might be Eastward or Southward and not Westward Mount Horeb. In the Desart of Arabia is the Mount Horeb which by some is supposed to be the same that is called Mount Sina where many think it was that Abraham should have offered up his Sonne Isaac But this is certaine that it was the place where God in the Wildernesse did give unto the people of Israel his Law of the ten Commandements in Thundring Lightning and great Earth-quake in most fearfull manner Of Africk and Egypt FRom Arabia and Palestina toward the West lyeth Africke Situation of Africk having on the North side from the one end of it to the other the Mediterranean Sea The greatest part of which Countrey although it hath beene ghessed at by Writers in former time yet because of the great heat of it lying for the most part of it under the Zona Torrida and for the Wildernesses therein it was in former time supposed by many not to bee much inhabited but of certainty by all to be very little discovered till the Portugals of late began their Navigation on the backside of Africa to the East Jndies So exact a description is therefore not to be looked for as hath beene of Asia and Europe The Countrey of Egypt Ioyning to the Holy Land by a little Isthmos is the Countrey of Egypt which is a Land as fruitfull as any almost in the world although in these dayes it doth not answere to the fertility of former times This is that which in the time of Ioseph did relieve Canaan with corne and the family of Iacob which did so multiply in the land of Aegypt that they were growne to a huge multitude when God by Moses did deliver them thence This Countrey did yeeld exceeding abundance of Corne unto the Citie of Rome Jts fertility whereupon Aegypt as well as Sicilia was commonly called Horreum populi Romani It is observed from all antiquity that almost never any raine did fall in the land of Aegypt Whereupon the raining with thunder lightning fire running on the ground was so much more strange when God plagued Pharaoh in the dayes of Moses But the flowing of the River Nilus over all the Countrey their Cities onely and some few Hils excepted doth so water the Earth that it bringeth forth fruit abundantly The flowing of Nilus The flowing of which River yearly is one of the greatest miracles of the World no man being able to yeeld a sufficient and assured reason thereof although in Herodotus and Diodorus Siculus many probable causes and opinions are assigned thereof That there doth not use any raine to fall in Aegypt besides other heathen testimonies and experiences of Travailers may bee gathered out of the Scripture for in the 10 chapter of Deuteronomy GOD doth make an Antithesis betweene the Land of Canaan and Aegypt saying that Aegypt was watered as a man would water a Garden of herbes that is to say by the hand But they should come into a Land which had Hils and Mountains and which was watered with the raine of Heaven and yet some have written that ever now and then there is mistes in Aegypt which yeeld though not Raine yet a pretty Dew It is noted of this River that if in ordinary places it do flow under the height of fifteene cubits that then for want of moysture the earth is not fruitfull and if it doe flow above seventeene Cubits that there is like to be a dearth by reason of the abundance of moysture the Water lying longer on the Land than the inhabitants doe desire It is most probably conjectured that the falling and melting of Snow from those Hils which bee called Luna Montes doe make the increase of the River Nilus And the custome of the people in the Southerne parts of Arabia is that they do receive into Ponds Dams the water that doth hastily fall and the same they let out with Sluces some after some which causeth it orderly to come downe into the plaines of Aegypt For the keeping up of these Dammes the Countrey of Aegypt hath time out of minde paid a great tribute to Prester John Which when of late it was denyed by the Turke Prester John caused all the Sluces to bee letten goe on the sudden whereby hee marvellously annoyed drowned up a great part of the Country of Aegypt Learning very ancient in Egypt In Aegypt learning hath bin very ancient but especially the knowledge of Astronomy and Mathematickes whereof before the time of Tullâ—e their Priests would report that they had the discent of 1500. yeares exactly recorded with observations Astrologicall which as it is a fable unlesse they doe reckon their yeares by the Moone as some suppose they did every Moneth for a yeare so it doth argue knowledge to have beene among them very ancient Their Priests had among them a kinde of writing and describing of things by picture which they did call their Hicroglyphica This in times â—past was a Kingdome Their Pyramides one of the Wonders of the world and by the Kings thereof were built those great Pyramides which were held to be one of the seven wonders of the world being mighty huge buildings erected of exceeding height for to shew the magnificence of their founders There is part of two or three of them remaining unto this day Divers learned men are at this day of opinion that when the children of Israel were in Aegypt and so oppressed by Pharaoh as is mentioned in the beginning of the booke of Exodus that their labour in burning of Bricke was partly imployed to the erecting of some of those Pyramides but the Scripture doth onely mention walling of Cities The Founders of these Pyramides were commonly buried in or under them and it is not unfit to remember that the Kings and great men of Aegypt had much cost bestowed upon them after they were dead For in as much as Arabia was neere unto them whence they had most precious Balmes and other costly Spices they did with charge embalme their dead and that with such curious art that the flesh therof and the skin will remaine unputrified for divers hundred yeares and all learned men thinke thousands of yeares Whereof experiments are plentifull at this day by the whole bodies hands or other parts which by Merchants are now brought from thence and doth make the Mummia which the Apothecaries use the colour being very blacke and the flesh clung unto the bones Moses doth speake of this when he saith that Iacob was embalmed by the Physicians after the manner of embalming of the Aegyptians But this manner of embalming is ceased long since in Aegypt The Citie Memphis In Aegypt did stand the great Citie Memphis which at this day is called Caire one of the famous Cities of the East Here did Alexander build that Citie which unto this day is of his name called Alexandria being now the greatest Citie of Merchandize in all Aegypt of which Amianus
unto the Turk whose life is so excellently written by Martinus Partesius From the East part of Epirus Northward lyeth a Country which was never noted by any famous name but as it should seeme was sometime under Epirus from which it lyeth Northward sometimes under Macedonia from which it lyeth Westward and sometimes under Illyris or Dalmatia from which it lyeth Southward and it may be that there was in old time divers free Cities there Illyricum Illyricum which confineth upon Graecia toward the North and West neere unto the top of the Adriatick Sea and not farre from Venice is for a good part of it at this day under the Venetians The fourth and greatest part of old Graecia was Macedonia Macedonia which is falsly by the Maps of the Romane Empire placed on the Westside of Graecia for in truth it lyeth on the Eastside looking toward Asia the lesser being bounded on the Eastside by the Sea called Mare Aegeum on the Southside by Achaia and the Hill Othris and part of Epirus and on the Westside by certaine great Mountains but on the North by the Hill Haemus This was the Kingdome so famous in times past for Philip and Alexander his sonne who conquered the whole World and caused the name of the third Empire to be attributed unto this place Here stood the Hill Athos whereof part was digged downe by the army of Xerxes the great King of Persia who warred against the Grecians Here was the Hill Olympus the City of Philippi where the Philippians dwelt to whom Saint Paul wrote Here was Ampollonia Amphipolis Edessa Pella Thessalonica and Berea yea and the whole Countrey of Thessalia lay on the Southside of this part of Greece In this Countrey of Graecia were in ancient time many Kingdomes and States as at this day there are in Italy as the Macedonians the Kingdome of Epirus the State of Athens the government of Sparta the City of Thebes and very many other places insomuch that almost every Town had a peculiar government But now it is all under one Monarchy Many famous things from Grecia From Graecia in old time did almost all famous things come These were they that made the war against Troy that resisted Xerxes the mighty King of Persia that had the Famous Law-makers as Solon in Athens Famous Lawes and Lycurgus in Lacedemon that took away the Monarchy from the Persians that brought forth the Famous Captaines Famous Captains as Themistocles Miltiades Alexander and many other that were the Authours of civilitie unto the Western Nations and to some in the East as Asia the lesse that gave to Italy and to the Romanes the first light of learning because from them arose the first Poets as Homer The first Poets Hesiodus Sophocles and divers other The great Philosophers Socrates Plato Aristotle and all the Sects of the Academicks Stoicks Peripateticks Epicureans and almost all their Scholars The great Orators The great Oratours Demosthenes and Eschines and in one word the Mathematicks excepted which came rather from the Chaldeans and the Egyptians the whole flower of Arts and good Learning On the Northeast part of Graecia standeth Thracia Thracia which though heretofore it hath beene distinguished yet now it is accounted as the chiefe part of Greece Heere on the edge of the Sea-coast very neer unto Asia Constantinople standeth the City called Bizantium but since Constantinople because Constantine the Great did new build it and made it an Imperiall City This was the chiefe residence of the Emperour of Graecia sometimes called New Rome and the glory of the East where the Generall Councel was once assembled and one of the Seas of the Patriarks who was called the Patriark of CoÌ„stantinople But by the great discord of the Christians all Graecia and this Citie are fallen into the hands of the Turke who now maketh it his place of Imperiall aboad It was wonne in the time of Constantine the last Emperour so that by Constantine it obtained his honour and by Constantine it lost it In this City lyeth resident with the Turke an Ambassadour or Agent for the King of England The Christians that do live now in Graecia are in miserable servitude unto the Turke They disagree in many things from the doctrine of the Church of Rome Of the Sea running between Europe and Asia Northerne parts were not discovered in times past IF there were no other argument that the Northern parts of the World were not discovered in times past by any that travelled that way yet this would sufficiently avouch it that there was never thought upon any Land betweene Asia and Europe higher than the river Tanais which doth not extend it selfe very farre into the North but is short of the uttermost bounds that was by the space of foure thousand miles but this River which by the Tartarians is now called Don where it doth run it leaveth Asia on the Eastside and Europe on the West but going forward toward the South it disburdeneth it selfe into a dead Lake or Fen for so it seemeth which is called Maeotis-Palus Maeotis Palus Iustin Ovid. spoken of in the second book of Iustine and not forgotten by Ovid de ponto and at this day in the dead of Winter it is usually so frozen that the Scythians and Tartarians neer adjoyning do both themselves their cattâ—ll yea sometimes with Sleads after them passe over as if it were dry Land On the Southern part of this Maeotis is a narrow strait of the Sea which is commonly called by the name of Bosphorus Cimmerius Bosphorus Cimmerius because as it is thought sometime Oxen have ventured to swim crosse there from Asia to Europe or backward When the water hath runne for a pretty space in so narrow a passage there beginneth a great and wide Sea named Pontus Euxinus Pontus Euxinua Whither as Iosephus reporteth the Whale did carry the Prophet Ionas and there did disburden himselfe of his carriage by casting him upon the Land At the mouth of this Sea is a very great strait knowne by the name of Thracius Bosphorus Thracius Bosphorus where the bredth of this Sea is not above one mile severing Asia and Europe On the side of Europe standeth Constantinople On the side of Asia the City called Pera or Galata which for the neernesse is by some reckoned a part of Constantinople When any of the Turkes Ianizaries have committed ought worthy of death A strange custome among the Turks the custome is to send the same party in the night time over by boat from Constantinople to Peru where by the way he is throwne into the water with a great stone about his necke and then there is a piece of Ordnance shot off which is a token of some such execution The Turke is forced to take this course lest the rest of his Ianizaries should mutiny when any of their fellowes is put to death By reason of the standing of
Persian who procured unto himselfe great fame by his many valorous attempts against the Turke Surius in his Commentaries writing upon him saith that upon some fond conceit the Iewes were strongly of opinion that hee was that Messias whom unto this day they expect and therefore hoped that he should have beene their deliverer and advancer But he addeth in his report that it fell out so cleane contrary that there was no man who more vexed and grieved them than that Ismael did Their Religion The Persians are all at this day Sarazens in Religion beleeving in Mahomet but as Papists and Protestants doe differ in opinion concerning the same Christ so doe the Turks Persians about their Mahomet the one pursuing the other as Heretikes with most deadly hatred in so much that there is in this respect almost continuall war betweene the Turke and the Persians Of Parthia and Media Situation of Parthia ON the North-East side of Persia lyeth that Country which in old time was called Parthia but now named Arach of whom those great warres of the Romanes with the Medians or Armenians in Tacitus and ancient Histories are true This Country boundeth on Media by the West and it was in ancient time veryful of people whose fight as it was very much on horsebacke Their manner of fight so the manner of them continually was for to give an onset and then to returne their wayes even to returne againe like to the Wilde Irish so that no man was sure when he had obtained any victory over them Great wars of the Parthians against the Romanes These were the people that gave the great overthrow to that rich Marcus Crassus of Rome who by reason of his covetousnesse intending more to his getting of gold than to the guiding of his army was slaine himselfe and many thousands of the Romanes The Parthians with exprobation of his thirst after money poured moulten gold into his mouth after he was dead Against these the great Lucullus fought many battels but the Romanes were never able to bring them quite to subjection Media how situated On the West-side of Parthia having the Mare Caspium on the North Armenia on the West and Persia on the South lyeth that Country which in time past was called Media but now Shirvan or Sarvan which is at this day governed by many inferiour Kings and Princes which are tributaries and doe owe subjection to the Sophy of Persia So that hee is the Soveraigne Lord of all Media as our English-men have found who passing through the dominion of the Emperour of Russia have crossed the Mare Caspium and merchandized with the inhabitants of this Media A famous Nation This Nation in former times was very famous for the Medes were they that removed the Empire from the Assyrians unto them which as in themselves it was not great yet when by Cyrus it was joyned to that of the Persians it was very mighty and was called by the name of the Empire of the Medes and Persians Here it was that Astyages raigned the Grandfather of Cyrus and Darius of the Medes The chiefe City of Media The chiefe City of this Kingdome was called Ecbatana as the chiefe City of Persia was Babylon It is to bee observed of the Kings of Media that in the Summer time they did use to retire themselves Northward unto Ecbatana for avoyding of the heate but in the winter time they came downe more South unto Susis which as it seemeth was a warmer place but by this meanes they were both taken for Imperiall Cities and chiefe residences of the Kings of Media which being knowne takes away some confusion in old Stories The like custome was afterward used also by the Kings of Persia Of Armenia and Assyria Situation of Armenia ON the West-side of the Mare Caspium of Media lieth a Countrey called by a generall name Armenia which by some is distinctly divided into three parts the North part whereof being but little Divided into three parts is called Georgia the middle part Turcomania the third part by the proper name of Armenia By which a man may see the reason of difference in divers writers Some saying that the countrey whence the Turkes first came was Armenia some saying Turcomania and some Georgia the truth being that out of one or all these Countries they did descend These Turks are supposed to bee the issue oâ— them whom Alexander the Great did shut up within certaine Mountaines neere to the Mare Caspium A memorable Note There is this one thing memorable in Armenia that after the great Floud the Arke of Noah did rest it selfe on the Mountaines oâ— Armenia where as Josephus witnesseth it is to be seene yet to this day the hills whereon it resteth are called by some Noae Montes Armenians Christians The people of this Nation have retained amongst them the Christian Faith as it is thought from the time of the Apostles but at this day it is spotted with many absurdities Bathing of their children Among other Errours which the Church of Armenia hath bin noted to hold this is one that they did bathe their children waving them up and downe in flames of fire and repute that to bee a necessary circumstance of Baptisme Which errour ariseth by mistaking that place of Iohn the Baptist where he saith That he that came after him meaning Christ should baptize them with the holy Ghost and with fire In which place the word doth not signifie materiall fire but expresseth the lively and purging operation of the Spirit like to the nature of fire On the South part of Armenia bending towards the East lyeth the Country of Assyria Assyria bounded which is bounded on the West with Mesopotamia This Country was that Land wherein the first Monarchy was setled which began under Ninus whom the Scripture calleth Nimrod living not long after Noahs Flood and it ended in Sardanapalus continuing a thousand and three hundred yeares The King of this Countrey was Senacherib Kings of Assyria of whom wee reade in the Booke of the Kings and here reigned Nebuchadnezzar who tooke Ierusalem and led the Iewes away prisoners unto Babylon In this Countrey is the swift River Tygris The swift river Tygris The City Ninivee neere unto the which was Paradice Vpon this River stood the great City Ninivee called by prophane writers Ninus which was almost of incredible bignesse and exceeding populous by the neerenesse of the River and marvellous fruitfulnesse of the soile which as Herodotus writeth did returne their Corne sometime two hundred and sometimes three hundred fold and did yeeld sufficiency for to maintaine it This Citie for a long time was the Imperiall Seat of the Monarchy but being destroyed as God foretold it should be by the Chaldeans the residence of the King was afterwards removed unto Babylon a great City in Chaldea first built by Semiramis Of Chaldea Situation of Chaldea NExt unto Assyria
