mountaines of Calecut and the sea called the great gulfe of Bengala It is rich in gold which is there found in riuers Look the situation thereof in the Map of the East Indies and in the Asia of Ortelius and Cellarius The Pint-Eusine is now called the Maior or the blacke Sea at the one end thereof toward the Midland sea is Constantinople the Card-men call it by diuers names which Ortelius hath set downe in his Synonym By the Brother waues of those Chaldean streames is meant as I suppose the Persian sea whereinto Euphrates and Tygris both together empty being before ioined about Babylon now called Bagadet and so the Poet takes as much of the breadth of Asia at the West end as he doth at the East the one from Quinsay to Chiorze the other from the sea of Constantinople to the Persian Gulfe Concerning the straight of Anien the Cardmen are not all of one opinion Mercator Ortelius Cellarius Theuet and others set down plainly a good broad arm of Sea betwixt the Northeast point of Asia and America But Vopelius ioines Asia and this fourth part of the world together greatly enlarging Asia and curtolling the other contrary to the opinion of the Authors aforesaid and many Spaniards that haue written of the new-found world the reasons that may bee alledged in fauour of either side require a large Commentary Vopelius his opinion indeed cutteth off many doubts that arise about the enpeopling of America but Mercator and th 'others who are most commonly followed seeme to ground more vpon Geography and better to agree with the seas naturall sway and easie compassing the earth Arias Montanus in his booke intituled Phaleg where he treateth of the habitations of Noes posterity setteth downe a Mappe according to Vopelius this booke of his bound in the volume called Apparatus is ioined with the great Bibles of Antwerp But the Poet followeth Mercator Ortelius and the common opinion of the Cardmen of our time for Ptolome Strabo Mela in their daies had not discouered so much Quinsay which the Poet cals Quinzit is a famous citty in the Northeast point of Asia about tenne leagues from the sea built vpon peeres and arches in a marrish ground it is twenty leagues or 100 miles about and by reason as well of the great Lake-waters there as also of th'ebbe and flow of the sea it hath as M. P. Venet. reports in the 64. chapter of his 2. booke 12000 bridges of stone the most renoumed bound-marke of all Asia and the greatest city in the world if that bee true But Theuet gainsaith it in the 27 chapter of the 12 booke of his Cosmography where he describes the city and Lake with the riuer that causes the lake to swell hee sayeth it is not aboue foure leagues in compasse yet M. Paule affirmes he hath been there Chiorze is another worthy part of Asia set downe here for a bound-marke because of the strange Buls there as great as Elephants with haire as smooth and soft as silke Howsoeuer now adaies that country is nothing so ciuill as others inhabited by the posterity of Cham and Iaphet yet the fruitfulnesse of the ground and great commodities there growing for maintainance of mans life declare it hath beene in times past one of the best portions of the children of Noe. 7 Ashurt Assyriland Moses sayth the sonnes of Sem were Elam Ashur Arphaxad Lud and Aram The Poet here in six verses hath noted out the first habitations of these fiue reseruing afterward about the 300 verse and so forth to shew their first second third and fourth out-going ouer the rest of Asia Concerning Ashur it may be gathered out of the 10 of Genesis verse the 11 that hauing sorted himselfe with the people that now began to feare Nimrod and liking not to liue vnder that yoke went on further and in the countrey after his name called Assyria built Niniuy which a long time remained one of the greatest citties in the world as appeares by the prophesie of Ionas and other places of Scripture and Caleh and Resen not farre asunder which haue been long-agoe destroyed Elam that was the eldest seated himselfe by the riuer Euphrates neere the Persian Gulfe which now is called the Sea of Mesendin The Poet giueth him a Princely title because the Monarchie began betime and long continued ther-abouts where also raigneth still the Sophi a great Emperor and deadly enemie of the Turks The Riuer Araxes is described by Ptolome in his third Mappe of Asia where hee makes it spring from the foote of Pariard which some men take for the hill Taurus and so passing Scapene Soducene Colthene to emptie into the Caspian sea These countries are very rich and therefore the Poet cals them fat lands Lud hauing passed the Riuer composed of Tygris and Euphrates which straight after void into