equall to any bestowed on the Polish nobilitie By this equallyzing king Ladislaus strongly vnited Russia and Podalia to Poland Sigismund Augustus Lithuania Stephen Liuonia for equalitie in offices promotions knitteth affections in peace and warre The force of this kingdome as of others consisteth in graine coine footemen horsemen armour and munition Of graine we haue spoken alreadie In coine it is not verie rich for excepting Danske they haue neuer a mart towne woorthie estimation and the wares that are brought from Prussia Liuonia do not inrich the kingdome with ready money yea they do hardly suffice to barter with the English Flemmish for cloth silks wools or with the Spanish and Portugals for sugars spices fruits Maluesâ—ies For when the countrie is not giuen to traffike nor the cities to buy sell nor the people to labour and the nobilitie is very gallant prodigall in expences spending more then their reuenues in diet and apparell and the seasoning of their meates for the Polanders vse more spices then any other nation and their wine their silke and the greatest part of their woollen cloth is brought from forren nations how can the kingdome be rich in siluer For in transporting of rich ware and returning of little consisteth the wealth of euery kingdome gathering together by venting home-bred commodities the coine of forren countries and keeping it once brought in from passing abroad againe In this practise consisteth the wealth of Naples and Millan for Naples sendeth to sea great store of corne wine oile silke woad horses fruits and such like which bring in huge masses of forren coine Millan supplieth the want of other prouinces with corne rice clothes iron works and wares of all sorts and returneth little againe If the kingdome of Naples and Sicill were as well stored with artificiall workmanship as they are prouided with corne and wealth no other kingdome could compare with them To returne to Poland notwithstanding their riches are not so small as some thinke they are for the reuenues of
loose much time in cutting down the woods before they could come to the inhabited places of their enimies They haue a few fortresses some built of stone some of bricke after the Italian fashion but without strength of moderne diuises or cunning workmanship Such are the castles of Mosco Nouograd Plescouia Porcouia Sloboda some are wrought with twigs earth wel troden downe as Smolonck But commonly the wals of strong places are built of great beames stuffed with turffe or mosse leauing loopholes for their shot This fortifying is very auailable against great ordinaÌ„ce but exceeding subiect to â—â—riâ—g They serue in the field as we told you before treating of his gouernment rather bearing themselues valiantly for feare of punishment then of their owne natures shewing alacritie or willingnes to the seruice He hath his captaines at a becke his soldiers suffer all extremities patiently they care not â—orâ—â—ost or raine they indure hunger scarcity with incredible conteÌ„tment they liue with a little better able to defend a fortresse then fight in field for here courage and agilitie there constancie and resolution are most seruiceable whereas the Polanders are better to fight in the field then to keepe a castle And therefore the Great Duke Iohn finding by experience the vnaptnes of his soldiers the readines of the Polonians in skirmishes and assaults was wont to say that his men had need of a spur to driue them forward the Polonians wanted a bridle to hold them back His chiefest force is in his horse but what number he can raise who can shew For I doe not beleeue that he is able as some say to arme three hundred thousand because though his Empire be large yet for the greatest part it lieth vnmanured as the many-daies iourney betweene Cazan and Astrachan and scarce meeting with one village in the way may well witnes In the war which king Stephen waged against him being not aboue 60. thousand foote and horse strong he was not able to raise so great a force I will not say to meete him in the open field yea not to hinder him from the forcing of Pozouia Vilocoluc and other pieces no nor to diuert him from the siege of Plescouia In the yeere 1570. the prince of the Tartars with fourescore thousand soldiers pierced euen to the bowels of his kingdome and set fire on his imperiall seat Mosco Therefore I thinke that they that report that the Great Duke can leuie three hundred thousand men and the king of Polonia two hundred do rather meane heads of horses then riders for there may be so many thousand horse and yet euerie one is not to be accounted a horse of seruice no more then euery horseman a rider or able to finde himselfe armour One hath his hart in his hose another wants abilitie a third wants strength of bodie a fourth both courage and strength yea admit he could raise so many horse and men as these men speake of yet would it be a hard matter perchance impossible for him to assemble them in one place or if he could where would wages or victuals be found sufficient to sustaine them For 200. horsmen in Moscouie require 300. packhorses and so many tenders who must all befed as likewise the victualers the merchants the artificers and such seruants as can hardly be spared in warlike enterprises To performe this whole Moscouie must of necessitie be gathered into one place and then it were to be feared least in so great a iourney from one part of the kingdome the other part opposite would run to ruine decay Likewise although such a proportion of horse as hath beene spoken of might be raised it were not wisedome for the state to strip the borders of their garrisons the prouinces of their sinewes the cities of their magistrates the countrey of husbaÌ„dmen Therefore I conclude that prince whose kingdome is able to affoord him 150. thousand horse to be brauely furnished if he can bring into the field but the third part I speake of warre and not of incursions Some more modest in writing affirme that the Moscouite could leuie 150. thousand horse if necessitie to defend himselfe should constraine him thereto and that Iohn the third in the voyage of Astracan entertayned 120. thousand horse and twentie thousand foote The same king inuading Liuonia in the time of king Alexander leuied a mightie armie and kept another vpon the borders of the kingdome The Great Duke Iohn adioyned to his troupes of horse certaine thousand of shot most strangers which yeelded him notable seruice in the defence of his cities Euerie second or third yeere he renueth his soldierie throughout the prouinces and keepeth a register of the sonnes of noblemen and the number of his seruants and horses The wealthier horsemen vse a curasse of brasse a helmet light and thin bucklers brought out of Persia and lances others are armed with Iacks quilted with bombast to resist arrowes These handle the bow and many of them the harquebuse all the sword and dagger The Germanes serue them in the field and the Italians in their fortifications To the Duke of Moscouie are adioyning the Tartars Precopenses the Taurici the Chersonesi the Circassi and the Tartars Negayans These people inhabite a countrey seuen daies iourney distant and are gouerned by Dukes after the manner of the Heluetians He hath receiued great iniurie of the Precopenses without hope of amends because they are confederate with the great Turke and by him furnished with harquebusiers ordinance and haue in their kingdome many strong places fortified with Turkish garrisons therefore he thinketh it hard and dangerous to inuade them being backed by the Turke whose power he should stir vp likewise against him It is the custome of the Precopi often vsed to make inrodes into the prouinces of the great Duke as likewise of the Polonian and to carrie away whatsoeuer comes to hand If the great Duke haue vanquished the Tartars of Cassan and Astracan let him attribute the conquest to his great ordinance which they wanted This Duke led against the Cassani an engine deuised on this fashion he fastened to the sides of charriots a broad and large planke bored full of holes and fitted for the shooting of harquebusiers and musketers with the which they did grieuously wound their enimies and could not be hurt againe by the arrowes of their aduersaries By these helpes it was no masterie to vanquish and subdue them But the Precopi haue the vse of gunnes and woorth all the rest the fauour and protection of the Turkish Emperor who thirsting to open a way into Moscouie or the Caspian sea assaied not many yeeres since to dig a trench from Tanais to Volga but his forces were put to flight by the Moscouites with the aid of the Tartars who feared their vtter destruction if the Turke had brought that designement to passe This was a deuise of greater courage then wisedome for the Moscouites not onely defeated his nauie taking