lyeth Chaldea having on the East side Assyria on the West Syria or Palestiâ—a on the North Armenia on the South the desart of Arabia This Countrey is often called by the name of Mesopotamia which name it hath because it lyeth in the middle of two great Rivers Tygris and Euphrates It is called also by the name of Babylonia which word of it selfe properly taken doth signifie onely that part of the Countrey which standeth about Babylon Babylon the chiefe City of Chaldea The chiefe City whereof was Babylon whose ruines doe remaine unto this day It was a rich and most pleasant City for all kinde of delight and was in the later time of that Monarchy the Imperiall City of the Assyrians where Nebuchadnezzar and other their great Kings did lye It was to this city that the children of Israel were carried captives which thereof was called the Captivity of Babylon The Kings of Persia also did keep their residence here it was builâ— upon the River Euphrates some part of it standing on the one side and some part on the other having for it's foundresse Semiramis the wife of Ninus Ammianus Marsellinus reporteth one thing of this Countrey wherein the admirable power oâ— God doth appeare The admirable power of God in preserving the people for he writeth that in these parts are a huge number of Lyons which were like enough to devoure up both men and beasts throughout the Countrey but withall hee saith that by reason of the store of water and mudde thereof there doe breeâ— yearely an innumerable company oâ— Gnats whose property is to fly unto the eye of the Lyon as being a bright and orient thing wherâ— byting and stinging the Lyon he teareth so fiercely with his clawes that he putteth out his owne eyes and by that meanes many are drowned in the Rivers others starve for want of prey and many the more easily killed by the Inhabitants It is supposed by Divines that in this Mesopotamia betweene the River Tygris and Euphrates Paradise did stand Note This was the Countrey wherein Abraham the Patriarch was borne unto which the Romanes could very hardly extend their dominion For they had much to doe to get the governement of any thing beyond the River Euphrates From this people it is thought the wise-men came which brought presents to Christ by the guiding of the Starre For as in India and all the Easterne parts so especially in this Countrey their Noblemen and Priests and very many people doe give themselves to all Arts of Divination Here were the great Southsayers Enchanters and Wise men as they call them Here were the first Astrologians Here were the first Astrologians which are so described and derided in the Scripture and against the Inhabitants of Babylon and Chaldea were the Lawes of the Romanes made which are against divining Mathematicians who in Tullie 〈◊〉 Divinatione Cornelius Tacitus as also in the Lawes of the Emperours are ordinarily collected by the name of Chaldeans and indeed from these and from the Aegyptians is supposed to have sprung the first knowledge of Astronomy It is thought that a great reason whereof these Chaldeans were expert in the laudable knowledge oâ— Astronomy was partly because thâ— Countrey is so plaine that being without hils they might more fully and easily discover the whole facâ— of the Heaven and partly because the old Fathers which lived so long not onely before but in some good part also after the Floud of Noah did dwell in or neere to these parts and they by observation of their owne did finde out and discover many things of the heavenly Bodies which they delivered as from hand to hand to their posteritie But as corruption doth staine the best things so in processe of time the true Astronomie was defiled with superstitious Rules of Astrologie which caused the Prophets Isaiah and Ieremiah so bitterly to inveigh against them And then in their fabulositie they would report that they had in their Records Observations for five and twenty thousand yeares which must needs be a very great untruth unlesse wee will qualifie it as some have done expounding their yeares not of the Revolution of the sunne but of the Moone whose course is ended in the space of a moneth Of Asia the lesse ON the North-West side of Mesopotamia lyeth that Countrey which is now called Natolia but in times past Asia minor having on the North side Pontus Euxinus Situation of Asia the lesse on the West the Hellespont and on the South the maine Mare Mediterraneum In the ancient writings both of the Graecians and of the Romanes this is oftentimes called by the single name of Asia because it was best knowne unto them and they were not so much acquainted with the farther places of Asia the Great Richnesse of the Countrey This Countrey in generall for the fruitfulnesse of the Land standing in so temperate a Climate and for the conveniencie of the Sea every way and so many good Havens hath beene reputed alwaies a very commodious and pleasurefull Countrey It is wholly at this day under the Turke The Mountaine Taurus goeth along from the West unto the East part of it The greatnesse of this Countrey is such that it hath comprehended many Kingdomes and large Provinces besides Cities of great fame On the South-east part thereof neere to Palestina lyeth Cilicia Cilicia The city Tarsus the chiefe Citie whereof is Tarsus the Countrey of Saint Paul the place whither Salomon sent for great store of his Gold and provision for the Temple whither Ionas also fled when he should have gone to Niniveh In the straits of this Cilicia neere to the Mountaine Taurus Alexander his overthrow of Darius did Alexander give a great overthrow in person to Darius in the joyning of their first battaile This place seemes to have beene very fortunate for great fights in as much as there also neere unto the straits was the battaile fought out betweene Severus the Emperour and Niger who being Governour of the Romanes of Syria would needs have aspired to the Empire but in a battaile which was very hardly fought out he was overthrowne in the straits of Cilicia In the very corner where Cilicia is joyned unto the upper part of Syria is a little Bay which in times past was named Sinus J sicus neere unto which Alexander built one of his Cities which he called by his owne name The City of Alexandria But howsoever in times past it was named Alexandria it is now by the Venetians and other Christians called Alexandretta as who should say little Alexandria in comparison of the other In Aegypt the Turkes doe call it Scandarâ—nd and it is a petty Haven where our Merchants do land most of their goods which are afterwards by Camels carried up to Aleppo At this day the Citie is so decayed that there bee onely a few houses there Westward from Cilicia lieth the Province called Pamphilia Pamphilia The
low to the South * Divers Ilands in the Gulph of Mexico In and neere unto this Gulph are divers Ilands conquered and inhabited by the Spaniards as the forenamed Cuba and Hispaniola where the Spaniards were visited by our English in the time of Queen Elizabeth and their Towns of Sancto Domingo and Saint Iago taken by Sir Francis Drake as also Iarvaica and Boriquen otherwise called the Island of Saint Phu where the Earle of Cumberland tooke the Towne of Porto Ricco and many other Ilands of lesse note In the Sea coasts of all this Nova Hispania the Kings of Spaine have built many Townes and Castles and therein have erected divers Furnaces and Forges for the Trying and Fining of their Gold They that doe write of the discovery of the West Indies doe report that when Columbus at the first went thitherward in their greatest distraction and doubtfulnesse of minde whether to goe forward or backward and Columbus had begged onely two or three dayes respit there was one of his Company who after the Sea manner going up to discover the Land did espie some fire for the which being so happy and lucky a token hee did hope to receive at the hands of the King of Spaine some bountifull Reward but when hee returned home there was * Note nothing at all given unto him which hee tooke with that male contentednesse and disdaine that hee fled over into Africa and there among the Moores did apostatate and renounce the Christian Faith so that hee became a Sarazen Of the parts of America towards the North. THe rumour of the discovery of these parts being blowne over Christendome and the great quantitie of the Land together with the fruitfulnesse thereof being reported abroad some other nations did enterprize to set foote therein as namely the Frenchmen who sent certaine Shippes to a part of this Countrey lying North from Hispania nova some few degrees without the Tropicke of Cancer into which when they had arrived because of the continuall greenenesse of the ground and Trees as if it had beene a perpetuall spring they call it * And named it Florida Florida where after some few of them had for a time setled themselves the Spaniards tooke notice of it and being unwilling to endure any such neighbours they came suddenly on them and most cruelly slew them all without taking any ransome And the French in revenge of this deed of the Spaniards came in againe afterwards into this Countrey and slew those that were the slayers of their Countrey men Yet the Spaniards for want of men are not able to inhabite that Countrey but leave it to the old people The French had built in Florida upon the * The River Mayo River of Mayo where they were visited by our Sir Iohn Hawkins a Fort which they called Fort Carolin and had reasonably assured themselves for their defence against the Natives but some malicious spirits amongst them fled to the Spaniards with whom they returned againe into Florida to the murther and overthrow of their owne Countreymen Hee who list to see both the attempt of the French-men for the inhabiting of that part and the usage of the Spaniards towards them let him reade the Expedition into Florida which is the end of Benzo his Storie concerning the New found World and there hee shall finde both the covetous and insatiable nature of the Spaniards who would not endure the French neere unto them although there was Land sufficient and much to spare for both of them also their perfidiousnesse in breaking of Oathes and Promises and their * Note the Spaniards unchristian cruelty unchristian cruelty whereby they massacred all The Spaniards also to the number of three hundred Foote and two hundred Horse under the conduct of Ferdinando de Soto entred Florida about the yeare of the Lord 1550 and there conquered a thousand miles wide and large and after foure or five yeares continuance in that Countrey betooke themselves again from thence and went to New Spaine landing at Panuc in Shippes and Vessels that they had built in Florida And in all that time notwithstanding many conflicts with the Natives and divers discommodities and wants which they sustained in the Countrey they lost but two hundred men After this departure of the Spaniards out of Florida brought thither by Ferdinando de Soto who died in the Countrey after the defeat of the French and their revenge againe taken on the Spaniards the King of Spaine sent thither some small Forces to take possession of the Countrey and set downe there for no other end as it is thought but to keepe out other Nations from entring there the one halfe whereof set downe on the River of Saint Augustine and the other halfe a dozen leagues from thence to the Northward at a place by them called Saint Helena In the yeare 1586. as * Sir Francis Drakes Voyage Sir Francis Drake came coasting along from Cartagena a Citie in the mayne Land to which hee put over and tooke it after hee departed from Sancto Domingo when the mortality that was amongst our English had made them to give over their Enterprize to goe with Nombre de Dios and so over Land to Pannaenia there to have stricken the stroake for the Treasure hee was on the Coast of Florida in the height of thirtie our men described on the shoare a place built lâ—ke a Beacon which was made for men to discover to Sea-ward so comming to the Shore they marched along the Rivers side till they came to a Fort built all of whole Trees which the Spaniards called the Fort of Saint Iohn where the King entertained halfe his Forces that hee then had in the Countrey which were a hundred and fifty Souldiers the like number being at Saint Helena all of them under the governement of Petro Melendez Nephew to the Admirall Melendez that a fifteene or sixteene years before had beene to bring with our English in the Bay of Mexico this Fort our English tooke and not farre from thence the Towne also of Saint Augustine upon the same River where resolving to undertake also the Enterprize of Saint Helena when they came to the Havens mouth where they should enter they durst not for the dangerous shols wherefore they forsooke the place coasting along to Virgina where they tooke in Master Ralph Lane and his Company and so came into England as you shall heare when wee speake of Virginia In these Northerne parts of America but especially within the maine Continent some have written but how truely I cannot tell that there is a Sea which hath no entercourse at all with the Ocean so that if there be any third place beside the Mare Caspium and the Mare Mortuum in Palestina which retaineth in it selfe great saltnesse and yet mingleth not with other Seas it is in these Countries There is also in new Spaine a great salt Lake as bigge or bigger then the dead Sea of Palestine in
lyeth neerest to the Mediterranean was by the space of seven hundred yeers possessed by the Moores and Saracens who do confesse the Religion of Mahumet the reason whereof Rodericus Toletanus in the third Book of his Story doth shew to be this Rodericus Toletanus that whereas the Saracens after Mahumets time had spred themselves all along Africk even unto the Western part of Barbary a King of Spaine called Rodericus employed in an Embassage to them one Iulian a Nobleman of his who by his wise demeanour procured much reputation amongst the Moores but in the time of his service the King Rodericus destoured the Daughter of the said Iulian which the Father tooke in such indignation that hee procured those Saracens to come over into Spaine that so he might be revenged on his King but when those barbarous people had once set foot in there they could never be remooved untill the time of Ferdinando and Elizabeth King and Queen of Spain about a hundred yeeres since The Authour before named writeth that before the comming of those Moores into Spaine the King Rodericus would needs open a part of a Palace which had been shut long before and had by discent from hand to hand beene forbidden to be entred by any yet the King supposing there had beene great treasure therein broke into it but found nothing there saving in a great Chest the pictures of men who resembled the proportion Attire and Armour of the Moores and a Prophecie joyned therewithall A strange and unexpected prophecie that at that time when the Pallace should be entred such a people as was there resembled should invade and spoile Spaine which fell out accordingly The Spaniards that now are be a very mixt people descended of the Gothes which in former times possessed that Land and of those Saracens and Iews which are the basest people of the World Portugall added to the Kingdome of Spain The Kingdome of Portugall did contain under it Regnum Algarbiorum but both of them are now annexed unto Castile by the cunning of the King of Spaine Philip the Second who tooke the advantage after the death of Sebastian who was slaine in Barbary in the Yeere 1578. Then after him raigned Henry who sometimes was Cardinall and Vncle to Sebastian in whose time although shew was made that it should be lawfully debated unto whom the Crowne of Portugall did belong yet Philip meaning to make sure work did not so much respect the right as by main force invaded and since to the great griefe of the Portugals hath kept it The chiefe City of Portugall is Lisbone Lisbone the chief City of Portugall called in Latine Olysippo from whence those Navigations were advanced by which the Portugals discovered so much of their South part of Africk of the East Indies possessed by them to this day The City from whence the Castilians do set forth their ships to the West Indies is Sevill Sevill called in Latine Hispalis Another great City in Spain is Toledo Toledo where the Archbishopricke is the richest spirituall dignity of Christendome the Papacy onely excepted The magnificent greatnes of Spain and Portugall In the time of Damianus à Goes there were reckoned to be in Spain foure Archbishoprickes of great worth three other inferiour and forty Bishopricks as also in Portugall three Archbishoprickes and eight Bishopricks Hee reckoneth up also in Spaine besides the great Officers of the Crown 17 Dukes 41 Marquesses 87 Earles or CouÌ„ts 9 Viscounts as also in Portugall besides the Officers of the Crown six Dukes 4 Marquesses nineteen Earles and one Vicount In Spaine he saith are seven Vniversities The Country is but dry and so consequently barren in comparison of some other places What commodities it doth yeeld it may be seen in the Treatise of Damianus a Goes which hee calleth his Hispania Not onely this great and large Countrey heretofore divided into so many Kingdomes is now under one absolute King but that King also is Lord of many other Territories as namely of the Kingdome of Naples in Italy and the Dutchy of Millaine of the Isles of Sicily Sardinia Majorque Minorque Evisa In the mid-land Sea of the Ilands of the Canaries in the Atlantique besides divers strong Towns and goodly Havens in Barbary within without the Straits On the back side of Africk he commands much on the Frontiery besides the Islands adjoyning to the mayn Land In the Western Indies he hath Mexico Peru Brasil large Territories with the Islands of the South the North Sea And Philip the Second getting Portugall as a Dowry to that forc't Marriage got also all the dependances of that Crown in Africke the East Indies and the Atlantique Sea the Towns of Barbary and the East Indies willingly submitting themselves unto him but the Terceras hee wonne by force at the first and second Expedition so if we consider the huge tract of ground that is under this Kings Dominion The Empery of the Kingdome of Spain the greatâ—st in the Christian World wee will say that the Empery of the King of Spain is in that respect the largest that now is or ever was in the World Of France France how bounded THE next Countrey is France which is bounded on the West with the Pyrenie hils on the North with the English Seas on the East with Germany on the South-east with the Alpe-hils on the Southwest with the Mediterranean Sea The Kingdome of France is for one entire thing France oâ—â— of the most absolute kingdomes of the World one of the most rich and absolute Monarchies of the World having both on the North and South side the Sea standing very convenient for profit of Navigation and the land it selfe being ordinarily very fruitfull The consideration wherof caused Francis the first King of France to compare this Kingdome alone to all the Dominions and Seigniories of Charles the fifth Emperour for when the Herauld of the sayd Charles bidding Defiance to King Francis did give his Majestie the title of Emperour of Germany King of Castile Arragon Naples Sicilie c. Francis commanded his Herauld to call him so often King of France as the other had Titles by all his Countryes implying that France alone was of as much strength and worth as all the Countries which the other had Concerning this Argument see the warlike and politike Discourses of Monsieur de la Nove. He who writeth the Commentaries of Religion and state of France doth shew that when there had beene of late in France in the dayes of Francis the second and Charles the ninth three Civill warres which had much ruinated the glory and beauty of that Kingdome Civil wars in France when a little before the great Massacre in the yeare one thousand five hundred seventy two there had beene peace in that Country scant full two yeares yet so great is the riches and happinesse of that Kingdome that in that short time