the Gulfe had Elam on the North the two Riuers ioyned and the Gulfe on the East and on the West the Marches of Seba which is the vpper part of Arabia The Poet here alloueth him the Lydian fields if by Lydia bee vnderstood that part of the lesser Asia called Meâ—nia by Ptolome Herodote and Plinie Lud should haue wandered further then the other foure brothers Moses reports not any thing of his Colonies and his farre going may bee the cause for according to the Poet hee should haue coasted vp as farre as Aeolia and the Midland sea The seat of Aram is Mesopotamia to wit the countries about Babylon and the mountaines of Armenia which were after called by the name of Taurus This also containeth Syria and the great Armenia betwixt the which runneth Euphrates Arphaxad passing Euphrates staied in Chaldea and for that Astronomy and other excellent arts there chiefly flourished the Poet surnameth him the Learned which appertaineth also vnto him in regard of the true doctrine maintayned by his posteritie and after some corruption reformed in the house of Abraham whom the Lord remooued from Vr of the Chaldeans into Syria Cham goes to the â—â—â—â—paâ—â—s 8 C ham Lord was of the land that Southward is beset With scorch'd Guineas waues and those of Guagamet Of Benin Cefala Botongas Concritan That fruitfull is of droogs to poison beast or man Northward it fronts the sea from Abile pent betweene The barren Affricke shoare and Europe fruitfull-greene And on the Westerne coast where Phoebus drownes his light Thrusts out the Cape of Fesse the greene Cape and the white And hath on th' other side whence comes the sunne from sleepe Th' Arabike seas and all the blood-resembling Deepe Nay all the land betwixt the Liban mountaine spred And Aden waues betwixt the Persicke and the Red This mighty Southerne Prince commanding far and wide Vnto the regiment and scept'r of Affricke tide 9 Canan one of his sonnes began to build and dwell â—ow and what â—â—â—â—ns are deâ—â—â—ded of Cham By lordans gentle streame whereas great Israell Was after to be plac'd Phut peopled Lybia Mizraijm
Hochilega and other landes thereabouts Reade Theuet also the latter Card-men For the French Calicuza I haue translated Caliquas according as I finde it written both in others and in Ortellius who also hath for Mechi Terlichi-mechi and therefore I translate it Terlichi 46 They sow'd at'hother side Xalisco nowe called Noua Gallicia is described by Gomara in the 21. Chapter of his 5. booke It is a land very fruitfull and rich in honny waxe and siluer and the people there are Idolaters and Men-eaters Nunnius Gusmannus who seized the countrie for the king of Spain in the yeare 1530. hath written a discourse thereof and it is to be read in the third volume of the Spanish Nauigations The Prouince of Mechuacan from whence not farre lyeth Cusule is about 40. leagues lower southward then Xalisco that also the said Gusmannus conquered after he had most cruelly and traiterously put to death the Prince and Peeres of the countrie as Gomara sheweth in his booke chapter aboue quoted Mexico which some count all one with Themixtetan is the mother Cittie of that kingdome now called Hispania Noua wonderfull rich it is and strong and of high renoume built farre more curiously then Venice vpon a lake salt on the northside because it is there of a Sea-like breadth and on the southside fresh because of a Riuer that empties there into it Greater is the Cittie thought to be then Seuille in Spaine the streetes are passing well set and their channels in such manner cast as can not be mended Diuers places there are to buy and sell-in the needefull and ordinary wares but one there is greater then the rest with many walkes and galleries round about it where euery day may bee seene aboue threescore thousande Chapmen There is the Iudgement hall for common Pleas and were also many temples shrines of Idols before the comming of Ferdinando Cortez who made thereof the first conquest for the K. of Spaine exercising most horrible cruelties vpon all both yong and old in the Citie as Barthelemi de las Casas a Monke Bishoppe of Spaine reports in his historie of the Indies where he stayed a long time Looke the description of Mexico in the thirde volume of the Spanish Nauigations fol. 300. See also Benzo of Millaine his historie of the newe worlde the 2. booke and 13. Chapter Now from these partes aboue named after report of some wonders of many there seene and worthie a larger discourse by themselues the Poet drawes his Colonies down further towardes Peru by the Land-straight of Panama which parts the South-sea from the Ocean and thereabout is hardly 20. leagues in breadth The fiery mountaine of Nicaragua is by Gomara described in his 5. booke Chap. 203. so are the other wonders which the Poet here notes in his 4. booke chap. 194. 