32. Malacca described Patania described Page 33. Pegu described Page 34. Bantam described Page 36. Meacco described Page 37. Fucata described Page 38. Pequin described Nanquin described Page 39. Quinsay described Page 41. Lahore described Page 47. Brampore described Fettipore described Candahor described Mandow described Page 48. Surat described Agra described Asmeere described Page 49. Grand Cairo described Page 55. Alexandria described Page 57. Rosetto described Page 58. Chanca described Page 58. Tropolis in Tunis Page 62. Tunis Constantina Page Bugia Page 62. Algier described Page 62. Fesse described Page 64. Sella described Morocco described Page 65. Teffet Page 66. Suaquen described Page 74. Amara in Aethiopia described Page 74. Saba c. described Page 76. Sues described Page 76. Bernice described Page 76. Siracuse described Page 87. London described Page 92. Westminster described Page 93. Salisbury described Page 96. Bristow described Page 97. Welâ—s described Page 98. Bath described Page 98. Excester described Winchester described Chichester described Page 99. Canterbury described Rochester described Gloucester described Page 100. Oxford described Page 100. Eli described Lincolne described Norwich described Page 101. Coventry described Worcester described Page 102. Lichfield described Westchester described Page 103. Hereford described York described Page 104. Durham described Page 105. Carlile described Page 105. Cities in Scotland Page 107. Cities in Ireland Page 109. Sivil described Page 113. Granata described Page 113. Toledo described Page 114. Escurial described Page 114. Lisbon described Page 115. Paris described Page 118. Geneva described Page 120. Ferrara described Page 122. Rome described Page 123 125. Mantua described Page 124. Genoa described Page 125. Venice described Page 132. Padua described Page 134. Millan described Page 135. Naples described Page 135. Florence described Page 136. Leigeâ— described Page 138. Lovaine described Page 139. Bruxels described Antwerp described Page 139. Leiden described Machlin described Page 141. The Cities in Germany described Page 143 c. Prague described Page 147. Mosco described Page 151. Constantinople described Page 162. The Turks Seraglio described Page 164. Caxamalca described Page 176. Stones Precious-stones Minerals Diamonds where gotten Page 50.98 Gold how gotten Page 180. Pearls where gotten Page 180.181 Strange Stones Page 191. Amber how it grows Page 193. ex 16. Whence all sorts of precious stones come Page 193. ex 18. Trees Hearbs Plants and Gums strange A famous Pine-tree Page 5. Cedars of Libanus Page 14. A strange walk with trees Page 48. Ebony where it grows Page 51. Sensitive Trees Page 68. Resurrection Trees Page 71. A very profitable Tree Page 171. Strange Fig-Trees Page 177. Of Date-Trees Page 194. ex 1. Balm Tree Page 194. ex 2. Cotton Trees Page 194. ex 4. Cynamon Trees Page 194. ex 5. Arbore de Ray's Page 195. ex 6. Arbore Triste Page 195. ex 7. Herba sentida Page 195. ex 8. Pepper Ginger Cloves Page 195. ex 9 10 11. Nutmegs Gum-lack Amber-greese Page 196. ex 12 13 14. Addad Palm-Trees Frankincense Manna Mastick Page 196. ex 15 16 c. Spunges how gotten Page 196. ex 20. Resurrection Tree Page 196. ex 21. An Oak yeilding water Page 196. ex 23. Aloes Indico Page 197. ex 23 24. A Tree whose root is a worm Page 198. ex 25. Saffron Palm-Trees Basilisco Assa-faetida Page 198. ex· 26 c. Benjamin Page 199. Coquo Trees admirable Page 199. Plantane-Trees Cedars Palmita Trees Manguy Page 200. Tunals and Cochenille Jack or Giack Ananas Duroyen Arec Tree Page 201. Palmeto Trees Page 201. Hawthorn Tree Papyri Page 202. Sergasso Page 79. Coxscomb Page 79. Alimos Page 85. Frankincense Page 25. Aloes Socotrina Page 54. Fountains strange A Fountain that makes drunk Page 4. Lake of Maeris described Page 61. Fountains hot Page 88.111.181.205 Salt how made Page 92. Bituminous Fountain Page 181 182. Hell Kettles Page 202. Fountains turning wood into stone Page p. 202. ex 2. p. 203. ex 6. p. 205. ex 37. Fountains that ebb and flow Page p. 202. e. 3 4. p. 203. ex 7. p. 204. e. 26 27. Fountains hurtful to Beasts Page 202. ex 5. Fountains hot Page p. 203. ex 8.10 p. 205. ex 39. Water turned into stone Page 203. ex 9. Strange Meers Page 203. e. 11 12. p. 204. e. 24. Fountain of Oil. Fountain of Pitch Page 203. e. 14 15. Fountain that makes Oxen white Page 204 e. 16. River that makes sheep black Page 204. e. 17. Fountain of Jupiter Page 204. e. 18. Fountain of the Sun Page 204. e. 19. Sabbatical River Page 204. e. 20. Fountain of Job Page 204. e. 21. Water that causeth black milk Page 204. e. 22. A swelling Lake A Fountain like Vinegar Fountains like Wine Page 204. e. 23 28 29 30. Other strange Fountains Page 205. River hot Page 205. e. 36. A River that breeds Flyes Page 206. e. 40. A Fountain like Milk Page 206. e. 44. Bone-Well Page 206. e. 45. A strange noise in the water Page 207. e. 46. Fountain Chymaera Flax that is purified by fire Two Rivers that mix not Page 207. e. 47. c. Strange Fishes A man Fish Page 207. e. 1. A woman Fish Page 208. e. 2. Meer-maids Page 208. e. 3.5 Meer-men Page 208. e. 4.6 Fishes like children Page 209. e. 7. Torpedo Page 209. e. 8. p. 211. e. 22. River Horses A very strange Fish Toad Fishes Cuttle Fishes Flying Fishes Page 209. e. 9 10 11 12 13. Of the VVhale Swordfish and Thresher Page 210. e. 14. Shark Sea Tortoise Eagle Fish Sea Unicorn Page 210. e. 15 16 17 18. Sea-Cow Page 211. e â—9 23 Sea-Spider Page 211. e. 20. Of the Briese or Trade wind Page 211. e. â—2 Oxe Fishes Page 211. e. 24. Shining Flyes Page 212. e. 25. Shining Sea Page 212. e. 26. Fowls and Birds strange The Stalker Page 69. In Brasile Page 179. Cholca Page 212. e. 1. Claik-Geese Page 212. e. 2. Storks Page 212. e. 3 4. Awaken Birds Ostriches Strange Bats Cantharides A huge Fowl Page 213.5 7 8 9 10. Vulturs Penguins Puffins Dodos Dotterels Page 214. e. 11 12 13 14 15. Soland Geese Strange Birds Mingas Page 215. ex 16 17 18. Beasts strange Jackals Page 14. Crocodiles Page 36. Elephants Page 46. Baboons Page 68. Horse Tails highly prized Page 72. A strange Beast in Congo Page 72. Musoli Page 87. A very profitable Beast A strange Hare Page 172. A strange Beast in Virginia Page 173. A strange Beast in Peru. Page 176. The Beast Pigritia Page 178. Elks described Page 179. Strange Boars described Acuti described Pacas described Carague described Armadillo described Page 179. A Beast like a Squirrel of a delicate Furr Page 180. Elephants Page 215. ex 1 2 3 4. Lyons Page 216. ex 4 17. Panthers Rhynoceros Camelopardalus Bufelo's Page 217. ex 5 6 7 8. Wild Goats White Apes Camelions Page 217. ex 9 10 11. A strange Monster Page 217. ex 12. Ant-Bears Page 218. ex 13 22. Armadillo's Porcupines Civit-Cats Hyaena's Page 218. ex 14 15 16 18. Asses Page 218. ex 19 Dabub Zebra Pongoes A strange Beast Strange Kine Strange Sheep Possowns Asses with horns Page 219. ex 20 25 21 23 24 26 27 28 30 Sheep with great tails Page 219. ex 29. Irish Cows Page 219. ex 31. Fruitful Ews Camels Musk Carbuncles Page 220. ex 3â— 33 34 35 37 Kine with Harts-horns Page 220. ex 36. Strange Sheep Page 220. ex 37 Bezar stones Tarantula's A Dogs love to his Master Page 221. ex 37 38 39 Admirable works made by Man Famous Temples Bellona's Temple Page 3 Jupiters Temple Page 4 Diana's Temple described Page 5 Hierusalems Temple described Page 8 Priapus Temple Page 12 Jupitur Belus's Temple Page 11 Temples in Pegu. Page 35 Temples in Japan Page 38 Temples of China Page 39 Temple in Fesse Page 64 Temple of the Sun Page 177 Obelisks Pillars and Pyramids Obelisk of Semiramis Page 10 A strange Pillar of heads Page 19 Colossus at Rhodes described Page 28 Egyptian Pharos described Page 55 Egyptian Pyramids described Page 58 Egyptian Mummies described Page 59 Stones like Pyramids Page 222. ex 4. Strange and Stupendious works made by the Art of Man The Fortress of Cusco Page 175. Admirable high ways in Peru Page 177. The Incas Garden Page 177. A rare Picture Page 221. e. 1. Glasses Malleable Stone-heng described Mausolu's Tomb Moguls Tomb Page 222. e. 2 3 5 6 7. Porsennahs Tomb Admirable walk Printing when and how invented Page 223. e. 7 8 â— Most famous Printers Guns when and how invented Page 224. e. 10. A huge Bell. Page â—â—4 e. 11. Strange Bridges Page 225. e. 13 14. Judgements strange Cities Swallowed by Earthquakes Page 4. People plagued by Sparrows Mice Frogs Fleas Grashoppers c. Page 23. Plague by Conies Page 80. Plague by Lemmers like Mice Page 149. Plague by Ants. Page 184. Plague by an Hurricane Page 184. FINIS When Alexander took it hee hâ—d in iâ— two hundred thousand Talents of Gold 365. 8820. 13
from the sea fifteen miles See old Rome described afterwards The Roman Empire was extended from the Irish Seas in the West to the River Euphrates in the East three thousand miles and from Danubius in the North to Mount Atlas in the South two hundred miles The revenues of the Empire were estimated to amount to one hundred and fifty millions of crowns per annum But Rome as now is but eleven miles in compasse within which also there is much wast ground The inhabitants are about two hundred thousand two parts whereof are Clergie men and Curtesans the latter being seldome under forty thousand which pay to the Pope thirty thousand Duckats per annum The principal buildings are the Church of St. Peter The Castle of St. Angelo an impregnable fortresse The Popes Palace called Belvidere And the Vatican Library 3. The Common-Wealth of Venice hath many territories belonging to it the length whereof is above one thousand miles but the breadth far lesse For the City of Venice it self see the description of it afterwards The chief Provinces belonging to it are 1. Marca Trevigiana having on the South the River Poe on the West the Dutchy of Millaine on the East Frivli and the Gulph of Venice and on the North Tirol The chief City is Treviso 2. Padua where an University was setled Anno Christi 1220. famous for Physicians and their Garden of Simples See the description of it afterwards 3. Vincenza 4. Brescia the second City for bigness and beauty in all Lombardy Her territories are in length one hundred in breadth fifty miles 5. Verona seated on the Athesis It boasteth of an Amphitheater able to contain eighty tâ—ousand people Her territories are threescore and five miles in length and forty in breadth 6. Briscello 7. Bergamo 8. Este. 9. Crema a strong Fort against the Millanois 2. Frivli formerly called Forum Julii It s environed with Istria the Alps Trevigiana and the Adriatique It s in length fifty miles and the breadth no lesse The chief Cities are 1. Aquilegia seated on the Natisco 2. Treist close to the Sea 3. Gorritia 4. Palma excellently fortified 5. Cividad di Austria 3. Istria environed with the Sea Frivli and Carniola It s in compass two hundred miles the air very unwholesome The chief Towns are 1. Cape d' Istria or Justinople 2. Pola 3. Parenza 4. Portula 5. Rubinum 6. Monsona The Polity whereby this Common-wealth hath so long subsisted is an Aristocracie wherein 1. They exempt their Citizens from the wars and hire others in their places so that by their death the Common-wealth sustains the lesse losse 2. They entertain some forreign Prince for their General whom when the wars are ended they presently discard by which means they avoid factions and servitude which were like to happen if they should imploy any of their own people who by his vertue and valour might win the hearts of the souldiers and so make himself their Prince 3. Their Laws suffer not the younger sons of their Nobility and Gentry to marry least the number increasing should diminish the dignity yet they allow them unlawful pleasures and for their sakes permit publick Stewes 4. The Dukedome of Florence containing the greater part of Tuscany It s parted from Genoa on the West by the Magra and the strong Town Sarezana From Romagna and Ancona on the North by the Appennine Hills On the East by the Pisseo and on the South by the Tyrrhene Seas The chief Cities are 1. Florence seated nigh to the confluence of Arnus and Chianus See the description of it afterwards Charles the Arch-Duke was wont to say that it was a City to bee seen on Holy dayes only 2. Pisa a brave and strong City 3. Sienna in whose territories are Orbitello Pienza Soana and six and twenty other walled Towns 4. Pistoya where began the factions of the Guelphs and Gibbilines 5. Massa famous for her Quarries of white Marble 6. Volaterra 7. Arrezzo 8. Cortona seated under the Appennine 9. Carara 10. Borgo San Sepulchro 11. Ligorne a famous Haven seated at the mouth of the River Arnus The whole length of this Dukdome is two hundred and sixty miles the breadth not much lesse The people are great Merchants 5. The Dukedome of Millaine which hath on the East Mantua and Parma on the South Liguria on the North Trevigiana and on the West Piedmont It stands wholly in Lombardy the Garden of Italy The chief Cities are 1. Pavia on the River Ticinus an University 2. Lodi 3. Alexandria a place of great strength 4. Cremona famous for her high Tower 5. Como seated on a Lake so named 6. Millaine honoured with an University See this stately City described afterwards The Dukedome of Mantua bounded on the East with Romagna on the West with Millaine on the North with Trevigiana and on the South with Parma and Placentia To this belongs the Dukedome of Mountferrat situated on the South-East part of Piedmont the chief Cities whereof are 1. Alba. 2. Casala St. Vas. 3. Nicaea or Niza and 4. Isola The chief Cities of Mantua are 1. Mirabella 2. Lucera 3. Capriana 4. Modena 5. Reggio 6. Cuneto 7. Mantua a very strong Town environed on three sides with a water that is three quarters of a mile broad and on the fourth with a wall 7. The Dukedome of Urbin which lies in the midst of the Papal territories having the Adriatique on the North the Appennine on the South Romagna on the West and Marca Anconitana on the East In it are two hundred Castles and seven Cities the chief whereof are 1. Urbin at the foot of the Appennine 2. Belforto 3. Pisauro a good Haven 4. Cabo 5. Fano Sea Towns also 8. The Principality of Parma and Placentia which hath on the North Mantua on the South the Appennine on the West Millain on the East Modena Here are made those excellent Cheeses called Parmesans Parma is seated on the little River Pirina and Placentia on the Po. To this principallity belongs also Mirandula with her Territories where was born that famous Scholler John Picus Mirandula 9. The Common-wealth of Genoa containing Liguria which hath on the East the River Varus on the West the River Magra which parts it from Tuscany on the North the Appennine and on the South the Ligurian Seas It s in compasse fourscore miles but not so much in breadth The people are much given to Usury whence one said merrily that in Christendome there were neither Schollers enough nor Gentlemen enough nor Jews enough and being answered that there were of all these rather too great plenty than any scarcity He replyed That if there were Schollers enough there would not bee so many double and treble beneficed men and if there were Gentlemen enough so many Pesants would not be ranked amongst the Gentry and if there were Jews enough so many Christians would not professe Usury The chief Towns are 1. Ceva 2. Finaly 3. Noli 4. Sarazena 5. Genoa in compasse eight
of the situation of Utrecht in the Low-Countries Utrecht in the Low-Countries is so situated that one may go to what Town hee please of fifty that lye round about it in one day And in a Summers day if one go early from Utrecht he may dine at any one of twenty six Towns where he pleaseth and return to his own house to Supper Idem p. 200. Trajan built a Bridge over the River Ister or Danow containing twenty Arches each Arch being one hundred and fifty foot high sixty thick and one hundred and seventy foot distant one from another So that the whole length of it was four thousand seven hundred and seventy feet which was almost a mile long The River was very deep and swift and the bottome not firm ground neither could the stream be diverted any other way all which made the work farre more difficult and admirable Ancus Martius the fourth King of Rome built a woodden Bridge over the River Tybur yet without nails or pins so that in times of war it might be taken down Afterwards Aemilius the Consul built it of stone And Lastly Antoninus Pius the Emperor built it of Marble FINIS Soli Deo Gloria A TABLE OF THE Principal things contained IN THE Geographical part of this Book A General description of Asia Page 1. A more particular description of it Page 3. Cappadocia described Page 3. Galatia described Page 3. Pontus and Bithinia described Page 3. Paphlagonia described Page 4. Asia propria described Page 4. Phrygia major described Page 4. Phrygia minor described Page 4. Jonia described Page 5. Doris described Page 5. Pamphilia described Page 5. Armenia minor described Page 5. Canaan described Page 5. Galilee described Page 6. Samaria described Page 7. Syria described Page 12. Persian Empire described Page 14. Armenia major described Page 22. Media described Page 23. Parthia described Page 24. Hircania described Page 24. Arabia described Page 24. Tartaria described Page 25. Cyprus described Page 27. Rhodes described Page 28. Malabar described Page 28. Zeilan described Page 29. Coromandel described Page 30. Socotera described Page 31. Narsinga described Page 32. Malacca described Page 33. Siam described Page 33. Pegu described Page 35. Sumatra described Page 36. Java major described Page 36. Celebes Islands described Page 37. Molucco Islands Bandaneza's Islands Borneo Japan Page 37. China described Page 38. Industan described Page 43. Bengala described Page 49. Cambaia described Page 50. Philippine Islands described Page 50. Mauritius Island described Page 51. A general description of Affrica Page 51. Affrican Islands described Page 54. A more particular description of Affrica Page 54. Egypt described Page 54. Barbary described Page 61. Tunis described Page 62. Algier described Page 62. Fesse and Morocco described Page 63. Numidia and Libia described Page 65. Land of Negroes described Page 66. Country of the Mandingos described Page 67. Aethiopia inferior described Page 69. Aian described Zandzibar described Cafraria described Page 69. Cape of Good Hope described Page 69. Sofala described Page 71. Monomopata described Page 71. Congo or Manicongo described Page 71. Loango described Page 72. Aethiopia superior described Page 73. Islands in the Red-sea described Page 76. Madagascar described Page 77. Mohelia described Page 78. St. Hellens Island described Page 78. St. Thomas Island described Page 78. Princes Island described Page 79. Cape verde described Page 79. Maio Island described Page 79. Canary Islands described Page 80. Malta described Page 87.80 A general Description of Europe Page 81. The Islands in Europe described Page 84. Samothracia described Lemnos described Page 84. Lesbos described Chios described Euboea described Sporades described Cyclades described Crete described Page 85. Cythera described Strophades described Zant. described Echidnades described Cephalenia described Corfu described Scicily described Page 86. Corsica described Sardinia described Page 87. Majorca described Minorca described Cales described Page 88. England described Page 88. Wales described Page 106. Scotland described Page 106. Ireland described Page 108. Isle of Man described Page 111. Azores Islands described Page 111. Spain described Page 112. Portugal described Page 115. Pirenean Mountaines described Page 116. France described Page 116. The Alps described Page 121. Italy described Page 121. The Roman Triumphs described Page 129. Belgia or the Netherlands described Page 138. Germany described Page 142. Switzerland described Page 144. Bohemia described Page 146. Denmark described Page 148. Norway described Page 149. Swethland described Page 150. Muscovy described Page 151. The State of the Emperor described Page 153. The Permians and Samoeds described Page 154. Lapland described Page 154. Poland described Page 155. Hungary described Page 157. Dacia described Page 157. Sclavonia described Page 158. Greece described Page 158. Peloponesus described Page 159. Achaia described Page 160. Epirus described Albania described Macedonia described Thessaly described Page 161. Migdonia described Thracia described Page 162. The Turkish Empire described Page 166. America described Page 169. Mexico or New Spain described Page 171. Quivira described Nova Albion described Florida described Virginia described Page 172. Florida more fully described Page 173. Peruana and the Countryes therein described Page 174. Magellanick Streights described Page 180. American Islands described Page 180. Jamica described Cuba described Bermudae described Page 182. Hispaniola described Page 183. Newfound-land described Page 184. New-Scotland described Page 185. Groenland described Page 185. Spaniards cruelty to the poor Indians Page 186. Examples of the wonderful works of God in the Creatures Page 191. Of strange Stones Page 191. A moving hill Page 192. ex 8. Merlins Cave Page 192. ex 9. Earth turning wood into stone Page 192. ex 10. Wood and stones with Lozenges in them Page 193. ex 13. Stones with stars in them Page 193. ex 14.17 Burning Mountains Page 193. ex 15. Of a City petrified Page 193. Of strange Trees Hearbs Plants and Gums Page 194. Of strange Fountains Rivers and Waters Page 202. Of strange Fishes Page 207. Of strange Fowls and Birds Page 212. Of strange Beasts and Serpents Page 215. Of strange costly and stupendious works done by the Art of Man Page 221. The chiefest Cities in the World mentioned and described Cities in Asia NIce where the Council was held Page 3. Nicomedia Page 3. Apamia now Bursa Page 3· Chalcedon where a Council was held Page 3. Troy described Page 4· Cyzicus Page 4· Halicarnassus Page 5· The Chief Cities in Canaan Page 6· Hierusalem described Page 7. Nineve described Page 10. Babylon described Page 10. Tower of Babylon described Page 12. Bagdat described Page 12. Antioch described Damascus described Aleppo described Tripolis described Page 13. Scandaroon now Alexandretta Page 14. Lar described Page 15. Shyraz described Page 16. Persepolis described Spahawn described Page 17. Casbine described Page 20. Tauris described Derbent described Hyspaan described Page 21. Casan described Page 22. Callecut described Page 29. Negapatan described Page 30. Goa described Amadavar described Page 31. Ormus described Bisnagar described Mesulipatan described Page
was invironed with a wall thirty cubits high adorned with goodly Towers round about Beautified with Houses for an hundred of the Nobility The variety of the Marble wherewith it was built was admirable all sorts being therein used though never so rare to bee found In every room also were many vessels of gold and silver and many Porches round about adorned with most curious Pillars There were in it very many pleasant walks adorned with all sorts of Trees and Gardens beset with Fountains that spouted up water on high and Cisterns beautiâ—yed with many Brazen Statues from which ranne out water continually The Temple Described The Temple was built upon a Rocky Mountain the plain on the top whereof was at first scarce big enough for the Temple and Court the hill being very steep But the people every day bringing earth thither at last made it plain and large enough and inclosed the hill with a treble wall which was a work passing all expectation to the effecting whereof many Ages were spent and all the holy treasure offered to God from all parts of the world The foundations of the Temple were laid three hundred cubits deep and in many places more The stones of it were forty cubits The Porches were double and every one was supported by many stately pillars five and twenty cubits high all of one peece of white Marble the tops of them were of Cedar so exactly wrought as astonished the beholders These Porches were thirty Cubits broad and the compass of all was six Furlongs The Courts were curiously wrought and paved with all sorts of stones Thirdly The way to the inward Temple was all inclosed with stones wrought like Lattice-work which were three Cubits high of curious workmanship to this second there was an ascent by fourteen staires and aloft it was four square and enclosed with a wall by it self whose outside being forty Cubits high was all covered with stairs to ascend up to it and within it was twenty five Cubits high At the top of the fourteen staires within the wall was a level compassed with a wall of three hundred Cubits which had eight Gates in it and between the Gates were Porches opposite each to other reaching from the wall to the Treasury supported with great and stately Pillars All the gates were covered with Plates of gold and silver only one was covered with Corinthian brasse which for beauty far excelled the other dazling the eyes of the beholders In every gate were two doores each of them thirty Cubits high and fifteen broad and on each side they had seats thirty Cubits long and forty Cubits high each one supported with two Pillars twelve Cubits thick Only the gate which was covered with Corinthian brasse was fifty Cubits high the gates were forty Cubits and it was more richly adorned than the rest Fourthly the Holy of Holies was situated in the midst of all and had twelve staires to go up to it The forepart of it was an hundred Cubits high and as many broad Backward it was forty Cubits on each side it had as it were two shoulders rising up in height twenty Cubits The first gate was seventy Cubits high and five and twenty wide and had no doores to shew that Heaven was alwayes open c. All the fore-parts were gilded and all wiâ—â—in was covered with fine gold The inward part was divided into two rooms whereof the first only might bee seen which was in height fourescore and ten Cubits in length forty and in breadth tvventy round about the wall vvas a golden Vine vvhereon hung many grapes in clusters all of gold every cluster being about six foot long It had golden gates fifty five Cubits high and sixteen Cubits broad It had curious hangings of the same length admirably vvrought vvith Purple Violet and Scarlet Silk all the fabrick vvas so exquisitely and richly vvrought that none could possibly imagine any vvorkmanship that it vvanted For it vvas all covered vvith a massie plate of pure gold vvhich dazled the eyes of the beholders The top vvas all set vvith rods of gold sharp like pikes at the ends lest birds should sit thereon and defile it The stones wherewith it was built were forty five Cubits large five in length six broad and as many long Joseph l. 6. c. 7. The City of Ninive described Ninive was first founded by Assur the son of Sem Gen. 11.10 Enlarged by Ninus the third Babylonish King The compasse of it was four hundred and eighty Furlongs or sixty four Italian miles the Walls were one hundred foot high and so broad that three Chariots might passe abreast upon them upon the Walls were fifteen hundred Towers each of them two hundred foot high It 's called a great City Jonah 3.3 It was eight years in building and there were never fewer than ten thousand workmen about it The City of Babylon described Babylon was founded by Nimrod Gen. 10.10 but enlarged by Semiramis who for the carrying on of that work drew together thirty hundred thousand workmen who in one year finished the Walls which contained in circuit four hundred and eighty furlongs or sixty four Italian miles They were two hundred foot high and fifty foot thick so that six Chariots might drive abreast on them The River Euphrates ran through the midst of it over which shee built a strong and stately Bridge of a mile long binding each stone to other with clips of Iron fastened with molten lead These Walls were one of the seven Wonders of the World It was built four square each side sixteen miles long scituated in a large plain Aristotle calls it a Country rather than a City and it must needs bee very great when some part of it was taken three dayes before the other heard of it It had a hundred brazen Gates and two hundred and fifty Towers upon the Walls for beauty and strength Semiramis built in it two Pallaces both for ornament and defence One in the West which was sixty Furlongs in compasse with high brick Walls and within that a lesse and within that a third wherein also was an impregnable Tower These were wrought sumptuously with Images of Beasts It had three stately gates and within the walls were game of Beasts of sundry sorts The other Pallace was in the East on the other side of the River containing thirty Furlongs in circuit Semiramis her Obelisk described Semiramis Queen of Babylon caused an huge Obelisk square and of the fashion of a Pyramid to bee cut out of the Armenian Mountains one hundred and fifty foot long and four and twenty foot thick which with much difficulty was brought to the River Euphrates and from them thence to Babylon where shee erected it to bee matter of admiration to future ages Diod. The Rarities in old Babylon described Within the heart of this huge and stately City of Babylon shee built a Tower reckoned amongst the VVorlds VVonders It had an hundred brazen gates and two hundred and fifty Towers
Semiramis also built in the same City a stately Temple which shee dedicated to Cush or Jupiter Belus four square each side containing two Furlongs or a thousand paces with thick Towering walls entred by four gates of polished brasse In the midst was a solid Tower of the height and thicknesse of a Furlong upon this another and so each higher than another being eight in number reaching far above the middle Region of the Air In the highest Tower was a Chappel and therein a fair bed covered and a Table of gold in the top of this Chappel shee placed three golden Statues One of Jupiter forty foot long weighing a thousand Talents each Talent containing sixty three pounds and almost ten ounces Another of Ops weighing as much sitting in a golden Throne at her feet two Lions and hard by huge Serpents of silver each of thirty Talents The third Image was of Juno standing in weight eight hundred Talents To all which was a common Table of gold forty foot long and twelve broad weighing fifty Talents There were also two standing Cups of thirty Talents and two Vessels for perfume of the like weight besides three other Vessels of gold weighing twelve hundred Talents all which the Persian Kings after their conquest of it took away Herod Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon with its Rarities described Nebuchadnezzar after hee came to it having conquered all the neighbouring Nations enriched this Temple of Belus with their spoils and added a new City to the old without the same which hee compassed about with three walls and made in them stately gates and neer his Fathers Palace hee built another more stately wherein hee raised stone works like unto Mountains which hee planted with all manner of trees Hee made also Pensile Gardens one of the VVorlds VVonders born upon arches four square each square containing four hundred foot filled above vvith earth vvherein grevv all sorts of trees and plants the arches vvere built one upon another in convenient height still increasing as they ascended the highest vvhich bate the vvalls vvere fifty Cubits high Hee made also Aquaeducts for the vvatering of this Garden Hee erected also an Image of gold in the plain of Dura sixty Cubits high and six broad These stately buildings made him so to boast Is not this great Babel that I have built for the house of the Kingdome by the might of my power and for the honour of my Majesty Herod The Tower of Babylon Described About one hundred and thirty years after Noahs comming out of the Ark his posterity being affrighted with the late Flood under Nimrod they intended to raise up such a pile as should secure them from a second deluge and admirable it is to consider what multitudes of men there were in the world in so short a space there being but eight persons that came out of the Ark and now this building was carried on by five hundred thousand men the Basis of it was nine miles in compass and in a few years they raised it above five thousand paces into the sky and had proceeded farther but that God by confounding their Languages despersed them over the whole face of the Earth Herb. Trav. The Country about Babylon hath been the fruitfullest in the VVorld yeilding ordinarily two hundred and in some places three hundred increase the blades of the VVheat and Barley are about four fingers broad They cut their Corn twice in the year and depasture it a third time or else it would bee nothing but blade Pur. Pilgri p. 59. The City of Bagdat Described Bagdat is raised out of the ruines of old Babylon it s in circuit above three miles containing fifteen thousand families it s watered by Tygris somewhat broader than the Thames it hath a bridge over it made upon thirty long boates chained together made to open and shut at pleasure The Mosque stands at the West end large round and pleasantly raised of white freestone The Pallace joyns to the market its large but low The Coha-house is a house of good fellowship where every evening they assemble to drink a certain Stygian Liquor a black thick bitter potion brewed out of Bunum berries of great repute because it provokes lust and purges melancholly The Buzzar is square and comely the gardens are sweet and lovely Syria Described Syria bounds Northward upon Cilicia and part of Cappadocia by Mount Amanus on the South upon Judea and part of Arabia-Petraea On the East upon Arabia Deserta and Euphrates and on the West upon the Syrian Sea This Country is thought to have been the habitation of our first parents before the Flood and of Noah and the better part of his Family after Hierapolis was the chief City where was a Temple built in the midst of the City compassed with a double wall The Porch looking Northward was almost a hundred fathoms high the Temple it self was three hundred fathoms at the top whereof stood Images of Priapus which was their God whom they served with filthy and godlesse vices The Temple within shined with gold and the Roof was wholly of the same mettall It yeilded so fragrant a smell that the garments of those that came into it retained the sent long after within it was a Quire where stood the Images of Jupiter supported with Bulls and of Juno sitting upon a Lyon with a Scepter in one hand and a distaffe in the other adorned with many Jewels and amongst the rest on her head one called the Lamp yeilding light in the night season Not far from the City was a lake two hundred fathoms deep wherein was preserved sacred Fishes and in the middest thereof an Altar of stone crowned always with garlands and burning with Odours Antioch another City in Syria was built by Seleucus and was sometimes the Seat Royall of the Syrian Kings and afterwards it was the third City in the Roman Empire the third seat of the Christian Patriarks and the first place where the Disciples were called Christians but now it s a Sepulchre to it self being left but a small village Damascus another Regal City was fair and great every side containing fifteen miles by it ran the River Pharphar that watered their gardens but Abana entered into the City and by Conduits was carried into their private houses both of them adding both pleasure and Profit to the inhabitants which made Naaman prefer them before all the Waters of Israel In it was a Synagogue of the Ismalites a stately building wherein was a wall of glasse distinguished by three hundred sixty and five holes in each of which was a Dial with twelve Degrees answering to the hours of the day within it were bathes and costly buildings so rich of gold and silver as seemed incredible it had forty great Porches in the circuit of it wherein nine thousand Lamps all of gold and silver hanged from the roof of them It was ca1led the Palace of Benhadad Aleppo is now the chiefest City in Syria wherein this is very remarkable that