strongest kingdomes in all Europe at this day That which wee commonly call the Low-Countries Of the Low Countries containing 17 severall Provinces containeth seventeene severall Provinces wherof the most part have severall Titles and Governours as the Dukedome of Brabant the Earledome of Flanders c. Of which the inheritance at severall times did fall on Daughters who being married unto the Heyre of some of the other Provinces did in the end bring the whole Country into one entire governement which was commonly called by the name of the Dukedome of Burgundy and yet so that in the uniting of them together it was by composition agreed that the severall Provinces should retaine their severall ancient lawes and liberties which is the reason yeelded why some of those Provinces in our age thinke themselves freed from obedience unto the King of Spaine Note unto whom by inheritance they did descend because he hath violated their liberties to the keeping wherof at the first composition he was bound When this whole Country did belong unto the Crowne of France the Dukedome of Burgundy was bestowed by Philip de Valois King of France unto Iohn de Valois a yonger sonne of his from whom by descent it came at last to Charles the Bold otherwise Proud Duke of Burgundy who left one onely daughter and she was married to Maximilian the Emperour of the house of Austria from whom the inheritance descended unto Charles the fifth Emperour who yeelding it over to his sonne Philip the second did charge him to intreat that people well which he forgetting to doe under pretence of rooting out the profession of Religion did intangle himselfe and all that Country with a very long bloudy and wearisome warre The riches of the States in Generall There is no part of Europe which for the quantity of the ground doth yeeld so much riches and commodity as the Low-Countries doe besides their infinite store of shipping wherein they exceede any Prince of Christendome They were in time past accounted a very heavy dull people and unfit for the wars but their continuall combating with the Spaniards hath made them now very ingenuous full of action and managers of great causes appertaining to fights The names of the 17. Provinces either by Sea or Land The 17. Provinces are these Brabant Gelderland Artois Valencois Luxenburg Flaunders Henault Lile Namurce Holland Zeland Tornabum Tornacetium Mechlin Vtrecht and the East and West Freezeland France hath many petty governments that doe border upon it as the Dukedome of Savoy the State of the Switzers the Dukedome of Loraine the Burgundians or Walloons against all which the King is forced to keep his frontier Towns The Salike Law There is nothing more famous in this kingdome than the Salique Law whereby it is provided that no woman nor the heire of her as in her right shall injoy the Crown of France but it goeth alwayes to the heire male The author of the Commentaries against Machiavel reputeth it a great blessing of God that they have the Salique law in France and that not so much saith he because women by the infirmity of their sex are unfit to governe for therein many men who have enjoyed kingdomes have been and are very defective but because by that meanes the Crowne of France is never indangered by marriage of a forraigner to come under the subjection of a stranger And this is the opinion of Philip de Comines in the 8. Booke of his Commentaries This Law is very ancient among them so that it cannot certainly be defined when it was enacted but by vertue therof By this law Eâ—w the 3. King of England was put by the Crowne of France Edward the third King of England and his Heyres were cut off from inheriting the Crowne of France whereunto by marriage of a daughter hee was heire in generall And by reason of this Law Henry the fourth late King of France rather injoyed that Dominion than the Sonne of the Duke of Loraine who was neerer of bloud by descending from the Elder daughter of King Henry the second The Switzers government The Switzers are a people called in old time Helvetij who have no Noblemen or Gentlemen among them but onely the Citizens of their Townes the yearely Officers whereof and their Councell do governe their State 23 Cities or Cantons in Switzerland There are in Switzerland 23 Cities or Townes which they call their Canton although some rather thinke that name properly doth signifie the Rulers of those townes and of them some doe retaine to this day the Romish Religion but some others have embraced the Gospell The Countrey where they live is not very fertile and being far from any Seas they have no vent for their people but by sending them forth as hired Souldiers which for their pay doe fight oftentimes in Italy and France and sometimes in Germany Geneva Neare unto one part of them standeth Geneva which is challenged by the Duke of Savoy to have heretofore belonged to his Dominion but they pretend themselves to be a free City and by the helpe of Protestant Princes but especially by some of the Helvetians doe so maintaine it In this place there is a rare Law that if any malefactor A rare and excellent Law who hath fled out of his owne Country be convinced of any grievous crime he suffereth there as if he were in his owne Countrey which they are forced to doe because their Cities would be full of all sorts of Runnagates in as much as they stand on the Confines of divers Princes and States Of Germany THe next Countrey unto France on the East side is Germany Germany how bounded which is bounded on the West with France and the Low-Countries on the North with Denmarke and the Danish Seas on the East with Prussia Polonia and Hungary on the South East with Istria and Jllyricum on the South with the Alpe-hils and with Italy The Governour generall of this Country The Emprour governour of Germany Who be the 7. Electors is called the Emperour of Germany who is chosen by three spirituall Princes the Archbishop of Colen called Coloniensis the Archbishop of Ments called Moguntinus and the Archbishop of Trevers called Treverensis and three temporall Princes the Duke of Saxony the Marquesse of Brandenburge and the Count Palatine of Rhene which if they cannot agree as to make a Major part in their Election then thè King of Bohemia hath also a voyce whereof it commeth to be sayd that there be seven Princes Electors of the Empire His manner of Election The manner of the choise of the Emperour was established by a decree which is commonly called Bulla aurea which was made by Charles the 4. Emperour of Germany and King of Bohemia wherin he doth set downe all the circumstances of the Election of the Emperour and appointeth the King of Bohemia to be Sacri Imperij Archipincerna which is the Cup-bearer The 3.
Bishops of Colen Ments and Trevers to bee the Archchancellours of the three severall parts of the Empire the Count Palatine of the Rhene to be Sacri Imperij Archidapifer which should have the setting on of the first dish the Duke of Saxony to be Sacri imperij Archimariscallus whose office is to beare the sword and the Marquesse of Brandenburg to be Sacri Imperij Archi-Camerarius or great Chamberlaine all which offices they supply on the day of the Emperours Coronation The Empire went sometimes by succession and sometimes by election It appeares by all the Romane Stories that in times past the Empire went sometimes by succession as unto the sons of Constantine and Theodosius sometimes by election and that either of the Senate or of the Souldiers who oftentimes also in mutiny did elect men unworthy yet such as fitted their purpose But now of late the Electors do choose some Prince of Christendome who hath otherwise a Dominion of his owne which may helpe to back out the Empire and therein of late hath appeared the great cunning of that which we call The house of Austria whose greatest title within this 300. yeares was to be a meane Count of a meane place namely the County of Haspurg But since that time they have so planted and strengthened themselves that there have beene seven or eight Emperours lately of that family but the Empire is not tyed unto them as may appeare by the possibility which the Duke of Saxony and Francis the great King of France had to ascend to that dignity When Charles the fift was chosen Emperour one of the meanes whereby the possession hath beene continued to that house hath beene the electing of some one to bee Rex Romanorum whilest another of his Family was Emperour which Charles the fift effected in his life time for his brother Ferdinandus who after succeeded him Ferdinand Emperour and that hath been the attempt of Albertus late Cardinall and now Archduke of Austria that he might be established in the hope of the Empire during the life of his brother Rodolphus the Second now Emperour and King of Bohemia Rex Romanorum is he who is farre already invested in title to the Empire so that upon the death resignation or deposition of the then being Emperour he is immediatly to succeed Hee who is now Emperour of Germanie is called Caesar or Romani Imperij Imperator Caesar or Romans Imperij Imperator but very improperly in as much as the case is farre different from that which was when the Romane Empire did flourish for then the Territories thereof were very great all under the regiment of one man unlesse it pleased him to associate to himselfe some other The Empire divided by Theodosius But Theodosius did divide the Empire into two Soveraignties which were called the East and West Empires and made Constantinople to be the chiefe Seat of Arcadias one of his Sonnes and Rome to be the principall Citie of Honorius the other which Westerne Empire continued in his glory but a while for the Gothes and Lombards and other barbarous people did both over-run it and as good as extinguish it in the which case it continued to the dayes of Charles the Great who revived it againe but although there was some shew of Dominion belonging unto him in Italy yet his principall residence was in France and his Successours after him removed it into Germany A great policy in the Bishops of Rome so that properly he is now to be called Imperator Germanorum It was a great policy of the Bishops of Rome that the Emperour was wrought to leave Jtaly and keepe himself in Germany for the Popes did not like to have a strong Neighbour so neer who might at his pleasure chastise or depose them if hee saw good And the cunning of those Popes was such also that they weakned the State of the Emperour exceeding much in Germany by giving great exemptions to the Princes thereof Munsters complaint in so much that Munster rightly complaineth The Emperour beareth the Spread-Eagle with two heads noting the East and West Empire but saith hee one of the heads is quite pulled off and so be almost all the Feathers and in the other Head although life remayneth yet there is little spirit or vigour Surius in his Commentaries of the yeare 1530 reporteth that to the Emperour of Germany belongeth three Crownes the one of Silver which intendeth the Kingdome of Germany the second of Iron which is for the Kingdome of Lombardy and the third of Gold Most of the Princes of Germany take on them as absolute Governours which is for the Sacred Romane Empire In Germany all are at a kinde of commandement of the Emperour but most of the Princes otherwise take on them as absolute Governours in their Dominions so that they have liberty of Religion they do make Lawes they do raise souldiers they doe stampe money with their owne Pictures as absolute Princes so doth the Duke of Saxony the Archbishop of Colen the rest The Princes of Germany came to that great strength of theirs by meanes of a base and inferiour man How they came by that great strength who aspiring to the Empire wherof hee was unworthy was content to release unto the Princes almost all kinde of their service and dutie so that their subjection since that time is little more than Titulary yeelding onely very small maintenance to the Empire either in Tribute Souldiers or otherwise and albeit sometimes they refuse not to come by themselves or their Agents to the Diets and Parliaments holden by the Emperour yet that is as much for the safeguard of themselves from the invasion of the Turke who is not farre from them as for any other respect and the pay which they allow in such cases is rather held by them to be a contribution than any impositiō to be admitted by duty and yet there is extant a Book where the particulars are mentioned how the Princes and free Cities are bound to maintaine upon their owne charge three thousand eight hundred forty two Horses and sixteene thousand two hundred Foot for the service of the Emperour when he shall see cause but how small a triffle is that in respect of the strength of so huge a Countrey The Princes themselves are so strong many of them that they dare encounter with any who oppugne them insomuch that whereas Charles the Fift was doubtlesse the greatest Emperour that had beene from the dayes of Charles the Great yet the Duke of Saxony The strēgth of the Princes of Germany and the Lantsgrave of Hassia with some few Cities which were confederate with them did dare to oppose themselves against the said Charles and entring the field with him did oftentimes put him to great inconveniences yea it is supposed by some that howsoever hee had a hand upon these two yet his inability to match the ruffling of some of those Princes was
not the least cause why hee resigned the Empire to his Brother Ferdinando The manner of Germany is that the Title of Nobility which is in the Father The titles of their Nobility commonly is imparted to all the sonnes so that every Sonne of a Duke of Saxony is called Duke of Saxony and every Childe of the Count of Mansfield is honoured by the name of Count or Countesse of Mansfield but in the eldest House the chiefe livelihood doth remayne for keeping upright the dignity of the Family Free States and Cities There are also free States and Cities which have the same authority as Argentine Frankeford and other This is to be noted of the Germanes that they may boast this above other more Westernly Nations of Europe A note worthy of observation that they are an unmixed Nation for whereas the Lombards and Gothes at severall times have set downe in Italy and mixed themselves with the people thereof the Gothes Vandals and Saracens in Spaine the Francks in Gaule or France and the Normans also the Saxons Angles Danes and Normans in Great Brittaine they have beene free from such inundation and mixture yea many of the people that have inflicted and inhabited these other Nations have come from thence so that therein Germany hath an advantage of these other Nations that have been subject hereunto Of Italie ON the South side of the Alpes and Germany lyeth Jtaly Situation of Italy stretching it selfe out at length toward the South East It hath on the Southside the Iland of Sicilia on the East that part of the Mediterranean which is called Mare Adriaticum or Mare superum which severeth Italy from Graecia on the Westside that part of the Mediterranean which is called Mare Tyrrhenum or Mare Inferum and the upper or more Northerne part of it neere Liguria Mare Ligusticum This Country for the figure therof is by some likened unto a long leafe of a tree It hath in the middle of it which goeth all in length a mighty Mountain named Mons Apenuinus which is likened unto the Spina or Ridge-bone of the backe Out of this Hill springeth divers Rivers which run on both sides of it into the Adriatick and Tyrrhene or Tuscane Seas As in other Countries so in Italy in times past there were divers severall people and severall Provinces Jtaly divided into foure parts like our Shires in England and so there be at this day but the mayn division of Italy is properly into â—oure parts as in our age we do account it The first Lombardy which â—yeth to the North. The second Tuscane which boundeth toward â—he Mediterranean Sea which way Corsica the Iland lyeth The third is â—he Land of the Church which is the Territory of the Bishop of Rome â—nd containeth in it that which is â—alled Romania The fourth is Naâ—les and in this division now is all â—taly comprehended The North part of this Italy is that which in ancient time was called Gallia Togata or Gallia Cisalpina â—nhabited then by Frenchmen It is â—ow called Longobardia or Lomâ—ardy wherein stand many rich GovernmeÌ„ts vernmeÌ„ts as the Dukedom of Millain of Mantua of Florence and other It is for the pleasantnesse therof in respect of the soyle ayre waters and great variety of wines and fruits Lombardy the Garden of God likened now by some to Paradice or the Garden of God In this Italy which was heretofore one entire government in the flourishing estate of the Romans are now many absolute States and Princedomes by the great policy oâ— the Bishop of Rome The policy of the Bishops of Rome who thoughâ— it the best way to make himself great to weaken the Empire So hâ— hath not onely driven the Emperouâ— out of all Joaly into Germany buâ— hath diminished his Majesty iâ— both by making so many petty governments which hold themselueâ— soveraigne Rulers without relatioâ— to any other The States of Venice As there are many States in Italy so one of the chiefest are the Venetians called Resp Venetorum or thâ— State of Venice because they are noâ—â— governed by any one but by theâ— Senate Gentlemen although they have a Duke with whose stampe their mony is coyned and in whose name all their executions of Iustice are done But this Duke is every way limited by the State City of Venice This City of Venice which joyneth to a corner of Lombardy standeth in Aestuarium or shallow of earth in the North part of the Adriaticke Sea so safely that it is held invincible There is in it but one street of firme Land into the other the Sea doth flow at every tide They have been a great rich State not onely â—ossessing much in Italy as Padua their Vniversity and other things which still they do but a great part of Illiricum many rich Ilands in the Mediterraneum as Candy called commonly Creta Cyprus Zazinâ—hus and other But Cyprus was taken from them a â—ittle before that fight at Sea wherin Don Iohn of Austria together with â—he Venetians had so renowned a viâ—tory against the Turk at the fight â—eer Lepanto The Venetians impoverished The impoverishing of their State hath partly bin by the incroching of the Turk but especially by the decaying of that traffique which they had to Alexandria in Egypt for their Spices and other riches of Persia Arabia and the East Indies since the course of the Portugals to those Eastern Countries hath been by Sea by the backside of Africa These Venetians which in time past were great warriours do now altogether decline enmity or hostility with all other Princes adjoyning and therfore by all means do take uâ— quarrels and cease controversies bâ— wisdome and patience temporizinâ— with the Turk the King of Spain and the Emperour who are mosâ— like to offend them The manner of their governmenâ— and the excellent course which theâ— have in chusing their Duke is written by Contarenus The excelleney of their government and some otheâ— of their Countrymen When theâ— do make any warres they seldomâ— send forth any General of their own but entertaine some Prince of Italy who is renowned for the warres In Lombardy standeth Millain In Lombardy standeth also the Dukedom of Millain a most rich pleasant thing which sometime had beene governed by a Duke of their own but of late hath been possessed by the Spaniard sometime by the French and is now in the government possession of the K. of Spain Tuscany Flo ence In Tuscany the chiefe City and Commander of all the rest is Florence where is supposed to be the best language of Italy called the vulgar Italian and the most circumspect policy of all the governments of Christendome which hath much bin increased since the time of Machiavel who was Secretary or Recorder to that State This was in times past a free City but of late by the policy of the Family of the Medices it is brought under the subjection