47 Then Chili they possest Gomara in his fourth booke chap. 131. holds opinion that the men of Chili are the right Antipodes or Counter-walkers vnto Spaine and that the countrie there is of the same temper with Andaluzie This Chili lyeth on the shore of el Mar Pacifico so also doth Quintete which I haue put for Chinca both neere the Patagones or Giants whose countrie is full of people and hath certaine riuers that runne by day and stand by night some think because of the snowes which in the day time are melted by the Sun and frozen by the Moone in the night but I take it rather to be some great secret and miracle of nature The cause why here I made exchange of Chinca was first for that the Poet had spoke before of the springs of Chink which I take for the same then because it is so diuersly placed of the Card-men for Ortelius in his Mappe of the new world sets it aboue and Theuet beside Chili in either place it stands well to be taken for the Chink afore-named but Mercator placeth it a great deale lower and on the contrary coast neer the riuer of Plata where indeede is a countrie called Chica that perhaps hath bred this error Lastly Quintete stands so right in way which the Poet followes from Chili to the Patagones that I thought it not amisse to take the same rather then the doubtfull Chinca By the fomy Brack of Magellanus he meanes the sea and Straight of Magellan close by terra Australis Gomara describeth it well in the beginning of the third booke of his Portugall Historie The Poet hath alreadie shewed how people came first on the North America from the kingdome of Anian ouer the maine land to th' Atlantick sea shore then on all the further coasts from Quiuir to the Magellan Straight along th' Archipelago de San Lazaro Mar del Zur Pacifico and now he takes the higher side on the left hand from the Land-Straight of Panama to the riuer of Plata which is not farre from the Magellan noting by the way the most note-worthie places of all this huge reach of ground represented as it is by our late writers in their generall and particular Mappes of the New-found world Huo is a great sweet-water streame rising at Quillacingas that lieth vnder the Equatour and running athwart the countrie now called Carthage into the sea at Garia Vraba is the countrie that lieth betwixt that riuer and Carthagene Concerning Zenu marke what Gomara sayth thereof in his second booke and 69. chapter It is the name of a riuer and citie both and of a Hauen very large and sure The Citie is some 8. leagues from the sea There is a great Mart for Salt and Fish Gould the inhabitants gather all about and when they set themselues to get much they lay fine-wrought nets in the riuer of Zenu and others and oftentimes they draw-vp graines of pure gold as big as egges This countrie is not farre from the Straight of Darien In the sayd second booke chap. 72. he describes also Noua Grenada and the Mount of Emeraudes which is very high bare and peeld without any herbe or tree thereon growing and lieth some fiue degrees on this side the Equatour The Indians when they goe-about to get the stones first vse many enchauntments to know where the best vaine is The first time the Spanyards came there they drew thence great and little 1800. very fayre and of great price but for this commoditie the countrie is so barren that the people were faine to feede on Pismers till of late the Spanish couetousnesse hath made them know the value of their Mountaine Cumana is described in the foresaid booke chap. 79. in the ende whereof Gomara sayth the vapours of the Riuer of Cumana engender a certaine little mist or slime vpon mens eyes so as the people there are very pore-blind Parie is described in the 84 chapter of the said second book Maragnon a Riuer which as Gomara sayth 2. booke 87. chapter is three-score miles ouer It emptieth at the Cape of Aâ—inde three degrees beiond th' Aequator but springeth a great way further