though the Plague rage never so much as many times it doth yet upon that very day wherein Sol enters into Leo which is usually the twelfth or thirteenth day of July it immediately ceaseth and all that are then sick amend and such as are then come abroad need fear no further danger The Turks call Aleppo Halep which signifies milk because it yeilds great store of milk It s usuall here with many Christians to take a woman of the Country provided shee bee not a Turk for its death for a Christian to meddle with them and when they have bought them to enroll them in the Cadi's book and so to use them as wives at bed and board while they sojourn there and then at their departure to leave them to shift for themselves and children Tripolis is a City on the main land of Syria neer unto Mount Libanus which is a Mountain of three days journey in length reaching from Trypolis to Damascus The Christians which dwell upon this Mountain are called Maronites they are a very simple and ignorant People yet civil kind and curteous to strangers There are now few Cedars growing here only in one place there are four and twenty growing together they are tall and as big as the greatest Oaks with diverse rows of branches one over another stretching strait out as though they were kept by Art There is no place in all the VVorld wherein they speak the Syriack tongue naturally at this day but only in four villages on this mountain which are Eden Hatcheeth Shany and Boloza Neer unto Tripolis there is a gallant plain of about a mile in length full of Olive and Fig-trees Scandaroon by Christians called Alexandretta is in the very bottome of the Straights The Air is very unwholsome and infects those that stay any time there occasioned by two high mountains which keep away the Sunne from it for a great part of the day the water also neer the Town is very unwholsome Here our Merchants land their goods and send them by Caravan upon Camels to Aleppo distant about three days journey Here are many Jackalls which in the night make a great crying and comming to a grave where a Corse hath been buried the day before if the grave bee not well filled with many great stones upon it they will scrape up the Earth and devour the corps Mr. Bidulphs Travels The Empire of Persia Described Persia at this day hath many famous Provinces subjected to her Command as Persia Parthia Media Hyrcania Bactria Sogdiana Evergeta Arâ—a Drangiana Margiana Paropamisa Caramania Gedrosia Susiana Arabia Chaldea Mesopotamia Armenia Iberia and Mengrellia twenty Noble Kingdomes of old The whole Empire is bounded East West North and South with India Arabia the Caspian and Persian Seas In length from East to West is one thousand three hundred and twenty miles and in breadth from North to South it s One thousand four hundred fourscore and eight miles So that the whole Circuit is about Four thousand miles the Revenues of the Persian King amount yearly to the sum of one million and one hundred and ninty thousand pounds sterling The Persians are usually big-boned strong straight and proper Of an Olive colour the women paint the men love Arms and all love Poetry No part of their body is allowed hair the upper lip excepted where it grows long and thick they turn it downwards the meaner sort reserve a lock in the middest of their head by which they believe Mahomet will pluck them up into Paradise Their eyes are black their foreheads high and their Noses hooked upon their heads they wear Shashes of great rowls of Calico silk and gold the higher the more beautiful They wear no bands their outside garment is usually of Calico stitched with silk quilted with Cotton the better sort have them farre richer of silk silver and gold their sleeves are straight and long their garment reaches to the Calf of the leg their wasts are girt with Towels of silk and gold very long next their skin they wear smocks of Cotton very short their breeches and stockings are sowed together from the ankle to the shooes they are naked their shooes have no latchets sharp at the toes and turn upward Circumcision is so necessary that without it none can call himself a Mussulman Both men and women use it the women at any time from nine to fifteen the men at twelve which was Ishmaels age when Abraham circumcised him whom they make their progenitor Their ordinary houshold furniture is a Pan a Platter and a Carpet their diet is soon drest and as soon eaten their Table is the ground covered with a Carpet over which they spread a Pintado cloth before each man they lay four or six thin Cakes of Wheat for every one a wooden spoon their handles almost a yard long and huge big mouthes Their only meat is Pelo dressed after diverse manners It consists of Rice Mutton and Hens boiled together to which they adde various sauces c. Their drink is Sherbet made of fair water sugar Rosewater and juice of Lemmons mixt together The chief Cities in Persia described The City of Lar described Lar is the chief City in the Province of Larestan It s not walled about In that Art is needlesse the lofty Rock so naturally defending her shee hath a brave Castle on the North Quarter mounted upon an imperious Hill not only threatning an enemy but awing the Town with her frowninâ— posture the ascent is narrow and steep the Castle of good stone the walls are furnished with good battlements whereon are mounted twelve brasse Cannons and two Basilisks the spoils of Ormus within the walls are one hundred houses stored with souldiers who have there a gallant Armory able to furnish with Lance Bow and Gun three thousand men The Buzzar or Market-place is a gallant Fabrick the materials a good Chalkie-stone long strong and beautiful It s covered a top arched and containing in it a Burse or Exchange wherein the shops are stored with variety of wares the walk from North to South is a hundred and seventy paces from East to West one hundred and sixty the Oval in the Center is about one hundred and ninety The Mosques or Churches are not many One especially is round figuring eternity in some places engraven with Arabick letters and painted with knots and in other places with Mosaick fancies It s low and without glasse windows woodden trellizes excellently cut after their manner supplying that want Here are the fairest Dates Orenges Lemmons and Pomecitrons in all Persia at easy rates you may have Hens Goats Rice Rache and Aquavitae The Inhabitants are for the most part naked being a mixture of Jews and Mahumetans their habit is only a wreath of Calico tyed about their heads a cloth about their loins and sandals on their feet the rest naked Herb. Trav. Shyraz described Shyraz is at this day the second City for magnificence in the Persian Monarchy It 's watered by
the River Bindamyr that springs out of the Tapirian Mountains It 's each way about three miles in length the compasse nine miles It s pleasantly seated in the North West end of a spacious plain twenty miles long and six broad environed with stupendious Hills under one of which the City is placed It s defended by Nature inriched by Trade by Art made lovely The Vine-yards Gardens Cypresses Sudatories and Temples ravish the eye and smell in every part sweet and delightful The houses are of Sun-burnt Bricks hard and durable flat and tarrassed about the Belconies and windows are curiously and largely trellized the floores spred with rich Carpets None are without their Gardens or Forrests rather of high Chenaers and Cypresses In it are fifteen brave Mosques pargetted with Azure-stones resembling Turquoises without lined within with pure black polished Marble the tops beautified with many double-guilt-spires which reflect the Sun beams with a rich and delightful splendor two excel all the rest One of them is fifty foot high in the body leaded covered with gold and blew the walls varnished and wrought with knots and poesies Above aspiring with two colums of wood round cut and garnished with great bravery very nigh as high as Pauls in London The other is Quadrangular the superficies of Arabick invention imbost with gold paved with Porphiry painted with Azure garnished with Mazes and at their festivals made resplenâ—ent with one thousand Lamps and Torches Idem When our English Embassador passed through this City hee was entertained in the Dukes Palace where all the great men of the Court and City were present and many young Ganimedes arrayed in cloath of gold went up and down with flagons of pure gold to fill out VVine to such as nodded for it they were served with a curious banquet at the end whereof came in the Duke Hee was ushered in by thirty gallant young Gentlemen vested in crimson Satten Their Tulipants were of Silk and Silver wreathed about with chains of Gold of Pearl of Rubies Turquoises and Emeralds they were all girded with rich swords and imbroidered scabbards they had Hawks on their fists each hood worth one hundred pound To these succeeded their Lord the Arch Duke of Shyraz his Coat was of blew Satten richly imbroidered with silver upon which hee wore a Robe of a great length so glorious to the eye so thick powdered with Oriental Gems as made the ground of it invisible the price invaluable His Turbant was of pure fine silk and gold bestudded with Pearl and Carbuncles his Scabbard was beset all over with Rubies Pearls and Emeralds His Sandals resâ—mbled the bespangling Firmament c. Idem The ancient Persepolis described Persepolis was a City so glorious that Quintus Curtius and Diodorus Siculus intitle it the richest and most lovely City under the Sun It was a very large City and the Metropolis of all Persia two of the gates standing twelve miles asunder which shews what the circuit of it was when in her beauty and bravery On the South side was a stately and magnificent Pallace built by King Cyrus On the North side stood a mighty strong Castle which was girt about with three walls The first wall was four and twenty foot high adorned and beautified with many turrets and spires The second was like the first but twice as high And the third was foursquare being ninety foot high all built of polished Marble On each side of the City were twelve brasen gates with brasen Pales set before them very curiously wrought On the East arose amiably an Hill of four Acres in which in stately Mausoleum's were entombed the Monarchs of the VVorld Many rare and admirable buildings it had amongst which the glorious Temple of Diana was the most exquisite for Art and materials in the VVorld The stones were of the richest Marble and Porphery the roof of refined gold The Pallace Royal was cut out of the Marble Rock above two miles in compasse the roof and windows were of Gold Silver Amber and Ivory The Seate within was of Gold and Oriental glittering Gems In one room was an artificial Vine the stalk of pure Gold the clusters of Grapes of Pearls and Carbuncles His bolster was valued at five thousand Talents of Gold the footstool worth three thousand Talents so that when the greedy Greeks had pillaged three dayes yet Alexander had for his share seventy two millions of Crowns of Gold besides hee loaded away three thousand Mules with two and thirty millions and seven hundred and fifty thousand pounds in Coin The ruines of this stately City are seen at this day with astonishment Herb. Trav. p. 144. The City of Spahawn described Spahawn The Metropolis of the Persian Monarchy is seated in the Parthian territory as the navel to that spacious body It 's nine English miles in compasse containing seventy thousand houses and of souls about two hundred thousand composed besides natives of English Dutch Portuguize Poles Moscovites Indians Arabians Armenians Georgians Turks Jews c. drawn thither by the magnetick power of gain and novelty The principal things observeable in it are The Bridge well built of stone supported by five and thirty Arches through which the Syndery from the Acroceraunian Mountains gently floweth The Midan or great Market-place which is the most spacious pleasant and Aromatick Market in the VVorld a thousand paces from North to South the other way above two hundred resembling our Exchange the building is of Brick well made and framed in a most delightful manner the inside is full of shops each shop full of ware arched above a top framed Tarrase-wise and cemented with excellent plaister it s placed in the heart of this triumphant City The Kings Pallace joyns to the West side of it possessing a large quantity of ground backward though to the street side it hath no magnifick front her best bravery being in the trim pargetting and painting with Azure and Gold in Mosaick and Antick sort interlaced with Poesies of Arabick But within the rooms are arched enlightened with curious trellizes the roof embossed with red white blew and gold the sides with sports and painted Images the ground spread with rich and curious Carpets of Silk and Gold Tarrased above garnished with a very high Tower excellent for view and breathing The Wildernesse behinde is filled with all sorts of birds priviledged from hurt or affrights who return their thanks in a sweet melodious consort The North Isle of the Midan contains eight or nine arched rooms hung with Lamps and Candlesticks which being lighted gives a curious splendor Opposite to this Pallace is a fair Mosque in form round and within distinguished into Isles the walls are lined fifteen foot high from the ground with white and well polisht Marble without pews or seats In the midst is a stately Tank or Pond and at the Portal another eightsquare filled with Christal streams of water wherein all Musslemen wash their hands armes eyes c. as an operative work
to purge sin and confer devotion In the Midan the shops bee uniform the Trades are no where severed all the Mercers together the Lapidaries together c. but most of them are of gums drugs and spices so sweet and delicate as can bee imagined The Hummums or Sudatories are many and very beautiful some square but most round made of white stone polished and durable the windows are large without and narrower within the glasse is thick and dark the top round tyled with a counterfeit Turquoise perfectly blew fresh and lasting they are divided into many rooms some for delight and others for sweating the paving all pure black Marble Men use them in the morning women towards night T is their Catholicon against all diseases colds catarrhes flegme aches c. The City is Oval each house made pleasant by large Cypresse Gardens The Seraglio for his women is full of precious treasures and more precious beauties but not to bee seen The Castle is very large well walled and deeply moated The City hath so many pleasant Gardens that at a distance you would take it for a Forrest so sweet you would call it a Paradise I shall only describe one of them excelling all others Going from the Midan you passe through an even delicate street two miles long most part of the way walled on both sides bedecked with Summer-houses but more remarkable in that abundance of green broad spreading Chenore Trees yeelding shade and incomparable order and beauty The Garden is circled with a stately wall three miles in compasse entred by three gallant and curious gates From North to South it is one thousand paces from East to West seven hundred from one end to the other easily seen by reason of a fair large Alley running all along in parallel distinguished into nine ascents each surmounting other a foot each distance smooth and even In the Center is a spacious Tank made into twelve equal sides each side being five foot set round with pipes of lead which spout out water in variety of conceits and postures which sort of pastime continues thence to the North gate where is raised a house of pleasure antickly garnished without within divided into four or six Chambers the lower is set out with Tanks of rich white Marble and fumes out a cool Breese the higher rooms are garnished with variety of Landskips representing their sports of hunting hawking fishing riding shooting wrestling and other fancies the seeling is inriched with beaten gold imbost with Azure From her Tarrasses is a dainty prospect of most part of the City This Garden is replenished with trees of all sorts for fruit shade and medicine All so green so sweet so pleasant as may well bee tearmed a Compendium of Sense-ravishing delights Within the City is a Column or Pillar at the base twenty foot round and sixty foot high made of the heads of men and beasts the occasion of this was Anno Christi 1500. when Tamas Shaw ruled Persia being much troubled with Turks and Tartars these Citizens refused not only to contribute to his Wars but denyed him enterance whereupon hee vowed revenge entred the City by force and without regarding age or sex slew three hundred thousand of them and of their heads made this Pillar as a Trophee of his victory and their basenesse En quo discordia Cives perduxit miseros When our English Embassador came to the Emperor of Persia he found him at Asharaff in Hircania two miles from the Caspian Sea when hee came to the Court with his retinue they allighted and were ushered into a little Court du Guard that stood in the center of a spacious Court the ground spread with Persian Carpets about a pretty white Marble Tank where they were feasted with Pelo and Wine the flagons cups dishes plates and covers being of pure beaten gold Thence they were led through a spacious and fragrant Garden curious to the eye and delicate to the smell to another Summer-house rich in gold imbossements and paintings but far more excellent for the admirable prospect for from thence they viewed the Caspian Sea on one side and the Mountain Taurus on the other The ground Chambers were large four-square archt and richly guilded above and on the sides below bespread with curious Carpets of Silk and Gold In the Center were Tanks of Christalline water an Element of no mean account in those Torrid habitations Round about the Tanks were placed Goblets Flagons Cisterns and Standards of pure Massy-gold some of them were filled with perfumes others with Rose-water with wine some and others with choisest Flowers From thence they were led into another large square upper Room where the roof was formed into an Artificial Element many golden Planets attracting the wandring eye to help their Motion The ground was covered with far richer Carpets than the other the Tank was larger the matter Jasper and Porphiry the silver purling-stream was forced up into another Region yet seemed here to bubble wantonly as in her proper Center about it was so much gold in vessels for use and oftentation that some Merchants with them judged it worth twenty millions of pounds sterling Another Tank there was incircled with a wall of Gold and richest Gems No other Flagons Cups nor other vessels were there but what were thick and covered over with Diamonds Rubies Pearls Emeralds Turquises Jacinths c. The seeling of this Chamber was garnished with Poetick fancies in gold and choicest colours The ground in this room was covered with such Carpets as befitted the Monarch of Persia Above sixty of the greatest Nobles sat round about it cross-legged with their bums to the ground and their backs to the wall like so many statues their eyes fixed on a constant object not daring to speak sneese Cough spit c. in the Emperors presence The Ganimed Boys in vests of Gold and richly bespangled Turbanes c. with Flagons of most glorious mettal profering wine to such as would tast it The Emperor Abbas himself sat at the upper end so much higher than the rest as two or three silken shags could elevate him his apparrel was plain c. The City of Casbine Described Casbine is at this day for multitude of Buildings and inhabitants the chiefest City in Media and next to Spahawn the greatest City in the Persian Monarchy It s compassed with a wall seven miles in compasse seated in a fair even plain having no hill of note within thirty miles compasse the Champain yeilds grain and grapes but no wood It hath a small stream to water it which gives drink to the thirsty and makes fruitfull the gardens whereby they yeild abundance of fruits and roots in variety as Grapes Orenges Limes Lemons Pomecitrons Musk melons and Water-melons Apples Pistachoes Filberts Almonds Walnuts Plums Cherries Peaches Apricocks Figs Pears Goosberries Dates and excellent Pomgranats c. The Families in it are twenty thousand and the Inhabitants about two hundred thousand The Buzzars or market places
are large and pleasant The Midan is uniform and beautifull The Kings Palace nigh the market low built painted with blew red and yellow colours commixt with Arabick letters and knots in gold and azure The windows are spacious trellized and neatly carved Neer the Kings gate is a great Tank The Hummums or sweating places are many resplendent in the azure pargetting and tileing The gardens are pleasant for view and smell The City of Tauris Described Tauris was the late Metropolis of Media taking its name from the prodigious Mountain Taurus under which it is built the ancient name was Ecbatane when shee was farre greater than now shee is Strabo saith that it was fifteen miles in compasse the walls were strong and stately seventy cubits high and fifty broad beautified with many lofty Turrets and battlements within were many great and excellent Palaces especially that which was built by Daniel the Mausoleum of the Median Kings was most magnificent which remained undemolished till the time of Josephus That built by Darius was no lesse memorable most whereof was built of Cedar the roof studded and plaited with burnished gold At this day its about five miles compasse well peopled traded to from farre and neer The houses are flat on the top made of brick the Buzzar large and the gardens lovely The City of Derbent Described Derbent is a strong and famous Port Town upon the Caspian Sea viewing from her lofty Turrets the Armenian and Hyrcanian Territories as also Ararat and the sea It s circled with a strong high and defensible stone-wall above three miles in compasse The houses Hummums and Churches are but meanly beautifull the strong Castle Kastow is most observeable in it pleasantly and very advantagiously seated Hyspaan Described The City of Hyspaan in Persia was formerly called Hecatompolis by reason of its hundred gates It 's compassed with a strong wall and is in circuit as much as a man may well ride on horseback in a day it s a very strong City and is excellently watered with deep channels of running springs conveyed into it from the Coronian Mountains which are as a wall inaccessible about it On the North side is a very strong Castle which is compassed about with a wall of a thousand and seven hundred yards in compasse On the West side of the City are two Seraglio's one for the King the other for his women Palaces of great state and Magnificence the Walls whereof glister with pollished Marble and pargetting of divers colours and all the Palaces are paved with curious checkered work and covered with curious Carpets wrought with Silk and Gold the windows are made of Marble Porphery and Alabaster the Posts and doors of Massie Ivory checkered with glistering black Ebonie so curiously wrought in winding knots as may easilier stay than satisfie the wondering eye of the spectator Near the Palace is a stately Garden spacious and large beautifully adorned with a thousand sundry kinds of Fruit-trees plants and flowers of all sorts to delight the beholders There are in it a thousand Fountains and a thousand Brooks and as the Father of them all a pretty River which with a mild stream and delightful murmure divides the Garden from the Kings Palace Casan described Casan is the chiefest City in Parthia It is seated in a goodly plain having no Mountains within a dayes journey of it It wanteth neither Fountains Springs nor curious pleasant Gardens It aboundeth with all necessaries for the life of man It 's greatly frequented with all sorts of Merchandize especially out of India The Citizens are very industrious and curious in all manner of Sciences especially in weaving girdles and shashes in making Velvets Satins Damasks excellent Persian Carpets of a wonderful finenesse Here you may buy all manner of Drugs and Spices as also Turkesses Diamonds Rubies and Pearles as also all sorts of Silk raw and wrought For there is more Silk brought into Casan in one year than there comes broad cloth into London This City is much to bee commended for Civil Government For an idle person is not suffered to live amongst them the child that is but six years old is set to labour no ill rule disorder or riot is suffered there They have a Law amongst them whereby every person is compelled to give his name to the Magistrate withal declaring by what course hee liveth and if any tell untruly hee is either well beaten on the feet or imployed in publick slavery Casan contains above four thousand families the houses are fairly built the streets bee large and comely the Mosques and Hummums are curiously painted and covered with blew Tiles like Turquoises The Buzzar is spacious and uniform The Gardens abound with fruit and the fields with Corn The Carravans-Raw is an admirable Fabrick able to receive all the retinue of the greatest Potentate in Asia It was built by Saw-Abbas for the entertainment of Travellers on free cost The whole building is founded on Marble six foot high the rest of Brick varnished and coloured with knots and Phansies of Arabick characters in Azure red and white laid in Oile It s a perfect quadrangle each side two hundred paces long In the midst of this spacious Court is a large fouresquare Tank or Pond with Christaline water This Royal Inne is seated in the midst of fragrant and spacious Gardens Armenia the greater described Armenia Major lyeth on the farther side of Euphrates is a very mountainous Country hath part of Cappadocia and Euphrates on the West Mesopotamia on the South Colchis Iberia and Albania on the North. And the Caspian Sea and Media on the East One part of it is called Turcomania the other Georgia On the Mountain of Ararat in this Countrey the Ark rested and from hence the World was repeopled The chiefest Rivers are Phasis and Lycus which runne into the Pontick Sea Cyrus and Araxes into the Caspian Euphrates and Tygris which run into the Red or Persian Sea Tygris so called from its swiftnesse passeth through the Lake Arethusa yet neither mingling water nor fishes saith Solinus afterward it diveth under Taurus and riseth on the other side bringing much filth with it and is again hidden and again riseth and at last carrieth Euphrates into the Sea Mr. Cartwright in his Preachers Travels saith that these present Armenians are a very industrious people in all kind of Labour that their women are very skilful and active in shooting and managing any sort of weapon like the Ancient Amazons That their Families are great the Father and all his posterity dwelling together under one roof having their substance in common and when the father dyeth the eldest son governs all submitting themselves under his regiment after his death not his son but his brother succeeds and when all the brethren are dead then the eldest Son In diet and clothing they are all alike Media Described Media hath on the North the Caspian Sea on the South Persia on the West Armenia and on the East Parthia
Ecbatane was once the Metropolis of it twenty miles distant from the Caspian Straits which are a narrow way made by hand through the Hills scarce wide enough for a Cart to pass eight miles in length the rocks with their obscure frowns hanging over them and in the summer time multitudes of Serpents guarding them The walls of Ecbatane were built of hewen stone seventy cubits high and fifty cubits broad and sixteen miles in compasse Herodotus saith that after the Assyrians had raigned in Asia five hundred and twenty years the Medes rebelled chose Deioces for their King at whose command they builded him this royall City and in it a Palace of Cedar wood joyned with plates of silver and gold being a stately thing the whole compasse of it was seven furlongs Diodorus Siculus reports that at one time multitudes of Sparrows that devoured their seed forced the inhabitants to leave this Countrey and to seek their living in other places as Mice caused them in some part of Italy and Frogs that rained out of the Clouds made the Attariotae and Fleas chased away the Inhabitants of Myus How great is that God who of the smallest of his Creatures can muster Armies to conquer them that swell in the conceit of their own greatnesse as against Pharoah c. And how many Nations in Africa have the Grashoppers exiled from their native habitations amongst the Medes none might bee King except hee was in stature and strength more eminent than others They used to nourish Dogs with great care to whom they cast men ready to dye whilest yet breathing to bee devoured of them In this Country is the Lake of Van three hundred miles long and a hundred and fifty broad of salt water the greatest next to Meotis Gyllicus affirms that eight great Rivers run into it without any apparent issue to the Sea Parthia described Parthia is seated at the roots of the mountains having the Arians on the East the Medes on the West Caramania on the South and Hyrcania on the North surrounded with Desarts they used not gold or silver but only to adorn their armour they had many wives of whom they were so jealous that they forbad them the sight of any other man They performed all businesses both publick and private on horseback this being the distinction of free men from servants they buried their dead in the bellies of birds or dogs they were exceeding superstitious in the service of their Gods they were a stout unquiet and unfaithful people their fight was more dangerous in their flight than in their onset whence Seneca saith Terga conversi metuenda Parthi The Parthians flight doth most affright It s now called Arach Hyrcania described Hyrcania now Strava hath on the West Media on the East Margiana on the South Parthia and on the North the Caspian Sea It s famous for store of woods and Tygers Strava the chief City abounds with trafick for Silk Their Religion agrees with that of the Persians Arabia described Arabia is a very large Country lying between the Persian Gulph on the East and the Arabian Gulph on the West On the South is the Ocean and on the North is Syria and Euphrates It s usually divided into Petraea Deserta and Foelix The name Faelix or Happie is given to the Southern part from the fertility of it Petraea to a second part of Petra the Seat Royal Deserta or the Desert from the nature of it being a very barren soil Arabia the Desert is bounded on the East with Babylonia and part of the Persian Gulph on the North with Mesopotamia neer to Euphrates On the West with Syria and Arabia Petraea and on the South with the Mountains of Arabia Faelix neer unto which and Euphrates it hath some Towns which are frequented by Merchants In other parts it is unpeopled only by some roving Arabians wandering in it seeking pasture for their Cattel Arabia Petraea hath Syria on the West and North Arabia the Desert on the East and Arabia Foelix on the South some call it Nabathaea that part of it which is next to Syria is fruitful the other barren wanting both wood and water and frequented by wandring theevish Arabians In this Country it was that the Israelites wandred forty years up and down in their passage to Canaan Here is Mount Sinai a mile and an half from Horeb and far higher Sinai is ascended by steps cut out of the Rock and from the top of it may bee seen both shores of the Red-Sea Arabia Foelix bounds upon the former and hath the Sea on all other parts against which it doth abut for the space of three thousand five hundred and four miles It s now called Ayaman or Giamen It s probable to bee the Country where Saba stood whose Queen came to visit Salomon though the Abassines challenge her to themselves It hath store of Rivers Lakes Towns Cities Cattel and fruits of many sorts The chief Cities are Medina Mecca Ziden Zebit Aden c. Here is store of gold silver and variety of precious stones As also wild beasts of diverse kinds The Inhabitants use circumcision at thirteen years old after the â—xample of Ismael Frankincense grows only in this Country and not in every part but in one part only guarded and almost unpassable by Rocks the place is one hundred miles long and about fifty in breadth there are three hundred families appointed to attend this Wood who are called Holy and when they cut the trees whence Incense sweats which is in the Spring and Autum they must abstain from Women funerals c. when it s gathered they carry it on Camels by Sabota where they pay the Tithe to a God called Sabis They have in Arabia sheep with great tailes some of which weigh forty pounds some much more they kill all the Mice they can as supposing them enemies to their Gods the women cover their faces being contented rather to see but with one eye than to prostitute their whole faces They have also Balsom trees The Arabick language is now the most common in all the Eastern Countries especially amongst those that imbrace the Mahometan Religion Tartary described The Tartars inhabit a vast space of ground in Asia and are divided into many Tribes different both in name and government one from another The greatest and mightiest of them is the Crim Tartar called by some the great Cham that lyeth South and South East from Russia Their Arms are Bows Arrows and Swords they are all Horse-men and use to shoot as readily backward as forward the common souldiers have no armour more than their ordinary apparel which is a black sheep skin with the wool side outward in the day time and inward in the night with a cap of the same the Nobles imitate the Turks both in apparrel and armour In their wars they chiefly seek to get store of Captives especially of Boyes and Girles whom they sell to the Turks or other neighbour Nations they are most
of them Mahometans They have certain Idol puppets made of Silk or other stuff in the likenesse of a man which they fasten to the door of their walking houses to keep them in safety besides they have the Image of their great Cham of an huge bignesse which they erect at every stage when they march and every one as he passeth by must bow down to it they are much given to witchcraft and sorcery They are divided into Hoords over each of which is a Duke who are bound when the Emperor sends for them to attend him with such a number of Souldiers every one having two horses one to ride on and the other to kill when his turn comes to have his horse eaten for their chief food is horseflesh which they eat without any bread They keep also great heards of Kine and black sheep rather for their skins and milk which they carry with them in great bottles then for their flesh which they say is not so strengthning as horse-flesh they drink milk and bloud mingled together Sometimes as they travel they let their horses blood and drink it warm They have no Towns but walking houses built upon wheeles like Shepheards Cottages these they draw with them and drive their cattel before them and when they stay they plant their Cart-houses very orderly in rank so making the form of streets and of a large Town the Emperor himself hath no other City but such as these In the spring they move with their Cattel Northward grazing up all before them and then return Southward again where they remain all the winter Towards the Caspian sea and on the frontiers of Russia they have a goodly Country but marred for want of Tillage They use no money and prefer brass and Steel before all other mettals They have broad and flat visages much tanned have fierce and cruel looks thin hair on their upper lips they are light and nimble they have short legs as if they were made for horsemen their speech is sudden and loud speaking out of a deep hollow throat their singing is very untunable The Circasses that border upon Lituania are more civil than the rest applying themselves to the fashions of the Polonians The Nagay Tartars lye Eastward and are far more savage and cruel The most rude and barbarous are the Morduit-Tartars that worship for god the first living thing they meet in the morning and swear by it all the day after when his friend dyes hee kills his best horse and carries his hide upon a long pole before the Corps to the place of buriall that so his friend may have a good horse to carry him to heaven they are void of learning and without written Laws only some rules they hold by tradition as to obey their Emperor and Governors none to possesse any land but the whole Countrey to bee common not to use daintiness in diet c. This great Country is bounded on the East with the Eastern Ocean On the West with Russia and Moldovia On the North with the Sythick or frozen Sea and on the South with Mare Caspium the Hill Taurus and the wall of China It s in length from East to West five thousand four hundred miles and in breadth from North to South three thousand and six hundred miles It was formerly called Scythia It hath been so fruitfull of people that it was called Vagina gentium et officina generis humani the mother of all inundations From hence indeed Huns Herules Franks Bulgarians Circassians Sueves Burgundians Turks Tartarians Dutch Cimbers Normans Almaines Ostrogothes Tigurines Lombards Vandals Visigothes Have swarm'd like Locusts round about this Ball. And spoil'd the fairest Provinces of all The Island of Cyprus Described In the Mediterranean Sea there are only two Islands belonging to Asia Cyprus and Rhodes The Island of Cyprus Described Cyprus is seated in the Sea of Syria and is in compasse five hundred and fifty miles It s in length from East to West two hundred miles In breadth but sixty five miles It s about sixty miles distant from Cilicia and one hundred from the main land of Syria In summer it s very hot the greatest supply of water is from the Clouds So that in Constantines time there being a great and long drought the Island was almost unpeopled for thirty six years together Ordinarily it s very fruitfull and so stored with Commodities that without the help of other Countrys its able to build a ship from the keel to the top-sail and to furnish it to Sea with all things necessary either for a voyage or Sea-fight It yeilds plenty of wine Oile Corn Sugar Honey Wool Cotton Turpentine Allum and Verdegreece As also all sorts of Mettals Salt Grograms and other Commodities whence it was called Macaria or the blessed Island There are abundance of Cyprus Trees growing in it The Inhabitants are warlike strong and nimble civil Hospitable and friendly to strangers The Jews in Trajans time slew in this Island two hundred and forty thousand living souls whereupon ever since they suffer no Jew to come amongst them The Island is divided into eleven Provinces the chief Rivers are Pedeus and Tenus The chief Cities are Paphos once famous for the Temple of Venus Famagusta on the South Sea Nicosia almost in the center of the Countrey Amathus Ceraunia now called Cerines And Arsione now Lescare It s now under the Turks who took it from the Venetians Anno Christi One thousand five hundred threescore and ten The Island of Rhodes Described Rhodes is situated in the Carpathian Sea over against Caria in the lesser Asia It s in circuit one hundred and twenty miles The chief City is of the same name where stood that huge Colossus of Brasse in the Image of a man fourscore cubits high whose little finger was as big as an ordinary man it was the work of twelve years made by Chares of Lindum The Inhabitants of this I le were always good Seamen Anno Christi 1308. the Knights of St. John in Hierusalem being driven out of Asia by the Saracens seized upon this Island and were always troublesome neighbours to the Turks till the year 1522. at which time Solyman the Magnificent wrested it from them The forenamed City of Rhodes stands on the East part of the Island at the bottome of a hill and on the shore of the Sea having a safe and fair Haven it hath also two walls for defence thirteen high towers five bulwarks besides sconces and outworks It s inhabited only by Turks and Jews for though the Christians are suffered to trade freely all day yet at night upon pain of death they must leave it The Rhodian Colossus more fully Described In the Isle of Rhodes stood one of the worlds seven wonders which was a huge Colossus made of Brasse in the form of a man standing with his two leggs striding over an haven under which ships with their Masts and Sails might passe It was fourscore cubits high with all the