their discipline because he keepeth them in continuall pay For as discipline rather then furie is to be wished in a soldier so in armies a few trained and experienced soldiers are more woorth then many strong huge of stature and raw The one may well be compared to eagles lions and tygres which obtaine principalitie amongst other beasts not because they exceed them in hugenes of bodies for then should they be a pray to the Elephant horse and bufall but because they excell them in swiftnes and nimblenes ioyned to the strength of their bodies Beside these things which Marke Paul writeth certaine Englishmen sayling by the Moscouite sea and the bordering regions haue pierced euen to Cathaia and haue set downe many memorable matters of this Prince whom the Moscouite termeth the Caesar of Cathay and the Turke Vlucham that is the Great Prince And not without reason for in magnificence of courts amplenes of dominion abundance of treasure number of soldiers he goeth far beyond all the kings and potentates of Asia and raigneth in such maiestie that his subiects foolishly call him the shadow of spirits and the sonne of the immortall God His word only is a law wherein consisteth life death He maintayneth iustice with admirable seueritie except for the first fault for which the offender is grieuously whipped for euerie other fault he is cut in pieces by the middle herein it should seeme they immitate the opinion of the Stoikes concerning the equalitie of offences A theefe is likewise slaine if he be not able to repay ninefold as well for a farthing as a pound The first begotten sonne is heire to the crowne and installed with these ceremonies The chiefe of their seuen tribes clothed in white which is their mourning colour as likewise of the Iapans cause the prince to sit vpon a blacke woollen cloth spred vpon the ground willing him to behold the sonne and to feare the immortall God which if he doth performe he shall finde a more plentifull reward in heauen then in earth if not that piece of blacke cloth shall scarcely be left him whereupon to rest his wearied bodie in the field besides a thousand other miseries that shall continually attend him Then set they the crowne vpon his head and the great Lords kisse his feete sweare fealtie and honour him with most rich giftes Then is his name written in golden letters and laide vp in the temples of the metropolitan citie He hath two councels the one for warre wherein twelue wise men consult the other of state matters consisting likewise of as many counsellers These manage all things belonging to ciuill gouernment rewarding the good and punishing the euill taking especiall care to see those preferred who haue done any good seruice either in warre or peace to his countrie and Emperor and others seuerely punished who haue borne themselues carelesly and cowardly in the charges committed to their discretion In these two points that is in rewarding punishing consisteth so high a policie of good gouernment that it may well be said the greatest part of the barbarous princes by these two vertues only imprint so maiestical a reuerence in the harts of their barbarous subiects For what other face of good gouernment see you in the Turke Persian Mogor or Iariff whom reward they but captaines and soldiers where vse they liberalitie but in the field amongst weapons Surely they built the foundation of their state vpon no other ground-worke nor hope for peace and qutetnes but by victorie and strong hand yea they haue no meane in disgracing base mindes and cowards and in honoring high spirits and valiant soldiers Neuer was there common wealth or kingdome that more deuised to honor and inrich the soldier then these Barbarians and the Turke more then all the rest The Tartars Arabians and Persians honor nobilitie in some good measure but the Turke rooteth out the families of Noble men and esteemeth of no man vnlesse he be a soldier committing the fortunes of the whole Empire to the direction of slaues and base borne but with an especiall consideration of their fitnes and sufficiencie Let vs returne to the Tartar and his forme of gouernment Astrologians are in great request in those prouinces for M. Paul writeth that in the citie of Cambula are fiftie thousand and when Cublay C ham vnderstood by them that that citie would rebell against him he caused another to be built neere vnto it called Taindu contayning fower and twentie miles besides the suburbs There are also great store of fortune-tellers and nigromancers in the kings palace of Xandu as also in China they are in high esteeme Ismal king of Persia enterprised few matters without their councell and it is no woonder that it carrieth such reputation in those places for betweene the Caldeans and Assirians it tooke the first originall in those countries The Turkes cannot abide it The Roman Emperors did more then once banish it and the professors thereof out of their gouernments I would to God the like might be done amongst vs Christians for it is nothing else but a branch of Paganisme To ende with the nature of this people in outward shape they are vnlike to all other people for they are broader between the eies bals of their cheeks then men of other nations be they are of meane stature hauing flat small noses little eies broad faces and eie-lids standing streight vpright swartie of complexion strong of constitution patient of extremities excellent horsemen and verie good archers And as part of the Arabians inhabite cities and are called Moores part liue in the fields and mountaines and are termed Baduini so some of these Tartars dwell in cities as the Cathaians Bochars and those of Shamarcand others wander through the plaines and are diuided into hords and they are fiue in number Zauolenâ—ses Cossanenses Praecopits Nagaians and Kossacks The Great Mogor IT hath beene alwaies beleeued that the territorie lying betweene Ganges and the riuer Indus hath beene euermore subiect to great and mightie Monarchs For to be silent in matters of more ancient memorie about the yeere of our Lord 1300. there raigned in the kingdome of Delos an Arabian Prince of the sect of Mahumet named Sanosaradin as Iohn Barros reporteth of so great power and strength that he enterprised the conquest of Asia Vpon which resolution forsaking those regions in which Indus and Ganges take their beginnings with a huge and mightie armie by little and little he subdued those Princes and people which did oppose against him vntill he pierced to the bounds of Canora where it beginneth at the riuer Bate aboue Chaul and stretcheth betweene Bate and the gulfe of Bengala to Cape Comorine When he had woon so large and famous a territorie resoluing to returne into Delos he left Abdessa his lieutenant in Canora This man incouraged by the victories of his master and presuming vpon his owne good fortune bereaued the Gentiles of the greater part of Canora
and fortunes on the Nairs the kings of Ormus Cambaia Decan and Achan lay all vpon the shoulders of these slaues In a word as a lawfull and iust prince hath a great regard and singular care to haue the liking and loue of the people by which being guarded and inuironed as with a strong rampire he is able to withstand all attempts so contrariwise tyrants knowing themselues hatefull to the people imploy their whole studie how to winne the fauour of their soldiers and slaues thereby to represse innouations at home and inuasions from abroad Seeing therefore the safetie and foundation of their greatnes is built vpon the intertainment of their soldiers as their Nairs their Ianizars free or bond strangers or subiects yea whatso-soeuer they be it must needes follow that onely actions of warre be the end and scope of all their cogitations as likewise that they be very prodigall to keepe their estates very well furnished and appointed with soldiers and prouisions And this reason I take to be a sufficient inducement to beleeue these reportes of the king of Cambaia and these other barbarous Indian princes For besides that I spake of before it is reported that with this armie did march a thousand pieces of ordinance amongst which were fower basiliskes euery one drawen with an hundred yoke of oxen fiue hundred waggons laden with gun-powder and bullets two hundred armed elephants fiue hundred vessels full of golde and siluer to pay soldiers wages many princes and petie lords with their courtiers and followers merchants vittailers artificers and their seruants numberlesse Notwithstanding this incredible preparation hee was twise ouerthrowen by Marhumedio once in the territorie of the citie of Doce another time at Mandao from whence disguising his apparell to saue his life he fled to Diu. Being out of danger and feare he sent ambassadors to Soliman with a present esteemed woorth six hundred thousand crownes desiring his aide and assistance in these warres But afterward weighing in his minde that his affaires required speedier succours hee contracted a league with those Portugals which were neerest adioyning to make them his friends and partners of the warre the composition was that he should permit them to build a castell in the Iland of Diu. Now to speake of Marhumedius His fortunes were not much vnlike to those of Tamerlane for as this prince brought terror and feare vpon the inhabitants of Persia and Asia so did that no lesse innouation and trouble vpon India and the Orient this defeated in battell Baiazet emperor of Turks that ouerthrew Badurius king of Cambaia and his armie farre greater then his owne both of them had the sirname of Great