of a Duke which raigneth as an absosute Prince and by little and little hath so incroched on his own Citizens and Neighbours round about him that hee hath gotten to be called and that not unworthily Magnus Dux Hetruriae or the great Duke of Tuscany The great Duke of Tuscany A great part of the rising of the Family of the Medices which are now Dukes of Florence may be ascribed to the cunning carriage of themselves but it hath been much advanced forward by their felicitie in having two Popes together of that house which were Leo the Tenth and Clement the Seventh who by all means laboured to stablish the government of their Country upon their kindred and it made not the least accesse thereunto that affinity was contracted by them with the Kings of France when Katherine de Medices Neece to Pope Clement the Seventh was married to the younger sonne of Francis the first whose elder brother dying that younger came to be King of France by the name of Henry the Second for as in the time of her Husband she layd the foundation of her aspiring so after the death of the sayd husband when she bare the name of the Queene Mother This Queen Mother swayed all at her pleasure in France during the successive raigne of her three sonnes Francis the Second Charles the ninth and Henry the third in all which time no doubt she promoted Florence and the Florentines to her uttermost A great part of Italy under the Bishop of Rome A good part of Italy is under the Bishop of Rome which is commonly called The land of the Church where the Pope is a Prince absolute not only spirituall as elsewhere hee claymeth but also temporall making Lawes requiring Tribute raising Souldiers executing Iustice as a Monarch The Bishops of Rome do pretend that Constantine the Great did bestow upon them the City of Rome together with divers other Cities and Towns neere adjoyning and the Demeans of them all to be as the Patrimony of Saint Peter as many times they do tearme it But Laurentius Valla in his set Treatise of this argument hath displayed the falshood of that pretence and in truth the greatnesse of the Popes hath risen first by Phocas who killing his Master the Emperour of Rome The manner of the rising of the Popes greatnesse and being favoured by the Bishop of that Sea and so aspiring himself to the Empire did in recompence thereof suffer the Bishop of Rome to be proclaimed Vniversall Bishop and of likelihood gave unto him somewhat to maintain his estate And afterward King Pipin of France and Charles the Great his sonne getting by means of the said Bishop the Kingdome of France and the one of them to the Empire did bestow good possessions upon the Papacy and since that time the Popes have had so much wit as by destruction of the Princes of Italy by encroaching on the favour of others the great Monarchs of Europe and by their warres and other devices to keepe and increase that Land of the Church which in our time is well inlarged by the policy of Clement the Eighth late Pope who hath procured that the Dukedome of Ferrara is or shal be shortly added to his Dominion Rome the chief residency of the Pope The chief residence of the Bishop of Rome is Rome it selfe which was first founded by Romulus and afterwards so increased by others who succeeded him that it was built upon seven hils hath had only raigning in it seven Kings and hath been ruled by seven severall sorts of chief government that is Kings Consuls Decem-viri Tribunes of the people Dictators Emperours and Popes They first incroached on the neighbours about them in Italy afterwards on all Italy Sicily some of the Ilands till at length it proved to be the Lady and chief Mistresse of the world whose incredible wealth and greatnes in men treasure shipping and armour was so huge that it did even sink under the wealth of it self Wherupon after divers civill wars as between Marius and Sylla Pompey and Caesar with others it was at length revoked unto one absolute and Imperiall government The Majesty wherof notwithstanding was afterward somewhat impayred by the building of Constantinople which was erected or rather inlarged by Constantine the Great and called Nova Roma But when the division was made of the East and West Empire it received a greater blow yet the main overthrow of it was when the Gothes and Vandals entred Italy sacked it and possessed it at their own pleasure so that it was for a time almost quite forsaken and had no inhabitants till the Bishops of Rome did make means to gather together some to people it againe and since those times a good part of the old building upon the Hils hath beene quite decayed ruinated and that Rome which now may be called in comparison of the old new Romes is built on a lower ground where the place was which in times past was termed Campus Martius very neer unto Tyber the River which too well appeareth by the sudden inundation of that Tyber destroying and spoyling men cattell and houses as very lately to their great losse was experimented The Bishops of Rome as sometimes for their pleasure or profit they do withdraw themselves unto Bologna or some other Townes of Italy so the time was when they removed their court unto Avignon a City in France standing neer the Mediterranean soa and not far from Marsiles in Province where continuing for the space of seventy yeers they so afflicted the Citie of Rome for lack of resort which is very great when the Pope is there that the Italians to this day do remember that time by the name of the Captivity of Babylon which continued as appeareth by the Scripture for seventy yeeres Who so looketh on the description laid down by the Holy Ghost in the Revelation shall see that the Whore of Babylon there mentioned can be understood of no place but the Citie of Rome In the South part of Italy lyeth the Kingdome of Naples which is a Country very rich Nap'es lyeth in the South part of Italy and full of all kind of pleasure abundant in Nobility whereof commeth to be said that Proverb Naples for Nobilitie Rome for Religion Millain for Beauty Florence for Policie and Venice for Riches This was heretofore ruled by a King of their own till the time of Ioane Queene of Naples who by deed of gift did first grant that Kingdom to the Kings of Arragon in Spain and afterward by will with a revocation of the former Grant did bequeath it to the house of Anjoy in France Since which time the Kingdome of Naples hath sometimes been in the hands of the Spaniard somtimes possessed by the French and is now under the King of Spain The Dukedome of Calabria unto this is annexed also the Dukedome of Calabria This Kingdome of Naples lyeth so neere to some part of Graecia which is
now in possession of the Turke that it may justly be feared lest at some time or other the said Turke should make an invasion thereunto as indeed hee hath offered divers times and sometimes hath landed men to the great terrour of all Italy but for the preventing of that mischiefe the King of Spain is inforced to keep a good Fleet of Gallies continually at Otranto where is the neerest passage from Italie into Greece I his part of Italie was it which in times past was named Magna Graecia but in later ages it hath been unproperly called one of the Sicilies which was reprooved long since by Aeneas Sylvius in his twelfth Epistle and yet till of late time the Kings of Spain have been tearmed Kings of both the Sicilies Divers Princedomes and States of Italy There be moreover in Jtaly many other Princedomes and States as the Dukedom of Ferrara the Dukedome of Mantua the Dukedome of Vrbine the Dukedome of Parma and Placentia the State of Luca the State of Genua commonly called the Genowayes which are governed by their Senate but have a Duke as they have at Venice There be also some other by which means the glory and strength of Italy is decayed Of Denmarke Sweden and Norway AS Italy lyeth on the South side of Germany Denmars situation so Denmark lieth on the North into the middle of which Land the Sea breaketh in by a place called the Sound The Impost of which passage bringeth great riches as an ordinary tribute unto the King of Denmark This is a Kingdome and ruled by an absolute Governour On the North and East side of Denmarke Sweden lyeth Suezia commonly called Sweden or Swethen which is also a Kingdome of it self Where the King professeth himselfe to be Rex Suecorum Gothorum Vandalorum Wherby we may know that the Gothes and Vandals which in times past did waste Jtaly and other Nations of Christendom did come out of this Country This whole Country which containeth in it Norvegia Suezia and some part of Denmarke is Peninsula being very much compassed about with the Sea and this is it which in Olaus Magnus Joannes Magnus is termed Archiepiscopus Vpsalensis as also in some of the more ancient Writers is called Scādinavia on the North and West side of Sweden lyeth Norvegia Norvegia or Norway or Norway which is at this day under the government of the King of Denmarke although heretofore it hath been a free Kingdome of it self Beyond Norway toward Russia on the Northern Sea lyeth Scrichivia beyond that Biarmia then Hapia or Hapland Hapland a poore and cold Countrey neere Sinus Boddicus whereof there is little to be spoken but that it is said to be subject to the great Knez or Duke of Muscovie But of these afterwards Within the Sound on the East part of the Sea Dantzike lyeth Dantzike about which are the Townes of the Haustmen Confederates and Allies unto the King of Denmarke These are very rich towns by reason of Merchandize which downe the rivers they receive out of Polonia and transport into other parts of Christendome through the Sound of the King of Denmarke They live as free people keeping amity entercourse with the Kings of Sweden and Denmark and with the Emperour of Germany but within these late yeers Steven Bacour the King of Polon doth challenge them to be members of his Crown and Dignity and by warre forced them to capitulate with him There is no great thing to be noted in these Countries but that from Denmarke commeth much corne to the supply of other parts of Christendome and that from all these Countries is brought great furniture for warre or for shipping Riches of Denmarke as Masts Cables Steele Saddles Armour Gunpowder and the like And that in the seas adjoyning to these parts there are fishes of much more monstrous shape than elsewhere are to be found The people of those Countries are by their profession Lutherans for Religion Their Religion Of Russia or Moscovia Russia situate ON the East side of Sweden beginneth the Dominion of the Emperor of Russia although Russia or Moscovia it selfe doe lie somewhat more into the East which is a great and mighty Monarchy extending it selfe even from Lapland and Finmarke many thousand miles in length unto the Caspian sea so that it containeth in it a great part of Europe and much of Asia also Emperour of Russia The governour there calleth himselfe Emperour of Russia Great Duke of Moscovia with many other titles of princedomes and Cities whose Dominion was very much inlarged by the Emperour not long since dead whom in Russia they call Iuan Vasiliwich in the Latine Iohannes Basilides who raigning long and being fortunate in warre did very much inlarge this mighty Dominion This man as in his younger daies he was very fortunate and added very much unto the glory of his ancestors winning something from the Tartars and something from the Christians in Livonia Lituania and other confines of his countrey so in his latter age growing more unweldy and lesse beloved of his subjects hee proved as unfortunate whereby it came to passe that Stephen Bacour King of Polone had a very great hand of him winning from him large Provinces which he before had conquered Gregory the thirteenth Bishop of Rome thinking by his intreaty for peace betweene those two Princes to have woon the whole Russian Monarchy to the subjection and acknowledgment of the Papacy Possevinus a Iesuite sent by the Pope to the Emperour sent Robertus Possevinus a Iesuite but yet a great States-man as his agent to take up controversies betweene the Muscovite and the King of Polone who prevailed so farre as that he drew them to tolerable conditions for both parties but when he began to exhort him to the accepting of the Romish faith the Emperour being therefore informed by the English Ambassadors who he very much favoured for his Lady and Mistresse Queene Elizabeths sake that the Bishop of Rome was a proud Prelate and would exercise his pretended authority so far as to make Kings and Princes hold his stirrop yea to kisse his very feet he utterly and with much scorne rejected all obedience to him Whereunto when Possevinus did reply A fine excuse for the Popes pride that the Princes of Europe indeed in acknowledgement of their subjection to him as the Vicar of Christ and successour of S. Peter did offer him that service as to kisse his feet but that the Pope remembring himselfe to be a mortall man did not take that honour as due unto himselfe but did use to have on his Pantophle the Crucifixe or Picture of Christ hanging upon the Crosse and that in truth he would have the reverence done thereunto the Emperour did grow into an exceeding rage reputing his pride to bee so much the greater when he would put the Crucifixe upon his shooe The Emperours rage against the Pope in as much as the
had done discovered where amongst the rest meÌ„tion was made of a Land which they had touched which to this day â—s known by the name of Sir Hugh Villobies Land Sir Hugh Willobies Land The Merchants of London did not desist to pursue this discovery but have so far prevailed that they have reached one halfe of the way toward the East part of Chyna and Cathaio but the whole passage is not yet opened This Empire one of the greatest to the world This Empire is at this day one of the greatest dominioÌ„s in the world both for compasse of ground for multitude of men saving that it lyeth far North and so yeeldeth not pleasure or good traffique with many other of the best situated nations Among other things which doe argue the magnificence of the Emperour of Russia this one is recorded by many who have travelled into those parts that when the great Duke is disposed to sit in his magnificence besides great store of Iewels and abundance of massie plate both of gold and silver which is openly shewed in his hall there doe sit as his Princes and great Nobles cloathed in very rich and sumptuous attyre divers men ancient for their yeares very seemly of countenance and grave with white long beards which is a goodly shew besides the rich state of the thing But Olaus Magnus man well experienced in those Northerne parts doth say how truely I cannot tell that the manner of their sitting is a notable fraud and cunning of the Russian in asmuch as they are not men of any worth but ordinary Citizens of the gravest and seemliest countenance which against such a solemnity are picked out of Mosco and other places adjoyning and have robes put on them which are not their owne but taken out of the Emperours Wardrope Of Spruce and Poland Prussia bow situated IN Europe on the East and North corner of Germany lyeth a Countrey called Prussia in Latine most times Borussia in English Pruthen or Spruce of whom little is famous saving that they were governed by one in a kinde of order of Religion whom they call the Grand-Master and that they are a meanes to keepe the Moscovite the Turke from some other parts of Christendome This countrey is now growne to be a Dukedome the Duke thereof doth admit traffique with our English who going beyond the Hants townes doe touch upon his countrey amongst other things doe bring from thence a kinde of leather which was wont to be used in Ierkins and called by the name of Spruce-Leather-Jerkins Spruce Leather On the East side of Germany betweene Russia and Germany lyeth Polonia Polands Situation or Poland which is a kingdome differing from others in Europe because the King there is chosen by Election out of some of the Princes neere adjoyning as lately Henry the third King of France These Elections oftentimes doe make great factions there so that in taking parts they grow often there into civill warre The King of Polonia is almost continually in warre either with the Moscovite who lyeth in the East and North-east of him or with the Turke who lyeth on the South and South-east and sometimes also with the Princes of Germany whereupon the Poles do commonly desire to choose warriours to their King In this Countrey are none but Christians but so Their divers Religions that liberty of all Religion is permitted insomuch that there be Papists Colledges of Jesuites both of Lutherans and Calvinists in opinions Anabaptists Arrians and divers others They hate the Iesuites But of late yeares there hath bin made earnest motions in their Parliaments that their Colledges of Iesuites should bee dissolved and they banished out of that Kingdome as of late they were from France The reason of it is because that under colour of Religion they doe secretly deale in State causes and many times sow seditions and some of them have given counsell to murther Princes and wheresoever they be they are the onely intelligencers for the Pope besides that many of the Papists but especially all their Friers and orders of Religion doe hate and envy them first for that they take upon them with such pride to be called Iesuites as if none had to doe with Iesus but they and are more inward with Princes than the rest are Secondly because many of them are more learned than common Monks and Fryers And thirdly because they professe more strictly and severely than others doe the Capuchins onely excepted Their chiefe Citie Cracovia This is that Countrey which in times past was called Sarmatia the chiefe Citie whereof is named Cracovia Of Hungaria and Austria Hungaria situated ON the South-East side of Germany lyeth Hungaria called in the Latine Pannonia which hath beene heretofore divided into Pannonia superior Pannonia inferior it is an absolute Kingdome and hath beene heretofore rich and populous The Christians that doe live there have among them divers sorts of Religion as in Poland This Kingdome hath bin a great obstacle against the Turkes comming into Christendome but especially in the time of Iohan. Huniades who did mightily with many great victories repulse the Turke Here standeth Bunda which was heretofore a great Fortresse of Christendome Bunda but the glory of this kingdome is almost utterly decaied by reason that the Turke who partly by policy partly by force doth now possesse the greatest part of it So that the people are fled from thence and the Christians which remaine there are in miserable servitude Notwithstanding some part of Pannonia inferior doth yet belong to Christendome The Turks for the space of these forty or fifty yeares last past have kept continuall garrisons and many times great Armies in that part of Hungary which yet remaineth Christned yea and sometimes the great Turks themselves have come thither in person with huge hosts accounting it a matter of their Religion not onely to destroy as many Christians as they can but also to win their land by the revenues whereof they may maintaine some Religious house which they think themselves in custome bound to erect but so that the maintayning thereof is by the Sword to be wonne out of the hands of some of those whom they hold enemies to them Hungary is become the onely Cockpit of the world where the Turkes doe strive to gaine and the Christians at the charge of the Emperour of Germany who entituleth himselfe King of Hungary doe labour to repulse them and few Summers doe passe but that something is either wonne or lost by either party The corner of Germany which lyeth neerest to Hungary or Pannonia inferior Austria is called Austria or Pannonia superior which is an Archdukedome From which house being of late much sprung come many of the Princes of Germany and of other parts of Europe so that the Crown imperiall of Germany hath lately oft befallen to some one of this house In this Country standeth Vienna Vienna that