parts proportionable and all gilt over When Muani the fifth Caliph of Babylon overcame Constance the Emperour in a Sea-fight and had taken the Isle of Rhodes this image being formerly thrown down by an Earthquake was sold by him to a Jew who loaded nine hundred Camels with the brasse of it Theoph. Pez Mel. Hist. The Islands and Countries in the East-Indies Described Malabar Described Malabar is neer to Cape Comeryn It s four hundred miles in length but not above a hundred in breadth yet so populous that one of the Samorines or Kings hath brought into the field two hundred thousand men The Countrey is green and full of all delights Cattel Corn Fruit Cotton silk-worms and other Merchandise it hath store of strong Towns and safe Harbours It s divided into many Toparchies but all obeying the Samorine a naked Negro yet as proud as Lucifer The Nayroes are his Lords a sort of Mammeluks that live by the sweat of other mens brows lust wholly Mastering them they always go armed with sword and Buckler The people generally are big-limmed strong cole-black wear their hair which is like wool long and curled about their heads they have a wreath of a curious sort of linnen wrought with gold and silk about their wast a peece of Calico all the rest naked the vulgar sort pink their skins in many places some are Mahometans others Gentiles the Mahometan women use vails like other Indians such as are Gentiles affect nakedness their greatest pride is in their noses and ears and they judge them most brave which are bigest and widest their ears they make big by weighty bables which they hang in them they wring their snouts with silver brass or Ivory their arms and legs are chained richly Their Braminies or Priests have the maiden heads of all that are married they are couragious and politick The City of Callecut in Malabar Described Callecut a City is not large nor of any beauty the houses are low thick and dark The Samorine or Emperor usually abides here many deformed Pagathoes are here worshipped The chappel where their grand Idol sits is covered and about three yards high the wooden entrance is ingraven with infernal shapes within their beloved Priapus is imperiously enthronized upon a brasen Mount his head hath a resplendent Diadem from whence issue four great Rams horns his eyes squint his mouth is wide from whence branch four Monstrous Tusks his nose is flat his beard like the Sun beams of an affrighting aspect his hands are like the claws of a Vulture his thighs and legs big and hairy his feet and tail resemble a Munkies Other Temples have other Pagods ugly all yet all differ in invention They commonly exchange their wives As men have many wives so one woman may have many husbands The Isle of Zeiloon Described Zeiloon or Ceilon is two hundred and fifty miles in length one hundred and forty in breadth It abounds with sundry sorts of aromatick spices but especially with Cinamon It hath plenty of Orenges Dates Cocoes Ananas Plantans and Mastick It hath Elephants Bufolos Cowes Sheep Hogs c. Smaragds Rubies Ambergreece c. The King hereof to shew his bravery to the Portugals invited them to see him walk upon a Tarras arraied in an imbroidered Coat powdered with Gold Smaragds Diamonds and Pearl altogether darting out rayes wonderfull delightfull and pleasant Hereupon Selveira the Portugese Governor builds a stately and strong Castle amongst them under pretence of defending them from the Mallabars but it was rather to bee his Jewel keeper for in a short time hee ravished the King of all his riches In this Island there is scarce any village or Mount without its Pagod amongst which that Apes tooth god was the principal resorted to by millions of Indians and when Columbo the Vice-Roy of Goa took it away they proâ—ered to redeem it with three hundred thousand Duckets Their Idols are horribly deformed and ugly yea the more ugly the more venerable The Manner of fishing for Pearls in the Isle of Zeilan They begin their fishing every year in March or April and it lasteth fifty dayes and when this time draweth neer they send very good Divers to discover where there is the greatest plenty of Oisters under water and right against that place they pitch their Tents on the shore making as it were a little Village and so when the time is come they go out in their Boats and Anchor in fifteen or eighteen fathom of water and then they cast a rope into the Sea with a great stone fastened at the end of it Then a man that hath his nose and ears well stopped and anointed with Oile with a basket under his left arm goes down by the rope to the bottome of the Sea and as fast as hee can fills the basket with Oisters and then shaking the rope his fellowes in the boat pull him up with his basket and thus they go on till they have filled their Boats with Oisters and so at evening when they come to their Tents each lay their heap of Oisters by themselves and none of them are opened till their fishing bee ended At which time they open every man his own which is easily done because then they are drie and brittle There are but few of these Oisters in comparison that have Pearles in them There are also certain that are expert in Pearles present that set the price upon them according to their carracts beauty and goodness the round ones are best Choromandel described Choromandel stretches from Cape Comoryn to the famous Gulph of Bengala and hath in it these famous Towns of Trade Negapatan Meliapore Polycat Armagun Narsinga Mesulipatan and Bipilipatan Negapatan is hot and unwholesome the wind and raines being for the greatest part of the year high and unseasonable The Town hath good water and fruits well relished cooling and nutritive yet the people are much vexed with feavers fluxes c. they are blackish blockish unapt for study or exercise by reason of the heat A small thin shuddery or lawn is drawn before their secret parts their head hath a small wreath the rest is all naked they have gold and precious stones which they esteem as wee do trifles The Bannians Wives have here more freedome to burn themselves when their Husbands dye than in other places so that in this place the custome is usual If any refuse to burn they must shave and are accounted as Monsters The City of Goa described Goa is the bravest and best defenced City in all the Orient where the Vice-Roy of Portugal keeps his residence and seats of Justice It s built three hours journey within land in an Island thirty miles compass surrounded by a River that flows from the mighty mountain Bellaguate It s compassed with a strong and beautiful wall proud in her aspiring Turrets dreadful in many tormenting Cannons The Market-place or Buzzar is in the Center of the City richly built pleasant and capacious the other streets
after the Indian mode are narrow and nasty the buildings in general are spacious and comely T is watered with a delicious stream the Gardens are filled with sweet and eye-pleasing flowers the whole Isle abounds with Grass Corn Groves Cattel fruits and many other sense-ravishing delights wherein there are above twenty Villages The field peeces here are above three hundred the Palaces are strong of good stone furnished within with rich Arras and painting and the Churches beautiful and comely Herb. Travels The City of Amadavar described Amadavar is the Metropolis of Cambaya or Guzurat watered by a sweet River and circled by a beautiful strong stone wall of six miles compass well and orderly adorned with many pretty Towers and twelve Posterns The streets are many indifferently large and comely most shops abound with Aromatick Gums perfumes and spices as also with Silks Cottons Calicoes and choice of Indian and China rarities owned and sold by the fair spoken but crafty Bannians The Market-place is rich and uniform the Castle strong large and moated about The houses in general are built of Sun-dryed Bricks low large and tarrassed The Island of Socotora described Socotora is an Island in the mouth of the Red-Sea a little Island but pleasant and abounding with good things one part rising into wholesome Hills other parts falling into fruitful dales all places garnished with spreading trees sweet Grass fragrant flowers and rich Corn hath store of Olives Aloes Sempervive Sanguis Draconum Cocoes Dates Pistachoes Orenges Pomegranats Pomecitrons Lemons Melons Suger-Canes c. It abounds with fish foul and flesh Here are Civet-Cats The inhabitans are black they are Christians by profession their Churches are built in the form of a Cross kept sweet and neat without seats and images they have a Patriarch whom they reverence and duly pay their Tithes to the Clergie their feasts and fasts like ours Age is much regarded humility commanded and commended second marriages are not allowed except they had no Children by the first have their Sacraments wrap the dead in clean linnen and so bury them without lamentation Ormus described Ormus is situated in the Persian Gulph a miserable and forlorn City and Isle at this day though not many years since it was the bravest place in all the Orient If all the world were made into a Ring Ormus the Gem and grace thereto should bring The whole Island is a Sulphurious Earth which together with the heat of the Sun from May to September makes it almost intollerable so that their custome is to sleep in beds of water all day naked the City had a fair Buzzar many Churches Monasteries brave Magazeens stately houses and as gallant a Castle as any was in the East The whole Isle exceeds not fifteen miles in compass and is the most barren place in the World neither affording Tree nor spring of good water yet from the advantagious standing the industrious Portugal made it the staple and glory of the world till in the year 1622. the English joyning with the Persians made it a ruinous heap as it continues till this day Narsinga Described Narsinga is famous all over Asia it s confined by Mallabar Gulcunda Bengala and the Ocean the King is very rich and powerfull in men arms and ammunition His Countrey full of all things requisite for use and pleasure Hath many fair Towns strong Forts pleasant fields and choicest Minerals abounding in Rivers hills dales Cattel Corn Fruits c. The Temples have in them many rich and Massy Idols of ugly shape as best pleaseth the Devil for his service and devotion Bisnagar is the second City in Narsinga for grandeure and bravery being circled with a wall of four miles compass and as well fortified well built and wealthy It is much frequented by our European ships and Junks from all parts of India Few strangers come thither but they are invited by the King who delights to shew them his fine cloathes being set thick with stones and Gems of infinite value hee hath for his guard a thousand Pensioners Hee affects Polygamy and therefore stiles himself The Husband of a thousand women who at his death makes his flaming grave their consuming Sepulcher Mesulipatan is seated neer the Bengalan Ocean The Town hath little beauty not many years since a raging mortality and Famine having well nigh depopulated it The fields and gardens are parched by the Sun from March to July the four next months are disturbed with wind and incessant rains only from November to March they have kindly weather The English have here a residence where they trafick for Calicoes Rice c. Malacca described Malacca is a Peninsula whence abundance of gold is carried into Pegu Siam Borneo and Sumatra It s judged to bee part of the Ophir whence Solomon fetched his gold Malacca the Royal City obeyes now the Siam Monarchy being conquered by the King thereof Anno Christi 1508. by the help of the Portugals at which time they gat an incredible Mass of Treasure three thousand peeces of great Ordinance and so much minted coin that the King of Portugals part came to two hundred and fifty thousand Ryals of eight The City is above three miles long but narrow built upon the banks of a pleasant River as broad as our Thames A rivolet of sweeter water runnes through the Town over which is raised a strong stone bridge the buildings are generally low and but meanly furnished though they want no gold to purchase better The streets and fields shew many delightful Arbours and choice fruits with Corn Sugar and Durapen trees preferred before gold and silver Patania Described Patania stands between those two famous Ports of Malacca and Siam the Town is strong and defended by twelve great brass guns whereof one is a Basilisco of twenty six foot long The People are black and go almost naked they delight much in eating Bettle and Opium they usually eat in plates of Gold they are very hospitable to strangers and the better sort of them blush not to proffer their daughters and neeces to be their bed-fellows during their stay there Adultery they punish sharpely Fornication lightly they delight much in wine Rack Rice Fruites c. Siam Described Siam is a powerful and wealthy Kingdom The King hath under him many Countries watered by Ganges he usually goes to war with a thousand Elephants and two hundred thousand men The Inhabitants are black and almost naked As a badge of devotion they gird their middles with a peece of Leather and carry an umbrella in their hands to lenefy the flaming Sun they are great Idolaters worshiping gods in the shape of Prtapus or Pan They have Groves and Altars whereon they offer flesh fruit and flowers their Tallapois or Priests are great Conjurers and much esteemed by the People Here are abundance of Diamonds Chrysolites Onix-stones Magnets Bezars with Lignum aloes Benjamin Cotton and mines of Gold Silver Iron Copper c. Victuals and other Commodities are
very cheap But it s most memorable in the Cabriz or blood-stone here generated The Riches of the King of Pegu. The King of Pegu in the East-Indies for people dominions gold silver and precious stones far exceeds the power of the great Turk This King hath diverse Treasuries full of Riches Hee is Lord also of the Mines of Rubies Saphires and Spinels Near unto his Royal Palace there is an inestimable Treasure whereof hee makes no account for it stands in such a place as every one may see it It is a great Court walled about with stone with two gates which stand alwayes open and within this Court are four guilded houses covered with lead and in each of them are Idols of a very great value In the first there is the Image of a man of gold very great and on his head a Crown of gold set with most rare Rubies and Saphires and round about him are four little Children of gold In the second there is the statue of a man of silver sitting on heaps of money whose stature in height as he sits is higher than the roof of an house I measured one of his feet saith mine Author and it was as long as all my body with a Crown on his head like the first In the third there is a statue of Brasse of the same bignesse with the like Crown on his head In the fourth there is a statue as big as the other of Gansa which is the mettal they make their mony of which is copper and lead mingled together this also hath a Crown on his head like the first They have many Idol-houses which they call Pagods all the tops whereof are covered with leaf gold and some of them are covered with gold from the top to the bottome and once in ten years they guild them a new This King stiles himself King of the white Elephants and when hee rides abroad four white Elephants are led before him vested with gold having their teeth inclosed in sheathes wrought with Jewels Hee keepeth above four hundred tame Elephants and hath many wild ones in the Woods which they can catch at their pleasure The City of Pegu described Pegu is a very great strong and fair City and very populous It s made square with very fair walls and a great Trench round about it full of water wherein are many Crocodiles It hath twenty fair Gates made of stone on every side five Gates there are upon the walls many Turrets guilded with gold very fair the streets are as streight as a line from one Gate to another and so broad that twelve men may ride abreast in them On both sides at every mans door there grows a Palmer tree which yeilds a pleasing shadow so that a man may walk in the shade all day long their houses are covered with Tiles The Kings house is in the midst of the City walled and trenched about the buildings within are very curious and sumptuously guilded having costly workmanship on the front which is also fairly guilt The house wherein his Idol stands is covered with tiles of silver and all the walls are guilt with gold Not far from this City there is an Idol-house of a wonderfull bigness and all guilt from the top to the bottome unto which adjoyneth an house for their Tallipoies or Priests to preach in It is five and fifty paces long and hath three walks in it and between them four great Pillars guilded The house it self is guilded with gold within and without and round about it are very fair houses for Pilgrims to lodge in and many goodly houses for their Priests which are full of Images of men and women all covered with gold Sir Walter Raughly in his History of the World proves by many probable arguments that this was the Ophir from whence Solomon fetched his gold and Ivory Pur. Pil. This Kingdome of Pegu is bounded by Siam Ganges and the Ocean and is Commandresse of many Islands as Monim Barongo Nogomallo Cocos c. It is a Kingdome full of all earthly delights and blessings of nature as gold silver lead and Iron Also Smaragds Topaz Rubies Saphires Garnats Emeralds Espinels and Cats eyes As also of Rice long Pepper Sugar Benoin Musk Gum-Lack Cotton Calicoes and what else a reasonable man can desire Their habit is thin and fine they wear no beards they dye their teeth black because Dogs teeth are white they cut and pink their flesh as a mark of bravery The King of Pegu on festival dayes rides abroad in his triumphant Chariot all guilded which is drawn by sixteen goodly horses His Chariot is high with a rich Canopy over it About and behinde it go twenty of his Nobles each of them having a rope in his hand that is fastened to the Chariot to hold it upright from falling The King sitteth in the midst of the Chariot and about him stand four of his Nobles that are in greatest favour c. Hee hath one Principal wife and at least three hundred Concubines Every day hee sits to hear the suits of his Subjects in this manner Hee sits on an high seat in his great Hall and under him sit his Nobles and they which desire audience come and set them down before him at forty paces distance holding up their supplications in one hand and in the other a present according to the weightiness of the matter then come the Secretaries take their petitions and read them before the King and if hee grants their requests hee sends one to take their present otherwise not but never speaks to them himself The Noble and simple are all apparelled alike for the fashion only differing in the finenesse of the cloth which is of Bombast First they have a shirt of white Bombast then another painted cloth which they binde up betwixt their legs and on their heads they wrap an other cloth in fashion of a Miter they go all barefooted all sorts of women wear a smock that reacheth to their middle and from thence downward they wear a cloth open before so that they cannot go but they discover natures secrets which they say was invented to keep men from sin against nature they go also barefooted having their arms adorned with hoopes of gold and Jewels and their fingers full of precious rings Sumatra described Sumatra is that famous Isle formerly called Trapabone It s six hundred miles long and two hundred and forty broad It s rich in gold fruits and precious stones but miserably overspread with ignorance and superstition the Inhabitants worshiping Cats Rats Dogs yea and the Devil himself both sexes go for the most part naked The soil is good where the Rivers water it but barren where the veins of gold are found There are many good inland Towns but the Ports are best known as Aken Aru Daru c. but especially Passaman where is most store of gold the Rivers abound in Fish and Crocodiles which Creature is a wonder in nature comming from a little
Egg and growing till it bee eight or ten yards long their tailes are as long as their bodies their mouths and throats so wide that they are able to swallow a horse and man at one bit their teeth are engrailed they have no tongue and contrary to all other Creatures move only the upper jaw their bellies are penetrable their backs hard to bee peirced In the winter quarter they fast from food all the rest of the year devour their prey with much greedinesse sixty dayes passe before the female layes her eggs which are commonly sixty in number and shee is sixty dayes in hatching them and usually they live sixty years some call them Aligartos The Jchneumon steals into his belly and gnaws in sunder his guts whilst hee lies gaping that the little Trochil may pick his teeth which gives it feeding Java Major described Java the greater is an Island neer the Bengalan Sea in length four hundred and fifty miles in breadth two hundred and seventy the midland is for the most part Mountainous and ill peopled the Sea coasts low and populous yet unhealthful The Sea-coasts by reason of trade for Pepper hath well-built Towns especially Bantam Palamban Jackatra Japarra Tuban Jortan c. Bantam is the biggest City in the Island nigh two miles long It yeelds Rice Pepper and Cotton-wool though most of the Pepper bee brought thither by the Chineses from Janeby Borneo and Malacca Four Vice-Royes are under the Mattarans or great Kings command who is able to bring into the field two hundred thousand desperate slaves black but valiant the Climate is so hot that for the most part they go naked their weapons are lances darts arrows but especially creezes two foot long broad waved sharp and small pointed and basely poisoned the hilt of wood horn the better sort of gold silver or Ivory cut in the figure of a deformed Pagod They are given to murders theft Adultery deceit c. also Magick and Astrology delight them in which Satan instructs them the better to oblige them to his worship They are excellent swimmers they delight in hunting Tygers Ouzces c. They are friendly to the English especially ever since the Dutch took Jackatra from them Their Orankayes or great men are idle sociable but not to be trusted The Isle of Celibes Described Celibes is by some called Makasser from her best City in the Island Its oval and above two hundred miles long well peopled but with bad people It s fruitful though under the hotest part of the burning zone They are black naked only having a few plantane leaves tyed about their middles the better sort wear Tulipants and white shirts upon their coal-black skins The women are very immodest The men use long Canes out of which they can blow a little pricking quill which if it draw bloud in any part of the body it kills immediately so strong is the poyson The Molucco Isles described The Molucco Isles are five in number Molucco Gillolo Tirnate Tidore and Machan The English were the first Traders hither and the natives acknowledged our King their Sovereign though since the Dutch thrust us out as if all India was theirs by title from the Creation Gillolo is the greatest but in Cloves Mace Nutmegs Ginger Pepper Oile Aloes and Honey all of them alike plentifull The Bandaneza Islands Described Neer unto the former are the Islands of Amboyna Banda Puloway Pulerone Lantore Batan Labatacka Nero Ticobassa Cumber Salamo c. All of them especially Pulerone and Puloway seeming continued wildernesses of Nutmeg and Clove trees Pepper Vines and Olives These two last first traded with our Merchants and acknowledged fealty to our King James till the uncivil Dutch dispossessed us cruelly abusing our men and entitling themselves Lords of the Banda-Islands The Isle of Borneo described Borneo resembles an Oval shield and for the most part groans uâ—der the Spanish servitude It hath many villages and people which are great Idolaters It yeilds Mines of gold and Diamonds Bezar Musk Lignum Aloes Amber Sanguis Draconum VVax Rice and Rattoons Her chief haven Towns are Socodania and Bemermassin The Isle of Japan described Japan is in length six hundred miles in breadth One hundred four score and ten The best towns and Ports in it are Meacco Ozacca Tenze Firando Fuccate c. Macco is an inland City as big as Florence but not so beautifull Hath a sweet and large River low but comely houses abundance of stately Fotiquees or Temples full of guilded Idols called by them Mannada's The Government is Monarchicall above sixty petty Kings do homage to the Emperor whose frowns are worse than an ordinary death The Countrey is for the most part mountainous full of Rivers Trees Corn Grasse and Mines It hath plenty of villages swarming with Heathen Idolaters The people in the North and East parts of it are more savage treacherous idle Lascivious and awed by no Law malefactors they crucify The Civil Japonians are valiant courteous and great affectors of Novelties The best port in it is Ozacca strong and beautifull famous for its royal Castle varnished tiled and burnished over with pure Gold rich and Majesticall of excellent stone and well built the walls are every where twenty foot thick well polished and curiously cemented circled with deep trenches ful of water having above twelve Iron Gates with draw-bridges Fuccate is a pretty sweet Town well watered having a strong and defensive Castle It s environed for three miles compasse with spreading Sycamore Trees wherein are many small but richly-tiled Fotiquees or Temples in which they worship Pan or Priapus yea the Devil in his ugliest shapes In Meacco are seventy Temples wherein they number three thousand three hundred thirty and three little guilded Devils but more memorable is that in Meacco huge and wonderfull of guilt Copper Its posture is sitting in a chair seventy foot high and fourscore broad fifteen men may conveniently stand upon his head his thumb is forty inches about and his other limbs proportionable At Dabis is another of these Idols made of Copper hollow vast thick and double guilt his height is twenty four foot though formed kneeling his buttocks resting on his legs his arms are stretched out and sometimes making a fire in him they sacrifice a child which in his embraces is fryed to death with horrible torture The women of Japan if they want means to bring up their children most unnaturally deprive them of that life which not long before they had given them Their houses are most of wood because of their frequent Earth-quakes With them black is a feastival colour and white a Funeral They dye their teeth black Reproaches Thefts Peâ—â—â—ry and Dice-play is very hateful to them Herb. and Purch The Kingdome of China described China hath on the East the sea of Japan On the West the Deserts of Judustan On the North the Tartars On the South the Philippine Islands And on the South West Cochinchina Pegu with part of Siam
In form its square each way One thousand five hundred miles over The circuit above four thousand miles The Country is generally plain and fruitfull full of sweet and Navigable Rivers which are no lesse inhabited than the Cities and villages There are in it six hundred Cities two thousand walled Towns and four thousand unwalled one thousand Castles and Villages numberlesse it feeds above sixty millions of men and boyes besides women which bee not inrolled The whole Empire is divided into fifteen Provinces each of which hath a Metropolis full of people fairly built and very spatious One of their Kings to keep out the Tartars built a wall of one thousand and two hundred miles in length six fathom high twelve yards thick it was twenty and seven years in building though constantly wrought upon by seven hundred and fifty thousand men Pequin the now Regal City of China described Pequin is in compasse thirty Leagues or fourscore and ten English miles environed with two walls upon which are innumerable Towers and Bulwarks It hath three hundred and sixty gates each having over it a Castellet with two Towers and a draw-bridge There are in it three thousand eight hundred Temples wherein are continually sacrificed birds and wild beasts and amongst these four very admirable for their curiosity and costlinesse The streets are long and large the houses fair encompassed with Iron and Latten grates at each street end is a Triumphal Arch shut up at nights in the chief whereof are Watch-bells There are one hundred and twenty large Channels of water and over them eighteen hundred rich and fair bridges There are in this City one hundred and twenty Shambles one hundred and twenty market-places besides in every street five or six shops wherein they sell flesh poultry and Bacon There are without the City sixteen hundred Garden-houses belonging to persons of Principal note And twenty four thousand Sepulchres of Mandarines Justices of Peace with their little gilded Chappels encompassed with Grates of Iron and Latten with rich Arches at their entries The gardens groves Tanks and Fountains have their walls lined within with fine Porcelane which makes a gallant shew There are also store of other houses with great walls in which are Gardens and groves with game for hunting which belong to several companies The City of Nanquin described The City of Nanquin is thirty and six miles in compasse circled with three strong walls and ditches the Kings Palace in it is vast and glorious the other buildings many the inhabitants are reckoned to bee twenty thousand the Temples are above a thousand the streets fair and the people industrious The Country of Quinsay described Quinsay borders upon Cochin-china The whole Countrey is well watered and the Rivers abound with fish which they use to take with Cormorants The People are of an Olive colour wear their hair very long their eyes are commonly black their noses little their eyes small their beards deformedly thin their nailes oft-times as long as their fingers serving as a mark to distinguish the gentry by The better sort are cloathed in silk and Satten the meaner in black cloth made of Cotton their coats long and quilted made to tye under the left arm after the Asâ—â—tick mode their sleeves are long and strait at hand their shooes oft of the same stuff with their coats some have them richly imbroidered some knit their hair in cawls of silk in horse-hair some and some in fillets of gold or silver Others wear high Caps or Felts made of fine twigs round and mixed with silk of divers colours c. The women are modest a light vail of fine linnen wholly covering them They are generally proud crafty jealous voluptuous and given to Musick Poetry Painting and stage-playes They eat in porcellane and have their diet in many small dishes minced which they take up with two sticks of bone or Ivory for to touch their meat or their mouths with their fingers is held absurd and impious they all sit on stools and eat on Tables No Beggars are suffered amongst them for if they bee young the whip rewards them but if they bee old and lame the Hospital relieves them murther they punish with death adultery and theft with the Strappado They exceedingly honor and reverence their Parents they obey them at all times in all places marry not without their assent they honor them bee they never so mean relieve them bee they never so poor at their death shew loyalty and duty and seldome mourn lesse than two or three years They arrogate all sorts of excellencys in Art or Science as peculiar to their Nation they think their speech which mostly consists of Monosyllables the most sweet and Rhethorical of any in the world They say they are the antientest of all other People and that they borrow nothing from any other but all other from them They say they were the first inventers of Letters Guns Painting Tillage and Navigation For all which they say That they only see with two eyes and all others but with one They are great Gamesters and when they have lost all stake their wives and children whom they part with till they can redeem them they so firmly believe the Resurrection that sometimes they lend money to bee repayed in the world to come Though their houses outwardly are but mean yet oft-times the insides are lined with excellent good Marble Porphyry and Serpentine When the Husband dyes the wife mourns exceedingly puts sackcloath next her skin for three years is scarce seen to laugh and abstains from publick Feasts and pastimes There hath often been great warres between the Tartars who lived beyond the vast wall before mentioned and the Chineses as Anno Christi 1206 which lasted for seventy and seven years at which time the Tartars wholly conquered that potent Empire extinguished the imperially family of the Sunga's erected a new family of their own which they called Ivena of which Tartarian race nine Emperors governed successively the Kingdome of China for the space of seventy years in peace but at the end thereof a contemptible person of the Chineses called Hugh presumed to rise up against them acting first the part of an high-way man and wanting neither courage nor companions in a short time made up the vast body of an army fought with and after many signal victories in the year 1368. finally drove them out of the Kingdome of China receiving for his pains the whole Empire and was the first erector of the Imperial family of the Taiminges who enjoyed the Kingdome in peace for two hundred and fifty years The last of them was called Vanley who from the year 1573 to 1620 governed the Kingdome of China with much prudence and equity But about that time the Tartars being multiplied and receiving many injuries from the Chineses they again take armes invade China and with mighty successe began and continued the wars till the year 1653 at which time they had made a full conquest