When the Mogors vnderstood of the riches of India and the fertilitie thereof they neuer ceased by a continued course of victorie their armes and inuasions vntil they had made themselues Lords of all the prouinces lying betweene Caucasus and the sea Ganges and the riuer Indus in this tract are contained 47. kingdomes For Adabar the successor of Marhumedius woon Madabar with the better part of Cambaia Of what goodly consequence this prouince is may be magined by the famous cities of Madabar Campana so called for the situation vpon the top of an high hill rising in the middest of a spacious plaine and Cambaia a citie consisting of one hundred and thirtie thousand houses as likewise by the populous host of king Badurius his warlike prouision for such an armie and plentie of graine to sustaine such a multitude I assure you the world affoords not a soile for all necessaries for the life of man as rice corne pulse sugar oxen sheepe pullen of all sortes and silke more richer or plentifull then this prouince wherein also there are reported to be sixtie thousand borroughes which number certainly is very great and admirable Guicciardine writeth that in Netherland within the territorie of the 17. prouinces are contained 208. walled townes and 150. borroughes enioying the rights and priuileges of cities and 6300. villages hauing parish churches In Naples are 1800. of these some are townes some but castles In Bohemia are 780. townes and 32. thousand villages In France as Iohn Bodine writeth there are 27. thousand borroughes hauing churches and bels besides those in Burgundie which in those times were not numbred amongst the townes of France I write not this to induce a true and absolute iudgement of the power of any prouince by the number of parishes for I knowe that ought to be made according to their greatnes but yet their number maketh much to the purpose as in both which Cambaia may carrie the credite and esteeme of a most spacious populous and puissant kingdome Acabar also conquered the rich kingdome of Bengala so that a man may truly say that in this part of the orient there are three Emperors one in Cambaia the other in Narsinga the third in Bengala whereof Cambaia and Bengala farre exceed all the other prouinces in fertility of soile concourse of merchants both riotously abounding in sugar cotten wooll cattell elephants and horses in Bengala also groweth long pepper and ginger The first is watered and cut as it were into two halfes by the riuer Indus the other by Ganges hauing two famous mart townes Satagan and Catagan The great Mogor doth likewise possesse the kingdomes of Citor Mandao and Delly wherein he keepeth his court He hath infinite store of horses elephants and camels as also all sorts of artillerie and warlike furniture by meanes whereof he is growen fearefull to the whole inhabitants of the East It is written of him that he is able to bring into the field 300. thousand horse and that there are within his dominions fiftie thousand elephants Some man perhaps will aske how it commeth to passe that this Prince being so mightie and his neighbours so naked vnarmed and poore doth not get into his possession the dominion of the rest of India and the Orient In this as in the former vnlikelihoods the wisest man is soonest answered There are many obstacles one is that as the spirit and bodie of man cannot endure in continuall trauell and motion for that onely is proper to God and Nature so a continued and open passage is not euermore giuen to the ambitious reaches of kings and Princes Great Empires seldome feare forreine inuasion yet oftentimes faint they vnder their owne weight It is not destined vnto great things to stand alwaies at the highest much lesse to increase they haue their flood but vpon a condition that there follow an ebbe They are lifted on high but by the irreuocable decree of nature that a fall succeed yea that themselues by themselues decline The greater they are the more subiect to mutabilitie the larger the harder to hold and manage they mooue but slowly and of what effect celeritie is in warre who knoweth not The greatest conquest carrieth the greatest enuie with it and greatest care to conserue what is got and yet not care but long continuance perfecteth
Pacquin wherein the king keepeth his court is situated in 48. degrees The Empire is diuided into fifteene prouinces sixe maritime Cantan Foquem Chiqueuan Pantora Nanquij the rest inland Quichiu Iuana Quancij Suiuam Fuquam Cansij Xianxij Nonam Sancij The prouinces of Quinci Cantan and Foquem are diuided from the vplandish with mountaines like the Alpes but not aboue two daies iourney asunder Thomas Perez the king of Portugals ambassador made fower moneths iourney from Cantan to Nanquij alwaies bearing northerly It is not so spacious but it is as fertil for it yeeldeth not only what is fitting for humane life but whatsoeuer the delicate and effeminate appetite of man may lust after Many plants yeeld fruit twice or thrice a yeere and that not onely by the temperature of the aire but by the number of riuers and plentie of waters which doe both cause traffike through euery corner of the region and so water it on all sides that it resembleth a most pleasant and delectable garden plot Of this plentie there are two causes one the prodigall expences of the king in digging of trenches through the whole land sometime cutting through rockie mountaines sometime damming vp deepe vallies to make them leuell with high mountaines to draine the waters of lakes and marishes the other for that the whole region is situated vnder the temperatre Zone and in no place either by nature or mans industrie wanteth moisture so that all creatures taking nourishment of heate and moisture must needes here wonderously prosper In no place plants may take larger scope to spread their branches nor cattell larger walkes to wander in then in this countrie The last reason is for that the idle are neither seuerely punished nor altogether tolerated euery one is forced to doe somewhat no foote of land is left vnhusbanded nor dram of stuffe cast away vnwrought Amongst all admirables one thing is woorthie consideration that in Cantan they keepe fower thousand whales to grinde corne and rice In China euery one is set about somewhat according to his yeeres and strength one laboureth with his hand one with his foote one with his eie another must be dooing with his toong those onelie who are impotēt in their limes haue no friends liuing to succour them are prouided for in hospitals That none may excuse themselues in saying he can do nothing euery one is bound to learne his fathers occupation which is the reason that the children borne as it were tradesmen learne their fathers occupations before they perceiue it becomming in time most artificiall mechaniques He that can not liue at lande seeketh his maintenance at sea for that is no lesse inhabited then the land yea infinite housholds liue vpon the riuers in boats without comming to land for a long season Some of these liue by ferrying ouer people some by transporting passengers and their merchandise others keepe shops other vessels of lodgings for merchants and trauellers Whatsoeuer is needfull for clothing for foode or nourishment delight or case of a ciuill life is to be found in the midst of great riuers Many nourish all sorts of poultrie especially ducks in their vessels To hatch the egges and nourish the yoong ones they vse not the dams as we do but an artificiall heate in a manner as they do in Egypt especially at Cair All night he keepeth them in his boat at morning sendeth them to feede in the fields sowed with rice whence all day long hauing fed vpon the weeds to the great good of the husbandman they returne towards euening to their cages at the sound of a little bell or cimball Many liue by carrying fish both salt and fresh into the high countries for in the spring when the riuers rise through thawes and land-flouds so incomparable quantities of sea fish do abound in the hauens or creekes that the fishermen depart rather wearied then wanting This fish the skippers buy for a small matter of the fishermen and keeking them aliue in certaine vessels made for the purpose they transport them into prouinces farre remote from the sea There they are sold and preserued in pooles and stewes neere cities and great townes to serue the markets and tables of the Chinois all the yeere long Because it is forbidden any inhabitant to passe out of the land without leaue and therewith neither but for a time limited it must needs be that by the daily increase of people the countrey be euen pestered with inhabitation It hath beene obserued amongst themselues that for euery fiue that haue died seauen haue beene borne The climate is so temperate and the aire so wholesome that in mans memorie any vniuersall pestilence hath not beene knowen to infest the countrey Notwithstanding least any man should thinke this people to enioy all sweetes without some mixture of sower you must note that their earthquakes are more dreadfull to them then any pestilence to vs for whole cities haue beene swallowed and prouinces made desart by this punishment They choke vp the course of ancient