noble citie which is now the principall Bulwarke of Christendome against the Turke from whence Solyman was repelled by Ferdinandus King of Hungary in the time of the Emperour Charles the fift It was in this countrey that Richard the first King of England in his returne from the Holy land was taken prisoner by the Archduke of Austria and so put to a grievous ransome There were lately divers brothers of the Emperour Rodolphus the second which were al called by the name of Archdukes of Austria Archdukes of Austria according to the maner of the Germans who give the titles of the Fathers nobility to all the children The names of them were Mathias Ernestus the youngest Albertus who for a good space held by dispensation from the Pope the Archbishopricke of Toledo in Spaine although he were no Priest and had then also the title of Cardinall of Austria was imploied for Viceroy of Portugall by Philip the 2 King of Spaine but after the death of the Duke of Parma hee was sent as Lievtenant generall governor of the Low-Countries for the K. of Spaine where since he hath attained to the marriage of the Infanta Isabella Eugenia Clara eldest daughter to K. Philip the second and last King of Spaine and by her hath hee the stile of Duke of Burgundy although peaceably he cannot enjoy a great part of that Country Thorow both Austria and Hungary doth runne the mighty river Danubius as thorow Germany doth run the Rheine The River of Rhine whereon groweth Vinum Rhenanum commonly called Rhenish wine Of Greece Thracia and the Countries neer adjoyning Situation of Dacia ON the South side of Hungary and South-east lieth a Countrey of Europe called in old time Dacia which is large and wide comprehending in it Transylvania Walachia Transylvania Walachia Moldavia Servia Moldavia Servia Of which little is famous save that the men are warlike and can hardly be brought to obedience They have lately bin under the K. of Hungary These Countries of Transylvania Walachia and Moldavia have certaine Monarchs of their owne whom they call by the name of Vognode which do rule their countries with indifferent mediocrity while they have the sway in their own hands but confining upon the Turk they are many times oppressed overcome by him so that often they are his tributaries yet by the wildnesse of the country uncertaine disposition of the Rulers and their people he never hath any hand long over them but sometimes they maintaine warre against him have slaine downe some of his Bassaes comming with a great Army against them by which occasion it falleth out that hee is glad now and then to enter confederacy with them so doubtfull a kinde of regiment is that which now adaies is in those Countries The river Danubius doth divide this Dacia from Mysia commonly called Bulgaria and Russia which lyeth on the South from Danubius and is severed from Graecia by the mountaine Haemus The mountaine Haemus This mountaine is that whereof they reported in times past though but falsly that who so stood on the top thereof might see the sea foure severall wayes to wit East West North and South under pretence of trying which conclusion not Philip Alexanders Father but a latter Philip King of Macedonia did goe up to that hill when in truth his meaning was secretly to meet with others there with whom hee might joyne himselfe against the Romans which was shortly the overthrow of that kingdome It should seeme that about this mountaine it is very cold by reason of that jest which Athenaeus reporteth Stratonicus to have uttered concerning that hill when he said that for eight moneths in the yeare it was very cold and for other four it was Winter Graecia bounded From Haemus toward the South lyeth Graecia bounded on the West by the Adriatike sea on the East by the Thracian sea and Mare Aegeum on the South by the maine Mediterranean sea This contained in old time foure speciall parts Peloponnesus Achaia Macedonia and Epirus Adjoyning whereunto was Illiricum Peloponnesus Moreah which is now called Moreah in the South part of Graecia being Peninsula or almost an Iland for that it is joyned by a little strait called Istmos unto the rest of Graecia Herein stood Sparta Sâ—â—â—ssus and Helicon and the ancient state of Lacedemon the lawes thereof were made by Licurgus by the due observation of which Tullie could say in his time that the title of Sparta in Lacedemon had continued in the same meanes and behaviour for the space of 700. yeares This Sparta was it which so often made warre against the Athenians and this and Athens were called the two edges of Graecia Neere the Jsthmos or Straits stood the famous City of Corinth Corinth which was in old time called the Key of Greece and whither S. Paul wrote two of his Epistles Aeneas Sylvius in his Cosmographicall Treatise De Europa cap. 22. saith that the Straits which divide Moreah from the rest of Graecia are in bredth but five miles and that divers Kings Princes did go about to digge away the earth that they might make it to be an Iland He nameth King Demetrius Julius Caesar Caius Caligula Domitius Nero of all whom hee doth note that they not onely failed of their purpose but that they came to violent and unnaturall deaths From the Isthmos which is the end of Peloponnesus or Moreah beginneth Achaia Achaia and spreadeth it selfe North-wards but a little way unto the Hill Othris which is the bounds betweene Achaia and Macedonia but East and West much more largely as Eastward even unto the Island Euboea Euboea with a great Promontory and Westward bounding unto Epirus The Inhabitants of this place were they which properly are called Achivi which word is so oft used by Virgil Here toward the East part stood Boetia upon the Sea-coast Boetia looking South-ward toward Moreah was Athens Athens which was famous for the Lawes of Solon for the warres against Sparta and many other Cities of Graecia and for an Vniversity of learned men which long continued there Pernassus and Helicon In this part of Greece stood Pernassus and Helicon so much talked of by Poets and Phocis and Thebes and briefly all the Cities wherof Livie speaking doth terme by the name of Achai or Vrbes Achaeorum The third Province of Graecia called Epirus Epyrus lyeth Westward from Achaia and extends it selfe for a good space that way but toward the North and South it is but narrow lying along the Sea-coast and looking South-ward on the Islands of Conegra and Cephalonia This was the Country wherein Olympias wife unto Philip of Macedonia and Mother unto Alexander the Great was born This was also the Kingdome of that noble Pyrrhus which made such great warres against the Romanes and in our later age it was made renowned by the valiant Scanderbeg who was so great a scourge
Asia and Europe so neere together and the Sea running between them which serveth each place with alâ— manner of commodities it appeareth that Constantinople is marvelâ— lously richly and conveniently seated and therefore a fit place from whence the Turke may offer to archieve great attempts After this strait the Sea openeth iâ— selfe more large toward the South and it is called by the name of Propontis But then it groweth againâ— into another strait which they writâ— to be in breadth about two mileâ— This is called Hellespontus Hellâ—spontus Xerxes Bridge having on the one side Abidus in Asia on the other side Sestus oâ— the side of Europe This is thâ— place where Xerxes the great Kinâ— of Persia did make his Bridge oveâ— the Sea so much renowned iâ— ancient History which was not impossible by reason of the narrow nesse the foundation of his Bridg being rested on ships Here alâ— may appeare the reason of the stoâ—â— of Leander and Hero which Leaâ—der is reported for the love of Herâ—to have oftentimes swom over thâ—â— Sea till at last hee was drowned From this strait Southward the Sea groweth more wide and is called afterwards by the name of Mare Aegeum Mare Aegeum and so descendeth to the full Mediterranean Of Asia and first of Tartary ON the Northside of Asia joyning unto the dominion of the Emperour of Russia is Tartary Tartary bounded in ancient time called Scythia the bounds wherof did then extend themselves into a good part of Europe therefore was called Scythia Europea but the greatest part of it lyeth in Asia a mighty large Country extending it selfe on the North to the uttermost Sea on the East to the Dominion of the Great Cham or Prince of Cathaie on the South down to Mare Caspium The Tartarians which now inhabit it are men of great stature rude of behaviour no Christians Their Religion but Gentiles neither doe they acknowledge Mabumet They have few or no Citieâ— among them but after the manner of the old Scythians doe live iâ— Wildernesses lying vnder their Carts and following their drove of cattell by the milke whereoâ— they doe nourish themselves Theâ— sowe no Corne at all because theâ— abide not long in any one place buâ— taking their direction from theâ— North-pole-starre they remoovâ— from one coast of their Countreâ— unto another The Countrey is populous and the men are great warriers fighting alwayes on horse backe with their bow Their manner of war arrowes anâ— a short Sword They have amongâ— them infinite store of horses wheâ—of they sell many into the Countries neere adjoyning Their ordnary food in their warres is horse flesh which they use to eate rawâ— being chafed a little by hanging 〈◊〉 their Saddle They have great wars with thâ— Countries adjoyning but especiall with the Muscovite and sometimes with the Turke from hence came Tamberlaine Tamberlain the Great a Tartarian who brought 7000000 of the Tartarians at once into the field wherein he distressed and took prisoner Bajazet the great Turke whom he afterward forced to feed as a Dogge under his table They have now amongst them many Princes and Governours as those have one whom they call the Crim Tartars and those have another which are the Tartars of Magaiae and so divers others The English have laboured to their great expences to finde out the way by the North Seas of Tartaria to go into Cathay and China but by reason of the frozen Seas they have not yet prevailed although it hath beene reported that the Flemmings have discovered that passage which would be very likely to the great benefit of the Northern parts of Christendome yet that report doth not continue and therfore it is to be thought that the Flemmings have not proceeded so farre Of Cathaie and China NExt beyond Tartaria on the Northeast part of Asia lyeth a great Countrey called Cathaie Situation of Cathaie the bounds whereof extend themselves on the North and East to the utter most Seas and on the South to China The people are not much learned but more civil than the Tartars and have good and ordinary trafficke with the Countries adjoyning This Countrey hath in it many Kings which are tributaries and do owe obedience unto one whom they call the great Cham The Great Can of Cathaie or Can of Cathaie who is the chiefe Governour of all the Land and esteemed for multitude of people and largenesse of Dominion to be one of the greatest Princes of the World but his name is the lesse famous for that hee lyeth so farre distant from the best Nations and the passage into his Countrey is so dangerous either for the perils of the Sea or for the long space by Land His chiefe Imperiall Citie is called Cambalu On the South side of Cathaie Cambalu the chiese Citie of China and East part of Asia next to the Sea lyeth China and the people thereof Osorius describeth by the name of Sina and calleth their Countrey Sinarum Regio A very rich Countrey This is a fruitfull Countrey and yeeldeth as great store of rich Commodities as almost any Countrey in the World It containeth in it very many severall Kingdomes which are absolute Princes in their Seats The chief Citie in this Countrey is called Quinsay Quinsay the chiefe Citie and is described to be of incredible greatnesse as were wont to be the ancient Cities in the East as Babylon Ninivie and others This Countrey was first discovered by the late Navigation of the Portugalls into the East Indies The people skilfull in Arts. The people of China are learned almost in all Arts very skilfull Worke-men in curious fine works of all sorts so that no Countrey yeeldeth more precious Merchandize than the workmanship of them They are great Souldiers very politicke and crafty and in respect thereof contemning the wits of others using a Proverbe That all other Nations doe see but with one eye Their Proverbe but they themselves with two Petrus Maffaeus Historiographer to the King of Spaine for the Easterne Indies doth report of them that they have had from very ancient time among them these two things which wee hold to be the Miracles of Christendome and but lately invented The one is the use of Gunnes for the Warres Two rare wonders invented in China Guns and Printing and the other is Printing which they use not as wee doe writing from the left hand unto the right or as the Hebrewes and Syrians from the right hand unto the left but directly downeward and so their lines at the top doe beginne againe Of the East Indies ON the Southside of China toward the Molucco Ilands and the Indian Sea lyeth the great Country of India extending it selfe from the South part of the Continent Thâ— situation of the Indies by the space of many thousand miles Westward unto the River Indus which is the greatest River in all the Countrey except Ganges one of the greatest Rivers
in the World which lyeth in the East part of the same Indies This is that Countrey so famous in ancient time for the great riches thereof for the multitude of people for the conquest of Bacchus over it for the passage thither of Alexander the Great throughout all the length of Asia for his adventuring to goe into the South Ocean with so mighty a Navy which few or none had ever attempted before him And certainly thither it was that Salomon did send once in three yeeres for his Gold and other rich Merchandise for the Scripture saith that hee sent his Fleet from Ezion-geber which stood upon the mouth of the Red Sea and it was the directest passage which hee had unto the Easterne Indies whereas if his purpose had been to send to Peru as some lately have imagined his course had been thorow the Mediterranean Sea and the Straits of Gibraltar This Countrey had in ancient time In Jndia are many Kingdomes many absolute Kingdomes and Provinces as in the time of Alexander Porus Taxiles and divers others In it were many Philosophers and men of great Learning whom they called Gymnosophistae of whom was Calanus who burnt himselfe before Alexander The men of the South part of India are blacke Their Cattle very big and therefore are called men of Jnde The Cattell of all sorts that are bred there are of incredible bignesse in respect of other Countries as their Elephants Apes Monkies Emêts and other Their riches The riches hereof have beene very great with abundance of Gold insomuch that the Promontory which is now called Malacha was in times past named Aurea Chersonesus The commoditie of Spice is exceeding great that comes from thence The Partugals first discovered the Indies The Portugals were the first which by their long Navigations beyond the Equinoctiall and the farthermost part of Africk have of late yeeres discovered these Countries to Christendome as heretofore to the use of the King of Portugall so now of the King of Spaine who is reputed owner of them Four Kingdoms by the Portugals discovered The Portugals did finde divers Kingdomes at their first arrivall in those parts as the Kingdome of Calecut the Kingdome of Cambaia the Kingdome of Cananor the Kingdome of Cochin and very many other with the Kings whereof they first entring League and Trafficke and having leave given to build Castles for their defence they have since by policie encroched into their hands a great part of the Countrey which lyeth neere unto the Sea-coast and are mighty now for the space of many thousand miles together The K. of Spain hath there a Vice-roy whose residence is commonly in the Imperiall Citie called God Chief City God They doe every yeare send home great store of rich commodities into Spain The Indians Religion The people of the Country when the Portugals came first thither were for the most part Gentiles beleeving in no one God yea at this day there are divers of them who doe adore the Sunne as their God and every morning at the rising thereof doe use very superstitious Ceremonies which our Merchants who doe trade to Aleppo doe oftentimes see for divers of these Jndians do come thither with Merchandize But the Saracens who reverence the Prophet Mahomet from the Bayes or Gulphes of Persia and Arabia doe trafficke much thither so that Mahomet was knowne among them but in one Town called Granganor they found certain Christians dissenting in many things from the Church of Rome and rather agreeing with the Protestants which Christians had received by succession their Religion from the time of Thomas the Apostle by whom as it is recorded in the ancient Ecclesiasticall History part of India was converted In this Countrey of Jndia are many great and potent Kings and Kingdomes which had beene altother unknown and unheard of in our part of the World but that we were beholding to the Portugals for their Discovery and before their Navigation thither by the backside of Africk to some relations that wee had from the Venetians who traded and travelled thither by Land out of Turkie The names of these Kings and Kingdomes are these The King of Biarme the great Mogol Sâ—â— Kingdomes the King of Narsing Pegu Siam the forenamed King of Calecut and others Of Persia Situation of Persia THere be divers Countries betweene India and Persia but they are not Famous Persia is a large Country which lyeth farre West from India it hath on the North Assyria and Media on the West Syria and the Holy land but next unto it Mesopotamia on the South the mayn Ocean which entreth in notwithstanding by a Bay called Sinus Persicus This is that Countrey which in ancient time was so renowned for the great riches and Empire thereof These were they who tooke from the Assyrians the Monarchie and did set up in their Country the second great Empire which began under Cyrus continued unto that Darius who was overthrowne by Alexander the Great In this countrey raigned the great Kings Cyrus The g eat and famous Kings of Persia Cambises Darius the Son of Histaspes the great Xerxes Artaxerxes and many others which in prophane writings are famous for their wars against the Scythians Aegyptians and Graecians in the Scripture for the delivery of the Iewes from Babylon by Cyrus for the building of the second Temple at Jerusalem and for many things which are mentioned of them in the Prophecie of Daniel The people of this Nation although they were in former times very riotous by reason of their great wealth yet after they had lost their Monarchy by the Macedonians Persians great Souldiers they have growne great Souldiers and therefore as they did ever strongly defend themselves against the old Romanes so in the time of Constantine and the other Emperours they were fearefull neighbours to the Romane government and of late time they have strongly opposed themselves against the Turkes ever making their party good with them And yet notwithstanding in the dayes of Amurath the third father to Mahomet the Turke now raigning the Turke had a great hand upon the Persian going so farre with his Army as that hee tooke the strong Citie Tauris standing within the Persian dominions neere unto the Caspian Sea but this losse was to bee attributed partly to the great dissentions which were among the Persians themselves and partly to the multitude of the Turke his Souldiers who by fresh supply did over-beare the Persian although hee slew downe many thousands of them They fight commonly on horseback are govern'd as in time past by a King so now by an absolute ruler Sophy of Persia and a mighty Prince whom they tear me the Shaw or Sophy of Persia Hee hath many Countries small Kings in Assyria Media and the countries adjoyning which are tributaries Among other the Sophies of Persia about a hundred years since there was one of great power called Ismael the