their length bredth and commodities I neither dare nor wil euer charge therewith my notes entended for short Besides it was not the Poets minde to hold the reader long with view and studie of such matter and questions as may be had and plainly resoiled of the Card-men 35 Now from the center-point Out of Assyria and Mesopotamia Iaphet or the next race from him drew toward the West into those places that the Poet names set downe as they are in the ancient and later Mappes of Asia and Europe I neede not mince euery word of the text Armenie is distinguished into the Great and Lesse it lieth neere the Caspian sea and coasteth toward Europe The sweete Corician cave it is in Cilicia and is described of Plinie in the 27. chapter of his 5. booke and Strabo in his 4. book and Solinus in his 51. chap. Concerning the strange matters which the Poet reports of it reade Pomponius Mela his description of Cilicia the first booke Besides many notable properties of the place he sayth moreouer that when a man hath gone there a troublesome narrow way a mile and more he shall come through pleasant shades into certaine thick woods which make a sound no man can tell how of certaine country-songs and after he is passed thorow to the end thereof he shall enter another deeper shadowe which amazeth much all that come there by reason of a noise is heard loud and passing mans power to make as it were the sound of many Cimballes These are his words Terret ingredientes sonitis Cimbalorū diuinitùs magno fragore crepitantium He sets downe also at large al other the pleasant delights of the place Concerning this musicke some thinke it a fable Others ascribe it to a naturall cause as that the ayre entring by a narrow mouth into a vault of stone wide and very deepe soone growes thereby exceeding raw and so turnes into water then dropping still downe in many places and quantities somewhat proportionable vpon the sounding stone makes in those hollow rockie places a noyse as it were musicall Taure his loftie downes this great mountaine reacheth hence well toward Pisidia Westward and on the other side a great way into Asia as Ptolomee sheweth in his first table Meander a riuer arising out of the mountaines of Pelta and Totradium in Asia the lesse it runneth thorow Hierapolis Pisidia Licaonia Caria and other countries thereabouts into the Midland sea Illios or Troas Bithynia and the rest are higher toward Hellespont and the Maior sea 36 Then boldly passing ore He spake before of Illios which lies in low Phrigia vpon the shore of the Midland sea about the Sigean Peake and the riuer Simöis hard by the Straight of Gallipolie where Abydos on Asia-side stādeth and Sestos on the side of Europe now he saith the second ouercrease of Semites past the Straight it being in breadth but the fourth part of a league as Bellon auoucheth in the 2. booke and 3. chapter of his Singularities In times past there stood two towers one in Sest the other in Abyde in the toppes whereof wont to bee set great lights to waine the marriners by night Looke what we haue noted vpon the word Phare in the first day of the first weeke verse 448. and what vpon the word Leander 1. weeke fift day 912. verse At this time Sest and Abyde are two Castles where the Turke hath Garrisons and are the very keyes of Turkie in that quarter so neere is Constantinople vnto them Strimon Hebre and Nest are three great riuers passing thorow Thrace which is now called Remania and falling into the Aegean sea called now by some Archipelago and by the Turks the White sea Look the 9. table of Europe in Ptolomee The Rhodopeā dales Rhodope is a mountaine bounding Thrace in the dales thereof beside other townes are Philippoli and Hadrianopoli Danubie or Donaw is the greatest riuer of all Europe springing out of Arnobe hill which Ptolomee and Mercator puts for a bound betweene the Sweues and Grisons this Riuer running thorow Almaine Austria Hungaria Sclauonia and other countries with them interlaced receiueth into it aboue 50. great Riuers and little ones an infinite sort so emptieth by sixe great mouthes into the Maior sea Moldauia Valachia and Bulgaria are the countries neere about the fall of Danubie 37 Thrace These countries neere the Maior and Aegean Seas and the Thracian Bosphore thrust on the third ouercrease of people further West and Northward as the Poet very likely fayth the Mappes of Europe shew plainly the coasts he nameth for their chiefe seates But to shew how and when they changed and rechanged places and names of places driuing out one the other and remouing by diuers enterspaces it were the matter of a large booke 38 Now turning to the South He commeth now to handle the Colonies or ouercreases of Chams posteritie first into Arabia Phaenicia and Chananaea which was after called Indaea the site of these countries wee know well they are easie to bee found in the generall Mappes and those of Europe beside the particulars in Ptolomee and other late writers as namely in the Theater of Ortelius When the Chamites had ouerbred Arabia and the countrie south from Chaldaea which lies betwixt th' Arabian and Persian Gulfes they went at the second remoue down into Aegypt betwixt the red Midland seas thirdly they entred Affrick and by little and little