of it no considerable party opposing them in their peaceable possession as you may read more fully in a book called Bellum Tartaricum The City of Quinsay described Quinsay was formerly the Regal City of China situated abuut the heart of the Country and yet not far from the Sea In it were to bee found so many delights that it seemed an earthly Paradise It was one hundred miles in compasse for the streets and channels thereof were very wide and the Market-places very large It had on the one side a clear lake of fresh water and on the other a great River which entring into many places of the City carryed away all the filth and occasioned a good air There were store both of Carts and Barks to carry necessaries It had in it twelve thousand Bridges great and small those on the chiefest Channels being so high that ships might passe under them On the other side of the City was a great Trench forty miles long large and full of water from the River which served both to receive the overflowings of the River and as a fence to that side of the City the earth that was taken out being laid as a bank or hill on the inside There are ten chief Market-places besides infinite others along the streets all of them square the square being half a mile on each side and from the fore part of them runs a principal street forty paces wide reaching from one end of the City to the other with many Bridges traversing of it and at the end of every four miles is such a Market-place There is also a large channel running over against the street behinde the Market-places on the banks whereof are erected store-houses of stone where Merchants out of all Countries laid up their Commodities being commodious to the Markets In each of the Market-places three dayes in a week was a concourse of forty or fifty thousand persons which brought in whatsoever was requisite for the life of man besides beasts and fowls of game Then followed the Butchers rows of Beef Veal Kid and Lamb Besides there were all sorts of Herbs and fruits and amongst them huge Pears weighing ten pound a peece and very fragrant Peaches yellow and white very delicate Every day from the Ocean which is but five and twenty miles off is brought up abundance of fish besides what the Lake and River yeeld All the Market-places are encompassed with high and fair houses and underneath are shops of Artificers and all sorts of Merchandises Spices Jewels Pearls Rice-wine c. Many streets answer one another in those Market-places wherein are many Bathes both of cold and hot waters and people wash every day before they eat any thing At the end of each Market-place is a Palace where Magistrates determine all controversies which happen amongst Merchants and others There are twelve Principal trades each of which have one thousand shops and yee shall see in every shop ten twenty thirty or forty men at work under one Master The Masters themselves work not but stand richly apparreled and their wives with Jewels inestimable their houses are well ordered and richly adorned with Pictures and other stupendious costs About the Lake are many fair buildings and great Palaces of the Nobles and chief men and Temples of their Idols and Monasteries of many Monks In the middest of the Lake are two Islands upon each of which is a Palace with incredible numbers of rooms whither they resort upon occasions of marriages or other feasts where are provisions of Vessels Nappery and other things kept in common for such purposes In the Lake also are Boats and Barges for pleasure adorned with fair seats and Tables and other provision for banquets covered over head within they are neatly painted and have windows to open and shut at pleasure Nor can any thing in the World seem more pleasant than from the Lake to have such a prospect the City so fully presenting it self to the eye with so many Temples Monasterys Palaces Gardens with high trees Barges People c. For their manner is to work one part of the day and the other part to spend in solace with their friends or with women on the Lake or in riding in Chariots up and down the City All the streets are paved with stone as are all the high wayes in China The principal street of Quinsay is paved ten paces on each side and in the midst it 's well gravelled with passages for the water which keeps it alwayes clean There are also multitudes of Chariots accommodated with cloathes and cushions of Silk for six persons in each of them and in them the inhabitants solace themselves in the streets or go to Gardens provided on purpose for their pleasure This City contains about sixteen hundred thousand housholds and together with the Country adjoyning yeelded to the King sixteen millions and eight hundred thousand Ducats of gold yearly besides six millions and four hundred thousand Ducats for the customes of salt Pur. Pil. v. 3. p. 98. The Great Mogols Empire described The Great Mogols Country is called Indusâ—an which for spaciousness abundance of brave Towns numberlesse inhabitants infinit treasure mines food and all sort of Merchandise exceeds all Kings and Potentates in the Mahomitan World This vast Monarchy extends from East to West two thousand six hundred miles From North to South one thousand four hundred miles It s in circuit five thousand It is bounded with the Bengalan Gulph and Indian Ocean On the South with Decan and Mallaber North and North West with Tartary and Persia It contains thirty seven large Provinces thirty great Cities three thousand walled Towns His revenues are very great He hath in continual pay three hundred thousand Horse and keeps two thousand Elephants at a vast charge his Treasurer yearly issuing out above forty millions of Crowns The names of the Provinces are 1. Candahor The chief City is of the same name It lies Northward and confines upon Persia. 2. Cabul The chief City is of the same name It lyes in the North West part and confines upon Tartary 3. Multan The chief City is of the same name On the West it joyns with Persia. 4. Hajacan It hath no great City It s bounded Eastward with the famous River of Indus and Westward with Persia. 5. Buckor The chief City is Buckor-succor Indus runs through it and much inriches it 6. Tatta The chief City is of the same name The River Indus maketh many fruitful and pleasant Islands in it the chief arm of it falls into the Sea at Synde a place famous for curious handy crafts 7. Sorat The chief City is Janagar It s a little Province but rich bounded with the Ocean on the South 8. Jeselmeere The chief City is of the same name 9. Attack The chief City is of the same name It lyeth on the Eastside of Indus 10. Peniab It 's seated 〈◊〉 five Rivers which all fall into Indus It s a great and very fruitful Province
Lahor is the chief City afterwards described which is the chiefest City of Trade in all India 11. Chishmeere The chief City is called Siranakar the River Phat passeth through it that falls into Indus 12. Bankish The chief City is called Bishur It s divided from Chishmeere by the River Indus 13. Jengapor The chief City is of the same name It lies upon the River Kaul 14. Jenba The chief City is of the same name It lies East of Peniab 15. Delli The chief City is of the same name which is a great City where most of the Great Mogols lye interred 16. Bando The chief City is of the same name It hath Agrae on the West 17. Malway A very fruitful Province The chief City is Rantipore 18. Chitor A great Province where the chief City is of the same name 19. Guzarat A goodly Kingdome and exceeding rich inclosing the bay of Cambaia The chief City is Surat a place of great trading 20. Chandis VVhere the chief City is Brampoch large and populous and the South bounds of this Empire 21. Berar The chief City is Shapore the South part of it also bounds this Empire 22. Narvar VVhere the chief City is Gehud watered by a fair River that empties it self into Ganges 23. Gualiar The chief City is so called where the Mogol hath a great Treasure In this City also is a strong Castle where hee useth to keep his Prisoners 24. Agra Where the chief City is of the same name and afterwards described 25. Sanbal The chief City is of the same name It s watered by the River Jemini which falls into Ganges 26. Bakar where the chief City is Bikaneer It lies on the VVest side of the River Ganges 27. Nagracut The chief City is of the same name where is a Chappel richly seeled and paved with plates of pure gold The Idol is called Matta visited by many thousands yearly which out of devotion cut off a part of their tongues to sacrifice to it 28. Syba VVhere the chief City is Hardwair Here the famous River Ganges springs out of a Rock whither the superstitious Gentiles go daily in troops to wash their bodies 29. Kakares Where the principal Cities are Dankalee and Purhola It s very large and exceeding mountainous and is parted from Tartarie by the Mountain Caucasus being the Mogols most Northerly bound 30. Gor The chief City is of the same name The River Persilis begins here which runs into Ganges 31. Pitan the chief City is of the same name It s watered by the River Kanda which falls into Ganges 32. Kandua Where the chief City 〈◊〉 Karhakatenka the River Sersili parts it from Pitan and lies Northward 33. Patna The chief City is of the same name A fertile Province bounded by Ganges on the West 34. Jesual Where the chief City is Raiapore It lies East of Patna 35. Mevat Where the chief City is Narnol It s a very mountainous Country 36. Udessa Where the chief City is Jokanat It s the Eastermost part of this vast Empire 37. Bengala It s a very spacious and fruitful Kingdome bounded by the Gulph of Bengala into which the River Ganges emptieth it self at four mouthes This Empire hath plenty of excellent Wheat Rie and Barley whereof they make pure white bread As also of Kine Sheep and Goats with whose Milk they make much Butter and Cheese they have store of Bufelo's that give good milk It s a very large Beast having a smooth thick skin without hair They have store of red Deer fallow Deer Elks and Antilops which are good Venison and every mans Game not being enclosed in Parks They have Geese Ducks Pigeons Partridges Quails Peacocks and many other singular good fowl a sheep is usually sold for twelve pence four couple of Hens for twelve pence A Hare for a penny three Partridges for a penny c. They have store of Salt and Sugar They have abundance of Musk-melons Water-melons Pomegranats Pomecitrons Lemmons Orenges Dates Figs Plantans Mangoes in shape like our Apricocks but more luscious Ananas a delicate fruit store of Potatoes Carrats and other good roots as also Pears and Apples in the Northerly parts many good Garden Herbs and Ginger also Taddy an excellent Drink that issues out of a Tree For three months they have abundance of rain with much thunder and lightening the other nine months so clear that a cloud is scarce to bee seen The Country is beautified with many woods and great variety of fair goodly trees some having leaves as big as bucklers others parted small as Fern as the Tamarine trees that bear a sower fruit somewhat like our Beans very good to cool and cleanse the blood all their trees are green all the year about There are rare flowers of admirable colours but few of them sweet save their Roses and two or three more sorts The Country is watered with many goodly Rivers especially Indus and Ganges besides which they have store of springs upon many of which they bestow great cost of stonework making Tanks or Ponds some of them a mile in compasse others more surrounded with stone walls and within them fair stone steps round about Some of them are filled with rain water They have a strong drink called Rack distilled from Sugar and the spicie rind of a tree called Jagra they have also Cohha made with a black seed boiled in water that helps digestion quickens the spirits cleanses the blood and provokes lust Many of their houses are flat on the top on which in the cool seasons of the day they take the cool air they have no chimnies using no fire but only to dresse their meat The upper rooms have many lights to let in air but they use no glasse Amongst their houses are many fair trees which are a great defence against the Sun Most of their houses in the Cities are of Brick or stone well squared Their staple commodities are Indico and Cotton-wool of which they make diverse sorts of cloth some finer and purer than our best Lawns some of it they staine in variety of curious figures They have also store of Silk which they weave curiously sometimes with gold and silver whereof they make Velvets Sattens and Taffaties but not so good as in Italie They have store of Drugs and Gums especially Gum-Lac of which wee make hard wax The Earth hath store of minerals of Lead Iron Brasse Copper and Silver which yet they need not open having so much brought out of all other Countries They have curious Gardens planted with fruitfull trees and dainty flowers which never fade in which they have fountains to Bathe in and other water works for delight There are Lyons Tygers Wolves Jackals Over grown Snakes and in their Rivers Crocodiles There are many Scorpions and Flies that are very troublesome and Muskitees The Wind called the Monson blows six months Southerly and six months Northerly seldome varying April May and the beginning of June till the Rains fall are exceeding
hot Thus hath the wise disposer of all things tempered bitter things with sweet to teach us that there is no true and perfect content in any Kingdome but that of heaven They have store of good Horses and Camels Dromedaries Mules Asses Rhynocerots which are as long as the fairest Oxe in England their skines lye plaited in wrinkles on their backs They have many Elephants their King having usually fourteen thousand and many of the Nobles a hunded a peece There are some of them fifteen foot high all of them black their skin thick and smooth without hair they take much delight in the water and will swim excellent well they are exceeding docible so that they will do almost any thing the keeper bids them If he would have them affright a man he will make towards him as if hee would tread him in peeces and yet when hee comes to him not touch him If hee bid him abuse a man hee will take dirt or kennel water in his trunk and dash it in his face c. They are most sure of foot never stumbling they are governed with a hook of steel with which their keeper sitting on their Necks pull them back or prick them forward at their pleasure Every Male hath allowed to him four females The Inhabitants of Indostan Described The Inhabitants before they were conquered by Tamerlane were all Gentiles but now they are mixed with Mahometans they are of stature like us very streight seldome or never is there a crooked person amongst them They are of an Olive colour have black hair but not curled they love not any that are white saying that they are like Lepers their chins are bare but have long hair on their upper lips shave their heads only reserve a lock on the Crown for Mahomet to pull them to heaven by The habits of men and women differ little mostly made of white Cotton cloth made close to the middle then hanging loose down below the knee under them they have long breeches reaching to the ancle and close to their bodies their feet are bare in their shooes which they commonly wear like Slippers which they put off when they come into their houses whose floores are covered with excellent Carpets upon which they sit when they talk or eat like Taylors on their shop boards on the mens heads are shashes which is a long thin wreath of cloath white or coloured The Mahometan women cover their heads with vails their hair hangs down behind twisted with silk oft bedecked with jewels about their necks and wrists their ears have pendants their nostrils pierced to put in rings at their pleasure Their ease in child bearing is admirable for it is a common thing there for women great with child one day to ride carrying their Infants in their bodies and the next day to ride carrying them in their arms The great Mogol every year at the entring of the Sun into Aries makes a feast to his Nobles which lasts nine days at which time they present him with gifts and he again repays them with Princely rewards I was astonished saith mine Author who was an eye witnesse of it when I beheld at that time the incredible riches of gold pearls Pretious stones jewels and many other glittering vanities which were amongst them The walls in the Kings house are painted or beautified with pure white Lime the floores are covered with rich and costly Carpets there lodge none with him in his house but his Eunuches and women and some little boys that hee keeps for detestable uses hee always eats in private amongst his women upon great variety of excellent dishes which being prepared and proved by the Taster are served up in vessels of Gold covered and sealed up and so by the Eunuches brought to him In this Empire there are no Inns to entertain strangers onely in great Towns are fair houses built for their receit which they call Sarrays not inhabited where Travellers have room freely but they must bring with them beds food and other necessaries which they usually carry upon Camells or in Carts drawn with Oxen wherein they have tents to pitch when they meet with no Sarray's The inferior sort of people ride upon Oxen Horses Mules Camels or Dromedaries and the women like unto the men or else in slight Coaches drawn with Oxen many whereof are white and large and they are guided with cords which go through the parting of their Nostrils and so betwixt their horns into the Coach-mans hands they are nimble and will go twenty miles a day The better sort ride upon Elephants or are carried on mens shoulders in Sedans which they call Palankeenes In all their great Cities they have Markets twice a day early in the morning and in the evening wherein they sell almost every thing by weight They are generally so superstitious that they will rather dye than eat or drink any thing that their Law forbids The chief Cities in the great Mogols Countries Described Lahore in the great Mogols Country is a vast and famous City not much inferiour to Agra the Metropolis yea for circuit and bravery it much excells it The aire for eight months is pure and restorative the streets are paved and gracefull which are cleansed and watered by the River Ravee which flows most pleasantly into this City from the Casmyrian Mountains and after a stately course of three thousand English miles deep enough for Junks of sixty Tun it falls into Indus at Tutia This City is beautified with stately palaces Mosques Hummums or Sudatories Tanks or Ponds Gardens c. The Castle is large strong uniform pleasant and bravely seated being built of hard white and polished stone armed with twelve Posternes within which is a Palace sweet and comely entred by two Gates and Courts on the walls are pictured sundry stories and pastimes From this City to Agra is five hundred miles the Country in all that distance being even without Mountains and hills and the high way planted on both sides with shady Ash-trees whose spreading green tops lenefies the scorching heat of the Sun At the end of each eight miles is a fair and convenient lodge built for travellers to repose themselves in Herb. Trav. p. 69. Pur. Pil. v. 2. p. 1468. Brampore in the same Countrey is a City seated low and in an unhealthful plain very large and spacious and inhabited most by the Bannians the streets are many and narrow the houses not high and but meanly beautifull In the North-East end it hath a Castle standing by the Rivers side large and defensive In the River is an Artificial Elephant so skilfully shaped that by the Bannians it is adored and by others admired Idem Fettipore if the water were good it had triumphed over all the Cities in India It is walled about and to the North North West hath a lake or fish pond five miles over The North East hath a fair Buzzar or market place five hundred paces long well paved and built on all sides
most delight And in contempt do paint the Devil white Aethiopia superior or the Kingdome of the Abyssines Is bounded on the North with Egypt on the South with the Mountains of the Moon on the East with the Red-Sea and on the VVest with the Country of the Blacks The King hereof is called Prete Janny or Presbyter John they are mungril Christians The King hath under him seventy petty Kings which have their several laws and customes The Country yeelds Orenges Lemmons Citrons Barley Sugar Honey c. Aethiopia inferior is on every side begirt with the Sea except on the North which is bounded with the Mountains of the Moon It consists of five Kingdomes 1 Aiana which abounds with Gold Ivory Honey Wax Corn large sheep c. 2 Zanguabar in which is Mosambique 3 Monomopata wherein are plenty of Gold Mines The King is served with great pomp and hath a guard of two hundred Mastiffs 4 Cafraria in which is the cape of Good hope alwayes stormy to the Spaniards whence one was very angry with God for suffering the English Hereticks to passe by it so easily and not giving his good Catholicks the like speed 5 Manicongo where in many parts the Inhabitants are men-eaters selling such flesh in their Shambles Egypt hath on the East the Red-Sea on the VVest Barbary on the North the Mediterranean and Aethiopia superior on the South It was called the Granary of the VVorld for though it hath rain but seldome yet Nilus overflowing makes it very fruitful the chief Cities are Grand Cairo and Alexandria see afterward a more full discription of it The Islands belonging to Africa Described The Atlantick Islands are 1. that of Saint Thomas lying directly under the Aequinoctiall line inhabited by the Portugalls and yeilding plenty of Sugar 2. Prince Island lying between the Aequator and Tropick of Capricorn a fertile place 3. The Gorgades being nine in number lying neer to Cape Virde they abound in Goats and the chief of them is called St. James 4. The Canaries for their fruitfulnesse called The fortunate Islands they are seven in number the cheif is called the Grand Canary they yeild excellent wines 5. The Hesperides not far from the Gorgades where the soil is very fruitful the weather continually fair and the air very temperate The Aethiopick Islands are 1. The Island of Saint Laurence or Madagascar which is four thousand miles in compasse and longer than Italy rich in all commodities for mans use The people are very barbarous and most of them black yet there is some white amongst them supposed to bee transplanted out of China 2. Socatrina or Socotera which lyes at the mouth of the Red-sea and is sixty miles in length and twenty five in breadth It s very dry and barren yet hath diverse good drugs in it From thence cometh our Aloes Socotrina The Principal Countries in Africa more largely Described Africa is usually divided into 1 Egypt 2 Barbary 3 Numidia 4 Lybia 5 The land of Negro's 6 Aethiopia interior 7 Aethiopia exterior 8 And the Islands as was aforesaid A more full Description of Egypt This Country of Egypt containeth in length from Siene to the Mediterranean Sea five hundred sixty and two miles and in breadth from Rosetta to Damietta above one hundred and forty miles yet in some places it s not above thirty seven miles broad The Inhabitants are tawny and brown From its fruitfulnesse it was called Horreum Populi Romani The Roman Granary where Lucan saith The Earth content with its own wealth doth crave No forreign Marts nor Jove himself they have There hopes alone in Nilus fruitful wave Dr. Heilen This Nilus is divided towards the Sea into seven Channels It swelleth above its banks by the space of forty days beginning upon the 15th day of June and is forty days more decreasing and returning into its banks During this inundation the Cattle live on hills and in the Towns unto which they are aforehand driven and foddered till the return of the water into its Channel The Towns and Villages stand all upon tops of hills and in the time of the flood appear like so many Islands and the people by boats have free intercourse all the while In the mud left upon the fields are many creatures ingendred by the heat of the Sun Whence Ovid And when the seven mouth'd Nile the fields forsakes And to his ancient Channel him betakes The tillers of the ground live creatures find Of sundry shapes int h ' mud that 's left behind Dr. Heilen This River is almost three thousand miles long and being the only River of Egypt affords the only drink to the Egyptians and indeed it s very good water The Paper made of Sedges called Papiri growing by this River afforded Ptolemy Philadelphus materials for Books in that brave Library of Alexandria but understanding that Attalus King of Pergamus used this Egyptian Paper for to exceed him in another Library hee prohibited the carrying of it out of Egypt whereupon Attalus invented Parchment called from his City Pergamena and before these inventions they wrote either on the inside of the bark of a tree called Liber whence wee call our Books Libri Or on Tables made of wood called Caudex whence came our Codex Or on Tables covered over with wax whence Tabellarius is a letter Carryer and the pin which they wrote with was called Stylus which was afterwards used for that peculiar phrase used by any as Negligens Stylus exercitatus Stylus Sometimes they wrote in leaves as the Sybils did their Prophesies called Sybillae folia whence we call it a leaf of paper Pharos is a little Island over against Alexandria in which Ptolemaeus Philadelphus built a watch-tower for the benefit of Saylors the chief workman was Sostratus of Gnidos It was all of white Marble of a wonderfull height ascended by degrees and in the top were many Lanthorns with lights in the night to direct those that travelled by Sea for the admirable structure it was counted one of the wonders of the world The chief Cities in Egypt described The Grand Cairo described The Grand Cairo in Egypt is accounted one of the greatest Cities in the world It is situated upon a most beautiful plain neer unto a certain Mountain called Mucatun about two miles from the River Nilus It 's invirond with stately walls and fortified with Iron Gates In it are built most stately and admirable Palaces and Colledges and most sumptuous Temples There are also many Bath stoves very artificially built It aboundeth with all sorts of Merchandise out of all parts of the World There is in it a famous Burse Exchange called Canen Halili wherein the Persian Merchants dwell It 's built very stately in the manner of a King's Palace of three stories high Beneath it are many rooms whither Merchants resort for the exchange of their costly wares as all sorts of Spices precious stones Cloth of India c. There is also a stately Hospital the yearly
revenues whereof amount to two hundred thousand peices of gold called Saraffi The Suburbs are very large wherein also are many stately buildings especially a Colledge being of a wonderful height and great strength Besides many other Palaces Colledges and Temples Here they have great store of poultry For in certain Ovens built upon sundry lofts they put abundance of Eggs which Ovens being kept in a moderate heat will in seven days hatch all those eggs into chickens P. Pil. There are in it eighteen thousand streets It is so populous that its reputed in very good health if there dye but a thousand a day or thirty hundred thousand in a year I mean when the Plague which comes once in seven years is amongst them Heil In one of the streets are about threescore Cooks shops then follow othâ—r shops wherein are to bee sold delicate waters and drinks made of all kinds of fruits which are kept charily in fine vessels next to these are shops where diverse confections of honey and Sugar like to ours in Europe are to bee sold Then follow the Fruiterers shops who have out-Landish fruits out of Syria as Quinces Pomgranats c. Next to them are shops wherein they sell Eggs Cheese and Pancakes fryed with Oyle Next is a street wherein all manner of Artificers dwell Then there are diverse ranks of Drapers shops In the first rank they sell excellent fine linnen fine cloth of Cotton and cloth called Mosal of a marvellous breadth and finenesse whereof the greatest persons make shirts and scarfs to wear upon their Tulipants Then are Mercers shops wherein they sell Silks Damask Cloth of Gold and Velvet brought out of Italy The next are woollen Drapers with all sorts of European cloth next of all are store of Chamblets to bee sold. At the gate of Zuaila dwell great store of Artificers Next to the forenamed Burse is a street of shops where are all kind of Perfumes as Civet Musk Ambergreece c. Next follows the street of Paper Merchants with most excellent smooth Paper There are also to bee sold pretious stones and Jewels of great value which the Brokers carry from shop to shop Then come you to the Gold-Smiths street inhabited mostly by Jews who deal in rich commodities Then are there Upholsters and Brokers who sell apparel and rich furniture at the second hand as Cloaks Coats Nappery c. It hath many large Suburbs as that of Bed Zuaila containing about twelve thousand Families being a mile and an half in length The Suburb called Gemâ—li Tailon adorned with a most admirable Palace and sumptuous Temple where also dwell great store of Merchants and Artificers The Suburb called Bell Elloch containing neer three thousand Families inhabited by Merchants and Artizans of diverse sorts there is also a great Palace and a stately Colledge Here are many stage-players and such as teach Camels Asses and Dogs to dance very delightful to behold The Suburb Bulach upon the Bank of Nilus containes four thousand Families here are many Artificers and Merchants especially such as sell Corn Oyle Sugar c. It s also full of stately Temples Colledges and Hospitalls under this Suburb you may sometimes see above a thousand Barks upon the River The Suburb of Caresa contains about two thousand Families Here are many Sepulchers built with high and stately vaults and Arches adorned within with diverse Emblems and colours the pavement spread with sumptuous and rich Carpets The Inhabitants of Cairo in the Winter time wear garments of cloth lined with Cotton In the summer they wear fine shirts over which some have linnen garments curiously wrought with silk others wear Chamblet and great Turbants on their heads covered with cloth of India The women go in costly attire having on their foreheads frontlets and about their necks chains of Pearl on their heads they wear a sharp and slender Bonnet about a span high very pretious and rich their Gowns are of woollen cloth with strait sleeves curiously imbroidered with needle work over which they cast veils of excellent fine cloth of India their faces are covered with a black scarff on their feet they wear fine shooes or Pantoffles c. The City of Alexandria described The great City of Alexandria was founded by Alexander the great not without the advise of most famous and skilful Architects upon a beautiful point of land stretching into the Mediterranean Sea being distant forty miles Westward from Nilus It was most sumptuously and strongly built four square with four Gates for entrance One on the East-side towards Nilus Another on the South towards the Lake of Buchaira the third Westward towards the Desert of Barca and the fourth towards the Haven Neer unto the City walls are two other gates which are divided asunder by a fair walk and a most impregnable Castle which stands upon the Wharf in which Port the best ships out of these parts of the World ride Here the Christians pay a tenth of all their wares whereas the Mahometans pay but a twentieth part At this time that part of the City that lyes towards Cairo is best inhabited and furnished with Merchandize and so is the other part that lies next to the Haven under each house in the City is a great vaulted Cistern built upon mighty Pillars and Arches whereinto at the overflowing of Nilus the water is conveyed under the City walls by a most artificiall Sluce that stands without them The City stands in a sandy Desert so that its destitute of Gardens Vines and Corn but what is brought from places at forty miles distance The City of Rosetto Described Rosetto was built by a Slave to one of the Mahometan Governours upon the Eastern bank of Nilus three miles from the Mediterranean Sea and not far from the place where Nilus emptieth it self into the sea In it is a stately Bath-stove having fountains both of cold and hot water belonging thereunto The City of Thebe Described Thebe at this present contains but about three hundred Families â— but the buildings are very stately and sumptuous It abounds with Corn Rice and Sugar with a certain fruit of a most excellent tast called Muse It hath in it great store of Merchants and Artificers The Countrey about it abounds with Date-trees which grow so thick that a man cannot see the City till hee comes neer the Walls Here grow also store of Grapes Figs and Peaches Over against the City the River of Nilus makes an Isle which standing high brings forth all sorts of fruits but Olives The City of Chanca described The great City of Chanca is about six miles from Cairo at the very entrance into the Desert through which is the way to Mount Sinai It s replenished with most stately houses Temples and Colledges All the fields between Cairo and it are full of Dates From Chanca to Mount Sinai are one hundred and forty miles in all which way there is no habitation Through this City lye the two main roads one leading to Syria
stained with Hierogliphical Characters The Linnen being pulled off the bodies appear solid uncorrupt and perfect in all their dimensions whereof the musculous parts are of a brown colour hard as stone-pitch and hath in Physick the like operation only more soveraign To keep these from putrefactions they drew the brains out at the nostrils with an Iron instrument replenishing the head with preservative spices then cutting up the belly with an Aethiopian stone they took forth the bowels cleansed the inside with Wine and so stuffing it with a composition of Myrrhe Cassia and other odours they closed it up again The like the poorer sort effected with Bitumen fetched from the Lake of Asphaltites in Jury whereby they have been preserved till this day having lyen there for about three thousand years The Lake of Maeris described Maeris one of the Egyptian Kings undertook and finished that most admirable Lake which for greatnesse and colour is like a Sea It s about six hundred furlongs from the City of Memphis the circumference of it contains M.M.M.DC. furlongs the depth of it is fifty fathom or three hundred feet many myriads of men were imployed for many years about it The benefit of it to the Egyptians and the wisdome of the King cannot bee sufficiently commended For seeing the rising of Nilus is not alwayes alike and the Country is more fruitful by the moderatenesse thereof Hee digged this Lake to receive the superfluity of the water that neither by the greatnesse of the inundation it should cause Marshes or by the scarcity of water the earth should not yeeld her strength hee therefore cut a ditch from the River to this Lake fourscore furlongs long and three hundred feet in breadth by which sometimes receiving in and sometimes diverting the River hee gave at his pleasure a sufficient quantity of water to the husbandmen After the Kings name it s called the Lake of Maeris In the midst of this Lake hee built a Sepulchre and two Pyramids each of them of an hundred fathoms high placing upon them two Marble statues sitting on a Throne one representing himself the other his wife seeking hereby to make his memory immortal The revenews which came by the fish of this Lake hee gave to his wife to buy her unguents and ornaments which was so great that it amounted to a Talent a day For it was mightily replenished with fish of twenty sorts so that very many were continually imployed in catching and salting of them Diod. Sion Herod Barbary described Barbary hath on the East Cyrenaica on the West the Atlantick Ocean On the North the Mediterranean Sea and on the South the Mountain Atlas It s now usually divided into the Kingdomes of Tunnis Algiers Fess and Morocco It produceth Figs Olives Dates Sugar and horses excellent for shape and service The men are comely of feature of a duskish colour stately of gate implacable in hatred laborious and treacherous The women are rich in Jewels beautiful in blacknesse and have delicate soft skins The Kingdome of Tunis described Tunis hath on the East Cyrenaica and on the VVest Algier It containeth all that which the Ancients called Numidia antiqua The soil is fertile especially the Western part The Inhabitants are healthful seldome vexed with any sicknesse it s divided commonly into five parts 1 Ezzab in the East having many Towns and Regions in it 2 Tripolis where the chief City is of the same name and where the Great Turk hath a Bassa or Vice-Roy It s at this day a receptacle of Pyrats that rove and rob in those Seas Anno Christi 1551. It was wonne from the Knights of Malta by Sinan Bassa 3 Tunis where the chief City of the same name standeth near to the ruines of Carthage It hath in it about ten thousand housholds and many Temples and especially one of singular beauty and greatnesse Cairoan also hath been a famous City six and thirty miles from the Sea and one hundred from Tunis where is an admirable Temple built upon Pillars of Marble 4 Constantina having the chief City of the same name wherein aâ— eight thousand families and many sumptuous buildings a great Temple and two Colledges 5 Bugia which for one hundred and fifty miles space extends it self by the Sea side to the River Major the Principal City is called Bugia sometimes adorned with Temples Hospitals Monasteries and Colledges of students in the Mahometan Law There is also in Bugia Necotus a very pleasant City and Chollo very rich In this Country also is seated Bona formerly called Hippo where St. Augustine was Bishop The Kingdome of Algier described Algier formerly called Mauritania Caesariensis is bounded on the East with Tunis on the VVest with Fess and Morocco It hath in it five Principal Cities 1 Hubeda 2 Tegdenit 3 Guagido 4 Telesine which sometimes contained sixteen thousand families and is adorned with many beautiful Temples and hath in it five dainty Colledges curiously wrought with Mosaick work And 5 Algier The City of Algier described Algier is seated on the Mediterranean Sea upon the side of an hill whereby one house hinders not the prospect of another It s in fashion like a Bow the old Town is in compasse three thousand four hundred paces the Island wherein it stands is walled about except that part which is open to the Port and City where lately they have erected a five cornered Tower to secure both It s well strengthened with Turrets Fortresses and Bulworks without the Wall is a ditch of sixteen paces broad without the Town there are three Castles the Streets are generally narrow and in the Winter Dirty The Houses toward the street are dark but being inwardly built with square Cloisters it makes them light the roofs being flat serve them for galleries and Prospect In the middest is a well but the water brackish they use no chimnies but make fires in Panns The Kings Palace and great mens houses have spacious Courts with specious Pillars about and many by-rooms spread with Mats and Carpets their Custome being to put off their shooes when they enter Their houshold furniture is generally mean their common lodging is upon a Mat or Carpet upon the ground Pelts are their Nappery water their drink Rice with pulse their meat c. five Cisterns without the City supply them with water fetched in upon the shoulders of their slaves There are seven fair Mosques five Colledges of Janizaries where six hundred of them live together in one house One Hospital four fair Baths whereof two for washing with hot and cold water paved with Marble Two Royall Porches one of thirty six foot square with columes for the Janizaries and the other is before the Palace within the Walls are neer thirteen thousand houses many of them containing thirty Families and some more There are in all above one hundred Mosques besides the Oratories of Hermites Sixty two Baths fourscore and six Schools wherein children learn to read and write and a few others for