City of Seleuchus wherein stands the Citie Seleucia built by Seleuchus one of the foure great successors of Alexander the Great On the West of this Pamphilia standeth Lycia Lycia more West from thence confining upon the I le of Rhodes is Caria Caria one of the sea-townes whereof is Halicarnassus which was the Countrey of Heredotus who is one of the most ancient Historians that is extant of the Gentiles and who dedicated his nine Bookes to the honour of the Muses Here also was that Dionysius borne who is called commonly Dionysius Halicarnassus one of the Writers of the Romane Story for the first three hundred yeares after Rome was built The whole countrey of Caria is sometimes signified by the name of this Halicarnassus Halicarnassus although it was but one Citie and thereupon Artemisia who in the dayes of Xerxes came to aid him against the Gracians and behaved her selfe so manfully in a great fight at sea whē Xerxes stood by as a coward is intituled by the name not of Queene of Caria but of Halicarnassus Also in the dayes of Alexander the Great there was another Queene named Ada who also is honoured by the title of Queene of Halicarnassus Wee have thus farre described those Cities of Asia the lesse which doe lie from that part that joyneth unto Syria along the Sea coast Westward but being indeed the Southerne part of Asia minor Now upwards towards the North Ionia standeth Ionia where those did dwell who had like to have joyned with Xerxes in the great battell at Sea but that Themistocles by a policie did winne them from him to take part with the Gracians Diodorus Siculus writeth that the Athenians who professed to be of kin to those Ionians were on a time marveilous importunate with them that they should leave their owne countrey come and dwell with them which when the Ionians hardly but yet at length did accept the Athenians had no place to put them in and so they returned with great disgrace to them both A little within the Land lying North and East from Jonium Lydia was Lydia which sometimes was the Kingdome of Croesus who was reputed so rich a King when hee was in his prosperity making best of his happinesse hee was told by Solon that no man could reckon upon felicity so long as he lived because there might be great mutability of Fortune which he after ward found true For he was taken prisoner by Cyrus Croesus overthrown by Cyrus who was once minded to have put him to death but hearing him report the advertisement of Solon formerly given to him hee was moved to thinke that it might bee his owne case and so tooke pitty on him and spared his life These Lydians being inhibited afterward by Cyrus to use any armour did give themselves to bathes and stewes and other such effeminate things Vpon the sea-coast in Ionia standeth the Citie Ephesus Ephesus which was one of the seven cities unto which Iohn in his Revelation did write his seven Epistles and Saint Paul also directed his Epistle to the Ephesians unto the Church which was in this place This was one of the most renowned Cities of Asia the lesse but the Fame thereof did most arise from the Temple of Diana which was there built The Temple of Diana and was reputed for the magnificence thereof one of the seven Wonders of the world This Temple was said to be two hundred yeares in building and was burnt seven severall times whereof the most part was by lightning and the finall destruction thereof came by a base person called Herostratus who to purchase himselfe some fame did set it on fire This was the place of which it is said in the Acts of the Apostles that all Asia and the whole world doe worship this Diana Tullie reporteth De natura Deorum that Timaeus being asked the reason why the Temple of Diana was on fire that night when Alexander the Great was born gave that jest thereof that the Mistresse of it was from home because she being the Goddesse of Midwives did that night waite upon Olympias the Mother of Alexander the Great who was brought to bed in Macedonia City of Smirna Another of the seven Cities unto which John did write is Smirna standing also in Ionia upon the Sea cost but somewhat more North than Ephesus which is the place where Polycarpus was Bishop who sometimes had beene Schollar unto Iohn the Evangelist Polycarpus schollar to S. Iohn the Evangelist and living till hee was of great age was at last put to death for Christs sake when before hee had beene moved by the Governour of the Countrey to deny his Saviour and to burne Incense to an Idoll But hee answered that fourescore and sixe yeares hee had served Christ Iesus and in all that time he had never done him harm and therefore now in his old age hee would not beginne to deny him The third Citie unto which the Epistle is directed in the Apocalyps City of Sardis which standeth within the Land in Lydia as is described by the best Writers and it was a Citie both of great pleasure and profit unto the Kings in whose Dominion it stood which may bee gathered hereby that when once the Graecians had wonne it Darius Histaspis or Xerxes who were Kings of Persia did give charge that every day at dinner one speaking aloud should remember him that the Graecians had taken Sardis which intended that hee never was in quiet till it might bee recovered againe Foure Cities of vote There stood also in the In-land Philadelphia Thyatira Laodicea and most of all to the North Pergamus which were the other foure Cities unto which Saint Iohn the Evangelist did direct his Epistle Going upward from Ionium to the North there lyeth on the Sea-coast a little countrey Aeolis called Aeolis and beyond that although not upon the Sea the two Provinces called Mysia Major and Mysia Minor which in times past Mysia major and Mysia minor were so base and contemptible that the people thereof were used in speech as a Proverbe that if a man would describe one meaner than the meanest it was said he was Mysiorum postremus On the West part of Mysia major did lye the Countrey called Troas The City of Troy wherein stood Jlium and the City of Troy against which as both Virgil and Homer have written the Graecians did continue their Siege for the space of tenne yeares by reason that Paris had stollen away Helena the wife of Menelaus who was King of Sparta Eastward both from Troas and Mysia major a good space within the land was the Countrey called Phrygia Phrygia where the Goddesse which was called Bona Dea or Pessinuntia or Cybele the Mother of the old Gods had her first abiding and from thence as Herodian writeth was brought to Rome as implying that good Fortune should follow her thither In this Countrey lived
that Gordius who knit the knot called for the intricatenesse thereof Nodus Gordianus Gordius knot and when it could not bee untied was cut in sunder by Alexander the Great supposing that it should bee his fortune for the loosing of it so to bee the Conquerour and King of Asia as by a prophecie of the same Gordius had beene before spoken Yet North-ward from Phrygia lyeth the Countrey of Bythinia Bythinia which was sometimes a Kingdome where Prusias raigned that had so much to doe with the Romanes In this Countrey standeth the Citie Nicea Citie of Nice where the first Generall Councell was held against Arius the Heretike by Constantine the Great thereof called the Nicene Councell Here standeth also Chalcedon where the fourth Generall Councell was held by the Emperour Martianus Chalcedon against the Heretike Nestorius From Bythinia Eastward on the Northside of Asia the lesse standeth the Countrey of Paphlagonia Paphlagonia where was the Citie built by Pompey the Great called by his name Pompeiopolis On the South of Paphlagonia toward the Iland of Asia Minor Pompeiopolis did stand the Countrey of Galatia whereunto Saint Paul wrote his Epistle to the Galathians Galatia And this also was one of those Countries where the Iewes were dispersed unto which Saint Peter wrote his first Epistle as also unto them which were in Pontus Cappadocia and Bythinia from whence Southward lyeth the Province termed Lycaonia Lycaonia And from thence yet more South bordering upon Pamphilia which touches the Mediterranean Sea lyeth Pisidia Pisidia concerning which countries we finde oftentimes mention made in such Stories as doe touch Asia the lesse From these Southerne parts if we returne backe againe unto the North and East of Asia Major The kingdome of Pontus lyeth the Kingdome of Pontus confining upon that which is named Pontus Euxinus In this Pontus did raigne Mithridates Mithridates who in his younger dayes had travelled over the greatest part of Asia and is reported to have beene so skilfull that hee could well speake more than twentie Languages His hatred was ever great towards the Romanes against whom when hee meant first to put his malice in practise he so combined with the Naturals of those parts that in one night they slew more than threescore and tenne thousand of the Romanes carrying their intendment so close that it was revealed by none till the execution was done Pompey brought Mithridates to distresse Pompey the Great was the man who distressed this Mithridates and brought him to that extremity that hee would gladly have poysoned himselfe but could not in as much as his stomack had beene used so before unto that kinde of Triacle which by reason of his inventing of unto this day is called Alithridate which is made of a kinde of poyson allayed that no venome would easily work upon him Southward from this Pontus standeth the old Kingdome of Cappadocia Cappadocia which in times past was observed to have many men in it but little money Whence Horace saith Mancipiis locuples eget aris Cappadocum Rex Armenia Minor Eastward from this Cappadocia as also from Pontus is Armenia Minor whereof the things memorable are described in the other Armenia And thus much touching Asia the lesse Of Syria and Palestina or the Holy Land SOuthward from Silicia and Asia the lesse Syria bounded lyeth Syria a part whereof was called Palaestina having on the East Mesopotamia on the South Arabia on the West Tyre and Sydon and the end of the Mediterranean Sea The people of this Syria were in times past called the Aramites Their ancient names In their language is the translation of the new Testament called Syriacke Citie of Antioch In this Countrey standeth Antioch which was sometimes one of the ancient Patriarchs Seas and is a Citie of reckoning unto this day Here also standeth now the Citie of Aleppo Aleppo which is a famous Mart Towne for the Merchandizing of the Persians and others of the East and for the Turks and such Countries as be adjoyning Here standeth also Tripolis Tripolis The South part of Syria lying downe toward Aegypt and Arabia was the place where the Children of Israel died well being a Country of small quantity not 200 Jtalian miles in length it was so fruitfull flowing with Milke and Honey as the Scripture calleth it that it did mayntayne above thirty Kings and their people Thirty Kings before the comming of the Children of Israel out of Aegypt and was sufficient afterwards to relieve the incredible number of the twelve Tribes of Israel It is noted of this Countrey Note that whereas by the goodnesse of the Climate wherein it stood and the fertilitie of the Soyle but especially by the blessing of God it was the most fruitfull Land that was in the World Now our Travellers by experience doe finde the Countrey in respect of the fruitfulnesse to be changed God cursing the Land together with the Iewes the Inhabitants of it It is observed also for all the Easterne parts that they are not so fertile as they have beene in former Ages the Earth as it were growing olde which is an Argument of the dissolution to come by the day of Iudgement The River Iordan Through this Countrey doth runne the River Iordan which hath heretofore beene famous for the fruitfulnesse of the trees standing thereupon and for the mildnesse of the Ayre so that as Iosephus writeth when Snow hath been in other places of the Land about the River it hath beene so calme that men did goe in single thinne linnen garments In this Countrey standeth the Lake The Lake Asphaltites called Lacus Asphaltites because of a kinde of slime called Bitumen or Asphaltum which daily it doth cast up being of force to joyne stones exceeding fast in building And into this Lake doth the River Iordan run Mare Mortuum This Lake is it which is called Mare Mortuum a Sea because it is salt and Mortuum or Dead for that no living thing is therein The water thereof is so thicke that few things will sinke therein in so much that Iosephus saith that an Oxe having all his legges bound will not sinke into that water The nature of this Lake as it was supposed was turned into this quality when God did destroy Sodome and Gomorrah and the Cities adjoyning with fire and Brimstone from Heaven for Sodome and the other Cities did stand neere unto Iordan and to this Mare Mortuum for the destruction of whom all that Coast to this day is a witnesse the Earth smelling of Brimstone being desolate and yeelding no Fruit saving Apples which grow with a faire shew to the eye like other Fruit but as soone as they are touched doe turne presently to soot or ashes as besides Josephus Solinus doth witnesse in his 48 Chapter Twelve Tribet of Israel The Land of Palestina had for its Inhabitants all the Twelve Tribes of
Israel which were under one Kingdome till the time of Rehoboam the Sonne of Solomon But then were they divided into two Kingdomes ten Tribes being called Israel and two Iudah whose chiefe Citie was called Ierusalem Jerusalem Twelve Tribes divided The ten Tribes after much Idolatry were carried prisoners unto Assyria and the Kingdome dissolved other people being placed in their roome in Samaria and the Country adjoyning The other two Tribes were properly called the Iewes and their Land Iudaea The Iewes which continued long after in Ierusalem and thereabout till the Captivity of Babylon where they lived for seventie yeares They were afterward restored but lived without glory till the comming of Christ But since that time for a curse upon them and their children for putting Christ to death they are scattered upon the face of the Earth as Runnagates without certaine Countrey King Priest or Prophet In their chiefe City Jerusalem was the Temple of God first most gloriously built by Salomon and afterward destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar Jerusalem destroyed By the commandement of Cyrus King of Persia was a second Temple built much more base than the former For besides the poverty and smalnesse of it there wanted five things which were in the former as the Iewes write Note First the Arke of the Covenant Secondly the pot of Manna Thirdly the Rodde of Aaron Fourthly the two Tables of the Law written by the finger of God And fiftly the fire of the Sacrifice which came downe from Heaven Herod the Great an Edomite stranger having gotten the Kingdome contrary to the Law of Moses and knowing the people to be offended therewithall to procure their favour did build a third Temple wherein our Saviour Iesus Christ and his Apostles did teach The City of Jerusalem was twice taken and utterly laid desolate Ierusalem twice destroyed 1 By Nebuchadnezzar 2 By Vespasian first by Nebuchadnezzar at the Captivitie of Babylon and secondly after the death of Christ by Vespasian the Romane who first began the warres and by his Sonne Titus who was afterward Emperour of Rome who brought such horrible desolation on that Citie and the people thereof by Fire Sword and Famine that the like hath not beene read in any History Hee did afterwards put thousands of them on some one day to be devoured of the Beasts which was a cruel Custome of the Romanes magnificence Although Numbers and Times be not superstitiously to be observed as many foolish imagine yet it is a matter in this place not unworthy the noting which Iosephus reporteth in his seventh Booke and tenth Chapter de Bello Iudaico that the very same day whereon the Temple was set on fire by the Babylonians was the day whereon the second Temple was set on fire by the Romanes and that was upon the tenth day of August After this destruction the Land of Iudaea and the ruines of Ierusalem were possessed by some of the people adjoyning till that about sixe hundred yeares since the Saracens did invade it for expelling of whom from thence divers Frenchmen and other Christians under the leading of Godfrey of Bullen did assemble themselves thinking it a great shame that the Holy Land as they called it the Citie of Jerusalem and the place of the Sepulchre of Christ should bee in the hands of Infidels This Godfrey ruled in Ierusalem by the name of a Duke but his successours after him for the space of 87 yeares called themselves Kings of Ierusalem About which time Saladine who called himselfe King of Aegypt and Asia the lesse did winne it from the Christians For the recovery wherof Richard the first King of England together with the French King and the King of Sicilia did goe in person with their Armies to Ierusalem but although they wonne many things from the Infidels yet the end was that the Saracens did retaine the Holy Land Roger Hoveden in the life of Henry the Second King of England doth give this memorable note that at that time when the Citie of Ierusalem and Antioch were taken out of the hand of the Pagans by the meanes of Godfrey of Bullen and other of his Company the Pope of Rome that then was was called Vrbanus the Patriarch of Ierusalem Heraclius and the Romane Emperour Fredericke and at the same time when the said Ierusalem was recovered againe by Saladine the Popeâ— name was Vrbanus the Patriarch of Jerusalem Heraclius and the Roman Emperour Frederick Ierusalem in the Turkes Dominions The whole Countrey and Citie of Ierusalem are now in the Dominion of the Turke who notwithstanding for a great Tribute doth suffer many Christians to abide there There are now therefore two or more Monasteries and Religious Houses where Friers do abide and make a good commoditie of shewing the Sepulchre of Christ and other Monuments unto such Christian Pilgrimes as do use superstitiously to go in Pilgrimage to the Holy Land The King of Spaine was wont to call himselfe King of Ierusalem Of Arabia Arabia bounded NExt unto the Holy Land lyeth the great Country of Arabia having on the North part Palaestina and Mesopotamia on the East side the Gulph of Persia on the South the mayne Ocean of India or Aethiopia on the West Aegypt and the great Bay called Sinus Arabicus or the Red Sea This Countrey is divided into three parts the North part whereof is called Arabia Deserta Arabia divided into three parts the South part which is the greatest is named Arabia Foelix and the middle between both that which for the abundance of Rockes and Stones is called Arabia Petrea or Petrosa Of the Desart of Arabia The Desart of Arabia is that place in the which God after the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt by passing thorow the Red Sea did keepe his people under Moses for forty yeares because of their rebellion feeding them in the mean time with Manna from Heaven and sometimes with water miraculously drawne out of dry Rockes For the Countrey hath very little water almost no Trees and is utterly unfit for Tillage or Corn. There are no Townes nor inhabitants of this Desart in Arabia Petrosa are some but not many Arabia Foelix for Fruitfulnesse of ground and convenient standing every way toward the Sea is one of the best Countries of the World and the principall cause why it is called Foelix is for that it yeeldeth many things in abundance which in other parts of the World are not to be had as Frankincense especially the most precious Balmes Mirrhe and many other both Fruits and Spices and yeeldeth withall store of some precious stones When Alexander the Great was young after the manner of the Macedonians hee was to put Incense upon an Altar and powring on great store of Frankincense one of the Nobilitie of his Countrey told him that hee was too prodigall of that sweet perfume and that hee should make spare untill hee had conquered the Land wherein the Frankincense did grow But when