chanels and make new where were neuer any before they lay mountaines leuell with the ground making hauocke of the people In the yeere 1555. a deluge breaking out of the bowels of the earth deuoured 180. miles of firme land with the townes and villages standing thereupon those which scaped the floud lightning and fire from heauen destroied There are saide to be in China 150. cities 235. great townes 1154. castles and 420. boroughes without wals wherein soldiers are quartered of villages and hamlets some of them conteining a thousand housholds the number is infinite for the countrey is so couered with habitation that all China seemeth but as one towne They haue two metrapolitan cities Nanquin and Panquin In Nanquin towards the north the king keepeth his court Vnder the iurisdiction of the one are seuen prouinces vnder the other eight Both of them are so spacious that it is a daies iourney for a horseman to ride from one end to the other Of the number of inhabitants no certainty can be produced but according to manuscript relations and report of trauellers it is said that the kingdome containeth 70. millions of liuing soules This is an admirable report and not to be beleeued if it be compared with the prouinces of Christendome but surely something aboue conceite is to be credited to these spacious populous and barbarous nations Let vs set the largenes of their prouinces the circuite of their cities their plentie and aboundance of all things and in all places either prospering by nature or mans industrie with their numbers and inhabitation and we shall finde a countrey like inough to affoord such a reckoning cities and dwellings able to containe them and nourishment sufficient to maintaine them Italy exceedeth not nine millions Germany excluding the Swissers and Netherlands not ten and with the foresaid prouinces not aboue fifteene which number peraduenture France may reach vnto Spaine is farre inferior to Italy Sicilie hath but
ships which they terme Giunchi To thinke that treasure can be wanting to leuie so great a number of ships soldiers and mariners many men affirme that the kings reuenues amount to 120. 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 do but call to minde first the nature and circuite of the Empire being little lesse then all Europe next the populousnes of the inhabitants accompanied with inestimable riches then tho diuersitie and plentie of mines of gold siluer iron and other sorts of mettall the vnspeakable quantitie of merchandise passing from hand to hand by so many nauigable riuers so many armes and inlets of the sea their vpland cities and maritime townes their toles customes and subsidies For he taketh the tenth of all things which the carth yeeldeth as barly rice oliues wine cotton wooll flaxe silke all kinds of mettall fruits cattle sugar hony rubarbe campher ginger woad muske and all sorts of perfumes The custome onely of salt in the citie Canto which is not of the greatest nor the best traffike yeeldeth 180. thousand crownes yeerely the tenth of rice of one small towne and the adiacent territory yeeldeth more then 100. thousand crownes By these you may coniecture of the rest He leaueth his subiects nothing saue foode and clothing He hath vnder him no Earles Lords or Nobles of any degree no nor priuate persons indowed with great wealth Wherefore sithence this empire is so huge and all the profits thereof are in his hands and at his disposition how can the former assertion of so great a yeerely reuenue to men of reason seeme any thing admirable There are two things moreouer which adde great credite to this reckoning one is that all his impositions are not paide in coine but some in haie some in rice corne prouender silke cotton wooll and such like necessaries the other is that the king of 120. millions which he receiueth disburseth againe three parts thereof And so sithence it goeth round from the king to the people it ought to seeme no woonder if the people be able to spare it againe for the princes vse at the yeeres end For as waters do cbbe as deepe as they flow so impositions easily leuied suffice for the expences of the state and the people receiue againe by those expences as much as they laide out in the beginning of the yeere The king of China feareth no neighbour but the great Cham of Tartaria all the rest acknowledge vassalage Against this enimie the ancient kings built that admirable wall so much renowmed amongst the wonders of the Orient Towards the sea he bordereth vpon the Iaponians and Castilians The distance betweene Iapan and China is diuers From Goto one of the Ilands of Iapan to the citie Liampo is threescore leagues from Cantan 297. The Ilanders of Iapan doe often spoile the sea coasts of China by their incursions descending on land and harrying the countrey more like pirats then men of war For in regard that Iapan is diuided into manie Ilands and into diuers seigniories ill agreeing amongst themselues though they excell the Chinois in armes and courage yet are they not of sufficient power to performe any action of moment against them Vpon another frontire lye the Spaniards of whom the Chinois not without good cause are verie iealous because of the situation of the Philippinae commodiously seated for the inuasion of China and the fame of their riches well knowen to the Spanish But the king of Spaine wisheth rather to plant Christianitie peaceably amongst them whereof there was once good hope that God had opened a passage thereunto For though the Chinois will suffer no stranger to enter within their dominions yet certain Iesuits zealous in the increasing of the Christian religion in a territorie so spatious as that is entered with great secrecie and danger and obtayning the fauour of certaine gouernors obtained a priuilege of naturalization especially frier Michaell Rogerius who in the yeere 1590. returned into Europe to aduise what course were best to take in this busines About the same time intelligence was brought from two friers remaining there that after diuers persecutions they were constrained to forsake the citie wherein they soiourned and had conuerted many and to make haste to sea-ward The Portugals are likewise eie-sores vnto them but by the report of the iustice and moderation of Ferdinand Andrada which he shewed in the gouernmeÌ„t of the Iland of Tamo by the traffike which they exercise in those seas they can better digest their neighbourhood then that of the Spanish This was the first Portugal that arriued in the citie of Cantan and set a land Thomas Perez Iegier for Emanuell king of Portugall But other captaines being there afterwards disimbarked behaued themselues so leudly that they occasioned the said Embassador to be taken for a spie and cast in prison where he died most miserablie the residue were entreated as enimies At last it was permitted the Portugals for traffike sake to settle a factory in Macao where againe before they had strongly fortified their colony they were coÌ„strained to submit to the limitations of the Chinois to whom in short time for their strength wisedome friendship and allians with the Castilians they became suspicious therfore they do daily more more bridle their libertie of traffike carrying so heauie a hand towards them that they would faine giue them occasion to leaue Macao of their owne wils and retire backe againe into India from whence they came The kingdome of Siam VPon the borders of China to speake nothing of Cauchinchina because we know nothing woorth relation of that territorie ioineth the countrey of Siam accounted amongst the great kingdomes of Asia It tooke his name of the citie Siam situated vpon the entrance of the riuer Menan It is also called Gorneo It stretcheth by east and west from the citie Campaa to the citie Tauai in which tract by the sea coast are conteined 500. leagues Of which the Arabians once vsurped 200. with the cities Patan Paam Ior Perca and Malaca now in the possession of the Portugals From the south towards the north it reacheth from Sinca-Pura situate in degree to the people called Gueoâ—â— in 29. degrees The lake Chiamai is distant from the sea six hundred miles the vpland circuit stretcheth from the borders of Canchinchina beyond the riuer Auan where lieth the kingdome of Chencra Besides the lake of Chiamai the riuers Menon Menam Caipumo Ana which cause greater fertilitie of graine through the whole region then a man would beleeue are all his The better part of his kingdomes are muironed with the mountaines Ana Brema and Iangoma the residue is plaine like Egypt abounding with elephants horses pepper gold and tin In the west part are huge woods tygres lions tinces and serpents It containeth these prouinces Cambaia Siam Muantai