the Alcoran In the Suburbs are fourteen thousand six hundred ninety eight Gardens each having Christian Slaves to keep them yea there is scarce a family in the City wherein they have not one or more Christian Slaves of both Sexes Besides in the Kings Prison are commonly two thousand and two or three thousand more in their Gallies so that in all there are seldome fewer than thirty thousand of these poor slaves See what misery these poor captives indure before in the Chapter of Cruelty Fesse and Morocco described Fesse and Morocco formerly called Mauritania Tingitana have on the East Algiers On the West the Atlantick Ocean and are parted one from the other by the River Omiramble The other principal Rivers in them are Tensilt Sus Suba and Lyssus Fesse is divided into seven Provinces in the which the chief City is Fesse so called from the abundance of Gold that was found at the laying of the foundation of it The City of Fesse Described The City of Fesse is both great and strong the soil about it is diversified with little Hills and pretty vallies which make it very pleasant The River neer it disperseth it self into many channels and when it enters into the City it divideth it self into two arms and these again are subdivided into variety of water-courses passing through every street and by pipes under ground is carried into every Temple Colledge Inne Hospital and almost into every private house whereby it carrieth away all the silth that might annoy either the sight or sent The buildings are of Mosaick-work with fine bricks and stones framed after a most curious manner lovely for delight and stately for admiration The roofes of the houses are adorned with Gold Azure and other excellent colours on the top they are flat for the Inhabitants use and pleasure within they are richly furnished every Chamber having in it a Presse curiously painted and varnished The Portals Pillars Cisterns and other Ornaments of the City are very exquisitly framed There are of Temples in it about seven hundred whereof fifty are very great and fair adorned with Marble Pillars and other Ornaments the Chapiters whereof are wrought with Mosaick and carved works each of them hath his Fountain of Marble and other costly stones the floores are covered with Mats closely joyned the walls also for a mans height are lined with the same every Temple hath its Steeple after the Mahometan manner whereon their Priests call the People to prayer at the appointed hours The principal Temple is that of Caruven so great that it contains in circuit a mile and a half It hath thirty one Gates great and high the Roof is one hundred and fifty Tuscan yards long and neer fourscore broad It s supported with thirty eight Arches in length and twenty in breadth Round about it are Porches on the East West and North every one in length forty yards and in breadth thirty under which are store-houses wherein are kept Lamps Oyle Mats and other necessaries every night are lighted nine hundred Lamps for every Arch hath his Lamp especially that row which extends through the midst of the Quire which alone hath one hundred and fifty Lamps amongst which are some great lights made of Brasse every of which hath sockets for one thousand five hundred Lamps The Steeple is exceeding high Not far from the City are twenty Lime-kills and as many brick-kills serving for the reparation of the Temple and houses that belong to it The revenues of this Temple are two hundred Duckets a day In the City there are two Principal and most stately Colledges adorned with Mosaick and carved works paved with Marble and stones of Majorca in each of them are many Chambers One of them containing above one hundred Chambers is adorned with a goodly Fountain of Marble and a continuall running stream about it are three Cloisters or Galleries of incredible beauty supported with eight square Pillars of diverse colours the Arches adorned with Mosaick of Gold and Azure the roof of carved work The Gates of the Colledge are of Brass finely wrought and the Chamber doors are well carved In the great hall where they say their Prayers is a Pulpit ascended by nine stairs all of Ivory and Ebony There are many Hospitals in Fesse not inferior to the Colledges for building there are also a hundred Bath-stoves well built each of them having four Halls and certain Galleries without in which they put off their cloaths most of them pertaining to the Temples and Colledges and yeilding them a great rent Their Inns are almost two hundred built three stories high each of them having one hundred and twenty Chambers in them with Galleries before all the doors but yeilding neither beds nor food for strangers There are also a thousand Mills the revenues whereof belong to the Temples and Colledges Each trade in Fesse hath a peculiar place allotted thereto There are six hundred fountains walled about which supply the Temples and other places with water because the River is sometimes dry In the territories of Fesse is the City of Sella where the buildings are of Mosaick work supported with Marble Pillars The shops are under fair and large Porches in which there are Arches to part the several Occupations it hath in it fair and beautiful Temples hither the English Genowayes Flemings and Venetians use to trade Morocco described Morocco is divided into seven Provinces in all which the chief City is Morocco once the Metropolis of Barbary containing one hundred thousand Families but now inferior to Fess for voluptuousnesse spaciousnesse and beauty yet there is a large Church in it bigger than that of Fesse though not so beautifull having a Tower on it so high that from thence may bee seen the hills of Azasi at one hundred and thirty miles distance There is also a large and stately Castle on whose Tower there stand three Globes made of pure Gold weighing one hundred and thirty thousand Barbary Duckets some Kings have been about to take them down but have always been hindred by some disasters which makes the common people judge that they are kept by spirits Numidia and Lybia described Betwixt Barbary and these is the Mountain Atlas so high that the top of it cannot bee seen It was so called from one Atlas a King that dwelt at the bottome of it Numidia hath on the East Egypt on the West the Atlantick Ocean on the North Atlas and on the South Lybia The Inhabitants live like the Nomades not in houses but in Waggons and Carts whence Lucan speaking of them said They dwell in Waines not houses and do stray Through fields and with them lead their gods each way Heilin They spend their time in hunting staying but three or four dayes in a place whilst the grasse will sustain their Camels so that there are few Towns in this Country and those far remote one from another Teffet is their greatest City which yet consists not of above four hundred housholds and hath
hand It hath in it above three hundred Emeralds Rubies the greatest in the World Above fifty Saphires Turqueses Balazes Amethists Spinels Topazes Jacinths Chrysolites c. Nature here playing the Jeweller and representing a Map of the worlds Gemmes in this one Jewel without and infinitely beyond all Art of Man Bernardo de Vecheti a Jeweller being sent thither by Francis de Medicis Duke of Florence to see it accounted it beyond all estimation and value The Emperor also hath made him Tables with thousands of stones set in them In this hill are kept the Princes of the Blood Royal as in a prison and never return thence except they bee chosen Emperors Anno Christi 1608. there were six of them These meet all together when they please to recreate themselves by hauking hunting c. and they have grave persons to instruct them in learning and vertue Purchas Pilgrimage p. 677. c. The chiefest Cities in Abassia or Aethiopia superior Described The chiefest Cities in this Empire are 1. Saba in which are four Gates made of Alabaster and Jasper wrought with antique work and the doors thereof curiously carved It hath in it five thousand great and sumptuous houses the streets are spacious and so shaded with Pent-houses that a man may walk without being offended by either Sun or rain The other Cities are 2. Aruma 3. Cossomum 4. Zameta the seat of Barnagasso or the Vice-Roy 5. Suacen before described 6. Tanape 7. And Zembra The Kings Court also is a wandring City For his Pavilions and Tents belonging to him and his retinue being pitched take up ten miles in compasse In this Empire are seventy Tributary Kingdomes the chief whereof are 1. Barnagassum which lyeth towards the Red-sea and borders on the Turks 2. Tigremaon famous for her Mines of Gold 3. Angote where the Inhabitants use Salt Pepper and Iron instead of mony and feed on raw flesh 4. Amara where is that famous Mountain before described 5. Guagere which is an Island in the River Nilus one hundred seventy and five miles long and one hundred twenty and five broad c. The Natives call this Emperor The Negus His revenues are so great that besides the expences of his Court and Camp he coffers up three millions every year The Islands in the Red-Sea belonging to Africa Described That which is now called the Red-Sea or Arabian Gulph that parts Asia from Africa is in length one thousand and two hundred miles in breadth for the most part one hundred It s so full of sholds that â—xcept they keep the channel in the middest there is no sailing but by daylight At the entrance into it stands the I le of Babel mandel or Babmandel which the ancient Kings of Egypt used to chain up to keep the passage Sues is neer the bottome of this Sea where the Turk hath his Arsenal and Gallies for those Seas The Timber is brought out of Caramania by Sea by the River Nilus and by Cammels the rest of the way at incredible charges Some think that Pharaoh was here drowned Others think that the passage of the Israelites was at Tor where this Sea is not above nine miles over Ezion Geber was a Port hereabouts whence Solomon sent his Fleet to Ophir for Gold c. Bernice was a Port in the Red-sea where the Indian Drugs and Spices were unladen in the time of the Roman Empire and from thence carried to Alexandria in Egypt Zidem is twelve leagues from Mecca where since the ships used to unlade their Spicery as formerly they did at Bernice A little further is the I le of Mehun and then the I le of Cameran one of the hotest places in the world then Dalaqua where they get pearls It s one hundred twenty and five Leagues long and twelve broad Mazzua is another Island which makes Ercocco a good Haven There are diverse other small Iles in which there is nothing memorable The chiefest Islands belonging to Africa Described Madagascar Described Madagascar or St. Laurence Island is the greatest Island in the World being a thousand miles in length and in some places four hundred miles in breadth It s full of Towns people Minerals Beasts Woods waters and what 's requirable in a fruitful land It s a good place for victualling as they passe into the East-Indies the air quick and healthfull It s divided into four Kingdomes each King with their Ebony Scepters ruling his people being jealous of each others greatnesse The Sea Towns are infected with Mahometisme the midland eclipsed with black Idolatry Nature hath taught them Laws they punish Murther with death adultery with publick shame and theâ—t with banishment Fishing delights them more than Tillage The people are generally strong couragious and proper The men cover their naked bodies in warre with strong and Massy Targets their right hand brandishing a long neat pike or lance of Ebony barbed with Iron kept as bright as silver which they can throw with excellent dexterity and skill Their colour is black they anoint their naked bodies with Grease and Tallow proud to see their skin shine and are not offended with the stink their hair is long black and curled They wear a few leaves plaited about their wasts but are elsewhere naked their ears are bored and wide they pink and cut their flesh and whilst the men seek their prey abroad the women keep constantly at home and spin The boys marry at ten and the maids at twelve years old They know no Letters Nihil scire nil jucundius The earth is rich in Minerals Gold Silver Iron Copper c. but hearing of the cruelty and covetousnesse of the Portugals they prohibit the diging of them If you will buy any thing of them they give it in exchange for Agats Helitropians Jasper and long red Cornelian beads which they prefer before all the Diamonds of India and of which they are so proud that the owner bee hee Subject or King is oft dethroned for it one string of them being able to put them all into a combustion Bracelets Copper-chaines beads bells and Babies are much esteemed for which you shall have in exchange sheep with great tails Beeves Bufaloes Camels Antilops Red-deer Leopards Goats Milk Hens Eggs VVheat Barley Rice Oranges Lemons Lymes Pomcitrons Plantanes Sugar Canes Ginger Toddy Coconuts c. Herb. Travels Their time of marriage is for men at twelve and for women at ten They have a kind of Bean growing on trees the Cod whereof is two footlong The Island of Mohelia described Mohelia another Island beyond it where the houses are made of Reeds or straw fitted to the heat of such a torrid climate The Inhabitants are cole black have great heads big lips flat noses sharp chins huge limbs go naked having only a few plantane leaves about their wastes to veil their modest parts they cut and pink in several works their skins face armes and thighs striving to exceed each other in variety Tobacco is of great account
amongst them which they suck out of long Canes called hubble-bubbles They have store of Buffols Goats Turtles Hens huge Bats Camelions Rice Pease Cuscus Honey Oisters Breames and much other fish They have also Toddy Cocos Plantanes Orenges Lemons Lymes Pome-citrons Tamarind Sugar-Canes c. The Isle is alwayes green each day a gentle breeze and shower bedewing the earth and mollifying the scorching Sun so that it is alwayes adorned in Floraes Livery yea roabed with Natures best Arras pleasantly refreshed with silver purling streams and shaded with dainty trees of all sorts Here you may have thirty Orenges or Lemons for a sheet of paper for two sheets ten Coco-Nuts An Oxe for a peece of eight and a Goat for six pence The Isle of St. Hellen described This Island is on this side the Cape of Good Hope and nearer to the African than to the American shore the Seas about it are very deep and the Land so high and precipitious that the Marriners use to say A man may chuse whether hee will break his heart going up or his neck comming down But when up no place yeelds a more delightful object It s even and plain cloathed with sweet grasse long and curious The springs above are sweet there are but two Rivolets in the Island there are abundance of Hogs and Goats there are also Phesants Powts Quails Hens Partridges and diverse sorts of useful herbs as Wood-sorrel Trifolie Basil Parsly Mint Spinage Fennil Annis Radish and Lemons The Island of St. Thomas described The Island of St. Thomas is of a round figure being one hundred and fourscore miles in compasse It lyeth directly under the Aequinoctial line it so aboundeth with Sugar that forty ships are laden from thence yearly The chief City is Pavoasan At the first discovery it was wholly overgrown with woods now it is inhabited by the Portugals and Negroes the latter often living till they bee an hundred years old the Portugals not exceeding fifty It will bear no fruit that hath a stone in it In the midst is a woody Mountain continually over-shadowed with a thick cloud which so moistens the Trees which are many that from thence droppeth water sufficient to water all their Sugar grounds Princes Island described Princes Island lyes between the Aequator and the Tropick of Capricorn near unto the Isle of St. Hellen It s called Princes Island because when it was first discovered the revenues of it were allowed to the Prince of Portugal The Isle of Cape Verde described Next to Cape Verde are seven Islands full of birds but empty of Inhabitants But the Isles of Cape Verde are nine they were first discovered Anno Christi 1440. None of them are inhabited but St. Jago and Del Fogo so called because it burns perpetually They were taken by Sir Anthony Sherly Anno Christi 1596. who had in one night such a showre of ashes as hee did lie by Del Fogo that in the morning you might have written with your finger upon the Deck of his ship St. Jago was taken by Sir Francis Drake Anno Christi 1585. Brava and Bona Vista have better names than natures they yeeld no matter for History As neither do the Isles of St. Matthew Sancta Cruz St. Paul and Conception The former of these are called the Gorgades and abound with Goats The latter the Hesperides distant from Africk ten thousand furlongs The Island of Maio described Maio hath in it a Lake two leagues long where the Sun congeals and turns the water into salt Here the Sea looketh like a green field being covered over with an herb called Sergasso like to our Sampher which lies so thick that a man cannot see the water hindring the ships passage except it hath a strong wind It is yellowish of colour and beareth an empty berry like Goosberries It s four hundred miles distant from the coast of Africk and the Sea is so deep that no ground can bee found and yet this herb is thought to come from the bottome These coasts are troubled with continual thunders and lightenings and unwholesome raines and if this rain-water stand but a little it turns into Worms and it fills the meat that is hung up in it with Worms Here swims also upon the face of the waters another herb like a Cocks-comb which is so venemous that it can hardly bee touched without peril In these Seas also they meet with great and tedious calmes The Canary Islands described The Canary Islands are twenty leagues from the continent of Lybia being six in number Canaria La-Palma Teneriffa Lancerota Hierro La-Gomara and Forteventura The ancient Inhabitants knew no God but Nature were ignorant of the use of fire shaved with flint-stones Nursed their Children by Goats tilled the Earth with Horns of Oxen abominated the slaughter of Beasts like beasts used women in common had no meum and tuum The Woods their dwelling was the Herbs their diet And on the leaves and boughs they slept in quiet They are now inhabited by the Spaniards who have the Inquisition amongst them The Grand Canary is the residence of the Inquisitor whither all the other Isles repair for Justice It s one hundred and twenty miles in compasse Hath store of Goats Bees Asses Hogs Barley Rye Rice variety of flowers Grapes and other excellent fruits Teneriff may compare with the Grand Canary in multitude of Inhabitants and exceeds it in Grapes yeelding yearly eight and twenty thousand Buts of Sack of the high Pike in this Island see afterwards Hyerro is famous for that Tree which like the Rock in the Desart affords sweet water to all the Inhabitants The description whereof see afterwards Madara stands in two and thirty degrees and is the greatest of all the Atlantick Isles It was so called of the wildernesses of trees there growing which when they were first fired they burned so furiously that the people for a time were forced to go some space into the Sea from the violent heat and the wood-ashes made the soil so fat that at first it yeelded threescore fold since but thirty The excellent Wines that wee have from thence are made of Vines that were brought from Candy and they bring forth more Grapes than leaves the clusters being two three and four spans long At first here were many Pigeons that would suffer themselves to bee taken not knowing and therefore not fearing a man Forty miles from Madara is the Isle of Porto Santo or All-Saints because discovered upon that day Anno Christi 1428. Here were such store of Conies bred of one shee Cony brought hither great with young that the Island was almost destroyed and made unhabitable by them The Isle of Malta described Within the Streights there are only some few Islands belonging to Affrica whereof the Isle of Melita or Malta is the chiefest In old time famous for the Temple of Juno spoiled by the Roman Verres It s distant from Sicilie threescore miles from Africa one hundred and ninety It was sometimes subject to
describes the people out of Epimenides The Cretians are lyers evil beasts slowbellies It s famous for three things 1. They have no venemous Creature there 2. If a woman bite a man hard hee never recovers again 3. There is an herb called Alimos which if one chaw in his mouth hee shall feel no hunger that day It was once called Hecatompolis because it had in it a hundred Cities It is in the Venetians hands The Jonian Isles described Cythera is in compasse threescore miles It was formerly called Porphyris from the abundance of that sort of Marble called Porphyrie which the Mountains yeeld The Strophades are two Islands wherein there is nothing remarkable but a spring of fresh water in one of them which hath his fountain in Peloponesus above five miles distant which passing under the Sea ariseth there Zacinthus now Zant is threescore miles in compasse It s wonderfully stored with Wine Oil and Currans of which last ordinarily they make yearly one hundred and fifty thousand Chekins for their own Coffers besides eighteen thousand Dolars which they pay for custome to the State of Venice when the English first traded thither the inhabitants were very poor and when the English bought so many Currans of them they asked our Merchants whether they dyed cloaths or fed their Swine with them which uses themselves put them to but now they know better and grow rich by the trade This Island is much troubled with earthquakes commonly once a week whereupon they build their houses low The chief City is Zant not big the streets rugged and uneven and the houses low for the cause aforesaid Over the Town-hall door in this City is this Distich inscribed Hic locus odit amat punit conservat honorat nequitiam pacem crimina jura probos The Echinades Islands are five in number being but like Rocks and are famous for nothing but for the famous battel of Lepanto fought near them betwixt the Turks and the Christians Cephalenia is in compasse one hundred sixty and six miles and contains two hundred Towns the chiefest commodities it yeelds are Wheat Hony Currans Powder for dying Scarlet Oil and Wooll c. Corcyra now Corfu is neer Epyrus in length four and fifty miles in breadth four and twenty Its seated in the midst of the Venetians Lordships by Sea The chief City is Corfu where the Turks have received sundry repulses It s very fruitful in Hony Wax Wine Oil c. The Adriatick Isles have nothing of note in them and therefore I proceed to the Mediterranean Isles the principall whereof is 1 Scicily in compasse seven hundred miles The people are ingenuous eloquent and pleasant but very unconstant and talkative The soil is incredibly fruitful in Wine Oil Hony Saffron Sugar Salt in Mines of Gold Silver Allom having also Agates and Emeraulds with such abundance of Corn that it was called The Granary of the Romane Empire In this Country is the Hill Hybla so famous for Bees and Hony and Aetna which continually sendeth forth flames of fire Here was once the famous City of Siracuse two and twenty miles in compasse but now Palermo is the seat of the Spanish Vice-Roy In this Island lived those two great Tyrants Dionysius the elder and Dionysius the younger who were so odious for their cruelty that all the people hated and continually cursed them only one old woman prayed for the life of the latter and being asked the reason shee answered that shee knew his Grand-Father to bee very bad and when at the prayers of the people hee was taken away his son succeeded that proved far worse than his Father and after their curses had prevailed also for the removal of him came this present Tyrant worse than either for whose life shee was resolved to pray least after his decease the Devil himself should come amongst them Malta is in compasse about threescore miles It s seated on a Rock over which the earth is not above three foot thick yet have they abundance of Pomegranats Citrons Orenges and other excellent fruit there is also great store of Cotton-Wooll whâ—ch they sow as wee do Corn In the Acts this Island is called Melita It consists of four Cities and threescore Villages It was by Charles the fifth given to the Knights of the Rhodes newly expelled by the Great Turk they are a thousand in number whereof five hundred must bee alwayes resident in the Island the others upon summons must make their appearance None are admitted into their order unlesse they bring a testimony of their Gentry for six descents But some make this Island to belong to Africk where you may see more of it 3 Corsica is just against Greece in the Ligurian Sea and is in length one hundred and twenty miles in breadth threescore and ten the whole circuit being three hundred twenty and five It s a fine Country yeelds excellent Dogs for game good horses fierce Mastiffs and a beast called Musoli found no where in Europe but here and in Sardinia horned like Rams and skinned like Stags of incredible hardnesse It produceth the best VVines Oil Figs Raisons and Hony but bitter and unwholesome It abounds also with Allom Box-trees Iron-Mines c. It s under the Government of Genoa The people are churlish stubborn poor and illiterate 4 Sardinia which is seven miles distant from Corsica It contains in length one hundred and fourscore miles in breadth fourscore and ten in circuit five hundred and threescore It abounds in Corn and Cattel but wants Oil. Their Bulls do naturally amble and therefore the Country Peasants usually ride upon them Here is the Beast Musoli of whose skins carryed to Corduba and there dressed is made our true Cordovan Leather The Inhabitants are little of stature and prone to Rebellion and therefore the Spaniard suffers neither Smith nor Cutler to live there The chief City is Calearis just opposite to Africk having a goodly haven much frequented by Merchants and is the seat of the Spanish Vice-Roy The Baleans Islands described The chief of these Islands are 1. Majorca about threescore miles distant from Spain and is three hundred miles in compasse the chief Cities are Majorca wherein is an university and Palma 2. Minorca distant from the former nine miles and is in circuit one hundred and fifty miles the inhabitants are effeminate the soil for the most part fruitful Nigh to these are two lesser Islands 1. Ebuisa one hundred miles in circuit the chief commodity in it is salt 2. Olhiusa threescore and ten miles about The men and women in both of them are excellent swimmers The lesser Islands scattered up and down have nothing in them remarkable but only in one of them called Ischia is a fountain so hot that in a short time it will boil any flesh or fish put into it Somewhat without the mouth of the Straits of Gibralter is the Island of Gades or Cales in length thirteen miles Anno Christi 1596. it was suddenly taken by
bee found in the World and our Marriners and Souldiers are not to bee equalled In King Edward the third his time two hundred of our ships neer Scluse overcame four hundred of the French of which they sunk two hundred sail and slew thirty thousand Souldiers In eighty eight a few of our Queens ships overthrew the Spanish Invincible Armado consisting of one hundred thirty and four great Gallions Sir Francis Drake with four ships took from the Spaniard one million and one hundred eighty nine thousand and two hundred Duckats in his voyage Anno Christi 1587. And again with five and twenty ships hee awed the Ocean sacked St. Jago Domingo and Carthagena bringing away with him besides much treasure two hundred and forty peeces of Ordnance Our Country men Drake and Cavendish have sailed round about the World I omit the voyage to Cales mentioned before Sir Richard Creenvil in one of the Queens ships called the Revenge wherein were but one hundred and fourscore Souldiers and of them ninety so sick as not able to fight yet maintained hee a Sea-fight for four and twenty hours against above fifty of the Spanish Gallions and though when his powder was spent to the last barrel hee yeilded on honorable tearms yet before he had killed one thousand of the Spaniards and sunk four of their greatest vessels And what victories wee have had of late over all the Navies of the Lowcountries I omit to speak of because they are fresh in every ones memory In land service our souldiers are able to endure and resolute to undertake the hardest enterprises witnesse our warres and conquests in Spain France Ireland and Scotland and the Netherlands assisted by us England is a most fertile and a most potent Island as well for situation as for men and ships and the Inhabitants are good souldiers both by sea and land in valour and courage not inferior to any one Nation whatsoever and are more apt to offend by temerity and overmuch forwardnesse than by cowardize It excells all other nations in Mastiffs Cocks of the Game and Women who are incomparably beautiful and therefore have great influence upon the men yea the Queens have commanded here more absolutely and have been much better obeyed and respected than the Kings The division of England is into forty shires and nine thousand seven hundred and twenty five Parishes beside Chappels In these are five hundred fourscore and five Market Towns besides Cities the chief are Shrewsbury Northampton South-hampton Lecester Warwick c. Our Universities are two Cambridge and Oxford which for number and beauty of Colledges multitudes of Students and largeness of revenues are not to bee equalled in the Christian world I will not determine which is of greater antiquity this question having been agitated by so many In several places of England there is excellent white salt made I shall describe the manner of the making of it at Nantwich only There is one salt spring which they call the Brine-pit standing close by the River Weever from whence the Brine is conveyed into the severall Wich-houses and when the Bell rings they begin to make fire under the Leads wherein they boil the said salt-water and as it seeths the Wallers which are commonly women do with a woodden Rake gather the Salt from the bottome which they put into long wicker baskets and so the water voideth and the Salt remains In some other places they boil it in Iron pans with coals but they say the salt is not so white The Cities in England Described The City of London Described No Records set down the Original of this ancient City A City it was when Caesar first entred Brittain and by the Testimony of Tacitus Ptolemy and Antonine was called Londinium and by Ammianus Marcellinus for her successive prosperity Augusta the greatest title that can bee given to any In regard of both elements it is most happy as being situate in a most rich and fertile soil abounding with plenty and store of all things and on the gentle ascent and rising of a hill hard by the Thames side which by his safe and deep channel is able to entertain the greatest ships which daily bring in such store of rich Merchandise from all parts of the VVorld that it striveth at this day with the Mart towns in Christendome for the second place and affordeth a most sure and beautiful rode for shipping This City doth shew her self as the Cedar amongst shrubs It was the seat of the British Kings and is the model of the Land and Mart of the World For thither are brought the Silks of Asia the Spices of Africa the Balms from Grecia and the Riches from both the Indies No City hath been so long famous nor in civil Government can bee compared with her Her walls were first built by Constantine the great at the request of his mother Helena reared with rough stone and british brick three English miles in compass through which are seven fair Gates besides posterns A long the Thames this wall at first ranged with gates the one Douregate now Dowgate the other Billingsgate a receptacle for ships In the middest of the City was set a mile mark as the like was in Rome also from whence they measured their stations which stands till this day and is commonly known by the name of London stone St. Peters in Cornhill is thought to have been the Cathedral of Restitutus a Christian Bishop in Constantine the great 's time which was afterwards removed to St. Pauls whose greatness exceeds all others and spires had so high that twice they were consumed by lightning from heaven It hath in it besides this Church one hundred twenty and one Churches more viz. ninety and six within the walls and sixteen without but within the liberties and nine more in her suburbs It s divided into six and twenty Wards governed by so many Aldermen a Lord Maior and two Sheriffs the yearly choice whereof was granted them by Patent from King John In whose time also a Bridge of stone was built over the Thames upon twenty Arches built of excellent freestone and each Arch being sixty foot high and full twenty in distance from one another so that for length breadth beauty and building the like is not again to be found in the world King John gave certain void places in London to the City to build upon and the profits thereof were to go toward the charges of building and repairing the same bridg and the Mason who was the chief woâ—kman in building it erected a large chappel upon it at his own charges and largely endowed it which is since turned to a dwelling house It was finished Anno Christi 1209. having been thirty and three years in building Afterwards sundry beautiful houses were built upon it that it seems a street rather than a bridge and many charitable men have given lands houses and summes of money towards the maintenance of it At the East end of this City