Barbarie hath in old time beene called Mauritania which was divided into two parts the East part whereof next to Africa minor was called by the Romanes Mauritania Caesariensis as the other was called Mauritania Tingitana In Mauritania Caesariensi was the Countrey of Numidia the people whereof were used in the Warres of the Carthaginians as Light-horsmen and for all nimble services were very active In the East part of this Countrey standing in the Sea was that famous Citie of Carthage Carthage a famous City supposed to be built by Dido who came from Tyrus This City was it which for the space of some hundred yeares contended with Rome for the Empire of the World In the Romane Histories are recorded the great Warres which the people of Rome had with the City of Carthage In the first warre of the three the contention was for the Iles of Cicilia Corsica and Sardinia when the victory fell to the Romans and the Carthaginians were glad to redeeme their peace with the leaving of those Ilands The second warre was begun by Hannibal who brake the League and after he had taken some part of Spain from the Romanes and sacked Saguntum a Citie of their Friends came first over the Pyrenay hils to France then over the Alpes to Italy where hee overthrew the Romanes in three great Battels and much endangered their estate hee continued in Italy with his Army sixteene yeares till Scipio attempting on Carthage forced Hannibal to returne to rescue his owne Countrey There was Hannibal overthrowne and his City put to a great pension by Scipio who for his victory there was named Africanus In the third Warre because the people of Carthage still brake the League their City was razed to the very ground by the earnest and continuall counsell of Cato the Elder fearing evermore so dangerous a Neighbour though Scipio Nasica counselled to the contrary fearing lest if the dread of that enemy were taken away the Romans would grow either to idlenesse or civill dissention which after they did It is reported of Cato that hee never spake his judgement of any thing in the Senate but his conclusion was thus Thus I think for this matter and withall that Carthage is to be razed down And Scipio Nasica would reply in his conclusion Thus I thinke for this matter and withall that Carthage is not to bee razed down Livie reporteth that the way whereby Cato prevayled that Carthage should be razed downe was this while the question was very hot hee bringeth into the Senâ—te house greene Figges and let the Senatours understand that the same day three weeks those Figges were growing in Carthage Town wherby hee made manifest unto them that it was possible that an Army might be conveyed from Carthage to Rome in so short a time as that they would not be able on a suddaine to resist and so Rome might be surprized whereby they all concluded that it was no safety for their City to have a bad Neighbour so neer unto them In this Countrey toward the West not farre from Carthage stood Vtica whereof the younger Cato was tearmed Cato Vticensis because hee killed himselfe there in the civill warres betwixt Caesar and Pompey because he would not come within the hands of his enemy Caesar Not farre from thence westward standeth Hippo which was the City where S. Augustine was Bishop This whole Countrey at this day is called the Kingdome of Tunis the King whereof is a kinde of stipendary unto the Turke the people that inhabit there are generally Saracens and doe professe Mahumet Some doe write that Tunis standeth in the very place where olde Carthage was which is not so but is situated very neere unto the old ruines of the other Against the king of Tunis Charles the fift had some of his warres by Sea Of Mauritania Tingitana THe other part of Barbary that lyeth along the Mediterranean farthest into the West was called in old time Mauritania Tingitana The people of which Countrey were those which almost in al the old Histories were called by the name of Mauri Those of the other Mauritania being rather termed Numidae Into the North-west part therof did Hercules come and there did set up one of his pillars which answereth to the other in Spain they both being at the straits of Gilbralter in times past called Fretum HerculeuÌ„ On the South part thereof lay the * The kingdome of Bocchus kingdom of Bocchus which in the time of Marius had so much to doe with the Romans In the west part of this Mauritania standeth the Hill called Atlas minor Atlas minor Atlas major on the South part is the great Hill called Atlas major whereof the maine Ocean which lyeth betweene Mauritania and America is called Mare Atlanticum This hill is so high that unto those who stood on the bottome of it it seemed to touch heaven with his shoulders This Countrey hath beene long inhabited by the Saracens who from thence finding it to be but a short passage into Spaine did goe over now seven hundred yeares agoe and possessed there the Kingdome of Granado on the South side of Spaine till they were thence expelled by Ferdinandus and Elizabeth or Isabel King and Queene of Castile In this Countrey since that time have the Spaniards taken some Cities and Holds and so also have the Portugals which by the divers event of victory have often beene lost and won by them Here it was that the Emperour Charles the Fift had divers of his great Warres against the Moores as well as in the Kingdome of Tunis For the assistance of one who claymed to bee King of a part of this Countrey did Sebastian the King of Portugale goe with all his power into Africa in the Yeare 1578. where unadvisedly bearing himselfe hee was slaine together with two other the same day who claymed to be Kings so that there it was that the Battell was fought whereof it was said that * Three Kings slaine in one day at the battle of Aleazar three Kings died in one day which battell is called the battell of Aleazar and was the ruine of the Kingdome of Portugale and the cause of the uniting it to the Crowne of Spaine Astrologers did suppose that the blazing Starre which appeared the Yeare before did signifie that ill event This whole Countrey doth maintaine in it besides some Imperiall Government two absolute Kingdomes * The kingdome of Fezâ— the one of Fezza or Fez which lyeth on the North part toward the Mediterranean and Spain the other is the Kingdome of * The kingdome of Morocco Morroco which lyeth from above the Hill Atlas minor to the South and West part of Mauritania These are both Saracens as be also their people holding true League with the Turke and with some other Christian Princes a League onely for Traffick and Merchandize It may be doubted whether it was in this Mauritania Tingitana or rather but neere unto it in Mauritania Caesariensi
Nobility of Scotland and by that meanes the Kings of England were no sooner attempting any thing upon France but the Scots by and by would invade England Whereupon the * A Proverbe Proverbe amongst our people grew That hee who will France winne must with Scotland first begin * The policie of the French And these Frenchmen continuing their policie did with infinite rewards breake off the Marriage which was intended and agreed upon betweene King Edward the sixt and Mary the late unfortunate Queene of Scotland drawing her rather to bee married with the Dolphine of France who was Sonne to King Henry the second and afterward himselfe raigned by the name of King Francis the second But this was so ill taken by the English that they sought revenge upon Scotland and gave them a great overthrow in that battell which was called * Musselborough field Musselborough-field The people of this Countrey were in times past so * The barbarousnesse of these Scots in former times barbarous that they did not refuse to eate mans flesh which as Saint Hierome doth witnesse of them hee himselfe saw some of them to doe in France and the fame thereof went so farre that Chrysostome in one place doth allude to such a matter There bee many little Ilands adjoyning unto the great Iland Britaine as at the very North point of Scotland the * The Orcades the people barbarous Orcades which are in number above thirty The chiefe whereof is named Orkney whereof the people are barbarous On the West-side of Scotland towards Ireland lye the Ilands called Hebrides in number forty foure where inhabite the people ordinarily called the * The Red-shankes Red-shankes Not farre from thence is the I le Mona commonly called the * The I le of Man I le of Man the peculiar jurisdiction of the Earles of Darby with homage notwithstanding reserved to the Crowne of England On the North part of Wales is the Iland of * The I le of Anglesey Anglesey which is reputed a distinct Shire Towards France side on the South part of England is the I le of * The I le of Wight Wight in Latine called Vectis which is a good hold in the narrow Seas against the French More neere France are the Iles of * The Iles of Gernesey and Iernesey Gernesey and Iernesey where they speake French and are under the Crowne of England There are also many other but of small account As the Iles of Teanet and Sheppy on the side of Kent the Sorlings or Sully at the end of Cornewall in number as it is said 145. Caldey Lunday and the Flatholnes with * Divers other Ilands others in the mouth of Severne Holy-farne Cocket Ilands on the side of Northumberland And thus much of Great Britaine and the Ilands thereunto adjoyning Of the Ilands in the Mediterranean Sea THere be many Ilāds in the Mediterranean renowned in all the old Writers◠but the chiefe of them onely shall bee touched From the Pillars of Hercules going Eastward are two Ilands not far from Spaine which in times past were called * Iusulae Baleares Insulae Baleares for that the people of them did use both for their delight and Armour Slings which they continually almost carried about with them and whereunto as Pliny writeth they did traine up their Children from their youngest yeares not giving them any meat till they had from some post or beame cast it downe with a Sling Of these were those Fonditors or Sling-casters which the Carthaginians and Spaniards did use in their Warres against the Romanes The lesser of these which lyeth most West was called in old time Minorica The bigger which lyeth more East was called Majorica and now Minorica and Majorica they are both under the Dominion of the King of Spaine More Eastward in the Sea called Mare Inferum or Tyrrhenum lyeth the Island of * The Iland of Corsica Corsica over against Genua and direct Southward from thence lyeth the great * The Iland of Sardinia Island Sardinia For the quiet possession of which two the warres were often revived betweene the old Carthaginians and the Romanes for these two Islands lye in the middle very fitly The Iland of Corsica is subject to the State of Genua whither the Genoes doe transport things out of the Mayne and are ruled by their Governours as the Venetians doe Candie This Iland is but barren either in respect of some other that lye neere unto it or of the Countrey of Italy but yet yeeldeth profit ease and honour unto the States of Genua which have little land beside it The Island of Sardinia also is no way so fruitfull as Sicily but it is under the Government of the King of Spain and was the same which was promised to Anthony the King of Navarre Note Father to Henry the Fourth King of France in recompence of Pamplona and the rest of the Kingdome of Navarre then and now detained from him and his heires by the Spaniard But this was the device onely of the Cardinall of Lorraine who intending to draw him to Papistry and to order his politicke purposes did make shew of this which was no way meant by the Spaniard Further to the East at the very point of the South part of Jtaly lyeth the great * The Iland of Sicilia Iland Sicilia which some have supposed to have beene heretofore a part of the Continent but by an Earth-quake and inundation of water to have beene rent off and so made an Iland The figure of this Countrey is Triquetra triangled or three square Iustin in his fourth Booke doth seeme to suspect that Sicily was in times past fastned unto Italy But Seneca in Consolatione ad Martian Cap. 97. doth say plainly that it was sometimes a peece of the Continent There was also a great contention for this Countrey betweene the Carthaginians and the Romanes but the Romanes obtained it and had from thence exceeding store of Corne yearely whereupon Sicily was called Horreum Pop. Rom. Here stood the goodly * The Citie Syracusa Note City called Syracusa which was destroyed and sacked by Marcellus the Romane When as Livie writeth of him hee being resolved to set on fire that Citie which was then one of the goodliest places of the World could not chuse but break forth into teares to see how vaine and transitory the glory of worldly things is here At that time lived * Archimedes the famous Engine-maker Archimedes who was a most admirable ingenious Engine-maker for all kinde of Fortifications of whom it is said that by burning Glasses which hee made he did set on fire divers ships which the Romanes had lying in the Haven When the Citie was taken hee was making plots and drawing figures on the ground for to prevent the assaults of the Romanes and being unknowne he was slaine by some of the Souldiers which did breake in upon him Some thinke that it was
by blowing and whifling doth both cause the fire never to extinguish and sometimes according unto the strength of the blast doth make flames breake out either more or lesse There are in the Hill Aetna two principall places which are like unto two Furnaces with Tunnels on the top of them where divers times but especially in the Evening and Night the flame doth appeare mounting upwards and it is so strong that oftentimes it brings up with it burnt and scorching stones and peeces of hard substances which seemes to bee rent out of some Rocke to the great terrour and danger of any that doe come neere This is that place whither Empedocles threw himselfe Note that hee might be reported a God This is it whereof Virgil doth make his Tract called Aetna which the Poets did report to bee the Shop of Vulcan where Cyclopes did frame the Thunderbolts for Iupiter And to conclude that is it which some of our grosse Papists have not feared to imagine to be the place of Purgatory As they have beene so foolish to thinke that there is also another place called the Mount Veda in Jseland where soules have another Purgatory to bee punished in but there by colde which Surius in his Commentaries is so absurdly grosse as to report and allow * The Papists Purgatory is the fiery Aetna The Papists have show for their Purgatory in Aetna out of that Book which is commonly called by the name of the Dialogues of Gregory the Great For in that Booke there are divers things to that purpose But our best Writers of late have discovered that that same Treatise is a counterfeit being made by a later Pope Gregory and not by the first of that name ordinarily called Gregorius Magnus who although hee have in his Workes divers things tending to Superstition yet hee was never so absurde as to write things so unprobable foolish and grounded upon so bare reports as these were Such another Hill as the Mountaine of Aetna is was in time past Vesuvius a Hill in Campania which is part of Italy but this never had the like continuance as that of Aetna although in the time of Pliny the fire did breake forth there and so strongly as that the elder Pliny who spent all his time in discovering the secrets of Nature pressing neere to behold it was stifeled with the flame smoke or ashes so that hee * The dâ—ath of Pliny the elder died in the place as is most excellently described in the Booke of his Epistles by his Nephew the younger Plinie Not farre from Sicily on the South lyeth the little Ile called in old time Melita whence those Dogs come which are so much desired under the names of Canes Melitenses * Note This is the place where Saint Paul was cast up after his shipwrack in his journey to Rome where the Viper hanged on his hand and did not hurt him This Countrey is now called * Malta the onely place for repelling the Turks Malta is one of the places most renowned in the world for repelling of the Turkes When Soliman the Emperour of them did send against it a most mighty Army it was then defended by them who are called the Knights of Malta which by Sea doe great spoyle to the Gallies of the Turke that passe that way There were in times past divers Orders of Knights and men that had vowed themselves to adventure their lives and whole state for the maintenance of Christs Religion and some places of the Earth against the Infidels and Saracens The most ancient of all those were called the * The society of the Knights Templers Templers who were a great corporation or societie consisting of divers Gentlemen younger brothers for the most part out of all the Realmes of Christendome Their chiefe charge was to defend the Citie of Ierusalem and the Reliques or remainder of the Temple there and Sepulcher of Christ for the preservation of which places together with the rest of the Holy Land they had given unto them and purchased for their money very rich and ample possessions in England France Spaine Jtaly and other places of Europe in so much that in the dayes of Mathew Paris hee reporteth that they had under them many thousands of Mannours They had also in every kingdom where their Order was permitted a great and ample house where some chiefe of their company did lye who received the Rents within that Kingdome and caused the money to bee transported into the Holy Land and other Ordinances to be made and executed belonging unto their Order of which houses the Temple that is now in London was a chiefe one which had in f rmer times belonged to the Iews but was afterwards translated to that use when the Holy Land was quite taken by Saladine and could never be recovered into the hands of the Christians since the Societie of these Templers ceased * The Pope and the King of France conspiring their ruine the Pope and the King of France conspiring their ruine and their Lands were dispersed into divers mens hands In the same time when the Templers were in their strength there was another sort called the * Hospitallers Hospitallers whose condition and employment was very like unto the other both of them fighting for the preservation of Palest na Wee reade that sometimes these two companies had great jarres betweene themselves whereby grew much hinderance to the Warres against the Infidels All these were accounted as Orders of Religion and therefore it was forbidden them at any time to marry without dispensation from the Pope because not being entangled to Wife and Children they might be more resolute to adventure their lives After them grew up the order of the * The Knights of Rhodes Knights of Rhodes who since they could not live in the Holy Land yet would abide as neere unto it as possible they might and therefore partly to preserve Pilgrimes which should goe to visit the Sepulchre of Christ and partly to infest the Turkes and Saracens but especially to keepe the Enemies of Christ's Faith from encroaching further upon Christendome which most earnestly they did and doe desire they placed themselves in the Ilands of Rhodes where daily doing great scath unto the Turke Solyman the great Warriour could not endure them but with a mighty Army so over-laid them that hee wonne the Island from them The Knights of Malta After the losse of Rhodes the Island of Malta was given unto these Knights by Charles the Fift Emperour whereupon they are now called the Knights of Malta for the great Master after hee came from Rhodes went into Candy and from thence into Sicily and so into Jtaly from thence hee made a Voyage into England and then into France and lastly into Savoy from whence hee departed with the Religion into this Island and there they continue and behave themselves as in the former Iland and offering no violence unto Christians they