Bremea Caipumo and Chencra The inhabitants of Lai which border vpon the north of the prouinces of Muantai and Caipumo and are diuided into three principalities are vnder his obeisance The first is that of Iangoma the second of Cucrai the third Lanca neere Chachinchina They inhabite a plaine and welthie countrey into which the Gueoni Marke Paul calleth their country Cangigu discending from the mountaines to hunt for men make oftentimes cruell butcheries amongst them The people of Lai for feare of these anthropophagi acknowledge the soueraingtie of Siam but they often rebell and obey as they list The wealth of the countrey may be coniectured by the firtilitie for being situated in a plaine and watered with most noble and famous riuers like an other Egypt it cannot but abound with plentie of all things It bringeth foorth rice graine of all sorts horses elephants infinite store of cattle gold and tinne siluer is brought thither by the people of Lai By reason of this plentie the people are drowned in pleasure and wantonnesse They follow husbandry but take no great delight in manuell occupations which causeth the kingdome to be poore in merchandise Amongst many other cities three are famous Cambaia seated vpon the riuer Menon which rising in China is so hugely augmented by the falling in of many riuers that his owne chanell not sufficing for receit thereof it renteth the earth to disgorge it selfe into a thousand Ilands making a second Meotis more then 60. miles long Meicon signifieth the captaine Menon the mother of waters The second citie is Siam whose statelines giueth the name to the whole countrey It is a most goodly citie and of admirable trasfike which may the better be imagined by the writing of a certaine Iesuite who reporteth that besides the naturall inhabitants there are more then thirtie thousand Arabian housholds The third citie is called Vdia greater then Siam consisting of fower hundred thousand families It is said that two hundred thousand boats belong to this citie and the riuer Caipumo whereupon it is seated This king to shew his maiestie and magnificence keepeth a guard of sixe thousand soldiers and two hundred elephants of these beasts he hath thirtie thousand whereof he traineth three thousand for the warre This is a great matter if you weigh their woorth and their charges in keeping His gouernment is rather tyrannicall then kinglike for he is absolute Lord of all the demeanes of the kingdome and either setteth them out to husbandmen or giueth them to his nobles for their maintenance during life and pleasure but neuer passeth the right of inheritance He bestoweth vpon them likewise townes and villages with their territories but vpon condition to maintaine a certaine number of horsemen footemen and elephants By this policie without any pennie pay or burden to the countrie he is able to leuie twentie thousand horsemen 250. thousand footemen Vpon occasion he can wage a greater number by reason of the largenes of his kingdomes and the populousnes of his townes For Vdia onely the chiefe seat of his kingdome mustered 50. thousand men And although he be Lord of nine kingdomes yet vseth he no other nation in the warre but the Siamits and the inhabitants of the two kingdomes of Vdia and Muantai All honors and preferments are bestowed vpon men of seruice in this kingdome In times of peace they haue their warlike exercises and in certaine pastimes which the king once a yeere exhibiteth at Vdia are shewed all militarie feats of armes vpon the riuer Menon where more then 3000. vessels which they terme Paraos diuided into two squadrons skirmish one against the other Vpon the land runne the horses and elephants and the footemen trie it out at sword and buckler with point and edge rebated the remainder of their daies they spend in riot and wantonnes Their borders towards the East reach to Canchinchina betweene whom are such huge woods lions tigers leopards serpents and elephants that they cannot infest one another by armes Towards the lake Chiamai they border vpon the Chinois Towards the sea they affront the Arabians and Portugals The one tooke from them Patan Paam Ior and Peam the other Malaca and the territorie adioyning so that betweene them they bereaued him of two hundred miles of land and contenting themselues with the sea coasts and the customes arising vpon the carriyng out and bringing in of merchandise they abstaine from further inuasion of the inland prouinces and hold it good policie to keepe firme peace with the king and his countries Toward the west lieth the kingdome of Pegu like an halfe moone betweene the mountaines of Brama and Iangoma Towards the north lye the Gudoni inhabiting the barrein and sharp mountaines betweene whom and Siam dwell the people of Lay. This people is subiect to the crowne of Siam for feare of these Canibals of whom if it had not beene for his protection they had long agon beene vtterly deuoured Not fortie yeeres since the king made a iourney against them with twentie thousand horse their horse are small but excellent good in trauell 250. thousand footemen and ten thousand elephants part imploied for seruice part for carriage No kingdome hath greater store of these beasts or doth more vse them An innumerable number of oxen buffals and beasts of carriage followed this armie whom they slew when they wanted other prouision Hitherto haue we deuised of Siam and Pegu as they stood before the comming of the Portugals into India but how in proces of time the state was altered you shall now heare In times past diuers kingdomes of Barma situated along the riuer towards the lake Chiamai obeyed the king of Pegu vnder the gouernment of certaine Lieutenants Sixtie yeeres sithence one of these captaines ruler of the kingdome of Tengu by the aide of his faction and reputation of his vertues entred into rebellion and slaying the Nobles of the land vsurped the kingdome Afterward he forced the cities and conquered the kingdome of Prom Melintai Calam Mirandu and Ana all inhabited by the Bramians for the space of one hundred and fiftie leagues towards the north He assaied likewise the conquest of Siam but comming before Vdia the chiefe citie of the kingdome he was forced to raise his siege and depart He vndertooke this iourney with 300. thousand footemen consuming more then three moneths in making way for his armie through stonie mountaines huge woods maccessible places and in lieu for the losse of 120. thousand of his soldiers he tooke two hundred thousand Siamits prisoners At his returne home he inuaded the kingdome of Pegu and woone it Afterward in the yeere 1507. he renued his iourney against Siam and ouercame the king thereof who slew himselfe with poison but he tooke his sonnes and with them the better part of the kingdome He belegerd Vdia with a million of men and vpward Our late writers call this man and his successors because their fame arose by the conquest of the kingdomes of Brama
kings of Brama or Barmia but the Portugals of a more sound iudgement grounded vpon neerer neighbourhood call them kings of Pegu. And for that it may not seeme that what we write as concerning their infinite numbers is either fabulous or reported altogither vpon heresay because that now heerebefore and hereafter we shall haue occasion to discourse of this point we thinke it not amisse to spend some time in shewing how by what likelihoods both in this and the other barbarous dominions such huge and numberlesse companies are leuied and nourished First therefore it is a ground infallible that populous armies at home or abroad cannot long endure without great reuenues and a continuall sea of readie money for as the members of our bodie cannot mooue without sinewes nor motion auaile vs if ioints were wanting so without money an armie can neuer be gathered nor being gathered kept togither nor resolutely lead foorth to any piece of seruice if coine be wanting which preuenteth infinite mischances and draweth after it armour prouision victuals and whatsoeuer is necessarie for life or armes And sithence the wealth of Princes euen as of priuate persons from whose purses they supply their occasion hath limits and measure Let them not thinke to begin any long warre much lesse to continue it vnlesse they throughly prouide aforehand or are Lords of mines rich and inexhaustible for great treasures are soone spent and that which hath thriftily been gathered in peace must prodigally be disbursed in warre euen one yeere of warre wasteth the reprisals of many yeeres peace Which mooued a certaine Portugall captaine to tell king Sebastian prouiding for his iournie into Barbarie that warres should be performed with three streames the first of men the second of vittaile the third of siluer For all warres are exceeding chargeable but those most excessiue and beyond opinion which are managed far from home The great Turke in his Persian iourneies felt the smart hereof who though he were so potent a prince was notwithstanding constrained to raise the value of his coine and abase the allay so farre foorth that the Ianizars finding themselues aggrieued thereat raised commotions set fire on the citie of Constantinople and rifled a great part thereof Neither could the king of Spaine sustaine the burden of so many warres and in so remote prouinces if he trusted to no other supplies then those of Spaine but Fortune hath giuen him a countrie prodigall in mines of gold and siluer assuredly paying the expence of one yeere with the income of another This clotheth and feedeth the soldier bringeth them to a head and maketh them to march cheerefully vpon all seruices Iohn laques Triuulce being demanded how many things were necessarie in