the wars or by other casualties were undone where their provision is so bountious that it can hardly bee matched in Europe the very house and appurtenances cost him thirteen thousand pound besides which hee endowed it with five manners in Essex two in Lincolnshire eight in VVilt-shire together with near four thousand acres of rich pasture ground in that County Two in Cambridge-shire beside his lands in Hackney-Marsh and Tottenham in the County of Middlesex and with all and singular the VVoods Reversions Presentations and Rights of him the said Thomas Sutton in any of the aforesaid Mannors over and above hee gave five thousand pound to make additions to his Hospital and for some other charitable uses And to the Treasury of the house to defend their right if need were one thousand pound besides some other gifts Wee may in the next place take notice how commodiously London is supplied with water conveyed by pipes under ground from excellent springs some of them at a remote distance besides the New-River water brought twenty miles from Chadwel and Amwel in Hartford-shire to the North side of the City near Islington where a large Cistern is made to receive it This work was undertaken by Mr. Hugh Middleton and begun February twenty Anno Christi 1608. and in five years space was fully accomplished by reason of the inequality of the ground the Trench in some places descended full thirty foot In others it was mounted over Vallies in a Trough born up with wooden Arches some fixed deep in the ground others rising in height above three and twenty foot Another convenience of water was devised by Peter Maurice a Dutchman who by means of a wheel brings water out of the Thames into a great part of the City Of the beauty and excelleny of this City one made these verses Along Thames banks outstretched far the City London lies Resembling much her Mother Troy aloft shee lifts her eyes VVhile on a gentle rising hill shee beareth towards East A City pleasant for her site in aire and soil much blest Religious and populous and hence shee looks on high And well deserves for to bee called the Britans Britany For learning new Lutetia Ormus for trade and wealth A second Rome for valiant men Chrysae for plate and health Salisbury described In VViltshire the City of Salisbury was built about the year 1218. at which time Richard Poor the Bishop purposing first to begin with the house of God in a most delectable place began to found a most stately and beautiful Minster which with an exceeding high spired steeple and double crosse Isles on both sides hee with great cost finished forty years after viz. one thousand two hundred fifty and eight concerning which Church Daniel Rogers made verses thus in English VVonders to tell how many dayes in one whole year there been So many windows in that Church ' men say are to bee seen So many Pillars made by Art of Marble there appear As houres do flit and flie away throughout the running year So many Gates do entrance give as months one year do make A thing well known for truth though most it for a wonder take A Cloister it hath besides on the South side for largenesse and fine workmanship inferiour to none whereunto adjoyned the Bishops Palace and on the other side an high bell-Tower passing strong standing by it self apart from the Minster Through the City there are Rills and sewers of water in every street It is passing well inhabited and frequented plentiful of all things especially of fish adorned with a very stately Market-place wherein standeth their common Hall of Timber-work a very beautiful building Camb. Brit. Bristow described The City of Bristow hath the River Avon passing through the midst of it It stands partly in Sommerset and partly in Gloucester-shire But is of it self a County incorporate It is situate somewhat high between Avon and the little River Frome sometimes it was invironed with a double wall it is so beautified with buildings publick and private that it fully answers the name of Bright-stow It hath common sewers or sinks so made to run under the ground for the conveyance and washing away of all filth that it is very cleanly and wholsome whereupon there is no use here of Carts it is excellently furnished with all things necessary for mans life so populous and well inhabited that next after London and York it may justly challenge the chiefest place of all the Cities in England It hath a very commodious Haven which admitteth Ships under sail into the very bosome of the City on the Southside Radcliffe by a stone Bridge with houses on each hand built upon it which makes it more like a street than a Bridge is joyned to the City It hath Hospitals in every quarter thereof for the benefit of the poor and fair Churches The most beautiful of all which is St. Maries of Radcliff without the walls into which there is a most stately ascent up many stairs large withal and finely and curiously wrought with an arched roof of stone over the head artificially embowed a steeple also of an exceeding height which was founded by one VVilliam Cannings an Alderman of the City Hard by there is another Church called the Temple the Tower whereof when the Bell rings shaketh to and fro whereby it hath cloven it self from the rest of the building There is also St. Stephens Church The Tower steeple whereof being of a mighty height was most sumptuously and artificially built by one Shipward alias Barstable a Citizen and Merchant On the East and North side it s fenced with the River Frome which gently falling into the Avon maketh a dainty harbour for ships with a convenient wharf called the Kay under which between Avon and Frome there is a plain set round about with trees yeelding a most pleasant walk On the South East there is a large and strong Castle for the defence of the City Beyond the River Frome which hath a Bridge over it there ariseth an high hill from which is a fair and goodly prospect of the City and haven upon the top of this Hill where it spreads into a plain shadowed with a double row of trees is an handsome School This City is further beautified with many stately buildings amongst the rest is the Cathedral Church c. Neer unto this City is an high Cliffe by the Avons side called St. Vincents Rock very full of Diamonds which are not much set by because of the plenty of them They are of a bright and transparent colour matching if not passing the Indian Diamonds in hardnesse only they are inferior to them Nature hath framed them four or six pointed with smooth sides as if cut by a Lapidary There is another Rock also on the West side full of Diamonds which by a wonderful work of nature are enclosed as young ones within the bowels of hollow and reddish flints There are within this City and suburbs
twenty fair Churches whereof eighteen are parish Churches there is no dunghill in all the City nor a sink that comes from any house into the street but all is conveyed under ground they carry all upon sleads and bring no Carts into the City The water at the Kay sometimes ebbs and flows forty foot in height Four miles below it the Avon falls into the Severn the Bridge is half as long as London bridge and yet hath but four Arches in it The City of Wells Described Neer unto Mendip hills which are rich in Lead-Mines stands the City of Wells so named from the springs or wells that boil up there which for the multitude of Inhabitants for fair and stately buildings is worthy to bee regarded A goodly Church it hath and a Colledge founded by King Ina. Neer unto the Church there is a spring called St. Andrews well from whence comes such a confluence of water as by and by makes a swift brook The Church is throughout very beautifull but the frontispice thereof in the West end is most excellent for it riseth up from the foot to the top all of Imagery in curious and antike wise wrought of stone carved and embowed very artificially The City of Bath Described This City is seated low in a plain environed round about with hills almost of one height out of which certain rills of fresh water flow continually to the great commodity of the Citizens within the City there bubble and boil up in three several places hot springs of water of a Sea colour sending up from them thin vapours and a kind of a strong sent withall by reason that the water is drilled and strained through veines of Brimstone and a clammy kind of earth called Bitumen These springs are very medicinal and of great vertue to cure bodies overcharged and benummed with corrupt humors by their heat causing much sweat Of all these the Cross-Bath is of the most mild and temperate nature having twelve seats of stone in the sides of it and is inclosed within a wall A second distant from this not fully two hundred foot is much hotter thence called the Hot-Bath adjoyning to which is a Spittle or Lazar-house built by Reginald Bishop of Bath for the relief of poor diseased persons The third and greatest is called the Kings-Bath walled also round about and fitted with thirty two seates of Arched work The City is fortified with walls wherein are set certain Antique Images and Roman inscriptions and hath in it a fair and large Cathedral Church The City of Excester in Devonshire Described The City of Excester stands upon the River Ex whence it receives its name It is pleasantly seated upon the gentle ascent of an hill The Walls of it which were first built by King Athelstone are in a manner round only towards the Ex it rangeth almost in a strait line having six gates for entrance and many watch-Towers interposed betwixt whose compass containeth above one thousand and five hundred paces or a mile and an half having Suburbs running out a great way on each side In it there are fifteen Parish Churches and in the highest part thereof neer the East Gate standeth a Castle called Rugemont commanding the whole City and territory about it and hath a very pleasant prospect into the Sea In the East quarter of the City stands the Cathedral Church having many fair houses round about it By reason of some Wears the River is so stopped up that no vessels can come neerer the City than Topsham which is three miles off The soil about it is but barren yet by reason of the statlinesse of the place the riches of the Inhabitants and the frequent concourse of strangers all kinds of commodities are there so plentiful that a man can ask for no necessary but he may have it The City of Winchester Described In the County of Hamtshire is the City of Winchester situated in a fruitful and pleasant place being a valley under hills having a River on the East and a Castle on the VVest the circuit of her Walls are well neer two English miles containing one thousand eight hundred and eighty paces through which open six gates for entrance In this City are seven Churches besides the Minster which is seated about the middest of it and built very sumptuously The City of Chichester in the County of Sussex Described The City of Chichester is walled about in a circular round form The Lavant a pretty riveret running hard by it on the VVest and South sides Four gates it hath opening to the four quarters of the world from whence the streets lead directly and crosse themselves in the middest where the market is kept and where Bishop Robert Read erected a fair market house of stone supported with pillars round about it Between the West and South Gates stands the Cathedral Church not very great but handsome and neat having a spire steeple of stone rising a very great height The City of Canterbury in Kent Described Canterbury is a very Ancient and famous City in Kent much renowned both for the situation and great fertility of the soil adjoyning as also for the walls enclosing it round about By reason likewise of the Rivers watering it and commodiousnesse of the woods there about besides the vicinity of the Sea yeilding store of Fish to serve it And though it was sore shaken in the Danish warres and consumed in a great part sundry times by fire yet rose it up always again more beautifull than it was before The Cathedral is raised aloft neer the heart of the City with great Majesty and stateliness The City of Rochester Described In the same County is the City of Rochester seated in a bottome fortified on the one side with a Marsh the river Medway and weak walls It is now stretched out with large Suburbs on the East West and South sides The Cathedral Church was built by Bishop Gundulph a Norman Anno Christi 1080. neer unto it stands an old ruinous Castle fortified formerly both by art and situation At the end of the City there is a very goodly Bridge of stone excellently Arched built by Sir Robert Knowls at the end whereof Sir John Cobham erected a Chappel and the bridge is daintily coped with Iron bars under which the River Medway swelling with a violent and swift stream makes a loud roaring noise The City of Glocester Described The City of Glocester is a very fine and beautiful City both for the number of Churches and buildings therein It lyeth stretched out in length over the Severn and on that side where it is not guarded by the River it hath in some places a strong wall for defence The Cathedral Church is a stately building with an exceeding high and fair steeple In an Arch of this Church there is a wall built in the form of a semicircle full of corners with such an Artificial devise that if a man speak with never so low a voice at the one
part thereof and another lay his ear to the other which is a good way off he may easily hear every sillable The City of Oxford Described Where the River Cherwel meets with Isis and pleasant Ilets lye dispersed by the sundry disseverings of waters there this famous City and University of Oxford sheweth it self aloft in a champion plain from whence Religion and learning have been spread into all the parts of England A fair and goodly City it is whether wee respect the seemly beauty of private houses or the stately magnificence of publick buildings together with the wholsome situation and pleasant prospect thereof For the hills beset with woods do so environ the plain that as on the one side they exclude the pestilent Southwind and the tempestuous West-wind on the other so they let in the clearing East-wind only and the North-East-wind with all which frees it from all corruption whence sometimes it was called Bellositum The City of Eli Described The City of Eli is situate in the middest of great and large Fens and was formerly famous for the reputed holinesse of the Nuns there residing and for a stately Monastery so rich that the Abbot thereof not long after VVilliam the Conquerors time laid up every year in his own Coffers a thousand and four hundred pounds King Henry the first made it a Bishops Sea promoting thereto one Hervey who sought by all means to advance the dignity of his Church For which end hee obtained of the King that it might bee Toll-free hee made a way also from Exing to Eli through the Fens of six miles in length and the Monks growing rich the Cathedrall Church being much decayed through age they by little and little built it and brought it to the ample statelinesse which now it hath A Lanthorn it hath at the very top thereof just over the Quire supported by eight Pillars and raised upon them right Artificially built by John Hothum the Bishop and under the Church towards the North stands St. Maries chappel a singular fine peece of work built by Simon Montacutâ— Bishop The City it self is not much to bee accounted of either for beauty or resort of people to it as having an unwholsome air by reason of the Fens round about it The City of Lincoln Described The City of Lincoln is large and well inhabited and frequented It stands upon the side of an hill where the River VVitham bends his course Eastward and being divided with three small channels watereth the Lower part of the City In the highest part of the City the Cathedral is erected a stately structure being built through out not only most sumptuously but with rare and singular workmanship most beautiously especially the forefront at the West end which in a sort ravisheth and allureth the eyes of all that judiciously view it very ancient this City is and hath been farre larger and more populous It hath in it fifty Parish Churches whereof at this day there remain only fifteen besides the Minster The City of Norwich in Northfolk described Norwich is situated upon the River Yare the form of it is somewhat long being from South to North a mile and an half long and in breadth about half so much drawing it self in by little and little in the Southend making in a manner a sharp point compassed it is about with strong walls beautified with many Turrets orderly placed and twelve gates only it is not walled on the East side where the River after it hath with many windings in and out watered the North part of the City having four Bridges for passage over it is a sufficient defence with his deep channel and high steep banks It flourisheth with wealth plenty of inhabitants great resort of strangers fair buildings and hath in it about thirty Parish Churches on the East side of it stands a very fair Cathedral Church near unto the Castle built upon a very high hill which was compassed about with an exceeding deep ditch In the midst of the City near the Market-place is a very fair Town-house which on Market-dayes is plentifully furnished with all things necessary for mans life The Netherlanders being driven away by the Duke d' Alva's cruelty repairing hither in great numbers brought in the making of Sayes Bayes and other stuffe to the great gain of the Citizens Anno Christi 1583. the Citizens conveyed water out of the River in pipes by an artificial instrument into the highest parts of the City The City of Coventry in Warwickshire described Coventry is a City very commodiously seated large sweet and neat fortified with very strong walls which are about three miles in compasse through which are thirteen gates for enterance most of them very stately and strongly built besides eighteen other Towers in several parts of the wall for defence A little River called Shirburn runs through the City which is beautified with many fair and goodly houses amongst which there rise up on high two Churches of rare workmanship St. Michaels and Trinity standing one hard by another with stately spire steeples of a very great height In the midst of the City is the Market-place called the Cross-cheaping and therein a Crosse or Pillar of stone of most exquisite and admirable workmanship there is also a very fair Grammer-school and a neat Library at the end of it with convenient habitations for the Master and Usher near unto it is VVel-street and therein a very large fountain that continually sends forth great plenty of excellent water The City had very large suburbs belonging to it especially in the East and West ends most whereof were broken down in our late Civil wars and a large Trench made on the outside of the walls The City of Worcester described Under the City of Worcester runs the Severn with a slow pace as admiring and wondring at the City as it passeth by and truly worthy it is of admiration whether you respect the antiquity or the beauty thereof It stands in a place rising somewhat with a gentle ascent by the Rivers side that hath a fair Bridge with a Tower over it It is well and strongly walled and the inhabitants are much inriched by the trade of cloathing It is one thousand six hundred and fifty paces about the walls through which seven Gates give entrance with five other VVatch Towers for defence there are in it divers Churches besides the Cathedral which is seated on the South side of the City and is a passing fair and stately building adorned with the Tombs and Monuments of King John Prince Arthur diverse of the Beauchamps c. The City of Lichfield in Staffordshire described Lichfield is a very ancient City known unto Bede by the name of Lichidfield i. e. the field of dead bodies by reason of a number of Christians there martyred in the bloody persecution under the Emperor Dioclesian This City is low seated of a good largenesse and fair withal divided into two parts by a shallow pool of clear water which
parts are yet joyned into one by two Bridges or causway's made over it having sluces to let out the water the South part is the greater consisting of divers streets having in it a School and an Hospital of St. John founded for the relief of the poor The farther part is the lesse but beautified with a very goodly Cathedral Church which is round about compassed with a very fair wall Castle-like This Church mounteth up on high with three Pyramids or spires of stone making an excellent shew and for elegant and proportionable building yeeldeth to few Cathedrals in England But by our late civil wars it is much defaced The City of Westchester described The City of Chester is built foursquare and is inclosed with a strong wall that is above two miles in compasse and hath in it eleven Parish Churches the fairest of which is that of St. Johns without Eastgate being a very stately building near unto the River Dee standeth the Castle upon a rockie-hill where the Courts Palatine and the Assises are kept twice a year The houses are built very fair and along the chief streets are galleries or walking-places they call them Rowes having shops on both sides in which a man may walk dry from one end to the other Here King Edgar in a magnificent manner triumphed over the Brittish Princes for himself sitting at the foredeck of his Barge Kennadie King of the Scots Malcolin King of Cumberland Mucon King of Man and of the Isles with all the Princes of VVales comming to do homage like watermen working at the Oare rowed him along the River Dee in a triumphant manner There is in it a very large and fair Cathedral Church wherein is the Tomb of Henry the fourth Emperor of Germany who as they say gave over his Empire and lived here an Eremites life This City wants not any thing required in a flourishing City but that the Sea being offended and angry as it were at certain Mills and a causway made crosse the channel of the River Dee hath by degrees drawn himself back and affordeth not unto the City the commodity of an haven which formerly it did injoy The wall hath in it four fair gates opening towards the four quarters of heaven besides three Posterns and seven watch-Towers Before the desolations made by our late civil wars without the East and North gate the City extended herself in her suburbs with very fair streets adorned with goodly buildings both of Gentlemens houses and fair Innes for the entertainment of strangers The Water-Gate leadeth to the River of Dee where it enters into the mouth of the Sea and by which is a fine spacious peece of ground called the Rood-eye yeelding pleasure and profit and upon which the Citizens walk for the air and use sundry recreations The Bridge-Gate hath lately been beautified by a seemly water-work of stone built steeple-wise by the invention and charge of Mr. John Tyrer and is of excellent use for conveying the River-water into the Citizens houses throâ—gh pipes of Lead and wood into almost all parts of the City The City of Hereford described The City of Hereford is seated amongst pleasant medows and plentiful Corn-fields compassed almost round about with Rivers on the North and West sides with one that hath no name on the South side with the River Wy that commeth out of Wales It is walled about having six Gates â—or entrance and fifteen Watch-Towers for defence extending in compasse to one thousand five hundred paces The Normans upon the side of Wy built in it a mighty great and strong Castle which time hath so defaced that now there remains nothing but the ruines of it The greatest glory that this City had was when King Athelstan brought the Lords of VVales into it and forced them yearly by way of tribute to pay him besides Hounds and Hawks twenty pounds of gold and there hundred pounds of silver by weight The City of York described The City of York is very ancient and of so great estimation formerly that the Roman Emperors kept their Courts there It is at this day the second City of England the fairest in all the Country and a singular both safeguard and ornament to all the Northern parts A pleasant place large and stately well fortified beautifully adorned as well with private as publick buildings rich populous and was lately an Archiepiscopal See The River Ouse flowing with a gentle stream from the North part Southward cutteth it in twain and divides it as it were into two Cities which are conjoyned with a stone Bridge having in it a mighty Arch of extraordinary bignesse The VVest part is compassed in with a very fair wall and the River together four-square wise and gives entrance only at one gate from which a long and broad Street reacheth unto the very bridge which is beautified with handsome houses having Gardens and Orchards planted on the backside on either hand and behind them fields even to the walls for exercise and disport On the East side the houses stand very thick and the Streets are narrower and it is fortified also with a strong wall and on the South-East it is defended with the deep channel of the muddy River Fosse which entring into the heart of the City by a blind way hath a Bridge over it with houses built upon it and so close ranged one by another that a man would judge it a Street rather than a Bridge and so a little lower it runneth into the Ouse where at there confluence a strong and stately Castle was built that commanded the City but is now gone to decay Towards the North stands the Cathedral Church an excellent fair and stately Fabrick King Henry the Eight appointed here a Council not unlike to the Parliaments in France to decide and determine the causes and controversies of these Northern parts according to equity and coâ—science consisting of a Lord President certain Counsellors a Secretary and under officers This City is governed by a Lord Maior twelve Aldermen many Chamberlains a Recorder a Town Clerk six Sergeants at Mace and two Squires which are the Sword-Bearer and common Sergeant who with a great Mace goeth on the left hand of the Sword The City of Durham Described The City of Durham is seated high and is passing strong withall yet taketh it up no great circuit of ground It is of an Oval form and environed on every side save on the North with the River Weer and fortified with a wall Towards the Southside stands the Cathedrall Church built high and stately with an high Tower in the middest and two Spires at the West end In the middest is a Castle placed as it were between two stone bridges over the River Northward from the Castle is a spacious Market place and St. Nicholas Church from whence there runneth out for a great length North-East a Suburb compassed on two sides with the River like as other on both sides beyond the River which lead unto the
Bridges and each of them have their several Churches Venerable Bede lies under a marble Tomb in the Cathedral Church of this City The City of Carlile in the County of Cumberland Described The City of Carlile is passing commodiously and pleasantly seated between severall rivers being guarded on the North side with the Channel of Eden on the East with Petteril on the West with Caud Besides which natural fences it is fortified with strong walls of stone with a Castel and a Citadel In form it is somewhat long running out from West to East On the West side stands the Castle fair and large Almost in the middest of the City riseth on high the Cathedral Church the upper and newer part of it being very artificially and curiously wrought On the West side stands the Citadel built by King Henry the eight very strongly and with bulworks VVales Described VVales is bounded with the Seas on all sides but the East where it is separated from England by the River Dee and a line drawn to the River VVie or rather by that huge ditch cast up by King Offa which begins where Wie falls into Severn and reacheth unto Chester even fourscore and four miles in length The Country is very Mountainous and barren yet by the industry of the Inhabitants is made fruitful their chiefest commodities are woollen Flannels Cottons Bays c. brought weekly to Oswestre the farthest Town in Shropshire and thence dispersed into other Countries It is divided into North-Wales and South-Wales in both which are twelve shires having in them one Chase thirteen Forrests thirty and six Parks ninety and nine bridges The chiefest Rivers are Dee VVie Conwy Tivy and Chedhidy The Welsh Language is least mixed with forreign words of any used in Europe but having many Consonants in it is lesse pleasing The People are cholerick and hasty but very loving each to other In VVales are one thousand and sixteen Parishes of which fifty and six are market Towns besides the Cities which are four viz. St. Davids in Pembrookshire Bangor in Carnarvonshire Asaph in Flintshire and Landaff in Glamorganshire In Cardiganshire were found some silver Mines by the industry of Mr. Thomas Middleton that yeilded some good quantity of Silver The twelve shires of VVales are Pembrookshire Caermardenshire Glamorganshire Brecknockshire Radnorshire Cardiganshire Moungomeryshire Mertonethshire Denbighshire Flintshire Caernarvonshire and the Isle of Anglesey which is separated from the main Land by the River Moenay wherein are Beu-marish and Holi-head common passages to Ireland Scotland described Scotland is separated from England by the Rivers Tweed and Solway and the Cheviot-Hills reaching from one river to the other It s in length four hundred and eighty miles In breadth much lesse no place being threescore miles from the Sea It s divided into High-land and Low-land The people of the High-land living on the VVestern parts of Scotland have some civility but those in the out Isles are very barbarous The Low-landers are in dispositions and language almost like the English Scotland is far more barren than England The chief commodities are course cloathes Freeses Fish Hides Lead-oare c. The principal Rivers are Forth Clada and Tay all navigable In Scotland there are four Universities St. Andrews Glasco Aberdeen and Edenburgh The Nobility and Gentry are great affecters of Learning and therefore do not only frequent their own Universities but travel into forraign parts for improvement of the same The whole Country is divided into two parts by the great River Tay the Southern part is more populous and fruitful every where bestrewed with Cities and Towns as England is the Northerly more barren and rude retaining the customes of the wilde Irish from whence they came The Southren part hath in it these Counties Tividale Merch Laudien Liddesdale Eskedale Annandale Niddesdale Galloway Carrick Kyle Cunningham Arran Cluidesdale Lenox Sterling Fife Strathern Menteith Argile Cantire and Lorn The Northern counties are Loquabrea Braidalbin Perth Athol Anguse Merâ—s Mar Buguhan Murrey Ross Sutherland Cathnes and Strathnavern And these again are divided into Sheriffdoms Stewardships and Bailiwicks The chief Cities in Scotland described Edenburgh is the Regal City of Scotland seated in Lothien where is the Royal Palace and the chief Courts of Justice It consists principally of one street about a mile long into which runne many petty lanes so that the whole compasse may be about three miles It s strengthened by a Castle that commands the Town Glasco in Cluidsdale where an University was founded by Bishop Turnbull Anno Christi 1554. St. Andrews in Fife Sterling or Striveling seated in Striveling hundred Aberdeen in Mar. Dondee in Anguis Perth or St. Johns Town Scotland was once inhabited by two populous Nations the Scots and Picts the former inhabited the Western parts of the land the latter the Eastern These two Nations at length falling out there were great and large warres betwixt them till at last the Scots prevailing they extinguished not the Kingdome only but the very name of the Picts Most memorable was that fortification drawn from Abercorn upon the Frith of Edenburgh unto Dunbritton opening upon the West Sea where Julius Agricola set the limits of the Romane Empire At this place began the great wood Caledonia famous for the wilde white Bulls bread therein with Manes like Lyons thick and curled of nature fierce and cruell so hatefull to mankind that they abhorred whatsoever was by them handled or breathed upon The Cattle in Scotland are but small yet many Fish so plentifull that in some places men on horseback hunt Salmons with Spears The Islands belonging to it are the Western the Orknayes and the Shetlands in number above three hundred Amongst the Western the Hebrides Skie Mula Ila and Arran are the chief all abounding with Corn Wood Salmons Herrings and some with Conies Deer Horses and Sheep The Orknay Islands upon the North lie in a raging Sea about three and thirty in number whereof thirteen are inhabited the other replenished with Cattel In them are no venemous Serpents nor other ugly vermine the aire sharp and healthful apt to bear Oats and Barley but have no wood Of these Pomonia is the greatest that hath six Minerals of Lead and Tin and twelve Parishes in it Ireland described Ireland is divided into four Provinces Mounster Leinster Connaught and Ulster In Mounster are the Counties of Limmerick Kery Cork Waterford Dismond and Holy Cross in Typperary In Leinster are East-Meath West-Meath Kilkenny Caterlough Queens County Kings County Kildare VVeshford and Dublin In Connaught are Clare â—r Towmund Gallaway Maio Slego Letrim and Roscoman In Ulster are Dungal or Tyr-connel Tyrone-upper Tyrone-nether Farmanagh Cavan Monaghan Colrane Antrim Down Armagh and Lough Ireland hath on the East that tempestuous Sea that divides it from England On the West the Western Ocean On the North the Deucalidonian Sea and on the South the Vergivian Sea It contains in length four hundred and in breadth two hundred miles The air is
other Officers and their servants weeping and lamenting who held up their hands to the people that looked upon them thereby teaching the young Children to do the like and to ask mercy and grace at the peoples hands There were three pretty little Children two sons and a Daughter amongst them who by reason of their tender years lacked understanding which made them poor souls insensible of their present misery and that moved the people so much the more to pitty them seeing the poor little infants that knew not the change of their hard hap so that through compassion to them they had almost let the Father pass without looking upon him yea many of the peoples hearts did so melt for pitty that the tears ran down their cheeks till they were past and gone a good way out of sight King Perseus the Father followed after his Children and their train Hee was cloathed in a black gown with a pair of slippers on his feet after his Country manner Hee shewed by his countenance his troubled mind being opprest with sorrow for his most miserable estate and condition Hee was followed with his kinsfolk his familiar friends his officers and houshold servants their faces being disfigured with blubbering shewing to the world by their lamentable tears and sorrowful eyes cast upon their unfortunate Master how much they sorrowed and bewailed his most hard and woful estate whilest they made little account of their own misery After all these there followed four hundred Princely Crowns of gold which the Cities and Towns of Greece had purposely sent by their Ambassadors unto Aemylius to honour his victory And last of all came Aemylius himself in his Triumphant Chariot which was passing sumptuously set forth and adorned This was a gallant sight to behold and yet the person himself was worth looking on without all that great pomp and magnificence for hee was cloathed in a purple gown curiously branched with gold carrying in his right hand a bough of Lawrel as all his Army did the like the which being divided by bands and companies followed the Triumphant Chariot of their Captain some of the souldiers singing songs of victory according to the usual manner of the Romans in the like cases mingleing them with merry and pleasant toyes as glorying and rejoycing in their General others of them sang songs of Triumph in the honour and praise of Aemylius his noble conquests and victorys so that hee was openly praised blessed and honoured of all and neither hated nor envied of any that were good and honest Plut. in vita ejus Rome was so populous when Paulus Aemylius was Censor that being mustered by him they were found to bee three hundred thirty seven thousand four hundred fifty and two men The manner of Pompey's third Triumph For the statelinesse and magnificence of this Triumph though Pompey had two dayes to shew it in yet were there many things which for want of time were not seen even so many as would have served to have set forth another Triumph In the first place there were Tables carryed whereon were written the names and titles of all the people and Nations which hee had conquered and for which hee triumphed as the Kingdomes of Pontus Armenia Cappadocia Paphlagonia Media Colchis Iberia Albania Syria Cilicia and Mesopotamia as also the people that dwell about Phaenicia Palaestine Judaea and Arabia and all the Pirates which hee had overcome both by Sea and Land in all parts of the world In all these Countries hee had taken a thousand Castles almost nine hundred Cities and walled Towns Of Pirates ships eight hundred Hee had replenished again with people nine and thirty desolate Towns that were left without Inhabitants In these Tables was further declared that before these conquests the revenues of the Common-wealth of Rome were but five thousand Myriads per annum but now Pompey had made them eight thousand and five hundred Myriads per annum and that hee had brought now for the Treasury in ready gold and silver Plate and Jewels the value of twenty thousand Talents besides that which hee had distributed amongst his souldiers of which hee that had least for his share had one thousand five hundred Drachma's The prisoners that were led in this Triumph besides the Captains of the Pirates were the son of Tygranes King of Armenia with his wife and daughter The wife of King Tygranes himself called Zosime Aristobulus King of Judaea Mithridates sister with her five sons and some Ladies of Scythia The hostages also of the Iberians and Albanians and of the Kings of the Commagenians beside many other things too large to recite But that which made his honour the greatest and whereunto never any of the Roman Consuls attained was that in his three Triumphs hee triumphed over the three parts of the world In his first over Africk in his second over Europe and now in this third over Asia which was almost all the then known world and all this before hee was forty years old Plut. In vita ejus A Description of the City of Venice with her Rarities which was begun to bee built Anno Christi 421. upon the 25th of March and upon seventy and two Islands This Wonder of Cities is seated in the bosome or betwixt the Armes of the Adriatick Sea It is built upon four thousand Islands and is as it were chained together by four thousand Bridges The occasion which made these watry Isles a mansion for men was when that Northern Deluge of Goths Vandals Huns and Longobards did overflow all Italy the people of all sorts fled to these lakes to avoid the land torrent that was like to swallow them up and finding the Air to bee gentle and fit for habitation and propagation they pitched their Tents upon these Isles and associated them by conjoyning Bridges There are seventy two Isles that support Venice and the nearest part of the Continent is five miles distant There are banks and ditches cast up to preserve her from the impetuousnesse of the waves of the Sea extending in length above six miles Shee is above eight miles in circuit Through the banks in seven places there are passages broken for boats but not for bigger vessels Besides there be above twenty thousand Gondolaes or Boats which ply up and down perpetually in each of which are two rowers at least so that upon occasion shee can suddenly make an Army of above fifty thousand Gondoliers Shee hath for her Motto Nec fluctu nec flatu movetur Nor winds nor waves can stir her Her Fabriques publick and private are extraordinary specious and sumptuous and her streets so neat and evenly paved that in the depth of winter a man may walk up and down in a pair of Sattin Pan-tables and Crimson Silk stockings and not bee dirtied There are above two hundred Palaces fit to receive any Prince with his ordinary retinue Her situation is so rare every street almost having an arm of the Sea running thorow it