filled it The Poet points-out many countries for better vnderstanding whereof wee must cōsider that Affrick the fourth part of the world knowne is diuided into foure parts Barbaria Numidia Lybia and the land of Negroes Barbaria conteineth al the North coast from Alexandria in Aegypt to the Straight of Gibraltar along by the Midland sea and is diuided into foure kingdomes Maroco Fessa Tremisen and Tunis conteining vnder them 21. Prouinces Vnder the same Southward lieth Numidia called of the Arabiās Biledulgerid and hauing but few places habitable Next below that is Lybia called Sarra as much to say as Desert a countrie exceeding hot and marching athonside vpon the land of Negroes that the last and greatest part of Affrick reacheth South and Eastward very farre In the further coast thereof is the countrie of Zanzibar certaine kingdomes and deserts neere the Cape of good hope which is the vtmost and Southerest peake of all Affrick Corene is neer Aegypt The Punick Sea the Sea of Carthage put for the Midland that parteth Europe and Affricke asunder Fesse is the name of the chiefe Citie of that Realme in Barbarie Gogden a Prouince of the Negroes as are also Terminan Gago and Melli neere the same Argin lieth neere the White Cape Gusola is one of the seuen Prouinces of Maroco in Barbarie Dara a countrie in the Northwest of Numidia not farre from Gusola Tombuto a great countrie in the West part of the Negroes neere aboue the riuer Niger So is Gualata but somewhat higher and right against the Greene Cape Mansara which I haue put in
coūsaile wauering in dyet sumptuous gentle in speech diuers in apparell outfacing his enemie a sweete singer a swift paser a merry louer If any man can draw a righter counterfait of our Nation let him take the pensill 63 Yet would th' Immortall God He showes for what cause it pleased God the earth should be enhabited by men of so diuers natures as 1. to the end he might shew forth his mercy and louing kindnes in raysing his chosen out of the sincks of sinne wherewith each of their birth-soyles were bestayned 2. That it might appeare how neither the soyles nor yet the heauenly Signes though they haue great power ouer earthly bodies can force the mindes of men especially such as God himselfe hath blessed 3. That there might be some in all places of the world to acknowledge his manifold goodnesse and glorifie his Name And 4. that whatsoeuer needfull things the earth any where by his gratious blessing bringeth forth proper and seuerally they might be enterchanged and carried from place to place for the vse of man 64 For as a Citie The last consideration giues the Author occasion to compare the world vnto a great Citie such as Paris Roan Tolouse Lyons or any other like where there are marchants and craftesmen for all kind of wares each in their seuerall wardes buying selling changing and trading one with other And euen so one countrie affoordeth sugar another spice another gummes and gold alabaster Iuorie hebenwood horses amber furres tynne and silke they are brought from diuers coastes all the more to furnish with thinges necessary this great Citie of the worlde VVhereby wee may note that no countrie bee it neuer so well appointed can say that it needes not the commodities of another And againe that there is no land so barren but hath some good thing or other which the rest want For euen in men wee see the like there is none so poore but hath some speciall gift none so rich but hath neede of the poorest Our Poet therefore hauing so fitly resembled the world by a great Citie he brings-in thereupon a fine example of the Persian Queene who as Herodotus Xenophon and Plutarch report called one Prouince her Iuelhouse another her Wardrope c for euen so may euery man say that hath the true knowledge and feare of God such a man may saye Peru bringes foorth Gold for me the Moluckes or Chaldaea Spice Damaske Alabaster and Italie Silke Germany sends me great Horses Moscouie rich Furres Arabia sweet Parfumes Spaine Saffern Prusse Amber England Cloath and Tinne France Corne and Wine Yea more the child of God may say the Earth the Sea the Aire and all that is therein the Sunne the Moone the Heauens are mine for he that needeth nothing made all things of nothing to serue me and me to worship him But of this let the Deuines discourse more at large He goe on with the Poet who sayth further against the carping Atheist that nothing was created in vaine but euen the most vnlikely places bring foorth many good fruits and very necessarie for the life of Man And hee proues it plainly by some notable particulars that follow 65 The Moores enameled First The Fennie Valleis though too moyst they