warre answered three Monie monie monie But these grounds onely holde when the burden of the warre lieth vpon the purse of the prince and his people for sometime it happeneth that the soldier liueth vpon the enemies countrie as did the Huns Vandals Gothes Arabians and in our daies Tamerlane They entred the prouinces without controle or resistance being vnprouided of forces and made pray and spoile of whatsoeuer came into their reaches they ransacked the cities and fed vpon the villages The like good lucke had the Portugals in the East Indies and the Castilians in the West but the one far better then the other for neuer any nation conquered with lesse cost so much as the Spaniards haue done in New Spaine and Peru. But let not any people thinke to doe so in these daies no not in Asia or Afrike much lesse in Europe where the vse of great ordinance is in perfection and the arte of fortification so ingenious that one castell shall be able to sustaine yea well prouided to wearie the forces of the greatest potentate The Turks at Zigeth a sinall castell in Hungarie approoued this which in the yeere 1566. Soliman belegered with three hundred thousand men of warre and at last forced but with so great a slaughter of his people that scant the third part of this huge armie returned to their houses In like manner the Portugals in the beginnings of their Indian acquisitions with a few soldiers and in little time woon admirable victories but when the Barbarians began to grow acquainted with artillerie to allure Carpenters and Masons to build them castels and to arme vessels to sea their courages became calme and there set an end to their plus vltra The like did the Spanish in the new world to their Non sufficit orbis For after their first good fortunes they found in Noua Hispania the Chichimechi and in Peru the Pilcosonij the Ciriguani and the Luchij people so well prouided to stop the furious course of their former victories that sithence in twenty seuen yeeres space they haue not beene able to adde one footes bredth to their new emperie In the vale of Aranco Tecapel and the kingdome of Chile when the inhabitants saw them to be wounded and slaine with the strokes of their arrowes and swords they neuer afterward vouchsafed them their former reuerence nor carried the woonted conceit of their immortalitie and now being beaten by experience they feare not the cariere of the horse nor the terror of the harquebuse If the warre be at or within our owne doores then is it easie to leuie strong and populous forces as we reade of the Crotons Sibarites and Gauntois who made head against the power of France with fourescore thousand fighting men For when the warre was made in these populous countries and neere at hand euerie man made one in the medle gallantly armed and well prouided with furniture and victuall to hold out certaine daies but when the warre continued longer then expectation for want of money and foode euerie man retired one to the plough another to his shop the rest to those trades whereby they sustained themselues and their families The Scots for want of wealth neuer made famous iourney out of the Iland but at home they haue lead mightie armies for a short time either to reuenge wrongs or defend their frontires euen as did the Romanes for certaine ages warring with their neighbours at their priuate charges They tooke the field euerie man prouided with victuall for two or three daies and in one battell and few howers finished that warre But in the iourney against the Veij the warre continuing beyond opinion the State was inforced to procure pay for the armie That armies may far casier be gathered in the east and in Africke then in Europe the reasons are many Those regions for the most part are more plentifull and copious of all necessaries for humane life the people of the south are better contented with little then we their diet is spare and simple onely to maintaine life and not excesse but the Europeans must eate and drinke not to sustaine nature but to comfort the stomacke and expell colds Wine which with vs is deerer then bread is not to be found amongst them their
Samori which signifieth Emperor or as some write God on earth Although the reputation of this king be much ecclipsed by the Portugals partly by diuersion of traffike from his countries and partly by astisting his rebels and vassals the kings of Tauor and Cochin and though his title of Samori be little regarded yet maintaineth hee his woonted maiestie in very good sort amongst the Barbarians Calecute is 25. leagues long Malabar in the broadest place exceedeth not ten The citie of Calecute from whence the prouince taketh his name is three miles long situated vpon the sea side It containeth but few houses and those of little woorth not aboue ten fifteene or twentie nobles rent by yeere which is the common rent of all the housing of the East Indies if the Arabians or Portugals be not dealers therein The inhabitants liue vpon rice palmito cattell and fish Their riches consist in ginger and pepper which draweth yeerely a great masse of treasure into the hauens of this kingdome The Arabians were Lords of this traffike for many ages till the Portugals setting light by the incredible dangers of a long nauigation arriued there not aboue 100. yeeres since and bartred their wares for pepper and other commodities of the land And as the Portugals enriched the townes of Cochin so did the Arabians Calecute and that kingdome For this commoditie is of such consequence that it not onely enricheth the prince with presents and customes but in such sort so augmenteth the state of the merchants that some of them are comparable to many dukes in Europe and kings in Afrike In their wars in Malabar they vse not the seruice of horse not onely for that the climate breedeth none for those that they haue are brought out of Persia and Arabia but for that the nature of the countrey is not fit for horsemanship For as in Sweuia the footemen vse no pikes and the horsemen no launces for the thicknes of the woods which maketh them vnseruiceable so in Malabar because of the streights riuers of the sea and marishes they seldome vse horses so that all their forces consist in shipping and footemen It is strange to see how readie the soldier of this countrie is at his weapon they are all gentlemen and termed Naires At seuen yeeres of age they are put to schoole to learne the vse of their weapons where to make them nimble and actiue their sinewes and ioints are stretched by skilfull fellowes and annointed with the oile of Sesamus by this annointing they become so light and nimble that they will winde and turne their bodies as if they had no bones casting them forward backward heigh and low euen to the astonishment of the beholders Their continual delight is in their weapon perswading themselues that no nation goeth beyond them in skill and dexteritie Euery one inureth himselfe to that weapon whereto he findeth his bodie most agreeable Their ancient weapons were the Iauelin the bowe and the sword but after the comming of the Portugals they learned so exactly the mixing of mettals the casting of great ordinance and the practise thereof that some say their artillerie and powder surpasseth ours They go to the warre all naked saue their priuities neither vse they head peeces which is the reason that in fights and skirmishes they shew exceeding agilitie charging retiring more like falcons then soldiers When a man would take them to be farre off he shall see them houering round about him in a trice so that it is as dangerous to follow them flying as to deale with them fighting They are swift as leopards and their flight as much to be feared as their charge If they come to handstrokes which they will not do but vpon necessitie or aduantage they vse altogither to strike with the point They binde copper or siluer shingles to the hilts of their swords the sound whereof in steede of drums and trumpets encourageth them to the encountre They wil lie so close vnder their bucklers that you shall not see any part of their bodies lie open to danger There are one kind of Nairs called Amochi which accurse themselues their kinred and posteritie with most bitter execrations if they leaue iniuries done to their societie vnreuenged If their king happen to be slaine so much the more furious runne they through fire water and assured destruction to reuenge his death And therefore the kings of India suppose their estates weake or strong as they perceiue the numbers of those Amochi to be few or many By the lawe of the countrie they may not marrie but they are all allowed women in common They maintaine those women very well according to their birth and degrees They must be all gentlewomen for the Nairs may not take any countriewomen yea so great is their disdaine and pride that without ill vsage they will not indure any of the common people to come neere them In their iournies they send their seruants before to the Innes and villages to declare their masters approch then must all trauellers depart and giue roome If it be thought in Turkie that by licentious libertie in time of peace the Ianizars become more hardie and couragious in warre what may we