and her structures so magnificent and neat that shee ravisheth therewith all strangers that come to visit her She hath in her one hundred and fifty Churches and Monasteries but especially three things worthy of sight viz. St. Mark 's Church and Steeple the Treasury and the Arsenal St. Mark 's Church is built throughout with rare Mosaique work and yet the furniture of the Church surpasseth the Fabrique in richnesse Her walls are inlaid in many places with precious stones of diverse colours and in such a manner that they seem rather to be the work of Nature than of Art It is built in the form of a Crosse whose corners are highly vaulted and covered with bright Lead as all the rest of the Church is The whole Bulk is supported with most curious Arches joyned together by marvellous Art The inside from the middle to the highest part thereof glistereth with gold and the concavity of the vaults is enriched with divers curious and antick pictures That which is from the gilding down to the pavement is excellently joyned together with goodly Tables of Marble by whose pleasant veins in form of rays the eyes of the beholders are rather fed than satisfied The seats below are of an extraordinary red stone like to Porphyry the Pavement is all of Marble engraven with diverse figures wholly different and of various colours There are sundry Columnes and Tables of Parian Spartan and Numidian work that environ the seats on both sides the Quire The entrance into the Church on both sides is in a manner of the same trimming while gilded Arches are sustained without by more than three hundred exquisite Pillars the space between those Pillars being filled with choyce Tables of Marble On the height of this entrance are four great brazen horses all gilded over in a posture as if running and neighing All this bears up the highest top of the Church divided into six Steeples every of which is like a Pyramid and hath on the sharpest point thereof a white Marble Statue of a naked man standing upright Divers other representations delightfull to the eye and wrought with exceeding skill do beautify the spaces between the Steeples and all that which is vaulted underneath is covered with Gold In sum there is no place in the whole Church either within or without but it 's either adorned with Marble Gold or precious stones so that the two Columnes of Alabaster and the Chalcedony stones which are in the middest of the pavement are accounted the least curiosities The Arsenal of Venice is one of the greatest Magazines of Armes in all the World It 's three miles in compasse wherein there are above three hundred Artificers perpetually at work who make and repair all things that belong thereto This Arsenal hath armes to furnish two hundred thousand men and hath constantly belonging to it two hundred Gallies in Dock or abroad in course besides Galliasses and Galleons with all provisions necessary for them Amongst the Armors are one thousand coats of plate garnished with gold and covered with velvet so that they are fit for any Prince in Christendome The Treasury of St. Mark is cried up through the World They say there is enough in it to pay six Kings Ransomes There are Jewels of all sorts and sizes Diamonds Rubies Saphires Emerauds Cups of Agatâ— of an huge bigness The great Diamond which Henry the third gave when hee was made a Gentleman of Venice There you may see an Armour all of massie Gold beset all over with great Pearles Turkies Rubies and all manner of precious stones in such a quantity and bigness that they alone would make a rich Treasury There are also twelve Corslets of Gold beset with precious stones There is an huge Gold chain that reacheth from Pillar to Pillar Diverse Chests of Gold and amongst others one great Iron Chest with this inscription When this Chest shall open the whole earth shall tremble There are two large Unicorn's horns A great Bottle made of a Chalcedonian stone transparent and clear which will hold above a quart There is a Garnet of a vast size formed into the shape of a Kettle which will hold neer a Gallon There are many Crosses and Crucifixes of massie Gold beset with Jewells of all sorts There are the Crowns of Cyprus and Candy as also that of the Dukes of Venice all inlaid with choyce rich Diamonds great Rubies Emerauds Saphires and other stones that would beget astonishment in the beholders In that of the Dukes there is one great Ruby worth an hundred thousand Crowns There are Cups of sundry formes cut out of rich stones with dishes of sundry kinds There are divers presses full of plate huge and massy with Statues of Silver and large Chalices of gold and variety of other rich things the worth whereof no eye is able to judge There are moreover twelve Crowns of massie Gold which were taken at the sacking of Constantinople when the French and Venetians divided the spoyles Pacheco the Spanish Ambassadour comming to see this Treasury fell a groping whether it had any bottom and being asked why answered In this amongst other things my great Masters's Treasure differs from yours in that his hath no bottom as I finde yours to have Alluding to the Mines in Mexico and Potofi In one of its Islands called Murano Crystall Glasses are made where you may see a whole street on the one side having above twenty Furnaces perpetually at work both day and night If one of these Furnaces bee removed to any other Island or but to the other side of the street though they use the same men materials and fuel yet can they not make Glasse in the same perfections for beauty and lustre as in this place Howels Survey The City of Padua Described Padua is a City within the Venetian Territories and was erected into an Academy Anno Christi 1222. Shee is famous every where for a Seminary of the best Physicians and hath a Garden of great variety of Simples It was formerly girt with a treble wall but a double contents her now which hath very deep ditches round about For the River Brent with vast charges and labour was brought to this City which hath much advantaged her both for Strength and Navigation It is situated in a most pleasant and plentiful plain enjoying a sweet temperate Clime with a singular good soil by reason of the Neighbourhood of the Eugonian Mountains on the West side of it Her circumference is neer upon seven miles Her Temples and dwelling houses both publike and private are more magnificent than elsewhere Shee hath six stately Gates Five large Market-places within the walls twenty two great Churches twenty three Monasteries twenty nine Nunneries She hath the most renowned Hall for publike Justice of any City in Italy covered all over with Lead and yet propped by no pillars The Council-Court hath gates and Columes of Marble Shee hath twenty eight Bridges Arched over the Brent which runns thorow her She
hath very spatious Piazza's Shee hath six Hospitalls three for the poor and three for Pilgrims Shee hath a place called Monte de Pieta set up on purpose to root out the Jews usury who used to demand twenty per cent for Brocage Shee hath other two Hospitals for Orphans and poor children There are thirty eight thousand Crowns deposited in the hands of several persons of quality to whom the poorer sort may repair with their pawns and if it bee under thirty shillings they pay no use for their mony if it bee above they pay five per centum for relieving the poor The City of Millan described The City of Millan in Italy lies within a stately wall of ten miles compasse It s situated in a great Plain and hath about it green Hills delightful Meadows navigable Rivers enjoyes an wholesome air and the fertile Country about it furnisheth it with all store of necessary provision The City it self is thronged with Artisans of all sorts There bee many stately Churches in it and before that of St. Lorenzo there stand sixteen Marble Pillars being a remnant of the Temple of Hercules But of all the Churches the Cathedral is most costly 'T is all of white Marble and about it are five hundred Statues of the same There is a late building added to it which is very glorious especially for the huge Pillars of Granito an excellent sort of Marble Private mens houses also in Millan are not inferiour to those of other Cities in Italy The streets are of a more that common breadth and there are very many Gardens within the Walls The greatest Hospital in Italy is that in Millan which is a square of Columnes and Porches six hundred Roods about seeming fitter to bee a Court for some King than an Hospital for the poor The Castle in Millan is accounted by all Engineers the fairest and strongest Citadel in Europe Riamund's Mer. Ital. The City of Naples described Naples the Metropolis of that Kingdome stands upon the shore of the Mediterranean Sea It s reckoned the third City in Italy and so great are the delights that nature hath allotted to this place that it is still frequented by persons of great quality The streets of it are generally well paved of free stone large and even The houses are very uniform built flat on the top to walk on a notable convenience in those hot Countries Another like accommodation which this City hath against the heat is the Mole which is an Artificial street casting it self into the Sea whither all the Gentry at the evenings resort to take the Fresco. Amongst the Palaces that of the Vice-Kings is the fairest It hath three Castles and the Churches generally are very curious and costly filled with Marble Statues This City is exceeding populous and consequently vicious Hee that desires to live a chaste life must not set up there For as their Gardens are well filled with Oranges so their houses want not Lemmons there are usually thirty thousand Courtesans registred that pay taxes for their pleasure Near unto Naples is Virgil's Tomb upon an high Rock And the Crypta Neapolitana in the rocky Mountain Pausylippus cut thorow very high spacious and well paved so that for the space of a mile two Coaches may go on front under the earth In the midst is a Madonna with a Lamp perpetually burning Not far off is the Hill of Brimstone on which neither grass nor any herb grows but 't is all white with ashes and ever casts out of several holes a continual smoak with flames making the very earth to boil The ground is hollow underneath and makes an hideous noise if struck upon with an hammer On the other side Naples is the Mountain of Vesuvius brother to Aetna upon the top whereof is a terrifying spectacle viz. a Vorago or hole about three miles in compass and half as much in depth and in the midst is a new hill that still vomits thick smoak which the fire within hath raised within these few years and it still daily increaseth Pliny the Naturalist being too inquisitive after the cause of this fire changed life for death upon this Mountain Idem Virgil made a Talisman or Brazen Fly which hee set upon one of the Gates of the City of Naples which for the space of eight years kept all manner of Flies from comming into the City Gaffarels Unheard of Curiosities part 2. chap. 7. See more there The City of Florence described Florence is the Capitol City of Tuscany situated at the bottom of very high hills and environed on all sides with the same except on the West side before which lies a plain Country This City is divided into two by the River Arno over which are built four Bridges of stone upon one of the two chief is the Goldsmiths street upon the other which is a very stately structure stand the four quarters of the year in Marble Opposite unto which stands a vast Columne with a Statue of Justice in Porphyrie at the top Hard by is the Palace of Strossie admirable for the immensity of its Fabrick on the left hand whereof is the Merchants Vault supported with many fair Pillars and before it a brazen Boar jetting forth water Before that is the great place in the middest whereof is the great Duke Cosmus on horseback in brass near unto which is a Fountain the like to which Italy affords not Round about the Laver is the Family of Neptune in brasse with his Colosse of Marble in the middest born up by four horses In this same Piazza is a Porch arched and adorned with some Statues amongst which that of Judith in brass with the rape of the Sabines three persons in several postures cut all out of one stone Just against it is the Palazzo Vechio at the entrance whereof stand two Colossi the one of David the other of Hercules trampling on Caous excellent pieces Within is a Court set about with pillars of Corinthian work Above is a very spacious Hall with divers Statues Near to it is the richest of Treasures the great Dukes Gallery in the uppermost part whereof are contained as many wonders as things some to bee admired for the preciousness and Art others for their rarity and antiquity On each side of the Gallery stand above fourescore Statues One an Idoll brought from the Temple of Apollo in Delphos Another of Scipio Africanus holding up his gown under his Arm Then two curious triumphant Pillars Over the Statues hang rare pictures the most famous Scholars on the one side and Souldiers on the other At the right hand of this Gallery are several Stanza's full of curiosities wherewith the spectators are astonished both in regard of the richnesse and rarity thereof In the first Room is an Altar totally compacted of Jewels and precious stones The value inestimable In the next is a Table with Flowers and Birds in their natural colours of precious stones with a Cabinet worth two hundred thousand Crowns covered with
Agates Emerauds Amethists c. Within it is the History of Christs Passion with the twelve Apostles all in Amber In the third is a Cabinet with Calcedonie Pillars filled with ancient Medals of gold Round about this Room are an infinite number of Natural and Artificial curiosities As the Emperours head cut on a Turquoise bigger than a Walnut with thousands more Next is the Armory wherein are the habits and diverse sorts of Arms of several ages and people There is likewise a Loadstone that bears up fourscore pounds weight of Iron In the last Cabinet are curious turned works of Ivory A Pillar of Oriental Alabaster c. In another Room are twelve great Cupboards of silver Plate of all sorts and another of all pure massie gold A Saddle all embroydered with Pearls and Diamonds besides many other things of great worth From hence is a private passage to the Dukes Court on the other side of the River The front of which edifice is very Majestick towards the Basis of Dorick work in the middest of Ionick and the uppermost story of Corinthian In the Court is a Grotto with Statues and a Fountain over it and a Loadstone of a most prodigious greatnesse The Gardens belonging to it for their largenesse have the face of a Forrest for their variety of a Paradise Here are Cypresse Groves their Walks with Statues Here a Sea of Fountains these Swans Ostriches and other delighting Creatures The Cathedral Church is of a vast bulk and exquisite workmanship made of Red White and black Marble The Cupola is so high that the brass Globe at the top will hold sixteen persons No lesse excellent is the Steeple composed of the same stone and materials with the Church but with more Art and Ornaments The Chappel of St. Laurence seems more than terrestrial It s wholly overlaid with fine polished stones neither is there any colour upon Earth but it 's there in stones naturally Near to this is a famous Library filled with great variety of Manuscripts In brief the houses of Florence are generally built high the streets are paved with great stones even and large and adorned with many excellent Fountains and other publick Ornaments The chiefest Cities of Italy are thus usually distinguished Rome the Un-holy Venice the Rich Naples the Gentle Florence the Fair Genoa the Proud Millan the Great Bolonia the Fat Padua the Learned and Verona the Ancient Idem Belgia or the Netherlands described Belgia is bounded on the East with the River Ems and part of Germany On the West with the Germane Sea on the North with East-Friezland and on the South with the Some Champaigne and Lorrain It s in compass one thousand miles The Country is very populous the men well proportioned and ingenious the inventers of Clocks Printing and the Compass They found out diverse musical instruments the making of Chariots Painting with Oil colours working pictures in Glass making of Worsteads Sayes Tapestry c. The women govern all both within doores and without The Country lies low upon the Seas and therefore is very subject to inundations In the reign of our King Henry the second Flanders was so overflown that many thousands of people whose dwellings were devoured by the Sea came into England and were by the King first planted in York-shire but afterwards removed into Pembrook-shire Since then the Sea hath swallowed up in Zealand eight of the Islands and in them three hundred Towns and Villages the ruines of the Churches c. being seen at low water till this day The commodities are Linnen Skarlet Worstead Sayes Silks Velvets Armour Cables Ropes Butter Cheese c. The chief Rivers are 1. Rheine 2. Mosa which compasseth half the Country 3. Ems dividing the two Friezlands 4. Scaldis which rising in Picardy runs through Artois divides Henault and Brabant and a little above Antwerp emptieth it self into the Sea 5. Ley which runs quite through Flanders In Zealand and Holland especially they are fain to defend themselves against the Sea by huge banks about ten ells high and five and twenty in breadth at the bottom made of the hardest Clay with great pains and maintained with great charge their inside is stuffed with wood and stone and their outside covered with strong and thick Mats It s divided into seventeen Provinces which are these that follow 1. Limbourg and the Bishoprick of Leige environed with Brabant and Namurce on the West with Brabant and Gulick on the North with Gulick and Collen on the East and with Luxenbourg on the South In the Bishoprick are four and twenty walled Towns and one thousand and eight hundred Villages the chief City is Leige seated on the Meuse the buildings of it are very fair It s a famous University wherein were students at one time nine Kings Sons four and twenty Dukes sons twenty nine Earles Sons besides Barons and Gentlemen The next Cities are 2. Tongres 3. Dinand neer Namur 4. Huy 5. Bilsen 6. Truden The Dutchy of Limbourg contains five Towns 1. Limbourg on the River Weser 2. Walkenbourgh 3. Dalem 4. Rode le Buck. 5. Carpen besides one hundred twenty and three Villages Luxenbourg which is bounded on the North with Limbourg on the South with Lorrain on the East with the Bishoprick of Triers and on the West with the Meuse It s in circuit two hundred and forty miles in which stand one thousand one hundred sixty and nine villages and twenty and three walled Towns The chief are 1. Luxenburgh on the River Elze 2. Bostonack commonly called the Paris of Ardenne 3. Thionville 4. Mommedi 5. Danvillers 6. Ivoy 7. Neuse Chastel 8. Rocke de March 9. Arluna Here is the Forrest of Ardenna once five hundred miles in compass now scarce ninety In the edges whereof are the famous hot Baths called the Spaw which are of most vertue in July because then hottest In the skirts of this Countrey towards France is the Dukedome of Bovillion whose cheif Towns are Sedan where is Schola Illustris and Bovillon The Duke is a Peer of France and hath been a great friend to the Protestants 3. Gelderland which hath on the East Cleve on the West Brabant on the North Frizland and on the South Limbourg It contains three hundred villages and twenty four Towns the chief whereof are 1. Nimmegen seated on the branch of the Rheine which is called Whael 2. Ruremond 3. Arnheim 4. Harderwick 5. Doesbourgh 6. Buren It s a fertile soil for feeding of Beasts which grow so great and fat that Anno Christi 1570. there was a Gelderland Bull killed at Antwerp that weighed three thousand and two hundred pounds 4. Brabant having on the East North and South the Meuse and on the West the Scheld It s in length seventy five in breadth sixty miles comprehending seven hundred villages and twenty six Towns whereof the chief are 1. Lovain in compasse within the walls four miles and six without It s an University wherein are twenty Colledges and a Seminary
Moravia on the West with Franconia on the North with Misnia and Lusatia and on the South with Bavaria and is encompassed with the Hercynian Forrest The whole Kingdome is in compasse five hundred and fifty miles in which are contained seven hundred and eighty Cities walled Towns and Castles and thirty two thousand Villages they use the Sclavonian Language The soil is fruitful enriched with Mines of all sorts but Gold Here are many Forrests and in some of them a beast called Loris having under its neck a bladder of scalding water with which when shee is hunted shee so tormenteth the Dogs that shee easily escapeth them The chief Cities are 1. Prague in the middest of the Countrey seated on the River Mulda It consists of four several towns each of them having their several Magistrates Laws and Customes the principal is called the Old Town adorned with many fair buildings a spacious Market place and a stately Senate-house the second is called the New-town separated from the other by a deep and wide ditch the third is called the Little-town divided from the Old by the River Mulda and joined to it by a beautiful Bridge consisting of twenty four Arches In this Town is the hill Rachine on whose sides are many stately houses of the Nobles and on the top a magnificent Palace for the Kings the fourth is that of the Jews who have in it five Synagogues and live after their own Laws The second City is Egra seated on the River Eger on the borders towards Franconia 3. Budwus towards Austria 4. Melmukle on the river Albis 5. Weldaw 6. Pilsen Silesia is bounded with Bohemia on the West Brandenburg on the North Poland on the South and Hungary and Moravia on the East It s in length two hundred and forty miles and fourscore in breadth and is equally divided by the river Oder the chief towns are 1. Preslaw or Uratislavia 2. Jagundorfe 3. Glats 4. Oppolen 5. Glogaw 6. Olderberg all seated on the River Oder Lusatia which hath on the East and North Silesia on the West Brandenburg and on the South Silesia the chief Cities are Gorlits and Trabel on the river Nisse Spemberg and Gotthuse on the River Spe and lastly Bautsen Moravia which hath on the North and East Silesia on the West Brandenburg and on the South Austria and Hungary It abounds with Corn and hath much Myrrh and Frankincense which contrary to the usuall manner grow immediately out of the Earth not from trees the chief towns are 1. Brinne 2. Olmutz an University 3. Terebitz 4. Jasa c. 11. Brandenburg which hath on the East Poland on the West Saxony on the North Pomerania and on the South Lusatia It s in compass five hundred and twenty miles in which are contained fifty Cities and sixty four walled towns the chief are 1. Brandenburg 2. Frankfurt upon Oder an University seated in a fruitful soil abounding with Corn and Wine 3. Berlin where the Prince keeps his Court seated on the River Spre 4. Havelburg to this belongs part of Prussia called Ducal with the Dukedomes of Cleve Juliers and Berg c. So that in largenesse of territories they exceed the Dukes of Saxony but not in revenues 12. Pomerania and Meclemburg The first is bounded on the East wirh the River Vistula on the VVest with Meclemburg on the North with the Baltick sea and on the South with Brandenburg the chief towns are 1. Stetin the Princes seat and an University 2. Wolgast 3. VVallin 4. Gripswald an University 5. Newtrepton a Sea Town Meclenburg or Megalopolis stands on the West of Pomeren the chief towns whereof are 1. Malchaw 2. Sternberg 3. VVismar 4. Rostock an University On the West hereof stands the fair Hans-Town of Lubeck and about ten miles from it Hamborough On the further side of the River is Stoade where the English house is to sell their wares 13. Saxony which hath on the East Lusatia and Brandenburgh On the West Hassia On the North Brunswick and on the South Franconia and Bohemia It contains the Countries of Thuringia Misnia Voitland and Saxony The chief Cities in Thuringia are 1. Erdford a great City 2. Iene an University of Physicians 3. Smalcald 4. Hale 5. VVeimar The whole Country is in length one hundred and twenty miles and about as much in breadth and yet it contains two thousand Villages and twelve Earledoms Misnia environed with Bohemia Voitland Thuringia and Saxony the chief Towns whereof are 1. Dresden on the River Albis the Dukes seat and principal Magazine 2. Lipsique an University 3. Rochlits 4. Mulburg Voitland is a little Country South of Misnia whose chief Towns are 1. Olnits 2. VVerde 3. Cronach 4. Culmbach 5. Hoffe Saxony lies on the North of Thuringia and Misnia The chief Cities are 1. Magdeburg formerly Parthenopolis 2. VVorlits seated on the Albie 3. Helderick 4. VVittenberg the seat of the Duke and an University where Luther lived within the bounds of Saxony are the two small Principalities of Anhalt and Mansfield 14. Brunswick and Luneburg which have on the East Brandenberg On the West Westphalia On the North Denmark And on the South Saxony and Hassia The River Ems runs through this Country and the chief Cities are 1. Brunswick 2. Wolfohaiton where the Duke keeps his Court Halberstade 4. Lunebourg 5. Cella 5. Hassia which hath Saxony on the East Franconia on the South Westphalia on the West and North The chief Towns are 1. Dormestad 2. Marpurg an University 3. Geysen 4. Dries 5. Frankenburg 6. Cassels In this Country is the VVederaw containing the Counties of Nassaw and Hannaw and the free City of Friburg In the County of Nassaw are 1. Dillingbourg 2. Nassaw 3. Catzenelbagen and 4. Herborne an University where Piscator and Alstedius were Professors Denmark described Denmark contains the Cimbrick Chersoness part of Scandia and the Islands of the Baltick Sea The Chersoness is in length one hundred twenty miles and in breadth fourscore wherein are contained eight and twenty Cities and twenty Royal Castles or Palaces The cheif Provinces are 1. Holstein whose chief Cities are Nyemunster and Brumsted 2. Ditmars whose chief Cities are Meldory where they cover their houses with Copper and Mance 3. Sleswick whose chief Cities are Goterpe and Londen a Haven Town 4. Iuitland whereof the chief towns are Rincopen Nicopen Hol and Arhausen The Islands are five and thirty whereof the principal are 1. Senland or Zeland in length threescore and four in breadth two and fifty miles containing seven strong Castles and about thirteen Cities the chief being 1. Coppenhagen an University 2. Elsennour on the Sea side where they that pass the Sound pay their customes This Sound is in breadth three miles and is commanded by the Castles of Elsenbourg on Scandia side and Cronburg in this Island 3. Roschilt The second Island is Fuinen 3. Bornholme 4. Fimera wherein Ticho Brahe built his artificial Tower in which are rare Mathematical Instruments That part of
The Kingdome of Casan and Citraham 14. Muscovia whose chief City is Mosco The City of Mosco Described Mosco the Regal City in Russia is almost round and bigger it is than London environed with three strong walls circling the one within the other and having many streets lying betwixt them The inmost wall and the buildings within it being fenced and watered with the River Moschua that runneth close by it is all accounted the Emperors Castle The number of houses as they were formerly reckoned amounted to forty one thousand and five hundred The streets of this City instead of paving are planked with great Firr trees planed and laid even together and very close the one to the other The houses are of Timber without Lime and stone built very close and warm of Fir trees which are fastened together with notches at each corner and betwixt the Timber they thrust in Moss to keep out the air which makes them very warm The greatest danger is their aptnesse to take fire which being once kindled is hardly quenched and hereby much hurt hath been done and the City miserably defaced sundry times The whole Countrey of Russia in the Winter lyeth under snow a yard or two thick but greater in the Northern parts from the beginning of November to the end of March in which time the Air is oft so sharp that water thrown upward congeales into Ice before it comes to the ground If you hold a pewter dish in your hand it will freeze so fast to it as that it will pull off the skin at parting divers in the Markets are killed with the extremity of cold Travellers are brought into towns sitting dead and stiff in their sleds some loose their Noses some their Ears Fingers Toes c. which are frozen off and yet in the Summer you shall see a new face on the Countrey the woods which mostly are Firr and Birch so fresh and sweet the Pastures and Medows so green and well grown such variety of Flowers such melody of the Birds especially of Nightingales that you cannot travel in a more pleasant Country The Summer is hotter than with us in England For Fruits they have Apples Pears Plums Cherries red and black Deens like Muskmelons but more sweet and pleasant Cucumbers Gourds Straberries Hurtleberries c. Wheat Rie Barley Oats Pease c. Their cheif Commodities are Furrs of all sorts as black Foxes Sables Lufernes dun Foxes Martrons Gurnstales or Armines Minever Beaver Walverines a great water Rat whose skin smels like Musk Squirrels grey and red foxes white and red as also Wax Honey Tallow Hides of Beeves and Buffs Train Oile Caviare Hemp Flax Salt Tar Salt-Peter Brimstone Iron Muscovy slate Fallow Deer Roe-bucks and Goats great store For Fowl they have Eagles Hawks of all kinds swans tame and wild Storks Cranes Fesants white Partridges c. For fresh water fish they have Carp Pike Pearch Tench Roach as also Bellouga of four or five ells long Sturgion Severiga Sterledy which four sorts breed in Volga and of all their Roes they make Caviare c. The streets in their Cities and Towns instead of paving are planked with Firr trees planed and laid even together Their chief Cities are Mosco Novograd Rostove Volodomire Plesco Smolensco Jaruslave Perislave Nisnovograd Vologda Ustiuck Colmigroe Casan Astracan Cargapolia and Columna It s governed by an Emperour or great Duke with most absolute authority after the manner of the Eastern Countries though it lye very near the North. The Muscovites follow the Greek Religion under a Patriarch though yet it bee mingled with very many superstitions which are not like to bee amended because the Great Duke suffers none of his subjects to travel and see other Countries They are much tormented by the Turks and Tartars They have waged great wars with the Poles and Swedes but with many losses A Description of the state and magnificence of the Emperour of Russia Sir Thomas Smith being sent Ambassador from King James to Boris Emperour of Russia Anno Christi 1604. one of his company thus relates their entertainment When saith hee wee entrâ—d the presence wee beheld the excellent Majesty of a mighty Emperour seated in a chair of gold richly embroidered with Persian stuffe In his right hand hee held a golden Scepter had a Crown of pure gold upon his head a coller of rich stones and Pearles about his neck his outward garments of Crimson Velvet embroidered very fair with Pearles precious Stones and Gold On his rightâ—hand stood a very fair Globe of beaten Gold or a Pyramis with a Cross on it Nigh that stood a fair Bason and Ewre which the Emperour used daily Close by him on another Throne sate the Prince in an outward Garment like his Fathers but not so rich with an high black Fox cap on his head worth there five hundred pound having a golden staffe in his hand On the Emperours right hand stood two gallant Noble men in cloath of silver high black Fox Caps with great long gold chains hanging to their feet with Poleaxes of gold on their shoulders and on the left hand of the Prince stood two other such but their Poleaxes were of silver round about on benches sate the Council and Nobility in golden and Persian Coats and high black Fox Caps to the number of two hundred the ground being covered with cloath of Arras After dinner saith hee again wee were led to have audience through many Chambers to a very fair and rich room where was infinite store of massie plate of all sorts where wee again viewed the Emperour and Prince seated under two Chairs of state each having a scul of Pearl upon their heads In the midst of the room stood a great Pillar round about which for a great height stood wonderful great peeces of Plate very curiously wrought with Beasts Fishes and Fowles besides other ordinary peeces of serviceable Plate The Emperour at dinner was served in rare dishes of silver but most of Massie gold c. Sic transit gloria mundi Pur. Pil. v. 3. p. 748. The Permians and Samoeds described The Permians lie North from Russia and are now subject to the Emperor thereof they have broad and flat faces like the Tartars from whom probably they had their original they live by hunting and trading with their Furrs The Samoeds live more towards the North Sea they are very brutish eating all manner of raw flesh even to the very carrion that lyeth in the ditch they are also subject to the Russees they acknowledge one God but represent him by such creatures as they have most good by and therefore they worship the Sun the Ollen the Losh c. They are clad in Seals-skins with the hairy side outward that reaches as low as the knees with their breeches and stockings of the same both men and women they are all black-haired and beardlesse the women are known from the men by a lock of hair hanging down by their ears they are ever