much hinder the courses of the Turks from Graecia and Asia and of the other Saracens from Fez and Morocco They are very valiant men fit to doe great service either by Land or Sea as appeared when Solyman did thinke to have surprised them and their Iland the description of which warre is diligently laid downe by Caelius secundus Curio in a Treatise dedicated to Elizabeth Queene of England There hath beene divers other Orders of Knights yea and some of them reputed to bee a kinde of Religion in Portugall France England Burgundy and some other places of Christendome but because their service hath not beene employed purposely as these which are before mentioned wee doe not touch them in this place Neere unto Graecia and Peloponnesus on the West side towards Italy is the I le of Corcyra now termed * The Iles Corfu Corfu and not farre South from that is * Cephalenia Cephalenia and from thence South is * Zon. Zon called by Virgill Nemorosa Zacynthus alâ— which Ilands are at this day under the Venetians The greatest * The commodities of the countrey commodity which that Countrey doth yeeld are Currans which are gathered of a kinde of small Grapes and for the making whereof they commonly one time every summer for the space of three weekes haue a continuall drought day and night in which time the Currans are laid abroad in the open ayre and may not be taken in insomuch that if the season doe continue hot and dry their Merchandize is very good but if there fall any raine untill the time be expired of their full drying the Currans are not good but doe mould and change their colour to be somewhat white like meale The state of Venice under whom this Iland is doth make a great commodity of the impost or taxation which is laid upon this Merchandize calling the Tribute which is paid for them the * The Impost laid on this Iland called the Revenue of S. Marke Revenue of S. Marke for unto that Saint is the Citie of Venice dedicated and they hold him foâ— their Patron In this Iland besides the Merchants who repaire thither are divers Italians who be there in Garison for the Venetians in one speciall Castle which commandeth the whole Iland There are also divers Fryers 〈◊〉 that Nation who performe unto their Countrey-men such exercises of Religion as are convenient They will not suffer any of our Merchants to have Christian burial among them unlesse at his death he be confessed after the Romish fashion whereupon some have been forced to convey over some 〈◊〉 their dead bodies into Morea which is not farre distant to be buried there among the Greekes and after their fashion The naturall Inhabitants 〈◊〉 * Zant the Inhabitants Greekes Zant and Greekes both by Language and Religion and observâ— all fashions of the Greekish Church in whose words being now mucâ— corrupted and depraved there may yet be found some tokens and remainders of the old pure and uncorrupted Greeke There are in this Countrey great store of Swine kept whereof the Inhabitants doe feed and carry them into Morea but the Turkes there by their Mahumetane profession will taste no Swines flesh In Zacynthus our English Merchants have an House of abode for their traffick South-east from Morea lieth the great Iland * Creta Creta where Minos sometimes did raign so famous for his severity This Countrey was then called Hecatompolis as having in it an hundred Townes and Cities Here stood the * The Labyrinth of Dedalus Labyrinth which was the worke of Dedalus who conveighed the house so by the manifold turnings infinitenesse of Pillars and Doores that it was impossible to finde the way yet Theseus by the helpe of Ariadne the Daughter of King Minos taking a bottome of threed and tying the one end at the first doore did enter and slay the Minotaur which was kept there and afterwards returned safe out againe * The most noted lyers The ancient Inhabitants of this Countrey were such noted lyers that beside the Proverbes which were made of them as Cretense mendacium Cretisandum est cum Cretensibus the Apostle Paul in his Epistle to Titus who was left there by him as Bishop of that Iland doth cite a verse out of the Heathen Poet Epimenides that the Cretians are ever lyers evill beasts and slow bellies * The Iland Candie This Iland is in our dayes called Candy being the place from whence our Sugar of Candy is brought It is under the Venetians and reputed a part of their Seigniory Although the Turke when they had taken Cyprus did thinke also to have surprised it but that it pleased GOD by the meanes of Don Iohn of Austria in the behalfe of his brother the King of Spaine and the Venetians to give the Turke that great overthrow at Sea in the fight neere unto Lepanto Yet since that time no doubt the Turkes have a greedy eye upon the Island of Candy Betweene Creta and Peloponnesus lyeth * Cithera where was the fine Temple of Venus Cithera There was the fine Temple of Venus who thereof by the Poets is called Citheraea The Islands are many which lie in the Sea called Mare Aegeum from the bottome of Greece unto the top of the Hellespont as all the Cyclads Euboia and the great Island Samos and Chios â—o Scyros where Achilles was borne and was King of that Countrey There is also Lesbos and * Divers small Ilands Cemnos Mytelene and Ithaca where Vlysses was King and Androse whither Themistocles was sent by the Athenians for Tribute as Plutarch layeth downe the History * Note Themistocles did tell them that hee came to demand Tribute or some great Imposition upon them being accompanied with two Goddesses the one was Eloquence to perswade them and the other Violence to enforce them Whereunto the Andraeans made answere that they had on their side two Goddesses as strong whereof the one was Necessitie whereby they had it not and the other was Impossibility whereby they could not part with that which they never possessed Of these places something may bee read in the olde History of the Greekes Divers of these did strive that Homer was borne in them but of certaine many of those Kings which Homer saith came with Agamemnon to the siege of Troy were Kings but of those small Ilands Eastward from thence not farre from some part of Natolia or Asia the lesser is the * The Iland of Rhodes Iland of Rhodes the friendship of the Inhabitants whereof was in ancient time very much defired by the Princes that had to do that way so that Alexander first and the Romanes afterwards did embrace their league Here was that huge and mighty Image of the Sunne which was called Colossus Rhodius This Countrey was long defended by those who were called the Knights of Rhodes against the power of the Turke and it was a great Bulwark to defend Christendome
till that in the yeare one thousand five hundred twenty and one Solyman the Great Turke did winne it from the Christians by force From thence South-ward is the I le * The Ile Carphathus Carphathus but in the farthest end of the East part of the Mediterranean is * The I le of Cyprus Cyprus which about three hundred yeares since was a Kingdome and did afford great ayde unto the Christians that went to conquer the Holy-Land but it is now under the Turke The chiefe City thereof is * The Citie of Famogusta Famogusta which is an Archbishops Sea for Christians for their Tribute doe yet live there In this Countrey in old time was Venus much honored and therfore she was called Cypria as also Paphia because shee had a Temple in a Citie there called * The Citie Paphos Paphos * The Iland Tyrus Neere unto Syria stood the Iland Tyrus against the pride whereof the Prophets doe much speake this was a rich Citie for Merchandize and Navigation in old time and is the place from whence Dido and the builders of Carthage did come The destruction of it is most famous by Alexander the Great Of the rest of the small Ilands wee doe say nothing Of the Ilands in the Jndian Sea THe Ilands are very many that doe lie in the Seas adjoyning to the East Indies but the most famous among them shall only be touched Among old Writers as especially appeareth by Solinus was well knowne that which was then called Taprobana which lieth neere the Aequinoctiall Line It was in that time a Monarchy where the Kings raigned not by succession but by election and if any of them did grow intolerable hee was deposed and enforced to die by withdrawing from him all things necessary This is now called * The Iland of Sumatra Sumatra and hath in it divers Kings Not farre from thence lie Eastward the two Ilands called * Two Jlands Iava major and Iava minor Java-major * Java-minor which were all knowne to the old Writers as in generall may bee noted that all the East-part either in the Continent or in the Ilands have very many small Kings and Kingdomes From whence yet more East lieth a great number of Iles which are now called the * The Ilands of Moluccoes the great Riches which the King of Spaine receives from hence yearly Moluccoes which are places as rich for their quantity as any in the World from these it is that the Spaniards have yearely so great quantity of all kindes of Spice neither is there any place of all the East Indies that doth more richly furnish home their Carrects then doe these Moluccoes The Ilands which are called by that name are by some of our Writers accounted to bee at least foure and twentie or five and twentie and some of them which are the bigger have in them two or three Kings a peece and some of them which are lesse are either the severall Dominion of severall Kings or else two or three of them doe belong to some one Prince * Note When Sir Francis Drake did compasse the whole World hee came neere unto these but did not touch at any of them but Master Candish taking at large a journey was in one or more of them where hee found the people to bee intelligent and subtill and the Kings of the Countrey to take upon them as great state as might be convenient for such petty Princes Some of these Islands the Spaniards in right of the Portugals have got into their owne possession with the Kings of some other they have leagued and a third sort utterly detest them More North-ward over against China lyeth a Countrey consisting of a great many Islands called Iapona of * The Iland of Iapan Iapan the people whereof are much of the same nature with the men of China this Countrey was first discovered by the Jesuites who in a blinde zeale have travelled into the farthest parts of the World to winne men to their Religion This Iland is thought to be very rich About the parts of Iapan there are divers people whose most ordinary habitation is at the Sea and doe never come into the Land but onely for their necessities or to furnish themselves with new vessels wherein they may abide but lying not farre from the Land they have Ducks and other Fowles swimming about them which sometimes they take into their Boats and Ships and in such sort doe breed them to the maintenance of them and their Children Into this Iapan of late dayes have our English also sayled as into other parts of the East Indies and there erected a Factory The rest that be either neere unto Asia or Africa because there is little written of them wee passe over Divâ—rs smal Iionds onely named onely naming them as the Philippina Borreo Bandara as also on the side of Africke the Island of Saint Laurence called by the Inhabitants Madagascar Sumatra and other of lesse note And yet we doe finde in Solinus and Plinie but especially in Pomponius Mela that it was knowne in old time that there were many Ilands neere unto the East Indies which as it might bee first discovered by the trafficking of the Ilanders into the Continent so no doubt that Navie which Alexander sent out to Jndia to descry and coast thorow the Easterne Seas did give much light thereunto partly by that which themselves did see and partly by those things which they heard in such places or of such persons as they met with in their travell Of the Ilands in the Atlanticke Sea THere bee many Ilands which be westward from Africa and from Europe as those which are called the * Iland of Gorgades Gorgades that lie in the same climate with Guinea which are foure in number not inhabited by men but they are full of Goates Peter Martyr in his first Decade the sixt Booke saith that the Admirall Colonus in the yeare of Christ 1498 sailing to Hispaniola with eight Ships came to the I le * The Ile Madera Madera from whence sending directly the rest of his Ships to the East Indies hee in one Ship with deckes and two Carayels sayled to the Equinoctiall betweene which and the I le Madera in the middest way lie thirteene Ilands of the Portugals in old time called * Hesperides Hesperides now Cabonerde two dayes sayling distant from the inner parts of Ethiâ—pe one whereof is called * Bonavista Bonavista North-ward from thence in the same climate with the South part of Morocco lie those which are called * Canariae Ilands Canariae or the fortunate Ilands which are seven in number being most fruitfull and very pleasant and therefore called by that name Fortunatae insulae This is famous in them that it hath pleased all Cosmographers to make their Meridian to bee their first point where they doe beginne to reckon the computation of their Longitude and unto them after three hundred and
of their Governour * Their beastly basâ—â—esse Besides that they are men immoderately given to the lust of the Flesh making no conscience even at home even to get Bastards in their young dayes and reputing it no infamy unto them to frequent Harlots and Brothel-houses but when they are abroad especially in Warlike Services they are very outragious impudently and openly deflowring mens wives and daughters It may easily then be guessed what disorder they kept in the West Indies where the Countries are hot and the Women were not able to resist their insolencies and how they did tyrannize over the poore unarmed people making them to drudge for them not onely like slaves but bruit beasts which grosse oversight of theirs was at the first so apparant that all of good mindes did complaine thereof as appeareth by Peter Martyr himselfe who in his Writing to the Pope and other Princes doth much deplore the ill usage of them who in name were Christians towards those simple Infidels And certainly it caused many of them to * Note their 1 â—â—maâ—ity blaspheme the Name of GOD and of Christ and to renounce their Baptisme whereunto they were either forced or intreated when they measured the God of the Christians by the actions of his Servants whom they found to be Blasphemers and Swearers riotous and great Drunkards ravenous tyrannous and Oppressours unsatiable covetous Fornicators beyond measure given to incredible Wantonnesse and exercising even among themselves all kinde of envy contention murthers poysonings and all sort of inhumane behaviour Not long after the arrivall of the Spaniards there The Fryers complaint of their cruelty there were certaine Fryers and religious men who mooved with some zeale to draw the people there to the Christian Faith did travell into those parts that so they might spread abroad the Gospell of Christ and when they came there beholding the intemperance of their Countrymen which turned many away from the profession of Religion they were much mooved in their hearts and some of them by Writings and some other of them by travelling personally backe againe into Spaine did informe the King and his Court how dishonourable a thing it was to the Name of Christ that the poore people should be so abused and how improbable it was that those courses being continued any of them would hardly embrace the Faith The earnest Petition of these caused Charles the Fift the Emperour and the King of Spaine by his Edict and open Proclamation published in the West Indies to give liberty unto the Inhabitants and Naturals of the place that they should be in the state of Freemen and not of bond * Note but his Subjects were so inured proudly to domineere over them that this did little amend the condition of the people Since these dayes notwithstanding the blind zeale of the Spaniards hath beene such as that the Kings have beene at some cost and other men also have beene at great charge to erect divers Monasteries and Religious Houses there and many have taken the paines to go out of Europe as they think for Christs sake to reside as Monkes and Fryers in America There be established some Bishoprickes there and other Governments Ecclesiasticall and the Masse is there published and Latine Service according to the custome of the Church of Rome labouring to roote out their infidelitie but mingling the Christian Religion with much Popish Superstition By reason that the Countrey is exceeding rich and fruitfull the Spaniards with great desire did spread themselves towards the North where they found some more resistance although nothing in comparison of Wariours but the greatest of their labour was to conquer the Kingdome of Mexico * Mexico described which Mexico is a Citie very great and as populous almost as any in the World standing in the middest of a great Marsh or Fen. The Conquerour of this was Ferdinandus Cortesius so much renowned in Spaine unto this day If there were any thing at all in these West Indies which might sauour of civility or any orderly kind of government it was in the Kingdome of Mexico where it appeared unto the Spaniards that there is a certaine setled state which was kept within compasse by some decrees and customes of their owne and which was able to make some resistance as it may be termed if it be compared with the other Inhabitants of America although little if it bee conferred with the courses of Christendome But the policie of the Spaniards was that by private meanes they came to understand of a King that confined neere unto Mexico who as hee was of good strength so was hee of exceeding malice towards these his Borderers and by his Forces and intelligence Ferdinandus Cortesius and his Company came to have their will upon Mexico * A great Lake In this Countrey there standeth a very great Lake which at the one end is very large and almost round but towards the other end doth contract it selfe againe into a narrow roome and then spreadeth wide againe and round onely about the third part of the compasse of the greater end In the lesser of the two there are set some Houses in foure or five severall places which represent our Villages but in the greater part of the Lake standeth Mexico it selfe being a Citie built of Bricke to a good and elegant proportion where the water issueth into divers streets of it as it is in Venice and from some part whereof there are divers Bridges unto the mayne Land made also of Bricke but from the other sides men doe come by Boats wherof there is abundant store continually going in that Lake The Writers do record that there is to be found in this Citie abundance of all kind of Provision but especially Fruits and other delightfull things which are brought in from other parts of the Country * Mexico the chiefe City of all those quarters This was the chiefe City of all those quarters before the arrivall of the Spaniards there and in subjection thereunto were many large Provinces extending themselves every way so that the King of this place was a Prince of great estate and accordingly thereunto the Spaniards at this day have made it their chiefe and Royall Citie where the King keepeth his Viceroy of Mexico for the West Jndies as hee hath his Vice-roy at Goa for the East Indies but from thence have all the parts of America but especially that which they call Hispania nova their directions and hence they fetch their Lawes Ordinances and Determinations unlesse it be such great causes as are thought fit to bee referred to the Councell of Spain The Gulph of Mexico The Sea which confineth neerest unto this City is called the Gulph of Mexico where as in divers other Bayes or Gulphes the Streame or Current is such that Shippes cannot passe directly to and fro but especially out of the Gulph but they are forced to take their course either high to the North or