deeme of these Nairs who will not indune a man of meane calling to looke them in the face They inhabite no townes but dwell in houses made of earth inuironed with hedges and woods and their waies as intricate as into a laborinth Of what force this kingdome is may be gathered by the armie of sixtie thousand soldiers and two hundred vessels of warre which he leuied 1503. against Edward Pacheco the king of Portugals captaine taking part at that time with the king of Cochin this warre lasted almost fiue monethes In the yeere 1529. with an armie of one hundred thousand he belegered the fortresse which the Portugals built in Calecute vnder the keeping of Iohn Lima. In this siege he spent a whole winter wherein although the Portugals behaued themselues very valiantly yet weighing the kings forces and their owne possibilities they thought it best to destroy it with their owne hands In the yeere 1561. he besieged Ciale with 90. thousand men and tooke it by composition He hath more then once giuen an instance of his power at sea He is Lord of many hauens whereunto great numbers of shipping doe resort and in that regarde cannot choose but be well furnished with a great nauie But in goodnes of shipping and martiall discipline we must needes confesse the sea-forces of all the Indian princes to be far inferior to those of the Portugals whose dominion both at sea and land nothing hath so much augmented as their defensiue warfare To speake truth it seldome falleth out but the naked man feareth the sword and the armed more incouraged thereby bearing himselfe bolder vpon his skill then his strength and preuailing more by temporizing then in ioyning foote to foote by rash fighting whereas the Barbarians putting more confidence in their numbers then
against true religion to arrogate to himselfe the name of God an imagination as I said before full of extreme ambition and madnes But in the midst of these proud and vnreasonable cogitations God raised vp against him a new enimie from the easterne parts of Iapan who as we vnderstand by aduisoes of the last yeere is likely to giue him his hands and head full of busines The Xeriffe AMongst all the potentates of Afrike I do not thinke that there can any one be found to excell this prince either in wealth or power His dominion conteineth all that tract of Mauritania which the Romans called Tingitana and stretcheth from the promontory Bayador to Tanger and from the Atlantike Ocean to the riuer Muluia In which progresse is conteined the best portion of all Afrike the best inhabited the pleasantest the fruitefullest and most ciuill Herein amongst others are the famous kingdomes of Fez and Marocho the one diuided into seuen prouinces the other into eight The countrey is diuided into plains and mountaines The mountaines are inhabited with a strong and fierce people rich in pastures cattle possessing a great part of the lesse and bigger Atlas Betweene the greater Atlas and the Ocean lieth the plaine countrey and therein the roiall citie of Marocho distant fowreteene miles from Atlas watered with many springs brookes and riuers In times past this citie conteined one hundred thousand housholds and was the chiefest of Afrike but by little and little is decaied and nowe lieth more waste then inhabited In the kingdome of Marocho besides others is Tedsi a towne of fiue thousand housholds and Tagaost of eight thousand Taradant giueth place to none for noblenes and traffike though for largenes and circuit It is situated betweene Atlas and the Ocean in a plaine sixteene miles long and little lesse broad abounding with sugar and all kinde of prouision The good regard and continuall abode which Mahumet Xeriffe made in this place did greatly augment and innoblish this towne Being past Atlas you enter into most batle plaines wherein how fruitefull the soile is of sugar oliues cattle and all good things can hardly be spoken The kingdome of Fez likewise conteineth diuers prouinces excellent well peopled Amongst them is Alga a territorie of fowrescore miles long and sixtie broad Elabut is 100. miles long and 60. broad Eriff is a prouince wholy mountanous therein are said to be 23. branches of the mount Atlas inhabited for the most part with sauage and barbarous people Caret is drie and rockie more like Lybia then Barbarie Now because the glory and maiestie of this kingdome consisteth especially in the citie of Fez I thinke it not amisse to describe the situation thereof It is diuided into two parts a little distant one from the other the one called the old towne the other the new A little riuer likewise diuideth the old into two parts The east part is called Beleyda containing fowre thousand housholds the west part is commonly called old Fez and hath fowerscore thousand and vpward standing not farre from the new Fez which likewise hath eight thousand Old Fez standeth partly vpon hils partly on plaines and hath in it 50. Mahumetan temples of admirable largenes All of them haue their fountaines and pillers of Allablaster and Iasper besides these there are sixe hundred of a lesse sort amongst the which that which is commonly called Carucen is most beautifull builte in the hart of the citie and containing halfe a mile in compasse in bredth it containeth seuenteene arches in length 120. borne vp by 2500. white marble pillars vnder the chiefest arch where the tribunall is kept hangeth a most huge lamp incompassed with 110. lesse Vnder the other arches hang very great lampes in each whereof burne 1500. lights They say in Fes that all these lampes were made of the bels which the Arabians brought out of Spaine who not onely made praie of bels but of columns pillars brasse marble and whatsoeuer was rich and curious first erected by the Romans and afterwards by the Gothes There are in Fez aboue 200. schooles of learning 200. Innes and 400. water milles euery one driuen with fower or fiue wheeles There are also diuers Colleges amongst the which that which is called Madarac is accounted for one of the most finest peeces of workemanship throughout all Barbarie There are likewise 600. conduits from whence almost euery house is serued with water It were a long labour to describe their Burse they call it Alcacer it is a place walled about hauing twelue gates and diuided into fifteene walkes where the merchants meete and dispatch their busines vnder tents Their delightsome gardens and pleasant parks with the rillets and waters running through them I can hardly describe For the most part the king keepeth his court at Fes wherein he hath a castle palaces houses adorned with rare workmanship rich and beautifull euen to his harts desire He hath a way vnder ground from the old towne to the new For the greatnes and statelines thereof by the grant of former kings it enioieth this strange priuiledge not indure any siege vnlesse the citizens shall thinke their prince for strength and forces able and equall to cope with his enimie if not without reproch of treason or ignominie they may yeeld their citie before their enimie approch within halfe a mile of the wals This haue they done that so goodly and so flourishing a citie should not suffer spoile vnder pretext of vnprofitable temporizing It is of no lesse moment for situation store of corne oile flaxe and cattle then for pleasantnes of territorie and plentie of water The wals are very strong and defended with manie bulwarkes The inhabitants are very thriftie giuen to traffike and especially to the making of clothes of wooll silke and cotton The kings eldest sonne is called the prince of Mequiuez Though the kingdome haue no good hauens vpon the Mediterranean sea yet great store of Englishmen and Frenchmen resort to Alarach Aguer and other ports in the Ocean whereof some belong to the kingdome of Fes and other to the kingdome of Marocho They carrie thither armor and otherwares of Europe which they bartre for sugar and other commodities Now how the kingdomes of Fes and Marocho two seuerall principalities with their dependances became subiect to one crowne I think it worthy relation bicause a more strange and memorable accident hath not happened in our age About the yeere of our Lord 1508. a certaine Alfaique borne in Tigumedet in the prouince of Dara began to grow in reputation a man of a reaching wit and no lesse ambitious then learned in the Mathematicks His name was Mahumet Beâ—-Amet otherwise called Xerif by his owne commandement This man deriuing his peregree from Mahumet and imboldened by the ciuill wars of Africke and the differents of the states and common weales thereof wherein in those daies the Portugals were of no small puissance began to dreame vpon the conquest