on the East Laconia on the VVest Elis and Messina on the North Achaia propria and on the South the sea The chief Cities are 1. Psophis 2. Mantinia 3. Megalopolis And 4. Phialia here was the Lake Stymphalus and the River Styx whose water for the ill tast was called the Water of hell this Countrey was fit for pasturage and grazing 4. Laconia which is bounded on the East and South with the sea on the North with Argolis and on the West with Arcadia the chief Cities are 1. Lacedaemon once a most flourishing Commonwealth 2. Leuctra on the sea side 3. Thalana nigh unto the Lake Lerna and Mount Tenarus and 4. Selassia 5. Argolis which is bounded on the East and North with the sea on the VVest with Achaia propria and on the South with Laconia the chief Cities are 1. Argos 2. Micene 3. Nemaea 4. Epidaurus and 5. Nauplia 6. Achaia propria which hath on the South Elis Arcadia and Argolis on all other parts the sea The chief Cities are 1. Corinth at the foot of the Acro-Corinthian hills neer to the fountain Pyrene this City was formerly strengthened with a Castle which standing on the said Hills was called Acro-Corinthus and was impregnable Here lived Lais that famous strumpet that exacted ten thousand Drachmas for a nights lodging It s now called Crato and is a place of small note 2. Patras 3. Scycion now Vasilico and 4. Dimea The Country of Achaia described Achaia is bounded on the East with the Aegean Sea On the West with Epirus On the North with Thessaly and on the South with Peloponesus and the Sea thereof It s divided into seven Provinces 1. Attica 2. Megaris 3. Boeotia 4. Phocis 5. Aetolia 6. Doris and 7. Locris 1. Attica which hath on the West Megaris and on all other parts the Sea the soil is barren yet by the industry of the Inhabitants was made fruitful their current mony was stamped with an Oxe whence grew that saying of corrupt Lawyers Bos in lingua The chief Cities are 1. Athens once famous all the world over 2. Marathron where Mâ—ltiades overthrew the huge Army of Darius 3. Piraea the Haven Town to Athens and 4. Panormus 2. Maegaris which hath on the East Attica on the West Sinus Corinthiacus on the North Boeotia and on the South the Istmus The chief Cities are 1. Megara now Megra and 2. Eleusis 3. Boeotia which is bounded on the East with Attica on the West with Phocis on the North with the River Cephisus and on the South with Megaris and the Sea The chief Cities are 1. Thebes on the River Cephisus 2. Daulis 3. Platea 4. Leuctra where Epaminondas gave that great overthrow to the Lacedemonians 5. Ascra the birth-place of Hesiod 6. Cheronea the birth-place of Plutarch 7. Orchomenon In this Country are the streights of Thermopylae where Leonidas with three hundred Spartans slew twenty thousand of Xerxes his Army and were themselves all slain 4. Phocis which hath on the East Boeotia on the West Locris and Doris on the North the Rivers Cephisus and on the South Sinus Corinthiacus Here is Mount Helicon consecrated to the Muses Mount Citheron and Pernassus whose two-fold top kissed the clouds The cheif Cities are 1. Cyrra 2. Crissa 3. Anticyra on the Sea side where grew Eloborum that cured the Phrensie 4. Elladia 5. Pytho or Pythia seated in the heart of Greece Here the Amphictyons kept their Court. They were men selected out of the twelve principal Cities in Greece and had power to decide all controversies and to enact Lawes for the common good 6. Delphos where was the Temple of Apollo the most famous Oracle of the Heathens 5. Locris which hath on the East Aetolia on the North Doris and on the other parts the Sea The chief Cities are 1. Naupactum now called Lepanto where was that famous battel between the Turks and Christians 2. Ematia 6. Aetolia which is bounded on the East with Locris on the West with Epirus on the North with Doris and on the South with the Gulph of Lepanto Here is the Forrest of Caledon where Meleager slew the wild Boar and the Rivers Evenus and Achilous The chief Cities are 1. Chalcis 2. Olenus 3. Plurona and 4. Thirmum 7. Doris which hath on the East Boeota on the West Epirus on the South the Sea and on the North the Hill Oeta The chief Cities are 1. Amphissa 2. Libra and 3. Citinum Epirus described Epirus is bounded on the East with Achaia on the North with Macedonia and on the other parts with the Sea Here is the Mount Pindus sacred to Apollo and the Muses and the Acroceraunian Hills Here are also the Rivers Acheron and Cocytus for their colour and taste called the Rivers of Hell The Eastern part of this Country is called Acarnania the Western Chaonia The chief Cities are 1. Antigonia 2. Cassiope 3. Toronia These in the Western part and in the other 1. Nicopolis 2. Ambracia now Larta 3. Leucas 4. Anactorium and 5. Actium nigh to the Sea of Lepanto where Augustus and Anthony fought for the Empire of the world This Country was once called Molossia Here that famous Scanderbeg was King as also of Albania Albania described Albania hath on the East Macedonia on the West the Adriatick Sea On the North Sclavonia and on the South Epirus The chief Cities are 1. Albanopolis 2. Sfetigrade 3. Durazzo formerly called Dyrachium 4. Croya under whose walls Amurath lost his life Macedonia described Macedonia hath on the East Migdonia on the West Albania on the North Misia superior and on the South Epirus and Achaia The chief Cities are 1. Scydra or Scodra 2. Andaristus 3. Aedessa 4. Eribaea 5. Pidna upon the mouth of the River Alaicmon 6. Pella on the same shore and 7. Syderocaspae famous for her gold and silver Mines Thessaly described On the Southern part of Macedonia is Thessalia planted It s a fruitful and pleasant Country Here is the Hill Olympus upon which were the Olympick games as running with Chariots and on foot wrestling fighting with Whirlebats c. The reward of the Conquerors was only a Garland of Palm and yet highly esteemed by them Here also are the Hills Pelion and Ossa and betwixt Olympus and Ossa was that delectable Valley called Tempe five miles long and six broad so beautified with natures riches that it was accounted the Garden of the Muses The chief Cities are 1. Tricca 2. Lamia 3. Demetrias 4. Larissa both upon the Pelasgick Bay 5. Pharsalis nigh unto which was that great battel fought between Caesar and Pompey for the Monarchie of the world And 6. Pherae Migdonia described Migdonia is bounded on the East and South with the Aegean Sea on the West with Macedonia and on the North with Thracia Here is the Hill Athos which is threescore and fifteen miles in compass three dayes journey in height and casts a shadow as far as Lemnos which is forty miles off The chief Cities are 1. Stagira
Tyrant opens to the South having a lofty Gate-house engraven with Arabick Characters set forth with Gold and Azure all of white Marble This gate leadeth into a stately Court three hundred yards long and about one hundred and fifty wide at the farther end whereof is another gate hung with shields and Cymiters this leads into a second Court full of tall Cypresse-trees being not much lesse than the former It is Cloistered round about covered with lead handsomely paved and supported with Columns of Marble which have Chapiters and Bases of Copper On the left hand is the Divano kept where the Bassa's of the Court do administer Justice Beyond this Court on the right hand is a street of Kitchins and on the left stalles large enough for five hundred horses Out of the second Court is an entrance into the third surrounded with the Royal buildings large curious and costly Without on the North side stands the Sultan's Cabinet in form of a sumptuous summer-house where hee of ten olaceth himself with variety of Objects and from whence taking barge hee passeth to the delightfull places of the adjoyning Asia In the Seraglio also are many stately rooms appropriated to the season of the year which are called Rooms of fair prospect into which the Sultan goeth sometimes alone but more usually with his Concubines for his recreation Within a fine little Court adorned with very many delicate Fountains is the Chamber wherein hee gives audience to Ambassadors c. one part whereof is spread with very sumptuous Carpets of gold and Crimson velvet embroydered with very costly Pearls upon which the grand Signeur sitteth the walls of the room are covered with fine white stones having divers sorts of leaves and artificial Flowers curiously wrought upon them which make a glorious shew A little Room adjoyns to it the whole inside whereof is covered with silver plate hatched with gold the floor being spread with rich Persian Carpets of silk and gold There are belonging to the Sultan's lodgings very fair gardens of all sorts of flowers and Fruits that can bee found in those parts with many very pleasant walks enclosed with high Cypresse-trees on both sides and fountains in such abundance that almost in every walk there are some of them Besides the former rooms which are very many for the Sultan's own use there are also the womens lodgings wherein the Queen the Sultanaes and all the Kings women do dwell and they have in them bed-chambers dining rooms with-drawing rooms and all other kinds of rooms necessary for women In another place there are divers Rooms and lodgings for all the principal and inferiour Officers so well furnished that nothing is wanting that is fit and necessary Amongst which are two large buildings one his Wardrob the other his Treasury with very thick walls Iron windows and Iron doors In the Seraglio are Rooms for Prayer Bagnoes Schools Butteries Kitchins Stillatories Swimming places places to run horses in wrestling places butts to shoot at and all the commodities that may adorn a Prince's Court. There is also an Hospital for such as fall sick in the Seraglio in which there are all things necessary for diseased persons And another large place wherein is kept Timber Carts c. to have them neer hand for the use and service of the Seraglio Over the Stables there is a row of rooms wherein is kept all the furniture for the horses which is of an extraordinary value for the Bridles Petorals and Cruppers are set so thick with jewels of divers sorts that they cause admiration in the beholders and exceed Imagination The Grand Signior's Bed-chamber hath the walls covered with stones of the finest China mettal spotted with flowers of divers colours which make a very dainty shew The Antiportaes were of cloath of gold of Bursia and their borders of Crimson Velvet embroidered with gold and Pearls The posts of his Bedstead were of silver hollow and instead of knobs on the tops there were Lyons of Crystall the Canopy over it was of cloth of gold and so were the Bolsters and Matteresses the floor was covered with very costly Persian Carpets of silk and gold and the Pallats to sit on and Cushions were of very rich cloth of gold In the hall adjoyning is a very great Lanthorn round and the bars of silver and gilt set very thick with Rubies Emeralds and Turkesses the panes were of very fine Crystal which made a very resplendent shew There was also a Bason and Ewre to wash in of massie gold set with Rubies and Turkesses In Constantinople is a Piazza in which is raised upon four Dice of fine Mettal a very fair Pyramid of mingled stone all of one peice fifty Cubits high carved with Heroical letters resembling the Agulia of Rome in whose top were the enclosed ashes of Julius Caesar In the same Piazzo also is a great Pillar of Brasse made with marvellous Art in form of three serpents wreathed together with their mouths upward There are in Constantinople eighteen thousand Mosques great and small In the chief place of it are two Burses built four square high and round at top each having four gates opening upon four streets round about garnished with shops stuffed with all sorts of rich and costly wares of inestimable value as precious stones Pearls Sables and other rich Furs of all sorts Silk and cloath of gold Bows Arrows Bucklers and Swords Here also they fell Christian Slaves of all ages as wee sell horses the buyers looking them in the eyes mouth and all other parts which is done every forenoon except Fridayes which is their Sabbath The Bassa's also in sundry places have built fair houses encompassed with high walls which outwardly have no beauty but inwardly full of all riches and pleasure the world can afford For they use to say that they build not to please passers by but for their own Commodity The Turkish Empire Described The Grand Signior who hath his seat in the stately and Imperiall City of Constantinople hath under his command the chiefest and most fruitful parts of the three first known parts of the world In Europe he hath all the sea coasts from the confines of Epidaurus the utmost bound of his Empire in Europe Westward unto the mouth of the River Tanais now called Don with whatsoever lyes from Buda in Hungary to the Imperial City of Constantinople in which space is comprehended the greater part of Hungary all Bosna Servia Bulgaria with a great part of Dalmatia Epirus Macedonia Grecia Peloponesus Thracia the Archipelago with the rich Islands contained therein In Affrica he possesseth from the river Mulvia the bounder of the kingdom of Fesse to the Arabian Gulph or Red-sea Eastward except some sea-towns held by the King of Spain and from Alexandria Northward unto the City of Asna Southward In which space are contained the famous Kingdomes of Tremizen Algiers Tunes and Egypt with divers other great Cities and Provinces In Asia all is his from the Hellespont
not knowing of his Brothers imprisonment because hee heard nothing from him thought that his suit was rejected and thereupon addressed himself to the King of Spain who after many delayes furnished him with two ships only for discovery with this small assistance hee sailed in the Ocean more than threescore dayes without discovery of any land so that his discontented Spaniards began to mutiny absolutely resolving to go no further Columbus did all that hee could to pacifie and incourage them but when nothing would prevail hee was fain to ingage himself to them that if land was not discovered within three dayes hee would steer his course back again At the end of which time one of the company discryed fire an evident sign of land which they took possession of Anno Christi 1492. and Columbus in honour of the Spaniards called it Hispaniola after which hee discovered Cuba and so with much treasure and greater content hee returned into Spain and after two other voyages hee sickned and dyed and was buried at Sivil This Columbus being on a time at supper with some of the great Spanish Dons in the Court they took occasion to speak very sleightly of his Indian discoveries as if it was such a small matter which might have been performed by any man Hee hearing them called for an Egge and when hee had it desired them to try if any of them could make it stand an end upon their trenchers they all tryed and by indeavouring equally to poise it laboured to make it stand but could not then did Columbus take it and knocking it down pretty hard crackt the end which caused it to stand upright at this they all laughed saying that every fool could do so Yea saith hee and now I have made a discovery of that new world every one can go thither c. VVhen the Spaniards first arrived in those parts they found the Inhabitants naked unacquainted with husbandry making their bread of Cassavy roots worshiping the Devils whom they called Zemes in remembrance of whom they had certain Images made of Cotton-wool like to our Childrens babies To these they did great reverence as supposing the spirit of their Zemes to bee in them and the Devil to blind them the more would sometimes make these Puppets move and make a noise they stood also in great fear of them for if they did not fulfil his will the Devil would execute vengeance upon some of the Children of these poor deluded souls They thought the Christians to bee immortal wondring at the Masts Sails and tacklings of their ships and to try whether they were immortal or no having taken some straglers they held their heads under water till they were strangled which made them change their opinions They esteemed gold and silver no more than dross yet for the colours sake adorned themselves therewith as they did with shells feathers and the like The Spaniards after their coming amongst them behaved themselves very cruelly killing them like sheep and forcing them like beasts to labour in their Mines to carry their burthens and to do all manner of drudgery which caused them so to hate them that one Haythney a noble man amongst them being perswaded to bee baptised with the promise of Heaven for his reward asked whither the Spaniards went when they dyed and when answer was made that they went to Heaven hee renounced his intended Baptisme protesting that hee had rather go to Hell with the unbaptised than to live in Heaven with so cruel a people In some places there was such abundance of gold that in some Mines they found more gold than earth which the Indians exchanged greedily for Hammers Knives Axes Hatchets and such tools of Iron for before they were fain to make their Canows or Boats plain without of the body of a great tree which they made hollow with the force of fire Columbus having thus happily begun this noble enterprize hee was seconded by Americus Vesputio a Florentine from whom unjustly it was called America To him succeeded John Cabot imployed by our King Henry the seventh Ferdinando Magellane first found out the South passage called the streights of Magellane by which hee compassed the world and was afterwards followed by our Drake and Candish and the Dutch Nandernoort since which time another Dutchman called Le Maire found out a more Southerly passage into the South Sea called Le Maires Streights by which hee also compassed the world America is divided into two parts Mexicana and Peruana Mexicana is the Northern tract containing the Provinces of Mexico Quivira Nicaragua Jucutan Florida Virginia Norembega New-France New-England c. Mexico is now called New-Spain in which is that excellent tree called Mete which they plant and dress as wee do our Vines yeelding so many sorts of commodities For when they bee tender they make of them Conserves Paper Flax Mantles Mats Shooes Girdles and Cordage On the leaves grow prickles so hard and sharp that they use them in stead of sawes From the root of the tree comes a juice like unto syrup which if you seeth it will become Hony if you purifie it it will become Sugar you may also make Wine and Vineger of it The rind rosted cureth hurts and sores and from the top boughs is such a Gum which is an excellent antidote against poison It abounds also with many golden sanded Rivers wherein are Crocodiles which the natives eat It hath Mines of gold and a mountain burning like Aetna It s bounded on the East with Jucutan and the Gulph of Mexico on the West with California on the South with Peruana and the Northern limits are not known It was very populous before the arrival of the Spaniards who in seventeen years slew six millions of them roasting some plucking out the eyes cutting off the arms of others and casting them alive to bee devoured of dogs and wild beasts Mechuacan one of the Provinces of New-Spain abounds with Mulberry trees Silk Hony Wax black Amber and great plenty of Fish the Inhabitants are tall strong active and speak a copious language Mexico hath in it a City of the same name in compass six miles consisting of six thousand houses of Spaniards and sixty thousand of Indians It s situate on Lakes and Islands like Venice every where interlaced with pleasant currents of fresh and Sea waters The plain wherein the Town standeth is seventy leagues in compass environed with high hills on the tops of which Snow lyeth continually The Lake on whose banks the City lyeth is fifty miles in compass the banks whereof are adorned with pleasant Towns and houses and on the Lake are fifty thousand wherreyes plying continually Nigh to this City is the Gulph of Mexico whose current is so swift and heady that ships cannot pass directly to and fro but are compelled to bear either much North or much South It s nine hundred miles in compass and hath two Ports one between the farthest part of Jucatan and the Isle of Cuba at
of gold as amazed them especially one seat which weighed ninteen thousand Pezoes of gold In another room the pavement and walls were covered with plates of gold and silver they found also a great house full of pots and tubs of silver The Spaniards having worn out their horses shooes in their travel caused the Indians to shooe them with gold In the City of Pachalchami they found an Image with many Emeralds at his feet fastened in gold Idem p. 1490. Peru is plentiful in all manner of grain hath civil Inhabitants many Cities and an healthful air It hath store of Tobacco first brought into England by some Marriners Anno Christi 1585. the use whereof is now grown too common It abounds above all other Provinces with gold and silver In this Countrey is the river of Plate one hundred and fifty miles broad at the mouth and two thousand miles long In it also is a beast that hath a bag in her neck into which shee puts her young ones when any body approaches and so runs away with them there is also a sort of fig-trees of which they write that the Northside that stands towards the Mountains bringeth forth fruit in the Summer only and the Southside towards the Sea is fruitfull only in winter Atabalipa King of this Countrey being taken prisoner by the Spaniards was forced to redeem his life with an house full of refined gold and silver judged to bee worth ten millions which when they had received they perfidiously slew him The admirable High-waies in Peru described In Peru in the West-Indies are two admirable High-wayes made by the Ingas or Emperours The one is by the Andes or Forrests from Pasto unto Chile being nine hundred Leagues long the Cawsey five and twenty foot broad and every four leagues hath a stately house where was provision of victuals and apparel and every half League men that stood ready to carry messages and orders from hand to hand The other way was thorow the Plains along the coast of twenty five foot broad and on each side a wall of a mans height from Piura to Chile where both the wayes met This latter way was between trees that yeelded a very pleasant shadow in those hot Countries and both of them began at the imperial City of Cuzco P. Pil. v. 3. p. 887 888. The Emperors Garden described There belonged also to the Incas a Garden of silver and gold wherein were many sorts of Herbs Flowers Plants Trees Beasts great and small Snakes Snails Lizzards Butterflies small and great Birds each set in their places all of gold They had also Maiz Quinua Pulse Fruit-trees with fruit on them all of gold and silver resembling the natural In the Incas house they had heaps of wood all counterfeit of gold and silver All the vessels which were infinite for the Temple-service Pots Pans Tubs Hogsheads were of gold and silver yea the spades and pickaxes for the Garden were of the same At the taking of this City by the Spaniards the Image of the Sun fell to one Captains share who lost it one night at dice whereupon they said That hee had played away the Sun before it was up P. Pil. v. 4. p. 1464 c. The Temple of the Sun described Cusco the Imperial City of the Incas in America when the Spaniards first took it had in it a Temple of the Sun all the walls whereof were covered with plates of gold from the top to the bottom At the East end was the image of the Sun of one plate of gold as thick again as the other the face was round with raies of gold like flames of fire all of one peece It was so big that it filled all from one wall to the other On both sides were the bodies of their deceased Kings embalmed set in seats of gold placed on planks of gold All the doors about the Temple were lined with plates of gold without the Temple on the top of the walls ran a champhered work of gold above a yard broad round about the Temple Beyond the Temple ran a cloister of four squares round about the top whereof was such a crown of champhered gold above a yard broad In the corners of the Cloister were Chappels one whereof was dedicated to the Moon all which with the Gates thereof were covered with plates of silver the image was placed as that of the Suns with the face of a woman all of one plank of silver The next Chappel was dedicated to Venus and the Starres lined also with silver and the porch of silver The third was dedicated to the Thunder and Lightning The fourth to the Rainbow which two last were all lined and garnished with gold Hard by was an house for the Priests all lined with gold from the top to the bottom There were twelve doors to the Cloister and as many Tabernacles or Shrines which were all plated over with gold in form of Porches and the floores covered with gold The Images were all set with Turkesses and Emeralds In the house also were five Fountains of water wherein they washed the sacrifices out of them the water ran in Pipes of gold and many of their pillars were of gold hollow and some of them were of silver Brasile hath on the North Guiana on the South the River of Plate and Chile on the East the Ocean and on the West the Mountains of Peru called the Andes The hills are high and craggie full of ravenous beasts and poisonous Serpents on them also inhabite a barbarous people going stark naked In the Vallies the air is healthy the earth fat and alwayes flourishing It yeelds great store of Sugar and rich Mines and Brasil wood to dye with the natives go naked and are very barbarous In their feasts they used to roast a fat man and cutting him to collops did eat him with much delight Both men and women are great swimmers and excellent divers being able to endure long under water Here is a beast so slow in motion that in fifteen dayes hee cannot go further than a man can throw a stone whence the Portugals call it Pigritia Brasile is generally temperate of a delicate and healthful air so that many of the Inhabitants live till they bee above one hundred years old generally it s neither hot nor cold The Heavens are very pure and clear especially by night The Moon is prejudicial to health and corrupteth things very much the mornings are most healthful there are very little twilights their Summer begins in September and endeth in February Their Winter in March and ends in August the nights and dayes are almost all equal The Country is very watery both from the plenty of Rain and Rivers It s full of great woods which are green all the year Towards the Sea coast it is Hilly From Parnambuck to the Captainship of the Holy-Ghost it s scarce of stone From thence to St. Vincent mountainous with many Quarries of stone there is little provision for
in one of the most populous Regions in the World saith Casas there remain not above four or five thousand persons Cortes used to have four Kings to wait upon him hee burned sixty Kings their children looking on Another Spaniard cast four of their Kings to bee devoured by his dogs In New-Spain from the year 1518 to 1530. within the compasse of four hundred and eighty miles about Mexico they destroyed above four millions of people by fire and sword besides those that dyed by miserable servitude and drudgery In the Province of Naco and Honduras in the space of eleven years two millions of men perished by the same ways In Guatimala in sixteen years space were destroied five millions of souls Alvarado who was the instrument of this destruction dyed by the fall of his horse and had his City of Guatimala destroyed and overwhelmed by a threefold deluge of Earth water and stones In his expeditions he forced the Indians by ten or twenty thousand at a time to go with him allowing them no other sustenance but the flesh of their slain enemys keeping in his Army Shambles of mans flesh In Panuco and Xalisco they exercised the like cruelties One of the Spaniards forced eight thousand of the Indians to wall about his Garden and suffered them all to perish with Famine In Machuachan they tortured the King that came forth to meet them that they might extort gold from him they set his feet in the stocks and put fire thereto binding his hands to a Post behind him and then had a boy standing by that basted his roasted feet with Oil Another stood with a Cross-bow bent against his breast and a third stood with Dogs ready to devour him by these tortures hee dyed They forced the Indians to bring them their gods hoping they had been of gold but when their golden hopes failed they forced them to redeem them again with Gold Yea where the Fryers had forced the Indians to cast away their gods the Spaniards brought more from other places to sell them In the Province of St. Martha they laid utterly waste and desolate four hundred and fifty miles of land by destroying the Inhabitants The like they did in the Kingdome of Venezula where they destroyed four or five millions Besides they carried of them Captive out of the Continent into the Islands a million of People They spared no sort of persons plucked the Children from the breasts to quarter them to their dogs tortured Kings with new devices borrowed either from the Inquisition or from hell they used to cut off the Noses and hands of men and women that lived peaceably with them they sold Fathers Mothers Children asunder into diverse places and to diverse persons never to meet again they used to ly with the women that being with child they might yeild them the more mony in their sale The Spanish Priests used to devote them with Curses to the Devil and taught them vices by their evil practises and examples insomuch as one said Hee would perswade the King of Spain to send no more Priests into America They teach them Usury Lying Swearing Blasphemy A Caciques son that was towardly in his youth and proved after dissolute being asked the reason of it said since I was a Christian I have learned to swear several sorts of Oaths to Dice to Lye to swagger and now I want nothing but a Concubine to make mee a compleat Christian This made them to say that of all Gods the Christians God was the worst which had such bad servants and to wish for their own gods again of whom they never received so much hurt as from the Christians A Christian said one of them is one that impiously demands Maiz Honey Silk Raiment an Indian woman to lye with they call for gold and silver are idle and will not work are Gamesters Dicers wicked Blasphemers Backbiters Quarrellers c. And taking a peece of Gold hee said Loe this is the Christians God For this they kill us and one another for this they play blaspheme curse steal and do all manner of villanies In Peru they had publike places of torture whereinto they might put a thousand of the miserable Creatures at once by exquisite tortures to force them to a confession of their hidden treasures such as escaped these used to hang themselves in the Mountains and their wives by them and their little children at their feet By Dogs at Land they worried them and in their Pearl fishings exposed them to the ravenous Sharks in the seas by fire and sword consuming twenty millions of people since the Jesuits went amongst them These and infinite more have been the cruelties which the cruel Spaniards have exercised upon the poor naked innocent people Our Author a Papist that relates these things least any should think that hee wrote too much protests that they were a thousand times worse than hee had set down the Reading whereof might astonish the sence of the Reader amaze his Reason exceed his faith and fill his heart with horror and uncouth passions It is no marvel that God follows such bloody beasts with his vengeance as lately hee hath done if the relation be true which cometh from the mouths of some of themselves lately taken by some of our Frigots upon the Coast of Spain as they came out of these Countryes whereof the Narrative follows The Marquesse of Baydex now taken by our Fleet neer Cadiz upon examination saith that above five months since there happened in Lima a fearfull Earthquake and a most miraculous rain of fire in Peru insomuch that the whole City of Lima is swallowed up and destroyed as also the City of Calao in which places there perished above eleven thousand Spaniards and through the wonderful distinguishing hand of God not above one hundred Indians In the City of Lima the King of Spain hath lost by the Earthquake one hundred Millions of silver ready wrought up Also the famous Mines of Potozi where they had their greatest quantities of silver are destroyed in a wonderfull manner so that the hill is not to be seen but all is plain nor is there any further possibility of having gold or silver in Peru Some of the Spaniards themselves acknowledge that this judgement is justly befaln them for their cruelty to the poor Indians who crying to God for vengeance have pulled down this visible hand of God upon them Lima and Potosi Described In Lima no houses are covered on the tops because it never rains and is a hot Countrey no City in India is richer Over the top of the Mountain of Potosi there always hangs a cloud even in the clearest day The hill riseth in the form of a Pyramis being three Leagues high environed with cold air at the foot of it standeth the fair City of Potosi within six leagues about grows no grasse Corn nor wood the entrance and Mine works are so dangerous that few that go in return again The metal lies above two
with tenents and mortesses so as the whole frame seemeth to hang whereof it s commonly called Stone-henge Camb. Brit. In Westmerland hard by Shape there bee huge stones in form of Pyramids some of them nine foot high and fourteen foot thick ranged directly as it were in a row for a mile in length with equal distance almost between them Camb. Brit. p. 762. Mausolus his Tombe described Artimesia Queen of Halicarnassus when her husband Mausolus dyed built him a stately Tomb accounted for the rare workmanship and costly magnificence one of the worlds Wonders It was five and twenty cubits high and supported with six and thirty curious pillars of which Martial thus writeth Aere nam vacuo pendentia Mausolaea laudibus immodicis Cares ad astra ferunt The Mausolaea hanging in the skie the men of Caria's praises Deifie When Sir Thomas Row was Ambassador there the Great Mogul built a stately Monument for his Father it was about twenty years in building and three thousand men working daily at it it was built square three quarters of a mile in compass it was made with seven heights one above another and each narrower than other till you come to the top where the herse is At the outward Gate is a most stately Palace and Gardens walled about at least three miles in compass all built at a vast charge Pur. Pil. p. 226. Mr. Herbert who saw it afterwards thus describes it It consists saith hee of four large squares each about three hundred paces long the matter is freestone polished having at each Angle a small Tower of party coloured Marble Ten foot higher is another Tarras on each side beautified with three such Towers The third Gallery hath two Towers on each side The fourth one The fifth half and a small square Gallery mounting to a Royall Pyree within which is the Mummy of Ecbar bedded in a Coffin of pure Gold The whole structure is built in the middest of a spatious and curious Garden surrounded with a wall of red stone and planted with beautiful and odoriferous flowers Porsennah's Tomb described Porsenna King of Hetruria not far from the City of Clusium built for himself a Monument of square stone each side of it was three hundred foot broad and fifty foot high within which square Basis there was an inextricable Labyrinth into which whosoever adventured without a clue could finde no passage out Upon this square hee erected five Pyramids four in the corners and one in the middest in the bottom they were seventy five foot broad and each of them one hundred and fifty foot high on the top was one brasse circle and covering for them all from which there hung bells fastened with chains which being moved with the winde gave a sound a far off Upon this brazen circle stood other four Pyramids each of them one hundred foot high and upon them being covered with another plain were again erected five other Pyramids the height whereof my Author was ashamed to name so foolishly did hee waste the wealth of his Kingdome that in the end the commendation of the Artificer should bee the greatest Pliny out of Varro and Greaves out of him In the Great Moguls Country from Agra to Lahor which are the two chief Cities in this Empire is about four hundred English miles The Countrey in all that distance being even without Mountains or hills and the high-way betwixt them is planted on both sides with Trees like unto a delicate walk P. Pil. v. 2. p. 1468. The Trees are Mulberry trees And in all this way ever and anon are Inns built by several Kings and great men for the entertainment of strangers In which you may have a chamber for your self room for your horse and horse-meat but little for your servant when a man hath taken up his lodging no other may dispossesse him In the morning about break a day all make ready to depart at which time the gates are opened and none suffered to depart sooner for fear of theeves p. 520. The first invention of Printing Laurence Jans a rich Citizen of Harlem in the Low-Countrys walking forth one day into the neighbouring Woods for recreation began to cut in peices of wood the letters of his name printing them on the back of his hand which pleasing him well hee cut three or four lines which hee beat with Ink and printed them upon Paper wherewith hee much joyed and determined to find out another kind of Ink more fastening and holding and so with his Kinsman Thomas Peterse found out another way to print whole Sheets but of one side only which are yet to bee seen in the said town afterwards hee changed his Letters of Wood into Lead and after that into Tin and so by degrees this famous Art of Printing grew to perfection Belg. Common-Wealth p. 57. Some say that John Guttenberg of Strasburg was the first Inventer of it Anno Christi 1440. In which City he first practised it and removing from thence to Mentz there perfected it They say that Tullies Offices was the first book that ever was printed P. Ramus Schol. Math. L. 2. It doth with wonderful celerity convey learning from one Country and age to another Imprimit ille die quantum vix scribitur anno The most famous Printers were Aldus Manutius and after him Paulus his son in Venice In France Crispinus Henry Stevens father to Charles and Charles to Robert Robert to Henry and Henry to Paul all Printers Christopher Plantine of Antwerp was a most famous and learned Printer Frobenius that was Erasmus his faithful Printer Daniel Bombergus an excellent Printer of the Hebrew Bible and many other Hebrew books c. The first Invention of Guns A German Fryer of the Order of St. Francis called Bertholdus Swart being very studious of Chymistry as hee was one evening for the finding out of some experiment very busy in tempering Brimstone Sulphureous powder of dryed earth and certain other ingredients in a Morter which hee covered with a stone when it grew dark hee took his Tinder-box to light him a candle a spark whereof by chance flying into the mortar caught hold of the Brimstone and Salt-Peter and firing with a sudden flash blew up the stone The cunning Chymist guessing what it was which wrought this effect never left till hee found out the certainty and then taking an iron pipe hee crammed it full of the said ingredient together with some stones and so putting fire to it hee saw that with great fury and noise it discharged it self Soon after which hee communicated this his Invention to the Venetians who having been often vanquished by the Genowayes did by the help of these Bombards or Guns give them a notable discomfiture Anno Christi 1380. Bucholtz At Middleburg in Zealand in the Steeple of the Abby-Church there is a Bell of eighteen thousand weight to strike the houres on and twenty four small ones which serve for the Chymes Belg. Common-wealth p. 162. A Description