are and ouer-low for men to build and dwell vpon yet are they so beset with diuers herbes and flowers so iagg'd garded and enter-trailed with riuers that they are as 't were the common gardens of the world as also the plaine fields are our seed-plots and the stony grounds our Vineyards 2. The huge Mountains about whose tops are engendred thunders lightnings and tempests for which cause the Atheists count them hurtfull or at least superfluous or made by chaunce and errour they are in trueth cleane contrarie as Theodoret hath long agoe shewed in his Sermons of Gods Prouidence euen the sure-standing Bounds and Land-marks of euery kingdome and countrie they beare great store of timber-trees for ships and houses and fuell to burne from them spring the great riuers that breede much fish and helpe the conueyance of prouision and other marchandise vnto many people dwelling far-of by them are stayd and gathered the clowdes and thicke musts that manure and fatten the lower grounds the Wind-milles are much helped by them as if they were the store-houses of winde like rampiers and bulwarks they keepe-of the sudden force of warlike neighbours and to conclude they are as 't were the very morter that ioynes Land and Sea together 3. The great Deserts and wast-grounds that are for men by reason of some wants scarse habitable yet like huge Commons they feede an infinit sort of beasts great small whereof we haue good vse and commoditie 4. The Sea it breeds fish maintaines many Cities encreases Traffick and makes the wayes for trauaile easier and shorter and lastly thereout the Sunne draweth vapours which after turned into raine doe refresh the Aire and make the ground fruitfull The like good vses may bee found in all other the Creatures of God how vnlikely soeuer they seeme to wicked Atheists Looke more in S. Basil Chrysostome Ambrose and others who write of the Creation and at large haue declared what excellent commodities man may reap of euery creature 66 But shall I still be toss'd Fitly and in very good time the Poet hauing ouerslipt nothing worthie note in this discourse of Colonies now strikes sayle and after his long voyage thorow all Climats of the world ariues happily at the hauen he most desired to weet in France and well he takes occasion to reckon-vp the great commodities of his countrie as commending the same aboue all the kingdomes of the world After he hath saluted the land with diuers honourable termes and titles he sayth very truly that it hath brought-foorth many worthie warriors cunning workmen and learned Schollers more is the meruaile because it is but a small kingdome in comparison of Polonia Persia Tartaria China and others But indeede the commodities thereof are most wonderfull Besides the seas that bound it as on the North and West the Ocean and the Midland on the South it hath many riuers of great name and euen little seas as the Rosue Saone Dordogne Loire Marne Seine Oise and yet a great number of other lesser streames and brookes Cities it hath as Paris Tolouse Roüan Lyon Bourdeaux and others of more value then diuers whole Duchies Earldomes or Prouinces elsewhere There are Forts and Castles now stronger and goodlier then euer were As for the ciuill behauiour of the people I report me to the iudgement of other nations The Land for the most part is very fruitfull and the aire there temperate almost euery where Against the sudden inuasion of enemies all is well defended by the two Seas aforesayd and the Alpes toward Italie and the Pyrenes toward Spaine More then all this the countrie is no where troubled with Crocodiles as Aegypt is nor with monstrous long Serpents or any wilde rauening beasts as the inner countries of Affricke are And in stead of Gold and Siluer Pearles and precious stones which diuers lands barren of necessarie fruites abound with it hath of Cloath Woade Wooll Salt Corne and Wine euer-growing Mines and euen vnwastable Woade and Salt in Languedoc and Salt againe in Guyenne Wine in most places Wooll and Corne in Prouence and Beausse and in euery Prouince but foure or fiue good store of diuers the sayd commodities More there are but the Poet notes the chiefe onely and such as the neighbour countries and many far-of doe most of al trade-for Hereby we are taught and should be moued with heartie thanks to acknowledge the great benefits that God hath bestowed on vs for the Poet rightly concludes that wee lacke nothing but peace and peace he craueth of the Lord with whom and all my good countrimen I ioyne humble suite from the bottome of my heart that once again this Realme sometime so florishing may enioy a sure that is a iust and right Christian peace Amen FINIS