of their bodie as blinde lame tall bold c. This king is verie puissant in people of whom he exacteth no other tribute then the tenths of the increase of their liuely hoods For exercise and insteed of occupations they giue themselues 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 vnder him many kingdomes and nations some white some blacke He is an heauie enemie to the Abessines taking away their cattell rifling their mines and leading away the people in captiuitie His horsemen ride after the Spanish manner armed with lances steeled at both ends darts and arrowes but their inrodes resemble rather robberies and garboiles then wars managed by valiant soldiers The Turke likewise on the east and the king of Adel on the southeast do cruelly vexe him for they haue curtald his large dominion and brought his prouinces into great miserie In the yeere 1558. the Turke harried the whole territorie of Bernagasso but since expulsed and tooke from Prester Iohn whatsoeuer he was Lord of vpon that sea coast especially the hauen and citie of Suaquen and Erococo in which place the mountaines betweene Abex and the red sea make a gate as it were for the traffique and carriages of the Abessines and Arabians And sithence that Bernangasso was inforced to submit himselfe to the Turkish commands to buy his peace and in name of a tribute to pay one thousand ounces of gold yeerely The king of Adel is his no lesse infestious enemie he bordereth vpon the kingdome of Fatigar and his siegniorie stretcheth alongst the red sea as far as Assum Salir Meth Barbora Pidar and Zeila Many ships come from Aden and Cambaia to Barbora with merchandise which they trucke for flesh honie wax and vittail these commodities are carried to Aden gold iuorie and such wares are sent to Cambaia the greatest part of vittail honie wax corne and fruits brought from Zeila are carried into Aden and Arabia as likewise much cattell especially sheepe hauing tailes of 25. 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 dewlaps like oxen Some of their kine haue hornes with many branches like our deere othersome haue one horne in their forehead growing backward a span and halfe long The chiefe citie of this kingdome is Arar 38. leagues distant from Zeila towardes the southeast He professeth Mahumetisme and since his conuersion he hath intitled himselfe with the sirname of Holy aâ—owing continuall war against the Abessine Christians and therefore he watcheth the time of the foresaid fast of fiftie daies when he entreth their territories burneth their villages taketh prisoners and then committeth a thousand other mischiefes The Abessine slaues doe often leaue their countrie and take vpon them great iournies putting themselues in the seruice of great Lords where many times by their industrie and good carriage they become high commaunders in Arabia Cambaia Bengala and Sumatra For the Mahumetan princes being all tyrants Lords of those countries which they haue forced from the Gentils to secure their estates doe neuer trust their home-bred subiects but wage strangers and slaues vnto whose fidelitie they commit their persons and the managing of all the affaires of their kingdomes And amongst all sorts of slaues the Abessine is in greatest esteeme for his faithfulnes and towardly disposition The king of Adel ouerlaieth Egypt and Arabia with these slaues which hee changeth with the Turks and princes of Arabie for armour prouision of warre and soldiers In the yeere of our Lord 1500. Claud king of Abex perceiuing himselfe inferior to Grad-Ameda king of Adel for he had vexed his land with 14. yeeres incursions forsaking the frontires retired himselfe into the inward parts of his kingdome intreating for aide of Stephen Gama viceroy of India vnder Iohn the third king of Portugall who was then in the red sea with a warlike nauie In compassion of his miseries and religion he sent him fower hundred Portugall-shot very well furnished vnder the conduct of Christopher his brother By their aide and vse of their artillerie he ouerthrew his enemies in two battels but the king of Adel obtaining of the gouernor of the citie of Zebit one thousand harquebushers and ten pieces of ordinance in the third fight put the Portugals to flight and slew their captaine Afterwards when Adel had sent away these Turkes king Claudius set vpon him at vnawares by the riuer Zeila and the mountaine Sana with eight thousand footemen fiue hundred Abessine horsemen and the remainder of the liuing Portugals one of whome gaue Grada-Amada his deaths wound But in March 1509. Claudius fighting with the Moores of Malaca gaining the victorie was slaine in the battel Adam his brother succeeded against whom being a demi-Mahumetan the greatest part of the Abessine nobilitie rebelled and was ouerthrowne in the yeere 1562. by Bernagasso By this casualtie did the Aethiopian affaires ebbe flow vntill in the raigne of Alexander things began in some sort to returne to their ancient estate by the aide of the Portugals who furnished them with weapons both offensiue and defensiue and by their examples incouraged them to be stout and couragious against their enemies All that were liuing after the defeature of Christopher Gama and all that euer went thither since that day to this doe still remaine there marrying wiues and begetting children King Alexander gaue them leaue to elect a Iusticer and to end all matters of controuersie amongst themselues which maketh them so willing to stay and to teach them the vse of their weapons the manner of our warfare and how to fortifie passages and places of importance Sithence those times Francis Medices contracting friendship with the Abessine diuers Florentines some for pleasure and some for profit haue trauelled into those prouinces wherein when they are once entred the king intreateth them so faire and giueth them so largely whereupon to liue that they can hardly obtaine licence to returne againe into their owne countries Besides these he hath other enemies as the king of Dancali whose citie and hauen is Vela vpon the red sea and the Moores of Doba a prouince diuided into foureteene Lieutenantships These people though they are accounted within the limits of the Abessine Empire yet doe they often rebell hauing a law amongst themselues that no yoong man may contract matrimonie vnlesse he can bring good proofe that he hath slaine twelue Christians Monomotapa IN the residue of Aethiop raigne diuers powerfull princes as the kings of Adel Monomugi Monomotapa Angola and Congo of which as yet we vnderstand very little But that the Reader by the description of one may coniecture of the rest I wil speake somwhat of the state policie of Monomotapa because it is mightier and more famous then the rest This kingdome containeth all that Iland which lieth between the riuers of Cuama and Spirito Santo a territorie of 150. leagues in compasse and from Spirito Santo it stretcheth euen to the Cape of Good Hope for the Vizeroys of that huge tract do acknowledge him for their soueraigne and supreme gouernour of townes villages they haue few those cottages which they haue consist of timber and tâ—ach One of their chiefe cities is called Zimbas and other Benema taxa the one fifteene miles the other 21. distant from Cefala towards the west The soile aboundeth with corne with cattle great and small wandring by heards through the fields and woods By the store of teeth from thence transported we may coniecture that lesse then 5000. elephants cannot but die yeerely in this countrey These beasts are here very great There is no climate like it for plentie of gold for by report there are 3000. mines whereout gold is digged gold is likewise found in the earth in rocks and riuers The mines of Manica Boro Quiticui and Toroe which some men call Butua are the richest The people are meane of stature black wel set They conuerse with the king kneeling on their knees and to sit in his presence is the vse with them as with vs to stand and that is granted but to great lords The assay of meate and drinke is not made before but after the prince hath eate and drunke Heere are no prisons because law passeth vpon the offendor in the very moment wherein the offence was committed The offences most seuerely punished are witchcraft theft and adulterie They pay no other tribute but certaine daies worke and presents without the which no man may appeere in the princes presence The king beareth in his coat of armes a certaine little spade with an Iuorie handle and two small darts He keepeth for his faithfullest guard two hundred dogs He keepeth the heires of his vassall princes to be secured of their parents loyaltie One of the kings not long sithence was conuerted and Baptized by Gonsalua Silua a Iesuite with the greater part of his courtiers but afterwards by the perswasion of certaine Moores in great credite about him he caused him to be slaine Sebastian king of Portugall offended heereat proclaimed warre against him vnder the leading of Francisco Barreâ—â—o This armie consisted of sixeteene hundred the greatest part gentlemen to whom the Monomotapa fearing their armes and valour offered honorable conditions but the captaine whom no offer or indiffeferencie could satisfie was ouercome and his armie vtterlie consumed yet not by the enimie but by sicknes and the infectious aire of the countrey FINIS Faults escaped Page 17. lin 30. for lanciers read men at armes Page 20. lin 38. for defensible r. defeasible Page 24. lin 22. for supremacie r. soueraigntie Page 28. lin penult these words without relation to the kingly authoritie are superfluous Page 65. lin 30. for it might r. he might Page 65. lin 34. for he is immediate r. mediate he is Page 127. lin 24. for can be wanting r. cannot be wanting 1597.